Monaco hosted the front engine Juniors for their Diamond Jubilee. With 48 entries, Pilotes from 10 countries, cars from 23 different constructors, it was always going to be exciting, and did the Juniors deliver! In 1959 the entry was dominated by Italian constructors, and it was heart-warming to see so many red cars entered. One last minute change, Murray Smith had to drop out under doctors’ orders, nothing too nasty, and his place in the Volpini was taken by none other than HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark, with a little help from fellow countryman Jac Nellemann.
Qualifying
Thankfully Auto Club de Monaco, split the Juniors into two groups, even and odd racing numbers. There were two practice sessions on Friday, the results counting towards grid position for the two qualifying races on Saturday, which in turn gave the starting places for the race on Sunday, for all 48 entries!
There was drama as early as lap 3 in the first qualifying, when odds on favourite Chris Drake, having already posted a time worthy of pole on lap 2, in the very nimble and powerful, downdraught engine Terrier, had an oil seal on the oil filter fail entering the old Station Hairpin. He lost control on his own oil, stalled, restarted and did a 180, only to realise that the oil light was on, so with quick thinking did another 180 through a gap in the barriers, and stopped the engine. The whole of the hairpin was covered in oil. And the next car to arrive, the Autosud of Paul Halford, went straight on and nudged the barrier, whilst a helpless Nick Grewal in the OSCA hit the back of the Autosud, and then pirouetted around its back wheel, and gave it a further kiss in the side! Thankfully both drivers were unharmed, and miraculously the OSCA suffered relatively minor body damage, while Keith Roach exercised his skills on the Autosud tail as only a true craftsman can. So the even number practice was red flagged and ended after 3 laps, with Drake fastest, then Christian Traber, Lola, Joe Colasacco, Stanguellini, third.
In the odd number session it was Jonathon Hughes in the Lola setting the pace, from Nick Taylor in the Elva, Ray Mallock in the U2, and Stuart Roach, in Tom de Gres’ Stanguellini, a couple of seconds adrift. Sadly we lost the Bandini of Tupper Robinson, with a dropped valve from his head, on a block kindly loaned by Nick Grewal.
After two further practice sessions the drivers and cars were rested overnight, for the qualifying races on Saturday.
At the start of the even numbers qualifying race, Drake jumped the start, and was penalised with a pit lane drive through, which, he took on the last lap, only losing two places. Colasacco was mighty in the Stanguellini, and took 1st place for his efforts, Christian Traber only 9 seconds behind.
In the odd numbers qualifying race, there was committed driving from Hughes, Taylor, Mallock, Roach, Anthony Olissoff in the Elfin, and John Chisholm in the Gemini, keeping in touch until a head gasket blew.
Sunday Race day, was sunny, in contrast to the two heavily overcast days of qualifying. 5 cars having dropped out with terminal mechanical issues, meant that 43 cars were lined up with the even numbers on one side of the right side of the track, and the odds on the left. This produced some interesting grid positions, as follows; Colasacco on pole, then Hughes, Traber, Mallock, Drake, Roach, Ralf Emmerling in the Gemini, Nick Taylor, Mike Walker in the FWD Bond, andOlissoff in the other FWD car in 10th. With such a large field, the race was a rolling start behind the safety car, which prevented possible carnage at Saint Devote! Colasacco powered in to the lead, and after half a lap, Drake coasted to a halt after the chicane, with a sheared outer UV driveshaft joint. On lap 3 Colasacco, succumbed to the brake problems, that had been plagueing him all weekend, and lost the back of the car, going in to Mirabeau, in a gentle spin. Hughes powered by into the lead. On the same lap Justin Fleming in the Lola and Tony Olissoff in the front wheel drive Elfin touched wheels coming up the hill from Saint Devote which caused the Lola to spin across the track twice, before crashing into the barrier backwards. Justin, was fine, unlike the car. Safety car on Lap 3!!
At the restart Colasacco, was in 8th place, and started a charge back through the field. Now this was fun to watch, as the leaders were having to race, as well as navigate the slower cars. To every drivers’ credit, despite the huge numbers of cars on track, there were no serious incidents. At times the entrance to the chicane was one big moving mass of FJs, 3 abreast! Taylors’s Elva was expiring fast, and sadly retired from the fray, having been in the top 10 all weekend.
Colasacco made it up to third and a potential podium very quickly, and the spectators were enjoying the action, but then his clutch started slipping, and he dropped back down the pack after a valiant drive. At the front, Hughes had been scything his way through the traffic extremely clinically to win, a slightly more cautious Traber, 10 seconds down, with a delighted Ray Mallock in 3rd. Roach finished a splendid sideways 4th, then Emmerling, Walker, Colasacco, Olissoff, Daniele Salodini in the Taraschi, and a solid drive, from Prince Joachim, who brought the Volpini home in very credible 10th.
The crowd was quite breathless after all of this action, and gave all the competitors a huge ovation on the slowing down lap.
It should be mentioned that although a major percentage of the drivers were having their first appearance at Monaco, the standard of driving, was indeed a credit to them.
After 10 exacting laps, and more action in one race, than a whole F1 season, there were quite a few dazed souls wandering around the paddock after the race, though happy in the knowledge that they have competed for 3 days, on the most hallowed piece of tarmac in motor racing history.
John Tweedale