1954 RAC Tourist Trophy

The 1954 RAC Tourist Trophy was a motor race for Sports Cars which took place on 11 September 1954 on the roads around Dundrod, (County Antrim, Northern Ireland). It was the 21st RAC Tourist Trophy and the fifth race of the 1954 World Sportscar Championship. The Tourist Trophy was awarded to handicap winners Paul Armagnac and Gérard Laureau driving a D.B. HBR Panhard however the overall race win for championship points was attained by Mike Hawthorn and Maurice Trintignant driving a Ferrari 750 Monza.

Going into the race, Ferrari was leading the World Sportscar Championship by eight points from Lancia. Victory by the Italian marque gave it the title for the second season running.

Dundrod Circuit

Report

Entry

A grand total of 56 racing cars were registered for this event, of which 52 arrived for practice and qualifying. Unlike 1953, many of the top European teams travelled to Northern Ireland from mainland Europe. Scuderia Ferrari, who could win the World Championship on the streets of County Antrim, entered two Ferrari 750 Monzas for the Le Mans winners José Froilán González and Maurice Trintignant, back-up by Mike Hawthorn and Umberto Maglioli. Hoping the keep the championship alive, Scuderia Lancia sent two of their D24s and two D25s (re-bodied D24s) over. Amongst their line-up was Juan Manuel Fangio and Alberto Ascari. From England, the two work teams of Jaguar Cars Ltd. and Aston Martin. The team from Coventry arrived with three cars, Jaguar D-Types for the all British pairings of Tony Rolt/Duncan Hamilton; Stirling Moss/Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead/Ken Wharton. David Brown also brought along three of his team’s DB3S, with Reg Parnell pairing up alongside Roy Salvadori. Graham Whitehead/Dennis Poore and winners of last year’s RAC Tourist Trophy, Peter Collins/Pat Griffith made up the crew of the other two Astons. Also from England came works entries from Automobiles Frazer Nash, Lotus Engineering, HWM and Kieft Cars. There were joined manufactures teams from Maserati, Osca and Deutsch et Bonnet.[1]

Race

Following an accident in practice, the Ferrari 750 Monza of González, did not start and Trintignant was transferred into the remaining car of Hawthorn. This resulted in Maglioli also missing out.[2]

A Ferrari 750 Monza, similar to that driven by Hawthorn/Trintignant

Although World Championship points were awarded based on scratch positions, the race itself was run as a handicap race, so the distance each car needed to complete depended on engine capacity. The race was scheduled for 94 laps, however no car started from scratch, the largest engined vehicles being the Lancias with a handicap of 4 laps and 5 minutes, 11.7 seconds. The race would end after the first car completed 94 handicap laps.[3]

The race was held in drying conditions, but rain returned during the race. Despite this, the Italian teams would finish in the first three places. Car number 15 (Scuderia Ferrari), driven by Mike Hawthorn and Maurice Trintignant took an impressive victory, winning in a time of 7hrs 14:13 mins., averaging a speed of 90.703 mph. Second place went to the Lancia of Piero Taruffi and Juan Manuel Fangio their D24, just 2:16 minutes behind. The podium was completed by another Lancia, that of Robert Manzon and Eugenio Castellotti, two laps adrift. Meanwhile, the HWM Jaguar 108 of George Abecassis and Jim Mayers were the best of the English entrants, finishing in fourth place, with the best of the works-Jaguars further behind in sixth.[4][5][6]

This year’s Tourist Trophy could come up with a sport historical particularity. Similar to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the handicap index rating was extended in the TT. In this rating, power and engine capacity of the vehicle in relation to the weight were set. This led to a handicap for large-displacement vehicles. This index score was extended parallel to the overall rating. Although the overall standings was used for the World Sportscar Championship, the index score was used to the decide the outcome of the Tourist Trophy. Thus this was won by the small D.B. HBR Panhard by Paul Armagnac and Gérard Laureau , who finished only 21st place in the overall standings.

Having won the scratch race, Ferrari gained the necessary points advance over Lancia to take the World Championship for Manufacturers title for the second season in a row, with one round remaining in Mexico. Should Ferrari win the 1954 Carrera Panamericana, they would have the maximum score available due to have the points are awarded, as only the best 4 results out of the 7 races could be retained by each manufacturer.

Official Classification

Scratch Race (for Championship points)

Class Winners are in Bold text.

