12 Hours of Sebring explained
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. In the past, this race has been a round of the now defunct World Sportscar Championship, IMSA GT Championship and American Le Mans Series. In 2012, the race was the opening event of the FIA World Endurance Championship in a one off race before being returned back to the American Le Mans Series for 2013. Starting in 2014, the event became the second round of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The race is considered to be one of the three legs of the informal Triple Crown of endurance racing along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
History
The track opened in 1950 on an airfield and is a road racing course styled after those used in European Grand Prix motor racing. The first race was a six-hour race on New Year's Eve 1950. The winning car is currently on display at the Edge Motor Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The next race was held 14 months later as the first 12 Hours of Sebring.[6] The race is famous for its "once around the clock" action, starting during the day and finishing at night. From 1953 to 1972 the 12 Hour was a round of the FIA's premier sports car series which was contested under various names including the World Sportscar Championship and the International Championship for Makes. In the 1950s, in addition to Le Mans, Sebring was on the calendar at the same time now-legendary races such as the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Carrera Panamericana and the RAC Tourist Trophy were on the World Sportscar Championship calendar, such was the prestige of the Sebring race. It was also the most important American race for the European teams and drivers and was the center of European racing activity in the United States; it was the only time during the 1950s that the big European manufacturer teams and drivers came to the United States in force, bringing with them considerable international media attention—the United States Formula One Grand Prix was not run until 1959. Top drivers who competed on the European circuit in the 1950s such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Nino Farina, Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn all raced at Sebring, and the 1957 Sebring 12 Hours was the only American race the 5-time world champion Fangio ever won.
In its early years, the Sebring circuit combined former airport runways with narrow two-lane service roads. The 1966 event was a turning point in Sebring history, as the facilities and the safety of the circuit were heavily criticized. Five people were killed during the race, more than in the race's prior 15-year history combined. Bob McLean crashed while approaching the hairpin; his car rolled several times, struck a utility pole and then exploded, landing in a ditch and killing McLean. In another incident Mario Andretti in his Ferrari 365 P2 tangled with Don Wester's Porsche 906 on the Warehouse Straight near the Webster Turns, killing four spectators and then crashing into a warehouse next to the track. Subsequent to these events, the facilities were upgraded and the circuit layout was changed, including eliminating the Webster Turns and creating the Green Park Chicane further down the track to move the straight further away from the airport warehouses. The circuit was made safer, and there have only been 4 fatalities since then—a remarkable record for a circuit of Sebring's age.
The race is known as preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the track's technical layout and extremely bumpy surface, combined with south-central Florida's perennial hot weather, is a major test of a car's reliability. Teams planning to compete at Le Mans regard Sebring as an ideal preparation run for the prestigious French race.
In recent years, six overall victories have been achieved by the Audi R8, one fewer than the record seven wins of the Porsche 935. Tom Kristensen has won the race more times than anyone else, with six victories—in 1999 - 2000, 2005 - 2006, 2009 and in 2012.
2020 saw the race be rescheduled to mid-November due to delays caused by the pandemic. It was the only season where Sebring was run twice in a season. In July, as part of restarting the season, a three-hour race was held in July with spectators. IMSA allowed spectators for this race. Races up until 1969 began with the traditional Le Mans start procedure, which was abolished at the end of the 1969 season following Jacky Ickx protesting at Le Mans 1969; 1970 was the first 12 Hours of Sebring started with a rolling start.
Race results
The 1966 race had Dan Gurney leading at the last lap, when his engine of his Shelby American Ford GT40 Mk II seized near the end. Gurney pushed his car over the finish line, beaten only by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby. However, his actions were ultimately determined to be against the rules and he did not receive credit for his finish.[7] In 2005, the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R and Aston Martin DBR9 made their race debut in the hotly contested GT1 class, with Aston Martin winning its class for the first time in 49 years at Sebring ahead of the two Corvettes. Corvette had dominated the class the past three years with its previous generation C5R.The all-new Audi R10 TDI won the 2006 edition of the race, the car's first ever run in competition. The much-hyped Porsche RS Spyder campaigned by Penske Racing dropped to take 2nd place in its LMP2 class, behind the Intersport Lola car. The GT1 Corvette C6R team got their revenge against the Aston Martin, although the second Corvette came within 1/3 of a second of the podium in the closing laps of the race.
