Editing Cliff Allison (section)

==Formula Three and Sports Cars==
Cliff Allison started his racing career in a [[Formula Three]] Cooper 500 in 1953 before being spotted by [[Colin Chapman]].  Allison won the Index of Performance prize driving a 744cc Lotus in the [[1957 24 Hours of Le Mans]].<ref>''Flockhart and Bueb Sweep Mark To Win 24-Hour Le Mans Auto Grind'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', 24 June 1957, Page 40.</ref> The Lotus of Allison and Colin Chapman finished sixth in the 1958 [[12 Hours of Sebring]] endurance race for sports cars.<ref>''Collins-Hill Ferrari Wins 12-Hour Race at Sebring'', ''The New York Times'', 23 March 1958, Page S1.</ref> Allison came in fourth with his Lotus in the 1958 Grand Prix of Europe at [[Spa-Francorchamps]], more than four minutes behind victor [[Tony Brooks (racing driver)|Tony Brooks]].<ref>''Brooks [[Vanwall]] Finishes First in Grand Prix Race in Belgium'', ''The New York Times'', 16 June 1958, Page 30.</ref>

Allison and [[Dan Gurney]] shared one of three team Ferrari cars that competed in the June 1959 [[1000 km Nürburgring]] race. Seventy-five cars entered the 1000 kilometre race which was a world championship event for sports cars.<ref>''75 Cars To Start at Nürburgring'', ''The New York Times'', 7 June 1959, Page S6.</ref>

Allison was paired with [[Jean Behra]] in a Ferrari which finished second in the 1959 12 Hours of Sebring.<ref>''Ferraris Score in 12-Hour Race'', ''The New York Times'', 22 March 1959, Page S1.</ref> The drivers received $1,500 in prize money.<ref>''Hill and Gendebien Split Sebring Prize of $3,000'', ''The New York Times'', 23 March 1959, Page 40.</ref> Allison was credited with the fastest lap of the Sebring race in the No. 9 Ferrari. He was clocked at 3 minutes 21.6 seconds on the 97th lap of the 5.2-mile course.<ref>''It Was Allison'', ''The New York Times'', 1 April 1959, Page 49.</ref>

In May 1960 Allison skidded off the road during practice for the [[Targa Florio]] in [[Palermo, Sicily]]. His Ferrari had reached a speed of 100 miles per hour when a tyre burst, or so the driver believed. The car crashed into a scrub forest, destroying itself and most of what it touched. When the mishap occurred the Ferrari was nearing the end of a five-mile straight by the sea. This was the only very fast stretch of road in the event. Allison escaped from the wreck without a scratch, but his face was ashen and his mouth hung open with an expression of fear.<ref>''Crack-up Frightens Driver Out of Targa Florio in Sicily'', ''The New York Times'', 8 May 1960,
Page S6.</ref>