168 replies to this topic

[Catch 22]

All -

Can anybody point me towards a comprehensive and authoritative account based on first-hand information of what actually happened at LeMans in 1955? I see references to the disaster all the time but have never read a description which allowed me to understand how such a thing could have occurred.

About all I know is that Levegh's Mercedes somehow made contact with an Austin-Healy (driven by Lance Macklin if I recall) and went into the crowd, killing Levegh himself and many others. Where on the circuit did it occur? How did so many lose their lives (shrapnel? magnesium fire? fuel explosion?)? What could have been done to prevent it? What measures were taken afterwards? Was the race red flagged, and if so, was the time added back in so the race itself still ran 24 hours? That's the sort of information I'm looking for.

I'd also be interested in the impact it had on those present. I'm told that Phil Walters (a.k.a. Ted Tappet) never again even sat in a race car, for example. What happened to Macklin? Was he blamed for the accident? Did any others follow Walters' example and retire on the spot? I know only that Mercedes immediately withdrew from all motor racing activities.

I hope this isn't interpreted as morbid curiosity. I've just never read an account of what happened which explains it analytically. Many thanks in advance for any information you can provide. (An on-line source would be especially appreciated.)

[Darren Galpin]

From http://www.silhouet....ort/lemans.html


Having voiced his unease at the narrowness of the straight in front of the pits, Pierre Levegh's Mercedes struck the rear of an Austin Healey driven by Lance Macklin on the pit straight. The car rammed the bank, exploded, and its engine flew into the packed grandstand, killing 80. Levegh died instantly, and the entire Mercedes team was withdrawn, including Stirling Moss and Juan-Manuel Fangio. This precipitated the complete withdrawal from motorsport for Mercedes.

[Ray Bell]

According to the most authoritative sources I've seen, Macklin had to duck back out of the pit lane because Hawthorn had rushed in in front of him, having almost missed his cue to pull up that lap because he was trying to get clear of Fangio in the Benz. As Macklin went out, Levegh, who was just being lapped, ran up the back of the Austin Healey and was launched to the left into the crowd, of whom about 83 died.
There was no red flag... the authorities didn't want the crowd to go home thinking the race was over, that would have prevented the ambulances getting in and out.
Obviously it happened in front of the pits, with the car going into the crowd opposite the pits, but some of the injured and dead were on the pit side of the circuit.
Neubauer's 'Speed Was My Life' is a reasonable source, and one hopes this account isn't doctored like Tripoli, and it gives no indication that the MB pullout later in the year was for any reason connected with this accident.

[Barry Boor]

I have the book 'Death Race'. A terrible title but a reasonable account, approached from many angles and people who were still around when the book was written.

It tends to blame Hawthorn, and with the pictures in the book, it is easy to see why.

Personally, I tend to subscribe to the theory that poor Levegh was simply too old and inexperienced on cars with the performance level of the Merc to react quickly enough when Macklin pulled out from behind Hawthorn as Mike slowed to stop at his pit. Remember, the Jaguar disc brakes stopped the D-type much quicker than the Austin Healey's drums could stop Macklin's car, so for Macklin it was pull-out or ram Mike.

The truth is, I suppose, as with many accidents, just a combination of circumstances that came together at the wrong moment in time - simply, a racing accident.

[Catch 22]

Darren, Ray, Barry -

Thanks for your replies. I would really like to learn more about this incident.

Darren, I noticed that the results table which accompanies the text you included shows that the circuit was shortened from 8.475 miles in 1955 to 8.364 miles in 1956. Was this in any way a response to the accident?

Ray, I'm interested to hear that Neubauer's account tends to negate the idea that Mercedes' withdrawal was the result of the accident. If not that, then what reason(s) does he give for it?

Barry, who is the author of "Death Race" (which is, I agree, an awful title), and when and by whom was it published? Is the accident the subject of the entire book? (Based on the title, my guess is yes...)

And what ever happened to poor Lance Macklin?

