It’s hard to believe there’s been a time when Audi wasn’t synonymous with affordable luxury, or motorsport success. In 1989, the German brand was essentially an upscale version of Volkswagen, without any prestigious victory to claim in circuit racing. The 90s, with the A4 and the A8, changed the former - but the 90 quattro was the first attempt to change the latter, an assault on the American-dominated IMSA GT series. Audi didn’t win its only championship - ironically due to the decision to not take part in the two endurance races at Daytona and Sebring - but with seven races won out of fourteen, it finally gained some important recognition in the world of motorsport.
The Ferrari 312P - or “PB”, as it was called to distinguish it from the 1969 berlinetta - was the last serious foray by Ferrari in the world of sports cars racing. Capitalizing on Porsche’s temporary retirement from the category, the Ferrari cars dominated the 1972 season - although they didn’t take part in the Le Mans 24h, as the car’s reliability wasn’t on par with that of the then-domineering Matra cars. In 1973, however, Ferrari was forced to partecipate if they were to have any hope of winning the World Sportscar Championship. The improvements in reliability weren’t sufficient and, despite keeping a blistering pace, the only surviving car finished in second. A surprise retirement from the Targa Florio allowed Matra to win the series: this was to be the last year of Ferrari competing in any official capability in this category of motorsports, as Enzo Ferrari himself decided to focus Maranello’s efforts solely on the F1 World Championship. Monza seemed like the perfect proving ground for the PB - not only for the geographical closeness to Maranello’s gates and the historical significance the circuit wears for the Prancing Horse brand, but also because the long straightways, fast corners and tight chicanes are perfect to give the car’s powerful brakes and delightful-sound flat-12 engine a good workout.
The Anglo-American Racers Eagle is a brutally efficient, yet astonishingly beautiful F1 machinery. Born just before aerodynamic wings and sponsor-dictated colors and liveries took the world of Formula 1 by storm and dictated its direction until present day, the T1G depicted in Forza Motorsport is the product of the mind of driver Dan Gurney and engineer Len Terry, and it’s essentially an Indy car with a high-revving (for the time) Weslake-built V12 engine strapped to the back. An approach that would prove successful, eventually bringing home the only victory for an American team and an American driver in its own car at the 1967 Belgian GP. Unfortunately, even back then money was a necessary element of a winning team; and AAR was a newcomer team to the world of open-wheel racing, this being their first independently-developed chassis. The T1G would only race for one full season, the reliability issues that forced Gurney to retire several times from the lead left unresolved as the team’s finances dried up. Eventually, Gurney would announce the retirement of AAR from F1 at the 1968 Italian GP. The Eagles would become a force to be reckoned with in the USAC and CART circus. Looking at the timeless lines of this Eagle, one can only wonder: what could’ve been?
