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Reading
Third String
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Last Lap

Third String

 Mike Lawrence

What do the following all have in common: Mario Andretti, Jim Clark, Emerson Fittipaldi, Alberto Rodriguez Larreta, Nigel Mansell and John Surtees?

The answer is that they all made their Grand Prix debuts in a third car run by Team Lotus. It’s a thought to ponder when you hear people say that the Lotus Number Two was on a hiding to nothing…these drivers started in a third car. Yet, between them, they won seven World Championships and 88 Grands Prix. And then there is Alberto Rodriguez Larreta.

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Mike Lawrence
Steve Natale has been playing with cars ever since he was old enough to first hold a matchbox car in his hand. A lifelong enthusiast of anything old with an engine in it or wheels on it, Steve has been active in the hobby for over 35 years. Currently he owns a successful marketing company with his wife Mary, is an automotive photographer, blogger and writer for several automotive magazines and regular contributor to various automotive websites. Steve has attended vintage car events and visited car museums and collections around the world.
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