1971 Lotus 72D

I took this photograph at on practice day for the Gold Cup race at Oulton Park in May 1972.

It's Dave Walker in his 1971 Lotus 72 and the photograph was taken at Old Hall Corner. The Lotus 72 was designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe and has the Ford Cosworth DFV 2,993cc V8 engine. Jochen Rindt won World Drivers' Championship with a Lotus 72  in 1970  and Emerson Fittipaldi repeated the feat  in 1972, with Lotus winning the World Constructor's Championship in 1970, 1972 and 1973. At this Gold Cup meeting Dave Walker qualified his car in fourth position but retired after 25 laps of the race with gearbox problems.

Emerson Fittipaldi and the Lotus 72

There was a time when F1 racing wasn't confined to world championship Grands Prix and one of the non-championship races on the calendar was the Gold Cup race at Oulton Park. The following photographs were taken at practice for the 1972 Gold Cup race and are of the Lotus 72D of Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the world championship that year.

The Lotus being pushed through the paddock on a thoroughly wet and miserable looking day.

At Old Hall corner during a practice session. The weather had improved considerably by then.

Returning to the still-waterlogged paddock.

On the following day Emerson Fittipaldi finished second in the race, which was won by the McLaren M19A of Denny Hulme.