With Fords deciding not to enter any prototypes, Ferrari had the over-2-litre prototype class to himself and contented itself by sending one 330 P3 for Surtees and Parkes, this being supported by the Equipe Nationale BeIge P2 (Bianchi-Beurlys). In the over 3-litre Sports class were six Ford GT40s: the two Essex Wire cars (Scott-Revson, Gregory-Whitmore), Maranello Concessionaires (Amon-Ireland), Ford France (Ligier-Greder), Equipe Nationale Belge (Muller-Mairesse), and the privately entered car for Bond-Redman. These were opposed by three Ferrari LMs and the Sparrow-Pendleton Cobra. Three privately entered Carreras of Vogele, Koch and Wicky supported the two works Porsches (Mitter-Herrmann, Glemser-Davis) against four Ferrari Dinos in the 2-1itre Prototype class: the Dinos being Bandini-Scarfiotti and Vaccarella Bondurant in works cars, Attwood-Piper for Maranello Concessionaires, and Biscaldi-Casoni in tlie Scuderia S.Ambroeus car. The 1300 c.c. prototype class consisted of four Fiat Abarth OTs, three of them works cars, against two works Alpines and a private Marcos, whilst the 1300-1600 Sports class saw a lone privately entered Lotus Elan (Steinemann-Eichhorn) taking on three works Alfa TZ 2s.

Saturday, the first day of practice, was warm and sunny and Parkes and Surtees in the P3 were soon circulating at near the 3-minute mark, Surtees doing 3 min 01.1sec and Parkes shattering everyone with a lap of 2 min 58.l5 sec, an average of 204.15 k.p.h. for the 10.1- km circuit. For this race the A.C. di Milano had decided to use the full Monza circuit with the banking, 100 laps in all, but had constructed two chicanes before each, curve of the banked circuit to reduce speeds. These chicanes were virtually three sides of a square and resulted in an exit speed on to the banking of about 50-60 m.p.h.

No one could get very close to the P3's times, but it soon appeared that there was not much between the Fords, the Dinos and the Carreras. Scott (Ford) got down to 3 min 12.3sec, followed by Bandini (Dino) 3 min 12.5sec, Mitter (Carrera) 3 min 13.1sec, Facetti (Ferrari LM) 3min 13.2sec, Revson (Ford) 3 min 13.9sec, Scarfiotti (Dino) 3min 13.9sec, Vaccarella (Dino) 3 min 14sec, Herrmann (Carrera) 3 min 14-4sec and Biscaldi (Dino) 3 min 1S.4sec. The quickest Alfas were doing around the 3 min 30sec mark and the Abarths 3 min 37sec to 3 min 42sec.

Sunday's practice saw the Fords trying much harder and Scott finished the day with 3 min 08.7sec, both the Essex Wire cars being undcr 3 min l0 sec, with Ireland joining them with a 3 min 09.9sec. Bandini in the Dino improved to 3 min 10.7sec and Biscaldi did 3 min 13secas also did Bondurant in the other works Dino. Bondurant was going very well but, in trying to improve his time he lost the car on. the Curva Grande and wrote it off, fortunately without serious damage to himself. Surtees and Parkes remained unimpressed by the improved times and contented themselves with bedding brake pads and a few quick laps to show that 3 min 5.0sec was really quite easy. From the form book it looked as though on the morrow the Ferrari P3 would disappear in the distance, pursued by a pack of Ford GTs, Dinos and Carreras, anyone of which could be second provided the P3 lasted, or could win if it failed.

Early on Monday morning it started to rain with that steady persistence that makes Milan a twin-town to Manchester; there was no sign of it lifting at all and the tyre people were kept busy changing everybody to rain tyres.. The expected huge crowd, Monday being a Bank Holiday in Italy, did not materialise, but there was a sizeable sea of umbrellas and plastic macs and the main stands were full as far as the covered sections were concerned. The cars formed up on a dummy grid some 200 yards from the start line 40 cars in all in two lines headed by Surtees (Ferrari P3) and Scott (Ford GT). Shortly after 1 p.m. they moved forward and were flagged away to a rolling start in a cloud of spray; only Bianchi's very quick Alpine being left on the line with - starter trouble. As they passed the stands after the first half-lap, before going on to the banking, Surtees already had a 2 sec lead over the Ford GT of ireland, with the Essex Wire cars close behind, followed by the Dinos of Biscaldi and Attwood Bandini came straight into the pits with wiper trouble, together with the Davis Carrera which had been shunted in the rear. During the first ten laps Surtees, lapping at around 3min 31sec, continued to pull away from Ireland at about 6 sec per lap, and Ireland, driving superbly in the wet, was leaving the Essex Wire Fords by 3 sec per lap. The Dinos fell back before Mjtter's Carrera, the Attwood car stopping for 20 minutes with wiper disorders and Biscaldi also in clear-screen difficulties. At 10 laps the order was:

I, Surtees (Ferrari P3): 2, Ireland (Ford GT); 3. Revson (Ford GT); 4, Gregory (Ford GT); 5. Mittel' (Porsche Car.6): 6, Biscaldi (Dino): 7, Bianchi. L. (Ferrari P2): 8, Siffert (Porsche Car.6); 9, Facetti (Ferrari LM); 10. Muller (Ford GT) .

The Baghetti Abarth was leading the 1,300 c.c. prototypes one lap behind, and the Bandini Dino, now with perfect wipers was three laps in arrears. On lap 13 Ireland came into the pits for 6.5 minutes with loss of oil, as Surtees lapped at 3 min 29.5 sec, now comfortably over a minute ahead of the Essex Wire Fords. Ireland came in again for a short stop and then for one of 15 minutes to try to check the oil throwing, but later retired on the circuit-a great pity as he was the only driver able to keep remotely in touch with the P3 in the conditions. The Sparrow Cobra retired on lap 16 and by now the Dinos had had pit stops for wiper - repairs. The Revson-Scott Ford had dropped back a little and both Bianchi's P2 and Mitter's Carrera passed it, Mitter going on splendidly to pass both Bianchi and the Gregory Ford to take 2nd place overall. On lap 20 the order was Surtees, Mitter, Bianchi, Scott, Vogele and 5 laps later the leader came in for fuel and a driver change, Parkes going away after 55 sec still ahead of Mitter in 2nd position. Mitter stopped next, replaced by Herrmann who unfortunately was ill and about 10 sec a lap slower than Mitter this dropped the Carrera to 4th place. Parkes called in to the pits for a few seconds to complain about the wipers which had stopped, but went off again with no repair effected; in fact, the car did the rest of the. race without them. The 30-lap order was:

I, Surtees-Parkes (Ferrari. P3); 2, Gregory-Whitmore (Ford GT40); 3, Scott-Revson (Ford GT40)

The Fords seemed to have been leaving their refuelling stops rather late but on lap -31 the Gregory car had its stop and Whitmore went off in 3 rd place behind Scott. However, they had left it too late with Scott, who ran out of petrol at the back of the circuit on lap 32, a rather silly farewell to a likely 3rd overall position. Presumably. the tactics had been to try to go through with only two fuel stops, but the, gamble did not come off. At the end of lap 37 Parkes, a lap had been gaining around 2 sec a lap on Whitmore, lapped him on the finish thus making the P3 a lap ahead of everyone; thereafter he sat about 5 sec in front of the Ford secure in the knowledge of a 10 km advantage. The Muller-Mairesse Ford now began to move up, passing. Bianchi's slowing P2 and later the Mitter-Herrmann Carrera to take 3rd position. The Bianchi P2 had two stops for electrical troubles and then retired with dynamo failure and a fiat battery. Surtees took over the P3 on lap 56, letting Whitmore back on to the same lap, but the Ford's stop re-established the Ferrari's advantage. At 60 laps the order was:

I, Surtees-Parkes; 2, GregorY-Whitmore-l lap; 3, Muller-Mairesse-1 lap; 4. Mitter-Hermann 2 laps; 5, Siffert-Vogele 3 laps; 6, Facetti-Vaccarella (Ferrari LM) 3 laps; 7, de SiebenthalPeixnho (Ferrari LM) 3 laps; 8, Davis-Glemser (Porsche Car.6) 3 laps;

The race now settled down to a procession at the head of the field the only interest being in the fortunes of the Mitter-Herrmann Carrera, which was catching the Muller-Mairesse Ford by over 4 sec a lap when Mitter was driving, but lost 5 sec a lap to it with the sick Herrmann at the wheel. The Alpine now led all three remaining Abarths which was causing the Abarth Pit some dismay; with the leaders on their 75th lap the leading Abarth was called in, Baghetti was popped into the seat and tore off after the Alpine to try to regain the Class for Abarth. It was, however, an unnecessary effort as the Alpine was slowing and when it had lost the class lead to Baghetti it stopped with, engine failure on the circuit. Parkes, now driving for the last quarter of the race, was lapping at 3 min 34 sec a lap and 25 sec in front of the Gregory-Whitmore Ford and two laps ahead of the Muller-Mairesse Ford. The rain had never showed a sign of stopping and the sky was so overcast that at 6.15 with 82 laps on the board the track lights came on, making the pit straight a trifle more cheerful. Many drivers had had lights on since about 4 p.m., and the back section of the road circuit at Lesmo had been in twilight nearly all the afternoon.

So the wettest Monza 1,000 km imaginable drew to a close. Parkes crossed the line at 7.20 p.m. after a most convincing demonstration of the reliability and speed of the P3 and the welcome return to fitness and form of John Surtees. The Ford GTs, 2nd and 3rd overall won the large Sports class, and the Carreras showed a clear wet-weather superiority over the Dinos, Italian pride being mollified by the Abarth victory in the 1300 Prototype class.