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Six decades on, a look back at the tragedy of the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans
Six decades on, a look back at the tragedy of the 1955 24 Hours of Le MansKurt Ernst Jun 11th, 2015 at 8am
The 23rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans began like many other races on the Circuit de la Sarthe before it, in clear weather and with the traditional driver’s sprint across the track. Though the spectators that packed the grandstands along the start-finish line on June 11, 1955, were cheering for their favorite marque or driver, the battle for victory was expected to be between Jaguar’s D-Type and Mercedes-Benz’s new 300 SLR. Thirty-five laps later, a tragedy of unimaginable proportions would claim the life of Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh, along with as many as 84 spectators, though an official death toll has never been released. Another 120 would be injured, and the incident would leave a permanent scar on the sport of motor racing.
The 23rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans began like many other races on the Circuit de la Sarthe before it, in clear weather and with the traditional driver’s sprint across the track. Though the spectators that packed the grandstands along the start-finish line on June 11, 1955, were cheering for their favorite marque or driver, the battle for victory was expected to be between Jaguar’s D-Type and Mercedes-Benz’s new 300 SLR. Thirty-five laps later, a tragedy of unimaginable proportions would claim the life of Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh, along with as many as 84 spectators, though an official death toll has never been released. Another 120 would be injured, and the incident would leave a permanent scar on the sport of motor racing.