Long Day's Journey Into The Florida Night

Sebring is the name of a small town in the midlands of Florida that is annually the scene of an important automobile race—a race whose eighth renewal will be run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. this Saturday. The event is very young, but it is to American devotees of road racing cars what the Kentucky Derby is to improvers of another temperamental breed.

The big event at Sebring has several distinguishing features. For one thing, it has perhaps the wordiest title in sport: The Florida International 12-Hour Grand Prix of Endurance for the Amoco Trophy. For another, it is nearly unrivaled in sport for complexity.

True-blue road racing fans are not puzzled by this complexity. Others who do not share their information and special language frequently are. An effort will be made, then, to preview Sebring lucidly for those who haven't yet discovered its merits, and informatively for those who regularly follow racing.

Let it be said, first of all, that this should be as fine a weekend as Sebring has seen. A dozen of the 65 entries will have a reasonable chance of winning the absolute victory, largely because of the new international ceiling on engine size for the most powerful cars. Last year, one car of vastly superior horsepower and speed, the 4.5-liter Maserati, made the over-all race no contest.

The field of drivers will be first-rate, with the cream of the international corps, the best American road racers, the Indianapolis drivers Jim Rathmann and Pat O'Connor, and many talented American amateurs for whom Sebring has come to be the racing treat of the year.

Among the foreigners will be five from Britain who have not heretofore competed in the U.S.: Tony Brooks, Jack Fairman, Ron Flockhart, Ninian Sanderson and Archie Scott-Brown.

The field of cars will be the best yet; the European factories which keep the sport alive have done themselves proud. This is especially true of the most powerful cars. Aston Martin of England will have a strong two-car entry captained by Stirling Moss, the best active racing driver in the world. (The No. 1 driver, World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, will lend his presence at Sebring but probably will not race.

Ferrari of Italy, world champion manufacturer in 1956 and 1957 and favorite to win a third consecutive title, will enter a three-car team bolstered by additional U.S.-owned Ferraris. The Ecurie Ecosse, a swashbuckling Scottish team whose D Jaguars won the premier event of this kind, the Le Mans 24-Hours, in 1956 and 1957, will make its American bow with two D Jaguars.

The chief novelty will be two streamlined racers from the tiny English shop of Brian Lister, powered by Jaguar engines and representing America's foremost enthusiast, Briggs Cunningham, and his associate, Alfred Momo. Cunningham may personally drive another car from his stable, a D Jaguar. Momo will call signals for the team via a two-way radio hookup rigged by the Vocaline radio and Gentex helmet people—the first time this has been tried on so large a scale.

Off-course the pace will be swift, with, among other things, a ball Thursday evening and a gymkhana and cavalcade for more than 40 antique and classic cars on Friday.