Sebring 12-hour race in 1976

Porsche Carrera RSR, start number 14; Winning car from Al Holbert and Michael Keyser

Jim Trueman and Bobby Rahal's Chevrolet Monza , retired after 63 laps due to a broken suspension

The 24th Sebring 12-hour race , also Sebring 76 Twelve Hours of Endurance (Camel GT Challenge), Sebring , took place on March 20, 1976 at the Sebring International Raceway and was the second round of the IMSA GT series of this Year.

The race

In 1976, after the rigors of recent years, the race established itself as an IMSA event. The officials of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile also showed respect and gave the race FIA ​​status again. They also declared the event to be a candidate for re-entry into the World Sports Car Championship . This year, however, the race was only part of the IMSA GT series. The opening race of this racing series, the Daytona 24-hour race on February 1 at Daytona International Speedway , was won by Peter Gregg , Brian Redman and John Fitzpatrick in a BMW of North America registered works - BMW 3.0 CSL .

As in the first two years under the umbrella of the IMSA, a plethora of amateur racing drivers met professional drivers again this year. As in the previous year, the promoter and organizer was the American racing driver and racing team owner John Greenwood .

For the overall victory there was again a three-way battle between the brands BMW , Porsche and Chevrolet with vehicles in the GTO and GTU racing classes. Last year's winner BMW reported two 3.0 CSL, which were driven by Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood , David Hobbs and NASCAR driver Benny Parsons . The group of Chevrolet Corvettes was led away by John Greenwood. There were also a lot of Porsche Carrera RSR and 911s .

Greenwood achieved the fastest practice time in the Corvette with starting number 76 and a time of 2: 47.937 minutes. This corresponded to an average speed of 179.394 km / h. Greenwood also led the first 15 laps on race day, then he was replaced by Hobbs in the BMW. After 63 laps, Michael Keyser , who shared the cockpit of a Carrera RSR with Al Holbert , took the lead. A little later he collided with another vehicle in the hairpin bend and spun. The subsequent repair cost the team three laps. By half time, five different teams were in the lead, none of which could win. In the end, Keyser and Holbert triumphed despite their accident and won two laps ahead of another Porsche team.

