The NART-entered Ferrari 512S of Sam Posey and Ronnie Bucknum runs inside the NART-entered Ferrari 312P of Luigi Chinetti, Jr. and George Eaton, during the 1971 12 Hours of Sebring. The Chinetti/Eaton car went on to finish 8th overall and 3rd in class, while the Posey/Bucknum car retired after 114 laps.
Photo: Ed McDonough
The North American Racing Team: An evocative name that is steeped in history and encompasses one man’s ambitions, his passion, the glory and the despair of motor racing over a period of nearly 40 years.
To appreciate the significance of the achievements of NART, it is necessary to step back in time to look at Luigi Chinetti the founder of Chinetti Motors, and the merchandise that he dealt in, which was mainly Ferrari. Ferrari commands a respect in a manner that is unique to this marque, and the name has become a modern legend. However, as with most legends, it suffers from embellishment as the years go by. Ordinary events from the past can be perceived as important as the story gains in magnitude. Past race achievements, irrespective of the opposition, are classed as magnificent triumphs, so truth has become tainted with fiction and exaggeration, while failure was put down to learning and gaining experience. So it is that most things associated with Ferrari suffer in the same fashion. The North American Racing Team is no exception to this rule.
A NART-entered OSCA 750S finished 18th at Le Mans in 1960 in the hands of Bentley and Gordon. Photo: Terry O’Neil Collection
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