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Snapshot, 1965: Alfa Romeo prepares to weather the storm at Sebring

It’s March 1965, and ahead of the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida, the four Works-entered Alfa Romeo TZ1s patiently await the start of the race. Little do their equally patient pilots know that the mother of all storms is set to hit the ramshackle aerodrome circuit. Let battle commence…

One of the sports car racing calendar’s most prestigious events, the 12 Hours of Sebring is perhaps a greater war of attrition than Le Mans, such is the airfield’s notoriously bumpy surface and the unpredictable weather, which can drastically change at the drop of a hat. During this year’s race, a storm entirely deserved of a name will wreak havoc with competitors, mechanics, and spectators, and seal the affair into the annals of motorsport history forever. While it won’t be plain sailing for the Autodelta Alfa Romeos, the slinky and agile TZ1s will fight tooth-and-nail until the very end, claiming first, second, and third in the GT1.6 class. 

Photo: GP Library / UIG via Getty Images