le mans 24小時耐久賽.....1955年.......從300SLR脫離飛出的著火引擎......82條人命.......
以下是詳細事故原文......但是我要說的不是這個......其實這是我下一篇要說的兵士重返賽車壇的前篇...Silberpfeile (Silver Arrows).........因為兵士自1955年以後就退出le mans達30年以上.......在賽車也是相當低調......幾乎都努力在投入搞安全的研發......
1955 World Sportscar Championship season
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR was a sports racing car in 1955. Despite the name, it was neither based on the famous 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL road car with Gullwing doors, nor on the earlier 1952 race car.
Instead, it was based on the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz W196 race car with 8 cylinders in line. The engine capacity was enlarged from 2500cc to 3000cc, and regular gasoline was used rather than a fuel mix including methanol. Also, it had two seats, of which one was covered to improve aerodynamics, unless a co-driver was on board, of course.
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Pierre Levegh had been hired by Mercedes-Benz as a factory driver in 1955. Part of his appeal to Mercedes was his determination shown in 1952.
On June 11, 1955, the 24 Hours of Le Mans began, with Pierre Levegh behind the wheel of the #20 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR run by Daimler-Benz. American John Fitch was Levegh's assigned partner in the car, and would take over driving duties later. Competition between Mercedes, Jaguar, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Maserati was close, with all the marques fighting for the top positions early on. After just over two hours of racing and approximately 6:26pm local time, Levegh was following Mike Hawthorn's leading Jaguar D-type along the pit straight at the end of Lap 35. Hawthorn had just passed Lance Macklin's slower Austin-Healey 100 when Hawthorn began slowing to make a pit stop. Hawthorn, whose Jaguar had disc brakes, slowed much quicker than other competitors using drum brakes, such as Levegh's Mercedes. The sudden braking by Hawthorn caused the recently passed Austin-Healey to move to the left side of the track, attempting to repass the slowing Jaguar. Unfortunately, Lance Macklin had not noticed that both Pierre Levegh and Juan Manuel Fangio in another 300 SLR approaching quickly from behind. Fangio was in second place at the time and attempting to lap Levegh.
Levegh, being ahead of Fangio on the track, did not have time to react. Already being on the left side of the track, Levegh could not attempt to swerve to the left or else he would have crashed into the hay bales on the side of the track. Swerving to the right would have been impossible as he would still have hit the Austin-Healey. With no other option, Levegh attempted to slow his 300 SLR before hitting Macklin, but to no avail. The aerodynamic design of the Austin-Healey meant that the car featured a long, ramp-like rear bodywork. When Levegh hit the Austin-Healey from behind, the car was able to become airborne, pointing towards the left side of the track, where it impacted an earthen mound set on the side of the track to protect spectators.
The 300 SLR impacted at such an angle when it initially landed that the car was launched into a somersault. The force of the somesault caused parts of the car which were loose or damaged in the initial impact to be thrown free of the car, including the hood and front axle, both of which were shot airborne before landing in the crowd. The car's engine block was also broken free, going directly into the spectators instead of being thrown upwards. Pierre Levegh was also thrown free of the somersaulting car, crushing his skull when he landed.
As the remains of the 300 SLR was slowing its somersaulting, the fuel tanks ruptured and caught fire. When the fire caught the remaining magnesium body work, it exploded into white hot flames, sending out embers onto the track and into the crowd. Rescue workers attempting to put out the burning wreckage were initially unsuccessful as they used water on the magnesium fire, which only accelerated the flames. As a result, the car burned for several hours. In total, 80 spectators were killed either by flying parts or from the fire.
Fangio, driving behind Levegh, narrowly escaped the heavily damaged Austin-Healey which was now skidding to the right of the track, in his path. Macklin then hit the pit wall and bounced back to the left, crossing the track again. He impacted the barrier near the location of the now burning 300 SLR, leading to the death of another single spectator, although Macklin survived the incident.
運用當時飛機技術的air brake
ジャガー・Dタイプ（同型車）
Austin-Healey 100
300 SL（W 194）
Daimler-Benz AG
1955年6月11日18時28分、トップを走っていたジャガーのマイク・ホーソーンが周回遅れのオースチン・ヒーレーを抜いた直後に急減速してピットイン。オースチン・ヒーレーのドライバー、ランス・マクリンが衝突を避けようと進路変更したところへメルセデスを運転するピエール・ルヴェーが避けきれずに接触し乗り上げ、空中へ飛び上がった。ルヴェーのメルセデスはグランドスタンド側壁に衝突し、車体は分解し炎上、衝撃でエンジンとサスペンションがそのままの勢いで観客席に飛び込み、観客・スタッフ含めて80人以上が死亡する大事故となった。
モータースポーツの安全性という点で大きな疑問を投げかけたこの事故の影響は非常に大きく、メルセデスは1955年シーズン終了以後30年以上にわたりレースの場から姿を消した。スイスではレースそのものが禁止されるなど全世界に大きな影響を残している。F1も例外ではなく、1955年は主催者がキャンセルするなどして3戦も中止になっているが、その後のモータースポーツ全体での安全性向上の礎にもなっている。
なお、このレースは事故後も続行された。「たとえどんな惨事が起きようとも、戦い続けるのがスポーツのルールである」ことが続行の理由であった。皮肉にも、優勝は大惨事のきっかけとなった、ジャガーのマイク・ホーソーンであった。
メルセデス・ベンツチームはトップを走行していたが、事故発生の７時間半後、全マシンを呼び戻すと、そのまま棄権している。その後メルセデス・ベンツは、1980年代後半に復帰するまで実に30数年間もル・マンから遠ざかっていた。1989年には総合優勝を果たしたが、1999年の大会で高速走行中に車体前方が浮き上がり3回転宙返りをし、コース脇の林の中に叩きつけられる事故を起こした。幸いこの事故では観客に被害が及ぶ事はなかったが、以降メルセデス・ベンツはル・マンに参戦していない。
Mercedesa W-196 Manuel Fangio
The Mercedes-Benz W196 was the Formula 1 entry of Mercedes-Benz in the 1954 Formula One season and 1955 Formula One season, winning 9 of 12 races at the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.
Mercedes-Benz W 196 "Typ Monza"
Karl Kling driving W 196 at Nürburgring
(open-wheel-version)
http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/merc196.htm
| Car: | Mercedes W196 | Engine: | 8-Cylinder In-line | ||||
| Maker: | Mercedes-Benz | Bore X Stroke: | 76 X 68.8 mm | ||||
| Year: | 1954 | Capacity: | 2,496 cc | ||||
| Class: | Formula 1 | Power: | 257 bhp at 8,200 rpm | ||||
| Wheelbase: | 2350, 2210 and 2150 (Monaco) mm | Track: | 1330 mm in front, 1358 mm rear | ||||
| Notes: | Tires were 6.00 x 16 front and 7.00 x 16 rear. Weight: 650 kg (monoposto), 750 kg (streamline) | ||||||
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
A special edition known as the 722 Edition was released in 2006, to commemorate a previous Mercedes 'SLR', the 300 SLR. The 722 number is a reference to the race number of Denis Jenkinson and Stirling Moss's 1955 Mille Miglia winning 300 SLR, indicating their start time of 7.22 a.m.
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