Famous Racing Car Drivers
During the 1950s the world of motor sport saw the emergence of famous racing car drivers whose names are revered to this day. The following year Moss won his first ever Formula One Race with victory in the British Grand Prix. That same year he won the Mille Miglia in a world record 10 hours 7 minutes and 48 seconds. And at the end of the decade Moss was victorious in the 1,000 km race at the Nurburgring. Co-driving with Moss in the Sebring race in ‘54 was Bill Lloyd. Along with the likes of Briggs Cunningham, Lloyd was labelled a “gentleman racing driver.” In the mid-50s Lloyd was presented with a Maserati 300S Sport by Cunningham. That generosity may have been spurred by the fact that Lloyd was married to Cunningham’s cousin.
Cunningham’s indulgence with motor racing was no doubt helped by his family fortune. Not only was he an accomplished driver, but designed cars and owned his own team. Cunningham entered the 1950s with the aim of producing an American car and crew capable of winning the Le Mans. That victory eluded him, the best performance coming in 1952 when he finished fourth in a Cunningham C4-R, partnered by co-driver Bill Spear. Juan Manual Fangio is one of Formula One’s greats and one of the most famous racing car drivers. By the time the 50s started he was a veteran, but well capable of beating the younger drivers. In 1950 Fangio finished first in the Monaco, Belgian and French Grand Prix and continued his success throughout the rest of the decade. In 1951 the Argentinean won the World Championship, a feat he was to repeat in again with consecutive wins between 1954 and 57. Pierre Levegh is one of the tragic figures of 1950s motor racing. Accomplished in both tennis and ice hockey, Levegh is remembered for the fatal crash at the Le Mans in 1955. In 1950 and 51 the Parisian entered Formula One, racing for the Talbot-Lago team. However, Levegh’s name is associated with the race which was to cause his death – the Le Mans 24 Hours. Between 1951 and 54 he drove at Le Mans for Talbot. But for the fateful ‘55 event he switched to Mercedes. During the race an impact crash killed Levegh and 83 spectators.
One of the drivers who escaped with his life during that fateful race was Mike Hawthorn. Hawthorn threw himself into the pit to avoid the flying debris. But once the race was restarted he went on to win it with co-driver Ivor Bueb. The Yorkshireman entered his first Formula One event in 1952 when he came fourth in the Belgian Grand Prix. Six years later, at the age of 29 years 192 days, Hawthorn became – at the time – the world’s youngest Formula One champion. Related Articles |
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