Sport: Desperate Desire

"End this cruel game," the Countess Thessa Berghe von Trips pleaded with her son. But Count Wolfgang Berghe von Trips could not even think of ending it. And his argument was eloquent in its simplicity: "I love driving," said he.

Last week, after 15 years of driving everything from sputtering motorcycles to high-horsepower sports cars, Von Trips was just a few points away from winning a world championship in the sport he loved—Grand Prix auto racing, the swift and dangerous pastime that binds its practitioners to a peculiar, almost chivalric code. With goggles...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!