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Robert Brett Lunger (born November 14, 1945 in Wilmington,
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
) is an American
racecar driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organis ...
. Lunger was educated at the
Holderness School , established = 1879 , type = Private high school , locale = , religion = Episcopal , image = , grades =9-12, PG , head_name = Headmaster , head = R. Phillip Peck , city = Holderness , state = New Hampshire , country = USA , student ...
, and
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
. He dropped out of Princeton after three years to enlist for service in Vietnam. He was a political science major.''Lunger's Sputtering Career Revives According To Plan'', ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', April 11, 1976, p. 164.
At the time he was preparing a thesis on U.S. policy on
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident refuted much of what Lunger contended in his writing.''Brett Lunger Story: From Rich Kid To Formula 5000 Driver'', ''The New York Times'', January 20, 1974, p. 213. A former
US Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
lieutenant who served in the Vietnam war, his racing career was mostly spent in
privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
cars, paid for by his family wealth, as Lunger's mother,
Jane du Pont Lunger Jane du Pont Lunger (June 20, 1914 - September 18, 2001) was an American heiress, philanthropist, and an owner/breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses. A sixth-generation member of Delaware's prominent Du Pont family, her father, Philip Francis du Pon ...
, was an heiress to the
Du Pont family The du Pont family () or Du Pont family is a prominent American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739–1817). It has been one of the richest families in the United States since the mid-19th century, when it founded its fo ...
fortune and a prominent racehorse breeder. Lunger participated in 43
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
World Championship Grands Prix, debuting in 1975, without scoring any championship points during his four seasons in Formula One. Lunger's Formula One career started alongside
James Hunt James Simon Wallis Hunt (29 August 1947 – 15 June 1993) ''Autocourse Grand Prix Archive'', 14 October 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2007. was a British racing driver who won the Formula One World Championship in . After retiring from racing in ...
in the Hesketh team, followed by a season with
Surtees The Surtees Racing Organisation was a race team that spent nine seasons (1970 to 1978) as a constructor in Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 5000. History The team was formed by John Surtees, a four-time 500cc motorcycle champion and the ...
in 1976. For 1977, he started the season with a year-old
March March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
761 run by Bob Sparshott and entered under the name of his sponsor,
Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
Racing, but switched to a
McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which wa ...
after three races. In 1978, he stayed with the McLaren M23 and also tried an M26, but now entered by Sparshott's racing outfit,
BS Fabrications BS Fabrications was an engineering company specialising in fabrications for Formula One teams founded by Bob Sparshott, a former engineer at Lotus who had worked with Jim Clark and Graham Hill, and John 'Ace' Woodington in Luton in 1972. The c ...
. After a one-off drive for
Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
at the end of the season, Lunger moved on to
sports car racing Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing which utilises sports cars that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built prototypes or grand tourers based on road-going models. Broadly speaking, sports car racing is ...
. He is also known for helping to rescue
Niki Lauda Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian Formula One driver and aviation entrepreneur. He was a three-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion, winning in , and , and is the only driver in Formula ...
from his burning
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
in 1976 at the
Nürburgring The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Formula One, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around t ...
.


Early career

Lunger was not raised a car enthusiast. He was brought up to enjoy baseball, hockey, and football. He became interested in auto racing when a friend took him to a race in 1965. By 1966 he was the "rich kid" of the
Can-Am The Canadian-American Challenge Cup, or Can-Am, was an Sports Car Club of America, SCCA/Canadian Auto Sport Clubs, CASC sports car racing series from 1966 to 1987. History Can-Am started out as a race series for group 7 sports racers with two r ...
series.


