1953 12 Hours of Sebring

The 3rd Grand Prix, 12 Hours of Sebring, was the inaugural round of the 1953 World Sportscar Championship and was held at the Sebring International Raceway, on 8 March 1953.[1]

Cunningham-Chrysler C4-R won in the hands of Phil Walters and John Fitch.

Report

Entry

A total of 81 cars were entered for the event, across eight classes based on engine sizes, ranging from up to 750cc to over 8.0 litre. Of these 59 cars practised, 54 qualified to race.[1]

Amongst the mostly American entrants, the greatest news for the 1953 race was that the famous English Aston Martin team would join the French factory DB’s for the 12 Hour competition. In fact, David Brown and René Bonnet, heads of these European manufacturers, both went to Florida to watch the race. Bonnet also took part in the race.[2]

Race
Sebring in 1953

The race started at noon, and ran until midnight, on a day described as "partly cloudy and mild", in front of an estimated crowd of 12,500 spectators.[2]

The Aston Martins made a great start, leading the first 32 laps of the Florida road course before losing the lead as a result of an accident. The #57 Cunningham CR-4 then took over lead and was never headed for the rest of the race.[2]

The car was driven by Phil Walters and John Fitch took the winner spoils for Briggs Cunningham’s team. They were boosted to the lead when the front running Aston Martin of Geoff Duke and Peter Collins collided with a Jaguar, and was forced to retire with accident damage. Walters and Fitch, driving their Florida license plated Cunningham-Chrysler C4-R, to victory covering a distance of 908.9 miles, averaging a speed of 75.338mph. One lap adrift in second place was the Aston Martin DB3 of the Reg Parnell and George Abecassis, despite reportedly being hampered by having one of its headlamps not working due to an earlier collision with a bollard filed with concrete marking the circuit on what was at the time largely an airfield.[2][3]

There was one car fire, the Allard-Cadillac J2X of Paul Ramos was destroyed when a fuel line split, however the driver, Anthony Cumming escaped unharmed. Another competitor, Randy Pearsall, also escaped injury when he flipped his Jaguar XK120.[2]

Classification

Sebring 12 hours

Class Winners are in Bold text.

