1955 24 Hours of Le Mans

1955 24 Hours of Le Mans

Le Mans Races
Previous = 1954
Current = 1955
Next = 1956The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12, 1955. It was also the fourth round of the World Sportscar Championship

This race saw the 1955 Le Mans disaster with the tragic death of 84 spectators and the injuring of over 100 more when Pierre Levegh's Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR was involved in an accident and flew into the crowd, killing the driver as well. After the incident, the other two Mercedes vehicles in the race were withdrawn (in leading position). This accident, the most catastrophic in motorsport's history, led to great changes in the measures taken to ensure the safety of drivers and spectators. Its fallout also led to many car manufacturers pulling out of motorsport (including Mercedes), and even the temporary outlawing of circuit racing in several countries. Switzerland banned simultaneous competition between cars (i.e. except for hillclimbs), a ban which was only lifted in June 2007. [citeweb | title = Switzerland lifts ban on motor racing | url = http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Switzerland_lifts_ban_on_motor_racing | publisher = GrandPrix.com & DueMotori.com | date = 6 June 2007 | accessdate = 2008-06-06]

The Jaguar which triggered the crash, piloted by Mike Hawthorn, went on to win the race.

Official Results

Did Not Finish

tatistics

* Fastest Lap - #6 Jaguar Cars Ltd. - 4:06.6
* Distance - 4135.38km
* Average Speed - 172.308km/h

Trophy Winners

* 21st Biennial Cup - #37 Porsche KG
* Index of Performance - #37 Porsche KG

References

External links

* [http://www.mike-hawthorn.org.uk/lemans.php Le Mans 1955 from The Mike Hawthorn Tribute Site] - Extensive 1955 Le Mans coverage - reports, analysis, photos/video of race + crash


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