1970 Israel Grand Prix
The 1970 Israel Grand Prix ( Hebrew גרנד פרי ישראל) was a Formula 2 race initially planned for November 21, 1970 and later for November 22, 1970 in the Israeli city of Ashkelon . According to the organizers' plans, it should be the first Israeli automobile race with international participation. The race was canceled after qualifying after there had been religious disputes in advance and the insurance company involved had finally withdrawn insurance cover.
background
History of origin
The first Israeli Grand Prix was organized by the Israeli Automobile and Touring Club and the newly established Israel Racing Organization (IRA). The Israeli Volkswagen importer took over the financing . The organizers commissioned the Wiesbaden Automobile Club (WAC) to organize the race; the WAC also provided the race director.
The Grand Prix of Israel was advertised according to the rules of Formula 2. A race of this class had not yet taken place in Israel. A Formula Vee race was planned as a supporting program . The Formula 2 race was a championship-free race that had no influence on the 1970 Formula 2 European Championship , which ended in October 1970 . The drivers competed at the invitation of the organizers, who covered all costs for transport and accommodation. The invitation was addressed to the "20 most successful European Formula Vee racing drivers" and 15 selected Formula 2 drivers.
The aim of the organizers was to make Israel known as the venue for international motorsport events through this race. Ultimately, the intention was to host a Formula 1 World Championship race in 1973 for the 25th anniversary of the State of Israel . The project could not be implemented. The event in Ashkelon was perceived as "grandiose chaos" and caused interested parties to refrain from further projects. The Second Grand Prix of Israel was announced for November 20, 1971. However, the race was deleted from the calendar early due to lack of interest.
After the race, the organizers in Israel were prosecuted for fraud; The law enforcement authorities saw the termination of the race as a criminal offense against the paying spectators. The organizing Wiesbaden car club did not receive the income from the race. An intermediary had withdrawn with all of the proceeds.
route
The race was to take place on a circuit called Barnea Beach Circuit in the Mediterranean city of Ashkelon. The route was in the Barnea district, which was a new development area at the time. It was 4,300 m long, very narrow and, according to observers, was in a bad ("bumpy") condition. There was no pit building. The teams had to store their cars and equipment outdoors on unpaved ground in the infield .
Teams and drivers
The registration list for the Israel Grand Prix included 10 teams with 13 drivers. In fact, only eleven drivers came to the event. The major British racing car manufacturers were not factory represented. The Italian manufacturer Tecno , which had won the Formula 2 European Championship in 1970, did compete, but did not send its factory drivers Clay Regazzoni - the new European champion - and François Cevert to Ashkelon, but Patrick Depailler , who had worked for the French last season Racing car designer Pygmée had driven. Derek Bell , runner-up in 1970, was the most successful Formula 2 driver registered in Israel. The most common car was the Brabham BT30 . All vehicles were powered by Cosworth four-cylinder engines.
Race: postponement and cancellation
The Formula 2 race and the Formula V race were initially scheduled for November 21, 1970 after the training runs had taken place on November 20. That was a Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath , which was generally non-working. In this way, the organizers wanted to achieve the highest possible audience figures, with the planning assuming 50,000 visitors. However, the Saturday event evoked protests among Orthodox Jews who saw the planned car race as a “desecration of the Sabbath” and distributed broken glass and nails on the racetrack the night before Friday training. Representatives of the organizers and racing drivers were threatened. Ultimately, an amicable agreement was reached. For a payment of 200,000 Israeli pounds , the organizer rescheduled all races from Saturday to Sunday November 22, 1970.
Training and the race were under the impression of a lack of safety measures. Both during practice on Friday and during the Formula Vee race on Sunday, the spectators stood right on the slopes; There were no delimitations. Several spectators crossed the track shortly before the approaching racing cars; Dogs and goats running free had also been on the track during the training sessions and civil vehicle drivers tried to get onto the track. After the start of the race, a representative of the insurance company that had covered the organizers' risks withdrew the insurance cover because of the disorderly conditions. The Formula Vee race was then canceled and the Formula 2 race did not even start. The Formula 2 drivers limited themselves to a few demonstration laps at a slow pace.
Registration list
Classification: qualifying
| Item | driver | constructor | time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Ernesto Brambilla
|
 Brabham
|
1: 23.8 |
| 2 |
 Patrick Depailler
|
Tecno
|
1: 24.2 |
| 3 |
Derek Bell
|
Brabham
|
1: 24.8 |
| 4th |
 Mike Goth
|
Brabham
|
1: 25.2 |
| 5 |
 Xavier Perrot
|
March
|
1: 25.4 |
| 6th |
Peter Westbury
|
Brabham
|
1: 25.8 |
| 7th |
Patrick Dal Bo
|
Pygmée
|
1: 26.2 |
| 8th |
Brian Cullen
|
Brabham
|
1: 26.5 |
| 9 |
Vittorio Brambilla
|
Brabham
|
1: 27.1 |
| 10 |
 Tommy Reid
|
Brabham
|
1: 27.6 |
| 11 |
Bruno Frey
|
Tecno
|
1: 27.1 |
Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Jean-Pierre Jabouille, who were registered as other drivers of the Pygmée team, did not appear for the race.
literature
- Rainer Braun: Hello paddock. An entertaining journey through time through 45 years of reporter life. Volume 1. Kräling Motorsport-Bild-Verlag; 1st edition 2008, ISBN 978-3981108101 .
- Eberhard Reuss, Ferdi Kräling: Formula 2. The story from 1964 to 1984 . Delius Klasing, Bielefeld 2014, ISBN 978-3-7688-3865-8 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Rainer Braun: Hello paddock. An entertaining journey through time through 45 years of reporter life. Volume 1. Kräling Motorsport-Bild-Verlag; 1st edition 2008, ISBN 978-3981108101 .
- ↑ Overview of the Formula 2 races in 1971 on the website www.formula2.net (accessed on December 13, 2016).
- ↑ Statistics of the Grand Prix of Israel 1970 on the website www.formula2.net (accessed on December 13, 2016).