Masten Gregory is one of a very select club of drivers who have been on the starting grid at least once at each of the three biggest races in motor racing history: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix. He came third at Monaco in his first ever Formula One race in 1957 and took part in the Le Mans 24 Hours for the second time that same year. It was the first time he actually finished the 24-Hour race, coming sixth at the wheel of Jaguar D Type with Briton Duncan Hamilton, the 1953 Le Mans winner. He actually started the race sixteen times between 1955 and 1972, but only finished it on four occasions: sixth in 1957 and 1963, fifth in 1961 and winner in 1965.

However, it was far from an easy victory for Gregory. He found out the name of his co-driver - Austrian Jochen Rindt - at the last minute, meaning Rindt only got to drive a few preparatory laps before the race got underway. Four hours into the race, the Ferrari 250 LM #21 ran into major engine issues while Gregory was driving. Things were so bad that Rindt thought the race was over for them and made to leave the circuit. Gregory caught up with his Austrian team-mate just as he was about to get in a taxi and managed to convince him to return to the track. The Ferrari spent 25 minutes in the pits and set off again in 18th position. However, it made a spectacular comeback and, with six hours to go, had moved up to second, hot on the heels of the other 250 LM driven by Belgians Pierre Dumay and Gustave Gosselin. The game changer came just before 1 PM on the Sunday when the car in front suffered a puncture. Masten Gregory grabbed the finest win of his career... but it would be the last time he completed a race at Le Mans, as he was forced to retire every time he took part after that.
In 1972, after his sixteenth Le Mans 24 Hours and deeply affected by the death of his friend Joachim Bonnier during the race, he decided to put an end to his racing career and established himself as a diamond merchant instead. Gregory died in his sleep of a heart attack on 8 November 1985.


Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO                                             Translated from French by Clair Pickworth

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DE LA SARTHE, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SUNDAY 20 JUNE 1965, FINISH LINE. Masten Gregory is first past the flag and collects his greatest ever win. A few minutes after this picture was taken, the differential on the Ferrari 250 LM #21 gave out after being severely put to the test during the race!