1959 24 Hours of Le Mans
1959 24 Hours of Le Mans | |
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Index: Races | Winners |
The 24 Heures du Mans was the 27th 24 Hours of Le Mans, Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 22/21 June 1959, on Circuit de la Sarthe. It was also the fourth round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. Some 150,000 spectators had gathered for Europe’s classic sports car race, around an 8.38-mile course. The prospect of an exciting duel between Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche was enough to draw large crowds to the 24 Hours race.
Report
Entry
A grand total 97 racing cars were registered for this event, of which only 54 when allowed to practice, trying to qualify for the 54 places for the race. The number of starters was fixed at 54 following some regulations changes prior to the 1957 event. [1]
Aston Martin, fresh from their triumph on the 1000km of Nürburgring with their DBR1/300, arrived at Le Sarthe with an incredibly strong driver line-up in order to give themselves chance of victory. David Brown Racing Dept. brought along three cars, to be driven by Stirling Moss/Jack Fairman, Roy Salvadori/Carroll Shelby and Maurice Trintignant/Paul Frère. [2][3]
Up against the English team would be no fewer than six Ferrari 250 TRs, entered by numerous teams including Scuderia Ferrari and North American Racing Team. The works squad of drivers included 1958 winners, Phil Hill/Olivier Gendebien, and they were joined by Jean Behra/Dan Gurney and Hermano da Silva Ramos/Cliff Allison. In addition to the Ferraris, there would be a pair of Listers and five Porsches, just raring to go for overall victory. [4]
Qualifying
Qualifying was held over two sessions for a total of 540 minutes over the 17 and 18 June, a few days prior to the race. [5]
Race
When the French tricolour fell at 16:00, it was Moss who would make the best getaway, and lead the field around the Dunlop curve and over the hill toward the esses. By the end of the lap, Moss was leading from the chasing Ferraris. For lap after lap, the red cars appeared to be on the hunt, chasing Moss. The Astons were considered to be the long-shots for race victory. They would have to have a proper strategy for the entire race and pray that providence would see their cars through to the end, at the head of the field. [6][7]
Prior to the race, the management at David Brown Racing Dept., who ran the Aston Martins decided to send Moss and Fairman out as hares, to try an induce the Ferraris to chase them. And chased them, they did as the plan worked brilliantly. Moss and Fairman lead the way and the Ferraris were obliged to follow. This was torture for the No.4 car, trying to maintain such a pace, and after 70 laps, the car suffered engine failure and the English pairing were out of the race, but the tactic had worked. The pace wouldn’t just take its toll on the Ferraris, as the sole Jaguar D-Type of Innes Ireland and Masten Gregory retired on the same lap as the Aston. In all, by lap 100, twenty-three cars would be out of the race. [8][9]
However, unfortunately for Aston Martin, the vast majority of the Ferraris were still running, and in the hunt. Nonetheless, the Aston Martin pairing of Salvadori and Shelby were prepared to take the fight to the Ferraris and would even have the lead as the race headed into the night-time hours. But as the dawn gave way to late morning, they were running the stronger of the surviving Astons, with their team-mates, Frère and Trintignant right behind them. At 4am, the English cars had been running down in fifth and sixth place, following a chunk of tread had come off the Salvadori/Shelby car that caused some vibration issues. By noon, they managed to move through the field, to run first and second. [10][11]
Lap after lap, the two Astons would continue to hold onto the top spots. And then, finally, the race would be in final moments, with Salvadori back behind the wheel, now enjoying a full lap advantage over Trintignant. Finally, Salvadori and Brown’s Aston Martin had done it, securing victory for the English marque. In the case of Shelby, he was fighting a bout of dysentery and the side effect associated with it. Shortly after the race, the Texan would collapse and sleep for hours afterwards. [12][13]
The winning partnership, averaged a speed of 112.569mph, and their winning margin over the second placed crew was over a lap adrift, as Trintignant finished almost behind Salvadori. Such was the pace of the Aston Martin, the third car home was 26 laps behind the winners. That car was the GT Ferrari 250 GT LWB of ”Beurlys” and ”Eldé. In the end, only 13 cars out of the 54 starters were able to complete the race, and actually just 12 could be classified as having covered the official distance. [14][15]
Official Classification
Class Winners are in Bold text.
