STORY OF THE DAY: Pedro Rodríguez Makes a Remarkable Le Mans Debut

Eighteen-year-old Pedro Rodríguez started the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans in the number 25 NART Ferrari 500 TR, sharing it with José Behra rather than the better-known Jean Behra named in the supplied title. The car completed 119 laps before overheating associated with radiator trouble forced its retirement. It was classified among the non-finishers.

The entry had originally attracted attention because Pedro’s sixteen-year-old brother Ricardo was considered too young by the organisers and refused permission to start. José Behra replaced him, leaving Pedro to make his Le Mans debut in exceptionally difficult wet conditions. The retirement after many hours began a long, initially frustrating relationship between Rodríguez and the race.

The 500 TR was powered by a front-mounted two-litre Lampredi inline-four with twin overhead camshafts. Its tubular chassis and light open bodywork created an agile sports racer aimed partly at private customers and the two-litre class. Strong torque and simple construction suited endurance racing, but cooling remained critical during prolonged high-speed running.

Pedro Rodríguez was Mexican and already internationally ambitious despite his youth; he later became one of the finest wet-weather and endurance drivers, winning Le Mans in 1968. José Behra was a French racer and the younger brother of Grand Prix star Jean Behra. Their improvised partnership matters as the starting point of Rodríguez’s persistent Le Mans career and the international emergence of the Mexican racing family.