Fangio’s Gift—The 1956 12 Hours of Sebring

The 5^th annual Sebring 12 Hour Grand Prix held in 1956 achieved international prominence when, for the first time, four major European constructors entered cars and drivers in that event. Teams from Italian auto manufacturers Ferrari and Maserati, along with English auto manufacturers Jaguar and Aston Martin made their way across the Atlantic to Florida.

As an indication of how important what some called North America’s premier sports car race had become, General Motors’ Chevrolet division had decided to enter three of their new 2-seat Corvettes in the race to challenge the Europeans. The three factory supported Vettes were entered under the privateer name of “Raceway Enterprises” to avoid conflicting with the Automobile Manufacturers Association ban on factory-supported racing.