Pretty as they come, the 1.1-liter Stanguellini Bialbero of Carl Haas/Allan Ross/Chuck Dietrich awaits its turn for practice. [Bob Bellows photo]
By Willem Oosthoek All photos by Bob Jackson [Willem Oosthoek Collection], unless stated otherwise.
Waiting farther upfront is Jim Kimberly’s Maserati 200SI, just as elegant. But who is in the passenger seat of chassis 2412? Since he is holding a microphone, likely a reporter recording the car’s engine sounds for the racing LPs so popular at the time. [Bob Bellows photo]
A ticket for Thursday’s practice was a mere 90 cents. [Bob Bellows photo]
Practice started on Wednesday and ran into Thursday. Details about which entry recorded the fastest lap vary by source, between either Stirling Moss in the Aston Martin DBR1 or Mike Hawthorn in the Ferrari 250TR. Since the starting grid was still based on engine size, not speed, it did not really matter in the end.
The head of the grid consisted of three 4.6-liter production Corvettes, with Indianapolis veteran Jim Rathmann in the number 1 car he shared with owner Dick Doane. Number 2 was owned by Dick Thompson, for himself and Freddy Windridge and John Kilborn, while number 3 was owned by Jim Jeffords, who raced it with Augie Pabst.
Although assigned to race the new Cunningham Lister/Jaguar with Archie Scott-Brown, Walt Hansgen found time to sort out the Jaguar D-type that Briggs would race himself.
Meanwhile, although entered with his own 1.5-liter Lotus 11/Climax, Charles Moran received permission from Cunningham to try out Hansgen’s new Lister/Jaguar. Moran was a New York stockbroker and former Chairman of the SCCA, who had raced Cunningham cars in the past.
Shown in practice with Dale Duncan, the A.V. Dayton Maserati 300S [chassis 3068] was the only 3-liter Maserati at Sebring in 1958. A second 300S was entered by Ebb Rose for himself, Lloyd Ruby and Bob Stonedale, but chassis 3073 never arrived. [Bob Bellows photo]
Wearing a yellow helmet, so obviously Scottish rebel rouser and Le Mans winner Ninian Sanderson in the Ecurie Ecosse D-type Jaguar. He raced chassis XKD 504 with Ivor Bueb, a two-time Le Mans winner with D-types himself.
Tony Brooks, wearing his familiar brown Cromwell helmet, practices the DBR1 Aston Martin he shared with Stirling Moss.
A relaxed John Fitch in the Harry Kullen Testa Rossa, chassis 0732. Born in Baltimore, Kullen became president of the Katz Advertising Agency in New York. He was only briefly involved as an entrant in sports car racing. [Bob Bellows photo]
Richie Ginther in the 3-liter Testa Rossa he shared with owner Johnny von Neumann. The car was entered under “Ferrari of California, Hollywood”, which must have been a perfect market for the brand.
Chassis 0664 was one of the five 2-liter 500TRC Ferraris in the race. Entered under Scuderia Cuba by Alfonso Gomez Mena, it was raced by himself and fellow Cubans Santiago Gonzalez and Perez de la Mesa. We have no idea who is at the wheel here.
Edgar Barth and his 1.6-liter works Porsche RSK with fins seen passing the 2-liter works AC Bristol Ace of Bill Love. Barth shared the RSK with Jean Behra, the previous year’s winner at Sebring in a Maserati 450S. Theirs was the only RSK in the 1958 race.
Marshall Motors of Miami brought this 1.5-liter Porsche 550RS for Charlie Wallace [seen here in practice], Bob Holbert and Ronald “Skip” Hudson.
Colin Chapman brought three 1.1-liter Climax-engined Lotus 11s over from England. Little was expected from these fragile works cars. Number 56 was chassis 339 and raced by Dave Tallaksen [here] and Sammy Weiss, the others by Chapman himself and Cliff Allison [chassis 504, race number 55], and Jay Chamberlain and William Frost [chassis 503, race number 54].
Stirling Moss did not disappoint at the start of the 1958 Sebring 12 Hours.
Next Part 3: the race developments and the ultimate survivors.
In the photo of the Barth Porsche and the AC Ace Bristol, the car is indeed the Bill Love entered Ace, fresh from the factory. However, the driver is Gordon Crowder of Claremont California. He would lose the car in the hairpin later in the day because of the setting sun and have to dig it out of the sand bank before returning to the pits.
the #71 Ferrari of the Scuderia Cuba is being driven in the picture by Manuel Perez de la Mesa. Information confirmed by former driver and friend, “Mandy” Alvarez.
Belle foto di tempi che furono. Grazie Pete.