The month in Motor Sport
May 14: March Cars’ creditors agree to accept a rescue proposal put forward by Andrew Fitton. Pending completion of the relevant paperwork. Fitton is set to take control of the ailing manufacturer, which will henceforth concentrate on F3 and Formula Atlantic while it tries to get back on an even keel.
May 14: FISA issues a list of 46 entries for Le Mans, around 30 of which are reckoned to be halfway realistic.
May 14: A new Japanese F1 team, Trebron Racing Services; announces its intention to enter the 1993 Formula 1 World Championship, with two Judd V10-powered chassis. The cosmopolitan team, which will be directed by Englishman Richard Lloyd, is the brainchild of Norbert Hamy, a German-born Canadian.
May 15: The build-up to the Indianapolis 500, already blotted by several serious accidents, notably to Nelson Piquet, is further marred when Filipino rookie Jovy Marcelo dies from head injuries received during a practice crash.
May 16: Lyn St James becomes the second woman – after Janet Guthrie – ever to qualify for the Indy 500, at 220.150 mph.
May 16: In Malcolm Wilson’s hands, the Ford Escort Cosworth wins its first even on UK soil, the Centurion Rally.
May 16: Bertie Fisher (Subaru Legacy) wins the Manx National Rally.
May 16: NASCAR runs a night race at Charlotte. Davey Allison wins the accident-strewn three-part event.
May 17: Nigel Mansell becomes the first man in history to win the first five Grand Prix in a World Championship season, heading another Williams-Renault 1-2 in the San Marino GP at Imola. Ayrton Senna takes third place, ahead of Martin Brundle, who finishes a race for the first time since joining Benetton.
May 17: Having switched from Bowman to Alan Cocking Racing earlier in the week, Philippe Adams is rewarded with his first F3 victory since 1989 when he wins the sixth round of the British Championship at Brands Hatch. Second place maintains Gill de Ferran’s comfortable series lead.
May 17: Gualter Salles wins the GM Lotus Euroseries round at Imola. Gareth Rees finishes second to maintain his lead in the points table.
May 17: Pedro Lamy triumphs in the German F3 double-header at the Nürburgring.
May 17: Will Gollop moves into the lead of the European Rallycross Championship, after winning round four at Ritomaki, Finland. Martin Schanche receives a hefty fine and a two-month ban for standing in the middle of the track and causing the stoppage of the A Final, having himself been punted out in a first lap incident…
May 19: Alessandro Zanardi tests a Benetton F1 car for the first time. The Italian is entrusted with the Ford V8-powered B191B, as the V12 is still not ready to run in anger.
May 20: Footwork recruits David Brabham to assist with testing duties.
May 21: Alain Prost and Ferrari settle their legal dispute, which dated from the Frenchman’s dismissal prior to the 1991 Australian GP. The two parties reach an out-of-court settlement.
May 23: Chris Smith wins the Toyota Atlantic race at Lime Rock. Russell Spence fails to finish and slips to third in the points standing.
May 24: Al Unser Jnr takes the closest victory in the history of the Indy 500, heading Scott Goodyear across the line by half a length. Completing the Unser family’s satisfactory day. Al Snr takes third. The race is marred y accidents. It is a bleak day for the Andrettis; Michael loses the lead with fuel pump failure shortly before the end. Mario breaks two toes and Jeff suffers serious injuries to both feet and ankles.
May 24: The fourth round of the Japanese F3000 Championship at Suzuka is overshadowed by the death of Hitoshi Ogawa, whose Lola somersaults into the debris fencing. Volker Weidler wins the shortened race. Briton Anthony Reid continues to dominate the country’s F3 series, taking a fourth straight victory.
May 24: F3 action in Europe produces victories for Franck Lagorce (Djion, France), Pedro Lamy and Diogo Castro Santos (Nürburgring, Germany) and Max Angelelli (Varano, Italy). There are national touring car victories for Ellen Lohr and Roland Asch in Germany, and Nicola Larini in Italy.
May 24: Dale Earnhardt takes his first NASCAR victory of the season, in the Coco Cola 600 at Charlotte.
May 24: GM Lotus-Euroseries leader Gareth Rees extends his advantage with a clear victory at Zeltweg.
May 24: Toyota wins round five of the JMSA GTP series at Lime Rock, courtesy Juan-Manuel Fangio II.
May 24: Will Gollop takes a second consecutive European Rallycross victory at Sweden’s Kinnekullering.
May 25: Will Hoy takes his first BTCC victory of the season at Snetterton.
May 25: Yvan Muller wins the third round of the British F2 Championship at Brands Hatch.
May 25: Gil de Ferran further stretches his British F3 championship lead, winning at Silverstone.
May 26: Derek Bell and son Justin are confirmed as members of the ADA Porsche team at Le Mans alongside Tiff Needell.
May 26: FISA discusses the expulsion of four-wheel drive cars from the European Rally Championship.
May 27: Radical proposals for the 1993 British Rally Championship include adoption of FISA’s ‘Formula 2’ ideal, for front-wheel drive, normally aspirated cars up to 2000 cc. The news receives mixed reactions.
