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1955 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1955 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 5, 1955. It was race 4 of 7 in the 1955 World Championship of Drivers. The 36-lap race was won by Mercedes driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from second position. His teammate Stirling Moss finished second and Ferrari driver Nino Farina came in third. Race report Harry Schell set a grid time but his car was driven by teammate Maurice Trintignant. This was the easiest of wins for Mercedes. With the absence of Lancia, there was very little competition. Fangio disappeared into the distance with Moss tracking him round. Private entrant Eugenio Castellotti retired after 16 laps, Jean Behra crashed and Hawthorn's Vanwall had an oil leak. The domination of the silver cars was such that they came in over 2 minutes ahead of Farina in third place after he had lost a great deal of time attempting unsuccessfully to pass Castellotti. Classification Qualifying Race ;Notes * – I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has held a Grand Prix every year since 1985 (except 2003 and 2006). Spa also hosts several other international events including the 24 Hours of Spa, the World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. It is also home to the Uniroyal Fun Cup 25 Hours of Spa, one of the longest motor races in the world. The circuit has undergone several redesigns through its history, most extensively in 1979 when the track was modified and shortened from a circuit using public roads to a permanent circuit due to safety concerns with the old circuit. Despite its name, the circuit is not in Spa but lies in the vicinity of the town of Francorchamps within the boundaries of the municipality of Stavelot, with a part in the boundaries of Malmedy. Track c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Frère
Paul Frère (30 January 1917 – 23 February 2008) was a racing driver and journalist from Belgium. He participated in eleven World Championship Formula One Grands Prix debuting on 22 June 1952 and achieving one podium finish with a total of eleven championship points. He drove in several non-Championship Formula One races, winning the 1952 Grand Prix des Frontières and 1960 VI South African Grand Prix. He also won the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving for Ferrari with fellow Belgian teammate Olivier Gendebien. Life Frère was born at Le Havre in 1917. He drove for the Ferrari works team, with Peter Collins. After retiring from active racing in 1960, he worked as an automotive journalist based in Europe (he was the European Editor for ''Road & Track'' magazine). He had numerous acquaintances amongst vehicle design engineers, especially in Japan at Honda and Mazda and also worked as a consultant to automobile manufacturers. He also had the opportunity to test numerous road ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1955 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1955 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on June 19, 1955. It was race 5 of 7 in the 1955 World Championship of Drivers. The 100-lap race was won by Mercedes driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from pole position. His teammate Stirling Moss finished second and Maserati driver Luigi Musso came in third. Race report Despite a track made slippery by continuous drizzle, the record crowd was treated to some outstanding driving as the masters slid their machines through the sand-dunes. Fangio and Moss again took up the lead with Musso's Maserati in pursuit. Kling and Behra were chasing furiously until the German spun into the sand and retired. Mieres then took up the challenge, passing Behra and closing the gap. However, Musso was too far ahead and was even catching the Mercedes pair who were having to go at full pelt to keep ahead. It was only when he spun off and dropped back that they could relax slightly. It was another impressive 1-2 f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1955 Indianapolis 500
The 39th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 30, 1955. The event was part of the 1955 AAA National Championship Trail and was race 3 of 7 in the 1955 World Championship of Drivers. The race is notable to many as the race in which Bill Vukovich was killed in a crash while seemingly on his way to an unprecedented third consecutive Indy 500 win. Time trials Time trials was scheduled for four days. Saturday May 14 – Pole Day time trials Gusty winds, as well as the threat of rain, was observed on pole day, therefore nearly all of the competitors stayed off the track. Around the garage area, the drivers and teams agreed amongst themselves to sit out time trials for the afternoon, and instead qualify together in better conditions on Sunday. However, in the final 20 minutes, Jerry Hoyt, who had not been informed about the agreement, suddenly put his car in line, and pulled away for an unexpected qualifying attempt. His speed o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Belgian Grand Prix
The Belgian Grand Prix (French language, French: ''Grand Prix de Belgique''; Dutch language, Dutch: ''Grote Prijs van België''; German language, German: ''Großer Preis von Belgien'') is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The first national race of Belgium was held in 1925 at the Spa, Belgium, Spa region's race course, an area of the country that had been associated with motor sport since the very early years of racing. To accommodate Grand Prix motor racing, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps race course was built in 1921 but until 1924 it was used only for motorcycle racing. After the 1923 success of the new 24 hours of Le Mans in France, the Spa 24 Hours, a similar 24-hour endurance race, was run at the Spa track. Since its inception, Spa-Francorchamps has been known for its unpredictable weather. At one stage in its history it had rained at the Belgian Grand Prix for twenty years in a row. Frequently drivers confront a part of the c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Sweikert
