Dijon 1000 km race in 1973

Matra-Simca MS670B

The Dijon 1000 km race in 1973 , also called Dijon 1000 Kilometers, Dijon , took place on April 15 at the Circuit de Dijon-Prenois and was the third round of the sports car world championship of that year.

The race

After the cancellation of the Brands Hatch 1000 km race at the beginning of the season, the Dijon 1000 km race entered the racing calendar of the World Sports Car Championship for the first time. Those responsible at the Automobile Club of Bourgogne managed to organize a long-distance race on the new circuit at short notice . Since the racetrack, which opened in 1972, was very short with a distance of 3.209 km, the number of participants was limited by the organizer to 20 starters, little for a sports car race over a distance of 1000 kilometers.

The two Matra-Simca MS670B reported had different gearboxes. While Jean-Pierre Beltoise and François Cevert's car was equipped with a Hewland gearbox, the Matra mechanics installed a ZF product in the MS670 owned by Henri Pescarolo and Gérard Larrousse . Ferrari had revised the Ferrari 312PB , among other things, the cars received larger air intakes for engine cooling. The drivers were Jacky Ickx , Brian Redman , Carlos Pace and Arturo Merzario . Two Mirage M6s were entered by Gulf Racing for the teams Mike Hailwood / Vern Schuppan and Derek Bell / Howden Ganley . Three Porsche Carrera RSR competed in the GT class , including the works car from Herbert Müller and Gijs van Lennep .

The race ended with a victory for Matra by Henri Pescarolo and Gérard Larrousse, who had an uneventful outing. Both Ferrari 312PB had damage to the body that they sustained when lapping. Nevertheless, Jacky Ickx and Brian Redman reached second place overall.

Results

Final ranking

Item	class	No.	team	driver	vehicle	Round
1	S 3.0	2	Equipe Matra-Simca	Henri Pescarolo Gérard Larrousse	Matra-Simca MS670B	312
2	S 3.0	3	Spa Ferrari SEFAC	Jacky Ickx Brian Redman	Ferrari 312PB	311
3	S 3.0	1	Equipe Matra-Simca	François Cevert Jean-Pierre Beltoise	Matra-Simca MS670B	308
4th	S 3.0	4th	Spa Ferrari SEFAC	Carlos Pace Arturo Merzario	Ferrari 312PB	308
5	S 3.0	5	Gulf Racing	Mike Hailwood Vern Schuppan	Mirage M6	303
6th	S 3.0	10	Scuderia Filipinetti	Reine Wisell Jean-Louis Lafosse	Lola T292	290
7th	S 3.0	11	Jolly Club	Giorgio Pianta Pino Pica	Lola T280	281
8th	S 3.0	8th	Porsche Club Romand	Claude Haldi Juan Fernández	Porsche 908/03	271
9	GT	26th	Martini Racing Team	Herbert Müller Gijs van Lennep	Porsche Carrera RSR	266
10	GT	27	Porsche Kremer Racing	John Fitzpatrick Paul Keller	Porsche Carrera RSR	263
11	GT	28	Porsche Club Romand	Bernard Chenevière Peter Zbinden	Porsche Carrera RSR	257
12	S 3.0	15th	Wicky Racing Team	Max Cohen-Olivar André Wicky	Porsche 908/02	219
Failed
13	S 2.0	19th	Barclays International Team Lola	Guy Edwards Jim Busby	Lola T292	194
14th	S 3.0	6th	Gulf Racing	Derek Bell Howden Ganley	Mirage M6	184
15th	S 3.0	7th	Reinhold Joest	Reinhold Joest Mario Casoni	Porsche 908/03	131
16	S 3.0	14th	Automobiles Ligier	Jean-Pierre Jarier Jean-Pierre Paoli	Ligier JS2	122
17th	S 3.0	9	Rouveyran Racing	François Migault Daniël Rouveyran	Lola T280	85
18th	S 2.0	20th	Racing Enterprises	Jorge de Bagration José Juncadella	Chevron B23	37
19th	GT	30th	Franco-Brittanic	Jean Vinatier Guy Chasseuil	De Tomaso Pantera	36
Not qualified
20th	S 3.0	12	Jolly Club	Giorgio Schön Jean Canonica	Lola T292	1

¹ not qualified

Only in the entry list

No further reports are known for this race.

Class winner

class	driver	driver	vehicle	Placement in the overall ranking
S 3.0	Henri Pescarolo	Gérard Larrousse	Matra-Simca MS670B	Overall victory
S 2.0	no participant in the finish
GT	Herbert Mueller	Gijs van Lennep	Porsche Carrera RSR	Rank 9

Racing data

• Registered: 20
• Started: 20
• Valued: 12
• Race classes: 3
• Spectator: unknown
• Race day weather: warm and dry, light rain at the end of the race
• Route length: 3.209 km
• Driving time of the winning team: 5: 34: 37.100 hours
• Total laps of the winning team: 312
• Total distance of the winning team: 1001.208 km
• Winner's average: 197.525 km / h
• Pole position: François Cevert - Matra-Simca MS670B (# 1) - 0: 59.400 = 194.485 km / h
• Fastest race lap: François Cevert - Matra-Simca MS670B (# 1) - 1: 00.600 = 190.634 km / h
• Racing series: 3rd round of the Sports Car World Championship in 1973
• Racing series: 1st round of the Spanish Circuit Championship 1973

literature

• Peter Higham: The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing. A complete Reference from Formula 1 to Touring Car. Guinness Publishing Ltd., London 1995, ISBN 0-85112-642-1 .

Web links

• Race report at Motorsport Magazine
• Race results at wspr

Previous race 6 Hours of Vallelunga 1973

Sports car world championship

Successor 1000 km race of Monza 1973