1961 12 Hours of Sebring

The Sebring 12-Hour Florida International Grand Prix of Endurance for the Alitalia Group took place on 25 March 1961, on the Sebring International Raceway, (Florida, United States). It was the opening round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. This was also the second round of the F.I.A. GT Cup.

Report

Entry

A massive total of 74 racing cars were registered for this event, of which 67 arrived for practice. Only these, 65 qualified for, and started the race.^[1]

Qualifying

As was the normal for Sebring and because they was no qualifying sessions to set the grid, the starting positions were decided according to engine size with the 4.6 litre Chevrolet Corvette C1 of Don Yenko and Ben Moore being given first place.^[2]

Race

Most of the 40,000 spectators expected Phil Hill to win the race in his Ferrari 250 TRI/61, provided the car lasted the distance.

Stirling Moss had a bad start due to his Maserati Tipo 61 having problems starting as the battery was flat. It took the Englishman over six minutes to coax the car into life. However, after driving flat out for two hours, he handed the car over to Graham Hill. During the third hour, the car was withdrawn as it exhaust system fell apart.^[3]

After 12 hours of racing, the race was won the Sefac Automobile Ferrari of Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien, two laps clear of their team-mates. Giancarlo Baghetti, Willy Mairesse, Richie Ginther and Wolfgang von Trips. The winning cars, completed 210 laps, covering 1,081.6 miles after 12 hours of racing, averaging a speed of 89.861 mph. The podium was complete by another Ferrari of Pedro Rodríguez (racing driver) and his brother Ricardo who were a further lap behind.^[4][5]

Official Classification

Class Winners are in Bold text.