Robert Charles Sweikert (May 20, 1926 – June 17, 1956) was an American racing driver, best known as the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis 500 and the 1955 National Championship, as well as the 1955 Midwest Sprint car championship - the only driver in history to sweep all three in a single season. Sweikert was born in Los Angeles, California. His "Indy 500" win was over-shadowed by the fatal crash of two-time winner Bill Vukovich during the race earlier that day. Sweikert finished sixth at Indianapolis the following May, but then died weeks later, at age 30, in 1956 after crashing a Sprint car at Salem Speedway. Personal life Bob Sweikert grew up in pre-war Los Angeles. His mother had married his stepfather, an electrician for the state of California, when Bob was an infant. Bob was raised through his early teen years with his older stepbrother, Ed, who enlisted in the US Navy, and then soon died in 1942, at the onset of World War II. That year the family moved briefly to S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Claes
Octave John Claes (11 August 1916 – 3 February 1956) was an English-born racing driver who competed for Belgium. Before his fame as a racing driver, Claes was also a jazz trumpeter and successful bandleader in Britain. Early life and jazz career Claes was born in London to a Scottish mother and Belgian father. He was educated in England at Lord Williams's School. In England, he began playing trumpet in a jazz band that included Max Jones on reeds, and another with Billy Mason on piano. In the 1930s he moved to the Netherlands, where he worked with Valaida Snow and Coleman Hawkins. He also worked with Jack Kluger's band in Belgium. Returning to England, he led his own group, the Claepigeons, making a recording in 1942. In the late 1940s he abandoned his jazz career and settled in Belgium as a professional racing driver. Racing career Claes was one of several gentlemen drivers who took part in Grand Prix racing of post-World War II. His first contact with racing was at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piero Taruffi
Piero Taruffi (12 October 1906 – 12 January 1988) was a racing driver from Italy. Sports car career Taruffi began his motorsport career racing motorcycles. He won the 1932 500cc European Championship on a Norton and in 1937 set the motorcycle land speed record at 279.503 km/h (173.68 mph). Taruffi drove a newly introduced 2-litre, 4-cylinder Ferrari, which placed third in the 360 kilometre race Grand Prix de Bari at Bari, Italy, in September 1951. He finished behind Juan Manuel Fangio and Froilán González with a time of 2 hours 58 minutes 40 3/5 seconds. Taruffi and Alberto Ascari participated in the Carrera Panamericana in the mountains of Mexico in November 1951. They placed first and third respectively over the course from Mexico City to León, Guanajuato, a leg. Taruffi led second-placed Troy Ruttman by more than four minutes. Taruffi trimmed 15 minutes on the Mexico City-Leon leg and another 21 minutes between Leon and Durango. In the process he climbed f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roberto Mieres
Roberto Casimiro Mieres (3 December 1924 – 26 January 2012) was a racing driver from Mar del Plata, Argentina. He participated in 17 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 7 June 1953. He scored a total of 13 championship points. Formula One and sports car racer Mieres competed in a number of different sports, including rowing, sailing, rugby, and tennis. He first took up motorsport in Argentina with an MG, which he later replaced with a Mercedes-Benz SSK and then a Bugatti formerly driven by Achille Varzi, using the latter to win the Argentine sports car championship. As a reward, he was invited to join his compatriots Juan Manuel Fangio and José Froilán González on a trip to Europe, during which he finished fourth in the 1950 Circuit des Nations in Geneva driving a Maserati 4CLT/48 Formula Two car. After returning to Argentina, he was recruited by the Gordini team to replace the injured Jean Behra, allowing him to make his début in the World Champ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis Rosier
Louis Rosier (5 November 1905 in Chapdes-Beaufort – 29 October 1956 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a racing driver from France. Career highlights He participated in 38 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 13 May 1950. He achieved 2 podiums, and scored a total of 18 championship points. He won the Dutch Grand Prix twice in consecutive years between 1950 and 1951, the Circuit d'Albi, Grand-Prix de l'Albigeois and the 24 Hours of Le Mans with his son Jean-Louis Rosier. Rosier owned the Renault dealership of Clermont-Ferrand.''Rosier First In Auto Race'', New York Times, June 26, 1950, Page 36. In 2016, in an academic paper that reported a mathematical modeling study that assessed the relative influence of driver and machine, Rosier was ranked the 19th best Formula One driver of all time. Formula One and sports car competition Rosier finished 4th at Silverstone in a Talbot, in October 1948. The event was the RAC International Grand Prix, the first grand prix ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
