HISTORY OF SEBRING RACE TRACK AND HENDRICKS FIELD STORY BY MIKE TARTER, PHOTOS BY COLOUR TECH SOUTH
In 1999, the Sebring pits, tower and viewing suites that we utilize were under construction. So, the Sebring Club Race that year was held in the Green Park area within turns 4 through 12. While walking around between sessions, I noticed a drainage manhole cover. Cast into the rusty steel was some identification writing: “Mclean Iron Works Palatka Florida 1941”. What?! Wow, that’s old. I marveled over this old steel, and then realized I was looking at a part of the origi-
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Die Porsche
nal airfield built during World War II. I’ve been driving at Sebring track events since 1983, and I sort of knew the racetrack had originally been configured on an airfield, but I hadn’t really thought about the history of the track. I later looked at aerial photos and recognized that some that we enjoy today is remains of that airfield. I was intrigued; I got reading. It goes back to 1940. War had been raging in China and in Europe for several years. It was likely the U.S. would be at least an indirect participant. We were already supplying equipment to our allies via the LendLease program. Sebring city leaders foresaw the US would need training bases. They proactively bought 9,200 acres of sandy, palmetto-covered, marshy, Florida prairie land about seven miles southeast of the city of Sebring. This larger than immediately necessary area was then offered to the U.S. War Depart-
Kassette | Apr 2021
ment, with a 99 year lease at $1.00 per year. After inspections and considerations for power, water, weather, rail service and road access, on June 13, 1941 the War Department announced that this site was to become a Basic Flying School. By the end of 1941 there were 2-3000 workers building around the clock. They built a complete town, from the ground up. It started with drainage, access roads, rail spurs, electric power, water and sewage systems, telephone and telegraph lines, more roads, then 150 foot wide runways, and buildings. Everything – barracks, repair and training shops, mess halls, offices, warehouses, a fire station, huge aircraft hangers, a control tower, hospital, a chapel, PXs, Post Of-
