# 12 Hours of Sebring

The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in Sebring, Florida, US. In the past, this race has been a round of the now defunct World Sportscar Championship, IMSA GT Championship and American Le Mans Series. In 2012, the race was the opening event of the FIA World Endurance Championship in a one off race before being returned to the American Le Mans Series for 2013. Starting in 2014, the event became the second round of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The race is considered to be one of the three legs of the informal Triple Crown of endurance racing along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona.

## History

The track opened in 1950 on an airfield and is a road racing course styled after those used in European Grand Prix motor racing. The first race was a six-hour race on New Year's Eve 1950. The winning car is currently on display at the Edge Motor Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The next race was held 14 months later as the first 12 Hours of Sebring. The race is famous for its "once around the clock" action, starting during the day and finishing at night. From 1953 to 1972 the 12 Hour was a round of the FIA's premier sports car series which was contested under various names including the World Sportscar Championship and the International Championship for Makes. In the 1950s, in addition to Le Mans, Sebring was on the calendar at the same time now-legendary races such as the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Carrera Panamericana and the RAC Tourist Trophy were on the World Sportscar Championship calendar, such was the prestige of the Sebring race. It was also the most important American race for the European teams and drivers and was the center of European racing activity in the United States; it was the only time during the 1950s that the big European manufacturer teams and drivers came to the United States in force, bringing with them considerable international media attention—the United States Formula One Grand Prix was not run until 1959. Top drivers who competed on the European circuit in the 1950s such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Nino Farina, Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn all raced at Sebring, and the 1957 Sebring 12 Hours was the only American race the 5-time world champion Fangio ever won.
In its early years, the Sebring circuit combined former airport runways with narrow two-lane service roads. The 1966 event was a turning point in Sebring history, as the facilities and the safety of the circuit were heavily criticized. Five people were killed during the race, more than in the race's prior 15-year history combined. Bob McLean crashed while approaching the hairpin; his car rolled several times, struck a utility pole and then exploded, landing in a ditch and killing McLean. In another incident Mario Andretti in his Ferrari 365 P2 tangled with Don Wester's Porsche 906 on the Warehouse Straight near the Webster Turns, killing four spectators and then crashing into a warehouse next to the track. Subsequent to these events, the facilities were upgraded and the circuit layout was changed, including eliminating the Webster Turns and creating the Green Park Chicane further down the track to move the straight further away from the airport warehouses. The circuit was made safer, and there have only been 4 fatalities since then—a remarkable record for a circuit of Sebring's age.
The race is known as preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the track's technical layout and extremely bumpy surface, combined with south-central Florida's perennial hot weather, is a major test of a car's reliability. Teams planning to compete at Le Mans regard Sebring as an ideal preparation run for the prestigious French race.
In recent years, six overall victories have been achieved by the Audi R8, one fewer than the record seven wins of the Porsche 935. Tom Kristensen has won the race more times than anyone else, with six victories—in 1999–2000, 2005–2006, 2009 and in 2012.
2020 saw the race rescheduled to mid-November due to delays caused by the pandemic. It was the only season where Sebring was run twice in a season. In July, as part of restarting the season, a three-hour race was held in July with spectators. IMSA allowed spectators for this race.
Races up until 1969 began with the traditional Le Mans start procedure, which was abolished at the end of the 1969 season following Jacky Ickx protesting at Le Mans 1969; 1970 was the first 12 Hours of Sebring started with a rolling start.

## Race results

The 1966 race had Dan Gurney leading at the last lap, when the engine of his Shelby American Ford GT40 Mk II seized near the end. Gurney pushed his car over the finish line, beaten only by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby. However, his actions were ultimately determined to be against the rules and he did not receive credit for his finish.
In 2005, the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R and Aston Martin DBR9 made their race debut in the hotly contested GT1 class, with Aston Martin winning its class for the first time in 49 years at Sebring ahead of the two Corvettes. Corvette had dominated the class the past three years with its previous generation C5R.
The all-new Audi R10 TDI won the 2006 edition of the race, the car's first ever run in competition. The much-hyped Porsche RS Spyder campaigned by Penske Racing dropped to take 2nd place in its LMP2 class, behind the Intersport Lola car. The GT1 Corvette C6R team got their revenge against the Aston Martin, although the second Corvette came within 1/3 of a second of the podium in the closing laps of the race.
2007 saw Audi again winning in the R10 TDI despite requiring more frequent refueling due to changes in American Le Mans series rules intended to even the field between gasoline and diesel-powered engines.