May 28: the Andrea Moda team gets through pre-qualifying for the first time, Roberto Moreno practising third fastest in Monaco.
May 28: Tom Walkinshaw reports that Silverstone needs to keep pace with developments at other circuits around the world if Britain’s future slot in the GP calendar is to be guaranteed.
May 28: An eye complaint forces US drag racing legend Don Garlits to quit the sport.
May 29: McLaren launches the F1 road car in Monaco.
May 29: the European Alliance of motorsports, a new pressure group geared to representing the industry’s interest around the world, takes shape in Monaco. Former FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre is one of the members.
May 30: Vauxhall withdraws temporarily from British F3, pending further development of its new engine. Contracted driver Warren Hughes will continue in the series with Mugen Honda power and GM’s blessing.
May 31: Nigel Mansell controls the Monaco GP until a loose wheel nut forces him to dive into the pits with several laps to run. The championship leader returns to the track and puts new leader Ayrton Senna’s McLaren under intense pressure for the last three laps, but the Brazilian hangs on to take his first win of the year by 0.2s.
May 31: Davy Jones takes IMSA honours for Jaguar at Mid-Ohio, Harry Gant does likewise for Oldsmobile in the Dover NASCAR round.
May 31: Lancia makes the surprising announcement that world rally champion Juha Kankkunen doesn’t feature in its plans for 1993.
Jun 2: On the 20th anniversary of Bruce McLaren’s death, a memorial stone in his honour is unveiled at Goodwood.
Jun 2: Didier Auriol wins the Acropolis Rally, closing to within two points of runner-up Juha Kankkunen in the points table. The works Toyotas all crash out.
Jun 3: Less than three weeks before the Jerez round of the European F3000 championship, with flights arranged and hotels pre-paid, teams receive a fax from FISA asking them to re-route to Barcelona instead . . .
Jun 4: Leading representatives of all F1 teams meet at Fiorano to discuss future rule implementation. They vote against the reintroduction of mid-race fuel stops, but accept possible reduction in tyre widths.
June 5: Gabriele Tarquini shakes down the new Fondmetal GR02 at Fiorano.
Jun 7: Motor racing’s unhappy 1992 continues. British veteran Ian Taylor loses his life in an accident during the Rover 216 GTi Challenge round at Spa.
June 7: Philippe Adams wins the British F3 race at Silverstone, but second place for Gil de Ferran keeps him in a healthy championship lead.
Jun 7: Toyota scores an own goal at Brands Hatch, when the Carinas of Will Hoy and Andy Rouse tangle and crash out of the BTCC race while disputing the lead with John Cleland, who goes on to head a Vauxhall 1-2 Cleland also takes over the series lead from Rouse.
Jun 7: Bobby Rahal takes Indycar honours in Detroit, ahead of Raul Boesel and CART debutant Stefan Johansson.
Jun 7: French F3 honours fall to Jean-Christophe Boullion at Pau; Niko Palhares beats the Italian F3 opposition at Mugello. Also in Italy Nicola Larini dominates both heats of the touring car contest at Vallelunga.
Jun 7: Ernie Irvan wins the Sears Point NASCAR race.
Jun 7: Pat Doran takes his first European Rallycross victory, at Bergerac-Faux, France.
Jun 7: Gareth Rees is declared winner of the GM Lotus Euroseries round at Anderstorp, after Oliver Martini receives a penalty for a jump start.
June 8: Emanuele Naspetti survives a clash with compatriot Andrea Montermini to win the second round of the European F3000 series in Pau. A spectating Alessandro Zanardi, runner-up in the ’91 championship, says he will be back before the end of the season . . .
Jun 8: Swamped by rumours that Julian Bailey is about to join the team, Brabham insists that Eric van de Poele and Damon Hill will keep their places for Montreal.
Jun 12: Some 25 years after winning the World Championship, Denny Hulme is awarded the OBE. The news is made public too late to be included within the interview with The Bear, which appears on pages 636/637 of this month’s MOTOR SPORT.
Jun 14: Gerhard Berger becomes the third F1 winner of the season, profiting from the retirements of Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna in Montreal. CART stars Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jnr are amongst the interested spectators, fuelling further speculation about the pair’s future F1 plans.
Jun 14: Jason Elliott returns to the head of the British F2 Championship by a solitary point, holding off Yvan Muller in a tight finish at Thruxton.
Jun 14: Alan Kulwicki takes the NASCAR spoils at Pocono.
Jun 14: Anthony Reid’s run of success in Japanese F3 is ended by transmission trouble. Jacques Villeneuve, son of the late, great Gilles, takes his first F3 win at Nishi Sendai.
Jun 14: The McRae family dominates the Scottish Rally. Colin wins, Alister is second. Dad, Jimmy, is only fourth.
Jun 15: Final hopes of any Jaguars appearing at Le Mans fizzle out. One team which will be going. Euro Racing Lola, announces that it has signed Heinz-Harald Frentzen.