1965 SEBRING PROGRAM
The winning Chaparral 2A of Jim Hall & Hap Sharp was so superior they qualified 9 seconds a lap faster than the GT-40.
It would not be long before Hall & his men created more than this rear spoiler. The wing was but a year away with the 2E.
Even in the rain, Hall & Sharp managed to keep running and leading. The two Texas cars ran together during some of the storm moving the water out of their path.
Texas friend Ronnie Hissom and Porsche specialist Bruce Jennings were picked to drive #4. Hissom was one of the original partners in Chaparral Cars.
The #4 Chaparral had to pit for repairs but returned as the rain was slowing to finish 22nd.
The 396 cubic inch Corvette Grand Sport of Delmo Johnson and Dave Morgan led the first lap and went all 12 hours, with a few problems, to finish 137 laps.
George Wintersteen took ownership of this Corvette Grand Sport and shared it with Peter Goetz & Ed Diehl - both of whom were more noted for small displacement racers. They had no trouble finishing 14th behind two of the Daytona Cobras.
This more usual Corvette #5 of George Robertson Dick Boo won the over 5 liter GT class. But only Corvettes were in that class as the Cobras were all 289’s and under 5 liters.
BARC member Don Yenko’s Corvette shared with John Bushell lost a wheel and was a DNF.
Yenko drags the wheel-less RR back to the pits. The suspension was ruined and the car retired. Yenko lamented “If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck”
The Iso Grifo A3C Chevrolet entered by Bizzarini driven bybSilvio Moser crashed on lap 16 and co driver Mario Casoni never got in.
The #9 Iso Grifo was crashed hard into the Mercedes bridge by Mike Gammino and cut in half. Charlie Rainville was his co driver and the car doing well. Despite being in two pieces it was classified 39th.
The Ford GT-40 program had gone to Shelby and #10 was driven by Phil Hill and Richie Ginther. The car wheel problems early on and finally called it quits with suspension problems.
The #11 Ford GT of Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren were 2nd overall 4 laps behind the Chaparral. Shelby was thrilled to finish such a hard race and beating all the Ferrari’s,
Four Daytona coupes were entered. #12 had big problems at the start, stalling and getting hit, then catching fire and having a door that kept popping open. But Ed Leslie and Allan Grant never stopped and beat the first Grand Sport Corvette at the
Bob Johnson and Tom Payne took the #14 to 7th overall and 2nd in GT 5.0. The rain slowed the big cars allowing two of the 904’s to finish ahead.
The Bob Bondurant and Joe Schlessler #15 Cobra Coupe ran without a hitch to finish 4th overall and first of all GT cars.
Lew Spencer had to stop overcome with the early day intense heat and was replaced later by Phil Hill whose GT-40 had quit. Jim Adams handled much of the driving.
The #17 Cobra of Graham Shaw and Dick Thompson carried a full roll cage and ran strong to 19th overall.
Ed Lowther & Bob Nagel had mechanical issues late in the day. Here whoever is driving has his head out the side to see where the car is going. At times cars strayed off the course, often one following the other.
The heavily driving lighted #20 Corbra. Dan Gerber is driving. His co driver was George Reed who would be involved in a horrific accident later in the day.
BARC drivers Sherm Decker and Oscar Koveleski brought this Cooper Ford. Decker had done well with it in SCCA the year previous. The car lasted 70 laps.
The prototype or P regulations allowed sports racers like this Lola T-70 from John Mecom to compete. Canadian John Cannon and Jack Saunders were drivers. The car, not designed for endurance racing, was quick but never finished.
The very unusual Lotus 19 highly modified by Dan Gurney, with a Ford GT V8 in back was very quick. Shelby hoped Gurney could set a blistering pace and make the Chaparrals chase. It didn’t work.
Bob Grossman in his #26 Scuderia Bear 330 P Ferrari. Skip Hudson was Bob’s co-driver and they were doing fine until the differential packed up.
One of many Ferrari sports racers entered. This 330P of John “Buck” Fulp and Charlie Kolb did not finish.
Another John Mecom entry, thie 250LM Ferrari, driven by Walt Hansgen and his protege Mark Donohue were 11th overall and second P 4 liters.
The unusual pairing of Graham Hill and Pedro Rodriguez in this Mecom 330P Ferrari were in the hunt until the clutch let them down on lap 133. The car was a full on factory entry complete with mechanics, but their participation was never mentioned.
David Piper’s 250LM Ferrari finished 3rd overall co-driven by F1 driver Tony Maggs. Piper still owns and had vintage raced it.
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