[Don Capps]

Although I was there at Le Mans in 1955, I was walking with friends up the track towards our planned ultimate destination of the Mulsanne hairpin when the accident happened, so I didn't see it unfold. However, as we returned to the grandstand area where one of our party had remained, it was just awful. As one of those I was with said, it looked just like the worst of the war he had seen on the Eastern front. And we were all careful to speak in English since it was a German car that mowed down all those people.

At the time and later, most pointed their finger at Hawthorn for triggering the accident, including the person who stayed back. He saw it all and was fortunate to be sitting where he was since the Mercedes entered the crowd about 100 or so meters from where he sat. He said it was a miracle that so few(!) were killed and injured -- initially he thought it was the death of perhaps thousands...

Yes, it was a racing accident that was simply waiting to happen and it just happened to be that year. However, if you look at what Chris Nixon has in Mon Ami, Mate, it seems to be pretty much the concensus and does make Hawthorn look like the catalyst.

Lance Macklin did a few more races then retired. Phil (Ted Tappet) Walters quit on the spot. In many ways, I don't blame him. It was worse than you can imagine.

[Joe Fan]

Originally posted by Catch 22
I'd also be interested in the impact it had on those present.

In a letter to his brother Riddelle, here is what Masten Gregory said about this incident. Background information: Masten was set to co-drive a 3 liter Ferarri with Mike Sparken but Sparken broke a piston early on in the race before Masten got a chance to get behind the wheel.

"As you know, I didn't drive in the race, but Lou (Masten's wife and short for Louella) and I unfortunately saw the accident which happened about fifty yards from us. A little while afterwards Lou and I went back to the hotel and didn't bother to come back the next day for the finish. Nobody really cared who won."

[Barry Boor]

Steve, 'Death Race' was written by Mark Kahn, published in 1976 by Barrie & Jenkins Ltd.

There is a rather chilling sequence of still photographs taken as the incident unfolds. I will scan them in and post them for you to see.

[Eric McLoughlin]

There is also some dramatic film footage of the accident. I have seen at least two separate film recordings, one in black and white and one in colour. The colour film was taken from the pit side of the track and the camera is looking at the approaching cars when the accident occurs. The camera operator actually pans forward following Macklin's Healy which is pushed up the straight by the impact. The Healy slides to a halt opposite the pits and Macklin hops out, looking totally unaware of the magnitude of the disaster unfolding. Later shots show the barely recognisable remains of Levegh's Mercedes being tackled by firefighters. The chassis keeps flaring up in showers of sparks, probably because of the magnesium used in its construction.

One piece of film also shows what looks like the rear drivetrain of the Mercedes cartwheeling through the crowd. I'm sure that many, if not most, of the deaths wrere caused by this rather than the engine.

[Racer.Demon]

Originally posted by Darren Galpin
The car rammed the bank, exploded, and its engine flew into the packed grandstand, killing 80.

By sheer coincidence I have the accident on video since two days. In the Moss thread I told you about the Fangio documentary that was aired by Discovery Channel in the Netherlands Wednesday night. About 40 min of the one-hour programme was contemporary footage, and one item was the fiery Levegh crash, shot by an amateur. It shows the Mercedes just after having made contact with the Austin-Healey, veering straight to the left into the embankment lining the track. The car explodes on impact, with the engine really catapulted away into the grandstand. The camera can hardly keep up with the flaming fireball bouncing through the stands five or six times before it buries itself deep into the middle of the centre grandstand. The light of the fireball is so bright that everything around is only captured in dark tones by the film. Meanwhile, the car is totally engulfed in flames.

Having seen this, I have absolutely no trouble imagining that dozens of people were killed in an instant, as was Levegh.

I suppose Barry's stills will come relatively close to the frightening sight of the events actually unfolding itself very, very rapidly. It's the speed of it all - and the inevitability once the engine is let loose - that is the most sobering aspect of watching this.

[Barry Boor]

Here is a sequence of images from the book.