2007 saw Audi again winning in the R10 TDI despite requiring more frequent refueling due to changes in American Le Mans series rules intended to even the field between gasoline and diesel-powered engines.
Statistics
Wins by manufacturer
| Rank | Manufacturer | Wins | Years |
|---|
| 1 | Porsche | 18 | 1960, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1976–1988, 2008 |
| 2 |  Ferrari | 12 | |
| 3 | Audi | 11 | 2000 - 2007, 2009, 2012 - 2013 |
| 4 |  Nissan | 5 | 1989–1991, 1994, 2018 |
 Cadillac | 2017, 2019, 2021–2023 |
| 5 | Ford | 4 | 1966–1967, 1969, 2014 |
| 7 | Toyota | 2 | 1992–1993 |
| BMW | 1975, 1999 |
 Peugeot | 2010–2011 |
| 10 | Crosly | 1 | 1950 |
 Frazer-Nash | 1952 |
| Cunningham | 1953 |
| O.S.C.A. | 1954 |
| Jaguar | 1955 |
| Maserati | 1957 |
| Chaparral | 1965 |
| Oldsmobile | 1996 |
| Corvette | 2015 |
| Honda | 2016 |
| Mazda | 2020 |
| Acura | 2024 |
| |
|---|
Wins by driver
| Rank | Driver | Wins | Years |
|---|
| 1 | Tom Kristensen | 6 | 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012 |
| 2 | Rinaldo Capello | 5 | 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2012 |
| 3 | Frank Biela | 4 | 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007 |
| Allan McNish | 2004, 2006, 2009, 2012 |
 Pipo Derani | 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023 |
| 4 | Phil Hill | 3 | 1958, 1959, 1961 |
 Olivier Gendebien | 1959, 1960, 1961 |
| Mario Andretti | 1967, 1970, 1972 |
| Hans-Joachim Stuck | 1975, 1986, 1988 |
| Marco Werner | 2003, 2005, 2007 |
|
Overall winners
| Year | Drivers | Team | Car | Tires | Distance | Championship |
|---|
| 3.3 mile/5.31 km circuit |
|---|
| Fritz Koster
Ralph Deshon | Victor Sharpe/Tommy Cole | Crosley HotShot | | 613.84km (381.42miles)
(Sam Collier Memorial Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance Six Hours)[8] | Non-championship |
|---|
| 1951 | Not held |
|---|
| 5.382 mile/8.6 km circuit |
|---|
| Harry Gray
Larry Kulok | Stuart Donaldson | Frazer-Nash Le Mans Replica | | 1213.445km (754miles) | American Automobile Association (AAA) |
|---|
| 1953 | Phil Walters
John Fitch | Briggs Cunningham | Cunningham C-4R | | 1447.766km (899.6miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| Bill Lloyd
Stirling Moss | Briggs Cunningham | O.S.C.A. MT4 | | 1405.923km (873.6miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| 1955 | Mike Hawthorn
Phil Walters | Briggs Cunningham | Jaguar D-Type | | 1523.083km (946.4miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| 1956 | Eugenio Castellotti
 Juan Manuel Fangio | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 860 Monza | | 1623.506km (1,008.8miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| 1957 | Juan Manuel Fangio
Jean Behra | Maserati | Maserati 450S | | 1648.612km (1,024.4miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| 1958 | Peter Collins
Phil Hill | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 250 TR 58 | | 1673.718km (1,040miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| Phil Hill
Dan Gurney
Chuck Daigh
Olivier Gendebien | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 250 TR 59 | | 1573.295km (977.6miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| |  Joakim Bonnier | Porsche RS-60 | | 1640.243km (1,019.2miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| Phil Hill
