1954 12 Hours of Sebring

The 1954 12 Hours of Sebring (officially the Florida International 12-Hour Grand Prix of Endurance Retrieved on 5 April 2015) was a motor race for sports cars, staged on 7 March 1954 at the Sebring International Raceway, Florida, United States. It was the second race of the 1954 World Sportscar Championship and was the fourth 12 Hours of Sebring. The race was won by Bill Lloyd and Stirling Moss driving an Osca MT4 1450.

Report

Entry

A grand total 89 sports cars were entered for this event, of which only 63 arrived for practice. Entries included the work teams of Lancia, running four cars, Aston Martin, running three cars and Austin-Healey with one car. The three work's Lancia D24's, entered for Juan Manuel Fangio and Eugenio Castellotti, Piero Taruffi and Robert Manzon and Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi, were in a class of their own.

The factory Ferrari entries did not materialize, in order to defend their championship lead, but the private entries of Bill Spear and Briggs Cunningham were on hand. Likewise, there was no Jaguar factory team, but eight Jaguars were listed on the entry.

Some of the race participants who also were noted in other fields of endeavor included ex-US congressman Jim Simpson, "international playboy" Porfirio Rubirosa, and, fresh from finishing second in the Buenos Aires 1000km, Marquis de Portago – well known equestrian at the time and also a high ranking Spanish nobility.Alec Ulmann, “The Sebring Story" (Chilton Book Company, ASIN B0006CUAP2, 1969)

Practice

It became obvious during Friday practice sessions that the race would be between the Ferraris and Lancias. The Lancia D24s lapped the 5.2 mile circuit in three minutes 38 seconds and on the Saturday, Cunningham's Ferrari 375 MM made it in 3m 31sec. Another of Cunningham cars, an Osca MT4 1450 piloted by young English driver, Stirling Moss with his partnered Bill Lloyd, turned in lap on Friday of, 3m 56 secs, although this small engined car, no one considered this car a real threat the Lancias.

Race

The race was held over 12 hours on the 5.2 miles Sebring International Raceway. The early morning rain cleared to leave a cold, windy but dry day. However, throughout the race, the strong wind blowing directly out of the north created a nasty crosswind on the fast back stretch.

With the race starting promptly at 10am, 59 cars scrambled for positions. Cunningham in his own Cunningham C-4R was the first across the line, but was soon headed by Erwin Goldschmidt in his Allard-Cadillac J2R. However, before the end of lap one, the three Lancias, of Fangio, Ascari and Taruffi had sorted themselves out and headed the field, running one, two and three with Spear's Ferrari close behind. The Cunningham Ferrari of Phil Walters, stopped for a replacement spark plug and lost several minutes. Moss was keeping the bigger cars on their toes holding down 4th.

Around mid-distance, trouble hits Spear's Ferrari, crippled by a broken oil seal. Last year's winner's, John Fitch and Walters, in their Ferrari had been marking up time, and with Spear's retirement, the only threat to the flying Lancias. Fitch and Walters had been pushing the car hard, and this too would not finish, going out late afternoon with a bad connecting rod bearing.

As darkness fell on the former Hendricks Army Airfield, the Lancias of Ascari and Villoresi, and Fangio and Castellotti had retired due to brakes and gearbox issues respectively, leaving the burden on the shoulders of Taruffi and Manzon. This D24, was still lapping swiftly on the now night-blackened circuit, at an average speed of 82 mph – more than seven mph faster than the 1953 record-breaking Cunningham C-4R – albeit with only one headlight. As Taruffi and Manzon streaked out of sight, chief race steward, Alec Ulmann announced that the Lancia would be black-flagged if it continued to race with just one light. The team's race director, Attilio Pasquarelli put out a red flag, and leaned far out onto the course to block the car's path. When the car finally pitted, Manzon protested: "The car wouldn't go any faster – oil pressure was off." He thought the red flag was a pit signal that their lead was in danger.

Despite, as Moss said, the Lancias were "wiping the floor with the rest of us", Lloyd and Moss soon took advantage of the Osca's beautiful handling, by throwing the car sideways, into the corners to scrub off as much speed as they started to countering the high brake wear.

