1956 World Sportscar Championship season
Encyclopedia
The 1956 World Sportscar Championship
season was the 4th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars
that ran in many worldwide endurance events. It ran from January 29, 1956 to August 12, 1956, and comprised 5 races.
Following the major incident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans
that killed 80 spectators, defending constructor's champion Mercedes-Benz
officially pulled out of motorsports and thus did not return to the sport.
Due to the fallout of the accident at Le Mans, the race was not included as part of the schedule until safety had been brought up to a higher standard. The Targa Florio
was also cancelled due to safety concerns.
This led to the shortest season in World Sportscar Championship history, as well as one of the fewest amount of factory-backed competitors for many years.
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
season was the 4th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
that ran in many worldwide endurance events. It ran from January 29, 1956 to August 12, 1956, and comprised 5 races.
Following the major incident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans
1955 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12, 1955. It was also the fourth round of the World Sportscar Championship....
that killed 80 spectators, defending constructor's champion Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
officially pulled out of motorsports and thus did not return to the sport.
Due to the fallout of the accident at Le Mans, the race was not included as part of the schedule until safety had been brought up to a higher standard. The Targa Florio
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
was also cancelled due to safety concerns.
This led to the shortest season in World Sportscar Championship history, as well as one of the fewest amount of factory-backed competitors for many years.
Schedule
Rnd | Race | Circuit or Location | Date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Buenos Aires 1000 Kilometres 1000 km Buenos Aires The 1000 km Buenos Aires was an endurance sports car event held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The race mostly run on the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, although it would run the Costanera circuit in 1957... |
Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez The Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez is a motor racing circuit in Buenos Aires, Argentina built in 1952 under president Juan Perón, named Autódromo 17 de Octubre until Perón's overthrow, as 17 October was a date of great significance to his political party.... |
January 29 |
2 | 12 Hours of Sebring 12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida... |
Sebring International Raceway | March 24 |
3 | Mille Miglia Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 .... |
Brescia Brescia Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan... |
April 12 |
4 | 1000km Nürburgring 1000km Nürburgring The ADAC 1000 km Nürburgring is an endurance race for sports cars held on the Nürburgring in Germany and organized by the ADAC since 1953.- History :... |
Nürburgring Nürburgring The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about... |
May 27 |
5 | 1000 km Kristianstad Kristianstad Kristianstad is a city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 35,711 inhabitants in 2010.-History:The city was founded in 1614 by King Christian IV of Denmark, the city's name literally means 'Town of Christian', as a planned city after the burning of the town of Vä... |
Rabelöfsbanan | August 12 |
Season results
Points were awarded for the top 6 finishers, in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. Constructors were only awarded points for their highest finishing car. Other finishers from the same manufacturer were merely skipped in the points count.Races
Rnd | Circuit | Winning Team | Results |
---|---|---|---|
Winning Drivers | |||
1 | Buenos Aires Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez The Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez is a motor racing circuit in Buenos Aires, Argentina built in 1952 under president Juan Perón, named Autódromo 17 de Octubre until Perón's overthrow, as 17 October was a date of great significance to his political party.... |
#31 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993... |
Results 1956 1000 km Buenos Aires These were the results of the 1956 1000 km Buenos Aires and the people who classified/did not classify.- Classified :These were the results of the 1956 1000 km Buenos Aires and the people who classified/did not classify.- Classified :... |
Stirling Moss Stirling Moss Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England... Carlos Menditeguy Carlos Menditéguy Carlos Alberto Menditeguy was a racing driver and polo player from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He entered 11 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, achieving one podium, and scoring a total of nine championship points.... |
|||
2 | Sebring | #17 Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing.... |
Results |
Juan Manuel Fangio Juan Manuel Fangio Juan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing... Eugenio Castellotti Eugenio Castellotti Eugenio Castellotti was a Formula One driver from Italy.-Driving career:Castellotti was born in Lodi. After being signed by Scuderia Ferrari, Eugenio Castellotti participated in 14 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 January 1955... |
|||
3 | Brescia Brescia Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan... |
#548 Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing.... |
Results |
Eugenio Castellotti Eugenio Castellotti Eugenio Castellotti was a Formula One driver from Italy.-Driving career:Castellotti was born in Lodi. After being signed by Scuderia Ferrari, Eugenio Castellotti participated in 14 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 January 1955... |
|||
4 | Nürburgring Nürburgring The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about... |
#6 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993... |
Results |
Piero Taruffi Piero Taruffi Piero Taruffi , was a racing driver from Italy, and also the father of lady racer Prisca Taruffi.-Sports car career:... Harry Schell Harry Schell Harry O'Reilly Schell was an American Grand Prix motor racing driver.-Early life:... |
|||
5 | Rabelöfsbanan | #3 Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing.... |
Results |
Phil Hill Phil Hill Philip Toll Hill, Jr., was a United States automobile racer and the only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. Hill was described as a "thoughtful, gentle man" and once said, "I'm in the wrong business. I don't want to beat anybody, I don't want to be the big hero... Maurice Trintignant Maurice Trintignant Maurice Bienvenu Jean Paul Trintignant was a motor racing driver and vintner from France. He competed in the Formula One World Championship for fourteen years, between 1950 and 1964, one of the longest careers in the early years of F1... |
Manufacturers Championship
Only the best 3 results out of the 5 race season counted towards the championship. Points earned but not counted towards the championship total are shown within brackets.Pos | Manufacturer | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Rd 4 | Rd 5 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ferrari Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947... |
(6) | 8 | 8 | (6) | 8 | 24 |
2 | Maserati Maserati Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993... |
8 | 2 | 8 | 18 | ||
3 | Jaguar Jaguar (car) Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors.... |
4 | 3 | 7 | |||
4 | Aston Martin Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire... |
3 | 2 | 5 | |||
5 | Porsche Porsche Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry.... |
1 | 3 | 4 | |||
6 | Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG... |
1 | 1 | 2 |
External links
- 1956 World Sportscar Championship race results
- 1956 World Sportscar Championship points table
- 1956 World Sportscar Championship images - Buenos Aires
- 1956 World Sportscar Championship images - Sebring
- 1956 World Sportscar Championship images - Mille Miglia
- 1956 World Sportscar Championship images - Nurburgring
- 1956 World Sportscar Championship images - Kristianstadt