In the first picture, you are looking at Hawthorn on the left with Macklin just visible behind him, and Levegh on the right with Fangio not visible behind him. Picture 2 sees Macklin swinging out from behind Hawthorn who is slowing. Picture 3 is crucial, I feel. Maybe Macklin has pulled out to his left more than is actually required, and Levegh's car does not seem to have deviated from its line. (Is he too busy watching Fangio coming up behind?)



Look in picture 4 how far out Macklin is now ! In picture 5 we realise that a very small flick of Levegh's steering wheel might well have avoided the sloping back of the Austin Healey altogether, but it is now too late and the Merc begins to rise. Finally, the most chilling image of all. Fangio still cannot be seen, but he passes under the other Mercedes as it rises. The damage on the film is because the photographer was actually struck by some debris, was injured and apparently spent 3 months in hospital.

I hope this gives you a clearer idea of the disaster.

[Joe Fan]

As far as the number of spectators killed, does anyone have a firm number? I have seen all sorts of numbers listed.

[fines]

I think this sequence tells it all: A rather rude move by Hawthorn triggers the accident, I can't see how anybody else should've been able to avoid it. There was simply no more room left to manoeuvre! And that's the point: People became aware of the shortcomings of the "Open Road" era, namely the narrowness of these roads! Also, in 1957 the pit lane was invented in Indianapolis, another direct result of this accident.

It was a timely shock, and the end of an exciting yet too dangerous epoch.

[Barry Boor]

My book states 81, but that is no more likely to be correct than anyone else's figure.

Incidentally, a fascinating piece of sensationalist journalism in the Kahn book dwells for a time on the fact that some people claim the Mercedes virtually blew up on impact with the bridge parapet, and attribute this to Mercedes having filled the chassis tubes with some sort of liquid boost agent. (All totally illegal, of course.) Allegedly there was a button on the dash that the drivers were told to press if they wanted a bit more power.

Fangio laughed this off and said the cars did not need anything like that, they were good enough without such things.

It seems very unlikely to me, but adds spice to the sorry tale.

[Hans Etzrodt]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
...Mercedes having filled the chassis tubes with some sort of liquid boost agent. (All totally illegal, of course.) Allegedly there was a button on the dash that the drivers were told to press if they wanted a bit more power...

Barry,
Yes, I agree that this is cheap jounalism. I would expect to read something like this in a newspaper found next to the check-out counter at the grocery stores.

About the fire, there was gasoline, oil and magnesium to produce a hellish fire.

[Don Capps]

If you look in the second picture, the "notch" is almost exactly where we were earlier in the race and where one of our party stayed to watch the front straight action. As you can see, it literally started right in front of him. I remember him saying it was almost as if it was in slow motion and you knew it wasn't going to be good. He said the car just exploded into the stands. However, he actually expected it to go into the pits. Think about those consequences for a moment....

As for numbers, it is usually 81 or 83 killed and rarely are the numbers for the injured mentioned, but it is usually about 250 or so. Personally, I think it was higher.

Amazingly, we went to Zandvoort the very next weekend! Then it got very quiet while the whole issue of racing & safety was debated all over Europe. The Swiss closed down everything, the French came really close as well, and the Germans were in the doghouse for awhile.

One thing I do know, that was the last race my Dad ever attended.

[karlcars]

This tragedy certainly did have a big impact on the sport. It decimated the racing schedule in 1955, with national authorities having second thoughts about staging races. It led to Switzerland's decision to stop racing on public roads and to the AAA's decision to withdraw from auto-racing sanctioning in America.

John Fitch, Levegh's co-driver and an American who served in WWII, was the person who argued most persusively and persistently for the withdrawal from the race of the Mercedes team -- ultimately successfully. He thus denied both Fangio and Moss -- who were then leading easily -- their best chances to add a Le Mans victory to their distinguished CVs. He has since apologised for this to Stirling.

I don't think we can point to this race as a reason that Mercedes stopped racing at the end of 1955. As evidence I would point to the fact that work was well along at the end of the year on 1956 versions of both the sports and racing cars. Officially they 'suspended' their racing at the end of the year, a suspension that turned into a long hiatus.