Not Classified
Failed to complete 70% of winner's distance (226 laps)
Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13th | S750 | 55 | Automobili Stanguellini | Roger Delageneste Paul Guiraud |
Stanguellini S750 Bialbero | Stanguellini 0.7L I4 | 220 |
Did Not Finish
Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Reason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14th | S3.0 | 14 | Scuderia Ferrari | Olivier Gendebien Phil Hill |
Ferrari 250 TR 59 | Ferrari 3.0L V12 | 263 | Overheating |
15th | GT2.0 | 25 | Standard Triumph | Peter Jopp Dickie Stoop |
Triumph TR3S | Triumph 2.0L I4 | 245 | Overheating |
16th | S1.5 | 37 | Ed Hugus | Ed Hugus Ernie Erickson |
Porsche 718 RSK | Porsche 1.50L Flat-4 | 240 | Engine |
17th | S1.5 | 35 | Jean Kerguen | Jean Kerguen Robert La Caze |
Porsche 550 RS | Porsche 1.50L Flat-4 | 229 | Clutch |
18th | S1.5 | 36 | Carel Godin de Beaufort | Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Heins |
Porsche 718 RSK | Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 | 186 | Engine |
19th | GT2.0 | 33 | F.W.R. Lund | Ted Lund Colin Escott |
MG A Twin Cam | BMC 1.6L I-4 | 185 | Gearbox |
20th | S2.0 | 31 | Porsche KG | Jo Bonnier Wolfgang von Trips |
Porsche 718 RSK | Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 | 182 | Clutch |
21st | S1.1 | 49 | Roger Masson | Roger Masson Jean Vinatier |
DB HBR 5 | Panhard 0.9L Flat-2 | 179 | Clutch |
22nd | S750 | 48 | Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet | René Bartholoni François Jaeger |
DB HBR 5 | Panhard 0.7L Flat-2 | 169 | Clutch |
23th | S1.5 | 34 | Porsche KG | Edgar Barth Wolfgang Seidel |
Porsche 718 RSK | Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 | 168 | Gearbox |
24th | S750 | 53 | Team Lotus Engineering | Alan Stacey Keith Greene |
Lotus 17 | Coventry Climax 0.7L I4 | 156 | Head gasket |
25th | S3.0 | 8 | Ecurie Ecosse | Ron Flockhart Jock Lawrence |
Tojeiro | Jaguar 3.0L I6 | 137 | Overheating - Engine |
26th | S3.0 | 12 | Scuderia Ferrari | Jean Behra Dan Gurney |
Ferrari 250 TR 59 | Ferrari 3.0L V12 | 129 | Gearbox |
27th | S3.0 | 1 | Brian Lister | Ivor Bueb Bruce Halford |
Lister Costin-LM | Jaguar 3.0L I6 | 121 | Engine |
28th | S2.0 | 30 | Team Lotus Engineering | Graham Hill Derek Jolly |
Lotus 15 | Coventry Climax 2.0L I4 | 119 | Engine |
29th | GT2.0 | 27 | Standard Triumph | Ninian Sanderson Claude Dubois |
Triumph TR3S | Triumph 2.0L I4 | 114 | Radiator |
30th | S3.0 | 19 | Edwin D. Martin | E.D. Martin William Kimberly |
Ferrari 250 TR 58 | Ferrari 3.0L V-12 | 108 | Gearbox |
31st | GT1.5 | 38 | Equipe Los Amigos | Jean-Claude Vidilles Jean-François Malle |
Lotus Elite | Coventry Climax 1.2L I4 | 105 | Fire |
32nd | S750 | 52 | Osca Automobili | Jean Laroche André Testut |
Osca S750 | Osca 0.7L I4 | 88 | Gearbox |
33rd | S2.0 | 24 | Cooper Car Company | Jim Russell Bruce McLaren |
Cooper Monaco T49 | Coventry Climax 2.0L I4 | 79 | Accident |
34th | S2.0 | 32 | Porsche KG | Hans Herrmann Umberto Maglioli |
Porsche 718 RSK | Porsche 1.6L Flat-4 | 78 | Ignition |
35th | S3.0 | 3 | Ecurie Ecosse | Innes Ireland Masten Gregory |
Jaguar D-Type | Jaguar 3.0L I6 | 78 | Engine |
36th | S3.0 | 4 | David Brown Racing Dept. | Stirling Moss Jack Fairman |
Aston Martin DBR1/300 | Aston Martin 3.0L I6 | 70 | Engine |
37th | S2.0 | 23 | Scuderia Ferrari | Giorgio Scarlatti Giulio Cabianca |
Ferrari Dino 196 S | Ferrari 1.9L V-6 | 63 | Out of fuel |
38th | GT750 | 50 | Alejandro de Tomaso | Colin Davis Alejandro de Tomaso |
D.B. Barquette | Panhard 0.7L Flat-2 | 63 | Gearbox |
39th | S750 | 62 | Société E.F.A.C. | René Philippe Faure Georges Guyot |
Stanguellini Efac SP5601 | Fiat 0.7L I4 | 58 | Accident |
40th | GT1.1 | 59 | Jacques Faucher | Gérard Leffargue Jacques Faucher |
D.B. HBR4 | Panhard 0.9L Flat-2 | 53 | Engine |
41st | S3.0 | 2 | Brian Lister | Walt Hansgen Peter Blond |
Lister Costin-LM | Jaguar 3.0L I6 | 52 | Engine |
42nd | S3.0 | 7 | A.G. Whitehead | Graham Whitehead Brian Naylor |
Aston Martin DBR1/300 | Aston Martin 3.0.L I6 | 52 | Accident |
43rd | S3.0 | 10 | Equipe Nationale Belga | Lucien Bianchi Alain de Changy |
Ferrari 250 TR58 | Ferrari 3.0L V12 | 47 | Fuel feed |
44th | S3.0 | 15 | Scuderia Ferrari | Hermano da Silva Ramos Cliff Allison |
Ferrari 250 TR59 | Ferrari 3.0L V12 | 41 | Gearbox |
45th | S750 | 56 | Automobili Stanguellini | René Révillon Joseph Dieu |
Stanguellini S750 Bialbero | Stanguellini 0.7L I4 | 47 | Out of fuel |
46th | GT2.0 | 26 | Standard Triumph | Peter Bolton Mike Rothschild |
