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THE RACERS, PART XX.
Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 08:09AM By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. Racing a car, motorcycle or anything with some sort of power is a pursuit like no other. It is a passionate endeavor requiring an obsessive single-mindedness that consumes the people involved to a degree that outsiders find hard to understand. Ask any driver who has competed at the top level, and they will tell you that there is nothing half-assed about what they do, because the focus required is almost incomprehensible. Drivers talk about being in "the zone" - a strange state of mind that takes over their entire being while they're racing - when the faster they go the more things seem to slow down for them. They're aware of everything around them, but at the same time their focus on the task at hand is impenetrable, because anything less can result in a mistake that will likely have severe consequences. Racers are indeed a rare breed, willing to sacrifice everything for the pursuit of what they love to do, to the detriment of everything else. These racers 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 most recent issues of "Fumes" I have been recalling some of my favorites. This week's issue is dedicated to the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio.
Juan Manuel Fangio is considered by many motosports observers to be one of, if not the greatest driver of all time. Nicknamed El Maestro ("The Master"), the Argentinian dominated the first decade of Formula One, winning the World Drivers' Championship five times (a record that stood for 46 years) driving for four different racing teams: 1951 (Alfa Romeo), 1954 (Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz), 1955 (Mercedes-Benz), 1956 (Ferrari) and 1957 (Maserati). This was all the more remarkable because Fangio didn't begin his F1 driving career until his late 30s. To this day, Fangio holds the highest winning percentage in Formula One – 46.15% – winning 24 of 52 F1 races he entered (and 29 pole positions). Fangio's most memorable race was the 1957 German Grand Prix at the world famous Nurburgring. The pressure was on, as Fangio needed to extend his lead by six points to claim the driving title with two races left. After starting from the pole, Fangio dropped to third behind the Ferraris driven by Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins, but he managed to get past both by the end of the third lap. Fangio had started with half-full tanks since he expected that he would need new tires half-way through the race. Fangio pitted on lap 13 with a 30-second lead, but a disastrous stop left him back in third place, a full 50 seconds behind Collins and Hawthorn. Fangio began a charge for the ages, setting one fastest lap after another, culminating in a record-breaking time on lap 20 that was eleven full seconds faster than the best the Ferraris could do. On the penultimate lap, Fangio passed both Collins and Hawthorn, and held on to take the win by just over three seconds. With Luigi Musso finishing in fourth place, Fangio had claimed his fifth title at the age of 46. This performance is often regarded as the greatest drive in Formula One history, and it was Fangio's last win. After the race, Fangio said, "I have never driven that quickly before in my life, and I don't think I will ever be able to do it again." After his retirement, Fangio presided as the honorary president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina from 1987, a year after the inauguration of his museum, until his death in 1995.
(Mercedes-Benz images)
(Mercedes-Benz images)
(Bernard Cahier/Getty Images)
(The Spitzley/Monkhouse Collection)
(Getty Images)
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG
