1955 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12, 1955. It was also the fourth round of the World Sportscar Championship.

This race saw the 1955 Le Mans disaster with the death of 83 spectators and the injuring of over 100 more when Pierre Levegh's Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR was involved in an accident and flew into the crowd, killing the driver as well. After the incident, the other two Mercedes vehicles in the race were withdrawn (in leading position). This accident, the most catastrophic in motorsport history, led to great changes in the measures taken to ensure the safety of drivers and spectators. Its fallout also led to many car manufacturers pulling out of motorsport (including Mercedes), and even the temporary outlawing of circuit racing in several countries. Switzerland banned simultaneous competition between cars (i.e. except for hillclimbs), a ban which was only lifted in June 2007.

The Jaguar driven by Mike Hawthorn went on to win the race.

Statistics

 * Fastest Lap - #6 Jaguar Cars Ltd. - 4:06.6
 * Distance - 4135.38 km
 * Average Speed - 172.308 km/h

Trophy Winners

 * 21st Biennial Cup - #37 Porsche KG
 * Index of Performance - #37 Porsche KG