Sebring 1958

Vintage 16 mm footage shot by my father who was an amateur sports car driver in the 50's...also will post an Indie 500 race and couple of Road America races

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Sebring
• race
• vintage
• 1950's
• sportscar

[JoeTierno]

The earliest scene is turn 1 at Bridgehampton. You can tell by the steep decline, the high-speed turn and the sand. The next scene is Canada Corner at Elkhart Lake. I believe the white Elva with the blue stripes is Frank Baptista but I'm not sure. Millard Ripley drove an Elva at Sebring with Charlie Kurtz that was also #78 but I recall it was blue. Art Tweedale also was an Elva driver at Sebring during that time. I probably have this all wrong but I'm doing it strictly from memory.

Joe

[now1000]

Thanks for comment.  The film was vaguely labeled by my father.

[ElvaMKII]

I think the first few minutes are not the 1958 Sebring. That race starts in the video with the scenes of the red OSCA and the white #47 Elva in the paddock. The rest of the movie is of Sebring. Great stuff.

[now1000]

My father raced in the 50's and also went to many races so it may very well be another track. I asked him to review videos. He is 92 and has poor eyesight and wasn't able to offer much. Thanks for your comments

[fsheff0]

Applause!

[senormadre]

I was at Sebring 1958, 10 years old. My dad was on Charlie Kurtz's team. His Elva was dark blue, I have pics. Charlie's daughter Karen Kurtz Earl, who was 3 when he died in a road crash about 1960, worked for IMSA and will scan this video to see if #78 is in it.

[ElvaMKII]

I like to show your video at the SVRA event next March at Sebring. It is the 50th anniversary of the Elva sports racers there. At least one of the 1958 drivers is coming to our event. Is there a way I could get a DVD of the 1958 Sebring video your dad made?