The 2. Internationales ADAC 1000 Kilometer Rennen auf dem Nürburgring took place on 27 May, on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, (West Germany). It was also the fourth round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. This was the first time the event had taken place, since it was dropped from the championship following its inaugural event in 1953. It was also round two of the German Sportscar Championship.[1]
A grand total 71 racing cars were registered for this event, of which 61 arrived for practice and qualifying. Fresh from their domination on the Mille Miglia, came two work teams of Scuderia Ferrari, and Officine Alfieri Maserati. The team from Maranello arrived with four cars, two 860 Monzas and two 290 MMs. The pairing to beat was that of Juan Manuel Fangio and Eugenio Castellotti driving the more powerful 860 Monza. This car was powered by a 3.4 litre 4-cylinder engine, producing 280 bhp. Their Modenese rivals, who were 12 points going into the meeting need a victory to reopened the Constructors’ Championship. Do to this, their arrived with four cars, two 300Ss, plus a 350s and a 150S. Their stars drivers, headed by the young Englishman, Stirling Moss, were in the 300Ss with a smaller 3.0 litre 6-cylinder engine, but it still produced 245 bhp.[2] [3]
Qualifying was held over three sessions for a total of 1,590 minutes over the three prior to the race. The Ferrari 860 Monza of Fangio took pole position, averaging a speed of 84.534 mph around the 14.173 mile circuit. This was an incredible lap time, especially when compared to the time set by team-mate Luigi Musso, into the slower 290 MM – which was a full three seconds slower. The ’53 pole winner was on pole yet again, having given everyone a lesson on how to drive the 174 corner of the ‘Ring. When the finish session had finished, Ferrari had secured the first three places, the 300S driver by Moss and Jean Behra was fourth. The first non-Italian car was fifth, the Jaguar D-Type of Mike Hawthorn and Desmond Titterington.[2] [3] [4] [5]
The day of the race would be warm and dry, with a crowd of approximately 70,000 in attendance to witness for is regarded one of Maserati’s finest ever race victory.[3] [4]
The start of the 1,000 kilometer race did not bode well for the Modenese marque, despite Moss taking the lead. On lap 11, after Behra had replaced Moss after the first pit stop, the rear transverse leaf spring of their 300S broke, forcing the Frenchman to the wheel of the second 300S. This was being driven by Harry Schell and Piero Taruffi, which was laying in third place at the time. Behra immediately embarked on charge back through the field to catch the leading Ferrari of Fangio and Castellotti. It was then decided by the team to put Moss into the car. At this point of the race, Moss was lying 66 seconds behind Fangio.[3] [4] [5]
As soon as Moss got into the car, he began to lap the 22km circuit at a pace that no-one would match. He was lapping 4/5 seconds faster than the ‘Maestro’ Fangio. At this pace, the seemingly safe win in the hands of the Ferrari duo, suddenly was in doubt. On lap 26 of the 44 scheduled, Fangio was unhappy with his car’s handling, so he got his mechanics to check its suspension while refueling, losing about a minute in the process. Sensing the threat to his victory, Fangio delayed handed the car over to Castellotti, as long as possible, in an attempt to stave off Moss’s assault. However, the fate of the race was sealed, when the lap 40, the “Maestro” re-entered to pits for fuel, the 300S of Moss charged on towards an astounding victory.[3] [4] [5]
The winning partnership of Moss/Behra/Taruffi/Schell, won in a time of 7hr 43:54.5mins., averaging a speed of 80.658 mph. The margin of triumph over the Ferrari of Fangio/Castelloti was 26 seconds, and led another Ferrari driven by Hill/De Portago/Gendebien by 10 min 01.4s. Porsche snatched fourth place with Wolfgang von Trips/Umberto Maglioli, but their 550 RS finished almost 20 minutes adrift of the Maserati. Moss’s pace was so quick that he lapped event he fifth placed Aston Martin DB3S of Peter Collins and Tony Brooks. Race did not end when Moss cross the finishing line, but continued for another hour to allow the other classes/division to try and complete the full 1000 km.[4] [5] [6]
To add to Fangio’s woes, Ferrari mechanics checked his after the race and found his 860 Monza did not actually problem with its suspension, as the quirky handling had simply been caused by the wrong tyre pressures.[3]
Class Winners are in Bold text.