[fines]

Yes, Switzerland banned racing afterwards, but ironically not on public roads, as suggested. Hill climbs on public roads have been held ever since, only circuit racing facing the axe.

[Richard Jenkins]

Many years ago I bought Paul Frere's excellent Starting Grid to Chequered Flag. It covers the Le Mans tragedy but although it adds little to what's been said I thought it might be of some interest:
"It was about 18.30 hours when I got ready to take over from Collins. I was waiting for our car, standing on the pit counter (grandstand area - main straight) with crash hat already on my head, when glancing along the track I saw a Mercedes rear up into the air, leap over the protected walls placed between the roads & the spectators & catch fire as it fell exactly opposite our (Aston Martin) pit. Everything had happened so quickly that no-one had managed to see the exact sequence of events. We hadn't noticed that as the car landed, it had broken in two & the whole front portion had cut a path through dozens of spectators. We could see only one thing: a completely wrecked car burning with enormous flames & giving off a terrible heat & a body lying on the track...."
"....My first lap of the circuit was a frightening experience. Several cars were abandoned, others had had accidents & leaving White House corner, from where one could see the thick cloud of smoke from Levegh's accident, another car was on fire"
"The next few laps.. where work was going on extingushhing the Mercedes I noticed car no. 26 which I recognised Macklin's Austin-Healey, standing by the pits with it's tail badly damaged. Levegh's accident was so fast, I hadn't noticed any other cars involved."
I don't know whether Frere makes any mention of it, in his new book as I haven't bought it yet, but there's at least one who remembers.
I remember hearing that the 81 death toll given was an official figure but it was probably double that as the authorities wanted to 'tone it down' in case of further upset.
Lance Macklin, I think, is still alive. He retired to Spain but I heard a few years ago that he was in very poor health.

[Leif Snellman]

According to "Road and Track", September 1955 there was a pedestian tunnel under the track just where the crash occured. The car disintegrated because it bounced over the embankment and then hit the concrete wall of the tunnel.

[oldtimer]

Although it doesn't change the horror of the accident, shouldn't the racing context be included in our thinking? I believe the accident occurred as Hawthorn was finishing his first stint after a 'gloves off' scrap with Fangio. I read somewhere that Hawthorn had expressed the sentiment that 'he wasn't going to beaten by any silver cars'. Neither driver was treating it as a 24 hour event in the reports that I saw.

Don, please set us straight.

[Don Capps]

Not sure if I can set anything straight, but I certainly remember that race looking like a sprint race and not a 24 hour race, folks going at it with no one blinking. Others seem to remember it the same way.

It is not onward to recall that barely a decade before there had a rather substantial altercation on The Continent and some still had rather hard feelings about the entire affair, even then.

Hawthorn seems to have been rather ill-disposed towards the Germans and their racing machines and quite patriotic about his native country. While feelings had cooled off substantially, being accepted does not equate to being liked. Hawthorn was quite convinced that national pride was on the line and was not about to let the Germans win without a fight.

I have to back up something that Karl mentions: it was a surprise when Mercedes announced it was not racing in 1956. We all expected them to come back in 1957 which the announcement led you to believe was to be the case. Even in 1958 folks were awaiting their return....

While hard to imagine today, racing was in serious trouble in 1955. Remember that Bill Vukovich was killed at Indy that year. The death of Vukovich and Le Mans led to the AAA finally disband its Contest Board and get out of racing.

[oldtimer]

Don, I wasn't aware of Hawthorn being ill-disposed towards the Germans. Any info on that? Earlier in the season, Hawthorn in a Jag had put up a heck of a scrap against the Mercedes at Dunrod. But then he could be quite a scrapper, couldn't he?

Does anyone have a copy of the Mercedes withdrawal statement at the end of 1955. All I remember is a lofty statement suggesting there wasn't much more to learn competing agaist the current opposition.

[Mike Argetsinger]

Of course Mercedes Benz continued to provide support to selected teams (mostly running 300SL's) in 1956 and 1957 both in Europe and America. It was nothing like the full blown effort in '54-'55 and we no longer saw the 300SLR's or the the Grand Prix cars. Still this is an important - but seldom mentioned - part of the story.

