The 1953 working of the Le Mans 24 is traditionally vital for a lot of causes. For one, the profitable Jaguars employed Dunlop-engineered disc brake techniques for the primary time, and that braking benefit allowed the almighty C-Sort to run laborious from the drop of the flag and set a median lap time over 100 miles per hour for the primary time within the historical past of the race. However as with all races, there are tales a lot higher than the stats and the engineering and the numbers. The race winners, British drivers Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt have been allegedly drunk after they received within the automotive.
The story begins with apply. Jaguar darling racer Stirling Moss discovered his C to be underwhelming within the pace division on the Mulsanne straight, and mentioned working a special ultimate drive ratio with the mechanics. Jag despatched out a take a look at automotive with Moss’ specified ratios to see how it could lap. Sadly the take a look at automotive carried the quantity 18, which had already been ascribed to Hamilton and Rolt. The foundations didn’t permit for groups to run a number of vehicles for a similar drivers, even in apply, and the pair have been disqualified from the race, efficient instantly.
Hamilton and Rolt have been inconsolable and got down to drown their sorrows in as many French institutions as would permit them. The pair had retired from the race in 1952, and simply seen their 1953 possibilities go up in smoke, in order that they drank and drank all evening till the solar rose once more. Then they saved consuming.
What they didn’t know, nevertheless, was that the Jaguar workforce had achieved a profitable enchantment of the ruling, and the ACO allowed the quantity 18 automotive again on the beginning grid. Sadly each of its drivers have been three sheets to the wind and hadn’t slept in over a day. The workforce lastly discovered the pair at 10 o’clock the morning of the race. Right here’s an excerpt from Hamilton’s autobiography concerning the occasion:
“We have been sitting there feeling unwell, depressing and dejected when a MkVII Jaguar drew up exterior and William Lyons received out. He had paid a FF25,000 wonderful and we have been again within the race. In six hours time the flag would fall. Neither of us had had any sleep and 24-hours of racing lay forward. We ordered extra black espresso and enquired if there was a Turkish tub within the city. There was not.”
With the race set to start out at 4 p.m., the pair had little time to get ready for the race. At 2 p.m. they have been nonetheless feeling like loss of life warmed over, and determined the perfect plan of action can be to order a double spherical of brandy and journey it out with hair of the canine. Beginning the race from nicely down the order, Rolt shortly made up time, and after only one lap had labored his approach as much as seventh, outbraking everybody with disc brake engineering on his facet. Because the solar went down on the primary day, the quantity 18 moved into the lead of the race.
Hamilton refused provides of espresso from the workforce throughout pit stops, as a substitute persevering with to slug again drams of brandy when he got here in for gasoline. For a lot of the race I’m certain he was utilizing that brandy as a ache reliever, contemplating he’d hit a fowl at 130 miles per hour, shattering his windshield, his goggles, and his nostril within the course of.
By means of the evening the little Jag battled with a a lot quicker (however nonetheless drum braked) Ferrari, buying and selling the lead many instances over the hours. By the point breakfast was served the next morning, the Ferrari had damaged and fallen out of competition. Then it was only a matter of getting the C-Sort to final till the afternoon. Race gained, job completed, day over.
Virtually on the snapping point from the therapy of the earlier 48 hours, Hamilton and Rolt then went out and celebrated their race victory in a lot the identical approach they’d drowned their sorrows the earlier night. It was a race win for the ages.
It must be talked about that Jaguar workforce boss Lofty England and Tony Rolt each declare that neither driver was drunk throughout the race. Hamilton tells a special story, nevertheless.