The three Aston Martins had retired quite early János L. Wimpffen, Sebring 12 Hours - David over Goliath, Time and Two Seats, 1999, pages 147 to 150 and the leading Lancia D24 being driven by Manzon, stopped on the circuit with engine trouble an hour from the end of the race.Anthony Prichard, The Blue and White of Turin, The Racing Sports Car, 1970, pages 129 to 130 Manzon returned to the pits on foot, but co-driver Taruffi acted to push the car for the mile and a half back to the pits. The Lancia was finally pushed across the finish line but was disqualified and the Osca, driven by Moss and Lloyd, won the race. The Osca survived a slightly suspect clutch and a tremendous rain storm to take a totally unexpected win. They covered 168 laps (873.6 miles), averaging a speed of 72.800 mph. Second place went to the Lancia D24 of Porfirio Rubirosa and Gino Valenzano, albeit five laps adrift. Third place was awarded to the Austin-Healey 100 entered by Donald Healey and driven by Lance Macklin and George Huntoon.

Although there were no fatalities during the race, James Brundage, died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on his way home when the Allard he was driving hit a tree.

Official Classification

Class Winners are in Bold text.

Pos No ClassDriver Entrant Car Laps Reason Out 1st 56 S1.5 Bill Lloyd Stirling Moss B. S. Cunningham Osca MT4 1450 12hr 00:00.0, 168 2nd 39 S5.0 Porfirio Rubirosa Gino Valenzano Scuderia Lancia Co. Lancia D24 163 3rd 29 S3.0 Lance Macklin George Huntoon Donald Healey Ltd. Austin-Healey 100 163 4th 91 S1.5 James Simpson George Colby James Simpson Osca MT4 1450 163 5th 61 S1.5 Otto Linton Harry Beck Speedcraft Enterprises Osca MT4 1350 161 DISQ 38 S5.0 Piero Taruffi Robert Manzon Scuderia Lancia Co. Lancia D24 161 Pushed 6th 97 S2.0 Bill Carpenter John van Driel W. K. Carpenter Kieft-Bristol Sport 158 7th 41 S2.0 Richard Cicurel Jim Pauley Richard Cicurel Siata 208s 155 8th 65 S1.1 Rees Makins Frank Bott Rees Makins Osca MT4 1100 152 9th 15 S5.0 Jake Kaplan Russ Boss Jacob Kaplan Jaguar XK120 151 10th 49 S1.5 Fernando Segura Daimo Bojanich Fernando Segura Porsche 550 144 11th 54 S1.5 Fred Allen Gus Ehrman Fred Allen Kieft-MG Sport 144 12th 62 S1.5 Richard Toland Charles Devaney Richard Toland Denzel-VW 1300 Super 142 13th 9 S5.0 Austin Young Jack Morton A. F. Young Jr. Jaguar XK120 142 14th 18 S5.0 Fred Dagavar Henry Fanelli Fred Dagavar Jaguar XK120 141 15th 50 S1.5 Hubert L. Brundage William Simpson H. L. Brunsdage Porsche 356 America Roadster 141 16th 62 S8.0 Walt Gray Chuck Hall Walter S. Gray Allard-Oldsmobile J2 141 17th 32 S3.0 Jim Feld Robert Gary Brooks Stevens Excalibur-Willys J 141 18th 46 S1.5 Howard Hanna Evans Hunt Howard Hanna Porsche 550 136 DNF 19 S5.0 Al Garz Len Lesko Fred Dagavar Jaguar XK120 134 Brakes 19th 74 S750 Ken Heavlin C. J. Davis C. J. Davis DB HBR Panhard 127 20th 67 S1.1 John Bentley Guy Atkins John BentleySiata-Fiat 300BC 127 21st 66 S1.1 Austin Conley Horman Christianson Austin Conley Siata-Fiat 300BC 126 22nd 64 S5.0 D. Carleton Wilson Bob Kennedy D. Carleton Wilson Jaguar XK120 124 DISQ 10 S5.0 John Gordon Bennett Traver McKenna Frank Miller Jaguar C-type 113 Disqualified NC 12 S5.0 Charles Schott David Michaels Chas. Schott Jaguar XK120 111 Accident DNF 5 S5.0 Phil Walters John Fitch B. S. Cunningham Ferrari 375 MM 104 Engine DNF 1 S8.0 Briggs Cunningham Sherwood Johnston B. S. Cunningham Company Cunningham C-4R 104 Engine NC 35 S2.0 Alan Patterson Ernesto