Racing & Motorsport
May in Racing History
The excitement and energy in the month of May in the world of motorsports and racing. These and other events formed motor racing history in the month of May from across the world.
The Top 50 Motorsport Moments In The Month of May
May, a month synonymous with the scent of burning rubber, the roar of engines, and the sheer thrill of speed, has long been etched in the annals of motorsport history. As summer begins to unfurl its warmth, racing circuits around the world have witnessed dramatic overtakes, heart-stopping finishes, and moments of sheer genius that have left fans on the edge of their seats. Join us as we rev up the engines of nostalgia and take a high-octane journey through the top 50 motorsports and racing moments that have defined the month of May over the years.
Racecar Patent
Harry Miller is awarded U.S. patent no. 55,070 for a racecar design which includes 4-wheel brakes, pierced brake drums, flat spoke wheels, and the engine as a stressed member of the chassis (1920).
Scam Alert In Tripoli
Achille Varzi passes a supposedly out of gas Tazio Nuvolari on the last lap to win the Tripoli Grand Prix at Mellaha. The race was actually fixed as part of a Tripoli GP Lottery scam. Drivers and lottery winner Enrico Rivio get away with it. (1933).
A Big Win for Jaguar
Derick Walker and Eddie Cheever drive a Jaguar XJR-6 to victory in the Group C sports car race at Silverstone, England. First endurance championship win for Jaguar in 29 years (1986).
Rain, Rain & More Rain
Because of rain, for the first time in history no car qualifies for the Indy 500 on the first weekend of qualifying (1969).
Porsche 962C Wins
Jochen Mass and Jackie Ickx win the Silverstone 1000-kilometer sports car race driving a Porsche 962C (1985).
Richard Petty Wins (A Lot)
Richard Petty drives a Plymouth to victory in the NASCAR Grand National race at Darlington, South Carolina. It is his 55th victory, the winningest driver in NASCAR history (1967).
1 & 2 For Alfa
Alfa Romeo T33/3s finish 1–2 in the Targa Florio road race (1971). While Ferrari decided on a single-entry 312PB manned by GP drivers, Alfa Romeo fielded a multi-car team.
4X Indy 500 Winner
Al Unser Sr. wins his fourth Indy 500 in a car that was a show car only weeks earlier. Unser was hired by Roger Penske to replace Danny Ongais, who was hurt in practice (1987).
First Hoosier to Win Indy 500
Howdy Wilcox drives a Peugeot to win the first post-WWI Indy 500. First Indy 500 win for Goodyear tires. First playing of the song “Back Home Again in Indiana” at the 500 (1919).
First Ferrari Race Win
Franco Cortese gives Ferrari their first race win when he drives 125 Sport chassis 01C to victory on the Caracella Baths circuit in Rome, Italy (1947).
Le Mans 1923 - The First
First 24-Hours of Le Mans race begins (1923). The first 24 hour race was held in its now traditional location, even if the track itself was very different.
Porsche 935 J Wins
Walter Röhrl, Harold Grohs, and Dieter Schornstein drive the winning Porsche 935J in the Silverstone 6 Hours sports car race (1981).
Porsche Wins Again 1984
Jochen Mass and Jackie Ickx, driving a Porsche 956-83, win the Silverstone 1000km sports car race in England (1984).
Porsche 908 1-2-3
Gerhard Mitter and Udo Schutz lead a Porsche 908 1-2-3 finish in the Targa Florio road race in Sicily (1969).
Good & Bad For Lola
Lola Cars enters bankruptcy (2012). It was also the month of the first victory for a car bearing the Lola name (1957).
Penske Wins 99th
Paul Tracy wins the CART Motorola 300 at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Missouri. The win is Penske Racing’s 99th Indy car victory (1997).
A Mustang At Spa
Jackie Ickx, driving a Ford Mustang, wins the Coupe de Spa touring car race on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium (1968).
Fastest Road Race Ever
Wyer-Gulf Porsche 917K to victory in the 1000-kilometer race at Spa, Belgium. Their average speed of 154.8 mph still stands today as the fastest road race ever (1971).
Old Dog. Old Tricks
Sixty-six year old Warren Johnson becomes the oldest NHRA drag race winner when he wins in Pro Stock at the Triple A Midwest Nationals in Madison, Illinois (2010).
Joest Porsche 962C Wins
Bob Wollek and Frank Jelinski drive a Joest Porsche 962C to victory in the 480km World Endurance Championship race at Dijon, France (1989).
Japanese Engines
Honda becomes the first Japanese engine to run on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Bobby Rahal takes his racecar out to practice for the Indy 500 (1994).
Porsche 935-77
Jochen Mass and Jackie Ickx drive a Porsche 935-77 to victory in the 6 hours of Silverstone in England (1977).
Porsche 908/03
Rolf Stommelen and Jurgen Barth drive a Porsche 908/03 to overall victory in the Nürburgring 1000km race (1980).
1949 Veritas C90
The Eiffel Cup, run on the Nürburgring in West Germany, is won by Karl Kling driving a Veritas RS (1949).
Porsche 936 Wins at Imola
Jochen Mass and Jackie Ickx, driving a Porsche 936, win the 500km of Imola in Italy (1976).
Lancias finish 1-2-3-4
Lancias finish 1-2-3-4 in the Tour de Corse rally on the French island of Corsica. Markku Alén driving the winning car (1983).
Porsche 908/03 Wins Targa
Jo Siffert and Brian Redman drive a Gulf Porsche 908/3 to victory in the Targa Florio on the Italian island of Sicily (1970).
Alfa Romeo 155 Sweep
Gianni Morbidelli leads an Alfa Romeo 155 podium sweep in the first of two Italian Super Tourismo races at Magione, Italy (1993). Gianni Morbidelli wins the second of two races (1993).
200mph? No Sweat
Mario Andretti is the first to drive a 200 mph lap at Indy when he does 200.311 mph in practice (1977).
A Special Year at Indy
A.J. Foyt wins his fourth Indianapolis 500. Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to race in the 500. She starts 26th and finishes 29th (1977).
Carrera Panamerica
The first Carrera Panamerica road race in Mexico begins (1950). It was held in May (as opposed to November) and ran from north to south (later reversed).
Jim Clark Wins Pole
Jim Clark wins the pole for the Indianapolis 500 driving a Lotus-Ford. First rear-engine car to sit on the pole at Indy (1964).
Brabham's First Win
Jack Brabham, driving a Cooper-Climax, wins the Monaco Grand Prix. First F1 win for Brabham (1959).
A Monkey & NASCAR
Tim Flockhart wins the NASCAR Grand National race at Hickory, North Carolina, with a monkey named Jocko as his “co-pilot” (1953).
A Flag to Flag First
Luigi Fagioli drives a Mercedes-Benz W25 to victory in the Monaco Grand Prix. He is the first driver to lead at Monaco from flag to flag (1935).
220mph? No Problem
Rick Mears runs a lap of 220.453 mph in qualifying for the Indy 500. The first official 220 mph lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (1988).
Pat Wins at Indy 500
Pat Flaherty competed in six Indianapolis 500 races (once as a relief driver) and won the 1956 race at an average speed of 128.490 miles per hour.
Lancia D24
The Mille Miglia is won by Alberto Ascari driving a Lancia D24. Second overall and first in the 2-liter class is the Ferrari 500 Mondial of Vittorio Marzotto (1954).
Cooper Wins In England
Ken Tyrrell, driving a Cooper, wins a 500-cc formula race at Davidstone in Cornwall, England (1955).
First Turbo Renault F1
Jean-Pierre Jabouille begins testing of the first turbocharged Renault F1 car at Michelin’s test track near Clermont-Ferrand, France (1976).
Got Milk?
Louis Meyer wins the Indianapolis 500 and becomes the first man to drink from a bottle of milk in the Winners Circle (1936).
New Name = Good Luck
Albert Divo, driving a Bugatti 35B/2.3, wins the Targa Florio (1928). In 1928, he moved to Bugatti and changed his name to Divo.
Johnny Lightning Special
Al Unser, driving the Johnny Lightning Special Colt-Ford, wins the Indianapolis 500. Final Indy 500 as racers for Jack Brabham and Dan Gurney (1970).
Ford Mustang. Rally Champ?
Dick Norton and Don Kirkpatrick give the Ford Mustang its first U.S. rally victory when they win the SCCA’s Virginia Reel National Rally (1964).
The First F5000 Race
Lou Sell, driving the Smothers Brothers Racing Eagle Mk4-Chevrolet, wins the first F5000 race, at Continental Divide Raceway in Colorado (1968).
Retirement for Moss
Stirling Moss drives a race car for the first time in over a year—since the crash that nearly killed him. His driving is not up to his own standard, and he retires from competition (1963).
Mercedes Wins In Tripoli
Rudolf Caracciola drives a Mercedes to victory in the Grand Prix of Tripoli (1935).
Splashing to Victory
Jean-Pierre Beltoise wins his only, and BRM’s last, Formula One race when he wins the rain soaked Monaco Grand Prix (1972).
Maserati On Top
Juan Manuel Fangio, driving a Maserati 250F, wins the Monaco Grand Prix (1957).
Penske 100th Champ Car Win
Gil de Ferran wins the CART Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Nazareth, Pennsylvania, to give Penske Racing its 100th Champ Car win (2000).
Joint Winners?
L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer become the first to share an Indy 500 victory. Corum starts the race in his Duesenberg but is replaced by Boyer on lap 110 after the Duesenberg Boyer started in suffered supercharger problems. (1924).
L to R: Keith Duckworth, Graham Hill, Colin Chapman & Haley Copp (Ford Engineering) examine Duckworth’s brainchild, the 3-liter Cosworth DFV.
