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. Out of these, 65 qualified for, and started the race.

Qualifying

As was the norm for Sebring and because there 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.

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 During the third hour, the car was withdrawn as it exhaust system fell apart.

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.

Official Classification

Class Winners are in Bold text.

Pos No ClassDriver 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 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 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 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 Dino 246 S Transmission DNF 69 S850 David Cunningham Tom Fleming Kent 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 BeachJohn 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 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

Fastest Lap: Stirling Moss, 3:13.2secs (96.894 mph)

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

Further reading

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