1957 Sebring 12-Hour Grand Prix – Race Profile Page Three
Considering the press coverage the race was getting it was apparent to all that the Sebring 12-hour event was finally coming into its own since it was created by Alec Ulmann in 1952. Since that first event it has gained in popularity each year and 1957 would see a record crowd of 30,000 in attendance at the 5.2 mile road course laid out over the landing strips and taxi-ways of the old B-17 bomber base formerly known as Hendricks Field.
The town of Sebring, population 7,000 in 1957, benefited economically each year from the event but there was the expected group of locals who resented this annual invasion and disturbance of the peace by all those loud cars and milling strangers who didn’t speak “American.”
Some residents objected to the factory Ferrari cars being housed at the Pontiac dealership and the Maserati team housed at the Weaver Auto Parts garage in the heart of Sebring. The garage owners, however, didn’t mind the rental fee they were paid. To some locals having those teams in the heart of Sebring only added to the congestion downtown during the week before the race and the fact that some of these unlicensed and unmuffled race cars were driven the seven miles to and from the track during the days before the race upset a few residents. For the most part the citizens of Sebring welcomed the newcomers because it literally put Sebring on the map for one week of the year.
Both Ferrari and Maserati rented garages in downtown Sebring. Mechanics would drive the cars through town and the seven miles to the track and back. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
Team Maserati at the 1957 Sebring race: Harry Schell, Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Roy Salvadori, Giorgio Scarlatti, Jean Behra and Carroll Shelby. Photo by Bernard Cahier and courtesy of Maserati
Two of the greatest drivers in the history of racing. Juan Manuel Fangio (on left) and Stirling Moss. Both drove for Maserati at Sebring in 1957. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
Despite being ranked first and second in the World Driver’s Championship both Fangio and Moss were friends and showed great affection for each other. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
Stirling Moss in his factory Maserati 300S 3-liter car that he and Harry Schell drove to a second-place finish in the 1957 Sebring race. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
Stirling Moss driving the big Maserati 450S during practice. For the race he would drive the factory 3-liter Maserati 300S along with Harry Schell and finish second. Photo by Bernard Cahier and courtesy of Maserati
Juan Manuel Fangio and Jean Behra share a happy moment as team mates for what will eventually be the winning car in the 1957 12-Hours of Sebring. Photo by Bernard Cahier and courtesy of Maserati
Added to the complaints by some of the older folks was the fact that the young ladies of Sebring thought that many of the Italian drivers and mechanics were “cute.” Maybe they should have put up a sign in town for the locals to “Lock up you wives and daughters.”
Some of the Ferrari and Maserati race cars were driven by mechanics and drivers from the downtown to the track and back along a stretch of highway today known as Kenilworth Boulevard. If you drove the rather desolate road back then you couldn’t help notice several abandoned housing developments that were left over from the Florida real estate boom of the 1920’s. All that was left from those heady times were the dilapidated gates and faded signs marking someone’s dream of life in paradise.
There was a rumor circulating at the track that the local police had arrested Ferrari driver Alfonso de Portago and had taken him to the police station. It seems that the Spanish Marquis was going a little too fast in town and when stopped he tried to feign ignorance of local speed limits by not speaking English, despite the fact that he was fluent in several languages including English. Only with the help of Alec Ulmann and a pile of cash was he released lest he spend race day in the “hoosegow.” Unfortunately this was de Portago’s last Sebring because he would die tragically at the Mille Miglia less than two months later when his car left the road at high speed killing him, his co-driver and a number of spectators including several children.
Many of the fans attending the only FIA sanctioned sports car race in North America traveled great distances in an era when Interstate highways like I-95 and I-75 didn’t exist. Automotive license tags from just about every New England state could be seen on cars in the spectator enclosure on race day and some West Coast tags were also seen. Added to this was a hoard of foreign cars, especially Jaguar automobiles, and for some reason the Jag drivers would give each other a modified salute every time their cars would cross paths.