[MattFoster]

My father was at Dundrod in 1955 and he said that it was an amazing scrap. He was a big Mike Hawthorn fan.


Cheers
Matt

[Darren Galpin]

Catch 22 - Yes, the track was modified in response to the accident in 1955. The pit straight was widened and the Dunlop Corner eased. The Ford Chicane was added in 1968.

[Yves]

I have already reported the story just out of my memory unfortunately in another topic speaking of Levegh.
The best report I have ever seen about this tragedy and probably the most detailed was published in l'Auto Journal. This is too bad that I don't keep this collection
Barry, the alegation that Levegh was a "bad" driver too old for such powerfull cars has been very often heard after the accident but I already answer to this in the other topic : his CV's was not that bad.
I also spoke about the alegations that were made about the Marcedes non compliance : the smallest beginning of a prof has never been done.
About the number of victims, I remember 83 or 85. It is probably the number of persons killed ON the circuit or directly after the accident.
In France up to a very recent time, the statistics for road accident were slightly different from other country : If you are injuried in a road accident but die more than 1 day after, you are not included in the stats as dead but only injuried. I think this has been standardised to one week for whole Europe now.
From the Auto Journal enquiry, they focus on the poor protection of the stand area at that time : as you noticed, the road itself at the level of the stands is really narrow, only two lanes. There was only a thin earth wall with a wood barrel between the road and the grand stand.
After the accident, they totally rebuild the stands enlarging the circuit up to the courbe Dunlop modifying slightly its profile. They also build a concret wall in front of the grand stand.

Y.

[Falcadore]

Every account I've read mentions the 80 odd figure as erring on the side of conservatism. Some reports indicated it might have been upwards of 200. Determining the actual toll is now lost in the mists of time, and is probably just as well. It was the biggest disaster in the history of motorsport, probably in sport as a whole (compared to two or three football grand stand incidents around a decade ago, a fire and a crush in England and a collapse in Mexico/Soth America - memory fades).

That makes is bad enough to me

[Pete Stanley]

I've read that among the dead was a pregnant woman, and some totals took the fetus into account.

[Gil Bouffard]

In 1952 Levegh drove a 4.5 liter Talbot for TWENTY-THREE hours and was leading the race in the last hour when, through fatigue, he missed a shift and blew up the motor handing the Mercedes Benz 300SL driven by Herman Lang and Fritz Reiss the win. At the time of his mistake, the Mercedes were running 2 and 3 twenty-five miles behind the Talbot!

These were the days of patriots racing Red, Blue, Green, White and Silver cars for the national glory of their country.

In 1955 Mercedes offered Levegh the opportunity to race with John Fitch in their 300SLR sports car. This was not unusual. Taruffi raced at Aintree and Monza, Andre Simon raced at Monaco.

The MB organization and Neubauer had great respect for the gallant Frenchman after his 1952 heroics and (Oh, Horrors!) having this particular Frenchman racing a German car, the prospects for a PR coup were outstanding.

Patriotism was still a big thing in the early sixties. I observed French spectators throwing empty bottles onto the track at the Grand Prix of France in 1961. This was as the race was winding down and Baghetti and Gurney were going at it tooth and nail.

The fine folks at the Thillios Hairpin even through the bottles onto the track as the Porsche driver came by on his cool down lap!

I realise that they were drunk, but it sure looked like malice to me.

Gil Bouffard

[Ray Bell]

Statements from MB about their withdrawal?
Neubauer reports: "The Board of Directors has decided, after the most careful consideration, to withdraw from motor racing for several years."
That was the wording, he says, in the note given him before the party after the Italian GP.
More telling, perhaps, is the information in 'Design and Behaviour of the GP Car' where discussion about variable length inlet tracts shows that the technical people were looking at what might be needed down the track, while the people upstairs were thinking that two years of dominance should not be wasted by chancing their arm and being beaten in an ensuing year.
There were casualties in the pits, by the way. Neubauer describes some of this carnage as well.
Where was that post about the car going over someone's head?

