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HSR Sebring 12 Hours 2015 – Report and Photos

79 Porsche 935/K3 Peter Falkner
79 Porsche 935/K3

The Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Sebring 12 Hours Historic Races took place March 18-21, 2015 at the Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida.

Held in conjunction with the 63rd annual 12 Hours of Sebring, the HSR vintage car races were staged on the same circuit that is home to the famed endurance race. A field of 60+ vintage and historic racers turned out on the hot, bumpy and challenging 3.7-miles of asphalt and cement. The oldest road racing circuit in America never fails to provide a challenge for drivers and a thrill for spectators amid a venue that fairly drips with history.

Wednesday saw the two afternoon practice and qualifying sessions run in the hot Florida sun. With a busy track hosting the Tudor United SportsCars, Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, this was the only track time the racers would get to come to grips with the punishing 17 turns of the circuit.

The two WeatherTech Sprint races were run on Thursday on an ideal track after most of the other series had laid down lots of rubber.

First up was the Historics group for their 5-lap race. A field of 28 cars roared away with the 2009 Oreca of Mirco Shultis leading the way. No one was realistically going to track down the Oreca which was lapping a good 8 seconds faster than the next quickest car. Behind the Oreca things were much tighter with 5 cars running around 2:15 laps. At the checker it was the Schultis Oreca 1st (#95), Henri Sicotte in his 2010 Chevy Camaro GT.R (#88) and third was Hamilton Harris in the 2004 Panoz Esperante GTLM (#21)

The Vintage group of 30 entries were next race at the HSR Sebring 12 Hours 2015. Unlike the Historic group which was dominated by Porsches, the Vintage field was an eclectic selection of North American, European and Asian marques including Chevrolet, Ford, Lexus, Lotus, BMW, Bailey, Datsun, Nissan, MGA, Mazda, Toyota, VRC and Triumph. After some spirited racing, Mike Banz in his 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR (#13) took the checker followed by Richard Lind in the #78 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and Ron Canty taking third in his 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR IROC (#31). Jeff McKee’s Bailey GT40 had been in the hunt but stopped on lap 4 with an oil cooler leak.

The final event of the weekend was the 45-minute BRM all-comers Enduro. Normally the older cars sit out the enduros to save their machinery but the allure of the Sebring track was enough to bring out a sixty car field just after 6pm on Friday. With more than 5 laps to get it done, the drivers were able to settle in and do some solid driving, honing their lines and thinking about racecraft.

After one yellow bunched the field up, the final order was 1st, Ron Canty’s #31 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR IROC, Mike Banz in the #13 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR and the #40 Bailey GT40 of Jeff McKee. McKee was able to remove and bypass his leaking oil cooler that saw him drop out of the sprint race. As the sun set, an awards party at the Heritage Motorsports compound put the finishing touches on a great Sebring day.

The next HSR event will be the Mitty at Road Atlanta, April 23-26 2015.

Photographer Peter Falkner documented the HSR Sebring 12 Hours Historic Races 2015 with the following great selection of images from the famed race track in Florida. We split up Peter’s 135 pictures into two galleries. The first gallery starting below features our favorite images, all displayed in the full-width view of Sports Car Digest, while the second gallery can be found on the last page of the article and gives a comprehensive view of all the photographs.

HSR Sebring 12 Hours Historic Races 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery

 

Bailey GT40, 3rd place BRM enduro
Bailey GT40, 3rd place BRM enduro
59 AH Sprite
59 AH Sprite
Must be the heat....
Must be the heat….
72 Porsche 911 RSR
72 Porsche 911 RSR
96 Ralt-Mazda
96 Ralt-Mazda
97 Kudzu DLM 008
97 Kudzu DLM 008
06 Audi A4 DTM
06 Audi A4 DTM
Porsche 935/K3
Porsche 935/K3

 

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HSR Sebring 12 Hours Historic Races 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Two

 

72 Porsche 914/6 GT
72 Porsche 914/6 GT
69 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, 2nd place Vintage Sprint race
69 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, 2nd place Vintage Sprint race
64 car Endurance Challenge start
64 car Endurance Challenge start
73 MG Midget
73 MG Midget
61 Triumph TR3A
61 Triumph TR3A
BMW 2002
BMW 2002
74 Datsun 260Z
74 Datsun 260Z
66 VRC Porsche 906
66 VRC Porsche 906

 

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HSR Sebring 12 Hours Historic Races 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Three

 

72 Porsche 911 RSR
72 Porsche 911 RSR
73 Porsche 911 IROC, 1st place BRM Enduro and 3rd place Vintage Sprint race
73 Porsche 911 IROC, 1st place BRM Enduro and 3rd place Vintage Sprint race
00 Ferrari 360 Challenge
00 Ferrari 360 Challenge
96 Porsche 993 Cup
96 Porsche 993 Cup
79 Porsche 935/K3
79 Porsche 935/K3
Bailey GT40, 3rd place BRM enduro
Bailey GT40, 3rd place BRM enduro
98 Lotus Elise S1
98 Lotus Elise S1
The sunsets at Sebring are always spectacular
The sunsets at Sebring are always spectacular

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

HSR Sebring 12 Hours Historic Races 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Four

 

79 Porsche 935/K3
79 Porsche 935/K3
1980 Porsche 935/K3
1980 Porsche 935/K3
59 AH Sprite
59 AH Sprite
Bailey GT40, 3rd place BRM enduro
Bailey GT40, 3rd place BRM enduro
66 VRC Porsche 906
66 VRC Porsche 906
69 Corvette Roadster
69 Corvette Roadster
Terminal turbo damage, 80 Porsche 935/K3
Terminal turbo damage, 80 Porsche 935/K3
Bailey GT40 pulls off at enduro start with an overheating engine
Bailey GT40 pulls off at enduro start with an overheating engine

 

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HSR Sebring 12 Hours Historic Races 2015 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Five

 

09 Oreca FLM, 1st place Historics Sprint race
09 Oreca FLM, 1st place Historics Sprint race
62 MGA Sebring Coupe
62 MGA Sebring Coupe
Lining up for the Sebring downtown parade
Lining up for the Sebring downtown parade
MGAs on display in Sebring
MGAs on display in Sebring
Citizens of Sebring enjoy the "Circle of speed parade and display in downtown Sebring
Citizens of Sebring enjoy the “Circle of speed parade and display in downtown Sebring
Charms of all kinds
Charms of all kinds
57 MGA roadster
57 MGA roadster
Porsche 935/K3
Porsche 935/K3

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

HSR Sebring 12 Hours Historic Races 2015 – Main Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)

 

[nggallery id=779 images=15]

 

The unauthorized use and/or duplication of any editorial or photographic content from sportscardigest.com without express and written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to sportscardigest.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

[Source: Peter Falkner]