The Serenissima Ferrari Berlintetta of Fernando Tavano and Colin Davis did 119 laps before the V12 gave up.
Another look at the Ferrari. The classic look of the short wheelbase 250GT is ageless. One of the ionic cars of the 60’s. Remember that in 1961 Denise McCluggage drove one from NYC to Sebring, won the race and drove it home.
The All American Berlinetta of Charlie Hayes, Chuck Dietrich and Carl Haas. Yes, the same Carl Haas the Lola importer and later partner with Paul Newman in the Newman-Haas Indy car team.
The #27 car was running at the finish but had problems during the day and completed only 149 laps in 34th place.
A second Ferrari 248SP was for North American drivers Buck Fulp (US) and Peter Ryan (CDN). While the Rodriguez boys in the sister #34 were quicker, this car ran most of the whole day to finish 13th.
This car was changed at the factory to the small V8 and became a 268SP. The Rodriguea boys drove it at the Nurburgring 1,000 but Pedro put it in a ditch and the car never finished. Later in its life it became a Walmart car in the hands of Rob Walt
The Corvettes were beginning to figure long distance races and how to finish. This car driven by BARC member Don Yenko and Ed Lowther finished 19th.
The number 3 Vette of Johnny Allen and George Robertson stayed parked on the back straight with its 283 engine seized.
Delmo Johnson and Dave Morgan kept it running all 12 hours but with small troubles could not finish higher than 21st in the Johnson Chevrolet car.
Perhaps the most unusual car in the field was the Holman Moody #9 Ford Falcon Challenger V8 driven by NASCAR star Marvin Panch and Jocko Maggiacomo. The Falcon made it to 36th overall.
In the usual Cunningham white with blue stripes, Briggs and John Fitch won the GT 4.0 class in this E Type beating all the Corvettes.
Jack Sears #52 MGA at the MG bridge. Sears and Andrew Hedges drove it to be the first MGA and just 1 lap behind the factory Sunbeam Alpine. This car is now owned by Hugh Burruss.
The #51 MGA races under the MG bridge. The usual Jack Flaherty and Jim Parkinson were just a lap behind #52. Jim Plowden has this car and it is currently being renovated by Jim Alcorn.
Note the coupes ran without a valance to assist in cooling. The motors were also special running with the water jackets blocked off, no head gasket and using a special water outlet at the back of the cylinder head. The idea was to eliminate the cha
%1 leaves the pits while a spectator looks at the engine compartment of the wounded Rodriguez Ferrari.
Here is the #52 car going past the pits. These were 1600 MkII cars that came with 1622cc motors. But for Sebring the class limit was 1600cc so MG created special motors of 1588cc.
The 53 car, now owned by John Wright, race through the night, lights blazing. Back in the day there were no huge lights as today. When the sun set on the flat lands of Florida it got dark - quickly.
A fuzzy shot of 53 on the back straight. Bob Oltoff and Sir John Whitmore finished 20th overall and 2 laps behind the other MGA’s.
The #51 car now lives in California in the hands of Jim Plowden. Here is a photo from the fall of 2018. Dave Nicholas practiced at The Thermal Club but the engine was not up to the task after 2 years in a museum. The car is being resurrected (not
The all new Elva Mk VI of Art Tweedale, Alan Ross and Ben Warren arrive at the track. The car had to withdraw with a heavy oil leak after 114 laps.
Out on the track, the Elva Mk VI was the first rear/mid engined small sports racer and dominated until Colin Chapman finally caught up with his Lotus 23.
Whistling along on race day the Elva had the 1100cc class locked up before the Climax had an incurable oil leak.
The TR-4 of George Waltman finished 30th overall. Waltman loved driving and did the whole 12 hours by himself. Waltman reportedly drive the car from NY and back home. Legend has it that George stopped in the early afternoon, had lunch, got back i
The #43 Sunbeam Alpine was part of a 3 car team from The Rootes Group. All 3 MG’s beat two of the Alpines, but #41 of Peter Harper and Peter Proctor was first of the non Porsche cars.
Denis McCluggage and Alan Eager returned to Sebring with this 1.o liter OSCA. The results were the opposite of 1961 as Denise crashed after 10 laps.
John Gordon and John Bentley took their 750 OSCA to first in the 850 class. The Fiat Abarth #76 of Alfonso Thiele and Jean Guichet won the 1100cc GT class.
The Kingham brothers (Dave and Bob) AC Bristol lasted only 45 laps before it broke an axle.
A classic battle early in the day. Chuck Daigh in the Chaparral leads Walt Hansgen in the tipo 64 rear engine Maserati.
We were experimenting taking photos at night. The best part is the flag marshals never saw us as we climbed the fences and got close to take this photo of the #10 Chaparral.
Who would have guessed a Cooper Monaco with a Maserati engine would go all the way. Here Roger Penske is flying in the dark after having a 1 hour pit stop to repair the lights.
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