Sebring Tradition Rolls On

SEBRING, Fla. -- While a whole lot of America will be tuned into NASCAR's annual spring stop at Bristol, Tenn. this weekend, the rest of the world will be paying attention to another annual rite of spring, Saturday's 12 Hours of Sebring.

And believe it or not, there's a whole lot more similarities between the two worlds than either audience would admit.

Sebring is the biggest small town in a rural citrus belt of inland Florida. Its population grows exponentially twice a year when the "snowbirds" come down from up North to winter and when the American Le Mans Series rolls into town with its exotic fare of Audis, Peugeots, Porsches, Ferraris, Maseratis, Acuras and Corvettes and and a line-up of world-renowned drivers.

The only American-born Formula One champion Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Sterling Moss and Bobby Rahal are past Sebring champions.

"When people ask me, I still tell them my greatest victory is Sebring,'' said Rahal, a three-time Indy car series champion and the 1986 Indy 500 winner, who is fielding BMWs in the race."I started coming here with my dad. I would spend Spring Break working on a crew. There's so much personal investment here. And just look at the list of winners. Who wouldn't want to have a win here?''

That's the prevalent philosophy judging by the entry list each year.

There's always a healthy representation of former Formula One drivers. And at Sebring, the marquee "Franchitti" is sports car ace Marino, not his older brother, Dario. However, the Indy 500 winner Dario will be competing this weekend as is his IndyCar Series teammate, defending Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon who has won the pole position in his first Sebring start.

"I've now won a championship, the 500, plus a 24-hour race -- and I'd definitely like to add the Twelve Hours of Sebring to those,'' Dixon said. "It's a hugely prestigious event not only in America but also right around the world.''

NASCAR may be a bad word around the wine-and-cheese sports-car set, but drive into Sebring's famous "Green Park" viewing area and it looks curiously like the raucous infield at Talladega, Ala. during a Sprint Cup stop in that rural town -- complete with school-buses converted into RVs, bikini-clad women, cheap beer and Chevy flags.

Similarly, the All-American stock-car set, which has grudgingly tolerated Toyota's NASCAR entire, would be the first to appreciate the suped-up Chevrolet Corvettes that have dominated Sebring's production-based GT classes for years. The COT has made Sprint Cup a spec series, compared to the fare on Saturday's Sebring starting grid

With a rich 57-year history and a relevant present, Sebring is still living up to its worldwide billing - even if our country is still learning to appreciate it properly six decades later.

"I don't know how much it has really changed from its beginning and that's what I like about it,'' Rahal said. "The track's still rough as hell. They dress it up but you can't hide the cracks. And that's why it's so compelling.
"It's a pilgrimage, it's a happening and that's what I love about this place.''