## Statistics
### Wins by manufacturer

| Rank | Manufacturer | Wins | Years |
| 1 | Porsche | 19 | 1960, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1976–1988, 2008, 2025 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 12 | 1956, 1958–1959, 1961–1964, 1970, 1972, 1995, 1997–1998 |
| 3 | Audi | 11 | 2000–2007, 2009, 2012–2013 |
| 4 | Nissan | 5 | 1989–1991, 1994, 2018 |
| 4 | Cadillac | 5 | 2017, 2019, 2021–2023 |
| 5 | Ford | 4 | 1966–1967, 1969, 2014 |
| 7 | Toyota | 2 | 1992–1993 |
| 7 | BMW | 2 | 1975, 1999 |
| 7 | Peugeot | 2 | 2010–2011 |
| 10 | Crosly | 1 | 1950 |
| 10 | Frazer-Nash | 1 | 1952 |
| 10 | Cunningham | 1 | 1953 |
| 10 | O.S.C.A. | 1 | 1954 |
| 10 | Jaguar | 1 | 1955 |
| 10 | Maserati | 1 | 1957 |
| 10 | Chaparral | 1 | 1965 |
| 10 | Oldsmobile | 1 | 1996 |
| 10 | Corvette | 1 | 2015 |
| 10 | Honda | 1 | 2016 |
| 10 | Mazda | 1 | 2020 |
| 10 | Acura | 1 | 2024 |
| Source: ||||

### Wins by driver

| Rank | Driver | Wins | Years |
| 1 | Tom Kristensen | 6 | 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012 |
| 2 | Rinaldo Capello | 5 | 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2012 |
| 3 | Frank Biela | 4 | 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007 |
| 3 | Allan McNish | 4 | 2004, 2006, 2009, 2012 |
| 3 | Pipo Derani | 4 | 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023 |
| 4 | Phil Hill | 3 | 1958, 1959, 1961 |
| 4 | Olivier Gendebien | 3 | 1959, 1960, 1961 |
| 4 | Mario Andretti | 3 | 1967, 1970, 1972 |
| 4 | Hans-Joachim Stuck | 3 | 1975, 1986, 1988 |
| 4 | Marco Werner | 3 | 2003, 2005, 2007 |

