A Night at the Races

The rivalry between Mike Hawthorn and Juan Manuel Fangio gave rise to some of the greatest races of all time.  Though overshadowed by Pierre Levegh’s tragic accident, their tussle during the early laps at Le Mans in 1955 bore comparison with Reims ‘53 or the Nurburgring in ‘57.  Trading fastest laps as they passed and re-passed one another along the long straights and fast sweeps of La Sarthe, the Mercedes 300SLR finally drew clear, the superior speed of Fangio’s team mate Stirling Moss proving too much for Hawthorn’s less experienced co-driver Ivor Bueb in the Jaguar D Type.  Out of respect for those killed in Levegh’s accident, Mercedes withdrew all of their cars in the early hours of Sunday morning and Hawthorn and Bueb took an easy – if rather hollow – victory.