Results

Final ranking

Item	class	No.	team	driver	vehicle	Round
1	GTO	14th	GW Dickinson Holbert Porsche-Audi	Al Holbert Michael Keyser	Porsche Carrera RSR	230
2	GTO	11	Dallas Heyser SL-1	John Gunn Carson Baird	Porsche Carrera RSR	228
3	GTO	30th	John McClelland	Roberto Quintanilla Roberto González	Porsche Carrera RSR	227
4th	GTO	56	Spirit of Colorado Hagestad Porsche	Bob Hagestad Jerry Jolly	Porsche Carrera RSR	224
5	GTO	58	Diego Febles Racing	Diego Febles Hiram Cruz	Porsche Carrera	222
6th	GTO	44	Mauricio de Narváez	Mauricio de Narváez Albert Naon John Freyre	Porsche Carrera	221
7th	GTO	59	BMW Motorsport North America	Peter Gregg Hurley Haywood	BMW 3.0 CSL	217
8th	GTO	61	Brumos Porsche-Audi	Jim Busby Carl Shafer	Porsche Carrera RSR	210
9	GTU	67	Havatampa Cigar	Dave White David McClain	Porsche 911S	209
10	GTO	92	Oest-Tillson Racing	Dieter Oest Mike Tillson	Porsche Carrera	208
11	GTO	91	Adam's Apple	Juan Carlos Bolaños Billy Sprowls Eduardo Lopez Negrete	Porsche Carrera RSR	206
12	GTU	07	Charles Mendez	Charles Mendez Dave Cowart	Porsche 911T	206
13	GTU	50	Motex car	Fritz Hochreuter Willy Goebbels Hans Berner	Porsche 911S	200
14th	GTU	51	Max Dial Porsche-Audi	Robert Kirby John Hotchkis Len Jones	Porsche 914/6	198
15th	GTO	06	Chitwood Racing	Tim Chitwood Vince Gimondo	Chevrolet Camaro	191
16	GTU	17th	Carlos Moran	Carlos Moran Bob Fine Enrique Molins	Porsche 911S	185
17th	GTO	7th	Team Sebring Racing	Bob Gray Terry Keller	Chevrolet Corvette	185
18th	GTO	78	Ignacio Gonzalez	Luis Sereix Ignacio Gonzalez Gus Robayna	Chevrolet Camaro	178
19th	GTO	86	Hugh Kleinpeter	Hugh Kleinpeter Ron Goldleaf	De Tomaso Pantera	176
20th	GTU	87	R. Mandella	John Thomas Jim Cook	Porsche 914/6	174
21st	GTO	52	Starbrite	John Tunstall Chuck Wade	Porsche Carrera RSR	173
22nd	GTU	27	Jack Refenning	Ray Mummery Jack Refenning George Van Arsdale	Porsche 911S	170
23	GTU	90	Ray Walle Mazda	Tom Reddy Tom Davey	Mazda Cosmo	168
24	GTU	8th	Automobiles International	Anatoly Arutunoff José Marina Jack May	Lotus Europe	162
25th	GTU	3	Bart Hartman	Bart Hartman Mark Domiteaux Donald Flores Tom Turner	Austin Marina	159
26th	GTU	38	Paul Spruell	Paul Spruell Walter Johnston Jan Petersen	Alfa Romeo Alfetta	158
27	GTO	15th	Garcia Brothers Racing	Javier Garcia George Garcia	Chevrolet Corvette	157
28	GTU	5	Richard Weiss	Raymond Gage John Emig Pedro Velasquez	Porsche 911S	150
29	GTU	54	Spirit Racing	Hal Sahlman Steve Southard Alex Job	Porsche 914/6	141
30th	GTO	81	Dave Smith	Dave Smith Don Herman	Chevrolet Corvette	139
31	GTO	82	Tom Ross	Tom Ross Jim Weber	Ford Mustang	138
32	GTO	41	Jones Industries Racing	Herb Jones Steve Lazy	Chevrolet Camaro	113
33	GTO	49	Neil Potter	Neil Potter William Boyer	Ford Mustang	112
34	GTU	31	Juan Montalvo	Juan Montalvo Jim Grob	Ford Escort	102
Failed
35	GTU	77	Bruce Jennings	Bruce Jennings Bob Beasley	Porsche 911S	195
36	GTO	72	Bill Arnold	Bill Arnold Carl Thompson	Chevrolet Corvette	182
37	GTO	72	Richard Bostyan	Jerry Thompson Richard Bostyan Donald Yenko	Chevrolet Corvette	144
38	GTU	99	George Shafer	George Shafer Al Crookston Dick Scott	Datsun 240Z	129
39	GTU	03	Bavarian Motors	Alf Gebhardt Sepp Grinbold Bruno Beilcke	BMW 2002	126
40	GTU	55	Charles Kleinschmidt	Charles Kleinschmidt Jack Andrus	MGB GT	110
41	GTU	34	George Drolsom	George Drolsom Bob Nagel	Porsche 911S	106
42	GTO	43	Ecurie Escargot	John O'Steen Dave Helmick	Porsche Carrera RSR	102
43	GTU	64	Miller & Norburn	Nick Craw John Morton Joe Peacock	BMW 2002	102
44	GTU	22nd	Tony Lilly	Tony Lilly Frank Marrs	Lotus Europe	97
45	GTO	47	Clay Young	Eddie Johnson Clay Young Gene Felton	Chevrolet Camaro	96
46	GTU	08	Stiles Construction	Ron Oyler Ken Braun Guy Church	Renault R12	91
47	GTO	24	BMW Motorsport North America	David Hobbs Benny Parsons	BMW 3.0 CSL	90
48	GTO	68	Mike Meldeau	Mike Meldeau Bill McDill	Chevrolet Camaro	79
49	GTO	21st	Richard Stone	Richard Stone Greg Gillingham Frank Fine	Shelby GT350	78
50	GTU	42	Bob Hindson Racing	Bob Hindson Frank Carney Dick Davenport	Porsche 911S	77
51	GTO	96	Mike Williamson	Mike Williamson Lawrence Pleasants Charles Gano	Chevrolet Camaro	74
52	GTO	97	Jim Alspaugh	Jim Alspaugh Bill McVey	Chevrolet Corvette	64
53	GTO	05	Red Roof Inns Jim Trueman	Jim Trueman Bobby Rahal	Chevrolet Monza	63
54	GTO	12	Paul Bowden Racing	Ford Smith Bennett Aiken	Chevrolet Camaro	62
55	GTU	60	Rusty Bond	Rusty Bond Ren Tilton	Porsche 911S	58
56	GTU	02	Bill Scott	Bill Scott Milt Minter	VW Scirocco	54
57	GTO	29	Hoyt Overbagh	Bud Wamsley Guy Thomas	Chevrolet Corvette	51
58	GTO	46	Ahmed Valhuerdi	Manuel Quintana Luis Mendez Ahmed Valhuerdi	Shelby GT350	50
59	GTO	73	Howey Farms	David Crabtree Howey Farms	Chevrolet Corvette	47
60	GTO	39	Wiley Doran	Wiley Doran Gary Belcher	Chevrolet Corvette	46
61	GTO	04	Bill Nelson	Dale Kreider Stephen Bond	Pontiac Astre	46
62	GTO	18th	Terry Wolters	Terry Wolters Wayne Miller Joe Castellano	Chevrolet Camaro	39
63	GTO	66	Big Apple Racing Champale	Stephen Behr Janet Guthrie	Chevrolet Monza	38
64	GTO	76	Levitt Racing Spirit of Sebring	John Greenwood Mike Brockman	Chevrolet Corvette	36
65	GTU	26th	Bonky Fernandez	Mandy Gonzalez Bonky Fernandez Mike Ramirez	Lotus Elan	28
66	GTU	17th	Aubrey Bowles	Aubrey Bowles Fred Rose	Porsche 911S	21st
67	GTO	40	Robert Shulnberg	Bud Sherk Robert Shulnberg Emory Donaldson	Chevrolet Corvette	11
68	GTU	63	Luis Mendez	Luis Mendez Tony Canahuate Rene Rodriguez	BMW 2002	11
69	GTO	36	Motorcito Racing	Tico Almeida Pepe Romero	Chevrolet Camaro	10
70	GTU	01	William Frates	William Frates Craig Ross Spencer Buzbee	Datsun 240Z	6th
71	GTO	9	Tony Ansley	Tony Ansley Ron Connelly	Chevrolet Corvette	6th
72	GTO	79	Don Nooe	Don Nooe Richard Gahn	Shelby GT350	2
73	GTO	71	Ralph Noseda	Ralph Noseda Richard Small	Chevrolet Camaro	1
74	GTO	33	John Carusso	Dennis Stefl John Carusso	Chevrolet Corvette	1
75	GTU	75	Skip Grenier	Skip Grenier Kevin Quigley Roger Ragland	Mazda RX-2	1
Not started
76	GTO	2	Harry Theodoracopulos	Harry Theodoracopulos Michel Jourdain	Chevrolet Monza	1
77	GTU	4th	CACI	Bob Bergstrom Bill Shaw Martin Palmer	Honda Civic	2
78	GTO	37	Rick Mancuso	Irwin Jann Burt Greenwood Rick Mancuso	Chevrolet Corvette	3
79	GTU	83	Jim Logan	Jim Logan Bobbie Johnson	BMW CSL	4th
80	GTO	93	JE Logan	Larry Flynn Larry Bock	Chevrolet Camaro	5
81	GTO	95		John Freyre Donald Yenko	Chevrolet Camaro	6th