Olivier Gendebien | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 250 TRI/61 | | 1740.666km (1,081.6miles) | World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| 1962 | Lucien Bianchi
Joakim Bonnier | Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia | Ferrari 250 TRI/61 | | 1723.929km (1,071.2miles) | International Championship for GT Manufacturers |
|---|
| 1963 | John Surtees
Ludovico Scarfiotti | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 250 P | | 1749.035km (1,086.8miles) | International Championship for GT Manufacturers |
|---|
| 1964 | Mike Parkes
Umberto Maglioli | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 275 P | | 1790.878km (1,112.8miles) | International Championship for GT Manufacturers |
|---|
| 1965 | Jim Hall
Hap Sharp | Chaparral Cars Inc. | Chaparral 2-Chevrolet | | 1640.243km (1,019.2miles) | International Championship for GT Manufacturers |
|---|
| Lloyd Ruby
Ken Miles | Shelby American Inc. | Ford X-1 Roadster | | 1908.038km (1,185.6miles) | International Championship for Sports-Prototypes
International Championship for Sports Cars |
|---|
| 5.4 mile/8.66 km circuit |
|---|
| 1967 |  Bruce McLaren
Mario Andretti | Ford Motor Company | Ford Mk IV | | 1991.724km (1,237.6miles) | International Championship for Sports-Prototypes
International Championship for Sports Cars |
|---|
| 1968 |  Jo Siffert
 Hans Herrmann | Porsche Automobile Company | Porsche 907 | | 1983.356km (1,232.4miles) | International Championship for Makes |
|---|
| 1969 | Jacky Ickx
Jackie Oliver | J.W. Automotive Engineering | Ford GT40 MkI | | 2000.093km (1,242.8miles) | International Championship for Makes |
|---|
| Ignazio Giunti
Nino Vaccarella
Mario Andretti | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 512 S | | 2075.41km (1,289.6miles) | International Championship for Makes |
|---|
| 1971 | Vic Elford
Gérard Larrousse | Martini Racing | Porsche 917K | | 2175.833km (1,352miles) | International Championship for Makes |
|---|
| 1972 | Jacky Ickx
Mario Andretti | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 312 PB | | 2167.465km (1,346.8miles) | World Championship for Makes |
|---|
| 1973 | Hurley Haywood
Peter Gregg
Dave Helmick | Dave Helmick | Porsche Carrera RSR | | 1891.301km (1,175.2miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1974 | No race due to energy crisis |
|---|
| 1975 | Hans-Joachim Stuck
Brian Redman
 Allan Moffat
Sam Posey | BMW Motorsport | BMW 3.0 CSL | | 1991.724km (1,237.6miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1976 | Al Holbert
Mike Keyser | Holbert Porsche-Audi | Porsche Carrera RSR | | 1924.775km (1,196miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1977 | George Dyer
Brad Frisselle | George Dyer | Porsche Carrera RSR | | 1958.45km (1,216.92miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1978 | Brian Redman
Charles Mendez
Bob Garretson | Dick Barbour Racing | Porsche 935 | | 2008.461km (1,248miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1979 | Bob Akin
Rob McFarlin
Roy Woods | Dick Barbour Racing | Porsche 935 | | 2000.093km (1,242.8miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1980 | John Fitzpatrick
Dick Barbour | Dick Barbour Racing | Porsche 935 K3 | | 2117.253km (1,315.6miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1981 | Bruce Leven
Hurley Haywood
Al Holbert | Bayside Disposal Racing | Porsche 935/80 | | 2050.304km (1,274miles) | IMSA GT Championship
World Endurance Championship |
|---|
| 1982 | John Paul Sr.
