April 23, 1962’s non-championship Glover Trophy race should have been a minor blip on Stirling Moss’ calendar. But when his car had troubles and fell behind he redoubled his efforts and fought hard to climb back up the field. Only to have it all come down again when, after taking the fastest lap, his car careened off the track and crashed into an embankment.
It was an hour before he was extracted from the car. More than a month that he was in a coma; five months to fight off the paralysis that afflicted half his body.
I was among those saddened when Sir Stirling announced his second retirement from racing recently and would no longer be among the vintage racers in the pits at Goodwood and the Monterey Historics and others. That he was around to take part in vintage racing at all is a marvelous bit of good fortune. He’s a tough one.
More at Motorsport Musings, and a hat tip to Scuderiadank.
0 replies on “50 Years Later: Stirling's Career Ending Crash”
My hero! I had his “auto” biography published in 1953! But he must lead a charmed life–this wreck and others, and then to fall down an elevator shaft at over 80 and have hardly any injuries! A great driver and gentleman, I’m honored to have been on the track with his likes at Monterey.