Sports cars and Formula 5000

Lunger finished 8th in a
McLaren McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formul ...
Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
in the 1966, Nassau Trophy race, in
Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of the Bahamas. With a population of 274,400 as of 2016, or just over 70% of the entire population of the Bahamas, Nassau is commonly defined as a primate city, dwarfing all other towns in the country. ...
. He was only a few seconds behind Peter Gregg in a
Porsche Carrera Carrera (''Spanish'' for "race" and "career") is a brand of Porsche automobile. The name commemorates the company's success in the Carrera Panamericana race. The following vehicles have been called ''Carrera'': * Porsche 356 * Porsche 904 * Por ...
6. Lunger fielded a Lola T160 chassis in the 1968 Canadian American Challenge Cup (Can-Am). Others who drove Lola T160 cars were Swede Savage and
Chuck Parsons Charles W. "Chuck" Parsons (February 6, 1924 – January 3, 1999) was an American sports car racing driver. Parsons drove in SCCA and USSRC competition, then became a driver in the Can Am series. Like many drivers of the era, he participated in mu ...
. Following the stint in the US Marines and the rank of captain in 1970, and competing in two SCCA National events, Lunger was among drivers in the 1971 L&M Grand Prix, at
Lime Rock Park Lime Rock Park is a natural-terrain motorsport road racing venue located in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States, a hamlet in the town of Salisbury, in the state's northwest corner. Built in 1956, it is the nation's third oldest continuously op ...
, who were competing for 2nd place in the 1971 SCCA L&M 5000 Continental Championship. Lunger started the race with a 103 degree fever having been diagnosed with
mononucleosis Infectious mononucleosis (IM, mono), also known as glandular fever, is an infection usually caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Most people are infected by the virus as children, when the disease produces few or no symptoms. In young adult ...
the previous day. As race progressed he started to lose strength allowing Sam Posey to pass and moving Lunger to third in the championship. He was hospitalized after the race for several days. His first major win was that year at
Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd International Raceway is a road course, and dragstrip racing complex northwest of the city of Brainerd, Minnesota. The complex has a dragstrip, and overlapping and road courses. The complex also includes a kart track. The raceway hos ...
in the Minnesota Grand Prix. Lunger had 58 points prior to the event. Lunger came in 3rd overall in the overall standing, after David Hobbs had clinched the title with 99 points.''Cannon and Hobbs Head Field In L&M Grand Prix Tomorrow'', ''The New York Times'', September 5, 1971, p. S8. His home at the time was
Pomona, California Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Polyte ...
. Between 1972 and 1973 he raced in European Formula Two.His best finish was a 4th place at
Mantorp Park Mantorp Park is a motor racing circuit near the town of Mantorp in Mjölby Municipality, Sweden. The circuit was built in 1969 with finance from BP Sweden as a permanent road course and a drag strip. Mantorp Park is capable of four different la ...
in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, for Space Racing, in their
March March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
-
Ford BDA Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industries ...
722. In 1972 Lunger was 3rd again in the L&M Continental 5000 Championship, trailing
Graham McRae Graham McRae (5 March 1940 – 4 August 2021) was a racing driver from New Zealand. He achieved considerable success in Formula 5000 racing, winning the Tasman Series each year from 1971 to 1973, and also the 1972 L&M Continental 5000 Champio ...
and
Sam Posey Sam Posey (born May 26, 1944)) is an American former racing driver and sports broadcast journalist. Early life and driving career Posey's father was killed in the Battle of Okinawa. Posey grew up on his grandfather's Connecticut estate near Lime ...
. He moved into 3rd place following a win at
Road Atlanta Road Atlanta (known for sponsorship reasons as Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) is a road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur spo ...
in August, in the Road Atlanta Grand Prix. He followed this up with another win, this time in the Lime Rock Grand Prix. Lunger might have finished third again in 1973 had mechanical problems not held him to just four finishes, and seventh overall. In addition to this, he completed in the European Formula Two Championship and Torneio Internacional de Formula 2 do Brasil. In March 1973, Lunger placed 2nd to
Peter Gethin Peter Kenneth Gethin (21 February 1940 – 5 December 2011) was a British racing driver from England. He participated in 31 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 21 June 1970. He won the 1971 Italian Grand Prix in the fastes ...
in the opening race of Rothman's
Formula 5000 Formula 5000 (or F5000) was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars tha ...
European Championship at
Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently host ...
. He was in a Hogan Racing Lola. In the April 1973 Formula 5000 race at
Riverside International Raceway Riverside International Raceway (sometimes known as Riverside, RIR, or Riverside Raceway) was a motorsports race track and road course established in the Edgemont area of Riverside County, California, just east of the city limits of Rivers ...
, Lunger finished 6th. He led the first 19 laps before a stuck throttle forced him to spin at turn 7. A 17-second pit stop to look for damage dropped him to 7th place. Lunger was 3rd in a Lola Chevrolet at the L&M Watkins Glen Grand Prix, in June 1973.
