The Birth of a Legend:
Sebring Evolved from a WWII B-17 Training Base
For over six decades, Sebring International Raceway has
hosted the world’s best cars and drivers at an event second
only to Le Mans in history, tradition and international
prestige.
Sebring is truly unique, even by today’s standards. It is an
“Old School” circuit where fans can watch incredibly close
to the action. And teams set up in the middle of the paddock,
completely accessible to all spectators. The festive
atmosphere, usually beautiful weather and aroma of orange
blossoms combine to make Sebring a true classic.
America’s greatest endurance racing tradition race boasts
an amazing history. Nestled among the orange groves and
cattle ranches of central Florida less than two hours from
Orlando, it is an unlikely location for such an important
motorsports event.
The Sebring Airport, originally constructed in 1942 as a
WWII B-17 training base known as Hendricks Field, was
first recommended for use as a racing circuit by Alec
Ulmann, a Russian immigrant who had experienced Le Mans
in person during the 1930s. He wanted to create an American
endurance classic of the same stature as the famed French
classic.
During WWII, Sebring was the site where over 10,000 USAAF
combat crew members were trained for missions in Europe
and the Pacific. Many never returned. The concrete runways of
Hendricks Field are still an important part of Sebring’s racing
tradition.
Ulmann was in the aviation business and had visited the huge
facility near Sebring several times and believed it was a logical
location for a sports car race. It offered few landmarks other
than the abandoned military barracks, aging aircraft, and dilapidated
hangars and warehouses. But the long runways and
access roads would make a good, safe racing circuit.
Ulmann and the SCCA mapped out a 3.5-mile circuit and set
plans for the first Sebring race to be held on New Year’s eve.
Ulmann planned a “Little Le Mans” endurance race to be run
on a complicated handicapping system called the Index of
Performance.
Sports car racing pioneer Sam Collier was killed during the
running of the Watkins Glen race of September 1950. Thus, in
his honor the first Sebring race was officially named the “Sam
Collier Memorial Grand Prix of Endurance.” It was decided that
the first Sebring was to be a six-hour race, the first sports car
endurance race ever held in the United States.
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