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Triple Crown of Motorsport
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Winning the Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement, usually alternatively defined as winning either:
Under either definition, Graham Hill is the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown, as he won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969; the Formula One World Championship in 1962 and 1968; the Indianapolis 500 in 1966; and finally the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972.
Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix are all annual events which date back to the first decades of motor racing, having been held for the first time in 1911, 1923 and 1929 respectively.
From 1950–1960, the Indianapolis 500 counted toward the World Drivers' Championship (now known as the Formula One World Championship) just as the Monaco Grand Prix did in 1950 and since 1955, and Le Mans was a weekend race that did not conflict with the rest of the Championship.
Since then, the Triple Crown has been more difficult to win, as each race is subject to a different governing body.
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Encyclopedia
Winning the Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement, usually alternatively defined as winning either:
Under either definition, Graham Hill is the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown, as he won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969; the Formula One World Championship in 1962 and 1968; the Indianapolis 500 in 1966; and finally the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972.
Background
The Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix are all annual events which date back to the first decades of motor racing, having been held for the first time in 1911, 1923 and 1929 respectively.
From 1950–1960, the Indianapolis 500 counted toward the World Drivers' Championship (now known as the Formula One World Championship) just as the Monaco Grand Prix did in 1950 and since 1955, and Le Mans was a weekend race that did not conflict with the rest of the Championship.
Since then, the Triple Crown has been more difficult to win, as each race is subject to a different governing body. Since 1960, the Indy 500 has been sanctioned by United States governing bodies separate from the World Championship, being part of CART since 1979 and the United States Automobile Club/Indy Racing League after 1995. The practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix overlaps with that for the Indianapolis 500, and the races themselves sometimes clash. As the two races take place on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean and form part of different championships, it is difficult for one driver to compete effectively in both during his career. Currently neither the Formula One nor IndyCar series has any driver in its field who has won either of the other two legs of the Triple Crown. As of 2008, the only active drivers who have won two legs of the Crown are Juan Pablo Montoya (currently racing in NASCAR) and Jacques Villeneuve. Villeneuve competed in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans where he finished in second place. A victory would have allowed him to complete the Triple Crown (under the latter definition).
Winners of two or more of the Triple Crown events
| Driver | Indianapolis winner | Le Mans winner | Monaco Grand Prix winner | F1 World Champion |
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| Tazio Nuvolari | — | 1933 | 1932 | — | | Maurice Trintignant | — | 1954 | 1955, 1958 | — | | Mike Hawthorn | — | 1955 | — | 1958 | | Phil Hill | — | 1958, 1961, 1962 | — | 1961 | | Jim Clark | 1965 | — | — | 1963, 1965 | | A.J. Foyt | 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977 | 1967 | — | — | | Bruce McLaren | — | 1966 | 1962 | — | | Graham Hill | 1966 | 1972 | 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969 | 1962, 1968 | | Jochen Rindt | — | 1965 | 1970 | 1970 | | Mario Andretti | 1969 | — | — | 1978 | | Emerson Fittipaldi | 1989, 1993 | — | — | 1972, 1974 | | Jacques Villeneuve | 1995 | — | — | 1997 | | Juan Pablo Montoya | 2000 | — | 2003 | — | |
Alternate Definitions
Some Americans have suggested substituting either the Daytona 500 or the 24 Hours of Daytona in place of the Monaco GP or Le Mans, which would have made Americans A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti Triple Crown winners, respectively. Also, Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya would become a Triple Crown winner too, as he won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2007 and 2008, in addition to his victories in Indianapolis and Monaco.
See also
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