## Overall winners

| Year | Drivers | Team | Car | Tires | Distance | Championship |
| 3.3 mile/5.31 km circuit |||||||
| 1950 | Fritz Koster Ralph Deshon | Victor Sharpe/Tommy Cole | Crosley HotShot | | 613.84 km (381.42 mi) (Sam Collier Memorial Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance Six Hours) | Non-championship |
| 1951 | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
| 5.382 mile/8.6 km circuit |||||||
| 1952 | Harry Gray Larry Kulok | Stuart Donaldson | Frazer-Nash Le Mans Replica | D | 1,213.445 km (754.000 mi) | American Automobile Association (AAA) |
| 1953 | Phil Walters John Fitch | Briggs Cunningham | Cunningham C-4R | F | 1,447.766 km (899.600 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1954 | Bill Lloyd Stirling Moss | Briggs Cunningham | O.S.C.A. MT4 | P | 1,405.923 km (873.600 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1955 | Mike Hawthorn Phil Walters | Briggs Cunningham | Jaguar D-Type | D | 1,523.083 km (946.400 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1956 | Eugenio Castellotti Juan Manuel Fangio | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 860 Monza | E | 1,623.506 km (1,008.800 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1957 | Juan Manuel Fangio Jean Behra | Maserati | Maserati 450S | P | 1,648.612 km (1,024.400 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1958 | Peter Collins Phil Hill | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 250 TR 58 | E | 1,673.718 km (1,040.000 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1959 | Phil Hill Dan Gurney Chuck Daigh Olivier Gendebien | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 250 TR 59 | E | 1,573.295 km (977.600 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1960 | Olivier Gendebien Hans Herrmann | Joakim Bonnier | Porsche RS-60 | D | 1,640.243 km (1,019.200 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1961 | Phil Hill Olivier Gendebien | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 250 TRI/61 | D | 1,740.666 km (1,081.600 mi) | World Sportscar Championship |
| 1962 | Lucien Bianchi Joakim Bonnier | Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia | Ferrari 250 TRI/61 | D | 1,723.929 km (1,071.200 mi) | International Championship for GT Manufacturers |
| 1963 | John Surtees Ludovico Scarfiotti | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 250 P | D | 1,749.035 km (1,086.800 mi) | International Championship for GT Manufacturers |
| 1964 | Mike Parkes Umberto Maglioli | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 275 P | D | 1,790.878 km (1,112.800 mi) | International Championship for GT Manufacturers |
| 1965 | Jim Hall Hap Sharp | Chaparral Cars Inc. | Chaparral 2-Chevrolet | F | 1,640.243 km (1,019.200 mi) | International Championship for GT Manufacturers |
| 1966 | Lloyd Ruby Ken Miles | Shelby American Inc. | Ford X-1 Roadster | G | 1,908.038 km (1,185.600 mi) | International Championship for Sports-Prototypes International Championship for Sports Cars |
| 5.4 mile/8.66 km circuit |||||||
| 1967 | Bruce McLaren Mario Andretti | Ford Motor Company | Ford Mk IV | F | 1,991.724 km (1,237.600 mi) | International Championship for Sports-Prototypes International Championship for Sports Cars |
| 1968 | Jo Siffert Hans Herrmann | Porsche Automobile Company | Porsche 907 | D | 1,983.356 km (1,232.400 mi) | International Championship for Makes |
| 1969 | Jacky Ickx Jackie Oliver | J.W. Automotive Engineering | Ford GT40 MkI | F | 2,000.093 km (1,242.800 mi) | International Championship for Makes |
| 1970 | Ignazio Giunti Nino Vaccarella Mario Andretti | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 512 S | F | 2,075.410 km (1,289.600 mi) | International Championship for Makes |
| 1971 | Vic Elford Gérard Larrousse | Martini Racing | Porsche 917K | F | 2,175.833 km (1,352.000 mi) | International Championship for Makes |
| 1972 | Jacky Ickx Mario Andretti | SpA Ferrari SEFAC | Ferrari 312 PB | F | 2,167.465 km (1,346.800 mi) | World Championship for Makes |
| 1973 | Hurley Haywood Peter Gregg Dave Helmick | Dave Helmick | Porsche Carrera RSR | G | 1,891.301 km (1,175.200 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1974 | No race due to energy crisis | No race due to energy crisis | No race due to energy crisis | No race due to energy crisis | No race due to energy crisis | No race due to energy crisis |
