Through light rain, the practice times on Friday morning were relatively slow, with Jim Clark setting the benchmark in the low 1:30's.

On lap four, Rex Flowers retired from the race due to a burst oil pipe as well as a collapsed piston.

Two more drivers would fail to finish the race - Riley due to a broken universal and Lawrence after he ran out of fuel.

Clark almost joined the casualty list after experiencing oil pressure problems laps away from the conclusion of the race.

This meant that Clark had to lift and nurse the car home, allowing McLaren to claw back the gap.