Racing career
A four-time Sports Car Club of America, SCCA Road Racing Champ, Hansgen participated in two Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on October 8, 1961, at 1961 United States Grand Prix, Watkins Glen, New York. He scored a total of two championship points. In 1964 he raced the MG Cars, MG Liquid Suspension Special, an Offenhauser-powered car, for Kjell Qvale, at the Indianapolis 500. He 1964 Indianapolis 500, finished 13th in that race. He raced there again in 1965, in the MG-Huffaker-Offenhauser, when he 1965 Indianapolis 500, finished 14th. In addition to Formula One, Walt Hansgen was a dominant road racer from the early 1950s and 1960s, winning numerous races at Virginia International Raceway, VIR, the famed course at Bridgehampton, New York, Bridgehampton, and Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen through to his death at 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans in France in 1966. He drove for Briggs Cunningham and Mecom Racing Team, John Mecom. Hansgen won the Formula Junior race at the inaugural 1959 United States Grand Prix, United States Grand Prix meeting at Sebring, Florida, on December 12, 1959, driving a Automobili Stanguellini, Stanguellini. Hansgen won the Monterey Grand Prix, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Laguna Seca Raceway, on October 17, 1965, driving Mecom Racing Team, John Mecom's Lola T70-Ford. He participated in several races of the 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans, Le Mans as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races. He also was notable for introducing Mark Donohue to professional road racing. Hansgen was killed when he crashed a 7-liter Holman Moody, Holman & Moody Ford GT 40 Mk2 sports car while driving in the rain during the Le Mans tests on April 3, 1966. "A Ford spokesman said Hansgen's car appeared to have been aquaplaning on the wet track leaving no way for the driver to control it." Ford crew members later said that Hansgen had continued to push hard in the damp weather, although he had been warned by team manager Carroll Smith to take it easy. In Mark Donohue's book, ''The Unfair Advantage'', it is said that Hansgen tried to drive onto an escape road, only to find out too late that a barrier had been built across it for spectator safety.The Unfair AdvantageRacing record
SCCA National Championships
24 Hours of Le Mans results
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(:Template:F1 driver results legend 2, key)Indianapolis 500
NASCAR
(Template:NASCAR driver results legend, key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)Grand National Series
Books
* Michael Argetsinger, ''Walt Hansgen, His Life and the History of Post-War American Road Racing'', David Bull Publishing, 2006,References
External links
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