| 1975 | Hans-Joachim Stuck Brian Redman Allan Moffat Sam Posey | BMW Motorsport | BMW 3.0 CSL | D | 1,991.724 km (1,237.600 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1976 | Al Holbert Mike Keyser | Holbert Porsche-Audi | Porsche Carrera RSR | G | 1,924.775 km (1,196.000 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1977 | George Dyer Brad Frisselle | George Dyer | Porsche Carrera RSR | G | 1,958.450 km (1,216.924 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1978 | Brian Redman Charles Mendez Bob Garretson | Dick Barbour Racing | Porsche 935 | G | 2,008.461 km (1,248.000 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1979 | Bob Akin Rob McFarlin Roy Woods | Dick Barbour Racing | Porsche 935 | G | 2,000.093 km (1,242.800 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1980 | John Fitzpatrick Dick Barbour | Dick Barbour Racing | Porsche 935 K3 | G | 2,117.253 km (1,315.600 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1981 | Bruce Leven Hurley Haywood Al Holbert | Bayside Disposal Racing | Porsche 935/80 | G | 2,050.304 km (1,274.000 mi) | IMSA GT Championship World Endurance Championship |
| 1982 | John Paul Sr. John Paul Jr. | JLP Racing | Porsche 935 JLP-3 | G | 2,041.936 km (1,268.800 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 4.7 mile/7.52 km circuit |||||||
| 1983 | Wayne Baker Jim Mullen Kees Nierop | Personalized Autohaus | Porsche 934 | F | 1,765.853 km (1,097.250 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1984 | Mauricio de Narvaez Hans Heyer Stefan Johansson | De Narvaez Enterprises | Porsche 935J | G | 2,057.031 km (1,278.180 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1985 | Bob Wollek A. J. Foyt | Preston Henn | Porsche 962 | G | 2,197.817 km (1,365.660 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1986 | Bob Akin Hans-Joachim Stuck Jo Gartner | Bob Akin Motor Racing | Porsche 962 | Y | 2,244.745 km (1,394.820 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 4.2 mile/6.85 km circuit |||||||
| 1987 | Bobby Rahal Jochen Mass | Bayside Disposal Racing | Porsche 962 | G | 1,971.092 km (1,224.780 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1988 | Klaus Ludwig Hans-Joachim Stuck | Bayside Disposal Racing | Porsche 962 | G | 2,103.380 km (1,306.980 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1989 | Geoff Brabham Arie Luyendyk Chip Robinson | Electramotive Engineering | Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | G | 2,182.753 km (1,356.300 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1990 | Bob Earl Derek Daly | Nissan Performance Technology | Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo | G | 1,990.936 km (1,237.110 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 3.72 mile/5.99 km circuit |||||||
| 1991 | Derek Daly Geoff Brabham Gary Brabham | Nissan Performance Technology | Nissan NPT-90 | G | 1,774.463 km (1,102.600 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1992 | Juan Manuel Fangio II Andy Wallace | All American Racers | Eagle MkIII-Toyota | G | 2,143.646 km (1,332.000 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1993 | Juan Manuel Fangio II Andy Wallace | All American Racers | Eagle MkIII-Toyota | G | 1,369.552 km (851.000 mi) | IMSA GT Championship |
| 1994 | Steve Millen Johnny O'Connell John Morton | Clayton Cunningham Racing | Nissan 300ZX | Y | 1,947.145 km (1,209.900 mi) | IMSA Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
| 1995 | Andy Evans Fermín Vélez Eric van de Poele | Scandia Motorsports | Ferrari 333 SP | P | 1,548.189 km (962.000 mi) | IMSA Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
| 1996 | Wayne Taylor Jim Pace Eric van de Poele | Doyle Racing | Riley & Scott Mk III-Oldsmobile | P | 1,935.075 km (1,202.400 mi) | IMSA Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
| 1997 | Andy Evans Fermín Vélez Yannick Dalmas Stefan Johansson | Team Scandia | Ferrari 333 SP | G | 1,628.012 km (1,011.600 mi) | Professional Sports Car Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
| 1998 | Didier Theys Gianpiero Moretti Mauro Baldi | MOMO Doran Racing | Ferrari 333 SP | Y | 1,925.178 km (1,196.250 mi) | Professional Sportscar Exxon World Sportscar Championship |
| 3.74 mile/6.02 km circuit |||||||
| 1999 | Tom Kristensen JJ Lehto Jörg Müller | BMW Motorsport | BMW V12 LMR | M | 1,863.781 km (1,158.100 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2000 | Frank Biela Tom Kristensen Emanuele Pirro | Audi Sport North America | Audi R8 | M | 2,143.646 km (1,332.000 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2001 | Rinaldo Capello Michele Alboreto Laurent Aïello | Audi Sport North America | Audi R8 | M | 2,203.192 km (1,369.000 mi) | American Le Mans Series European Le Mans Series |
