The 75 Greatest Drivers in the History of the 12 Hours of Sebring To Be Announced Through a Series of Releases Over the Next Five Months
SEBRING, Fla. – As part of the celebration of the 75th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to be run March 20, 2027, a panel of 10 sports car racing experts have selected the Class of 75 – the 75 greatest drivers ever to participate in the world-renowned race.
Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 15, and again on the second Tuesday of each month through January, 15 drivers from the list will be announced.
Predictably, the “Class of 75” is a who’s who of drivers who have competed in the grueling once-around-the-clock battle at Sebring. A driver’s success away from Sebring International Raceway was not factored into their selection for Sebring’s “Class of 75.”
In total, drivers on the list made 878 career starts at Sebring, accounting for 109 overall victories and 93 class wins.
“As we celebrate 75 magical years of racing at Sebring International Raceway, it’s only fitting we kick off the next seven months of festivities by recognizing the best drivers who found success in one of the most challenging sports car races in the world,” said Matt Muha, president and general manager of Sebring International Raceway. “Much of our activity and thanks around the celebration will be focused on the fans but given the fans’ focus on drivers and teams, this is a great way to start our activities so that fans everywhere can get behind this and anticipate which drivers might be coming on future lists.”
“Class of 75” announcement schedule:
- September 15
- October 13
- November 10
- December 15
- January 12
Like the drivers themselves, the selection committee is an esteemed group of individuals uniquely qualified to select the 75 greatest drivers in the history of the 12 Hours of Sebring. The group was organized by former raceway president Wayne Estes who also spearheaded the project as one of his final projects before retirement:
- Ken Breslauer – Sebring International Raceway’s Public Relations Director and resident historian for more than three decades literally wrote the record book on Sebring’s history; in fact, he wrote four.
- Holly Cain – A reporter for a variety of major Florida newspapers early in her life, her coverage of the Sebring 12 Hours classic began while writing for the track’s hometown paper … kickstarting a four-decade career covering IMSA, NASCAR and IndyCar racing for media outlets across the country, including newspapers in Tampa, Dallas and Seattle, and on-line outlets CBS.com, NASCAR.com, and AOL. She is a regular guest on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
- John Doonan – The President of both the International Motor Sports Associating (IMSA) and Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) has spent his life as a key executive overseeing sports car racing, always with an eye on its history, but with a vision for its future.
- Jonathan Ingram – A journalist who has covered every major motorsports series over the last 50 years, his stories have appeared in more than 100 publications on four continents. He has authored 10 motorsports books and continues writing for racing websites and magazines.
- Charles Mendez – Bringing the perspective of both promoter and competitor, he and his racing partner Dave Cowart helped resurrect the Sebring 12 Hours classic in 1978 with official FIA listing, and participation from major corporate sponsors and automobile manufacturers. As a driver, he won the event in 1978, finished second in 1979, and third in 1982, and earned a place in Sebring’s Hall of Fame in 2002.
- Doug Morton – He has spent more than three decades preserving the rich heritage of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Inspired by his first visit to the race in 1988, he has built one of the most extensive private collections of Sebring memorabilia, from vintage programs and tickets to rare photographs and archival documents dating back to 1950. His meticulous work and involvement with the Sebring Hall of Fame has made him a respected steward of the event’s history, ensuring that Sebring’s enduring legacy remains alive for future generations.
- Marshall Pruett – One of the world’s most respected motorsports journalists, his coverage appears in numerous media outlets that follow IMSA and IndyCar. He has covered more Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring events than he – or anyone else – can remember.
- János Wimpffen – Considered a dean among sports car racing historians, he has written numerous award-winning books on the subject and regularly consults with museums, collectors and sanctioning bodies.
- Mark Raffauf – Among his many achievements during more than 50 years in the employment of IMSA, he co-authored two books documenting the sanctioning body’s history. For most of his career, Mark was IMSA Race Director/Chief Steward who oversaw on-track activities for all IMSA’s programs over six decades, following in IMSA founder John Bishop’s footsteps as IMSA’s second president. Those roles provided him with intimate knowledge of both the technical and sporting history of the series.
- Adam Saal – He worked his first Sebring 12 Hours classic in his first season as IMSA’s Media Director in 1989. More recently, his work focuses on the history of sports car racing as the public relations contact for Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) for 11 years, and as a board member for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America for more than 20 years.
All tickets, hospitality, car corral parking and reserved RV parking locations are in a renewal period through September 16. You can add your name to waiting lists for fan hospitality locations, car corrals and trackside RV parking at www.SebringRaceway.com. All General Admission tickets and parking passes will be on sale beginning October 1, and at that time, car corral and reserved RV parking locations will be assigned to those on waiting lists in the order they were added. Beginning October 1, Highlands County Resident tickets will be on sale with proof of residency, and they must be purchased in person at the raceway ticket office. Student and Military tickets must be purchased at the ticket office during race week.