Sebring international Raceway

• Sebring international Raceway Track History

Sebring International Raceway's orgins began in 1940, Officials from Sebring contacted Congress delegations to try and have an Army base built in the area.
So between mid 1940 and early 1941 Army Air Corps engineers surveyed the are for its suitability.
By July 1941 construction had begun on the base with the initial construction completed by the end of the year. But orders were made to expand the site to turn it from the basic flight training base in to one for Combat Crew training for Heavy Bombers

1942 saw the base renamed to Hendricks Field and assigned to the Army Air Forces Training Command, Eastern Flight Training Center, 76th Flying Training Wing.
At its height there were over 100 B17 bombers based there and over 10000 personnel trained. It stopped being used for training in 1946.

In 1949 Sam Collier and Bob Gegan saw the airfield and had discussions with Allen Altvader (who was in charge of the site at the time) about using the airfield for a race. Before they could take it any further Collier was killed at a race in Watkins Glen.

Engineer/Driver Alec Ullmann was looking for various military sites that he could use to convert military aircraft in to civilian ones.
He went to see Hendricks Field and saw that there was the potential use for it to run sports car races.

The Airfield is still in use today as a civilian airport for use by private and commercial aircraft

RACING COMES TO SEBRING

The sites first motor sport event took place literally at the end of 1950 when on new years eve the Sam Collier 6 Hours race was held. It was not until 1952 that the first 12 hour race was held a the site. this race took place on March 15th.

Ullman pulled of the ultimate Coup in convincing Formula 1 (as it was then) in to holding a race there and by 1959 Sebring was hosting the first U.S. Grand prix.
This unfortunately due to various reason only lasted one year and the race was moved elsewhere.

The 12 hours race continued at the track and has become one of the most iconic races in the sportscar world.

THE TRACK LAYOUT

The track layout stayed pretty much the same up until 1966, though during that years 12 hour race 5 people where killed. Driver Bob Mclean died instantly when he lost control of his GT40 at the hairpin and smashed into a pole. The other 4 who died where spectators after an incident between Mario Andretti and Don Wester at the Webster Turn. Wester slammed in to Mario's car when it had malfunctioned and then spun in to the spectators.

See AT SEBRING: VICTORY AND DEATH By Barbara La Fontaine for a more in depth account of that fateful race.

These deaths prompted changes to the track. it was made wider and the Webster turn was removed and replaced with the Green Park Chicane. This was in place in time for the 1967 race. The warehouse straight was altered again after yet another incident involving a car and spectators. This section had yet another chicane added to it.

1983 saw the track reduced in length from 5.2Miles to 4.75 Miles. the idea was to allow the runway and track to be used at the same time. So the north end of the track was altered to accommodate this. the Ullman straight was moved and upgraded pits/paddock were also installed.

The track stayed in this configuration until 1987 when it was decided to make use of a second runway. This shortened the track again to 4.11 miles in length.

Further expansion of the area and a desire to use the track without interuptions prompted more changes in 1991.

Further small alterations have been made to the track since then with the hairpin being removed and the fangio chicane being implemented and some profile changes to other sections of the track.
See below for how these configurations have changed the shape of the track from its humble beginnings.

Information courtesy various sources

Further Information

Wikipedia

Wikipedia - 12 Hours of Sebring

Racing Circuit Info