Tornquist Alan Patterson Triumph TR2 103 NC 57 S1.5 George Moffett Bob Sand George Moffett Osca MT4 1450 102 DNF 99 S1.5 Victor Herzog Steve Lansing A.E. Goldschmidt Kieft-MG Sport 88 DNF 37 S5.0 Alberto Ascari Luigi Villoresi Scuderia Lancia Co. Lancia D24 87 Brakes DNF 17 S3.0 John Schmidt John German John Ellwood Jaguar XK120 82 Off course DNF 25 S3.0 Charles Wallace Carroll Shelby Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S 77 Rear end DNF 42 S2.0 Don McKnought William Eager Don McKnought Maserati A6GCS 67 Accident DNF 100 S1.5 Gleb Derujinsky Don Underwood Gleb Derujinsky Kieft-MG Sport 65 DNF 14 S5.0 Conrad Janis James Daly Conrad Janis Jaguar XK120 65 DNF 7 S5.0 William Spear Phil Hill Bill Spear Ferrari 375 MM 60 Rear end DNF 48 S1.5 James Graham J. Stimpson James Graham Porsche 550 57 Fuel system DNF 36 S5.0 Juan Manuel Fangio Eugenio Castellotti Scuderia Lancia Co. Lancia D24 51 Real axle DNF 44 S2.0 Larry Kulok Harry Grey Geo. B. McClellan Fraser Nash Le Mans Replica 50 Engine DNF 58 S1.5 William Brewster Henry Rudkin Wm. Brewster Osca MT4 1450 47 Transmission DNF 40 S2.0 Luigi Musso Ferdinando Gatta Maserati Co. Maserati A6GCS 47 Brakes DNF 30 S3.0 James L. Brundage James Orr H. L. Brundage Austin-Healey 100 36 Engine DNF 11 S5.0 Watt Hansgen Paul Timmins Walt Hansgen Jaguar C-Type 28 Engine DNF 59 S1.5 William Franklin Ned Curtis Howard Hanna MG Magnette 27 DNF 22 S3.0 Harry Schell Alfonso de Portago Harry Schell Ferrari 250 MM Vignale 26 Axle DNF 24 S3.0 Peter Collins Pat Griffiths Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S 25 Brakes DNF 8 S5.0 Peter Sparacino Raymond Osborne A. F. Young, Jr, Jaguar XK120 25 DNF 23 S3.0 Reg Parnell Roy Salvadori Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S 24 Engine DNF 70 S750 Bret Hannaway Miles Collier Miles Collier Bandini S 750 21 Engine DNF 26 S3.0 William Wellenberg, Jr. William Wonder Wm. Wellenberg Austin-Healey 100 20 Engine DNF 33 S3.0 Mike Rothschild George Hunt Michel Rothschild Healey-Riley Silverstone 17 DNF 69 S750 Roger Wing Karl Brocken Isabelle Haskell Siata-Crosley 300BC 17 DNF 72 S750 Phil Stiles George Schrafft Geo. Schrafft Palm Beach-Crosley Special 16 Rear end DNF 31 S3.0 Hal Ullrich Ham Reidy Brooks Stevens Excalibur-Willys J 10 Fuel leak DNF 98 S8.0 Erwin Goldschmidt Johnny Rocco A. E. Goldschmidt Allard-Cadillac JR 9 Engine DNF 27 S3.0 Joe Giubardo Phil Smyth Joseph Giubardo Austin-Healey 100 3 DNF 28 S3.0 Dick Irish Ralph Knudson Brooks Stevens Excalibur-Willys J 1 Engine DNS 20 S3.0 F. Randolph Pearsall George Tilp George Tilp Aston Martin-Offenhuaser DB2 Transmission DNS 51 S1.5 John Schmidt John German John Ellwood Porsche 550 raced car #17 DNS 63 S1.5 Dickson Yates Duncan Black Dickson Yates Excalibur-Willys J Oil pressure DNS 75 S350 Bill Wood John Moncur Wm. W. Wood Rex Mercury Marine Failed scrutineering

Fastest Lap: Alberto Ascari, 3:32.0secs (88.302 mph)

Class Winners

Class Winners Sports 8000 2 Allard-Oldsmobile J2 Gray / Hall Sports 5000 39 Lancia D24 Rubirosa / Valenzano Sports 3000 29 Austin-Healey 100 Macklin / Huntoon Sports 2000 97 Kieft-Bristol Sport Carpenter / van Driel Sports 1500 56 Osca MT4 1450 Lloyd / Moss Sports 1100 65 Osca MT4 1100 Makins / Bott Sports 750 74 DB HBR Panhard Heavlin / Davis

Standings after the race Pos Championship Points 1= Ferrari 8 Osca 8 3 Lancia 6 4= Aston Martin 4 Austin-Healey 4

References

Further reading

Alec Ulmann. The Sebring Story. Chilton Book Company. ASIN B0006CUAP2.