Pos No Class Driver Entrant Chassis Laps Reason Out
1st 15 S3.0 Mike Hawthorn Maurice Trintignant Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 750 Monza 7hr 14:13, 84
2nd 3 S5.0 Piero Taruffi Juan Manuel Fangio Scuderia Lancia Lancia D24 7hr 16:26, 84
3rd 4 S5.0 Robert Manzon Eugenio Castellotti Scuderia Lancia Lancia D24 7hr 16:27 82
4th 9 S5.0 George Abecassis Jim Mayers H. W. Motors HWM Jaguar 108 79
5th 57 S2.0 Luigi Musso Sergio Mantovani Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCS/53 79
6th 6 S3.0 Ken Wharton Peter Whitehead Jaguar Car Ltd. Jaguar D-Type 79
7th 11 S5.0 Jacques Swaters Roger Laurent Ecurie Francorchamps Jaguar C-Type 78
8th 19 S3.0 Graham Whitehead Dennis Poore David Brown Aston Martin DB3S 78
9th 31 S2.0 Bob Said Masten Gregory Bob Said Ferrari 500 Mondial 75
10th 35 S2.0 Alan Brown Mike Keen Robert J. Chase Cooper-Bristol T20 Sports 74
11th 37 S1.5 Redmond Gallagher Don Beauman Redmond Gallagher Gordini T15S 73
12th 32 S2.0 Dick Odlum Cecil Vard Automobiles Frazer Nash Ltd. Frazer Nash Le Mans Replicas Mk II 72
13th 10 S5.0 Joe Flynn Torrie Large Joe Kelly Jaguar C-Type 72
14th 20 S3.0 Stirling Moss Peter Walker Jaguar Cars Ltd. Jaguar D-Type 71
15th 39 S1.5 Ken McAlpine Jack Fairman Kenneth McAlpine Connaught AL/SR 71
16th 45 S1.5 Ian Burgess Tony Palmer-Morewood Bob Said Osca MT4 1350 70
17th 30 S2.0 Brian McCaldin Charles Eyre-Maunsell Brian McCaldin Triumph TR2 69
18th 27 S2.0 John Johnstone Ian Titterington J.B. Johnstone Triumph TR2 69
DNF 1 S5.0 Alberto Ascari Luigi Villoresi Scuderia Lancia Lancia D25 69 Differential
19th 28 S2.0 Ted Lund Tom Blackburn Ted Lund Triumph TR2 68
20th 29 S2.0 Bob Dickson W. Ken Richardson Robert Dickson Triumph TR2 68
21st 52 S750 Paul Armagnac Gérard Laureau Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet D.B. HBR Panhard 67
22nd 25 S2.0 Leslie Brooke James Scott Douglas Leslie Brooke Triumph TR2 67
23rd 38 S1.5 Raymond Flower Ernie McMillen Raymond Flower Porsche 356 66
24th 26 S2.0 Ray Merrick John Maurice Tew Ray Merrick Triumph TR2 65
DISQ 58 S2.0 Cesare Perdisa Benoît Musy Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCS 63 Assistance
25th 47 S1.1 Bob Ferguson Alan Rippon Kieft Cars Ltd. Kieft-Climax 1100 60
NC 23 S2.0 Colin Davis Horace Gould Gilby Engineering Maserati A6GCS 60
26th 54 S750 Guy Allegre Albert Barbey Marocaine Panhard Dyna Z 58
DNF 17 S3.0 Reg Parnell Roy Salvadori David Brown Aston Martin DB3S 57 Accident
DISQ 22 S2.0 J. E. Byrnes Ronnie Adams J. E. Byrnes Kieft-Bristol 48 Mechanical
DNF 51 S750 René Bonnet Élie Bayol Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet D.B. HBR Panhard 47 Accident
DNF 46 S1.1 Dick Steed Peter Scott-Russell Lotus Engineering Lotus-MG Mark VIII 46 Wheel
DNF 56 S2.0 Luigi Bellucci Giorgio Scarlatti Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCS 37 Cooling system
DNF 5 S5.0 Tony Rolt Duncan Hamilton Jaguar Cars Ltd. Jaguar D-Type 34 Oil pressure
DNF 49 S1.1 Peter Reece Jackie G. Reece Giacomo Caprara Osca MT4 1100 33 Accident
DNF 36 S1.5 Jack Westcott Tommy Bridger Kieft Cars Ltd. Kieft-MG 32 Gearbox
DNF 42 S1.5 Nigel Allen Mike Anthony Lotus Engineering Lotus-MG Mark VIII 20 Track rod
DNF 50 S1.1 Harry Merkel Luc Buchberger Harry Merkel Porsche 550 19 DNF
DNF 18 S3.0 Peter Collins Pat Griffith David Brown Aston Martin DB3S 15 Final drive
DNF 41 S1.5 Colin Chapman Michael Costin Lotus Engineering Lotus-MG Mark VIII 15 Accident
DNF 43 S1.5 Brian Naylor George Pitt Brian Naylor Cooper-MG T29 15 Engine
DNF 55 S750 Pascal Berinstein Georges Trouis Franco-Brittanique D.B. HBR Panhard 14 DNF
DNF 16 S3.0 Joe Kelly Desmond Titterington Joe Kelly Ferrari 750 Monza 13 Gearbox
DNF 53 S750 Jean Lucas Jean-Pierre Feuz Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet D.B. HBR Renault 13 DNF
DNF 2 S5.0 Juan Manuel Fangio Eugenio Castellotti Scuderia Lancia Lancia D25 11 Engine, oil leak
DNF 8 S5.0 Tony Gaze John Riseley-Prichard H. W. Motors HWM Jaguar 105 9 Engine
DNF 21 S2.0 Roberto Sgorbati Lance Macklin Automobili Osca Osca 2000S 9 Ignition
DNF 34 S2.0 Peter Wilson Tony Brooks Henry Ohara Moore Frazer Nash Sebring 9 DNF
DNF 48 S1.1 Don Parker David Boshier-Jones Kieft Cars Ltd Kieft-Climax 1100 6 Suspension
DNF 44 S1.5 Peter Jackson Peter Lane Peter Jackson Cooper-MG T29 5 Engine
DNS 14 S3.0 José Froilán González Maurice Trintignant Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 750 Monza Accident in practice

[7][8][9]

Scratch Race - Class Winners
Class Winners
Sports 5000 3 Lancia D24 Taruffi / Fangio
Sports 3000 15 Ferrari 750 Monza Hawthorn / Trintignant
Sports 2000 57 Maserati A6GCS/53 Musso / Mantovani
Sports 1500 37 Gordini T15S Gallagher / Beauman
Sports 1100 47 Kieft-Climax 1100 Ferguson / Rippon
Sports 750 52 D.B. HBR Panhard Armagnac / Laureau

[11]

Overall Positions (Handicap event / adjusted result)

Top Six :

Pos No Class Driver Entrant Chassis Laps
1st 52 S750 Paul Armagnac Gérard Laureau Automobiles Deutsch et Bonnet D.B. HBR Panhard 94
2nd 15 S3.0 Mike Hawthorn Maurice Trintignant Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 750 Monza 90
3rd 57 S2.0 Luigi Musso Sergio Mantovani Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCS/53 89
4th 3 S5.0 Piero Taruffi Juan Manuel Fangio Scuderia Lancia Lancia D24 89
5th 6 S3.0 Ken Wharton Peter Whitehead Jaguar Car Ltd. Jaguar D-Type 87
6th 4 S5.0 Robert Manzon Eugenio Castellotti Scuderia Lancia Lancia D24 87

[12]

Standings after the race
Pos Championship Points
1 Ferrari 30
2 Lancia 20
3 Jaguar 10
4 O.S.C.A. 8
5 Maserati 7
  • Note: Only the top five positions are included in this set of standings.

Championship points were awarded for the first six places in each race in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers were only awarded points for their highest finishing car with no points awarded for positions filled by additional cars. Only the best four results out of the six races could be retained by each manufacturer.

References
  1. http://www.racingsportscars.com/entry/Dundrod-1954-09-11-2305.html
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-11-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Hough, Richard (1957). Tourist Trophy: The History of Britain's Greatest Motor Race. pp. 225–232.
  4. http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Dundrod-1954-09-11-2305.html
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-11-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-11-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-11-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Dundrod-1954-05-11-2305.html
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-11-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2014-11-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Dundrod-1954-09-11-2305.html
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-11-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
World Sportscar Championship
Previous race:
24 hours of Le Mans		 1954 season Next race:
1954 Carrera Panamericana
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