page_title: Bill Rutan
section_title: Sports car racing
hierarchical_section_title: Bill Rutan / Racing career / Sports car racing
caption_attribution_description: English: Volvo PV444 (ca 1957)
context_page_description: Bill Rutan was a racing driver and hillclimb racer. Rutan was the winner of the Climb to the Clouds hillclimb in 1961. Rutan also won the SCCA National Championship Runoffs twice in the Formula C class.
context_section_description: After racing his self-built machine, Rutan returned to the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1959. Together with Ray Cuomo and Paul Richards Rutan won the GT750 class, finishing 28th overall. The team ran a Fiat-Abarth 750 Record Monza.
  Rutan was very successful in the Little Le Mans touring car race. Rutan won the first event in 1957 in a Volvo PV444 he shared with Art Riley. The duo again won the same race, in the same car, in 1958. In 1959 Rutan and Riley were leading the race when their clutch broke. Riley, who drove the Volvo PV444 at that point, pulled over. Realizing he could make it to the pits he got a push from spectators to continue. The team got disqualified for the outside assistance. Not competing the race in 1960, Rutan and Riley returned in 1961. The duo again dominated the race, this time in a Volvo PV544, despite clutch problems. In 1962 Rutan and Riley were on their way for a third place overall, first in class, until the halfshaft of the PV544 broke. The Little Le Mans race folded after the 1962 edition.
  Riley and Rutan also competed in the first three runnings of the 12 Hours of Marlboro. In 1961 Riley and Rutan led the race but an extra pitstop dropped the Volvo PV544 entry to second place overall. In 1963 Rutan competed in a Saab 96 with Gaston Andrey. The new duo finished fifth overall, second in class.
  Rutan made his 24 Hours of Daytona debut in 1966. This was the very first edition of the race as a 24-hour endurance race. Rutan shared the Ferrari 330P with John Fulp and Bruce Jennings. A broken wheel bearing prevented the team from finishing the race after only two hours of racing.
caption: A Volvo PV444 similar to the one raced by Rutan.
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