Drama in Argentina 5 February 1954

ESTABLISHED 1895

THE NEW AUTODROMO in Buenos Aires acquitted itself well on its 1953 F1 debut, and so it was also added to the new World Sportscar Championship.

This series comprised the likes of the Mille Miglia, though, so the track was extended by “going out onto a dual carriageway, up to a highway crossing, down the other lane of the carriageway to a tight roundabout, then back into the Autodrome”, with 100 laps being 1000km.

Factory entries from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati and others, plus Ecurie Ecosse Jaguars, were among the 35 cars.

After a Le Mans start, it was Ian Stewart in the lead for Jaguar, while the favourite, Giuseppe Farina of Ferrari, got away slowly.

Ninian Sanderson took second but then went over the roundabout, causing damage that affected his C-type’s handling badly.

It didn’t take long at all before Farina had fought his way from fifth to first.

Drama struck on lap 11 as Stewart bounced off a kerb into a wall, prompting him to finish his career. A wheel then left Élie Bayol’s Gordini, sending him off and killing a fan, before Eric Forrest-greene rolled his Aston Martin, which set ablaze, fatally for him.

At 22 laps, three of the Ferraris were alone on the lead lap, not long before Farina set the fastest lap, averaging 98.79mph.

He then handed over to Umberto Maglioli, who easily led to the finish. The fight for second, between two privately run Ferraris, was “a terrific chase”, but it ended early as Roberto Bonomi, fretting about Harry Schell tearing along behind, released his clutch too keenly after a pit stop.