Sebring 12 hour race, my favorite
Most of us gearheads have a favorite automobile race; probably impressed on our beer fogged memories sometime in the distant past. And probably at a time when we were more concerned with whether we had packed in enough ice than we were for the great cars and drivers who were circulating right in front of our noses. About this time of year, as most of the racing series are getting underway, those memories flood back.
The Sebring 12hr., scheduled to run next weekend, happens to be my favorite race. It will be run this Saturday, March 21. And although I won’t be there in person, I look forward to watching the Speed coverage.
Sebring, for me, serves as a link to the greatest race series ever: the CAN-AM. Vestiges of those all powerful, no limits, machines remain in the LMP1 and LMP2 classes today. I really enjoy the technical innovation that shows up in these classes.
Like the Daytona 24hr., Sebring appears on the racing calendar before many of the other racing series are underway, so great drivers from all over are often attracted to the race.
What could be better: great drivers and great cars.
Twelve hours also turns out to be a perfect length for an endurance race; at least from a spectator point of view. The Goldilocks length, not too short, not too long. One gets the flavor of watching night racing without needing to stay up all night. And the race is still long enough to severely test the endurance of man and machine.
Look for some personal experiences at Sebring in a future post.
Ford GT 40 at Sebring
