At 3:25 P.M., halfway through the race, a tropical deluge pounded central Florida. In minutes the track was flooded. In some places water was six inches deep. Visibility shrunk to a few feet. Race fans ran for cover; they couldn’t see the cars anyway. Shelby saw Phil Hill bring a Ford GT40 into the pit. When Hill opened his door, water poured out of the interior. Hill tried to get out but Shelby pushed him back in. A mechanic leaned in between Hill’s legs and punched holes in the floorboards with a hammer to drain the water. “Watch out for my balls!” Hill screamed.
