Miata Mailing List: February 1999, Message #302

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It's almost here, again!

1969 was the first 12 hours of Sebring I went to...I was with the Air Force
and stationed in Valdosta, Ga...not a bad place and not a great place...if you
could stand the papermill smell that has long since gone away.   Donahue and
Parsons had driven Roger Penske's Lola to an unchallenged first place at
Daytona's 24 hours and Ferrari, Porsche and Alfa had some new cars on the
circuit.  But the buzz was all about Ford's GT-40, the Corvettes and the
Camaros; we wondered if any could make the duration. It was easy to put
Valdosta in the rear view mirror and head South on I-75 in that brand new
Chevy SS... gas was around .30 a gallon and I had a Gulf credit card.

I recall that this was the year that James Garner put his wallet on the line
and stabled two Lolas but wasn't winning.   Dick Smothers was driving
Porsches.  Mario Andretti was driving a Ferrari and some names I couldn't
pronounce then or now were formidable Porsche jockies.  Penske had been a
rival at Lime Rock eight year's earlier of the race team my Dad was bending
wrenches for.

The European style sprint to the start was electrifying!  After the first
false start, a Porsche took the lead...the Alfa lost a wheel on lap one or two
but got back in the race only to retire from overheating.   The Lola, Ferarris
and Porsches led most of the race as Covettes died and Cameros hung in.   One
Camero had an aluminum block motor and eventually finished in the top 10.
The finish was classic Sebring as the Ferarri relinquished the lead to the
Ford GT-40 due to overheating and a lengthy pit stop.  10 or so laps back the
Lola finished the race. 

It was a great weekend sleeping in the car and the trip back to Valdosta was
too fast on the old I-75.. two lanes... too slow and too fast.   I got stopped
somewhere north of where I-10 crosses but the trouper saw our Moody AFB
stickers and let us go.   

Been to three Sebrings since and can't remember who or what ran in any of'em.
Funny how some things you just don't forget.

Sorry for the NMC....  but it was great to be 24, on the way to Viet Nam and
single with a hot car   :)

bob