\u201cDear Mr. McQueen,\u00a0It is a great\u00a0pleasure to extend my warm congratulations to you on your outstanding performance at the 12 Hours of Sebring. You can imagine how delighted I was that you posted such a brilliant\u00a0result in a car of our brand.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\nFerry Porsche<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At 40 years of age, Steve McQueen’s success was not restricted to the Hollywood screen, but also an eager racer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Undeniably, what McQueen and\u00a0Revson\u00a0were able to do was nothing short of amazing at the classic long-distance race in Florida.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Despite their Porsche 908\/02 Spyder KH (Kurzheck\u00a0or short tail), nicknamed \u2018Flounder,\u2019 being outmatched by their more powerful competitors in the higher class, they were still able to lead up to the final stages of the race.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It was only during the last lap that a Ferrari, driven by Mario Andretti<\/a>, took the lead. McQueen crossed the finish line just 23 seconds after 12 hours at race pace.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Always having the drive to win, McQueen hated being second, but\u00a0even he knew that the second-place finish was a great feat in more ways than one. Just two weeks before, he injured his left foot at Lake Elsinore in a motocross race and arrived at Sebring with a cast and on crutches.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n McQueen nonchalantly explained to the reporters\u00a0who were\u00a0eagerly awaiting\u00a0updates:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThe foot\u2019s broken in six places.\u00a0We had to shorten the left pedal in the car and glue sandpaper to the sole of my shoe for me to be\u00a0able to work the clutch.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\nSteve McQueen<\/cite><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He never did think to back out of the race, stating,\u00a0\u201cI had given my word.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That summed up McQueen- The Hollywood cool guy that always pushed the boundaries and broke the rules, not only in his blockbuster movies like Bullitt<\/a>, The Magnificent Seven, and The Towering Inferno, but the same in real life and in racing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His son, Chad, described his passion, stating, \u201cHe loved racing. It was his drug.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n He grew up in Missouri and Indiana. When he was 14, he was in a home for delinquent youths.\u00a0By the time he was 17, he enlisted himself in the Marines as a tank driver.\u00a0When he was 22, he auditioned\u00a0to get one of the highly desired, and very limited spots in Lee Strasberg\u2019s famous Actors Studio in New York – considered to be the best drama school in the 1950s.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To pay for bills, McQueen took to truck driving and being a dishwasher, and added to the finances by racing his Harley-Davidson.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Before the 1950s ended, McQueen was able to buy himself his first new car: a black Porsche 356 A Speedster.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Like his colleague James Dean<\/a>, the actor was also attracted to Porsche. His Speedster combined the best of both worlds- a daily driver with the characteristics of a club racer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In 1959, McQueen entered nine races from Sports Car Club of America.\u00a0On May 31, in Santa Barbara,\u00a0in his first official\u00a0race, he won\u00a0in the novice class. McQueen later shared:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cI was hooked. Racing gave me a new identity and it was important to me to have that independent identity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In the summer of 1959, McQueen traded his Speedster to get a more powerful Porsche 356 A Carrera. He eventually entered his first race in a true race car, a Lotus Eleven.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Throughout his 20-year career, he acquired more sports cars and racing machines. He was a collector, amassing not only cars but also motorcycles and aircraft.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His obsession with his toys was his means to deal with everything happening in his life, as he once stated:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cI can really only relax when I\u2019m racing. I loosen up at high speeds.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His assistant director, who had worked with him for a number of years, Clifford Coleman, shared, \u201cHe had to overtake you, that was his personality.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why he was so successful. He had to win.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His passion to win was not only limited to the\u00a0racetrack but extended to his collection. When McQueen learned that Bruce Meyer<\/a> from Beverly Hills, another race car driver, was able to acquire his Porsche 356 A Speedster for $1,500, he did not lay off Meyer until the latter gave it back to him. McQueen kept the car for the rest of his life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Even McQueen\u2019s films were made according to his rules.\u00a0Since he was one of the biggest actors in the 1960s, he got what he wanted. He was able to insert his cars and motorcycles into the plotlines, like in The Thomas Crown Affair where he drove his VW Buggy in a madcap beach drive with Faye Dunaway.