Circuit used for 19-21 March 1987 IMSA event.
PO Box 719
Sebring
FL 33870
Track Length: 3.77 miles
1.7 mile Johnson Course
2.0 mile temporary course
1.4 mile Paddock course
Motels in the areas are:
* Kenilworth Hotel
* Inn By the Lake
* Budgetel Motel
* Sebring Inn
Courtesy of Mike Cobine, m.cobine@genie.geis.com & cobine@cig.mot.com
Driving the Course
I don't call this a hot lap, since so many famous drivers have driven at Sebring, I can't pretend to be the expert. However, they have elected not to write, and I did, so I'll tell you how to find your way around without looking too bad.
The New Club Course and Grand Prix Course corners correspond like this:
NCC 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12Hr 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 3 4 5 6
The 12 Hour Grand Prix Course (3.5 miles)
The Grand Prix course uses both the old club course and the new club course.
Leaving the pits, stay to drivers' right. Turn 1 is to the left and the apex is much later than most imagine and they typically spin, going backwards into the outer wall. Turn 2 is a slight bend back to the right, where you leave runway concrete and enter racetrack pavement. A short shot up to Turn 3, a 90 degree left, where you enter the area commonly known as the New Club Course, by NCC turn 8.
There is a lazy bend to the right and starts what is a carousel-type turn. Turn 4 is the flag station halfway through and at the exit. This is a fast corner, around 60 to 75 mph. It is flat and marbles are everywhere but on the line. Typically, most drivers apex turn 4 too early and run off the exit into the grass. Many will spin due to the speed trying to apex this late and trying to pull it back in. Watch out as this is a favorite place for cars to be erratic and cross the track several times attempting to regain control. More than one innocent driver has T-boned or been T-boned at this corner.
If bunched up, stay drivers' left in turn 4. You can hold the line better and the outside car may run off the track. It also prevents having the inside car hit you in the side. This also gives you a chance to apex the right hand bend turn 5, the uprights of the drive over bridge, and have lots of speed going into Big Bend, a very fast right hand sweeper. This is a fast section of the course. You will be flat out, easily 160 mph if you can go that fast, and having a lot of side loads due to the corner.
Depending on your braking points, you will want to be drivers' left under the walkover bridge approaching the Hairpin and begin braking after the bridge, near the left hand flag station. You should be around 160 or so here and you will drop to around 30 or less in the Hairpin. Be sure your brakes work. The escape road goes off to the left, but it requires scrubbing speed before you use it.
The Hairpin bends back more than 90 degrees to the right so brake as much as possible before turning. Some Formula cars almost come to a stop on the left side before turning sharply while most Production based cars tend to trail brake some while turning less sharply at the end. Be sure to keep an eye on your right side as more than one driver attempts to pass inside and T-bones the others because his brakes won't hold.
Tracking out to the left, you need as much room as possible under power. Turns 7 and 8 form a right then left esse turn. While drivers' left is the fastest line through turns 7 and 8, drivers' right is more easily defended and a better place to pass, setting you up for turn 9. A pass started in turn 7 may take until turn 9 to complete. You should cut speed more for turn 1 than you can take it, as it is surprisingly fast, so that you can continue speed through turn 8. The section of track between 1 and 2 is crowned some, with old seams between old airport concrete runways and newer track surfaces, and can upset your suspension. Don't be alarmed, just understand.
Again, stay left for the speed through turn 9 or right to defend/attack through 9. Turn 9 is a sharp 90 degree right turn which you enter with lots of speed and exit to turn 10, a left sweeping turn that kicks back in a slight break to right at turn 11. Some prefer to track out of turn 9 to the left and return right to apex on the left in turn 10, tracking back out to the right in turn 11. Others find it faster to just stay left after turn 3 and track out going into turn 11. Most have to upshift in the middle of turn 10 due to the speed.
There is a very short straight from turn 11 to turn 12. You will be approaching turn 12, a 90 degree right turn, very fast, in third gear. The trackout area has an FIA curbing that many use to help hold them on the track. Unfortunately, many also hook a tire on this and jump abruptly back in front of you. Beware. Again, the drivers' right inside line is strategically better for passing and defending.
This is some of the last race track surface as you head back to airport runways. Turn 13 is a flag station about where the New Club Course turn 7 is, and is merely a flag station, as the track is still straight. turn 14 is a bend to the left, with the inside boundary marked with pylons. these get in the way of a truly fast line and someone will eventually take them out. Observe this area carefully in daylight hours as there are a few small holes you need to locate before cutting out across runways.
Turn 15 is the bend to the right, with a barrier wall on the right and open runway on the left, marked with pylons. These pylons have a habit of finding their way onto the track.
Depending on whether you are running the Club 12 Hour course or the March 12 Hours of Sebring Grand Prix course, the right side may be marked with pylons or it may have the barrier walls up to provide added paddock room. If pylons, these also have a habit of finding their way both onto the track and to parts unknown, as drivers "widen" the track. Naturally, they do not do this with concrete barrier walls. At least not successfully. The outside is still marked with pylons but as the hours go by, they disappear. Unlike an autocross, no one runs out to reset them.
As you exit the bend, turn 16 flag station is on your right. There is a very wide and fast straight to turn 17, a blind right had turn under the drive over bridge. When it rains hard, this area floods, especially under the bridge. Also, since the straight is so long, more than one car has overcooked brakes and crashed into the outside wall. It is more typical to hit the left wall under the bridge. Turn 17 is another late apex turn which most do not figure out until too late. Stay much farther left approaching turn 17 and apex late and you will have a better time. Watch for those who come up the right side as they will no doubt visit the left wall. Turn 18 is right at Pit In. You want to apex this also late and your trackout point should be right next to the left wall just past the walkover bridge supports. Due to the walls from turn 16 to turn 1, sometimes cars can park themselves in the wall and not be visible. Watch the flags and believe them.
