53rd Mobil-SVRA-12 Hours of Sebring - (March 2005)

MG finishes 2nd and 3rd in class at the 10 lap Vintage Group Mike Stott-UBS Financial Sprint Series Race and 2nd in class in the combined Historic and Vintage Classes Motor Check 1 ½ Hours of Sebring Enduro.

3 MGA’s entered the SVRA portion of the 53rd Annual running of the 12 Hours of Sebring. MGVR members Joe Tierno, Dave Smith and Jim Holody made the trek to Sebring, Florida in March of 2005. All 3 MGA drivers were first timers to the event. The warm weather and the excitement of being at one of America’s most historic tracks became the pinnacle of this racer’s driving experience.

Registration and ½ hour of practice was scheduled for Tuesday. The first time around the track it felt like you were navigating a large shopping center parking lot with occasional trips to an airport runway. Further complicating matters were a large number of cones blocking the connections to the short track or the beer store. The directional signs turned out to be a huge help as we navigated the 17 turn 3.7 mile circuit. By the second lap, a late 60’s Corvette roadster had flipped as it came into Cunningham Corner (turn 10) too hot, looped at the apex of the corner, the rear wheels dug into the soft sand and the Vette did a slow roll landing on all fours.

As our confidence grew and our internal gps mapped the course in our brains, lap times started to drop. My MGA Twin Cam engine started to stumble under hard acceleration at 4200 rpm. déjà vu the last race at Watkins Glen last fall. The line through turns 16 and 17 were still a mystery. The driving line became the topic of conversation by many SVRA drivers at the daily morning drivers meeting. Interestingly turn 17, a very large radius right hander exiting on the grandstand start/finish straight, is the only turn unchanged from Sebring’s first race endurance of 1952.

Thursday was a rain day, and the traditional parade of race cars to historic downtown Sebring was cancelled as merchants were concerned about their sidewalk sale merchandise getting wet. All race groups had practice in the rain, which at times involved avoiding significant standing water on the flat track.

The SVRA racers had only one event scheduled for late in the day and it was the combined Vintage and Historic Motor Check 1.5 hour enduro. In anticipation of running at dusk in the rain, my crew of John Burgess and Joe Roberston scrambled to get head and taillights functioning and adjusted the floats on the S.U. carbs (using the locating pin on the axle stands as a measuring tool) to cure the engine stumble. Being a rookie at endurance racing, crew members Dan Burgess, Rob Holody and MGB racer Dave Burroughs (who was sidelined while recovering from a recent hernia operation), sorted out the “who does what”, mounted the rain tires and prepped the car for its first enduro under its current stewardship.

2 MG’s plus a field of 41 other Vintage (pre1970 cars) and Historic (1970 and later) cars faced the wet track and battled the on and off rain. Jerry Richards with his MGB/GT V8 left after 5 laps, but was back for the sprint races on Friday and turned hot laps of 2.33.488 and earned the top gun honours for the MG marque.

Although I hate racing in the rain and during my rain conditions experience at VIR two years ago I found the car very twitchy, both the driver and MG were at one with the track conditions at Sebring. The lightweight small bore cars had the advantage over the large bore heavy weight competitors. The twin cam brakes and tires gripped the line and although every attempt was made to miss the standing water, the occasional hit would send my heart rate soaring! However the grin could not be removed from my face as the MG would frequently out brake and drive under the V8 powered Mustangs, Corvettes and Camaros. Even many of the big rear tired Porsches were no match for the MG. Several times the big boys would pass the MG on a straight only to go too hot and deep into the next corner and the MG would pass them again.

The MG finished 2nd in class (21st overall) behind the Alfa Giulietta of Orlando native Steve Piantieri (the Alfa is currently for sale at $12,900). A late caution while the MG was in the pits for its’ second mandatory 5 minute pit stop meant that many of the cars passed earlier had their finishing order secured as the race ended under a caution. Only Stan Crawford’s 911R Porsche was able to advance as he passed several cars under caution on the last lap on the back straight.

Thursday night featured the traditional driver’s reception at Sebring’s Conference Center. The food, drink and entertainment were superb. There I had the pleasure to enjoy a beer over a conversation with Mr. Don Hansen who along the eight other members of the 1950 Sebring Fire Department organized the first 6 hour Sam Collier Memorial race at the airport/airbase in 1950.

With ideal racing conditions, Friday morning featured two separate 10 lap races for Historic and Vintage race cars. Joe Tierno’s #029 MGA from Honeoye Falls N.Y. with a hot lap of 2:53.3 finished 2nd , 30th overall, behind Lawrence Shaffer of Harrisburg Pa, in an AH Sprite. The MGA twin cam finished 3rd in class with a 3:00.3 and 32nd overall in a field of 47 cars. Dave Smith #49 MGA and from Holt, Michigan, had consistent fast laps of 2:51 and had some exciting duals with Joe Tierno, but was forced to retire early with electrical problems.

On Saturday, race day, the SVRA cars drove two parade laps prior to the 12 hour main event. The crowd was estimated at over 10,000. The 12 hour race started at 10:45 sharp. The SVRA group hosted a lunch and beer tent as the attention shifted to the featured race.

The fans, especially the ones in the Green Park area, reminded me of the movie Animal House. Only these fans could drink more! The race winning LMP Audi R8 finished 1, 2 as expected, they were so consistently fast and trouble free. The real uncertainty was who would win the GT1 Class. Ferrari went out earlier, Corvette was strong all day and led until 8 pm when the #3 Corvette had a carbon fibre front brake rotor explode and sent driver Johnny O’Connell into the tire wall at turn 17, shortly afterwards the #4 Corvette slid off the track at turn 5 and damaged the rear suspension. Both cars spent several laps in the pits as the V12 Aston Martin powered by and finished 1st in class, followed by #3 Corvette and #4 Corvette 3rd. In the GT2 class, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR finished 1,2 and 3.

Am I going back next year? Stay tuned.