1966 United States Grand Prix

Championship standings

Jack Brabham is World Champion. Surtees and Rindt are fighting for second place in the standings.

Previous race

At Monza, Ludovico Scarfiotti won for Ferrari — the first Italian to win his home Grand Prix since Alberto Ascari in 1952 — with Parkes second and Hulme third, Parkes and Hulme separated by 0.3 seconds. Brabham clinched the championship when Surtees retired with a split fuel tank. Rindt’s front tyre deflated on the exit of the final corner; he crossed the line while spinning and ended in the grass.

Between-race developments

John Taylor, badly burned in a collision with Jacky Ickx at the German Grand Prix, has died from his injuries.

Milestones

Watkins Glen has introduced a prize money system in place of the traditional starting money arrangement. The total purse of $102,400 is the richest in the World Championship; the first prize alone exceeds the combined first prizes of all other rounds on the calendar.

Practice

Clark qualified the Lotus 43 with the BRM H16 engine, which was found to be leaking oil immediately after. The BRM team provided a second-hand spare H16, and Lotus mechanics fitted it overnight. On race morning, Clark was still undecided which car to run. He chose the H16-powered Type 43, which was again leaking oil on the dummy grid before the crew sealed it ahead of the warm-up lap.