United States Grand Prix

Watkins Glen, 6 Oct 1968

All cars are 3-litre F1 unless noted.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

3-litre Formula 1 World Championship events 1966-1985

These 1966 to 1985 results were initially compiled by Allen Brown, but these were in the very basic form required to track individual car histories. Since then further details, such as laps completed, qualifying times and so on, have been added from Rob Ryder's extensive database.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com if you can help with our research.

Individual sources for this event

Autosport 11 Oct 1968 pp8-15. Motor Sport November 1968 pp1014-1015,1017. Motoring News 10 Oct 1968 pp10-12. Speedworld International 12 Oct 1968 pp18-23. Sport Auto Novembre 1968 pp23-28.

The cars were largely as at the Canadian GP, but with three additions flown out: a replacement for the Ferrari crashed by Jacky Ickx and two extra BRMs. McLaren had three M7As with the Gurney car now described as "lease-lend"; Lotus had three 49Bs with the third now raced by Andretti; Brabham had the two BT26s "Biplanes"; Honda had the pair of RA301s; Ferrari had three cars including 0007 sent out for Bell, standing in for the injured Jacky Ickx; the two Matra teams again had both their cars but this time only one entry each; BRM now had a second entry for Bobby Unser so had flown out the P138 and another P126; and Cooper had the usual pair of uncompetitive T86Bs. The only private entries were Gurney, the Walker/Durlacher Lotus, and Bonnier's McLaren. The six BRM V12-powered cars were all on the back half of the grid.

The BRMs were shuffled after Unser wrecked 126-03 in practice, with Rodriguez preferring 133-01 so Unser moving into 138-01. Courage continued to drive the oldest V12, 126-01.

Lotus, Matra and Honda all had high rear wings connected to the uprights, Lotus and Tyrrell-Matra using wings on the nose and Honda using narrower front spoilers. The Lotus front wings were so effective they tore the nose on Andretti's car. Brabham also had a suspension-mounted rear wing but added a similar arrangement over the front suspension. BRM were also a convert to the suspension-mounted rear wing but their system looked permanently askew. McLaren and Ferrari stayed with an aerofoil mounted over the engine, the Ferrari one being mounted further forward and balanced by a bib under the nose, the three McLarens making do with very small front spoilers. The factory Matra team also had a wing over the engine but with full wings on the nose. Cooper now had a large wing mounted higher over the engine, and front spoilers.