| Pos | No | Class | Driver | Entrant | Chassis | Laps | Reason Out | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | S+2.0 |  Piero Taruffi Jean Behra |  Harry Schell Stirling Moss | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 300S | 7hr 43:54.5, 44 | |
| 2nd | 1 | S+2.0 |  Juan Manuel Fangio | Eugenio Castellotti | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 860 Monza | 7hr 44:20.7, 44 | |
| 3rd | 4 | S+2.0 | Phil Hill Olivier Gendebien |  Alfonso de Portago | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 290 MM | 7hr 53:55.9, 44 | |
| 4th | 21 | S1.5 | Wolfgang von Trips | Umberto Maglioli | Porsche | Porsche 550 RS | 8hr 01:45.9, 44 | |
| 5th | 9 | S+2.0 | Peter Collins | Tony Brooks | David Brown | Aston Martin DB3S | 43 | |
| 6th | 20 | S1.5 | Richard von Frankenberg | Hans Herrmann | Porsche | Porsche 550 RS | 44 | |
| 7th | 26 | S1.5 | Edgar Barth | Arthur Rosenhammer | VEB | AWE R3/55 | 43 | |
| DNF | 31 | S+2.0 | Mike Hawthorn | Desmond Titterington | Jaguar Cars Ltd. | Jaguar D-Type | 43 | Driveshaft |
| DNF | 10 | S+2.0 | Peter Walker | Roy Salvadori | David Brown | Aston Martin DB3S | 41 | De Dion tube |
| 8th | 56 | GT/T+2.0 |  Bengit Martenson | Wittigo von Einsedel | Bengit O. Martenson | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | 44 | |
| 9th | 61 | GT/T2.0 | Max Nathan | Gert Kaiser | Max Nathan | Porsche 356 Carrera | 44 | |
| 10th | 65 | GT/T2.0 | Helmut Schülze |  Joaquim Felipe Nogueira | Helmut Schülze | Porsche 356 Carrera | 44 | |
| 11th | 81 | GT/T1.3 | Jo Bonnier | Herbert MacKay-Fraser | Jo Bonnier | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | 43 | |
| 12th | 83 | GT/T1.3 |  Walter Ringgenberg | Heini Walter | Walter Ringgenberg | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | 43 | |
| 13th | 43 | ser.S1.5 | Friedrich Kretschmann | Sepp Liebl | Friedrich Kretschmann | Porsche 550 | 43 | |
| 14th | 87 | GT/T2.0 | Piero Carini | Franco Bordoni | Piero Carini | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | 42 | |
| 15th | 63 | GT/T2.0 | Helmut Zick | Hans-Gerog Plaut | Hans Gerog Plaut | Porsche 356 Carrera | 42 | |
| 16th | 88 | GT/T1.3 | Gilberte Thirion | Ada Pace | Gilberte Thirion | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | 42 | |
| 17th | 53 | GT/T+2.0 | Rainer Günzler | Helmut Retter | Rainer Günzler | Mercedes Bens 220S | 42 | |
| 18th | 86 | GT/T1.3 | Adolf-Werner Lang | Kurt Kuhnke | Adolf-Werner Lang | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | 41 | |
| 19th | 64 | GT/T1.3 | Kurt Zeller | Wolfgang Bieling | Kurt Zeller | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | 40 | |
| 20th | 64 | GT/T2.0 | W. H. Wittmann | Walter Hampel | W. H. Wittmann | Porsche 356 Super 1600 | 40 | |
| 21st | 76 | GT/T1.3 | Helmut Busch | Horst Bös | Helmut Busch | Porsche 356 Super 1300 | 40 | |
| 22nd | 77 | GT/T1.3 | Sepp Greger | Harald von Saucken | Sepp Greger | Porsche 356A Super 1300 | 40 | |
| 23rd | 78 | GT/T1.3 | Hartmuth Oesterle | Siegfried Günther | Hartmuth Oesterle | Porsche 356 Super 1300 | 40 | |
| 24th | 45 | ser.S1.5 |  Mathieu Hezemans | Carel Godin de Beaufort | Gotfrid Köchert | Porsche 550 | 38 | |
| 25th | 72 | GT/T1.3 | Helmut Deutenberg | Heinz-Gerd Jäger | Helmut Deutenberg | Porsche 356 Super 1300 | 39 | |
| 26th | 74 | GT/T1.3 | Karl Falk | Albert Joch | Karl Falk | Porsche 356 Super 1300 | 39 | |
| DNF | 27 | S1.5 | Paul Thiel | Egon Binner | VEB | AWE R3/55 | 29 | Engine |
| DNF | 31 | S1.5 |  Louis Chiron | Luigi Villoresi | Monte Carlo Sport | Osca MT4 1500 | 26 | Engine |
| DNF | 38 | S1.5 | Carlo Tomasi | Alejandro de Tomaso | Isabel Haskell | Maserati 150S | 25 | Engine |