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For Bullitt, he insisted on doing the stunts himself, especially for the legendary chase scene instead of a stunt double, a potential disaster-awaiting for a Producer. Having their main star injured would mean\u00a0dealing with losses worth millions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Yet despite having the success of numerous blockbuster\u00a0films, he could not resist the call of motocross races.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Racing under the pseudonym, Harvey\u00a0Mushman, McQueen enjoyed anonymity provided by the helmet. However although he could hide behind the helmet from the public, he was not able to hide his driving style.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Coleman recalled:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cHe was strong and fast. That was evident in the way he rode a motorcycle \u2013 very aggressively.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u00a0was not\u00a0long before he developed increasing attention for his racing, especially considering his co-drivers were some of the best in the world like Innes Ireland, Stirling Moss<\/a>, and Pedro Rodriguez.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Using his own company Solar Productions, McQueen financed his own racing team. The peak of his career was\u00a0on\u00a0March 21, 1970 at the 12 Hours of Sebring<\/a>, one of the ten races in the World Sportscar Championship season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At the time, hoping to repeat their previous year\u2019s world championship victory, Porsche brought seven cars to the starting line – four of them being 917 KH models.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Despite this, all focus was on McQueen and his co-driver Peter\u00a0Revson\u00a0that registered the 908\/02 as a private team.\u00a0McQueen and the 908\/02 already had a history as he had driven it to victory in Holtville and\u00a0Phoenix.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Porsche driver Kurt Ahrens who drove one of the 917 with his co-drive Vic\u00a0Elford\u00a0had his eyes on McQueen during training. The now 80-year-old recalled:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cMcQueen had a lot of talent, and he was ambitious, practically obsessed. And he was fast, even if not quite as fast as\u00a0Revson.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As the 3-liter Spider could only produce 350hp, it was an uphill battle against the 5-liter class that produced 600hp.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To make up for their slower lap times, the team decided not to change tires or brake pads for the duration of the whole race. Ahrens shared, \u201cWe were all surprised how consistently they drove; the rigors of the race were considerable. The track was made of concrete slabs; it gave us a good rattle.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It should also be noted that McQueen had a broken foot, but even that did not stop him.\u00a0Their pit strategy\u00a0worked,\u00a0and it gave them their impressive second place.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The factory team Porsche led by Leo\u00a0Kinnunen, Jo\u00a0Siffert, and Pedro Rodriguez came fourth, after a pit stop that took longer than expected, a result not\u00a0what Porsche was aiming for.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In his letter to McQueen, Ferry Porsche stated:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cYour finish enabled us to keep the lead in the Manufacturers\u2019 World Championship, and for that I would like to thank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Both the head of Porsche and McQueen were looking forward to the\u00a0much-awaited\u00a0event in the annual racing calendar with enthusiasm – the 24 Hours of Le Mans.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n McQueen was planning on joining the race alongside Formula One champion Jackie Stewart<\/a> in a Porsche 917.\u00a0Unfortunately, for insurance reasons, and having to go up against Hollywood brass, McQueen backed down, seemingly for the first time in his life.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He\u00a0contented himself to preparing from the trackside for his racing movie, Le Mans<\/em> with having the 908\/02 from Sebring as a film car. Herbert Linge and Jonathan Williams were tasked to get authentic racing scenes. They ended up getting a ninth place but were subsequently disqualified due to a controversial rule violation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The race would produce the long-awaited triumph for Porsche as Hans Hermann and Richard Attwood was able to give Porsche their first overall victory at Le Mans in their red-and-white 917.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u00a0was not\u00a0long before McQueen started shooting the scenes for\u00a0the movie that he has dreamt of for so long.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It was always his dream to make the ultimate film about racing, and Le Mans<\/em> was his pet project.\u00a0\u00a0The production of Le Mans<\/em>\u00a0was not smooth sailing with the movie on the verge of collapse several times, threatening to ruin him financially and it took its toll on his marriage to Neile Adams.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n John Sturges,\u00a0the first director of Le Mans, was fired after wanting to add a love story with the 24-hour race as the backdrop. It was unacceptable for McQueen because for him, the race was the love story.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/b-mcq-01-1-1-563x750-1.jpg\")
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