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New Story 1957 Sebring From Bob Ballenger
I will be getting this posted on the website this weekend, but also wanted to go ahead and get it on the forums for all of you to enjoy. This is the latest story that Bob Ballenger has put together for us, a follow-up to his '56 Sebring. This is the recap of '57. enjoy. If anyone have any pictures from the '57 race they'd like to share let me know
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As I wrote earlier that Wacky Arnolt asked me to drive for him again in 57 and I said I would and here I am back in Sebring for the March 23rd race. There were some changes in the lineup for drivers as I was paired with Jim Peterson from California in car # 39 while John Weitz and Bob Gary in car 38 and Wacky was again paired with Bob Goldich in car # 37. Ted Boynton and Phil Stewart had gone on to different teams.
My wife Toni was with me this year and it was nice to have her along so she could take photos and see how the team functioned.
Both my brother in laws were there this year. Masten and Lou Brero were driving a Factory Ferrari 290S car # 15 and Dale Duncan was driving for the Chevrolet Corvette team with John Kilborn in car # 31.
We were pitted next to the Corvette team and got to watch their new and untried Corvette SS driven by John Fitch and Piero Taruffi car #1. This was a very radical car designed by Arkus Duntov.
During practice they had invited Juan Manuel Fangio to test the new SS and see what he thought about the car as his mount was a Maserati 450 S that he was to co drive with Jean Behra car # 19.
After one lap he came in and asked for a pillow as he had a hard time to reach the pedals. He then roared off and after a couple more laps he broke the Sebring record. The Corvette guys were jumping up and down and WOW they had a great new car. Fangio thanked every one and went back to the Maserati pit, climbed into the 450S and went about 10 seconds faster after just one lap. So much for GM and their new car which retired on lap 23 with suspension failure during the race.
All the big names were their again: Sterling Moss/ Harry Shell Maserarti 300S; Mike Hawthorn/ Ivor Bueb Jaguar D Type; Peter Collins/ Maurice Trintignant Ferrari 315S; Alfanso de Portago/ Luigi Musso Ferrari 315S; Colin Chapman/ Joe Sheppard Lotus-Climax; Jack McAfee/ Hans Herman Porsche 550RS; Phil Hill/ Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari 290 MM; Roy Salvadori/ Carroll Shelby Maserati 250S; Briggs Cunningham/ Bill Loyd Jaguar D Type and on and on. The best in the world.
Jim Peterson and I were given the title of being the "rabbit", had the high revs and were to go as fast as we could and if the car broke so what as Wacky wanted us to run away from our competition.
I again was to start and the day finally arrived. I was standing next to Lance Reventlow who was driving a Maserati 200SL and we agreed that Sterling Moss always started to run at 7 of the count down and we were going to do the same thing. 7 came and Lance and I and a bunch of guys were on our way across the track to our awaiting cars.
Again I got a super start and only wished the Arnolt Bristol had 200 more horse power and I would be battling among all those red machines. Needless to say the car was much faster than the car I drove in 56 and I was really enjoying myself.
My 3 hours went rather quickly and I built up a lap over Wacky in car 37 before I turned the car over to Jim. The stop went without a hitch and Jim was off and running before Wacky came in to turn the car over to Bob Goldich.
Bob got in and was away and within minutes we heard an ambulance was on the track and a full course yellow was out. Masten came flying in the pit lane and stopped in front of our pit and saw me and hollered "thank God I thought you were in that car".
That's when an official came over and said our car # 37 was in an accident. Bob Goldich never made the first lap and as he approached the esses he was a bit too fast, hit the curbing and the car flipped. He was killed instantly. This could not be. This was for fun. These things don't happen to a team like ours. This was not possible.
I stood there hugging my wife and all we could think about was Bob's wife back home expecting their second child. I turned to Toni and said "this is it. I'm done and will never race again".
I turned to Wacky who was in shock and I asked him if I could pull in the other two cars and he said "yes please".
Hours later after many phone calls and arrangements that were made Wacky sat us all down and said Bob would want us to go to the banquet that night. We all did not want to but he insisted.
We were all at our table and there was not much conversation amongst us when a short stocky man came over and stopped right in front of me and asked if he could join us for dinner. We said of course and he sat down across from me.
In broken English he said " I have lost many good friends during my racing career and today you have lost one and I would like to sit with you this evening as I know how you all are feeling. That man sat with us and helped us to understand that racing can be very dreadful at times like this. That man was the winner of the 1957 Sebring Juan Manuel Fangio.
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