Original vintage 1973 Champion spark plugs advertisement, featuring spark plugs used in Porsche racecars running in the 24 Hours of Daytona and Sebring races - "Better plugs for everyone."
Dimensions: 8 inches wide by 11 inches high.
“In its first outing, a new Porsche Carrera piloted by Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood beat the big boys in the 24-Hours of Daytona. Next at Sebring, the dashing duo took command of Dr. Dave Helmick’s new Carrera to capture IMSA Sebring Camel 12-Hour….Both their Daytona Porsche Carrera and their matching Sebring mount were fitted with Champion spark plugs. The brand 22 million people have switched to. For endurance racing. And short hops around town.”
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona - officially the Rolex 24 At Daytona - is North America's premier sports car endurance race, held annually at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in Florida, kicking off the IMSA SportsCar Championship season in late January.
Teams of drivers race multiple classes of cars (prototypes and GTs) for a full 24 hours on a challenging road course that uses parts of the famous oval, testing both driver endurance and machine reliability for a prestigious Rolex watch prize
First run in 1962, the race become a 24-hour race in 1966, with the first 24 Hour event won by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby driving a Ford Mk. II. Motor Sport reported, "For their first 24-hour race the basic organization was good, but the various officials in many cases were out of touch, childish and lacked the professional touch which one now finds at Watkins Glen."
It also witnessed iconic battles, notably between the Ford GT40 in it's early years and Porsche's dominance later.
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida.
In its early years, the Sebring circuit combined former airport runways with narrow two-lane service roads. The 1966 event was a turning point in Sebring history, as the facilities and the safety of the circuit were heavily criticized. Five people were killed during the race, more than in the race's prior 15-year history combined.
Bob McLean crashed while approaching the hairpin; his car rolled several times, struck a utility pole and then exploded, landing in a ditch and killing him. In another incident, Mario Andretti in his Ferrari 365 P2 tangled with Don Wester's Porsche 906 on the Warehouse Straight near the Webster Turns, killing four spectators and then crashing into a warehouse next to the track.
The 1966 race had Dan Gurney leading at the last lap, when the engine of his Shelby American Ford GT40 Mk II seized near the end. Gurney pushed his car over the finish line, beaten only by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby. However, Gurney's actions were ultimately determined to be against the rules and he did not receive credit for his finish.
Historically, this race has been a round of the now defunct World Sportscar Championship, IMSA GT Championship and American Le Mans Series. In 2012, the race was the opening event of the FIA World Endurance Championship in a one off race before being returned to the American Le Mans Series for 2013.
Starting in 2014, the event became the second round of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
1949 Crosley Hotshot that won the 1950 Sebring Race. The race is considered to be one of the three legs of the informal Triple Crown of endurance racing along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona
