Cadringher's M.67 began the race with an impressive burst of speed, but skidded in the first turn as its cockpit filled with blinding, choking smoke, and fumes; Cadringher went into a high-speed spin, pulled out of it over land, then completed one lap at an average speed of 457 kilometers per hour before having to land, unable to see the pylons marking the turns due to smoke in the cockpit.