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 After the incident, the other two Mercedes vehicles in the race were withdrawn (in leading position).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


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans — Le Mans Races Previous = 1998 Current = 1999 Next = 2000The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 67th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13, 1999.Pre race1999 saw another increase in manufacturers involvement. Although Porsche did …   Wikipedia

  • 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans — Le Mans Races Previous = 1955 Current = 1956 Next = 1957The 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 24th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 28 and 29, 1956.Following the events of 1955, the front stretch and pit lane were redesigned in… …   Wikipedia

  • 24 Hours of Le Mans — This article is about the sports car race. For the motorcycle race, see 24 Hours of Le Mans (motorcycle race). For other uses, see 24 Hours of Le Mans (disambiguation). 24 Hours of Le Mans Venue Circuit de la Sarthe First race …   Wikipedia

  • List of 24 Hours of Le Mans fatal accidents — This is a list of 24 Hours of Le Mans fatal accidents, which consists of all the drivers who have died during a 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend, or in pre race testing or practice sessions in preparation of the event. It does not include track… …   Wikipedia

  • 1955 Le Mans disaster — The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans when a racing car involved in an accident flew into the crowd, killing the driver (Pierre Levegh) and 80 spectators. In terms of human toll, it is the most catastrophic… …   Wikipedia

  • 1955 — This article is about the year 1955. Millennium: 2nd millennium Centuries: 19th century – 20th century – 21st century Decades: 1920s  1930s  1940s  – 1950s –  1960s   …   Wikipedia

  • 1955 in France — See also: 1954 in France, other events of 1955, 1956 in France. Events from the year 1955 in France.Events*5 May Bonn Paris conventions come into force, putting an end to the Allied occupation of West Germany. *11 June 1955 Le Mans disaster.… …   Wikipedia

  • 1955 Formula One season — F1 season Previous = 1954 Current = 1955 Next = 1956The 1955 Formula One season included the 6th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 16, 1955, and ended on September 11 after seven races.eason summaryMercedes… …   Wikipedia

  • 1955 in sports — yearbox in?=in sports cp=19th century c=20th century cf=21st century yp1=1952 yp2=1953 yp3=1954 year=1955 ya1=1956 ya2=1957 ya3=1958 dp3=1920s dp2=1930s dp1=1940s d=1950s da=0 dn1=1960s dn2=1970s dn3=1980s|AthleticsMarathon* March 19 ndash;… …   Wikipedia

  • 24 Heures du Mans — Le Mans: ehem. Streckenverlauf Bentley, 1929 Das 24 Stunden Rennen von Le Mans ist ein Langstreckenrennen für Sportwagen, das vom …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”