Triumph TR3S | Triumph 2.0L I4 | 35 | Holed radiator |
47th | GT750 | 43 | Sydney A. Hurrell | Sid Hurrell Roy North |
Saab 93 | Saab 0.7L I3 (2-stroke) | 35 | Engine |
48th | S750 | 51 | Osca Automobili | Pedro Rodríguez Ricardo Rodríguez |
Osca S187 | Osca 0.7L I7 | 32 | Water pump |
49th | GT2.0 | 60 | John Dashwood | Bill Wilks John Dashwood |
Frasr Nash Le Mans Replica | Bristol 2.0L I6 | 35 | Accident |
50th | S750 | 54 | Team Lotus Engineering | Mike Taylor Jonathan Sieff |
Lotus 17 | Coventry Climax 0.7L I4 | 23 | Ignition |
51st | S3.0 | 17 | North American Racing Team | Rod Carveth Gilbert Geitner |
Ferrari 250 TR 58 | Ferrari 3.0L V12 | 21 | Gearbox |
52nd | GT3.0 | 21 | Écurie Trois Chevrons | Hubert Patthey Renaud Calderari |
Aston Martin DB4 GT | Aston Martin 3.0L I6 | 21 | Engine |
53nd | GT750 | 47 | Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet | Gérard Laureau Pierre Chancel |
D.B. Barquette | Panhard 0.7L Flat-2 | 9 | Engine |
Did Not Start
Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Reason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
54th | GT1.5 | 58 | J.R. Stoop | Douglas Graham Mike McKee |
Lotus Elite | Coventry Climax 1.2L I4 | Road Accident | |
- Fastest Lap: Jean Behra, 4:00.9secs (124.996mph) [19]
Class Winners
Class | Winners | ||
---|---|---|---|
Sports 3000 | 5 | Aston Martin DBR1/300 | Salvadori / Shelby |
Sports 2000 | No finishers | ||
Sports 1500 | No finishers | ||
Sports 1100 | No finishers | ||
Sports 750 | No classified finishers | ||
Grand Touring 5000 | No finishers | ||
Grand Touring 3000 | 11 | Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta | “Beurlys” / “Eldé” |
Grand Touring 2000 | 29 | AC Ace | Whiteaway / Turner |
Grand Touring 1500 | 41 | Lotus Elite | Lumsden / Riley |
Grand Touring 1100 | No finishers | ||
Grand Touring 750 | 46 | D.B. Barquette | Cornet / Cotton |
Biennial Cup | 46 | D.B. Barquette | Cornet / Cotton |
Index of Performance | 46 | D.B. Barquette | Cornet / Cotton |
Index of Thermal Efficiency | 45 | D.B. HBR4 | Armagnac / Consten |
Standings after the race
Pos | Championship | Points |
---|---|---|
1 | Ferrari | 18 |
2 | Aston Martin | 16 |
3 | Porsche | 15 |
4 | Maserati | 2 |
5 | Alfa Romeo | 1 |
- Note: Only the top five positions are included in this set of standings.
Championship points were awarded for the first six places in each race in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers were only awarded points for their highest finishing car with no points awarded for positions filled by additional cars. Only the best 3 results out of the 5 races could be retained by each manufacturer. Points earned but not counted towards the championship totals are listed within brackets in the above table.
References
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/entry/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html
- ↑ http://www.conceptcarz.com/articles/article.aspx?articleID=660
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/entry/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html
- ↑ http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/06/05/aston-martin-goes-back-to-the-future-1959-2009/
- ↑ http://www.conceptcarz.com/articles/article.aspx?artilceID=660
- ↑ http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/06/05/aston-martin-goes-back-to-the-future-1959-2009/
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html
- ↑ http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/06/05/aston-martin-goes-back-to-the-future-1959-2009/
- ↑ http://www.sportscardigest.com/carroll-shelby-looks-back-at-1959-le-mans-victory/
- ↑ http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/06/05/aston-martin-goes-back-to-the-future-1959-2009/
- ↑ http://www.sportscardigest.com/carroll-shelby-looks-back-at-1959-le-mans-victory/
- ↑ http://www.teamdan.com/archive/wsc/1959/59lemans.html
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html
- ↑ http://www.formula2.net/1959.htm
- ↑ http://www.teamdan.com/archive/wsc/1959/59lemans.html
- ↑ http://www.teamdan.com/archive/wsc/1959/59lemans.html
- ↑ http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Le_Mans-1959-06-21.html
Further reading
- Quentin Spurring. Le Mans 24 Hours: The Official History of the World’s Greatest Motor Race 1949-59. Haynes Publishing. ISBN 978-1844255375
- Brian Laban. Le Mans 24 Hours: The Complete Story of World’s Most Famous Motor Race. Haynes Publishing. ISBN 978-1852270629
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