Sports car clubs from around the nation were there with early arrivals already staking out an enclosure for their members who might arrive late. Probably the largest contingent was the Miami Sports Car Club who came to see several of their members who had entered the race. As with many of the clubs, banners and club flags announced their viewing area. Some spectators and club members would even show up with a truck load of scaffolding to build elaborate viewing stands that would need a building permit in today’s world.
As anyone who ever attended a Sebring race during that era will tell you, the event was as much an endurance event for spectators, especially at Sebring, as it was for the cars and drivers entered. The record crowd in 1957 only added to the perennial problem of long lines for bathrooms, food, drinks and everything else.
But, this didn’t stop the crowd from having a good time and the race organizers would sometimes turn a blind eye to the wild parties that would be legendary for years to come. The police who provided security in the spectator area seemed more concerned over the dogs that some spectators would smuggle into the track. In the past loose dogs were serious problems with some crossing the track in the middle of the race. In 1957 one officer had to threaten to shoot an owner’s dog if he didn’t keep it on a leash.
Sebring was a great place to show off your car to others who owned the same make and show off yourself if you were so inclined. Hats and outfits of all kinds were in vogue at Sebring in 1957 with one woman parading around the spectator enclosure wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat with a large stuffed pheasant mounted on it. A male spectator was seen walking around with a Nassau policeman’s “topee” helmet on his head.
As was to be expected numerous young women paraded around in skimpy shorts and tops or in two-piece swimsuits with some coming close to bikini standards. None of these outfits went too far lest the local constabulary take an interest in them. However, in the city of Sebring the French Renault team was housed at the Kenilworth Lodge. Some of the drivers were women and one, Mademoiselle Gilberte Thirion, decided to take advantage of the warm Florida weather by wearing her very skimpy French bikini to the hotel pool. This made several hotel employees and guests do a double-take. One can only guess what happened at the hotel once the word spread through the town.
Tech inspection at the Sebring track for the 1957 12-Hour Grand Prix. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
The Austin-Healey 100S Special of Gilbert Gietner and Ray Cuomo. They would finish 26th despite a spectacular accident. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
The Cunningham Jaguar D-Type that was driven by Walt Hansgen and Russ Boss. It finished fifth. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
Beautiful Lotus MG in the pits in the days prior to the 12 hour race. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
Stanguellini Sport Bialbero 750 that finished 28th and first in class. It was driven by Carl Haas, Sandy MacArthur and Herman Behm. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
Lance Reventlow and Bill Pollack drove this Maserati 200SI in the race. They failed to finish due to engine problems. Photo by Bernard Cahier and courtesy of Maserati
View of the front straight at Sebring during practice and qualifying. Photo courtesy of Gene Bussian
About Louis Galanos
Louis – You’ve done it again mate!
Thanks much for bringing this wonderful era of racing back to life. The days of Fangio, Moss…Maserati…oh my, what an era. And so well written too. I knew who won in advance, but I was still on the edge of my seat. Brilliant.
Louis
Wonderful report. Could you do another one in a couple of weeks on the 2011 Sebring race?
Please.
Great! Your archive of back in the day racing will be a lasting memory.
I can remember these images from the time. They are the images that inspired me to first take a camera to the track. Good writing combined with marvelous images. Hope to see more of both soon.
Louis, Great article, this 1957 favorite Sebring Race was my favorite 12 hour, as I was a Huge fan of Juan Manuel Fangio and his 4.5 liter Maserati. This was real endurance racing back in the days, prompted me to buy the Sebring Album. WoW, its been a long time ago, Thanks Lou and SCD for the fine article and spectacular pics!
Cheers!
Tony a2z Racer
http://www.a2zracer.com
http://www.a2zracergear.com
Lou,Another great story and pictures. Thanks to you,I now
subscribe to Sports Car Digest. Bill
Merci pour ce beau texte et ces aventures qui rappellent une si bonne époque. Comme vous le savez je suis un passionné de l’histoire Ferrari mais je ne suis pas insensible à ces beaux reportages.
