Of the three grands prix run on 5 June over the years, two were 22 years apart in Belgium, while the third race in Detroit held some significant historical Formula 1 milestones.
Juan Manuel Fangio stormed to victory over Mercedes teammate Stirling Moss and Nino Farina’s Ferrari on the original 14km Spa in 1955, while Gunnar Nilsson’s surprise ‘77 Belgian Grand Prix win in a Lotus 78 Cosworth over Niki Lauda’s Ferrari 312 T2 and Ronnie Peterson’s six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 Cosworth at Zolder was notable for having a record number of pitstops yet during an F1 race.
Talking records, Michele Alboreto scored Tyrrell’s 33rd and final, as well as the Cosworth V8’s incredible 155th and final grand prix win at Detroit 1983, sixteen years and one day after Jim Clark won the on the DFV’s debut in the ’67 Dutch Grand Prix.
That also turned out the be the final normally aspirated race win against the era’s turbo cars. Cosworth runners Keke Rosberg’s Williams and John Watson’s McLaren completed the podium.
Elsewhere, Tazio Nuvolari won 1932 Italian Grand Prix in Alfa Romeo’s lightweight new 2600B, Achille Varzi took the 1935 GP de Tunisie in an Auto Union Type A, Jean-Pierre Wimille’s Bugatti Montlhery the ’37 Coupes de Paris and Guy Mairesse’s Talbot T26C the ‘49 GP des Frontières Chimay in Belgium.
Roy Salvadori won the ’54 Snetterton Curtis Trophy Maserati 250F and in South Africa John Love’s Cooper Climax won the 1965 and Dave Charlton Lotus 49C Cosworth the 71 Republic Trophy at Kyalami.
Rodger Ward, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Al Unser Jr, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power all won an Indy race on this day, while Juha Kankkunen won the only world championship 5 June rally driving a Lancia Delta HF Integrale on the Acropolis in Greece.
In sportscar racing, Albert Divo’s Bugatti 35C won the 1929 Targa Florio and Jo Bonnier and Phil Hill’s Chaparral 2D-Chevrolet the ‘66 WSC Nurburgring 1000km.
Across the pond, David Hobbs BMW 320i won Mid-Ohio ‘77 and Jacques Villeneuve Sr. the ‘83 Mosport Can Am in a Frissbee-Chevrolet. Geoff Brabham and Tom Gloy’s Nissan ZX-T took Mid-Ohio ‘88 and Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas’ Riley BMW Watkins Glen 2010.