[Roger Clark]

Daimler-Benz announced their withdrawal from Grand Prix racing immediately after Le Mans. That's not to say it wa sbecaues of the accident. Hey said that they would continue in sports car racing and that at least three cars would be entered in the Pan-American road ace. Sebring was a possibility. Other events planned inclded 1000 Miglia, Le Mans and the Nurburgring 1000kms.

this followed earlier unconfirmed reports.

[Ray Bell]

What was the Le Mans date that year, Roger?
It doesn't seem to add up...

[MrAerodynamicist]

Quite a few years ago the bbc did a series "The Power And The Glory" for which I ended up with the book. The images from the accient still shock me. The last picture is the one I find most "interesting", its an after the event picture. It shows the dead body of a women with everybody else apprently carrying on a normal around the body.

[Roger Clark]

Le Mans was 11/12 june. Daimler-Benz and Jaguar issued the following statements after the crash. This is taken from Autosport June 24. It also contains an eye witness account by the editor, but I can't scan it at the moment, due to the way it is bound.




OFFICIAL STATEMENTS Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz

The following statement has been issued by Jaguar Cars, Ltd., in regard to the Le Mans disaster:-
"In view of the fact that all the circumstances surrounding the Le Mans disaster are in course of official investigation by the French authorities, we would not have thought it incumbent upon any firm or individual to make any comments which seek to fix responsibility or apportion blame for the tragic occurrence. Nevertheless, certain statements have been quoted in the Press implicating one of our drivers and, in fairness to him, we have no option but to make it known that, as a result of close questioning of the Jaguar pit personnel and others who witnessed the occurrence, there is no evidence to establish that Hawthorn acted in any way contrary to accepted racing practice. .

"In the course of our own enquiry, Hawthorn made the following statement:
"'After passing Levegh's Mercedes at Arnage, I passed the Austin-Healey between White House Corner and the Pits and, having given the necessary hand signal, I braked and pulled into my pit in accordance with pit instructions given during the course of the preceding lap. In my judgment 1 allowed sufficient time for the driver of any following car to be aware of my intentions and for him to take such action as might be required without danger to others.'
"In view of the foregoing statement and the evidence of the Jaguar pit personnel who witnessed the occurrence, the Company is of the opinion that any adverse criticism of Hawthorn's driving is without justification."

At a Press conference held by DaimlerBenz A.G., Dr. Koenecke, Dr. e Nallinger and Herr Neubauer gave their views.
Dr. Koenecke stated that the late withdrawal of the two remaining cars was due to the risk of creating a panic had the cars been withdrawn earlier. In any case, Mercedes-Benz were satisfied that although one of their cars was involved, the concern could not be held responsible for the disaster. Dr. Koenecke also announced the conditions under which Mercedes-Benz would race, which were published in last week's issue.

Dr. Nallinger refuted all implications that spectators had suffered burns from explosions. The main havoc was caused by the tremendous force of the impact, which produced such a sudden stoppage that the fore part of the car was projected among the crowd. All Mercedes-Benz drivers were warned to pull over to the right in plenty of time when intending to call at their pits; this was due to the narrowness of the road. He gave it as his opinion that Hawthorn's pit-stop caused a chain reaction which forced the Austin-Healey to turn to the left, brake sharply and finally skid. This caused Levegh's Mercedes to collide with it, and run up the embankment. Fangio agreed with this, and said that his car just brushed past the stationary Jaguar.

Alfred Ncubauer suggested that in all future races, drivers should be forbidden to overtake at start and finish, in the pits area and in front of spectator grand stands. No-passing areas should be defined by painting white stripes across the road. He maintained that in the very strictest interpretation of racing rules and regulations, no track or road today conforms to the full requirements of car racing. The road width everywhere should be not less than three tracks width, and tile pit area an additional track making a minimum width of 104 ft. In his opinion it was not correct to build for spectator protection walls of concrete, or, as at Le Mans, earthen banks. Trenches would be much more effective, and if used at Le Mans, would have caused the car to dive into them, and it could not have reared up and turned over.

