12 Hours of Sebring
Tom Kristensen (6) | |
| Most wins (team) | Scuderia Ferrari/SpA Ferrari (8) |
|---|---|
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Porsche (18) |
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual
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
In its early years, the Sebring circuit combined former airport runways with narrow two-lane service roads.
The race is known as preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans,[9] 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.[10]
In recent years, six overall victories have been achieved by the
2020 saw the race be rescheduled to mid-November due to delays caused by the
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.[13]
In 2005, the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R and Aston Martin DBR9 made their race debut in the hotly contested GT1 class,[14][15] 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
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.[17]
Statistics
Wins by manufacturer
| Rank | Manufacturer | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Porsche |
18 | 1960, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1976–1988, 2008 |
| 2 |  Ferrari |
12 | 1956, 1958–1959, 1961–1964, 1970, 1972, 1995, 1997–1998 |
| 3 | Audi |
11 | 2000–2007, 2009, 2012–2013 |
| 4 |  Nissan
|
5 | 1989–1991, 1994, 2018 |
 Cadillac |
2017, 2019, 2021–2023 | ||
| 5 | Ford |
4 | |
| 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 | ||
| Source:[18] | |||
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 |
|||
| Hans-Joachim Stuck |
1975, 1986, 1988 | ||
| Marco Werner |
2003, 2005, 2007 |
Overall winners
- ^A 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.[20]
- ^B 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.
- ^C Race record for most distance covered.
- ^D 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.
References
- ^ Posey, Sam (February 2012). "24 Hours of Daytona: A short history of a long race". Road & Track. 63 (6): 73–77. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
- ^ "Are the days of motorsport's triple crown gone?". NZ Herald. March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ Hub, Porsche Motorsport. "IMSA season opener at Daytona Beach | Porsche Motorsport Hub". motorsports.porsche.com. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ "RETURN TO SEBRING". www.ferrari.com. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ Sass, Rob (March 2, 2015). "Benjafield's 24: Endurance event features pre-war classics". Hagerty UK. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ McCluggage, Denise (February 20, 2012). "Racing Through History". Autoweek. 62 (4): 66–67.
- ^ ONCE AROUND THE CLOCK SWIFTLY ROLLING
- ^ a b c d Sebring, archived from the original on March 9, 2019, retrieved April 7, 2019
- ^ LE MANS USA. MAJOR ENDURANCE TEST FOR PORSCHE AT SEBRING., archived from the original on April 7, 2019, retrieved April 7, 2019
- ^ Nobody Tells You How Punishing the 12 Hours of Sebring Really Is
- ^ Porsche Celebrates 12 Hours of Sebring Winners, March 19, 2009
- ^ Sebring 12 hours statistics
- ^ "Sebring countdown: The 20 greatest battles countdown, Nos. 8 through 5 | Autoweek". April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- ^ Corvette C6-R Race Car Launches For 2005
- ^ 2005 Aston-Martin DBR9, December 12, 2005
- ^ Audi V12 TDI is "Race Engine of the Year"
- ^ IMSA cuts back diesel advantage, archived from the original on May 30, 2019, retrieved January 31, 2021
- ^ "Sebring wall of winners".
- ^ Sam Collier Memorial Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance Six Hours, www.racingsportscars.com Retrieved on 31 July 2012
- ISBN 0-9665094-1-2.
External links
FIA World Endurance Championship races (2012–present) | |
|---|---|
| Current (2024) | |
| Former | |