Jody Scheckter Jody David Scheckter (born 29 January 1950) is a South African business proprietor and former motor racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1980, winning the Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari. Scheckter remains the only Afri ...
and
Brian Redman Brian Herman Thomas Redman (born 9 March 1937 in Burnley, Lancashire and educated at Rossall School, Fleetwood, Lancashire), is a retired British racing driver. Racing for Carl Haas and Jim Hall's Chaparral Cars, Brian Redman won the 1974, '7 ...
came in ahead of him in the Formula 5000 race. Lunger was 2nd in a Lola in a Formula 5000 race at
Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania Mount Pocono is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. It is located nearly centered in the southernmost county of five in the northeastern corner that are part of the Pocono Mountains. The borough serves as a local highway nexus, and sees a ...
, in September 1973. In between races in the US F5000, Lunger continued to race in the English-based Rothmans Championship, winning twice, at
Snetterton Snetterton is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England. The village is about east-northeast of Thetford and southwest of Norwich. The civil parish has an area of . The United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census recorded a parish population o ...
and
Mallory Park Mallory Park is a motor racing circuit situated in the village of Kirkby Mallory, just off the A47, between Leicester and Hinckley, in central England. Originally used for grass-track until 1955, a new, basically oval hard-surfaced course ...
for Sid Taylor Racing in their Trojan T101. Lunger drove for the Dan Gurney’s
Anglo American Racers All American Racers is an American auto racing team and constructor based in Santa Ana, California. Founded by Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby in 1964, All American Racers initially participated in American sports car and Champ Car races as well as ...
team, in their Jorgensen Eagle 73A which debuted in Formula 5000 in 1974. He started all seven races of the 1974 SCCA/USAC F5000 Championship, posting a second, third and a sixth place, ending the season fifth in the overall standings. The Eagle
marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
was introduced in Formula 5000 in preparation for an entrance into Formula One in 1975. Redman won the Mid-Ohio Formula 5000 race in
Lexington, Ohio Lexington is a village along the Clear Fork River in Troy Township and Washington Township in Richland County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Mansfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,822 at the 2010 cen ...
, in June 1974. Lunger placed 2nd, 1 minute and 14 seconds behind. Lunger was 3rd in the
Mosport International Raceway Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway) is a multi- track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville, in Ontario, Canada, east of Toronto. The facility features a , 10-turn road course; a ad ...
Formula 5000 race on June 16. In July 1974, Lunger piloted a BMW 3.0 CSL in the six hours of Watkins Glen and competed in a Trans Am race, sponsored by the
Sports Car Club of America The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional r ...
, with
George Follmer George Follmer (born January 27, 1934) is an American former auto racing driver, and one of the most successful road racers of the 1970s. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona. His family moved to California when he was just an infant. Career Follmer ...
. Lunger started 8th and ran as high as 4th in the Can-Am Challenge Trophy race. He developed engine problems with 4 laps to go. Lunger said, ''We're not ready yet, but we're getting there.'' Lunger won 2 heat races but crashed during the 1974 California Grand Prix at Ontario Motor Speedway. He was trying to pass a slower car and at the same time hold off eventual race winner,
Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an Italian-born American former racing driver. One of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, Andretti is one of only two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, t ...
. Lunger's Eagle Chevy collided with Mickey Rupp as they entered a turn at the end of the infield straight. Their cars spun in a cloud of dust off the race track. Lunger assisted rescue workers in pulling Rupp from his car. Lunger and Follmer secured 2nd place in a turbocharged
Porsche 935 The Porsche 935 was a race car developed and manufactured by German automaker Porsche. Introduced in 1976 as the factory racing version of the Porsche 930, 911 (930) Turbo and prepared for Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA-Group 5 ( ...
of Vasek Polak, in the 1977 six hours endurance race at Watkins Glen. They were more than 3.377 mile-lap behind the winning team of
Jacky Ickx Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx (; born 1 January 1945) is a Belgian former racing driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times (second-highest of all time) and achieved eight wins and 25 podium finishes in Formula One. He greatly contributed ...
and Jochen Mass. The victors drove a factory Porsche 935 with a advantage over the 20 other ''customer'' Porsches, which composed the field of 44 cars. Lunger teamed with Follmer and Derek Bell in a Vasek Polak entry in the
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
6-Hour Grand Prix of Endurance in April 1979. The 3-man team placed 3rd, 6 laps behind in a
Porsche 935 The Porsche 935 was a race car developed and manufactured by German automaker Porsche. Introduced in 1976 as the factory racing version of the Porsche 930, 911 (930) Turbo and prepared for Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA-Group 5 ( ...
/79. The car started in the 23rd row due to engine problems during qualifying that kept it from posting a time.


