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Sunday
Nov202022
THE DRIVERS, PART XIV.
Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 08:27AM By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. Ask anyone who has been involved in racing what they remember most about the sport - besides the memorable cars and races - and they will always talk about the people and the personalities involved. It's these stories that fuel the memories, because racing is far from a one-dimensional pursuit. It's a passionate endeavor that consumes the people involved to a degree that outsiders just can't understand. And it's these memorable characters who have left an indelible mark on the sport. Drivers who were fierce competitors, flawed heroes and incredible, gifted talents. Their legacies are what make the sport of motor racing so fascinating. In the previous issues, I have recalled some - but not all - of my favorites (scroll down to "next 1 entries" to read previous issues -WG), and there are clearly many more exceptional drivers to cover. If you follow me on Twitter (@PeterMDeLorenzo) and read this column, you know that I've been posting images and commentary covering a lot of the compelling historical stories from racing's golden years. This week I'm focusing on the great Sir Stirling Moss.
(Getty images)
Gifted and brilliant behind the wheel, Sir Stirling Crauford Moss was a spectacular force who became the quintessential definition of a British Grand Prix driver. Known as "the greatest driver never to win a World Championship," Moss finished second four times and third three times in the F1 standings between 1955 and 1961. Moss won sixteen times in 66 starts, driving in various machines including Cooper, HWM, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes Benz and Vanwall. This picture shows Moss at the Aintree Circuit for the 1955 British Grand Prix. Moss made history that day (July 16, 1955) in his No. 12 Mercedes-Benz W196 becoming the first Briton to win the British Grand Prix while leading a dominant 1-2-3-4 sweep for Mercedes. Juan Manuel Fangio (No. 10 Mercedes-Benz W196) was second, Karl Kling (No. 14 Mercedes-Benz W196) third, and Piero Taruffi (No. 50 Mercedes-Benz W196) finished fourth.
(Getty images)
Monaco Grand Prix, May 14, 1961. Among the many brilliant drives delivered by Moss, another one that stands out is the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix, when Sir Stirling, driving his relatively under-powered No. 20 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Lotus 18/21 Climax (and famously missing a left side body panel), won by 3.6 seconds, stunning the factory V6-powered Scuderia Ferrari 156 "sharknose" entries, boasting a driver lineup of Phil Hill, Richie Ginther and Wolfgang von Trips. Moss qualified on the pole and set the fastest race lap. It was the first Grand Prix win for a Lotus, even though it wasn't a factory entry. Ginther (No. 36 Scuderia Ferrari 156) was second and Hill (No. 38 Scuderia Ferrari 156) finished third.
(Getty images)
Moss is pictured here at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix in the No. 28 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Lotus 18 Climax. He qualified on the pole and won by almost a minute. Bruce McLaren (No. 10 Cooper Car Company Cooper T53 Climax) was second and Phil Hill finished third in his front-engine No. 36 Ferrari D246.
(Mercedes-Benz)
Moss famously won the 1955 Mille Miglia (with co-driver and auto journalist Denis Jenkinson) in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, completing the race distance in ten hours and seven minutes. It is considered one of the epic drives in motorsports history. Moss admitted afterward that he had been given a "magic pill" by Juan Manuel Fangio before the race. Although he didn't know what was in it specifically, Dexedrine and Benzedrine were commonly used in rallies and long-distance events back then, and Moss said, "the object was simply to keep awake, like wartime bomber crews."
(Getty images)
Tourist Trophy, FIA World Sports Car Championship, Goodwood Motor Circuit, September 13, 1958. Moss led a 1-2-3 sweep for the David Brown Ltd Aston Martin Team at Goodwood. Moss and co-driver Tony Brooks won in their No. 7 Aston Martin DBR1, with teammates Roy Salvadori/Jack Brabham (No. 9 Aston Martin DBR1) second and Carroll Shelby/Stuart Lewis-Evans (No. 8 Aston Martin DBR1) third. Moss also recorded three consecutive wins in the Nurburgring 1000 km race in 1958, 1959 and 1960. (The first two of those wins were in Aston Martin DBR1s; the last was in a Maserati Tipo 61 "birdcage" co-driven by Dan Gurney.)
Detroit. Ask anyone who has been involved in racing what they remember most about the sport - besides the memorable cars and races - and they will always talk about the people and the personalities involved. It's these stories that fuel the memories, because racing is far from a one-dimensional pursuit. It's a passionate endeavor that consumes the people involved to a degree that outsiders just can't understand. And it's these memorable characters who have left an indelible mark on the sport. Drivers who were fierce competitors, flawed heroes and incredible, gifted talents. Their legacies are what make the sport of motor racing so fascinating. In the previous issues, I have recalled some - but not all - of my favorites (scroll down to "next 1 entries" to read previous issues -WG), and there are clearly many more exceptional drivers to cover. If you follow me on Twitter (@PeterMDeLorenzo) and read this column, you know that I've been posting images and commentary covering a lot of the compelling historical stories from racing's golden years. This week I'm focusing on the great Sir Stirling Moss.
