The Accident at Le Mans Trivia Quiz

Answer: 24-hour sports car endurance race

The first race was held on the 26th and 27th of May 1923. Since then, its been held annually except for cancellations including 1936-Great Depression, and during World War II.

Answer: It varies

The circuit is called the Circuit de la Sarthe. It is a semi-permanent track that utilizes country roads that are open to the public most of the year.

Answer: A nearby town

Le Mans, France, is an old town which is the birthplace of famous Frenchmen. They are Henry II of England (1133), Geoffrey V d'Anjou, the forefather of the Plantagenent dynasty (b. 1113), Geoffrey de Goreham, the Abbot of St. Albans in 1119, and Gilles-Francois de Beauvais, a Jesuit writer and preacher (b. 1693).

Answer: 50

Racers compete in teams of three cars at two people a vehicle. Also, it doesn't only matter how many laps a car completes, it also depends on the distance the car travels. For example, at the beginning lineup, cars #49 and #50 are at the end. After 24 hours, car number 49 crosses the finish line followed immediately by number 50. Number fifty would win because it started behind number 49 and therefore it traveled farther.

Answer: June 11, 1955

The race is always held in June. Although it has been moved to two different months: July (1956) and September (1968), the later because of nationwide political turmoils in spring.

Answer: Pierre Levegh

Levegh inadvertantly crashed and caused the deaths of many people. Though it was not his fault.

Answer: Mercedes-Benz

After the accident, the other Mercedez-Benz cars drove on for awhile until the company pulled them out of the race out of respect for the dead. They stopped racing altogether for a few decades. Hawthorn drove a Jaguar, Macklin drove an Austin-Healey, and Fangio drove another Mercedes-Benz.

Answer: Somersaulting

The car, after hitting Macklin, somersaulted on top of the barrier with the hood and axle flying into the air, then landing on the crowd while the engine cut through the spectators. The car then burst into flames which killed a few more people.

Answer: Mike Hawthorn

Even though Hawthorn and his teammate won, they didn't celebrate. The people were buried the next day at Le Mans Cathedral.

Answer: 82

Here are the chain of events that caused the horrendous crash at Le Mans: Hawthorn was in the lead followed close behind by Macklin, Levegh, and Fangio. Hawthorn, receiving a signal from his pit crew to stop for gas, turned right, and by doing so cut across the other cars. Macklin swerved left to avoid Hawthorn and therefore he went in front of Levegh. Levegh only had enough time to signal for Fangio to slow down but was unable to do so himself.

He ran up Macklin's vehicle's sloped back at 150 miles per hour and flew into the crowd. Being made of magnesium, the car burst into flames. Macklin also crashed, but he and other racers escaped with little injury.