senor honda

By Louis Galanos
On the far right is the old timing and scoring shack at Sebring in 1970. This is where many CFR members spent long hours. On the left is Mario Andretti in his Ferrari 512 which he and Arturo Merzario led the race for almost ten hours. Leading Andretti through turn 12 (Sunset Bend) is the Alfa Romeo T33/3 of Piers Courage and Andrea de Adamich. Out in front of the T & S shack would have been the flip clock which was used to time the cars.

senor honda

By Louis Galanos
A photo of Pedro Rodriguez in his 5-liter Gulf Porsche 917K about to pass the Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider of CFR member Paul Spruell at Sebring in 1970. That Alfa was significant in the race because it had a minor fender bender with the 3-liter Porsche 908/02 of Steve McQueen and Peter Revson. The time it took for the minor repairs to the Porsche cost them the win since Mario Andretti's Ferrari 512S beat them by only 23.8 seconds which was the closest finish at Sebring up to that time. If not for that accident with the Spruell Alfa the McQueen - Revson Porsche would have won.

A video made from original films of Automobile Racing Club of Florida, Sebrings original race organizers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1sihpc-oTM

senor honda

By Louis Galanos
A 1970 slide show:
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/v...ml#post9371933

Back in the day, as a CFR corner marshal, you could walk (no shuttle in those days) down to Turn 12 (Sunset Bend) to see the winning factory Ferrari 512S of Nino Vaccarella and Ignazio Giunti at Sebring in 1970. Late in the race Mario Andretti was added to the car and he took it in for the checkered flag. For more photos of this car and others from the legendary 1970 Sebring race go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHjZFQrsVrk

senor honda

By Louis Galanos
This is from Sebring in 1960 showing the outer reaches of the old 5.2 mile circuit. It may be hard to see but there is a corner marshal on the far left sitting on a hay bale. That worker seems to be too far away from the turn and might be a blue flag person. Also, no other workers in sight for quite a distance. Really strange. Also interesting is cars being parked on the OUTSIDE of a turn....

senor honda

By Louis Galanos
Again our intrepid corner workers on duty at the Hairpin Turn at Sebring in 1967. The #1 Ford Mk. IV would eventually win the race at the hands of Mario Andretti and Bruce McLaren. The #39 Porsche 906 failed to finish.

senor honda

By Louis Galanos
The view from the Timing & Scoring shed at Sebring in 1978. Out front was a flip clock placed on a 55-gallon drum. How things were done back in the day.

senor honda

By Buddy Hendricks
John Greenwood... A Great Man... A Legend... My Idol... A Close Friend... Has finished the race we call life... He fought to the end to fulfill his final dream of building his infamous corvettes with new technology to be sold world wide. Together we would have accomplished this, unfortunately a few years ago his health declined and our plans were put on hold. It has been an honor to have known and worked with him for so many years... Going back to the 70s, as a young corvette enthusiast, It was a spectacle to watch John wheel the car around like NO OTHER... After several years, I was fortunate to join his race team for a few years, eventually the team was dissolved and we remained great friends/neighbors. During my affiliation with the team, he was my mentor on and off the track. When I started racing, I asked John to come watch and he said "He'd be honored" but in truth I was the one that was honored to have him watch me race. After all the years that i've watched him race, now the legendary John Greenwood was/is watching me... John will forever live on in the racing spirit! A true pioneer beyond the technology of his time... Rest in peace John... I will miss you my friend...

senor honda

This is how corner marshals and safety people dealt with accidents at Sebring in 1956. At the start of the third hour Argentinian Carlos Menditeguy flips his Maserati after hitting hay bales in the esses. With no roll bar he suffers serious lacerations to his face and arm and a fractured skull. Note in the first photo no flags are seen waving but could have been further up the track. The race continues with Menditeguy laying on the track bleeding from his wounds. The second photos shows a group of officials trying to decide what to do with poor Menditeguy as he continues to bleed while lying on the track but a gurney has been brought over from an ambulance. Finally a nurse comes over to check on Menditeguy.

The people who took these photos thought that Menditeguy was dead and the officials were supposedly trying to decide what to do with the body. Finally the still alive Menditeguy is placed on the gurney and the car is removed from the racing surface. Menditeguy was stabilized at the track hospital before being transported to Weems Hospital in Sebring. Later, his friend and fellow countryman, Juan Fangio had him transported to a hospital in Palm Beach where they found that Menditeguy had multiple skull fractures. He survived to race another day.

senor honda

By Louis Galanos
The 1954 Sebring 12 Hours and a good look at how close one could get to the racing surface. Also note that they used fruit baskets to outline the circuit back then. If you know your Sebring history that is Piero Taruffi in the #38 Lancia D24 and the great Italian racing champion Alberto Ascari in the #37 Lancia D24. Neither car finished.

senor honda

CFR at Sebring this weekend as they were at Sebring 43 years ago. Note the intrepid corner marshals in the photo on duty at the beginning of the 12 hour race. That's Mario Andretti in the winning #2 Ferrari 312 PB.