IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship
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2021 Schedule Preliminary General Schedule Wednesday, March 17 12:15-12:45 p.m. Mazda MX-5 Practice No. 1 1-2:30 p.m. Fan Track Walk (enter at Turn 17 near Corvette Corral) 2:45-3:30 p.m. Porsche Carrera Cup Practice No. 1 3:45-4:15 p.m. Mazda MX-5 Practice No. 2 4:30-5:30 p.m Alan Jay Automotive Network (Michelin Pilot Challenge) Practice No. 1 Thursday, March 18 8:15-8:45 a.m. Porsche Carrera Cup Practice No. 2 9:05-10:05 a.m. Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (WeatherTech SportsCar Championship) Practice No. 1 10:25-11:25 a.m Alan Jay Automotive Network (Michelin Pilot Challenge) Practice No. 2 11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Mazda MX-5 Qualifying 12:25-12:55 p.m. Porsche Carrera Cup Qualifying 1:55-3:10 p.m. Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (WeatherTech SportsCar Championship) Practice No. 2 3:50-4:25 p.m. Alan Jay Automotive Network (Michelin Pilot Challenge) Qualifying 4:40-5:25 p.m. Mazda MX-5 Race No. 1 5:50-6:35 p.m. Porsche Carrera Cup Race No. 1 7:30-9 p.m. Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (WeatherTech SportsCar Championship) Practice No. 3 Friday, March 19 9-9:45 a.m. Mazda MX-5 Race No. 2 10:10-10:55 a.m. Porsche Carrera Cup Race No. 2 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Qualifying 2:35-4:35 p.m. Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 Saturday, March 20 10:10 a.m.-10:10 p.m. Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts Schedule Subject to Change Without Notice 1 SEBRING 2021 QUICK FACTS WHAT: 69th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, the second race of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. WHEN: March 17-20, 2021. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring starts at 10:10 a.m. on Saturday, March 20, and is preceded by three days of supporting events, practice and qualifying. Gates open at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, March 17. WHERE: Sebring International Raceway, located adjacent to Sebring Regional Airport, three miles east of US 27. The 3.74-mile, 17-turn circuit is the oldest road course in North America, portions of which were originally a WWII B-17 combat crew training base. Sebring was voted America’s No. 1 Motorsports Event for the second con- secutive year in a poll by USA Today. WeatherTECH SPOrtsCar CHAMPIONSHIP: The premier sports car racing series in North America, sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), featuring five classes of competi- tion (see page 10). MICHELIN ENDURANCE CUP: A special points championship fea- turing the four prestigious long distance races of the season at Sebring, Daytona, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta. SUPPORTING EVENTS: Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 Michelin Pilot Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Mazda MX-5 Cup. TICKETS: Available by calling 800-626-7223 or 863-655-1442. Tickets can also be ordered online or purchased at the gate. Children 12 and under admitted free. Student and military dis- counts also available. 2 The staff at Sebring International Raceway welcomes media represen- tatives who will be attending. We have prepared this Media Record Book to assist in your coverage. Please let us know how we can be of further assistance. SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY 113 Midway Drive • Sebring, FL 33870 Phone (863) 655-1442 • Fax (863) 655-1777 www.sebringraceway.com SEBRING STAFF Wayne Estes . .President and GM John Story . Senior Dir., Marketing & Communications Ken Breslauer. .Media Director & Track Historian Kim Albritton . Director of Finance Matt Muha . .Director of Operations Jimmy Anzueto . Manager, Events Philip McGee . Asst. Director of Maintenance Elizabeth Worley . Marketing Coordinator Caity Crofton . Administrative Assistant Sue Calderone . Customer Service Dean Engelhard . Maintenance Dee Thompson . Maintenance Tony Washington . Maintenance Tiffany Lodder . Hospitality Coordinator Priscilla Jones . Staff Accountant Billy Kingston . Safety Director Jan Shoop . Registrar 3 IMSA MEDIA CONTACTS IMSA COMMUNICatIONS DEPartMENT Nate Siebens, Sr. Manager, IMSA Communications Office: 386-310-6568 | Cell: (386) 216-9884 [email protected] Dawn Zinsmaster, Manager, IMSA Communications Office: 386-310-6584 | Cell: (386) 589-9335 [email protected] Mark Robinson, IMSA Communications Cell: (317) 308-1464 [email protected] Media information: https://www.imsa.com/media-center/ IMSA SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @IMSA Facebook: IMSA Instagram: IMSA_Racing SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY Ken Breslauer (727) 415-0992 [email protected] Media Director/Track Historian John Story (863) 655-7706 [email protected] Senior Director Marketing, Business Development & Communications SEBRING SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @SebringRaceway #Sebring12 Facebook: SebringInternationalRaceway Instagram: SebringRaceway REGISTRATION HOURS IMSA : Tuesday, March 16 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 17 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Thursday, March 18 6 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 19 6 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, March 20 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sebring: Tuesday, March 16 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 17 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18. 