Wayne Baker and his 1983 12Hours of Sebring historic victory is always being retold coming Sebring's annual March anniversary. This one is a nice story about the yellow Porsche 934 nicknamed as "Fred's school bus".
Wayne Baker in his winning Porsche 934 in 1983 (photo taken at Mid-Ohio by Jack Webster)
Wayne is on Fire! Winning the 12 hours of Sebring in 1983 with "Fred's school bus"
Photocredit: Jim Vandercrake
Photocredit: Jim Vandercrake
Here are some excerpts of the article that has been published on the official website of American Le Mans Series.You can read the full article when you follow the link: http://www.alms.com/articles/underdog-upset
The Underdog Upset
Charles Dressing’s retelling of Sebring’s 1983 race
Americans love underdogs but hate losers. And we really love upsets
because they turn reality inside out and generally make the mighty look
weak.
So when anyone demands a prediction, I try to hide because I always remember some races that didn’t quite go the way the experts reckoned...
...
And then … there was the 1983 12 Hours of Sebring.
...
But no one picked Wayne Baker’s No. 9 Porsche 934 to win the 1983 12 Hours. No matter. Wayne, ace vintage and historic racer Jim Mullen and Kees Nierop did just that in the well-used – and 1981 Daytona 24 Hours-winning – 935 that Wayne converted to 934 specs and then back again later.
They started 14th – outside row seven and right in front of the No. 7 upset contender Mazda RX-7 of Pete Halsmer and Rick Knoop. The yellow “school bus” 934 just plugged around trying to stay within sight of the GTO podium. When the third “hourlies” were published, old No. 9 had eased into the overall top 10. The rest of the field – including a few new GTP cars – suffered bouts of chemical and mechanical illnesses, plus the typical wicked Sebring fates that make us love the race. By the end of the seventh hour, the school bus was being widely ignored – despite its top-10 performance – as Halsmer and “the Knoopster” had the amazing Racing Beat Mazda up to second overall. And it wasn’t even dark yet.
...
Deep in the eleventh hour, the “school bus” (as many now called Wayne’s stout yellow No. 9 935/934 GTO Porsche) eased into the lead. But it was low on fuel and its handling had decayed. The 31st annual 12 Hours of Sebring was about to become the biggest upset since 1954 (if you count any race won by Stirling Moss an upset).
Wayne’s crew didn’t tell him he was leading overall. When they directed him to Victory Lane and the flashbulbs started popping, he had a few moments of confusion. Hardly the first of the bizarre race day.
...
But in three decades and through three sanctioning bodies – and I forget how many circuit modifications – it never got as weird as the night of March 19, 1983.
Charles Dressing is one of sports car racing’s foremost historians
and is a walking, talking encyclopedia on the sport. Part of the ALMS
broadcast and production crew, his blog appears every other Wednesday.
So when anyone demands a prediction, I try to hide because I always remember some races that didn’t quite go the way the experts reckoned...
...
And then … there was the 1983 12 Hours of Sebring.
...
But no one picked Wayne Baker’s No. 9 Porsche 934 to win the 1983 12 Hours. No matter. Wayne, ace vintage and historic racer Jim Mullen and Kees Nierop did just that in the well-used – and 1981 Daytona 24 Hours-winning – 935 that Wayne converted to 934 specs and then back again later.
The No. 9 Porsche 934 was the biggest surprise winner in Sebring's history. Photo: Leonard Turner
They started 14th – outside row seven and right in front of the No. 7 upset contender Mazda RX-7 of Pete Halsmer and Rick Knoop. The yellow “school bus” 934 just plugged around trying to stay within sight of the GTO podium. When the third “hourlies” were published, old No. 9 had eased into the overall top 10. The rest of the field – including a few new GTP cars – suffered bouts of chemical and mechanical illnesses, plus the typical wicked Sebring fates that make us love the race. By the end of the seventh hour, the school bus was being widely ignored – despite its top-10 performance – as Halsmer and “the Knoopster” had the amazing Racing Beat Mazda up to second overall. And it wasn’t even dark yet.
...
Deep in the eleventh hour, the “school bus” (as many now called Wayne’s stout yellow No. 9 935/934 GTO Porsche) eased into the lead. But it was low on fuel and its handling had decayed. The 31st annual 12 Hours of Sebring was about to become the biggest upset since 1954 (if you count any race won by Stirling Moss an upset).
Wayne’s crew didn’t tell him he was leading overall. When they directed him to Victory Lane and the flashbulbs started popping, he had a few moments of confusion. Hardly the first of the bizarre race day.
...
But in three decades and through three sanctioning bodies – and I forget how many circuit modifications – it never got as weird as the night of March 19, 1983.
1983 Sebring winners (from left) Jim Mullen, Wayne Baker, Kees Nierop. Photo: SIR Archive
Also read the detailed story about this famous Sebring win by Wayne Baker previously posted on the blog
Wayne Baker Racing provides Vintage Porsche Race Support, Transport and driver Mentoring. Contact Wayne Baker for more information waynebaker@earthlink.net (858) 586-7771 or Cell (619) 743-1356
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