Vintage Ferrari race cars are rare enough, and successful ones even more so. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking to see one go up in flames. Video and photos posted to social media show a 1971 Ferrari 512M, supposedly driven by Sam Posey to a third-place finish at that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, engulfed in flames as it circled Watkins Glen International raceway last month.
It’s unclear exactly what happened, but a broken fuel line is the suspected cause. The video starts with the car already on fire, flames and black smoke billowing out from the back. It’s a short clip that doesn’t reveal the aftermath. Photos posted on Facebook show the Ferrari stopped on the track with flames tearing through the rear-end bodywork before a track crew doused the fire. Another photo shows the driver standing outside the Ferrari unharmed, with white smoke obscuring the car and the extent of the damage.
Sam Posey raced a Ferrari 512M in 1971 for NART. After DNF-ing in both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona, Posey teamed up with Tony Adamowicz and entered the 512M into the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the pair took third place. The car, a modified version of the 512S, featured a 5.0-liter V-12 engine.
If this truly were Posey’s Ferrari, we would hope for nothing less than for the current owner to do a complete restoration if possible. The fire supposedly burned for about four minutes before a crew arrived, mainly damaging the body. We’ll have to wait and see if it ever hits the track again.