Pos	No	Class	Driver		Entrant	Chassis	Laps	Reason Out
1st	14	S3.0	Phil Hill	Olivier Gendebien	Sefac Automobile Ferrari	Ferrari 250 TRI/61	12hr 02:11.00, 210
2nd	415	S3.0	Giancarlo Baghetti Richie Ginther	Willy Mairesse Wolfgang von Trips	Sefac Automobile Ferrari	Ferrari 250 TRI/60	208
3rd	17	S3.0	Pedro Rodríguez	Ricardo Rodríguez	NART	Ferrari 250 TR 59/60	207
4th	10	S3.0	Hap Sharp	Ronnie Hissom	Hap Sharp	Ferrari 250 TR 59	203
5th	51	S1.6	Bob Holbert	Roger Penske	Brumos Porsche Company	Porsche 718 RS 61	199
6th	22	S2.5	Jim Hall	George Constantine	NART	Ferrari Dino 246 S	199
7th	47	S1.6	Don Sesslar Ernie Erickson	Bob Donner	Bob Donner	Porsche 718 RS 61	199
8th	16	S3.0	George Reed	Bill Sturgis	McCook Window Company	Ferrari 250 TR 59/60	196
9th	39	S1.6	Peter Ryan Ludwig Heimrath	Francis Bradley	Eglinton Caledonia Motors	Porsche 718 RS 61	189
10th	12	GT3.0	Denise McCluggage	Allen Eager	Denise McCluggage	Ferrari 250 GT SWB	183
11th	4	GT+3.0	Delmo Johnson	Dave Morgan	Johnson Chevrolet	Chevrolet Corvette C1	181
12th	18	GT3.0	Gaston Andrey Robert Publicker	Allen Newman	Scuderia Serenissima	Ferrari 250 GT California	180
13th	64	S1.15	Charles Kurtz	Millard Ripley	Lola America	Lola-Climax Mk.1	179
14th	44	GT1.6	Jack Flaherty	Jim Parkinson	British Motors Corp. (USA)	MG A	175
15th	66	S1.15	Joe Buzzetta	Glenn Carlson	Donald Healey	Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite	174
16th	43	GT1.6	Peter RIley	John Whitmore	British Motors Corp. (USA)	MG A	173
17th	42	GT1.6	Peter Procter Bob Olthoff	Peter Harper	Jack Brabhams Motors	Sunbeam Alpine	173
18th	37	S2.0	William Helburn John Fulp	Skip Hudson	NART	Ferrari Dino 196 S	173
19th	31	S2.0	Briggs Cunningham Walt Hansgen	William Kimberly	Momo Corporation	Maserati Tipo 60	171
20th	71	S850	George Peck Bob Richardson	John Hoffman	Clearwater Motors	Osca S750	171
20th	32	GT2.0	Max Goldman	Ralph Durbin	S. H. Arnolt	Arnolt Deluxe	166
22nd	83	GT+3.0	Bud Gates	Harry Heuer	Chevrolet Corvette C	Bud Gates, Inc.	166
23rd	87	GT2.0	Bud Seaverns	Robert Hil	S. H. Arnolt	Arnolt Deluxe	164
24th	33	GT2.0	Tom Payne	Template:Flagison Ray Cuomo	S. H. Arnolt	Arnolt Deluxe	163
25th	65	S1.15	Ed Leavens	John Colgate	Donald Healey	Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite	161
26th	30	GT2.0	Al Rogers	James Bailey	Salter Auto Imports	Morgan 4/4	156
27th	58	GT1.3	Ross Durant	Art Swanson	Arthur Swanson	Alfa Romeo Giuletta Veloce	155
28th	60	GT1.3	Fred van Beuren	Carlos Sales	Autosport S. A.	Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale	155
29th	26	GT2.0	Ike Williamson	George Waltman	George Waltman	Triumph TR3	154
30th	29	GT2.0	James Rushin	Don Parsons	Suburban Foreign Cars	Triumph TR3	153
31st	55	GT1.6	Filippo Theodoli	Freddie Barrette	Filippo Theodoli	Sunbeam Alpine	153
32nd	1	GT+3.0	Don Yenko	Ben Moore	Yenko Chevrolet	Chevrolet Corvette C1	151
33rd	59	GT1.3	Allan Jacobson Jim O’Brien	Tom O’Brien	Thomas O’Brien	Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale	151
34th	40	GT1.6	Paddy Hopkirk	Peter Jopp	Rootes Motors, Inc.	Sunbeam Alpine	149
35th	46	GT1.6	Ed Gelder Bill Fuller	Peggy McClure	Carl Haas Automotive	Elva Courier	149
36th	45	GT1.6	Don Horn	Ed Tucker	Carl Haas Automotive	Elva Courier	144
37th	67	S1.15	Cyril Simson	Paul Hawkins	John Sprinzel	Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite	144
NC	3	S1.6	George Robertson Bill Warren	Ben Burroughs	Red Vogt	Chevrolet Corvette C1	133
DNF	50	S2.0	Hans Herrmann	Edgar Barth	Porsche Auto	Porsche 718 RS 61		Engine
DNF	60	S2.0	Jo Bonnier	Dan Gurney	Porsche Auto	Porsche 718 RS 61		Clutch
DNF	57	GT1.3	Ralph Troiano	Harry Theodoracopulos	Lou Comito	Alfa Romeo Giulietta Zagato	103
NC	80	S1.15	Lars Giertz	Bob Liess	Abarth DFL Co.	Fiat-Abarth Record Monza	110	Water & oil leak
DISQ	56	GT1.3	Charlie Rainville	Jake Kaplan	Jake Kaplan	Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale		Illegal refuel
DNF	25	S3.0	Dave Causey	Luke Stear	Rallye Motors	Maserati Tipo 61
DNF	68	S1.15	L. Fritz Taylor	James Calhoun	Abarth DFL Co.	Fiat-Abrath 1000 S		Broken head stud
DNF	63	S1.15	Chuck Hall	Alan Ross	Lola America	Lola-Climax Mk.1		Ignition failure
DNF	26	S2.5	Ed Hugus	Alan Connell	NART	Ferrari Dino 246 S		Transmission
DNF	69	S850	David Cunningham Tom Fleming	Den Price	NART	Osca S1000		Transmission
DNF	20	S3.0	Walt Hansgen	Bruce McLaren	Momo Corporation	Maserati Tipo 63		Rear axle
DNF	8	GT+3.0	Sherman Decker	Bob Bucher	David Ash	Aston Martin DB4 GT		Broken hub
DNF	48	S1.6	Chuck Cassel	David Lane	Association Automovilisti Santaneca	Porsche 718 RS 61		Blown engine
DNF	36	GT2.0	Frank Laughton	Robert Bowers	A.C. Cars Ltd.	AC Ace
DNF	70	S850	Gene Beach John Bentley	Henry Grady	Begra Cars	Begra-Saab Mk II		Engine
DNF	11	GT3.0	Fernand Tavano	George Arents	Scuderia Serenissima	Ferrari 250 GT SWB		Differential
DNF	7	GT+3.0	Bob Grossman	Duncan Black	David Ash	Aston Martin DB4 GT		Broken hub
DNF	2	GT+3.0	Roy Reardon	John Kilbourn	Yenko Chervrolet	Chevrolet Corvette C1		Blown engine
DNF	24	S3.0	Masten Gregory Stirling Moss	Lloyd Casner	Camoradi USA	Maserati Tipo 63		Suspension
DNF	27	S2.5	Richie Ginther	Wolfgang von Trips	Sefac Automobile Ferrari	Ferrari Dino 246 SP		Steering arm
DNF	41	GT1.6	Ed Wilson	Vince Tamburo	Rootes Motors, Inc.	Sunbeam Alpine		Oil leak
DNF	21	S3.0	John Fitch	Dick Thompson	Mono Corporation	Maserati Tipo 61		Transmission
DNF	23	S3.0	Stirling Moss	Graham Hill	Camoradi USA	Maserati Tipo 61		Exhaust manifold
DNF	38	S1.6	Bill Wuesthoff	Augie Pabst	Porsche Car Import	Porsche 718 RS 60		Main seal
DNF	35	GT2.0	Leo May	James Johnston	A.C. Cars Ltd.	AC Ace		Accident
DNF	72	S850	Howard Hanna	Frank Manley	YBH Sales	D.B. Le Mans		Valve failure
DNF	9	S3.0	Pete Lovely	Jack Nethercutt	Jack Nethercutt	Ferrari 250 TR 59		Oil pump
DNS	5	GT+3.0	Jack Moore	Bob Johnson	Glenn Campbell Chevrolet	Chevrolet Corvette C1		Reserve
DNS	53	S2.5	Robert Publicker	Charlie Kolb	Robert Publicker	Lotus-Climax 19		Engine
DNS	86	S1.6	Herb Swan	Ed Johnson	Lester Castings	Porsche 718 RSK		Reserve
DNS	1P	GT3.0			Yenko Chevrolet	Chevrolet Corvette C1		T-car

^[4][5]

• Fastest Lap: Stirling Moss, 3:13.2secs (96.894 mph) ^[4][1]

Class Winners

^[1]

Standings after the race

Pos	Championship	Points
1	Ferrari	8
2	Porsche	2

• Note: Only the top five positions are included in this set of standings.

Championship points were awarded for the first six places in each race in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers were only awarded points for their highest finishing car with no points awarded for positions filled by additional cars. Only the best 3 results out of the 5 races could be retained by each manufacturer. Points earned but not counted towards the championship totals are listed within brackets in the above table.

References

Further reading

• Alec Ulmann. The Sebring Story. Chilton Book Company. ASIN B0006CUAP2.