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday, March 19 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, March 20. 6:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. 4 MEDIA CREDENTIAL POLICY Media credentials will be issued only to recognized journalists repre- senting major media outlets. Credentials must be requested by the editor, sports editor or sports director. No freelance requests will be considered. Media access at Sebring 2021 will be extremely limited. IMSA hard card holders must confirm in advance their attendance. Other media should contact Sebring International Raceway (kbreslauer@sebrin- graceway.com) regarding credential availability. Please note there will be limited media access in the competitor paddock, and other media services will be limited. MEDIA FACILITIES & SERVICES MEDIA REGISTRATION: Located in the raceway administration building adjacent to the front entrance (Gate 2). All parking passes will be distributed at this location. MEDIA CENTER: Located on the second floor of the tower. Capacity and access will be limited in 2020. Additional seating for photogra- phers will be located on the first floor of the pit structure. All seating in the Media Center will be reserved. Please refer to communications from IMSA and Sebring International Raceway for more details. MEDIA PARKING: A limited number of parking passes will be dis- tributed at Sebring Registration and must be requested in advance. PHOTO SHUTTLE: The Photo Shuttle will not be in operation in 2021 due to COVID protocols. PHOTO MEETINGS: Photo meetings will be scheduled by IMSA using online conferencing. MEDIA MEALS: Snacks and beverages will be available. Pizza will be served Thursday evening. VICTOry LANE ACCESS: IMSA will be allowing limited access to victory lane. Details will be discussed in online conferences. 5 SEBRING HISTORY Sebring International Raceway is America’s oldest road racing circuit. Originating from a World War II military base, it hosted the first 12-hour classic in 1952. Founder Alec Ulmann built Sebring into one of America’s greatest racing traditions, second only to Le Mans in international sports car racing prestige. Below are some historical highlights of Sebring International Raceway. 1942 — Hendricks Field opens near Sebring as an Army Air Force training base. 1946 — Hendricks Field deactivated and becomes Sebring Airport 1950 — Alec Ulmann suggests Sebring Airport site for a sports car road race … Sam Collier 6 Hour Memorial race held on December 31 is first racing event ever held at Sebring and the first sports car endurance race held in the U.S. 1952 — First 12 Hours of Sebring race held on March 15. 1953 — The 12 Hours of Sebring is the first event of the new FIA sports car world championship. A Chrysler-powered Cunningham wins, giving America its first international sports car victory. 1954 — Stunning upset as an OSCA co-driven by Stirling Moss wins. 1955 — Jaguar wins controversial race. 1956 — The legendary Fangio gives Ferrari its first Sebring win. 1957 — Fangio wins his second consecutive Sebring race, this time driving for Maserati. 1959 — Sebring hosts first ever Formula One race in the U.S. in December. 1960 — Porsche wins its first major endurance race at Sebring. 1964 — Ferrari wins fourth consecutive Sebring race; Carroll Shelby’s Cobras dominate the GT class. 1965 — First American car to win Sebring in over a decade as Chevrolet Chaparral wins with Hap Sharp and Jim Hall driving. 1966 — Sebring hosts first Trans-Am race … Tragedy strikes as four spec- tators are killed in an incident at Webster Turn… Dan Gurney’s Ford, leading with two minutes left, stops on course. As he tries to push the car across the finish line, the Miles/Ruby Ford passes him in the final minute. 1967 — Promoter Alec Ulmann announces the race will be moved to a new circuit in West Palm Beach. Two months later he changes his mind … First major change made to the circuit as the Webster Turn is replaced with a chicane. 1968 — Trans-Am race included within the 12-hour race. 1969 — Last “Le Mans start" at Sebring. 1970 — Mario Andretti gives Ferrari a thrilling 22-second victory over actor Steve McQueen and Peter Revson in a Porsche. 1972 — Ulmann announces this will be last Sebring race. 1973 — Sebring revived by John Bishop and Reggie Smith under IMSA sanction. 1974 — Race canceled due to “energy crisis.” Several thousand fans show up anyway to party. 1975 — Race revived with John Greenwood as promoter … BMW records its first Sebring victory. 6 1978 — Tampa businessman Charles Mendez takes over promotion of race … FIA sanction restored.