HIGHLIGHTS OF RACE. (NATURAL SOUND)




Initials PG/V/MR/OS


SPORT: MOTOR RACING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: BRITISH DRIVER JACKIE STEWART GAINED HIS THIRD VICTORY OUT OF FOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACES WHEN HE WON THE DUTCH GRAND PRIX TODAY (JUNE 21).

STEWART, DRIVING A FRENCH MATRA-FORD, LED FOR 74 OF THE 90 LAPS OVER THE 4.2 KILOMETRES (2.6 MILES) ZANDVOORT CIRCUIT, COVERING THE 337.4 KILOMETRES (235.5 MILES) COURSE IN TWO HOURS SIX MINUTES. HE AVERAGED 178 K.P.H. (110.6 MPH).

A 43,000 CROWD SAW BRITAIN'S REIGNING WORLD CHAMPION GRAHAM HILL JUMP INTO THE LEAD AT THE START FOLLOWED BY AUSTRIAN JOCHEN RINDT AND STEWART.

HILL LOST HIS LEAD TO RINDT ON THE THIRD LAP AND THE AUSTRIAN HEADED THE FIELD UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE 17TH CIRCUIT WHEN HE WAS FORCED TO RETIRE.

STEWART THEN GAINED THE LEADERSHIP WHICH HE HELD FOR THE REST OF THE RACE. HILL DROPPED OUT ON THE 27TH LAP WITH SUSPECTED SUSPENSION TROUBLE.

WITH STEWART WELL ON HIS WAY TO VICTORY AND SWITZERLAND'S JO SIFFERT CLEAR OF THE REST OF THE FIELD, THE CROWD WATCHED THE EXCITING DUEL FOR THE NEXT FOUR PLACES.

CHRIS AMON MANAGED TO HOLD THIRD PLACE FOLLOWED BY FELLOW NEW ZEALANDER DENNIS HULME, BELGIUM'S JACKY ICKX AND AUSTRALIAN JACK BRABNAM.

STEWART, WINNER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN AND SPANISH GRAND PRIX EVENTS, PUSHED HIS LEAD IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE TO 12 POINTS OVER NEAREST RIVAL GRAHAM HILL.

THE NEXT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE IS THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX ON JULY 6.