| Le Mans recently announced it would have 16 Hypercars at the 24 Hours race in June. During the two days of WEC and IMSA racing this month, Sebring will have 19. Cadillac, Porsche, Ferrari, Toyota, Acura, BMW, Peugeot and more will compete for overall victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and WEC 1000 Miles of Sebring using the new hybrid-based GTP and Hypercar platforms. Obviously, the fans took notice of what they saw in Daytona and know what’s coming at Sebring and later this summer at Le Mans. Sebring’s advance ticket sales far exceed 2022’s record numbers, meaning this event is quickly positioning itself to be the biggest Sebring event in its 71-year history. All the staff at Sebring started planning for this year’s event two years ago with wholesale logistics changes before the 2022 race as a trial run of sorts in preparation of this 2023 event. With a little fine-tuning, guests should be able to access the event smoother than ever, despite increased numbers of guests. To improve access, we will not sell any tickets or parking passes at the front gate. If a guest must purchase a parking pass or extra ticket at the event, that transaction must take place at the Gate 3 ticket booth, or by using a Smart Phone or other Smart Device. Once inside, we strongly urge all guests to be good stewards of the valuable unreserved spaces. Those who spread out too much may find staff members directing cars to your open spaces for parking lots on Saturday, or worse, going to an all-reserved model in 2024. This we do not want to do, so we urge all of you not to force us to make an unpopular move next year. IMSA and the WEC both need more space in 2023 because the new hybrid platforms require teams to expand, and car counts for all IMSA series are at all-time highs. All competitors are squeezing every square inch and centimeter to be as efficient as possible. Please follow their lead and make the best possible use of space for the good of all. Of course, there is much more to this event than just the Hypercars and GTP cars. Five classes will compete for victories during the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The WEC’s 1000 Miles of Sebring highlights Friday’s on-track action. Thursday’s Alan Jay 120 for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and a pair of IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup races round out the competition. Live music on the Midway, the Hall of Fame’s Gallery of Legends in the SEVEN Sebring Hotel’s Le Mans Ballroom, opportunities to drive Cadillacs and Chevrolets, Jordan Taylor’s fan activities in the Fan Zone, myriad parties and much more will keep everyone more than entertained. Apart from the revelry, we also will take time as the sun goes down Wednesday to reflect, remember and honor the men and women who served not just here at Hendricks Field during World War II, but across the globe in all U.S. actions. After further restoring the area around the Hendricks Field Memorial Park at the flagpole that has stood since 1942, we will rededicate that park with music and memories of the circuit’s property before there was even the thought of sports car racing on this side of the world. As part of that 6 p.m. Wednesday ceremony at the Turn 13 flagpole, we will celebrate the life of Army Pfc. David Joseph Brangman – a Lake Worth resident who died in Iraq in 2005 at age 20 – and honor his mother in a Gold Star Family Ceremony. Sebring is so much more than a motorsports event. It is an annual celebration of good times, history, racing, traditions, music, food, family and comradery. |