Formula One


1975 Hesketh

Lunger joined the
Hesketh Racing Hesketh Racing was a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom, which competed from 1973 to 1978. The team competed in 52 World Championship Grands Prix, winning one and achieving eight further podium finishes. Its best placing in the ...
Formula One team in 1975 for the running of the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix. Aside from
Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an Italian-born American former racing driver. One of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, Andretti is one of only two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, t ...
and Mark Donohue, he was the only American driver on the elite circuit. At the age of 29 Lunger found himself without a car to drive for a major team. His friends bought him a ride with the team of
Alexander Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh Thomas Alexander Fermor-Hesketh, 3rd Baron Hesketh, KBE, PC (born 28 October 1950) is a British peer and UK Independence Party politician. Early life Hesketh succeeded in the barony (and baronetcy) on 6 October 1955, aged four, when his fath ...
for the remainder of the 1975 Formula One season. Lunger's brother, Dave, and Rod Campbell, a veteran motor racing public relations man, formed a combine in late 1975 to promote a Formula One ride for Lunger. In his debut Lunger started from the 9th row. He finished 13th in his Hesketh-Ford. In qualifying for the 1975 United States Grand Prix, Lunger wrecked his Hesketh, sustaining superficial damage to his car. He recovered to become one of 24 qualifiers for the race.''Lunger Qualifies for Glen Race As Lauda Gains Pole Position'', ''The New York Times'', October 5, 1975, p. 226. Lunger ran as high as 8th at Watkins Glen, before he retired. In the
1975 Italian Grand Prix The 1975 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on 7 September 1975. It was race 13 of 14 in both the 1975 World Championship of Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was the 45th Italian ...
he came in 10th.


1976 Surtees

In 1976 Lunger moved to the Team
Surtees The Surtees Racing Organisation was a race team that spent nine seasons (1970 to 1978) as a constructor in Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 5000. History The team was formed by John Surtees, a four-time 500cc motorcycle champion and the ...
. The corporation obtained sponsorship from
Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
, Rand Time Corporation, the Delaware Trust Company, and Champion Spark Plugs Company. On the 1st day of qualifying for the 1976 United States Grand Prix West in
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
, Lunger averaged only . Driving a Surtees-Ford, he was in 21st position. He described the dilemma of negotiating the Long Beach race track, which incorporated 85 circuits from Ocean Boulevard downtown to a parking lot and to Shoreline Drive, not far from the RMS ''Queen Mary'', and then back to Ocean Boulevard. ''This course is so narrow, it's like trying to drive a
Sherman tank } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It w ...
through a parking lot.'' Lunger failed to make the field on the 2nd day of qualifying. Only 20 cars started due to the narrowness of the Long Beach circuit. Lunger's Surtees broke the clutch in practice and was never correctly fixed. The 1976 British GP was probably the best race of his GP career, qualifying mid grid, he climbed through the field to challenge his team mate Alan Jones. Lunger is perhaps most renowned for being one of the drivers, along with
Guy Edwards Guy Richard Goronwy Edwards, QGM (born 30 December 1942) is a former racing driver from England. Best known for his sportscar and British Formula One career, as well as for brokering sponsorship deals, Edwards participated in 17 World Champion ...
,
Arturo Merzario Arturo Francesco "Art" Merzario (born 11 March 1943 in Civenna, Como) (erroneously registered as Arturio on his birth certificate) is a racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting at the ...
and Harald Ertl, who saved
Niki Lauda Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian Formula One driver and aviation entrepreneur. He was a three-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion, winning in , and , and is the only driver in Formula ...
from his burning car during the
1976 German Grand Prix The 1976 German Grand Prix (formally the XXXVIII Großer Preis von Deutschland) was a Formula One motor race held at the Nürburgring on 1 August 1976. It was the scene of reigning world champion Niki Lauda's near-fatal accident, and the last F ...
. Lunger described Lauda's accident which occurred on the 2nd lap. He went off at a speed of between and . He had apparently crashed on exit, went through a couple of rows of catch fence, up a relatively steep bank, and back into the middle of the track, the
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
on fire. Lunger said that Edwards was able to get by Lauda's car to the left but Lunger was unable to avoid the wrecked Ferrari. He made contact about three quarters on because ''I was committed to a line and couldn't make it through the debris.'' Ertl followed, colliding with the Surtees and knocking it into Lauda's Ferrari. Lunger's fire extinguishers were set off by the collision which was fortunate and saved time in the rescue. Lunger got out of his Surtees which was tangled up with the Ferrari. The extinguishers going off had dampened the fire somewhat. Workers arrived and kept the fire down, eventually putting foam on the Ferrari. This enabled Lunger and Merzario to get close to the fire, although they could not free Lauda at first. Lauda was conscious, struggling to get free on his own. Again the fire flared up and kept the men back from the car's side. Lunger jumped on top of the Ferrari and grabbed Lauda by his shoulders. Merzario unbuckled the seatbelts and Lunger and Lauda tumbled out of the car as a portion of the cockpit broke apart. As Lauda and Lunger emerged corner workers put foam on them. They lay for a few seconds in the grass. The burning fuel was moving toward them so Lunger and Lauda walked 6 to 8 steps away from the fire.


