INNES IN GERMANY

A selection of photographs taken by Raimund Kommer in Germany and Holland

Innes's frontline racing career was winding down when these five photographs were taken at the 1966 Nurburgring 1000 km race.  Partnered by Mike Salmon, Ireland's Ford GT40 retired from the race with a burst tyre after 13 laps.  An unsuccessful day for Innes, he broke his thumb!

1966

Innes quit the driving seat after his Daytona 500 adventure in February 1967, finding employment as the Sport's Editor of the British weekly Autocar.  Here at the Nurburgring for the 1967 German GP he talks with Mauro Forghieri of Ferrari (below) In discussion  with the German  journalist, Richard von Frankenberg (bottom left) . As a driver Innes thought the pitlane was no place for a wife. Now as a journalist he is accompanied by Edie Humphries who he married later that year (far left and top left)

1967

1968, Holland

The two photographs on the left were taken at the 1968 Dutch GP at Zandvoort. Here (near left) he talks with the legendary correspondent Jenkinson of Motor Sport.

Graham Hill looks somewhat warily at Ireland in these photographs taken at the 1968 Essen Motor Show. One wonders if  he feared that Innes might still be plotting revenge for the famous incident where the Englishman  put a cactus plant up the Scotsman's kilt!

1968, Germany

Innes talks to Jacky Ickx at Nurburgring 1968, remembering perhaps how he had been dropped from the John Wyer sportscar team in favour of the younger man.

Another photograph taken at the Nurburgring in 1968, Innes with New Zealander Bruce McLaren.  Bruce had recorded the first Grand Prix victory for his McLaren Formula One team in that year's Belgian Grand Prix.

The working journalist busy collecting stories from the 1969 German Grand Prix. Autocar's office routine and weekly deadlines were not for Ireland and he would soon move back to Scotland to operate fishing boats out of Kirkcudbright.  Innes would return to the motor racing scene in the late 70s and 80s as a free-ranging and much admired correspondent for the American magazine Road and Track.

1969

With Jackie Oliver (Top left), an old rival Graham Hill (Top right), with Rob Walker (Bottom left), in the Matra pit with Jackie Stewart and Ken Tyrrell. (Bottom right).

Many Thanks to Raimund Kommer for allowing me to use these superb photographs taken in Germany and Holland during the period 1966-1969. All Photographs Copyright R. Kommer