1949 24 heures du Mans

The 1949 24 heures du Mans marked the return to racing at the Circuit de la Sarthe after World War II.

There were 49 starters for the race, driving Delages, Frazer Nashs, Bentleys, HRGs, Aston Martins, Healeys, Simcas, Talbot-Lagos, and for the very first time, Ferraris.

Two Ferrari 166 MMs were entered, one being driven by the team of Luigi Chinetti and Peter Mitchell-Thomson (Lord Selsdon) and the other by Jean Lucas and Pierre Louis-Dreyfus.

The Ferrari of Chinetti and Lord Selsdon kept a stead pace near the front while the Ferrari of Lucas and Louis-Dreyfus crashed out early on lap 53.



Lord Selsdon was feeling quite ill at the time, managing a total of only 72 minutes of racing, so Luigi Chinetti did the lion’s share of the driving for the race.

Eight hours in, Chinetti pushed the Ferrari into the lead, which he kept to the end, nursing the car with a slipping clutch.

Amazingly, it was Luigi Chinetti 3rd Le Mans win, having also won in 1932 with Raymond Sommer and in 1934 with Philippe Étancelin.

It was also a landmark win for the fledgling Ferrari company, and a hint of the future domination that Ferrari would have on the race through the 1950’s and the early 1960’s.

The K8 is Back on Track

My New Zealand friend Peter Leversedge revived his 1949 K8 in time to participate in the 50th of the Christchurch Speedway Association Inc, which operates the Ruapuna Park Speedway.



This is a shot of Peter's friend Brenda and her dog Poppy sitting in the famous K8. It's just great to have the historic racer running again, after an 8 year lull. Peter had No.77 (the K8) on display on Saturday (Nov 15th) and then did some track time on Sunday. Bravo to you, Pete!

Peter has raced a great variety of cars, including a Lotus 18 FJ, a 260M Zephyr Special, and a "RAM" sprint car. He was New Zealand Beach Racing Champion for 1970, '72 and'73, racing No.77. Racing obviously runs through his blood.

Below is Peter racing No.77 in the day ... I love those drifts!

K8 Racer from New Zealand

Prismacolor pencils on gray archival stock
© Paul Chenard 2008
Peter Leversedge Collection

Peter Leversedge is a friend from Christchurch, New Zealand, who I met on the Atlas F1 Forum. Pete told me of his vintage “K8” racer No.77, and sent me a photo; I decided to do a sketch of him racing it.

Pete's vintage racer was built in New Zealand in 1949 by John Jacobson & Neil Stuart based on “K8” plans, originally US short dirt track cars that later evolved as sprint cars.

Here are some of it's technical details:
Power: Ford Flathead V8, 286 cubic inch
Transmission: 3-speed Ford
Front and rear end: '39 Ford
Springs: Front '39 Ford; Rear Model T
Brakes: '39 Ford
Frame: cut-down Essex
Steering box: Chrysler 70
Top speed (recorded): 115 MPH

Between 1949 and 1965, it was raced by John Jacobson & Neil Stuart at the Aranui Speedway and several road-type circuit races; Bill Harris Jr. used it in beach racing and Peter & Alec Rattray in road-races.

Pete has owned No.77 since 1965, racing it in road-type circuits, hill climbs, beach racing and later vintage racing events; he won the New Zealand Beach Racing Championship Race 3 times. While he owned the car, it was also raced by Bob (RW) Stewart, Neil Stuart, Brian Hepburn and John Armstrong on occasions. The car was well known as a ''Ford V8 Special'' in the South Island of New Zealand.

While looking into the “K8” racer, I actually found copies of some original plans.