1977 - 1978 McLaren, Ensign

In January 1977 Lunger announced that he had signed with
BS Fabrications BS Fabrications was an engineering company specialising in fabrications for Formula One teams founded by Bob Sparshott, a former engineer at Lotus who had worked with Jim Clark and Graham Hill, and John 'Ace' Woodington in Luton in 1972. The c ...
, an English race team, and manufacturer of race car components.''Lunger Hopes To Bolster Confidence At Long Beach'', ''The New York Times'', March 27, 1977, p. 175. He fielded a
McLaren M23 The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which wa ...
, the same car driven by
James Hunt James Simon Wallis Hunt (29 August 1947 – 15 June 1993) ''Autocourse Grand Prix Archive'', 14 October 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2007. was a British racing driver who won the Formula One World Championship in . After retiring from racing in ...
when he won the 1976 Formula One World Championship.''People In Sports'', ''The New York Times'', January 7, 1977, p. 16. In his first race of the
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, Lunger finished 14th in the 1977 South African Grand Prix driving a March-Ford. The week prior to the race he lost a right rear wheel and crashed. It took his crew a week to rebuild the car from the ground up. During qualifying he drove three timed laps before his car blew an engine. This meant that Lunger started the race at the rear. Lunger qualified his March on the 11th row, 21st starting position for the 1977 United States Grand Prix West. He did not complete the race after he was in an accident on the 4th lap. He drove a McLaren to a 19th-place finish in the
1977 German Grand Prix The 1977 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheimring on 31 July 1977. It was the eleventh race of the 1977 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1977 International Cup for F1 Constructors. The German Grand Prix was ...
at
Hockenheim Hockenheim () is a town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 20 km south of Mannheim and 10 km west of Walldorf. It is located in the Upper Rhine valley on the tourist theme routes "Baden Asparagus Route" () and Bertha Benz M ...
. Lunger qualified 17th in
Zeltweg Zeltweg is a town in Styria, Austria. It is located in the Aichfeld basin of the Mur River in Upper Styria. Larger municipalities in the vicinity are Judenburg, Knittelfeld and Fohnsdorf. History Some farms were recorded at Zeltweg in the Duchy ...
for the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix. He had a time of 1 minute, 41.40 seconds. He placed 9th at
Zandvoort Zandvoort () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam ...
in the 1977 Dutch Grand Prix. His McLaren was 2 laps behind winner Lauda. Lunger was 10th, 2 laps down, at the 1977 United States Grand Prix. He was one lap off the pace and finished 19th at
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
in the 1978 Argentine Grand Prix. Lunger's McLaren was 20th at
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
in the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix and was 11th at
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
in the
1978 South African Grand Prix The 1978 South African Grand Prix (formally the XXIV Citizen and Asseng Grand Prix of South Africa) was a Formula One motor race held on 4 March 1978 at Kyalami. It was the third round of the 1978 Formula One season and the 300th World Champions ...
, in March. Lunger started 24th, in last position, for the 1978 British Grand Prix at
Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently host ...
. His qualifying time was 1:20.39. He went on to score his career best F1 finish, 8th place, albeit, one lap behind winner
Carlos Reutemann Carlos Alberto "Lole" Reutemann (12 April 1942 – 7 July 2021) was an Argentine racing driver who raced in Formula One from to , and later became a politician in his native province of Santa Fe, for the Justicialist Party, and governor of ...
. In the
1978 Austrian Grand Prix The 1978 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 August 1978 at Österreichring. This was Ronnie Peterson's last win before his death at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix. Qualifying Qualifying classification *Positions in re ...
he finished 8th, 2 laps off the winning pace. Lunger started an
Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
from 24th position in the 1978 United States Grand Prix. His time was 1:43.067. He finished 13th. Lunger finished 4th in the non-championship 1978 BRDC International Trophy race at
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. He was behind winner
Keke Rosberg Keijo Erik Rosberg (born 6 December 1948), known as "Keke" (), is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series, as well as the first Finnish ...
, 2nd place
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, and
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. The $190,000 event was hampered by rain over its . In many ways, Lunger was one of the last privateers in Formula One, plying his trade in year-old machinery, prepared by small independent racing teams. He called time on F1, at the end of the 1978 season, and returned to US Sports Car racing.


Post-race life

Lunger failed to find an acceptable ride in 1979. During his retirement from racing he worked as a journalist with
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, covering Formula One races like the 1979 South African Grand Prix. He completed his degree at Princeton. Lunger also became an author of a workbook series centered around responsibility, and as a result, founded Responsibility Today. The I Am Responsible Movement was Lunger's way of giving back to the community by drawing from his many successes and failures during his early life and racing career. Lunger continues to expand his organization by attending conferences and writing blog articles related to responsible decision making on Responsibility Today's website. Lunger takes part in cycling competitions in his spare time, when not running a research and development business. He is also a pilot, and this work, along with his wife, includes the
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Network.
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Racing record


Career highlights


Complete Formula One World Championship results

( :Template:F1 driver results legend 2, key)


Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate *fastest lap)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunger, Brett 1945 births Living people Sportspeople from Wilmington, Delaware Racing drivers from Delaware American Formula One drivers European Formula Two Championship drivers Atlantic Championship drivers Hesketh Formula One drivers Surtees Formula One drivers BS Fabrications Formula One drivers Ensign Formula One drivers British Formula One Championship drivers Holderness School alumni Du Pont family