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1955 12 Hours of Sebring
The 1955 Florida International Twelve Hour Grand Prix of Endurance took place on 13 March, on the Sebring International Raceway (Florida, United States). It was the second round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. For the fifth running of the event, the 5.2 mile course had been widened and smoothed with a new asphalt topping laid down. This was for safety and would allow the cars to achieve greater speed, especially in some of the corners.
A massive total of 124 racing cars were registered for this event, of which 101 arrived for practice, trying to get among the 80 qualifiers for the race. Despite the size of the entry, the event was not supported by the major European teams.
In January, the Mercedes-Benz team with Fangio, Stirling Moss and two Germans had taken part in two of the three racing events in Argentina, Fangio winning the GP F1 race and the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix Formula Libre race using the new 3.0 engine of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, but the new sports car was not ready yet, neither for the 1955 1000 km Buenos Aires nor for Sebring. Moss, who had piloted an Osca to victory in 1954, was allowed to race for another brand, with fellow Englishman Lance Macklin in a factory entry from England, for Donald Healey Motor Co..
Two cars came from France for Regie Renault Co., who include Robert Manzon amongst their squad. With no factory Ferrari entry to defend the championship lead earned by private 1-2 win in Argentine, they were supported by the private entries of Allen Guiberson and Luigi Chinetti.
Briggs Cunningham returned after winning in 1954, with five cars from five different manufacturers. One of those cars was a factory-supported Jaguar D-Type for Phil Walters and Mike Hawthorn. Cunningham himself was entered in a new Offenhauser-powered Cunningham C-6R with John Gordon Bennett.[citation needed]
There were a dozen different countries represented in the field, including the teams from Mexico and Venezuela. The later had Chester "Chet" Flynn leading their effort, while the Mexicans had a two car team with Fred T. Van Beuren and Carlos Braniff leading their charge. The race saw its first Hollywood movie star, as Jackie Cooper was listed to pilot an Austin-Healey 100S.[citation needed]
Miss Isabelle Haskell was to become the first woman to compete, not only in the 12 Hours of Sebring – but in any American Automobile Association sanctioned race. Although the AAA did not allow ladies drivers, Haskell discovered that there was no such restriction placed on 'foreign races'. By race day, another woman had signed up to drive in the race, Greta Oakes was listed to take the wheel with her husband, Sydney Oakes.[citation needed]
The race was held over 12 hours on the 5.2 miles Sebring International Raceway. An estimated 20,000 spectators showed on a warm and sunny raceday. With the race starting promptly at 10am, 80 cars scrambled for positions. Meanwhile, six drivers who were unhappy at not being allowed to start, decided to go on the track at the start, they did one or two laps and then got off the track. Statistics show that the Hawthorn/Walter's Jaguar D-Type led all but one of the 182 completed laps, That single lap, a Ferrari 750 Monza of Piero Taruffi and Harry Schell were able take to the front for lap 32.
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1955 12 Hours of Sebring
The 1955 Florida International Twelve Hour Grand Prix of Endurance took place on 13 March, on the Sebring International Raceway (Florida, United States). It was the second round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. For the fifth running of the event, the 5.2 mile course had been widened and smoothed with a new asphalt topping laid down. This was for safety and would allow the cars to achieve greater speed, especially in some of the corners.
A massive total of 124 racing cars were registered for this event, of which 101 arrived for practice, trying to get among the 80 qualifiers for the race. Despite the size of the entry, the event was not supported by the major European teams.
In January, the Mercedes-Benz team with Fangio, Stirling Moss and two Germans had taken part in two of the three racing events in Argentina, Fangio winning the GP F1 race and the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix Formula Libre race using the new 3.0 engine of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, but the new sports car was not ready yet, neither for the 1955 1000 km Buenos Aires nor for Sebring. Moss, who had piloted an Osca to victory in 1954, was allowed to race for another brand, with fellow Englishman Lance Macklin in a factory entry from England, for Donald Healey Motor Co..
Two cars came from France for Regie Renault Co., who include Robert Manzon amongst their squad. With no factory Ferrari entry to defend the championship lead earned by private 1-2 win in Argentine, they were supported by the private entries of Allen Guiberson and Luigi Chinetti.
Briggs Cunningham returned after winning in 1954, with five cars from five different manufacturers. One of those cars was a factory-supported Jaguar D-Type for Phil Walters and Mike Hawthorn. Cunningham himself was entered in a new Offenhauser-powered Cunningham C-6R with John Gordon Bennett.[citation needed]
There were a dozen different countries represented in the field, including the teams from Mexico and Venezuela. The later had Chester "Chet" Flynn leading their effort, while the Mexicans had a two car team with Fred T. Van Beuren and Carlos Braniff leading their charge. The race saw its first Hollywood movie star, as Jackie Cooper was listed to pilot an Austin-Healey 100S.[citation needed]
Miss Isabelle Haskell was to become the first woman to compete, not only in the 12 Hours of Sebring – but in any American Automobile Association sanctioned race. Although the AAA did not allow ladies drivers, Haskell discovered that there was no such restriction placed on 'foreign races'. By race day, another woman had signed up to drive in the race, Greta Oakes was listed to take the wheel with her husband, Sydney Oakes.[citation needed]
The race was held over 12 hours on the 5.2 miles Sebring International Raceway. An estimated 20,000 spectators showed on a warm and sunny raceday. With the race starting promptly at 10am, 80 cars scrambled for positions. Meanwhile, six drivers who were unhappy at not being allowed to start, decided to go on the track at the start, they did one or two laps and then got off the track. Statistics show that the Hawthorn/Walter's Jaguar D-Type led all but one of the 182 completed laps, That single lap, a Ferrari 750 Monza of Piero Taruffi and Harry Schell were able take to the front for lap 32.