| 2002 | Rinaldo Capello Christian Pescatori Johnny Herbert | Audi Sport North America | Audi R8 | M | 2,060.282 km (1,280.200 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2003 | Philipp Peter Frank Biela Marco Werner | Infineon Team Joest | Audi R8 | M | 2,185.328 km (1,357.900 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2004 | Allan McNish Frank Biela Pierre Kaffer | Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx | Audi R8 | M | 2,084.101 km (1,295.000 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2005 | Marco Werner JJ Lehto Tom Kristensen | ADT Champion Racing | Audi R8 | M | 2,149.601 km (1,335.700 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2006 | Tom Kristensen Allan McNish Rinaldo Capello | Audi Sport North America | Audi R10 TDI (Diesel) | M | 2,078.145 km (1,291.299 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2007 | Emanuele Pirro Frank Biela Marco Werner | Audi Sport North America | Audi R10 TDI (Diesel) | M | 2,165.8 km (1,345.8 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2008 | Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas Emmanuel Collard | Penske Racing | Porsche RS Spyder | M | 2,088.45 km (1,297.70 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2009 | Tom Kristensen Rinaldo Capello Allan McNish | Audi Sport Team Joest | Audi R15 TDI (Diesel) | M | 2,278.85 km (1,416.01 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2010 | Anthony Davidson Marc Gené Alexander Wurz | Team Peugeot Total | Peugeot 908 HDi FAP (Diesel) | M | 2,185.328 km (1,357.900 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2011 | Loïc Duval Nicolas Lapierre Olivier Panis | Team Oreca Matmut | Peugeot 908 HDi FAP (Diesel) | M | 1,975.4 km (1,227.5 mi) | American Le Mans Series Intercontinental Le Mans Cup |
| 2012 | Tom Kristensen Rinaldo Capello Allan McNish | Audi Sport Team Joest | Audi R18 TDI (Diesel) | M | 1,933.8 km (1,201.6 mi) | FIA World Endurance Championship American Le Mans Series |
| 2013 | Marcel Fässler Benoît Tréluyer Oliver Jarvis | Audi Sport Team Joest | Audi R18 e-tron quattro (hybrid diesel) | M | 2,191.3 km (1,361.6 mi) | American Le Mans Series |
| 2014 | Marino Franchitti Scott Pruett Memo Rojas | Chip Ganassi Racing | Riley Mk XXVI-Ford Ecoboost | C | 1,751.1 km (1,088.1 mi) | United SportsCar Championship |
| 2015 | Sébastien Bourdais João Barbosa Christian Fittipaldi | Action Express Racing | Coyote-Corvette DP | C | 2,046.4 km (1,271.6 mi) | United SportsCar Championship |
| 2016 | Pipo Derani Scott Sharp Ed Brown Johannes van Overbeek | Tequila Patrón ESM | Ligier JS P2-Honda | C | 1,432.51 km (890.12 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2017 | Alex Lynn Ricky Taylor Jordan Taylor | Wayne Taylor Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | C | 2,094.59 km (1,301.52 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2018 | Johannes van Overbeek Nicolas Lapierre Pipo Derani | Tequila Patrón ESM | Nissan Onroak DPi | C | 2,070.88 km (1,286.79 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2019 | Felipe Nasr Pipo Derani Eric Curran | Whelen Engineering Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | M | 2,094.96 km (1,301.75 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2020 | Jonathan Bomarito Ryan Hunter-Reay Harry Tincknell | Mazda Motorsports | Mazda RT24-P | M | 2,094.96 km (1,301.75 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2021 | Sébastien Bourdais Loïc Duval Tristan Vautier | JDC-Mustang Sampling Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | M | 2,100.98 km (1,305.49 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2022 | Earl Bamber Neel Jani Alex Lynn | Cadillac Racing | Cadillac DPi-V.R | M | 2,113.02 km (1,312.97 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2023 | Jack Aitken Pipo Derani Alexander Sims | Whelen Engineering Racing | Cadillac V-Series.R | M | 1,938.62 km (1,204.60 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2024 | Louis Delétraz Colton Herta Jordan Taylor | Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti | Acura ARX-06 | M | 2,004.33 km (1,245.43 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
| 2025 | Felipe Nasr Nick Tandy Laurens Vanthoor | Porsche Penske Motorsport | Porsche 963 | M | 2,124.70 km (1,320.23 mi) | IMSA SportsCar Championship |
    ^A The car was in fact, a Porsche 935 K3 that has been modified with a single plug cylinder head and a front nose to resemble a Porsche 934 to comply to IMSA GTO specification.
    ^B These races were stopped for a period of time due to heavy rain and/or accidents. The race clock was not stopped for these periods and counted towards the 12 Hours.
    ^C Race record for most distance covered.
    ^D Technically the race "winner" in 1950 was the Crosley Hot Shot of Fritz Koster / Ralph Deshon, entered by Victor Sharpe Jr. of Tampa. While the Wacker / Burrell Allard did cover more distance, the race was run under the "Index of Performance" handicapping rules and the Crosley, with a much smaller engine than the Cadillac-powered Allard, is listed in the Official Sebring Record Book as the winner.