Pos. No. Class Drivers Entrant Car - Engine Laps Reason Out
1st 57 S8.0 Phil Walters John Fitch Briggs Cunningham Cunningham-Chrysler C4-R 173
2nd 30 S3.0 Reg Parnell George Abecassis Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3 172
3rd 74 S5.0 Sherwood Johnston Bob Wilder A. H. Feverbacher Jaguar C-Type 162
4th 311 S5.0 Bob Gegen Harry Grey David Hirsch Jaguar C-Type 155
5th 59 S1.5 Briggs Cunningham Bill Lloyd Briggs Cunningham Osca MT4 1350 153
6th 49 S2.0 Ed Lunken Charles Hassan E. P. Lunken Ferrari 166 MM 153
7th 38 S5.0 Charles Wallace Chuck Sarle Jack Pry Ltd. Jaguar XK120 151
8th 45 S3.0 Peter Yung Robert Yung Peter S. Yung Ferrari 225 S 148
9th 91 S1.1 James Simpson George Colby James Simpson Osca MT4 1100 146
10th 28 S5.0 Russ Boss Jake Kaplan J. Kaplan Jaguar XK120M 144
11th 25 S750 René Bonnet Wade Morehouse Hobart Cook DB HBR Panhard 143
12th 18 S5.0 Walt Hansgen Don McKnought Walter Hansgen Jaguar XK120 142
13th 12 S1.5 David Ash Frank Ahrens David H. Ash MG Special 135
14th 53 S1.5 Phil Smyth Bob Said Lt. Col. Wojdiech Kolaczkowski Frazer Nash Mille Miglia 134
15th 53 S1.5 James Shields Bob McKinsey James Shields MG TD 132
16th 42 S1.5 William Wellenberg, Jnr. William Wonder William Wellenberg, Jnr. MG TD 132
17th 29 S5.0 Fred Dagavar Al Garz Fred Dagavar Jaguar XK120 132
18th 63 S750 Harry Beck Charles Devaney Paul Hessler Siata-Crossley 300BD 132
DISQ 24 S750 Bill Cook André Moynet Hobart Cook DB HBR Panhard 130 Pit violation
19th 44 S1.5 Fred Allen Robert Longworth Fred Allen MG Special 127
20th 56 S750 Thomas Scatchard Henry Wessells Thomas Scatchard Siata-Crossley 300BD 127
21st 27 S1.1 Paul Farago Lou Torco Robert T. Keller Siata 300BC Special 123
22nd 111 S750 George Sachrafft Jim Hamlett Geo. F. Schrafft Palm Beach-Crossley Special 119
23rd 55 S3.0 Mike Rothschild Jack Nile Mike Rothschild Morgan Plus 4 119
24th 32 S8.0 Arnold Stubbs Jack McAfee Jack Burkhard Allard-Cadillac J2 116
25th 6 S1.5 Rees Makins Frank Bott Rees T. Makins Osca MT4 1100 115
26th 15 S5.0 George Huntoon Phil Stiles Jack Shepperd Jaguar C-Type 114
27th 64 S2.0 Walter von Schoenfeld René Soulas Walter E. von Schoenfeld Maserati A6GCS 110
28th 14 S1.5 Alan Patterson Hubert L. Brundage Alan Patterson MG Special 99
29th 16 S5.0 Morris Carroll Randy Pearsall Geo. E. Tilp Jaguar XK120 94
30th 51 S5.0 Walt Grey Dale Duncan Walter S. Grey Allard-Cadillac J2 94
31st 37 S1.1 Roger Wing Stephen Spitler Jack Pry, Ltd. Morris Minor 93
32nd 11 S1.1 Paul Ceresole Logan Hill Paul Ceresole Cisitalia Spider 88
33rd 2 S3.0 Hal Ullrich Dick Irish Brooks Stevens Excalibur-Willys J 86
34th 23 S5.0 Charles Schott John van Driel Charles M. Schott Jaguar XK120 63
DNF 5 S3.0 Jim Kimberly Marshall Lewis Jim Kimberly Ferrari 225 S 95 Transmission
DNF 60 S1.5 Dickson Yates William Kinchloe Dickson Yates MG TD Engine
DNF 80 S1.5 Richard Toland Howard Hanna Richard Toland Porsche 356 did not finish
DNF 61 S2.0 Ray Leibensperger Howard Class Ray Leibensperger MG Special 78 did not finish
DNF 39 S750 William Eagar Otto Linton Speedcraft Enterprises Siata Amica Special 63 Engine
DNF 8 S3.0 Bill Spear Phil Hill William Spear Ferrari 225 S 56 Differential
DNF 19 S5.0 Norman Christianson Austin Conley Austin L. Conley Jaguar XK120 56 Accident
DNF 31 S3.0 Peter Collins Geoff Duke Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3 52 Accident damage
DNF 98 S8.0 Erwin Goldschmist Paul O’Shea Erwin Goldschmidt Healey Silverstone-Cadillac 45 Rear end
DNF 33 S1.5 Bernard Cahier Miles Collier René Bonnet DB HBR Panhard 37 Brakes
DNF 58 S2.0 John Gordon Bennett Charles Moran Briggs Cunningham Frazer Nash Targa Florio 28 Unknown
DNF 26 S750 Ralph Deshon Don Quackenbush Ralph Deshon Crosley Special 25 Suspension
DNF 66 S5.0 Tony Cumming Paul Ramos Paul Ramos Allard-Cadillac J2X 20 Fire
DNF 36 S8.0 Masten Gregory Tony Newcomer Masten Gregory Allard-Chrysler J2X 16 Transmission
DISQ 48 S2.0 Jorge Daponte Fritz Koster Fritz Koster Maserati A6GCS 15 pit rule violation
DNF 97 S8.0 Beau Clarke Bob Said Mark B. Deitsch Allard-Cadillac J2 9 Engine
DNF 3 S3.0 Ralph Knudsen Jim Feld Brooks Stevens Excalibur-Willys J 4 Engine
DNF 1 S2.0 Tony Bonadies George Rice Stuart Donaldson Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica Mk II 2 Engine
DNF 9 S2.0 Johnnie Rogers Russ Klar Stuart Donaldson Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica Mk II 2 Engine
DNS 17 S750 George Sanderson N. J. Coscoros Geo. Sanderson Crosley Hotshot Engine
DNS 21 S1.5 Larry Kulok Harry Grey Lawrence Kulok Porsche 356 1500 Super Gearbox
DNS 41 S1.1 Randy Pearsall William Eager F. Randolph Pearsall Cisitalia Spider Engine
DNS 65 S5.00 Tom Cole Bill Lloyd William Lloyd Ferrari 340 America Engine
DNS 75 S5.00 Miles Collier Cameron Argetsinger Cameron Argetsinger Jaguar XK120 Engine

[3][4][5]

Class Winners
Class Winners
Class B – Sports 8000 Walters / Fitch Cunningham-Chrysler C4R
Class C – Sports 5000 Johnston / Wilder Jaguar C-type
Class D – Sports 3000 Parnell / Abecassis Aston Martin DB3
Class E – Sports 2000 Lunken / Hassan Ferrari 166 MM
Class F – Sports 1500 Cunningham / Lloyd Osca MT4 1350
Class G – Sports 1100 Simpson / Colby Osca MT4 1100
Class H – Sports 750 Bonnet / Morehouse DB HBR Panhard

[1][4]

Standings after the race
Pos Championship Points
1 Cunningham 8
2 Aston Martin 6
3 Jaguar 4
4 Osca 2
5 Ferrari 1
  • Note: Only the top five positions are included in this set of standings.

Championship points were awarded for the first six places in each race in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers were only awarded points for their highest finishing car with no points awarded for positions filled by additional cars. Only the best 4 results out of the 7 races could be retained by each manufacturer. Points earned but not counted towards the championship totals are listed within brackets in the above table.

References
  1. "Sebring 12 Hours 1953". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  2. "Sebring 1953". Mistermedia20.com. 2 April 2011. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  3. http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1953-03-08.html
  4. "1953 Sebring 12 Hours". Teamdan.com. 8 March 1953. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  5. "SPAM protection / Ochrana proti SPAMu". Wsrp.ic.cz. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
World Sportscar Championship
Previous race:
n/a		 1953 season Next race:
Mille Miglia
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