1956 SEBRING cover
This shot is a postcard of the 1956 grid. Start places were figured with biggest motors at the front. The big Ferrari 375+ of Troy Ruttman and Howard Hively were placed 2nd among the Corvettes.
Corvette’s were here in force with 3 cars entered by the mysterious "Raceway Enterprises". Vette #5 doesn’t finish, #6 finishes 15th
Indy star Ray Crawford raced this C-1 Corvette under the entry of Raceway Enterprises.
The 150S Maserati bunch sits on the start grid before the race.  Not one of them made the finish . But they certainly are good looking. #46 & #48 never made it past 18 laps.
The MG factory allows Hambro the US importer and David Ash to enter 3 of the new MGA’s. Proudly displaying the American racing colors of blue stripes on a white car.
They're off at 10 am running across the track for a traditional Le Mans start
The Hambro team of MGA’s drivers arrive at the cars and are ready to jump in and start the 12 hours. All 3 MGA’s finished creating great publicity for the marque.
The #49 MGA is making a quick start. This is the Dave Ash and Gus Ehrman car that finished 20th.
Start from the middle of the grid has the #53 and #63 Lotii and a bundle of  Arnolt Bristols ready to take on the bumpy Sebring track.
The Maestro Juan Fangio negotiates the hairpin on his way to winning Sebring with Eugenio Castellotti.
Maserati 300S driven by Piero Taruffi, Jean Behra and Cesare Perdisa finished 5th.
The D Type Jag has always been one of the most stunning, perfectly sculpted race cars of all time. This is Mike Hawthorn in the car which led for most of the race.
Playboy Porfirio Rubirosa and American Jim Pauley drove Rubirosa’s Mondial to 10th overall winning the 2 liter class.
Briggs Cunningham drives his finned D Type into the last turn at dusk. Briggs & J Gordon Bennett were 12th .
Bobby Burns and Norm Scott in Allen Guiberson’s 150S Maserati. The Maser retired with a broken gearbox.
Chet Flynn and George Reed drove Flynn’s maroon 300SL. The car broke a camshaft and retired about half way through the 12 hours.
A very young Bruce Kessler co drove with Gene Greenspan in this 250MM Ferrari. Kessler doesn’t remember racing the car saying his first Sebring was 1957 when he turned 21. Kessler is a one of a kind, fun personality - I am thinking this is him in
Factory Porsche 550RS. The car was driven by Huschke von Hanstein, Mike Marshall and Jan Brundage to 14th overall.
Dark descends on Florida as the #66 factory Porsche 550RS of Jan Brundage (later part of the family creating Brumos Porsche) and Huschke von Hanstein turns on the headlamps and driving lights.
A rare 100S Austin-Healey in yellow. Bll Brewster and Bill Rutan drove it, but the car was a dnf after 39 laps.
The #8 D Type is lapping the Cooper of Ed Hugus and John Bentley. These two co-drove several years at Sebring.
A nasty little brushfire on the infield and hardy citizens put it out . Sebring has always had a great spectators.
The #7 Corvette of Ernie Erickson melts a piston as it passes the #5 Corvette of Dale Duncan that lost a rear wheel on the 3rd lap.
Argentine Carlos Menditeguy, racer and polo player. Menditeguy, a rising star, has a terrible accident and rolls his 3.0S Maserati just after the esses .
The #49 MGA drives by the smashed Maserati & Menditeguy laying still and presumed dead on the track.  Carlos recovered and raced until 1960.
Workers are sure Carlos Menditiguy is dead and are wondering what to do with him and his rolled over Maserati.
Hey wait a minute ! This guy is still alive. Now workers start talking how best to get him help. But Carlos is still laying flat on the track.
Finally a nurse and medical help work on Carlos. He ended up fine and reportedly was toasting his health with Champagne that night.
The wide open first turn at Sebring. The corner has not changed a lot but the surroundings sure have.
prev / next