1968 United States Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 11 of 12 in the 1968 Formula One season | |||
 |
|||
| Date | October 6, 1968 | ||
| Official name | XI United States Grand Prix | ||
| Location |
Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course Watkins Glen, New York |
||
| Course | Permanent road course | ||
| Course length | 3.78 km (2.35 mi) | ||
| Distance | 108 laps, 408.2 km (253.8 mi) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures reaching a maximum of 51.1 °F (10.6 °C); wind speeds up to 14 miles per hour (23 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Lotus-Ford | ||
| Time | 1:04.20 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Jackie Stewart
|
Matra-Ford | |
| Time | 1:05.22 on lap 52 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First |
|
Matra-Ford | |
| Second |
|
Lotus-Ford | |
| Third | Honda | ||
The 1968 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 6, 1968, at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York. It was the eleventh round of the 1968 Formula One season. The 108-lap race was won by Matra driver Jackie Stewart after he started from second position. Graham Hill finished second for the Lotus team and Honda driver John Surtees came in third. This was the debut race of the future world champion Mario Andretti.
The first practice day was primarily a duel between Jackie Stewart and the Ferrari of Chris Amon, with Stewart posting the day's best time of 1:04.27. Stewart was unable to defend his provisional pole during the second practice day due to a broken stub-axle. However, Graham Hill bumped Amon from the second spot, before Mario Andretti—driving at Watkins Glen for the first time—rewarded the partisan crowd by taking the pole in his Gold Leaf Lotus, 0.07 seconds under Stewart's time. This was Andretti's first ever Formula One start.
On race day, a huge crowd of 93,000 anticipated a strong home showing with two other Americans also on the grid—Dan Gurney, in seventh, and Bobby Unser, in nineteenth. Stewart used a better start to take the lead on the first lap from crowd favorite Andretti. After the first lap the order was: Stewart, Andretti, Amon, Hill, Jochen Rindt, Denny Hulme, Gurney, John Surtees and Bruce McLaren.
...
Wikipedia