John Paul Jr. | JLP Racing | Porsche 935 JLP-3 | | 2041.936km (1,268.8miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 4.7 mile/7.52 km circuit |
|---|
| 1983 | Wayne Baker
Jim Mullen
Kees Nierop | Personalized Autohaus | Porsche 934 | | 1765.853km (1,097.25miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1984 |  Mauricio de Narvaez
Hans Heyer
Stefan Johansson | De Narvaez Enterprises | Porsche 935J | | 2057.031km (1,278.18miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| Bob Wollek
A. J. Foyt | Preston Henn | Porsche 962 | | 2197.817km (1,365.66miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1986 | Bob Akin
Hans-Joachim Stuck
 Jo Gartner | Bob Akin Motor Racing | Porsche 962 | | 2244.745km (1,394.82miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 4.2 mile/6.85 km circuit |
|---|
| 1987 | Bobby Rahal
Jochen Mass | Bayside Disposal Racing | Porsche 962 | | 1971.092km (1,224.78miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1988 | Klaus Ludwig
Hans-Joachim Stuck | Bayside Disposal Racing | Porsche 962 | | 2103.38km (1,306.98miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1989 |  Geoff Brabham
 Arie Luyendyk
Chip Robinson | Electramotive Engineering | Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | | 2182.753km (1,356.3miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1990 | Bob Earl
 Derek Daly | Nissan Performance Technology | Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | | 1990.936km (1,237.11miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 3.72 mile/5.99 km circuit |
|---|
| Derek Daly
Geoff Brabham
Gary Brabham | Nissan Performance Technology | Nissan NPT-90 | | 1774.463km (1,102.6miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1992 | Juan Manuel Fangio II
Andy Wallace | All American Racers | Eagle MkIII-Toyota | | 2143.646km (1,332miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1993 | Juan Manuel Fangio II
Andy Wallace | All American Racers | Eagle MkIII-Toyota | | 1369.552km (851miles) | IMSA GT Championship |
|---|
| 1994 | Steve Millen
Johnny O'Connell
John Morton | Clayton Cunningham Racing | Nissan 300ZX | | 1947.145km (1,209.9miles) | IMSA Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| Andy Evans
 Fermín Vélez
Eric van de Poele | Scandia Motorsports | Ferrari 333 SP | | 1548.189km (962miles) | IMSA Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
|  Wayne Taylor
Jim Pace
Eric van de Poele | Doyle Racing | Riley & Scott Mk III-Oldsmobile | | 1935.075km (1,202.4miles) | IMSA Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| Andy Evans
Fermín Vélez
Yannick Dalmas
Stefan Johansson | Team Scandia | Ferrari 333 SP | | 1628.012km (1,011.6miles) | Professional Sports Car Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| Didier Theys
Gianpiero Moretti
Mauro Baldi | MOMO Doran Racing | Ferrari 333 SP | | 1925.178km (1,196.25miles) | Professional Sportscar Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
|---|
| 3.74 mile/6.02 km circuit |
|---|
| 1999 |  Tom Kristensen
 JJ Lehto
Jörg Müller | BMW Motorsport | BMW V12 LMR | | 1863.781km (1,158.1miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2000 | Frank Biela
Tom Kristensen
Emanuele Pirro | Audi Sport North America | Audi R8 | | 2143.646km (1,332miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2001 | Rinaldo Capello
Michele Alboreto
Laurent Aïello | Audi Sport North America | Audi R8 | | 2203.192km (1,369miles) | American Le Mans Series
European Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2002 | Rinaldo Capello
Christian Pescatori
Johnny Herbert | Audi Sport North America | Audi R8 | | 2060.282km (1,280.2miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2003 | Philipp Peter
Frank Biela
Marco Werner | Infineon Team Joest | Audi R8 | | 2185.328km (1,357.9miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2004 | Allan McNish
Frank Biela
Pierre Kaffer | Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx | Audi R8 | | 2084.101km (1,295miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2005 | Marco Werner
JJ Lehto
Tom Kristensen | ADT Champion Racing | Audi R8 | | 2149.601km (1,335.7miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2006 | Tom Kristensen
Allan McNish
Rinaldo Capello | Audi Sport North America | Audi R10 TDI
(Diesel) | | 2078.145km (1,291.299miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2007 | Emanuele Pirro
Frank Biela
Marco Werner | Audi Sport North America | Audi R10 TDI
(Diesel) | | 2165.8km (1,345.8miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2008 | Timo Bernhard
Romain Dumas
Emmanuel Collard | Penske Racing | Porsche RS Spyder | | 2088.45km (1,297.7miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2009 | Tom Kristensen
Rinaldo Capello
Allan McNish | Audi Sport Team Joest | Audi R15 TDI
(Diesel) | | 2278.85km (1,416.01miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2010 | Anthony Davidson
Marc Gené
Alexander Wurz | Team Peugeot Total | Peugeot 908 HDi FAP
