Audi recorded the first major international win ever for
a diesel engine by winning the 2006 Sebring endurance
classic.
The GT2 class finish at Sebring in 2007 was the closest
in the history of America’s oldest sports car race. Ferrari
won by a margin of just 0.202 seconds.
Liz Halliday’s second place overall finish in 2006 (first
in the LMP2 class) was the best finish ever by a female
driver at Sebring. Previous best was 5th by Lyn St.
James in 1983.
Audi Team Joest became the first team to win four consecutive
S P E R S E B R I N G 2 0 1 9
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Sebring races (2000-03).
Alex Job Racing holds a record ten class victories at
Sebring (2015, 13, 12, 10, 04, 03, 02, 01, 98, 95.)
Briggs Cunningham and Dick Barbour each won three
consecutive Sebring races as car owners.
Olivier Gendebien is the only driver to win outright three
straight years at Sebring (1959-61). Back-to-back overall
winners are Juan Manuel Fangio (1956-57), Phil Hill
(1958-59), Derek Daly (1990-91), Juan Manuel Fangio
II (1992-93), Andy Wallace (1992-93), Eric van de Poele
(1996-97), Dindo Capello (2001-02). Tom Kristensen
accomplished this feat twice (1999-2000 and 2005-06).
In 2008 Penske Racing became the first racing organization
to win both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the
Daytona 500 in the same year.
Michelin won 15 consecutive Sebring 12 hour races
1999-2013. No tire manufacturer has ever accomplished
that at America’s premier sports car race.
Andy Wallace has a record ten overall podium finishes
at Sebring.
The youngest driver to win the 12 Hours of Sebring was
John Paul Jr., in 1982 (age 22 years 1 month). The oldest
was Gianpiero Moretti in 1998 (age 58 years 4 months).
Bill Auberlen is the only person in Sebring history to
have driven 3 different cars in the same race (1996).
Several drivers have driven two cars, with Bob Wollek
having done it four different times.
Steve Mcueen, James Brolin, Gene Hackman, Patrick
Dempsey, David Carradine, Craig T. Nelson, Dick
Smothers, Jackie Cooper, Lorenzo Lamas and Paul
Newman are among the many entertainers who have
driven at Sebring.
Among those who have driven at Sebring that you
might not have expected: Journalist Walter Cronkite,
jazz musician Allen Eager, astronaut Pete Conrad, pro
football quarterback Dan Pastorini, stock car legends
Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner and Olympian Bruce
Jenner.
The longest gap between wins at Sebring is 49 years.
Aston Martin won its class in 1956 and again in 2005.
The longest gap for a driver winning at Sebring is held
by 2014 winner Scott Pruett. He previously won the
GTO class at Sebring in 1986.
Sebring International Raceway was originally a WWII
B-17 training base known as Hendricks Field. During
the nearly five years it was active, the base originated
488,936 flying hours, covering over 98 million miles.
One Hendricks Field B-17 known as “Lightning Jim”
logged over 8,000 hours of flying time, representing
over 335 days in the air!
The first Sebring-winning team to average over 100
mph was the Ford MkI driven by Mario Andretti and
Bruce McLaren in 1967.
Fastest lap ever run at Sebring by a human 18:47 by
Sebring resident Doug Morton.
The 1953 Sebring-winning Cunningham was built in
West Palm Beach Florida and driven to Sebring
(note the license tag).