Forty Years Ago at Sebring

Subtitle:BMW Scored Historic First Victory In 1975

With the help of a new factory effort from BMW, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida bounced back with a memorable race in 1975.

Returning after the previous year’s race cancellation due to the energy crisis, Sebring was back on track with promoter and race car driver John Greenwood. The entry was so big qualifying races were held to narrow the field down to a grid of 69 starters.

The race looked to be a three-way battle between several Porsches, Greenwood’s Corvette and the two-car BMW factory team. The Corvettes lacked reliability, however, and it was the BMW team that set the pace early. Although one of the BMWs eventually dropped out with mechanical problems, the team car driven by Brian Redman and Allan Moffat (joined by Hans Stuck and Sam Posey from the car that had retired) took a three-lap victory.

Stuck won the pole and set the fastest race lap in the second BMW entry, but was joined on the sidelines with the second-fastest qualifying Brumos Porsche of 1973 co-winners Hurley Haywood and Peter Gregg, and Greenwood in the Corvette that started third.

Finishing second behind the BMW was the Dyer Motor Racing Porsche Carrera RSR driven by George Dyer and Jacques Bienvenue. Dyer would return to Sebring two years later to take the overall victory in that car, co-driving with Brad Frisselle.

Finishing third was 1973 Sebring co-winner Dr. Dave Helmick, joined by John Graves and John O’Steen in the Ecurie Escargot Porsche. While there was no race in 1974, several thousand fans showed up anyway to celebrate the weekend!

The 40th anniversary of BMW’s first Sebring triumph is being celebrated by BMW North America this year, with the winning car and several drivers and crew returning to Sebring to commemorate this historic event.