12 Hours of Sebring 2011, Wed-->Thurs

 

For the second time in as many years, the crew (myself and Josh) have made the trek 1200 miles south from NYC to sunny Florida for the most important and exciting endurance race that takes place on United States soil: the 12 Hours of Sebring. So far we know one thing for certain, it's a hell of an adventure no matter how you slice it.

The chariot

Same as last year, we drove all day and night into Florida, arriving in sunny Lake Okeechobee around noon o'clock on Thursday. Just enough time to grab some lunch and check into the room before heading to the track to pick up our passes and check out some of the action in the paddock, SVRA and finaly ALMS night practice. Kevin W, from down in West Palm Beach (Baltimore originally, a childhood friend) would be heading up Thursday night with our mutual friend Chuck. Chuck, another Baltimore boy, flew in that day and had never been to an ALMS race, or any 'proper' sportscar race for that matter.

Josh, Chuck and Kevin

Sebring, I think, is a proper introduction. Having been to the other classic in North America, the 24 Hours of Daytona, I think Sebring is much better experience. Even if the Grand Am cars were as interesting or exciting as those that would be on the grid at Sebring, the Sebring track offers unobstructed and shockingly close viewing positions galore. It really adds a realistic sense of speed and a perspective as to just how on-the-limit these guys are. For all it's amazing capabilities, high def television still manages to miss this.



Once again we stopped by Lufteknic in Richmond, VA to say hey to Robert and see what fun toys he had around. The coolest acquisition is this 1964 Mercedes Benz fire truck, complete with working pumper system and tank.

Proud papa Robert Overholser - main man at Lufteknic Porsche

Perfect in almost every way (and with minimal rust or degradation beyond decades or patina), this thing is 100% original, and runs like a top. If you live around Richmond keep your eyes peeled, this thing is a head-tuner...



There was also this little track-prepped 993 coupe which was about to be delivered to its owner for the first track day of the year down at VIR. I tagged along with Robert in this beast on our way to dinner, and although the ride is downright comfy compared to a lot of cars I've been in, the transmission noise from the completely un-dampened and rigidly mounted transmission was more than even I could take for normal driving. Yet the owner drives it like this to each and every event. Truly hardcore.



Once back under way after the obligatory Kitchen 64 dinner, the miles passed easily (Josh's Mk5 GTI is a superb roadtrip machine. Looks good, comfortable to drive and practical despite the concessions to style), and we soon found ourselves back in sunny, flat and crazy Lake Okeechobee Florida...our home away from home for Sebring.

After 20 hours straight from NYC to Florida, this is about what everything looks like

We wasted no time, or at least as little time as possible to head to the track. I suppose the fact that our hotel gave me keys for a room which still had a sleeping woman occupying it, well after check-out, could be consider a bit of a bump in the road, but I prefer to look on the brighter side of that one. The cleaning ladies certainly got a kick out of it, even if the grumpy front desk manager did not. 

 

The beautiful but sluggish Gulf Aston Martin GTE entry

Around 45 minutes north and a quick stop by the SVRA window for our passes later, (thanks Alan!) we were once again inside the magical space that is Sebring International Raceway. The race comes in second only to the campsites as far as unpredictability, perhaps thanks to the fact that it was a bomber base, as it certainly has a distinct kind of energy.

 

Big points to Oreca, we *heart* you too!

Our new friend and Sebring track photographer, Michael Locke, whom we met last year, already had his camper set up, so we parked the GTI and headed straight over to the paddock. Even on Thursday it was clear that 2011 was going to be a heck of a lot bigger than 2010. More cars on the grid, more people at the track, just more of everything. And of course, Audi was there in 2011, and their mere presence dialed things up that extra notch.

The closest Josh could get to the Michelin Man all weekend

Of course more of everything means more to miss out on, or at least more to break your concentration, as if my ADD needed any help with that one. Both Josh and I decided that this year had a little more of that "I'm missing something important somewhere else, oh crap!" phenomenon that you get when you're trying to capture an event and soak in as much as possible.  As a result I got more, yet less, of the sort of shots I wanted to get if that makes any sense.

Tommy Milner, now driving for Corvette in 2011 chatting to friends over at the Alex Job Racing area

 

Ah well, that's life right? Plenty more to cover from Thursday, andI'll have that up shortly...no more being lazy on the Sebring stuff!

_WRS