¹ Defective tie rod before the race ² Accident during practice ³ Accident during practice ⁴ not started ⁵ not started ⁶ not started

Only in the entry list

Here you will find teams, drivers and vehicles that were originally registered for the race but did not take part for a variety of reasons.

Item	class	No.	team	driver	chassis
82	GTO	6th	CC Canada	CC Canada Bob Christiansen	Chevrolet Camaro
83	GTU	10		Brian Goell not Louis McAlpine	Ferrari Dino 246 GT
84	GTU	48	CACI	Bob Bergstrom Bill Shaw Martin Palmer	Honda Civic
85	GTU	98	Edelweiss Porsche	Adrian Gang Jim Cook Michael Callas	Porsche 914/6

Class winner

class	driver	driver	vehicle	Placement in the overall ranking
GTO	Al Holbert	Michael Keyser	Porsche Carrera RSR	Overall victory
GTU	Dave White	David McClain	Porsche 911S	Rank 9

Racing data

• Registered: 85
• Started: 75
• Rated: 34
• Race classes: 2
• Spectators: 25,000
• Race day weather: cloudy and dry
• Route length: 8.369 km
• Driving time of the winning team: 12: 00: 02.023 hours
• Total laps of the winning team: 230
• Total distance of the winning team: 1924.775 km
• Winner's average: 160.390 km / h
• Pole position: John Greenwood - Chevrolet Corvette (# 76) 2: 47.937 - 179.394 km / h
• Fastest race lap: John Greenwood - Chevrolet Corvette (# 76) 2: 50.713 - 176.477 km / h
• Racing series: 2nd round of the IMSA GT series in 1976

literature

• Ken Breslauer: Sebring. The official History of America's Great Sports Car Race. David Bull, Cambridge MA 1995, ISBN 0-9649722-0-4 .
• Peter Higham: The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing. A complete Reference from Formula 1 to Touring Car. Guinness Publishing Ltd., London 1995, ISBN 0-85112-642-1 .

Web links

• Race results at Racing Sports Cars

Previous race 24 Hours of Daytona 1976

IMSA GT Championship

Successor to the 100-Mile Race of Road Atlanta 1976