RACE IN PROGRESS, WINNING PORSCHE (NO 2) IN RACE, MATRO-SIMCA (NO 33), DRIVEN BY BRABHAM, CALLS INTO PITS; CAMARO (NO 9) IN RACE; PORSCHE (NO 1) IN RACE, WINNING CAR OVERTAKING; PORSCHE (NO 23) ENTERS PITS SMOKING, WINNING PORSCHE FINISHES AND SURROUNDED BY CREW.




Initials SAW/VS/BOB/ES


SPORT: CAR RACING

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Background: THE DAYTONA, FLORIDA 24-HOUR RACE WAS WON YESTERDAY (FEBRUARY 1) BY PEDRO RODRIGUEZ (MEXICO) AND LEO KINNUNEN (FINLAND) DRIVING A PORSCHE.

THE WINNING TEAM COVERED A RECORD DISTANCE OF 2,755 MILES (4400 KMS), ON THE 3.81 MILES (6.8 KM) CIRCUIT, AVERAGING 114.86 MILES PER HOUR (184 KPH) TO OUTSTRIP THE PREVIOUS BEST OF 2,580 MILES (4128 KM) SET BY LLOYD RUBY AND KEN MILES IN A FORD FOUR YEARS AGO.

THE WINNING CAR (NO 2) FINISHED 45 LAPS AHEAD OF ANOTHER PORSCHE (NO 1), ALSO FROM THE BRITISH J.W. ENGINEERING FIRM AND DRIVEN BY SWISS STAR JO SIFFERT AND BRIAN REDMAN FROM BRITAIN.

THIRD IN THE ACCIDENT-FREE RACE, AFTER A GREAT BATTLE WITH THE SIFFERT-REDMAN TEAM, WAS AMERICAN MARIO ANDRETTI AND BELGIAN JACKIE ICKX IN A FERRARI. BOTH THE SECOND AND THIRD TEAM HAD MECHANICAL TROUBLES WHICH FORCED THEM TO SPEND TIME IN THE PITS.

A FEATURE OF THE RACE WAS THE ABSENCE OF MAJOR ACCIDENTS, A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE RECORD PACE SET BY THE WINNING PORSCHE.

CAR NO 23, SHOWN IN THE FILM, DRIVEN BY AMERICANS TONY ADAMOWICZ AND JOE BUZZETTA, CAME FIFTH.