Cuba Grand Prix Marred By Tragedy - February 24, 1958

February 24, 1958

In addition to Juan Manuel Fangio's kidnapping on the day before, the Cuba Grand Prix was marred by tragedy when a Cuban driver named Armando Garcia Cifuentes lost control of his car on an oil-slicked part of the street course and plowed into a crowd of onlookers. Seven people were killed and dozens more injured. The crash led to immediate speculation that Castro's followers had sabotaged the course by coating it with oil; however, it was later believed that a broken oil line in a car driven by Argentina's Roberto Mieres was the cause of the slick spot.

(Photo; espn.co.uk)
See: Juan Manuel Fangio Kidnapped