12 Hours of Sebring - History

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, with the next race held 14 months later as the first 12 Hours of Sebring. The race is now considered one of the premier endurance races in the United States and 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 its early years, the Sebring circuit was somewhat of a makeshift effort; combining airport runways and narrow 2-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, as 5 people were killed during the race, which was more people killed in the race's 16 year history. In those days, safety wasn't really taken into account and there were no safety measures to protect the spectators, electric poles, houses and other things from the race. 33-year old Canadian Bob McLean crashed heavily while approaching the Hairpin; his Ford GT40 Mk.I rolled several times, struck a utility pole and then exploded, landing in a ditch. McLean perished in the flames, the ill-equipped track marshals had no chance to save him. And in another incident Mario Andretti in his Ferrari 365 tangled with Don Wester's Porsche 906 on the Warehouse Straight near the Webster Turns, killing 4 spectators and then crashing into a warehouse next to the track. 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 were no fatalities until 1980; safety issues never plagued the circuit or the event ever again.

The race has a rich history, as legendary drivers such as Mario Andretti, Briggs Cunningham, Juan Manuel Fangio, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Jacky Ickx, Geoff Brabham, Stirling Moss, John Morton, Steve Millen and Lake Underwood, and manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, MG, Toyota, Jaguar, Cunningham, Audi and Ford have all been victorious.

It is known as an excellent preparation for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the track's extremely bumpy surface, combined with south-central Florida's perennial hot weather, is a true test of a car's reliability. In recent years, six overall victories have been achieved by the Audi R8, one less than 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.