| DISQ | 33 | S1.5 | Hans Tak | Henk van Zalinge | Beels Racing | Maserati 150S | 22 | Assistance |
| DNF | 5 | S+2.0 | Stirling Moss | Jean Behra | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 300S | 19 | Suspension |
| DNF | 12 | S+2.0 | Casare Perdisa | Robert Manzon | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 350S | 12 | Axle |
| DISQ | 2 | S+2.0 | Alfonso de Portago | Olivier Gendebien | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 860 Monza | 9 | Assistance |
| DNF | 8T | S+2.0 | Paul Frère | Duncan Hamilton | Jaguar Cars Ltd. | Jaguar D-Type | 7 | Gearbox |
| DNF | 29 | S1.5 | Francesco Giardini | André Pilette | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 150S | 7 | Fuel system |
| DNF | 3 | S+2.0 | Luigi Musso | Maurice Trintignant | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 290 MM | 4 | Accident |
| DNF | 34 | S1.5 | Michael May | Pierre May | Michael May | Porsche 550 | DNF | |
| DNF | 36 | S1.5 | Karl Busch | Karl Schwaneberg | Karl Busch | Porsche 550 | Accident | |
| DNF | 40 | ser.S1.5 | Theo Helfrich | Peter Nöcker | Theo Helfrich | Porsche 550 | DNF | |
| DNF | 41 | ser.S1.5 | Wolfgang Seidel | Helm Glöcker | Wolfgang Seidel | Porsche 550 | Wheel | |
| DISQ | 46 | ser.S1.5 | Dick Fitzwilliam | Robin Carnegie | Richard W. Fitzwilliam | MG A | Assistance | |
| DNF | 47 | ser.S1.5 | William Buff |  Gotfrid Köchert | William C. Buff | Porsche 550 | DNF | |
| DNF | 50 | GT/T+2.0 | Fritz Riess | Friedrich-Victor Rolff | Fritz Riess | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | Gearbox | |
| DNF | 52 | GT/T+2.0 | Erwin Bauer | Willi Heeks | Erwin Bauer | Mercedes Bens 220S | Split fuel tank | |
| DNF | 57 | GT/T+2.0 | Günther Isenbügel | Helmut Rathjen | Günther Isenbügel | Ford Thunderbird | Engine | |
| DNF | 62 | GT/T2.0 | Ludwig Blendl | Dieter Lissmann | Ludwig Blendl | Porsche 356 Carrera | Wheel | |
| DNF | 67 | GT/T2.0 | Heini Buess | Franz Hammernick | Meute | Porsche 356 Super 1500 | Gearbox | |
| DNF | 70 | GT/T1.3 | Richard Trenkel | Helmut Niedermayr | Richard Trenkel | Porsche 356 | DNF | |
| DNF | 71 | GT/T1.3 | Paul Ernst Strähle | Paul Denk | Erich Hofmann | Porsche 356 | DNF | |
| DNF | 73 | GT/T1.3 | Josef Jeser | Manfred Elmenhorst | Josef Jeser | Porsche 356 1300 | DNF | |
| DNF | 75 | GT/T1.3 | Alfred Kling | Edmund Graf | Alfred Kling | Porsche 356 | Engine | |
| DNF | 80 | GT/T1.3 | Helmut Felder | Heinz Endermann | Helmut Felder | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | DNF | |
| DNF | 82 | GT/T1.3 | Marcel Stern | Louis Noverraz | Meute | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | Engine | |
| DNF | 84 | GT/T1.3 | Alfranco Pagani | Pietro Cagnana | Mediolanum | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | Windscreen broken | |
| DNF | 37 | S1.5 | Giuseppe Musso | Walter Monaco | Isabel Haskell | Maserati 150S | Withdrawn | |
| DNS | 44 | ser.S1.5 | Christian Goethals | Freddy Rouselle | Ecurie Francorchamps | Porsche 550 | ||
| DNS | 8 | S+2.0 | Paul Frère | Duncan Hamilton | Jaguar Cars Ltd. | Jaguar D-Type | Accident in practice | |
| Class | Winners | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports +2000 | 6 | Maserati 300S | Taruffi / Schell / Behra / Moss |
| Sports 1500 | 21 | Porsche 550 RS | von Trips / Maglioli |
| Series Sports 1500 | 43 | Porsche 550 Sypder | Kretschmann / Liebl |
| Grand Touring & Special Touring +2000 | 56 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | Martenson / Einsiedel |
| Grand Touring & Special Touring 2000 | 61 | Porsche 356 Carrera | Nathan / Kaiser |
| Grand Touring & Special Touring 1300 | 81 | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce | Bonnier / MacKay-Fraser |