24h Le Mans
British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss passed away this past Sunday 12 April at the age of 90. His career in motorsport spanned many years and several disciplines. Though Moss never reached the top step on the 24 Hours of Le Mans podium, he did take the start in the race multiple times. This is the first of three articles this week dedicated to Sir Stirling Moss at Le Mans and it focuses on the Jaguar years.
On 23 June 1951, Stirling Moss was not even 22 when he took the start in his first 24 Hours. Sixty years later, on 9 June 2011, he announced his retirement from all competition at the age of 81 after qualifying for a vintage race curtain-raiser to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Born on 17 September 1929, the British driver was born into a family keen on motorsport. His father Alfred competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 1924 (16th), his mother Aileen regularly took part in maneuverability tests and his younger sister Pat competed in rally races (she became European rally champion several times). In 1951, when Moss arrived on the scene to take his rookie start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he had already been noticed by major players in the world of auto racing by winning the Tourist Trophy and participating in his first F1 Grand Prix in May in Switzerland. At the wheel of the #22 Jaguar XK120 C, he made his mark: after five laps on the track, he beat the lap record three times. Though he was forced to retire along with teammate Jack Fairman, Moss remained a star of the 1951 24 Hours, credited with the fastest time: 4:46.8 (169.356 kph).
In 1952, 1953 and 1954, he remained with Jaguar and teamed up with Peter Walker. In 1952, the race turned disastrous for the British marque after it lost all cars in less than three hours as the engines locked up after an aerodynamic overhaul neglected engine cooling. In 1953, the Jaguars equipped with disc brakes revolutionized the race, allowing for much later braking. The change worked to Moss' advantage and he finished second behind the sister car of Rolt-Hamilton, the duo who surpassed the 4,000 km 24-hour cap (4,088.064 km). In 1954, Moss drove a Jaguar D-Type. His top speed challenged the Ferraris early in the race, but all hopes were dashed by repeated fuel troubles. Additionally, Moss had a scare, credited with a top speed of 278.148 kph in the Mulsanne Straight, he found himself without brakes going into the Mulsanne Corner!
The subject of the next installment dates back to 1955 when Moss shared a Mercedes with teammate Juan Manuel Fangio.