[Ray Bell]

Appearances are obviously deceptive... as Don relates above, nobody was normal any more. Perhaps in denial?

[Sid Rutty]

If anyone can get their hands on the original havoc video distributed through Duke, Lance Macklin is interviewed and gives his account of the accident.

[Barry Boor]

I hope that reviving this thread does not offend, but I am currently reading John Wyer's book 'The Certain Sound' and I was taken aback to find the following statement:

"81 people were killed on the spot and approximately a further 50 died in hospital, bringing the total death toll up to over 130."

I searched TNF for a thread to confirm or otherwise, this statemt and found this one - to which I had contributed myself in my early TNF days. I must confess I had forgotten the details herein.

However, it appears that what Falcadore and Yves say earlier in this thread may not be far from the truth.

I am still shocked by these statistics, even after 50 years!

[Russ Snyder]

Barry

I am not shocked by the stats. The different film views available now show the hood of the car cutting into the crowd as well. It is a sickening sight to see that car explode and come apart and hurtle into the crowd. It is carnage on the level of the Russian plane airshow disaster in 2002 July. Sometimes crowds are in jeopardy, I suppose its part of the thrill of being there? If the chain link fence does not throw Salt Walther back onto the track at the start of the 1973 Indy 500? Who knows how many would have died.

I would easily believe 130 dead at Le Mans 1955.

[Jerome]

Long live Google. I could not see the pictures in Barry's post, so I snooped around. And Lord, what did I find:

http://www.mike-hawt...uk/55stills.php

[stevewf1]

I'm sure most here have seen this footage before. It doesn't "analyze" the accident itself, but it once again reminds me of the casual attitude racing had towards safety back in those days...

[Jerome]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
I have the book 'Death Race'. A terrible title but a reasonable account, approached from many angles and people who were still around when the book was written.

It tends to blame Hawthorn, and with the pictures in the book, it is easy to see why.

Personally, I tend to subscribe to the theory that poor Levegh was simply too old and inexperienced on cars with the performance level of the Merc to react quickly enough when Macklin pulled out from behind Hawthorn as Mike slowed to stop at his pit. Remember, the Jaguar disc brakes stopped the D-type much quicker than the Austin Healey's drums could stop Macklin's car, so for Macklin it was pull-out or ram Mike.

The truth is, I suppose, as with many accidents, just a combination of circumstances that came together at the wrong moment in time - simply, a racing accident.

I'd have to say, now that I've seen the pictures in sequence I find it very hard to believe that someone ever blamed Hawthorn for the accident. In all the accusing descriptions I've ever read, there was a story of Mike pulling suddenly into the pits in front of Leveigh or Macklin. That really is proved to be a load of...

In the sequence of photo's found on the link I provided above, one can see that Hawthorn is far, far to the right (left of the viewers perspective), very much indicating, by his driving line alone, he is going to pull in to the pits.

I've been reading stories about these events since I was about 12. And now I see these pictures for the first time. It is so weird!

[stevewf1]

Originally posted by Jerome
I'd have to say, now that I've seen the pictures in sequence I find it very hard to believe that someone ever blamed Hawthorn for the accident. In all the accusing descriptions I've ever read, there was a story of Mike pulling suddenly into the pits in front of Leveigh or Macklin. That really is proved to be a load of...

In the sequence of photo's found on the link I provided above, one can see that Hawthorn is far, far to the right (left of the viewers perspective), very much indicating, by his driving line alone, he is going to pull in to the pits.

I've been reading stories about these events since I was about 12. And now I see these pictures for the first time. It is so weird!

It does seem that Macklin pulled (swerved?) awfully far to his left there. Hawthorn was as far to his right as he could get and Levegh basically didn't stand a chance...

I wonder what happened to the photographer there? It's looking like the Mercedes is heading right at him.

[Collombin]

Originally posted by stevewf1
I wonder what happened to the photographer there? It's looking like the Mercedes is heading right at him.