The Old Club Course
The Old Club Course is the section of the Grand Prix course on the old runways and surrounding the Grand Prix pits and paddock. Much of the surface is old runway concrete and is hard on tires.
The New Club Course (Johnson Course)(1.7 miles)
The New Club Course is the section of the Grand Prix course that surrounds the Green Park area, named for the green grassy areas inside.
The false grid is a section of roadway that exits at the beginning of the pits between turns 1 and 2. All practice and race sessions start from here. The stewards trailer is on your right and a couple of shade trees on your left. You need to find the false grid before you do a lap.
Sometimes you will enter the track at turn 2 and sometimes you will go through the pits to turn 5. Either way doesn't matter. We will begin our lap at the Start line. You will follow the pack or the pace car around the track to Big Bend and down towards the Hairpin. If the pace car is out, it will pull off to drivers' left down the escape road. Take a good look at this, as if you need to use this escape road, you must plan in advance for it. You can't hit your brakes and find out you have none and then decide to take the escape road. You must scrub some speed first and apex it from the right side of the track. You may still hit the guardrail at the end but it is far better than hitting the embankment on the other side of the Hairpin.
For the start, you want to be as far left as possible going into the Hairpin, so you can get straight as possible going through the Hairpin. The Start/Finish is halfway between the Hairpin and turn 1 next to the Timing and Scoring trailer. Turns 1 and 2 form a right then left esse turn. While drivers' left is the fastest line through turns 1 and 2, drivers' right is more easily defended and a better place to pass, setting you up for turn 3. A pass started in turn 1 may take until turn 3 to complete. You should cut speed more for turn 1 than you can take it, as it is surprisingly fast, so that you can continue speed through turn 2. The section of track between 1 and 2 is crowned some, with old seams between old airport concrete runways and newer track surfaces, and can upset your suspension. Don't be alarmed, just understand.
Again, stay left for the speed through turn 3 or right to defend/attack through 3. Turn 3 is a sharp 90 degree right turn which you enter with lots of speed and exit to turn 4, a left sweeping turn that kicks back in a slight break to right at turn 5. Turn 5 is also the exit of the pits so watch for cars entering the track here. Some prefer to track out of turn 3 to the left and return right to apex on the left in turn 4, tracking back out to the right in turn 5. Others find it faster to just stay left after turn 3 and track out going into turn 5. Most have to upshift in the middle of turn 4 due to the speed.
There is a very short straight from turn 5 to turn 6. You will be approaching turn 6, a 90 degree right turn, very fast, in third gear. The trackout area has an FIA curbing that many use to help hold them on the track. Unfortunately, many also hook a tire on this and jump abruptly back in front of you. Beware. Again, the drivers' right inside line is strategically better for passing and defending.
A short straight connects turn 6 with turn 7, another 90 degree right turn. This straight is wider than the exit of turn 7 so expect a bunching of cars here. This makes turn 7 a second gear turn as you need to slow more going in and you need to get a good launch out. The fastest line is starting from drivers' left again, but it is poor defense as drivers' right will get inside you and be in the better position for turns 8 and 9. With luck and practice, though, being left can work better for you.
Turn 8 is a lazy bend to the right and starts what is a carousel-type turn. Turn 9 is the flag station halfway through and at the exit. This is a fast corner, around 60 to 75 mph. It is flat and marbles are everywhere but on the line. To do this well, you want to sacrifice turn 8 by setting an apex point in the centerline of the track preceding turn 8 so as to get to the right side of the track and late apex turn 9, using the entire corner. Typically, most drivers apex turn 8 late and turn 9 too early and run off the exit into the grass. The speed that you are going means many will spin trying to apex this late and trying to pull it back in. Watch out as this is a favorite place for cars to be erratic and cross the track several times attempting to regain control. More than one innocent driver has T-boned or been T-boned at this corner.
If bunched up, stay drivers' left in turn 9. You can hold the line better and the outside car may run off the track. It also prevents having the inside car hit you in the side. This also gives you a chance to apex the right hand bend turn 10, the uprights of the drive over bridge, and have lots of speed going into Big Bend, a very fast right hand sweeper. This is the fast section of the course. You will be flat out, easily 160 mph if you can go that fast, and having a lot of side loads due to the corner.
Depending on your braking points, you will want to be drivers' left under the walkover bridge approaching the Hairpin and begin braking after the bridge, near the left hand flag station. You should be around 160 or so here and you will drop to around 30 or less in the Hairpin. Be sure your brakes work. The Hairpin bends back more than 90 degrees to the right so you want to brake as much as possible before turning. Some Formula cars almost come to a stop on the left side before turning sharply while most Production based cars tend to trail brake some while turning less sharply at the end. Be sure to keep an eye on your right side as more than one driver attempts to pass inside and T-bones the others because his brakes won't hold.
Tracking out to the left, you need as much room as possible under power. It is virtually a drag race from the Hairpin to the Finish line.
In the Rain
Most of the track has good drainage and can be driven on the line in the rain. Turn 9 should be off the line, as the line is slick and the rest has enough sand to provide some traction in the rain.
Going past turn 10 through Big Bend, stay drivers' right as it gives you extra room to catch yourself if you slip and lets the others drive on the slick line. Stay drivers' right into the Hairpin, breaking back about the walkover bridge, and keep to the inside. The regular line can be very slick and at least one car each lap will slide through the Hairpin attempting to pass on the inside. You don't want to be sideways turning from the left when he does.
Circuit used for 19-21 March 1987 IMSA event.
5.2 mile version.
Variant 5.2 mile version.
2.0 mile modified version. Used by the Skip Barber Race School.