(Getty images)Gifted and brilliant behind the wheel, Sir Stirling Crauford Moss was a spectacular force who became the quintessential definition of a British Grand Prix driver. Known as "the greatest driver never to win a World Championship," Moss finished second four times and third three times in the F1 standings between 1955 and 1961. Moss won sixteen times in 66 starts, driving in various machines including Cooper, HWM, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes Benz and Vanwall. This picture shows Moss at the Aintree Circuit for the 1955 British Grand Prix. Moss made history that day (July 16, 1955) in his No. 12 Mercedes-Benz W196 becoming the first Briton to win the British Grand Prix while leading a dominant 1-2-3-4 sweep for Mercedes. Juan Manuel Fangio (No. 10 Mercedes-Benz W196) was second, Karl Kling (No. 14 Mercedes-Benz W196) third, and Piero Taruffi (No. 50 Mercedes-Benz W196) finished fourth.
(Getty images)Monaco Grand Prix, May 14, 1961. Among the many brilliant drives delivered by Moss, another one that stands out is the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix, when Sir Stirling, driving his relatively under-powered No. 20 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Lotus 18/21 Climax (and famously missing a left side body panel), won by 3.6 seconds, stunning the factory V6-powered Scuderia Ferrari 156 "sharknose" entries, boasting a driver lineup of Phil Hill, Richie Ginther and Wolfgang von Trips. Moss qualified on the pole and set the fastest race lap. It was the first Grand Prix win for a Lotus, even though it wasn't a factory entry. Ginther (No. 36 Scuderia Ferrari 156) was second and Hill (No. 38 Scuderia Ferrari 156) finished third.
(Getty images)Moss is pictured here at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix in the No. 28 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Lotus 18 Climax. He qualified on the pole and won by almost a minute. Bruce McLaren (No. 10 Cooper Car Company Cooper T53 Climax) was second and Phil Hill finished third in his front-engine No. 36 Ferrari D246.
(Mercedes-Benz)Moss famously won the 1955 Mille Miglia (with co-driver and auto journalist Denis Jenkinson) in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, completing the race distance in ten hours and seven minutes. It is considered one of the epic drives in motorsports history. Moss admitted afterward that he had been given a "magic pill" by Juan Manuel Fangio before the race. Although he didn't know what was in it specifically, Dexedrine and Benzedrine were commonly used in rallies and long-distance events back then, and Moss said, "the object was simply to keep awake, like wartime bomber crews."
(Getty images)Tourist Trophy, FIA World Sports Car Championship, Goodwood Motor Circuit, September 13, 1958. Moss led a 1-2-3 sweep for the David Brown Ltd Aston Martin Team at Goodwood. Moss and co-driver Tony Brooks won in their No. 7 Aston Martin DBR1, with teammates Roy Salvadori/Jack Brabham (No. 9 Aston Martin DBR1) second and Carroll Shelby/Stuart Lewis-Evans (No. 8 Aston Martin DBR1) third. Moss also recorded three consecutive wins in the Nurburgring 1000 km race in 1958, 1959 and 1960. (The first two of those wins were in Aston Martin DBR1s; the last was in a Maserati Tipo 61 "birdcage" co-driven by Dan Gurney.)
(Photo by Jesse Alexander)
24 Hours of Le Mans, June, 1954. Stirling Moss shared the No. 12 factory Jaguar D-Type with Peter Walker, but they didn't finish the race. The No. 15 Jaguar D-type driven by Peter Whitehead/Ken Wharton didn't finish either. But the No. 14 Jaguar D-type driven by Tony Rolt/Duncan Hamilton finished second to the No. 4 Ferrari 375 Plus driven by Froilan Gonzalez and Maurice Trintignant.
24 Hours of Le Mans, June, 1954. Stirling Moss shared the No. 12 factory Jaguar D-Type with Peter Walker, but they didn't finish the race. The No. 15 Jaguar D-type driven by Peter Whitehead/Ken Wharton didn't finish either. But the No. 14 Jaguar D-type driven by Tony Rolt/Duncan Hamilton finished second to the No. 4 Ferrari 375 Plus driven by Froilan Gonzalez and Maurice Trintignant.
(Getty images) Monaco Grand Prix, May 1955. Stirling Moss made his debut with the Daimler-Benz AG team for the 1955 F1 season, and the factory entered three Mercedes-Benz W196 machines for Juan Manuel Fangio (No. 2), Andre Simon (No. 4) and Moss (No. 6). Fangio and Moss dominated the first half of the race, running 1-2 comfortably. Then, Fangio had transmission issues and retired, while Moss forged ahead way out front. But on Lap 80 Moss's engine blew up, and then the new leader, Alberto Ascari (No. 26 Scuderia Lancia D50), took over the lead until he crashed in the chicane, ending up in the Harbor. He had to swim to safety. Maurice Trintignant (No. 44 Scuderia Ferrari 625) swept into the lead and recorded his first Grand Prix victory.
(Pete Lyons photo)Stirling Moss served as a "brand ambassador" for Johnson's Wax during the company's sponsorship of the Can-Am Series. Here, Moss drives the Camaro pace car for the start of the 1967 Can-Am at Road America.
(Getty images)Sir Stirling's spectacular driving career came to an end after he crashed his Lotus heavily in the Glover Trophy race at Goodwood, on April 23, 1962. The accident put him in a coma for a month, and the left side of his body was paralyzed for six months. Moss participated in a private test session the following year at Goodwood in a Lotus 19, and even though he lapped a few tenths of a second slower than before his accident, he felt that in his heart it just wasn't there for him, and he retired from driving. Moss passed away on April 12, 2020, in London, at the age of 90.
Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG
