Moss ends racing career

Moss ends racing career

Sir Stirling Moss has finally hung up his helmet after more than 60 years of motor racing.

The 81-year-old made the decision in characteristic fashion following a qualifying session for the Le Mans Legends event in which he was to race his 1961 Porsche RS 61. “This afternoon I scared myself and I have always said that if I felt I was not up to it, or that I was getting in the way of fellow competitors, then I would retire,” he said after getting out of the car. “I love racing, but now it is time to stop.” Sir Stirling’s career started when he was just 18 years old and the many highlights included two British Grand Prix wins, three Monaco GP victories as well as success in the Targa Florio, the Goodwood Tourist Trophy and the 1955 Mille Miglia when he used Motor Sport’s Denis Jenkinson as navigator. He retired from frontline competition in the wake of his Goodwood Easter Monday accident in 1962,

but raced on in historics into his ninth decade. Motor Sport salutes Britain’s greatest and surely most famous racing driver. His second retirement has made headlines worldwide.

Despite ‘Mr Motor Racing’ not competing, the Le Mans Legends race — for cars from the 1949-65 era at La Sarthe — provided an actionpacked 45 minutes. The two Lister Knobblies of Alex Buncombe and Jon Minshaw locked out the front row in qualifying but faded during the race, allowing the Joe Twyman/Roger Wills Bizzarrini 5300GT and the Oliver/Grahame Bryant AC Cobra to pass.

However, it was the smoking Ferrari 250LM of Carlos Monteverde that finally emerged as the winner after the Bizzarrini and AC Cobra slowed in the final laps. Monteverde — who also won the event in 2009 — finished a mere 2.4 seconds ahead of Buncombe’s Lister and Minshaw’s similar car.