On en redemande.
Cordialement.
Mr Grangeon.
I believe Mr. Grangeon has said:
‘Thank you for this beautiful text and the adventures that recall such a good time. As you know I’m a fan of Ferrari’s history but I am not insensitive to these beautiful stories. We want more. Regards. Grangeon mr.’
Courtesy of Google Translate.
Lou,
Another great story. This was my first Sebring race which I attended during Spring Break. It brings back fond memories. I’m looking forward to your next one.
Bill
Lou,
Thanks for this great piece. For a guy that was too young to have been there, your words do a great job of putting the reader right there as it happened.
Thanks too for all the Corvette SS insight. Very cool to read.
Cheers!
Will Silk
Come on Will, you can’t be that young. Jamie keeps referring to you as “that old goat.”
HAHA! Let’s just say that Mario Andretti was driving for Lotus at the time my feet hit the tarmac.
Fantastic! A perfect mix of talent, passion, dedication, preparation, skill, and hard work.
Another great article, Lou.
I really enjoyed seeing and reading …and remembering what I saw many years ago along with some additional details that I never knew. The Corvette SS surely had the best paint job, but the Maserati’s were faster and reliable.
Wonderful article and photos! I had no idea the Corvette SS had that much potential….shame it wasn’t given another chance.
I attended that Sebring 12 Hour race in 1957.
Your account and pictures are masterful with so many informative points that were not really so well publicized at the time.
I had always wondered about Fangio’s change over to Maserati since he had won the previous year(1956,the year of my first Sebring visit-55 years ago-whew!)in a Ferrari.
Fangio’s hospital visit to his friend and competitor following the race is quite touching.
Your presentation brings back countless nice memories from my visits to Sebring.
Thank You!
I love Sports Car Digest and am glad I subscribe.
I’m a bit too young to have been there, but what a thoroughly enjoyable trip back in time. No one brings this to life like you do. Someone should do a film on Fangio. The cars and drivers of that time where incredible.
Many thanks for the wonderful insight to the past! What photos!
As a clarification of the Corvette SS’s non-performance:
Neither Fangio nor Moss had a chance to drive the actual racing Vette because it had not yet arrived. It was completed at the last moment and trucked to Sebring while GM technicians were polishing it to GM “show standards.” The car had not yet been race tested.
Fitch persuaded GM to hire Pierro Taruffi to co-drive as he was a very good developmental “driver” and he flew in at the last moment.
The brake problem was due to a mercury-filed switch that was supposed to modulate brake bias. It worked fine on the mule, but not on the actual race car. It’s braking in the race was eratic at best.
Finally, the SS left the race with a suspension problem: technicians building the chassis had cracked the trailing arms in the rear suspension ever so slightly so that the bushed worked loose to let the rear ride on the tires.
The Corvette could clearly have been the fastest at Sebring that year with Fangio or Moss driving if it had been thoroughly tested and developed. Which, of course, never happend.
Thanks for those wonderful shots of the SS!
Robb
This era, and those cars, and those drivers WERE Motorsport.
The cars were our national pride in the patriotic livery colors.
The news was of course only bulletins and not real time, and
the photography except for these was grainy monochromatic
but the anticipation was lengthy and the attainment not just
fleeting.
The schedule overload today, the cars that cannot be road
licensed and lusted for, the largely irrelevant graphics on all
cars and just the vast subsequent history of the industry has
only diminished what we experience today. Maybe I am just
an old doting and anacronistic fuddy duddy…
Geo. Gallo
Regarding the photo of Doc Wyllie pushing the Lotus Eleven (which I have owned since 1971), He was not disqualified for getting assistance on the course — he was the assistance on the course. Car entrant Charles Moran Jr. was driving when it ran out of gas. I don’t know how far from the pits it was, but in the Amoco film Twelve to Go, it shows Wyllie pushing at the head of the back straight, which is quite a long way from the pit area. Wyllie apparently went out to assist the exhausted Moran and since the driver “change” did not occur in the pit area, the car was disqualified.
