The Kyalami Nine Hour always started at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and ended an 11 at night.
For the 1967 event on November 4, Mike Hailwood and Paddy Driver walked towards the members stand at Clubhouse corner to watch a practice session from there. As they were sitting on the small grandstand on the apex of the tight left hander, David Prophet appeared in his GT40 and under braking the left front wheel came off. It headed towards the embankment, jumped over it and headed straight for Mike and Paddy, who thanks to racing driver;'s reflex reactions, managed to dive off the stand before they were struck down by the errant Halibrand which had gone walk-about all on its own.
The Cape Town Three Hour was held on November 18 and during the race David Prophet came blasting by the main straight in the same GT40. Mike and Paddy were standing in the paddock immediately behind Pit number 1 of David Piper and Richard Attwood who were driving a Ferrari P4. Yeah, you guessed right, the same left front wheel came off, ran towards the left side of the main straight, suddenly changed direction and headed across towards the pit lane. This was in the years before Armco barriers separated the pit lane from the main straight. In a million to one shot the loose cannon Halibrand headed for a pole on which was mounted, proudly, the Blue Oval Ford sign. The wheel rolled vertically up the pole and knocked the Ford sign flying off its perch ( a Chevrolet sign would have been more appropriate!) and at this point Mike and Paddy looked up and saw what was happening. The wheel then changed direction and headed towards them. On the assumption that discretion was the better part of valour the two friends headed for the Piper pit in a great big hurry. Yeah, you guessed right for the second time, the undisciplined Halibrand changed direction again and crashed right through the asbestos roof sheeting of the pit missing Mike and Paddy by inches. It did however knock old Piper's tools about a bit!
The two wondered what David Prophet or the Ford Motor Company had against them!
For the following year's Nine Hour Mike co-drove Malcolm Guthrie's GT40, chassis no: 1009 and the year thereafter Paddy co-drove the car with Malcolm.
In 1978 Paddy's doubts were put to rest when Ford of South Africa sponsored his supercharged F100 in off-roads events.
He was entered in the Trans-Kalahari 1000 and as he needed a co-driver he phoned his buddy, 1966 le Mans co-winner, Denny Hulme in New Zealand.
Conversation something like this:
Paddy rings, sleepy voice answers
'Hi Denny, Paddy here'.
'Do you know what time it is in New Zealand?'
'No'
'It's three in the bloody morning!'
'Sorry, I forgot about the time difference'.
'What I can do for you at his unearthly hour?'
'I want you to be my co-driver in the Trans-Kalahari 1000 in my supercharged Ford F100'.
'What? You must be nuts, I'm a racing driver, not a rally driver'.
'Well, it's a kind-of-a race and a rally all rolled into one. You'll enjoy it. Great fun1'
'Don't give me an argument, I'll pick you up at Jo'burg airport the day after tomorrow'.
'Yeah, OK'.
Paddy and Denny were in the lead for most of the way until a broken chassis relegated them to second place.
Paddy's racing career lasted for close on 40 years and in the 1965 500cc World Championship he finished third behind Hailwood on a Honda and Ago on an MV, riding a Kirby Matchless.
Hammer the spinners tight!
Andre 40
For the 1967 event on November 4, Mike Hailwood and Paddy Driver walked towards the members stand at Clubhouse corner to watch a practice session from there. As they were sitting on the small grandstand on the apex of the tight left hander, David Prophet appeared in his GT40 and under braking the left front wheel came off. It headed towards the embankment, jumped over it and headed straight for Mike and Paddy, who thanks to racing driver;'s reflex reactions, managed to dive off the stand before they were struck down by the errant Halibrand which had gone walk-about all on its own.
The Cape Town Three Hour was held on November 18 and during the race David Prophet came blasting by the main straight in the same GT40. Mike and Paddy were standing in the paddock immediately behind Pit number 1 of David Piper and Richard Attwood who were driving a Ferrari P4. Yeah, you guessed right, the same left front wheel came off, ran towards the left side of the main straight, suddenly changed direction and headed across towards the pit lane. This was in the years before Armco barriers separated the pit lane from the main straight. In a million to one shot the loose cannon Halibrand headed for a pole on which was mounted, proudly, the Blue Oval Ford sign. The wheel rolled vertically up the pole and knocked the Ford sign flying off its perch ( a Chevrolet sign would have been more appropriate!) and at this point Mike and Paddy looked up and saw what was happening. The wheel then changed direction and headed towards them. On the assumption that discretion was the better part of valour the two friends headed for the Piper pit in a great big hurry. Yeah, you guessed right for the second time, the undisciplined Halibrand changed direction again and crashed right through the asbestos roof sheeting of the pit missing Mike and Paddy by inches. It did however knock old Piper's tools about a bit!
The two wondered what David Prophet or the Ford Motor Company had against them!
For the following year's Nine Hour Mike co-drove Malcolm Guthrie's GT40, chassis no: 1009 and the year thereafter Paddy co-drove the car with Malcolm.
In 1978 Paddy's doubts were put to rest when Ford of South Africa sponsored his supercharged F100 in off-roads events.
He was entered in the Trans-Kalahari 1000 and as he needed a co-driver he phoned his buddy, 1966 le Mans co-winner, Denny Hulme in New Zealand.
Conversation something like this:
Paddy rings, sleepy voice answers
'Hi Denny, Paddy here'.
'Do you know what time it is in New Zealand?'
'No'
'It's three in the bloody morning!'
'Sorry, I forgot about the time difference'.
'What I can do for you at his unearthly hour?'
'I want you to be my co-driver in the Trans-Kalahari 1000 in my supercharged Ford F100'.
'What? You must be nuts, I'm a racing driver, not a rally driver'.
'Well, it's a kind-of-a race and a rally all rolled into one. You'll enjoy it. Great fun1'
'Don't give me an argument, I'll pick you up at Jo'burg airport the day after tomorrow'.
'Yeah, OK'.
Paddy and Denny were in the lead for most of the way until a broken chassis relegated them to second place.
Paddy's racing career lasted for close on 40 years and in the 1965 500cc World Championship he finished third behind Hailwood on a Honda and Ago on an MV, riding a Kirby Matchless.
Hammer the spinners tight!
Andre 40