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 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 During the third hour, the car was withdrawn as it exhaust system fell apart.[3]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 teammates. 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 | Hap Sharp | Ferrari 250 TR 59 | 203 | ||
5th | 51 | S1.6 | Roger Penske | Brumos Porsche Company | Porsche 718 RS 61 | 199 | ||
6th | 22 | S2.5 | Jim Hall | George Constantine | NART | Dino 246 S | 199 | |
7th | 47 | S1.6 | |
Bob Donner | Porsche 718 RS 61 | 199 | ||
8th | 16 | S3.0 | McCook Window Company | Ferrari 250 TR 59/60 | 196 | |||
9th | 39 | S1.6 | Peter Ryan |
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 | Johnson Chevrolet | Chevrolet Corvette C1 | 181 | |||
12th | 18 | GT3.0 | |
Scuderia Serenissima | Ferrari 250 GT California | 180 | ||
13th | 64 | S1.15 | Lola America | Lola-Climax Mk.1 | 179 | |||
14th | 44 | GT1.6 | British Motors Corp. (USA) | MG A | 175 | |||
15th | 66 | S1.15 | Donald Healey | Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite | 174 | |||
16th | 43 | GT1.6 | John Whitmore | British Motors Corp. (USA) | MG A | 173 | ||
17th | 42 | GT1.6 | Peter Procter |
Peter Harper | Jack Brabhams Motors | Sunbeam Alpine | 173 | |
18th | 37 | S2.0 | William Helburn |
NART | Dino 196 S | 173 | ||
19th | 31 | S2.0 | Briggs Cunningham Walt Hansgen |
Momo Corporation | Maserati Tipo 60 | 171 | ||
20th | 71 | S850 | |
Clearwater Motors | Osca S750 | 171 | ||
20th | 32 | GT2.0 | S. H. Arnolt | Arnolt Deluxe | 166 | |||
22nd | 83 | GT+3.0 | Chevrolet Corvette C | Bud Gates, Inc. | 166 | |||
23rd | 87 | GT2.0 | S. H. Arnolt | Arnolt Deluxe | 164 | |||
24th | 33 | GT2.0 | S. H. Arnolt | Arnolt Deluxe | 163 | |||
25th | 65 | S1.15 | Donald Healey | Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite | 161 | |||
26th | 30 | GT2.0 | Al Rogers | Salter Auto Imports | Morgan 4/4 | 156 | ||
27th | 58 | GT1.3 | Arthur Swanson | Alfa Romeo Giuletta Veloce | 155 | |||
28th | 60 | GT1.3 | Autosport S. A. | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale | 155 | |||
29th | 26 | GT2.0 | George Waltman | Triumph TR3 | 154 | |||
30th | 29 | GT2.0 | Don Parsons | Suburban Foreign Cars | Triumph TR3 | 153 | ||
31st | 55 | GT1.6 | Filippo Theodoli | Sunbeam Alpine | 153 | |||
32nd | 1 | GT+3.0 | Don Yenko | Yenko Chevrolet | Chevrolet Corvette C1 | 151 | ||
33rd | 59 | GT1.3 | |
Thomas O'Brien | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale | 151 | ||
34th | 40 | GT1.6 | Paddy Hopkirk | Rootes Motors, Inc. | Sunbeam Alpine | 149 | ||
35th | 46 | GT1.6 | |
Carl Haas Automotive | Elva Courier | 149 | ||
36th | 45 | GT1.6 | Carl Haas Automotive | Elva Courier | 144 | |||
37th | 67 | S1.15 | Paul Hawkins | John Sprinzel | Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite | 144 | ||
NC | 3 | S1.6 | |
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 | Lou Comito | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Zagato | 103 | |||
NC | 80 | S1.15 | Abarth DFL Co. | Fiat-Abarth Record Monza | 110 | Water & oil leak | ||
DISQ | 56 | GT1.3 | Jake Kaplan | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale | Illegal refuel | |||
DNF | 25 | S3.0 | Rallye Motors | Maserati Tipo 61 | ||||
DNF | 68 | S1.15 | Abarth DFL Co. | Fiat-Abrath 1000 S | Broken head stud | |||
DNF | 63 | S1.15 | Lola America | Lola-Climax Mk.1 | Ignition failure | |||
DNF | 26 | S2.5 | Ed Hugus | NART | Dino 246 S | Transmission | ||
DNF | 69 | S850 | |
NART | Osca S1000 | Transmission | ||
DNF | 20 | S3.0 | Walt Hansgen | Bruce McLaren | Momo Corporation | Maserati Tipo 63 | Rear axle | |
DNF | 8 | GT+3.0 | David Ash | Aston Martin DB4 GT | Broken hub | |||
DNF | 48 | S1.6 | Association Automovilisti Santaneca | Porsche 718 RS 61 | Blown engine | |||
DNF | 36 | GT2.0 | A.C. Cars Ltd. | AC Ace | ||||
DNF | 70 | S850 | |
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 | David Ash | Aston Martin DB4 GT | Broken hub | |||
DNF | 2 | GT+3.0 | 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 246 SP | Steering arm | |
DNF | 41 | GT1.6 | 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 | Augie Pabst | Porsche Car Import | Porsche 718 RS 60 | Main seal | ||
DNF | 35 | GT2.0 | A.C. Cars Ltd. | AC Ace | Accident | |||
DNF | 72 | S850 | 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 | Glenn Campbell Chevrolet | Chevrolet Corvette C1 | Reserve | |||
DNS | 53 | S2.5 | Robert Publicker | Lotus-Climax 19 | Engine | |||
DNS | 86 | S1.6 | Lester Castings | Porsche 718 RSK | Reserve | |||
DNS | 1P | GT3.0 | Yenko Chevrolet | Chevrolet Corvette C1 | T-car |
- Fastest Lap: Stirling Moss, 3:13.2secs (96.894 mph)[4][1]
Class Winners[]
Class | Winners | ||
---|---|---|---|
Sports 3000 – Class S-12 | 14 | Ferrari 250 TRI/61 | Hill / Gendebien |
Sports 2500 – Class S-11 | 22 | Dino 246 S | Hall / Constantine |
Sports 2000 – Class S-10 | 37 | Dino 196 S | Helburn / Hudson / Fulp |
Sports 1600 – Class S-9 | 51 | Porsche 718 RS 61 | Holbert / Penske |
Sports 1150 – Class S-7 | 64 | Lola-Climax Mk.1 | Kurtz / Ripley |
Sports 850 – Class S-5 | 71 | Osca S750 | Peck / Hoffman / Richardson |
Grand Touring +3000 – Class GT-13/15 | 4 | Chevrolet Corvette C1 | Johnson / Morgan |
Grand Touring 3000 – Class GT-11/12 | 12 | Ferrari 250 GT SWB | McCluggage / Eager |
Grand Touring 2000 – Class GT-10 | 32 | Arnolt Deluxe | Goldman / Durbin |
Grand Touring 1600 – Class GT-9 | 44 | MGA | Flaherty / Parkinson |
Grand Touring 1300 – Class GT-8 | 58 | Alfa Romeo Giuletta Spider Veloce | Durant / Swanson |
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[]
- ^ a b c "Sebring 12 Hours 1961 - Racing Sports Cars".
- ^ "Sebring 12 Hours 1961 - Entry List - Racing Sports Cars".
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2016-08-28.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c "Reference at www.teamdan.com".[dead link]
- ^ a b "Sebring 12 Hours 1961 - Race Results - Racing Sports Cars".
Further reading[]
- Alec Ulmann. The Sebring Story. Chilton Book Company. ASIN B0006CUAP2.
- 12 Hours of Sebring
- 1961 World Sportscar Championship season
- 1961 in American motorsport
- 1961 in sports in Florida
- March 1961 sports events in the United States