It also ran in the 1958 and 1959 Sebring races being entered and driven by Moran.
Louis,
Another outstanding piece of work on a race, the outcome of which determined the entire future of Corvette racing. Now 57 years later in some respects it is not all that bad. Could have been much better if the SS won and if GM stayed in racing. The Corvette is one of the few marques from that race that is still being produced and racing.
Thanks, best regards and keep it up.
Jan Hyde, Registry of Corvette race cars. com
Great article. Fantastic pictures. I am reading “A race against death and time” by Brock Yates, which I heartily recommend to all. It deals with the racing season of 1955 and is very well written, as Brock’s books are. Mitch.
Great job Louis! You not only described the race very well, but set the tone of that era with great behind the scene stories.
Great story Lou, love to relive those stories of real sport car racing!!!
I, too was at this race and greatly appreciated this report. As an adventuresome teenager, I quickly took advantage of where someone had breached the fence and gained access to the paddock area. With my $4 Brownie camera, I recorded several pictures during the race. One of my pictures of the Maserati pit during one of Behra’s early pit stops ended up on the wall behind the winning #19 450 at the Rolex exhibit at Monterey at its 50th anniversary, much to my surprise and delight. Once again, a great article. Thank you.
Wonderful article, Lou, in both your fine words and story-telling talent, and selection of photographs, to bring back that 1957 Sebring with its historic 1-2 finish for Maserati. My father was supposed to get the 450S V8 right after the race, in his deal with Officine Alfieri Maserati in Modena, but the factory decided to keep that four-five to win more races with it, and instead temporarily assigned the 2nd place 300S to the John Edgar Enterprises team. The 3-liter Inline6 was spirited away to California in the 100-mph Edgar transporter just in time to run Palm Springs in Carroll Shelby’s hands, where he practiced the car still wearing the #20 Moss number, then won the preliminary in it, only to lose to Phil Hill (Ferrari 121LM) in Sunday’s main. It was not until August 1957 that we finally got our promised 450S, though not the same one that won Sebring. I’ve written the story (“Maser Mia”) of the Edgar 450S (chassis number 4506) in the May/June 2009 issue of Vintage Motorsport magazine. My article about the chassis number 3071 Maserati 300S (“The Return of the Maser”) appeared in the Jan/Feb 2004 Vintage Motorsport. Your own contribution here in Sports Car Digest is a great addition to Sebring history and these two iconic Maseratis. Thank you for your excellent work.
Great writing and great pictures which I have saved and added to my collection. A your stories have helped me remember and re-live those glory-days of racing.
Well written as usual, Lou. This makes a good companion piece for the recording you noted in your article. The photos complete the deal. Being about the same vintage as you I wasn’t aware of this great stuff. My first was nearly 10 years later at the second Daytona 24 hour race. I’ve been an addict ever since as you know. See you next week.
I was there. Before Sebring in 57, I had been to Pebble Beach, Golden Gate, Torrey Pines, Madera, etc while in college in California. Joined the Marines, went to flight school, and was a brand new 2/LT in my first squadron at New River NC when I picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated that featured the Corvette SS. Decided I had to go. Went into the XO, Major Bucky Harris (Emmy Lou;s dad) and asked for a day off. I told him I would be back on Monday. He said OK and off I went in my 56 Chevy. I did not know where Sebring was, but I got there, watched it all. Best memory is standing right at the edge of the long backstretch at night with the 4.5 Maserati howling by about a foot away. Got in my Chevy and was back at work Monday AM in NC. Never slept. Wish I had that endurance and strength now at 78 young years. Have had lots of great and not so great cars since then, but the best might be my brand new Jeep Cherokee SRT8, a great compromise for somebody who can’t fold into a Porsche anymore, Semper Fi. John
Very good history.
Other times, when Formula One stars raced in another kind of race cars.
I was Assistant Chief Pit Steward at the 57 and 66 races. Your stories bring back old memories as they are so well written.