1.
GV Cars on grid
0.05

2.
SCU Car No.10 Brambilla (Italy)
0.13

3.
SCU Car No. 27 Wisell (Sweden)
0.14

4.
SV ZOOM IN No.9 Reutemann (Argentina)
0.19

5.
SCU No. 45 Cevert (France)
0.21

6.
CU No. 3 Schenken (Australia)
0.25

7.
CU No. 33 Ikuzana (Japan)
0.29

8.
GV Start, cars around first bend
0.42

9.
GV Cars through bend, one smoking badly
0.48

10.
GV Car No. 27 spins off (Wisell)
0.54

11.
GV PAN Graham Hill No. 2 in long curve
1.01

12.
GV Other cars through bend
1.09

13.
GV Hill followed by Peterson No. 36 (Sweden)
1.17

14.
GV Spectators in sand
1.20

15.
GV PAN Cars round bend past camera & round second bend
1.26

16.
GV Other cars
1.30

17.
GV PAN Car No. 41 Bell past camera
1.34

18.
GV Hill crossing finishing line followed by No. 30
1.44

19.
SV Crowd
1.47

20.
SV Hill coasting in, surrounded by crowd
1.54

21.
SV PAN Hill walks through applauding crowd
2.01



Initials SGM/0408 SGM/0436


SPORT: CAR RACING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Britain's former world champion racing driver Graham Hill continued his return to form on Monday at Thruxton near London, when he won a Formula Two European Championship race in his Brabham car.

The 42-year-old veteran Hill fought out a tremendous battle over 50 laps with Sweden's Ronnie Peterson, in a March, to win at an average speed of 113.10 miles per hour. Another March was third driven by Britain's Derek Bell, and Frenchman Francois Cevert in a Tecno was fourth.

This is the last year of the 1600 cc Formula 2 event. Next year the Formula moves up in capacity to a full two litres.

SYNOPSIS: There was an impressive international line-up at Thruxton near London on Sunday for a Formula 2 European Championship race. Although this is the last year of the 1600 cc Formula 2 - it is to move up to two litres - five manufacturers entered cars. All of them had Cosworth-Ford engines. Among the drivers taking part were five in the 'A' grade of championship winners, and quite a few were seasoned Formula One drivers like Graham Hill, who is getting back on top after his 1969 serious injuries. Competing for European championship points in the event however were only the 'B' graded drivers, who did not therefore have to win.

It was the 'A' graded Graham Hill who led from the start in his Brabham however. He beat off an early challenge from France's Henri Pescarolo, and then for the rest of the race battled out a hard-fought race with Sweden's Ronnie Peterson in a March. Hill conceded his lead for only a brief spell on lap 48, and Peterson's urge to catch Hill may be judged from the fact that he beat the Formula 2 lap record and circuit record trying to do so.

Local driver Derek Bell in car 41, a March, was well up at the finish taking third place. But Hill it was who crossed the finishing line first, to win the Jochen Rindt Memorial Trophy at an average speed of 113 m.p.h. (181.8 k.p.h.). He said later that the Swede Peterson had kept him under severe pressure throughout, in a race to remember.

The British crowd cheered their former World Champion to the echo as he walked to receive his trophy He's a popular figure recovering form after a bad setback, and was a popular victory.