Motor Racing U.S.-Belgian Team Leads At Le Mans

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28619, 23 June 1958, Page 17

Motor Racing U.S.-Belgian Team Leads At Le Mans

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LE MANS, June 22. Phil Hill, of the United States, and Oliver Gendebien, of Belgium, Were this morning leading at the twbthirds mark of the gruelling 24hour Le Mans race. In their Ferrari they had a thrilling battle for first place on the greasy track, which was soaked by a downpour early in the race, with the British drivers, Duncan Hamilton and Ivor Bueb (Jaguar), who for a short time took the lead. The Germans, Wolfgang von Tripps and Wolfgang Seidel, had to retire after their works Ferrari swerved into a ditch. Neither driver was injured. The French driver, Jean Mary, was killed when his Jaguar skidded into a fence and overturned. A few minutes later a Ferrari driven nythe American, Bruce Kessler, crashed and caught fire. He was taken to hospital, and his condition was said to be "satisfactory.” Stirling Moss (Aston Martin) had to retire in the thirty-first lap because of engine failure. Five minutes after the announcement of Moss’s retirement, torrential ram the track treacherously slippery. All cars had to turn on their headlights. and retirements became more frequent. By early in the morning 27 cars out of the 55 starters had withdrawn.