From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
THE DUNDROD TRAGEDY:
The Golden Jubilee Tourist Trophy race of 1955 held on the demanding Dundrod circuit is sadly remembered today for the tragedy which took place during the race, rather than for Stirling Moss's achievement in becoming the first driver to score a trio of wins in the event.
The oldest motor race in these islands, the Tourist Trophy had first been held on the Isle of Man before settling at the Ards circuit between 1928 and 1936.
However, a serious accident in which eight spectators were killed and 40 injured during the 1936 race brought racing there to an end with the result that the race moved to Donington Park for 1937 and 1938.
After the war, efforts to re-start the race - Donington Park no longer being available - led to the Ulster Automobile Club (UAC) seeking a new course in Northern Ireland.
It first promoted a new race on a course at Ballyclare in 1946 and 1947 but felt that a new circuit was needed if the Tourist Trophy race was to be held in Northern Ireland once more.
With the support of the county council, a course was found in the hills northwest of Belfast near the village of Dundrod. The first race, the Ulster Trophy, was held there in August 1950 followed by the Tourist Trophy on September 16, 1950.
The circuit proved formidable and its 7 mile 732 yard length was made up entirely of public roads closed for the occasion. It was narrow in places and proved very fast with the result that any accidents were likely to be severe.
Stirling Moss took his first win on the circuit in 1950 sharing a Jaguar C-type with Tommy Wisdom. In 1951 he repeated his victory this time sharing with Tony Rolt and once again driving a Jaguar C-type.
The 1952 event was cancelled due to a poor entry but it returned again in 1953 as a 6-hour race, the final round of the World Championship for Sports Cars. A fine battle between Peter Collins (Aston Martin) and Moss (Jaguar) was resolved a few laps from the end in favour of Collins when Moss coasted to a halt.
The 1954 race fell to the unlikely DB Panhard as a result of the handicap system.
For the 1955 Golden Jubilee Race some 55 entries were received by the UAC. Moss was back once more, now part of the three-car Mercedes team led by Fangio and Von Tripps. All three were to drive the latest silver 300SLR and faced intense competition from Aston Martin DB3s, a lone factory Jaguar D-type driven by Mike Hawthorn, 3-litre Maseratis and an Ecurie Ecosse D-type.
The expected Jaguar/ Mercedes contest materialised right from the Le Mans-style start, but on just the second lap tragedy struck. Jim Mayers, in a Cooper-Climax, lost control at Deer's Leap and hit a stone gatepost, scattering wreckage all over the road. Mayers was killed instantly but Smyth (Connaught) hit the wreckage, succumbing to his injuries later in hospital.
The race continued with Moss pulling out a lead over Hawthorn but more tragedy was to follow. Mainwaring overturned his Elva at Tornagrough and was fatally trapped when it burst into flames.
Hawthorn continued his dogged pursuit of the Moss Mercedes until almost the end of the race when his transmission seized and he spun off into a side-road. Moss's third victory spelt the end of the Tourist Trophy races at the Dundrod Circuit.
Several weeks later, the RAC took the view that Dundrod was too dangerous a circuit to be used again for motor racing.