I recall reading that he survived, but was injured by debris.

[Jerome]

Originally posted by E.B.


I recall reading that he survived, but was injured by debris.

He was in hospital for 3 months, other posters have written, and the page with the pictures also testifies to this. And look at the damage on the piece of film... not by decay I think...

[Ray Bell]

Macklin certainly seems to have gone wider than he need have done...

However, what would you do? Suddenly the car in front is slowing, you get out to pass it, your speed is such that the reaction is perhaps greater than you intended.

One thing that made it worse than it could have been is that Levegh has actually started to steer out wider. This put his trajectory further into the crowd.

And one more point... I would have thought that Macklin's Healey had disc brakes. The 100M did.

[Jerome]

On the internetpage mentioned above, I believe there are detailled descriptions about the cars, including discbrakes etc. Not sure about the Austin however...

Now that I've seen the pictures, a lot of things are clear. Hawthorn took - actually very cautiously - the line into the pits by driving very far to the right. What I don't understand is why Macklin did. Did he want to take advantage of slipstreaming for a while behind the faster Jaguar?

The sad thing is that Levegh indeed seems to have steered away already. My thought is that Levegh saw the two cars, and took some extra room just in case one of them made a little swerve...

[fines]

Originally posted by Jerome
I'd have to say, now that I've seen the pictures in sequence I find it very hard to believe that someone ever blamed Hawthorn for the accident. In all the accusing descriptions I've ever read, there was a story of Mike pulling suddenly into the pits in front of Leveigh or Macklin. That really is proved to be a load of...

Originally posted by Jerome
Now that I've seen the pictures, a lot of things are clear. Hawthorn took - actually very cautiously - the line into the pits by driving very far to the right. What I don't understand is why Macklin did. Did he want to take advantage of slipstreaming for a while behind the faster Jaguar?

Eh?

I'm certainly not trying to heave something on Mike's shoulders, but his (needless) actions doubtlessly started the whole mess! Macklin pulled over to the right to let the train of faster cars pass, only to find Hawthorn pull in right in front of him, braking very hard - what was the poor sucker going to do? His only options were to crash into the Jag, or to pull out right into the path of the MBs!

So, if Hawthorn had been "cautious", why didn't he "take the line into the pits" without overtaking the Healey first??? To save two or three seconds??? In a 24 hours race?????

[Sharman]

Barry
In your initial response back in 2000 you suggest that the 100S of Macklin had drum brakes which was a partial cause. ALL 100S Healeys had 4 wheel discs
John

[Jerome]

Fines,

I was not referring to you. But, like I said, I've been reading about this incident since I was about twelve, and even the most lenient reports about Hawthorn (so the writers who defend him), wrote that he made a 'sudden move' on the track, and the way I read it, it was always suggested that this move was directly in front of the pits. And it clearly wasn't.

Then the question why Hawthorn overtook the Austin before he took the line into the pits, that is not so strange, I think. I think it was impossible for him to brake hard enough to stay behind the Austin and still stay to the right of the track. I am no expert. Perhaps someone like Don Capps, or Buford, or Ray Bell know how much a Mercedes with steel discbrakes had to brake in advance on the straight of Le Mans to come to a complete stop in front of the pits.

I am not an expert, but here's my layman guess:

1. Macklin went to the right of the track (but not ALL to the right) to let Hawthorn pass.
2. Hawthorn passes Macklin.
3. Macklin goes completely to the right of the track, probably because he assumes Hawthorn will drive on.
4. Hawthorn goes completely to the right of the track, and starts braking.
5. Macklin thinks the 1950's equivalent of 'what the f...', and steers to the left so he won't plunge into the Jags back. Or because he doesn't want to step onto his brakes.
6.Levegh and Fangio come up behind them. Levegh, having seen the two cars to his right, takes an extra precaution and steers to the left a little.
7. Macklin - his heart in his throat - looks wary at the Jag, and steers a little bit more away.
8. Levegh is catapulted in the air.

My thought: a racing accident.