The Best 12 Hours of Sebring Ever: Steve McQueen Finishes 2nd With Broken Foot
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Published on Nov 30, 2017
A public domain video
This film captures the excitement of the 1970 12-hour endurance race at Sebring. It features Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Jackie Ickx, Pedro Rodriguez, and celebrity driver/actor Steve McQueen. There is non-stop racing action as Ferrari driver Mario Andretti barely escapes with the lead over Steve McQueen, driving with a cast on his broken foot
Produced by Triangle Productions in association with the Automobile Racing Club of Florida.
“Steve McQueen at the 1970 Sebring 12 Hour Race drove with his left foot in a cast due to a motorcycle accident. He had to have the foot wrapped in asbestos cloth because the plaster cast was transferring too much engine heat to his foot. His crew is re-wrapping his foot making final adjustments to make it as comfortable as possible.” –Louis Galanos
The 1970 running is considered by many to be the best 12 Hours of Sebring ever. This was the first 12 Hours of Sebring where the cars used a rolling start, a procedure similar to the start which is used at the Indianapolis 500, and has been used at every Sebring 12 Hours to this day.
Before 1970, the drivers did a traditional Le Mans start, but the events of the 1969 Le Mans race in which English driver John Woolfe was killed driving his Porsche 917 after a crash in which he did not have his seatbelts fastened led the governing body to ban Le Mans starts on grounds of safety.