AEvery once in a while, Sandra and I get an invitation we cannot turn down. Such it was in mid-June when we received and invitation to watch the Le Mans 24 Hour sports car endurance race. That was part of an Automobile Racing Club of Florida event at the Sebring International Raceway. It was a natural tie-in, as Sebring was started by creator Alec Ulmann as a tribute to the French classic.
The Arrival
It all began on a bright Saturday morning, as we arrived at the Gallery of Legends in the paddock at the Sebring raceway, We arrived shortly after the announced start time for the event, but we were well behind dozens of others who had arrived and already picked out their seats in the spacious room.
ARCF Chairman Ford Heacock III was on hand to welcome members and guests as they filed in to find their seats. As much fun as it was to watch the iconic French sports car endurance race, a lot of the enjoyment came from sitting and talking with a wide array of friends and sports car racing enthusiasts about Sebring and Le Mans, and hearing many different stories about various experiences at the races.
Honored Guests
Galica was both a successful downhill skier and raced automobiles in several different series including Formula 1.
Two other honored guests joined Galica at the event, and both have a rich history at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Brian Redman, who raced the 12 Hours more than a dozen times, and Charles Mendez, who also won America’s oldest sports car endurance race and was the promoter of the race. Redman won in 1975, then teamed up with Mendez in 1978 to win the race again.
It was great to have an opportunity to talk with these racing greats, and to sit in with them on other conversations to hear their stories of racing the 12 Hours and other series. Along with his racing and promoting experience, Mendez has been instrumental in reviving the Automobile Racing Club of Florida as both a social organization and society to preserve the rich history of the 12 Hours of Sebring.
The Cars
And there’s more. In addition to the closed circuit broadcast of the race, and the myriad of different race fans at the event, there were a number of different race cars to see and experience. One was the 1994 Porsche Dauer 962, which came under the auspices of Gunnar Racing. The vehicle, a collaboration between auto manufacturer Porsche – and Joest Racing, actually had won Le Mans 30 years previous to this year’s race.
The Brumos Museum also sent over a 2017 Porsche RSR. It had an impressive list of a half dozen wins, including a class win at the 2019 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.
One of the most impressive vehicles at the event was a 1929 Tracta A. The French car won its class and finished eighth overall in the 1930 edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Possibly the most popular car at the event was the Porsche 917K. This particular car was used for filming in the racing sequences of the 1971 Steve McQueen film “LeMans.”
More than Eye Candy
But looking at it wasn’t enough for some fans. There were those who actually had a chance to sit in the car that’s credited with getting Porsche its first overall win at LeMans. Some of those in attendance actually got a chance to sit in the iconic vehicle. That included Sebring International Raceway President Wayne Esties, who took his turn looking at the world through the car’s storied windshield.
Redman’s efforts did not stop at chatting with the fans and posing for pictures. He also volunteered to drive a fan around the track in a Porsche Cup car. The winning bid came in at $1,000, with all proceeds to go to the ARCF preservation activities. The organization’s number one goal currently is to open a Sebring 12 Hour museum. with history, documentation and artifacts on the Grand Prix of Endurance.
The first race, a 6-Hour affair, will mark it’s 75th birthday later this year.
A Special Announcement
While the ARCF was marking its inaugural Le Mans watching party, it was not the only American location plugged into the closed circuit feed. The Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum also had a watching party in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They took the opportunity to hook up via a ZOOM call to announce that they had acquired a new vehicle that might be of special interest to the folks in Sebring.
Author and Director of Programs at the Simeone Museum, Harry Hurst, announced that his facility had acquired the Frazer-Nash, that won the very first 12 Hours of Sebring race back in 1952. The car had been lost for a time, but since has been recovered and restored. They even took the historic racer for a run around the museum parking lot as part of the presentation.
The ARCF
The Le Mans watching party was just the latest in a series of events that allows fans to come together and celebrate auto racing, and especially the 12 Hours of Sebring. At the last Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, the ARCF held a number of parties and special events for members, including a progressive tour of the raceway, where members could stop by at various ARCF camps to meet, talk and enjoy the race.
And it’s not over, Heacock promised there would be more events in the future as the ARCF strives to promote and preserve the history of the 12 Hours of Sebring
The Automobile Racing Club of America was once the sanctioning body for the 12 Hours of Sebring. However, after being dormant for half a century, it was revived in 2023 by Heacock and a group of Sebring enthusiasts to preserve the history of America’s premier sports car endurance race.
Those wishing more information, who want to join or donate can find the group’s official site HERE.