(Diesel) | | 2185.328km (1,357.9miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2011 | Loïc Duval
Nicolas Lapierre
Olivier Panis | Team Oreca Matmut | Peugeot 908 HDi FAP
(Diesel) | | 1975.4km (1,227.5miles) | American Le Mans Series
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup |
|---|
| 2012 | Tom Kristensen
Rinaldo Capello
Allan McNish | Audi Sport Team Joest | Audi R18 TDI
(Diesel) | | 1933.8km (1,201.6miles) | FIA World Endurance Championship
American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2013 | | Audi Sport Team Joest | Audi R18 e-tron quattro
(hybrid diesel) | | 2191.3km (1,361.6miles) | American Le Mans Series |
|---|
| 2014 | Marino Franchitti
Scott Pruett
 Memo Rojas | Chip Ganassi Racing | Riley Mk XXVI-Ford Ecoboost | | 1751.1km (1,088.1miles) | United SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2015 | Sébastien Bourdais
 João Barbosa
Christian Fittipaldi | Action Express Racing | Coyote-Corvette DP | | 2046.4km (1,271.6miles) | United SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2016 | Pipo Derani
Scott Sharp
Ed Brown
| Tequila Patrón ESM | Ligier JS P2-Honda | | 1432.51km (890.12miles) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2017 | Alex Lynn
Ricky Taylor
Jordan Taylor | Wayne Taylor Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | | 1301.52abbr=onNaNabbr=on | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2018 | Johannes van Overbeek
Nicolas Lapierre
Pipo Derani | Tequila Patrón ESM | Nissan Onroak DPi | | 2070.88km (1,286.79miles) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2019 | Felipe Nasr
Pipo Derani
Eric Curran | Whelen Engineering Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | | 2094.96km (1,301.75miles) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2020 | Jonathan Bomarito
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Harry Tincknell | Mazda Motorsports | Mazda RT24-P | | 2094.96km (1,301.75miles) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2021 | Sébastien Bourdais
Loïc Duval
Tristan Vautier | JDC-Mustang Sampling Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | | 2100.98km (1,305.49miles) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2022 | Earl Bamber
Neel Jani
Alex Lynn | Cadillac Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | | 2113.02km (1,312.97miles) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2023 | Jack Aitken
Pipo Derani
Alexander Sims | Whelen Engineering Racing | Cadillac V-Series.R | | 1938.62km (1,204.6miles) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
|---|
| 2024 | Louis Delétraz
Colton Herta
Jordan Taylor | Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti | Acura ARX-06 | | 2004.33km (1,245.43miles) | IMSA SportsCar Championship | |
|---|
The car was in fact, a Porsche 935 K3 that has been modified with a single plug cylinder head and a front nose to resemble a Porsche 934 to comply to IMSA GTO specification.[9]
These races were stopped for a period of time due to heavy rain and/or accidents. The race clock was not stopped for these periods and counted towards the 12 Hours.
Race record for most distance covered.
Technically the race "winner" in 1950 was the Crosley Hot Shot of Fritz Koster / Ralph Deshon, entered by Victor Sharpe Jr. of Tampa. While the Wacker / Burrell Allard did cover more distance, the race was run under the "Index of Performance" handicapping rules and the Crosley, with a much smaller engine than the Cadillac-powered Allard, is listed in the Official Sebring Record Book as the winner.
External links
Notes and References
- Posey. Sam. 24 Hours of Daytona: A short history of a long race. Road & Track. February 2012. 63. 6. 73–77. June 20, 2012. Sam Posey. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120309011854/http://www.roadandtrack.com/racing/motorsports/24-hours-of-daytona. March 9, 2012.
- Web site: 2024-03-22 . Are the days of motorsport's triple crown gone? . 2024-03-22 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
- Web site: Hub . Porsche Motorsport . IMSA season opener at Daytona Beach Porsche Motorsport Hub . 2024-03-22 . motorsports.porsche.com . en.
- Web site: RETURN TO SEBRING . 2024-03-22 . www.ferrari.com . en.
- Web site: Sass . Rob . 2015-03-02 . Benjafield’s 24: Endurance event features pre-war classics . 2024-03-22 . Hagerty UK . en-GB.
- McCluggage. Denise. Racing Through History. Autoweek. February 20, 2012. 62. 4. 66–67. Denise McCluggage.
- Web site: Sebring countdown: The 20 greatest battles countdown, Nos. 8 through 5 Autoweek. 2016-04-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20160406150128/http://autoweek.com/article/alms/sebring-countdown-20-greatest-battles-countdown-nos-8-through-5. 2016-04-06. 2018-03-17.
- http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1950-12-31.html Sam Collier Memorial Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance Six Hours, www.racingsportscars.com
- Book: Starkey, John. 930 to 935: The Turbo Porsches. December 1998 . Renwick & Starkey Ltd.. 0-9665094-1-2.
