| Part of the following story has been excerpted from | | | | right, and the huge yellow Shell sign to the left, whirling |
| the web biography of my friend, International Driving | | | | around in the windscreen. |
| Champion, Tony "a2z" Adamowicz. The extracted | | | | At some point in the middle of what I think were three |
| parts as written by Tony appear in quotations and bold | | | | 360-degree spins, I both heard and felt an impact at |
| type. | | | | the rear of the car. ...I was totally disoriented, ...then |
| Tony, co-driving with Chuck Parson in the NART 312P | | | | suddenly, directly overhead, a yellow light began to |
| Ferrari was only 4 years into his professional career | | | | flash and I was engulfed by the high-pitch scream of |
| when he got his first Le Mans drive. Tony had already | | | | race cars passing to my front and rear. It quickly |
| established himself as a fast driver, having won the | | | | dawned on me that I had come to a stop directly |
| Trans Am Championship in 1968 in a Porsche 911 and | | | | underneath the Dunlop Bridge, and was parked across |
| the F5000 Championship in 1969 in a Gurney Eagle. | | | | the track perpendicular to the oncoming traffic. ...It didn't |
| The great Dan Gurney referred to Tony as the | | | | take more than a second for me to regain my |
| winningest Eagle driver ever. By the time he headed to | | | | composure and, when I did, my first thought was, "If |
| Le Mans, Tony had not only established himself as | | | | you know what's good for you, Adamowicz, you |
| fast, but as an exceptionally durable endurance driver. | | | | better get the hell out of here!" |
| When he stepped into the NART Ferrari, he had | | | | We were pitted just down the road from (the) Steve |
| already run the 24 Hours of Daytona twice with a first | | | | McQueen's Solar Productions team that was running a |
| in class with a Porsche 911 (4th overall still the highest | | | | Porsche 908 in the race equipped with three movie |
| finish of an under 3 liter car) and second in a NART | | | | cameras. A short time after Chuck pulled back out on |
| Ferrari behind the NART Ferrari of Parkes and Posey. | | | | the circuit, the actor-turned-driver walked down to our |
| The only clear picture of the car in the movie was in a | | | | pits and asked me what had happened. |
| early scene as it arrived on the transporter. | | | | I gave a quick synopsis of my hair-raising spin, after |
| The real story of the 1970 Le Mans was the rain. | | | | which he said, "I don't think our camera car caught it. |
| Probably close to 20 of the 24 hours was spent in | | | | Do you mind doing a retake?" |
| rains that were frequently torrential. The following is | | | | "Movie making was serious business to Steve |
| Tony's description of the early morning events. | | | | McQueen. In addition to running his own private 908 to |
| "It was right before I was due in for a routine pit stop in | | | | get actual race footage, Porsche loaned him 917K |
| the wee morning hours, that I had one of those | | | | #917-013, from the John Wyer Gulf team to film |
| moments in racing that you never forget. I had just | | | | scenes a week after the race. Many miles of film |
| passed the main grandstands and was in the middle of | | | | were shot beginning June 22nd, 1970. Ferrari refused |
| the Dunlop Bend when the car suddenly began to | | | | to lend a car because a Porsche was scripted to |
| hydroplane. This had happened countless times before | | | | "win" the race in the movie. All (of) the Ferrari's filmed |
| on the rain-soaked track, but on the previous | | | | after the race itself were customer cars." |
| occasions the tires had only lost adhesion for a | | | | There were some serious casualties during the filming |
| second before regaining grip. This time, however, I | | | | that are not often spoken about. "Driver David piper |
| realized that I was out of control...and heading directly | | | | blew a tire at Arnage while ahead of Parkes' 512 |
| for the outside guard rail- exactly where Walt | | | | Ferrari. The Porsche crashed into barriers at both |
| Hansgen had crashed ((and died))." | | | | sides of the track, broke in two, with both halves |
| "In desperation, I cranked the steering wheel hard to | | | | coming to rest in a ditch. The crash cost Piper his |
| the right in an attempt to induce oversteer and spin the | | | | lower leg. Fortunately the aft camera seat had been |
| car, at the same time bracing myself in the seat for | | | | removed. None of these shots appeared in the movie." |
| what I was sure would be the inevitable crash. | | | | David healed remarkably well and with one good leg is |
| Then the front tires bit just enough to start the tail | | | | still, after 38 years, driving the rebuilt original 917 in |
| around and, as if in slow motion, I could see the | | | | vintage competition. |
| reflections of the lights from the carnival area to the | | | | |