Sebring, By Ken Breslauer
288 pages, hardbound, $79.95

The 12 Hours of Sebring is like no other race in the world. Half as long and twice as hard as the other two remaining great endurance contests at Daytona and Le Mans, Sebring has moved into the modern era with most of its old ambience and all of its incredible history intact. Since 1950, when Alec Ulmann chose the old B-17 training base nestled in Middle Florida's orange groves as the place he would put American endurance racing on the inteernational map, Sebring has been a rite of spring that has drawn a larger-than-life cast of characters.

Ken Breslauer, the communications director and track historian of Sebring International Raceway, is the ultimate Sebring buff and in his Sebring, The Official History of America's Great Sports Car Race, he brings together every concievable detail from five decades at the great old track. Breslauer relives every race, supporting the narrative with photographs many of which have not been seen before. Hans Hermann and Olivier Gendebien's surprise victory in 1960 is there, as are all the Porsche triumphs that began in earnest when Hermann returned in 1968 with Jo Siffert and a 907.

The appendix is nearly as long as the body of Breslauer's book and there you will find complete statistics for every race including hourly standings for the top ten positions. Have a picture of a car from some distant Sebring and want to know what it was and who the drivers were? If you can read the number, you can find the answer. That swoopy little car from 1956 wa a British GinettaG4! And the driver of the #53 Alfa TZ in 1964 happens to be Chuck Stoddard. It's all there and reading through the intry lists is like spending an afternoon in a time machine.

With a forward by Dan Gurney, Sebring is a definitive reference for racing historians and a worthwhile and enjoyable book for anyone interested in the sports car experience in the United States. At $80 its a bit pricey, but already I know I've got to have it.

-Betty Jo Turner
Porsche Panorama