Ken Tyrrell and Jackie Stewart figured prominently in Danny Sullivan's early racing career. Photo: BRDC ArchiveMay Motorsport Birthdays
16-time NHRA funny Car Champion John Force is born (1949)
Swedish racer Ulf Norinder is born (1934).
Hazel Williams, co-founder of Lotus Cars is born in London, England (1927).
Canadian racer Maurice Carter is born (1921).
Roger Lee Hayden, the youngest of three motorcycle racing brothers, is born (1983).
John Hogan, revolutionized F1 sponsorship while at Phillip Morris is born in Sydney,(1943).
William P. Thomas, builder of the Chevrolet-powered Cheetah racecars, is born (1921).
F1 and sports car racer John Watson is born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (1946).
SCCA Trans-Am and IMSA GTO racer Dick Danielson born (1953).
2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Champion Joey Logano is born (1990).
Sprint & Midget racer Jimmy Sills is born in Placerville, California (1953).
Ground effects pioneer Peter Wright, who held various positions at Lotus, is born (1946).
Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus, is born in Richmond, Surrey, England (1928).
Ken Tyrrell, F1 team owner, is born in West Horsley, England (1924).
F1 race winner and TV commentator John Marshall Watson, born in Northern Ireland (1946).
Jean Rondeau, the only man to win Le Mans in a car bearing his own name, is born (1946).
Mechanic, crew chief and innovator Smokey Yunick born in Maryville, Tennessee (1923).
A.J. Watson, mechanic/car builder, is born in Ohio. His cars win Indy 500 five times (1924).
Rally, touring car, and sports car racer Gerard Larrousse born in Lyon, France (1940)
Writer and pre-WWII Grand Prix winner Hans Ruesch is born in Naples, Italy (1913).
Piero Lardi Ferrari, second son of Enzo Ferrari, is born (1945).
F1-driver Rubens Barrichello is born in Sao Paulo, Brazil (1972).
Floyd “Chip” Ganassi, Indy Car racer and owner a bunch of teams, is born in PA (1958).
NASCAR and Trans-Am team-owner Bud Moore is born (1926).
F1 driver Andrea de Cesaris is born in Rome, Italy (1959).
Single-seater racer Tommy Byrne is born in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland (1958).
6x IMSA Camel GT champ and 2x SCCA Trans-Am champ Peter Gregg is born in NYC (1940).
Drag and Indy car racer Danny Ongais is born (1942).
Indy 500 champion Al Unser Sr. is born (1939).
May Motorsport Deaths
Ayrton Senna dies in a crash during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, Italy (1994).
Mike Spence dies in a crash during practice for the Indianapolis 500 (1968).
Harry Miller, whose engines defined American racing in the 1920s, dies in Michigan (1943).
Mike Spence lap at Indy in an STP Lotus turbine car, then crashes in turn one. Dies that night.
Alberto Ascari dies in a crash during testing at Monza, Italy (1955).
Bill Vukovich dies in a crash during the Indianapolis 500 (1955).
Gilles Villeneuve, dies in a crash during the Belgian Grand Prix (1982).
Art Pollard dies in a crash during practice for the Indianapolis 500 (1973).
Jerry Unser, Jr., dies from injuries suffered 15 days earlier in a crash while practicing (1959).
Amadeo Gordini, founder of the Gordini marque, dies (1979).
Smokey Yunick, NASCAR and Indy mechanic dies of leukemia at age 77 (2001).
Paul Morgan, dies in the crash of his historic WWII Hawker Sea Fury fighter plane (2001).
Rookie Jovie Marcelo dies in a crash during practice for the Indianapolis 500 (1992).
Luigi Fagioli crashes his Lancia B20 during practice in Monaco. Dies 18 days later (1952).
Chet Miller dies when he crashes his Novi during practice for the Indianapolis 500 (1953).
Ralph Hepburn dies when his Novi crashes during qualifying attempt for the Indy 500 (1948).
Elio de Angelis dies from injuries suffered in a crash during team test session (1986).
Jim Malloy dies from injuries he suffered four days earlier in a crash during practice (1972).
Automotive icon (builder, racer, entrepreneur) Carroll Shelby dies in Texas (2012).
Eric Broadley, race car designer and founder of Lola Cars, dies at the age of 88 (2017).
Le Mans winner Duncan Hamilton dies at the age of 74 (1994).
3x Indianapolis 500 winner Robert William “Bobby” Unser dies at the age of 87 (2021).
Charles Anthony Standish “Tony” Brooks (last living GP winner of the '50s, dies (2022).
Alfonso de Portago, his co-driver Ed Nelson, and 10 spectators die when his Ferrari crashes during the running of the Mille Miglia (1957).
Spectator Lyle Kurtenbach is killed when he is hit by a tire that came off a racecar that crashed during the Indianapolis 500 (1987).
Riding Mechanic Sam Dickson becomes the first person to die during the running of the Indianapolis 500 when he is thrown out of Arthur Greiner’s Amplex as it hits the wall (1911).
Ayrton Senna
