As that’s two mythical Triple Crowns you’ve missed
out upon Fernando!
Y’all remember when that Smarmy Spaniard Frederico
Suave, aka Fernando Alonso was waxing on ‘n on about wanting to win the elusive
Triple Crown? Consisting of winning the 24 Heurs du Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Monaco
Grand Prix, for which only Graham Hill has ever done so!
Whale’, with this summers Centenary running of
the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this started me down another Wabbit’ Hole regarding
drivers who’ve won what I’ve deemed my mythical Triple Crown of Sports Car
races. Consisting of the three I most pay Attenzione too. With le 24 Heurs du Mans,
12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona making up my Triple Crown.
Unfortunately politics got in the way of a whole
cadre of drivers being able to contest All three events, with Sports Cars
suffering it’s own version of The Split!Circa 1998-2013.
Most notably, the likes of Mr. Le Mans, aka Nine-times winner Tom
Kristensen. Thee Scottish Terrier’, aka Alan McNish, Frank Biela and Emanuele
Pirro to name a few missed out upon racing at Daytona…
While such Sports Car greats as Dan Gurney, Phil
Hill, Olivier Gendebien, Jacky Ixkx, Mario Andretti, etc. never won the 24
Hours of Daytona endurance race. And yes I’m aware that Gurney won the inaugural
Daytona three hours in 1962. Whilst Ye original Mr. Le Mans, Six-times winner Ickx
and SuperMario’ (Andretti) won the 1972 Six Hours of Daytona. But Gurney, Hill
and Andretti never won the 24hrs rendition in subsequent attempts.
Four names in particular that stand out to Mwah
not included on this list are Derek Bell, Vic Elford, Brian Redman and Klaus
Ludwig. Specifically Bell’s name, especially since He was part of those All
conquering Lowenbrau Porsche 962 Panzerwagon’s efforts, Ja Volt!
Along with the farcical nature of Ford Motor
Company’s Brass wrongly taking away Ken Miles trifecta occurring All in 1966
with it’s staged 1-2-3 Le Mans photo finish!
Whilst the likes of many including Bob Wollek, Gerard
Larrousse, ‘lil Stevie Johnson’, aka Stefan Johansson, Geoff Brabham, JJ Letho,
Alexander Wurz, etc. managed to have only won two-thirds of these legendous’
events. With countless others witnessing Heartbreak over the decades.
Thus if I’ve done my unscientific research correctly?
Since I enjoy the History of Motorsports, even if it’s confined to the pages of
Wikipedia Herr Crying Wolff!
By my tally, I’ve come up with only nine drivers
to date to accomplish this amazing feat! And while I’m certain Y’all can guess
who one of the three Yanks’ is, He’s not the first driver to accomplish this…
Hans Herrmann
Birthplace: Stugart, Germany
DOB: February 23, 1928, Age: 95
Wins Sebring, (2) 1960, 1968;
Daytona 1968 and Le Mans 1970
When I think of Hans Herrmann, I immediately
think of Porsche’s first overall victory at Le mans, after narrowly missing out
the year prior! Where Herrmann and co-driver Richard Atwood drove their
Porsche-Salsburg 917K entry to victory.
Whilst I tend to forget that Herrmann and co-driver
Gerard Larrousse aboard an “older” Porsche 908 finished a tantalizing 393.71 feet!
(120 meters) Just over a (NFL) football field’s length behind the winning, venerable
Ford GT40 of Jacky Ickx and Jacky Oliver in 1969!
Don’t know much about Hans early forays into
motor racing, before becoming a “Junior” driver with the Werk’s Mercedes Benz
Formula 1 team in the early 1950’s. With Herrmann making His Formula 1 debut at
the 1953 German Grand Prix.
Naturally Hans was given the team’s older
equipment with the likes of El Maestro’, aka Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir
Stirling Moss heading the Mercedes team between 1954-55. As Hans made a total
of either 18 or 19 Grands Prix starts between 1953-1969.
Hans scored His first two major race triumphs
in 1960 driving for Porsche. Winning that year’s 12 Hours of Sebring and the grueling
Targa Florio. Winning at Sebring with co-driver Olivier Gendebien, and then Jo
Bonnier in the Targa Florio. With both victories aboard a Porsche 718 RS 60 Spyder.
Yet with the FIA changing the Formula 1 rules
for the 1961 F1 season to utilize Formula 2 cars instead. Allowing Porsche to race
it’s 718/2 F2 cars in Formula 1, Herrmann left the team after feeling He was playing
third fiddle to Dan Gurney and Jo Bonnier.
After driving for Abarth, Hans returned to His
Home team of Porsche again in 1966. As 1968 saw the former Baker win the 24
Hours of Daytona and Sebring 12 Hours for a second time behind the keyboard of Factory
Porsche 907’s. With the Daytona win shared with co-drivers Vic Elford, Jochen
Neerpasch, rolf Stommelen and Jo Stiffert. And then co-driving just with Stiffert
at Sebring.
As I’d argue that 1968-70 was the zenith of
Herrmann’s racing career, with Hans sort of joking to His wife that if He won
that year’s (1970) 24 Heurs du Mans. He’d retire from motor racing since the
sport was so dangerous then! For which Hans dually did so afterwards…
While reportedly, Herrmann now at age 95, is the last remaining Formula 1 driver to stand atop a Grands Prix podium during the 1950’s. Along with one of the few to contest such grueling Sports Car races as the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and Carrera Panamericana. Not to mention the only driver of this Uber’ short list to have won the Targa Florio! Or driven alongside El Maestro’ (Juan Manuel Fangio) and Sir Stirling Moss in Formula 1…
