Masten Gregory
A wealthy bon vivant with nerves of steel, he drove for underdog teams and clinched a dramatic, rain-soaked victory at the world's greatest endurance race.
1932–1985 (age 53)·American racing driver·Birthday: February 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Masten Gregory was an anomaly in Formula One: a Kansas City-born aristocrat who funded his own racing career, often in uncompetitive machinery. Nicknamed 'The Kansas City Flash,' he was known for his sheer bravery and a flamboyant, bespectacled look that belied his fierce talent. While his F1 record—scattered across various privateer teams—showed only a handful of podium finishes, his reputation was built on fearless drives in difficult cars. His crowning achievement came at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he co-drove a Ferrari 250 LM for the North American Racing Team (NART). In torrential conditions, with the leading car's failure in the final hour, Gregory seized the win, securing his place in motorsport history as a gentleman driver who could deliver when it mattered most.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Masten was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Masten Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Masten's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Died at 53
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
Key Achievements
- Won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965 co-driving a Ferrari 250 LM for the NART team in extremely wet conditions.
- Earned three podium finishes in his Formula One career, driving largely for privateer teams.
- Competed in 43 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix between 1957 and 1965.
Did You Know?
He was famously nearsighted and raced wearing thick, corrective goggles under his helmet.
His family wealth came from a successful chain of drugstores in the American Midwest.
He survived a horrific crash at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, which he described as 'the big one.'
“You don't drive the car; you argue with it, and sometimes you win.”
