On a busy day in Formula 1, but not very much else, 9 June has played host a good few motor racing highlights over the years.
Jim Clark’s Lotus Climax won a sodden 1963 Belgian Grand Prix from Bruce McLaren in a Cooper-Climax and Dan Gurney’s Brabham-Climax.
Five years later, McLaren was unaware that he’d taken his McLaren brand’s maiden victory over Pedro Rodríguez’s BRM and Jacky Ickx in a Ferrari in Belgium in 1968, after race leader Jackie Stewart had to pit for fuel with a lap to run. That race is also noted for ever more cars sprouting aerodynamic wings.
Jody Scheckter became the sixth winner in seven 1974 grands prix in Sweden en route to his maiden victory ahead of Tyrrell 007 Cosworth teammate Patrick Depallier and James Hunt’ Hesketh Cosworth.
The other three GPs on this day were in Canada, where Michael Schumacher fended off the attentions of both Juan Pablo Montoya’s BMW Williams and later Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello to his fifth Canadian win in 2002. Montoya retired and Barrichello’s race strategy cost him any chance of a win as he ended up third behind David Coulthard.
Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull Renault won the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix from Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes. That race was marred by the death of track marshal Mark Robinson after he was run over by a recovery vehicle.
And in 2019, Hamilton’s Mercedes benefited a controversial call to penalise race leader Vettel’s Ferrari off Hamilton’s complaining, to win in spite of Vettel crossing the line first. Vettel’s teammate Charles Leclerc ended third.
In other major 9 June races, Vicenzo Lancia won the 1904 Circuito di Brescia in a Fiat and Baron Philippe De Rothschild the ‘29 GP de Bourgogne driving a Bugatti 35C. Hans Ruesch drove his Alfa Romeo 8C-35 3.8 to the 1937 Helsinki Elaintarhanajot win and Hermann Lang won the Gran Premio di Tripoli in a Mercedes-Benz W125.
Rodger Ward took two Indy race wins on this day, while Lloyd Ruby, Johnny Rutherford, Cale Yarborough, Michael Andretti, Cristiano da Matta, Scott Dixon, Sam Hornish Jr. and Justin Wilson took a win apiece.
In sports car racing Derek Bell and Al Holbert’s Porsche 962 won IMSA Mid-Ohio 1985, Gianpiero Moretti and Max Papis’ Ferrari 333SP Watkins Glen ’96 and Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook’s Corvette the Mid-Ohio Grand-Am in 2012.
In world Rallying, Subaru Impreza teammates Colin McRae and Richard Burns each won an Acropolis Rally in Greece in 1998 and ’99, respectively on the day that Grand Prix legend Luigi Fagioli and sportscar stars David Hobbs and John Fitzpatrick share birthdays.