The second year of the challenge brought us many more races for a start. Instead of 8 races, 3 hillclimbs and a massive 8 races were organized. Like 1963, the British races were split between the classes, but apart from all the 1963 races, an extra hillclimb and a race in Sweden, a future classic was added: the Monza race.
A new points scoring system (7-5-3-2-1) reduced the number of points finishers, it at least led to an indisputed champion: Warwick Banks with a homologation special, albeit a mild one, the Cooper 970S, entered by Ken Tyrrell. The times were changing fast, it would seem. Jaguar had lost its fiercest competitor when Lindner died at the end of 1963. Böhringer and his Mercedes were fighting a lost battle during the latter part of the season. New cars, of a different breed, were entered, like the Lotus Cortina and the BMW 1800 TI. Alfa Romeo was testing the waters with the Giulia Super TI, and BMC had a second challenger beside the 970S, the 1275 cc Cooper S. And some cars from 1963 were competitive again, like the little Saabs and Abarths. Especially the Abarths were continiously developed, and would remain competitive for a while.
The races: |
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