If you can win here, you can win anywhere.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. This weekend marks the annual knock-down, drag-out twelve-hour battle at the historic - and brutal - road racing circuit in Sebring, Florida. The most important endurance race in North America and one of the top endurance races in the world, the 12 Hours of Sebring is simply a slug-fest from green to checker. What makes Sebring particularly tough? The competition, for one thing. The world's best factory teams contest this event and it's a flat-out sprint race punctuated only by pit stops, driver changes and the inevitable full-course cautions.

But that's only one dimension to Sebring.

The other? The circuit itself. This isn't the billiard-table smooth circuit that defines Le Mans, oh no. Sebring is more akin to racing on some of the pock-marked streets that pass for roads up here in the Midwest. There are even sections of the old airport circuit where the cars can get airborne from the imperfect terrain, it's that rough. There's a reason that top teams from Europe come over here to conduct 12- and 24-hour tests in private at Sebring; they've found out that if their cars can perform - and survive - here, they should be able to win anywhere.

Oh, and there's the Spring Break dimension to Sebring, too, and that adds to the, ahem, "color" of the event as well. As in it's an atmosphere unlike any other road race you'll ever go to, thus making it a "must-see" event.

I consider the 12 Hours of Sebring to be the premiere road race on the North American calendar (with the ALMS race at Road America a close second). It's the best teams vs. the best teams, the best drivers vs. the best drivers, the best cars vs. the best cars - and the tough Sebring circuit vs. them all.

The 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida (part of the 2013 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón) gets the green flag on Saturday, March 16. The race starts at 10:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 16. SPEED's live coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. ET.

(John Thawley  ~  Motorsports Photography @ www.johnthawley.com  ~ 248.227.0110)
The spectacular Audi R-18 quattros (shown above in last year's race) will make what's purported to be their final appearance at the historic Sebring track this coming weekend. Audi will be bringing a pair of updated R18 e-tron quattros to this year's event.

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Dave Friedman, courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives and Wieck Media)
Sebring, Florida, March 26, 1966. The Ken Miles/Lloyd Ruby Shelby American No. 1 Ford GT-X1 Mk II 427 roadster during a scheduled night pit stop on its way to the win. Dan Gurney/Jerry Grant (No. 2 Shelby American Ford MkII 427) finished second and Walt Hansgen/Mark Donohue (No. 3 Holman & Moody Ford MkII 427) finished third. Watch a interesting video of the event here. And a full race report from Sports Illustrated here.

(Dave Friedman, courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives and Wieck Media)
Gurney and Grant Ford had an eventful race in their No. 2 Shelby American Ford MkII.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD