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Snapshot, 1973: The winner takes it all at Riverside

It’s October 1973, and Helena Fittipaldi is trackside at Riverside, anxiously watching her husband Emerson racing in the International Race of Champions…

The four-round series has been devised by Roger Penske to pitch 12 of the world’s finest racing drivers against each other in identical Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RSRs, for a share of 175,000 US dollars – a quite extraordinary sum. Over 65,000 people have descended on the Californian circuit to see title-winners from various disciplines including Denis Hulme, Bobby Unser, Richard Petty and Mark Donohue duke it out. Helena Fittipaldi can’t smell the prize-money just yet, however – having retired in the first race of the day, Emerson is keen to win the second. Alas, third position is all he will muster, in spite of his emphatic display. 

Photo: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch via Getty Images