Style and posture grades in racing?
08/17/2012
Why did no one ever come up with the idea of introducing posture grades in racing like in ski flying or figure skating?
In the pre-war years, but also later in the fifties and in the early sixties, there would certainly have been some hotly contested competitions.
Our examples are from the Klosters-Davos hill climb in 1959, all taken on one and the same bend. And what you can see there amazes us. It's not just the lack of roll bars, but above all the clothing and seating positions that make us grin. And that brings us back to the posture and style notes.
While the driver in the first picture (above) with the fashionable Sunday V-sweater makes an almost perfect impression, earning him a score of 5.6, in picture two it's a bit cramped in the cockpit; perhaps a 4.5, ...
... which is reinforced in the next picture with the well-formed and well-trained body; a 4.2.
But the last picture is the best. With the Formula Junior in his Sunday suit and ill-fitting helmet, the driver drifts into the church or the finish line with full concentration, probably slightly late. But we give him an even 6.0 for this, because he still gives us a lot of fun and pleasure with this picture today.
