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Here Are Some Highlights of Past 12 Hours of Sebring Races

The 12 Hours of Sebring race will occur this week, with 53 cars entered across all five classes. The event will take place on the 17-turn, 3.74 miles (6 kilometers) course in Sebring, Florida. It will be the 70th edition of this legendary race, so to pay it a tribute, we will look at this competition's history.
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Photo: Sebring Raceway
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Of course, we will start with the beginning. The first-ever 12 Hours of Sebring race was held in 1952, won by the driver duo of Kulok and Grey. The race is very well known for its "once around the clock" action, starting during the day and finishing at night. Russian-born Alec Ulmann's dream of an American Grand Prix finale came true when in December 1959, 19 entries, including six American drivers, arrived in Florida for the final World Championship event of the season.

It was a special race because, for the first time since 1951, three drivers were in contention for the title. The battle was between Sir Stirling Moss, Ferrari driver Tony Brooks, and Jack Brabham, who took that year's championship.

From the first race up until 1966, the circuit was a combination of former airport runways and narrow two-lane service roads. But at the 1966 race, five people were killed (including four spectators) when Mario Andretti and Don Wester crashed, after the car of Bob McLean rolled over and exploded.

Of course, protests were made and fans raised questions about the circuit's safety. It was a shadow over what was arguably the best race in the 12 Hours of Sebring history. Dan Gurney was leading in the last lap when his engine seized near the end. He pushed his car over the finish line, but the marshalls ultimately determined his efforts to have been against the rules, and he did not receive credit for his finish.

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Photo: Sebring Raceway
The officials upgraded the track by changing the layout. The modification consisted of eliminating the Webster Turns, adding the Green Park Chicane, and moving the straight further away from the airport warehouses. It was a good call because until 1980 there were no fatalities. Still, the managers made new changes throughout the years to allow the use of the entire track without interfering with normal airport operations.

This race is known as the preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but many drivers think Sebring is a far more challenging and extreme race due to the demanding surface full of bumps.

Let's jump up a little in the statistics. The most successful driver at this event is Danish racer Tom Kristensen with six wins. He is arguably the most successful driver in endurance racing, having no less than nine wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with six being consecutive from 2000 to 2005.

As a manufacturer, the most successful is Porsche with 18 wins. To better understand their domination, Porsche won every race at Sebring from 1976 to 1988. That's more than half of my life. Ferrari and Audi are close for the second spot, with the Italians winning 12 times while the Germans only 11.

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Photo: Sebring Raceway
In the long history of this event, there were many racing Hall of Famers who wanted to try their skills on the challenging roads of Sebring. Legends like Derek Bell, Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, Brian Redman, Chip Robinson are just a few examples of the multitude of stars that tried their luck in Florida. Even Hollywood stars such as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman or Tim Allen gave their best shot here.

In 2022, the 12 Hours of Sebring will take place between March 16 and March 19, so if you want to find out more, stay tuned for further upgrades.
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About the author: Silvian Irimia
Silvian Irimia profile photo

Silvian may be the youngest member of our team, being born in the 2000s, but you won't find someone more passionate than him when it comes to motorsport. An automotive engineer by trade, Silvian considers the Ferrari F50 his favorite car, with the original Lamborghini Countach a close second.
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