SEBRING FOR 48 HOURS

Groundhog Day is the annual tradition observed every year on February 2nd. Just as traditional for the first weekend in February each year, and for past thirty years, has been the 48 HOURS AT SEBRING, a premier Porsche Club Racing event. The 48 Hours at Sebring involves Porsche race cars, an Autocross, an advanced solo DE, and four very full days of activity at Sebring International Raceway. The bonus comes where nobody has to worry about a furry critter seeing their shadow for two seconds and six additional weeks of cold winter weather.

The 48 Hours weekend of events begins with set-up day on Wednesday, including move-in, registration and technical inspections. The weekend concludes on Sunday with two separate ninety-minute endurance races and roughly three hours of open track solo DE driving. In between drivers, support teams, club volunteers and guests are treated to hours of fantastic on-track action. Porsche Club Racing is a gentleman’s sport, designed as non-contact auto racing, but make no assumption that the competition is anything less than challenging.

The club racers are divided into three major run groups of yellow, green, and red, each with multiple classes per group. These groups comprise classes of Porsche vehicles which are divided by model, age, horsepower, and other vehicle considerations. The goal is to provide generally level racing within the class and run groups.

Track sessions are offered to each of the yellow, green, and red groups for test and tune on Thursday, followed by three practice segments and then a qualifying session on Friday. Saturday morning features a warm-up session followed by two Championship Points races, one for each major group. The points races are each forty-five minutes in length, one in the morning and the second in the afternoon. Finally, Sunday racing involves two endurance races. Here the three groups are recombined into two new groups (black and pink) for the ninetyminute enduro each. Interspersed among these racing activities is a generous amount of advanced solo track time for high performance driver education open driving.

The 48 Hours attracts club racers from all over the country. It is the first club race each year and starts the annual competition for PCA National Club Racing Championship. Being held in the Sunshine State with great weather it is well attended. Roughly 190 racers participated in the 2023 racing with another 80+ advanced solo HPDE drivers taking turns on the track. Driving the historic Sebring course, known as the “Birthplace of American Endurance Racing,” amid the legendary Porsche camaraderie is a win-win.

Throughout the entire weekend, from paddock to track, scoring tower to grid, there is a tremendous amount of communication, consideration, and cooperation among the PCA National folks, the volunteers from Gold Coast Region and Suncoast Region PCA (joint host regions), race teams and visitors. There is a reason the 48 Hours at Sebring is considered the crown jewel of Porsche Club racing.

The event has been held continuously for the past thirty years.

Co-Chairman from Gold Coast Region, Mr. Dan Smithyman, was honored as he stepped down from his leadership position for the past fifteen years. Dan was recognized for his lengthy and successful efforts as Co-Chair with a dedicated brick on the walkway entry to the Gallery of Legends at SIR. There he is enshrined with the likes of Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Carol Shelby, and many others in road racing history. Mr. Dave Bassett announced the recognition for Dan. Mr. John Poor of Gold Coast Region has succeeded Dan as Co-Chairman of the 48 Hours to work alongside Josh Breckeen, CoChair from Suncoast Region.

This year’s racing was simply incredible. Each of the run groups was highly competitive. The cars in the yellow group, primarily the trans-axle models (924, 944, 968) and the spec Boxster/Cayman, were exceptionally entertaining. The green group featured many air-cooled 911s and higherpowered Cayman S models. The red group comprised the bigger, faster, water-cooled Porsche models. These included Cayman Clubsport and 991 and 992 Turbo and GT2/GT2RS vehicles. Best lap times for each of the run groups were 2:38 for yellow, 2:20 for green, and 2:08 for red. Fast, each and every one!.

While the advanced solo drivers were not to be checking their lap times, we clocked many in the 2:20 to 2:30 range. They were flying as quickly as the racers with many of the solo drivers in a GT3 model vehicle, or perhaps a highly prepped Cayman S. They did have an advantage in that they were NOT racing, and there was no hinderance to passing, yet “pointby” was mandatory, with drivers of cars being passed required to point to the side they prefer for passing drivers. No matter which group was running, speed on Sebring was evident everywhere.

Practice runs on Thursday, and then qualifying heats and the races on Saturday were all run in spectacularly warm (not hot) Florida sunshine. The cars, drivers and race teams were able to enjoy idyllic racing conditions. Sunday threw the folks a curve with somewhat cooler weather combined with a touch of rain to challenge the best. For both endurance races a light rain dampened the track enough to require rain tires. As the track dried out for each event there was considerable angst about continuing on the rain tires or switching to drytrack slicks.

Of special note was the highly successful weekend for one Florida driver and team. Mr. Angus Rogers of Sarasota, FL, a Suncoast Region member, “Won the Weekend” with three first place finishes in his class. Angus won both of his sprint races in the green group on Saturday, and then came back on Sunday in the enduro, again winning his class when running with the Pink group. The Pink group was comprised of the upper-end green vehicles and the red group vehicles combined. Angus took three bullets! His #9 Cayman S is supported by KMW MOTORSPORTS of Pompano

Beach, with Kevin Wheeler as Chief and an additional crew of six folks. KMW supported four different drivers and their cars during the weekend.

The 48 Hours at Sebring is an exceptional club racing event. It is held a couple quick hours up the road from the Miami-Ft. LauderdaleBoca area and it is the Gold Coast Region premium racing event. The 48 Hours was initiated by GCR in 1993 and joined a couple years later by Suncoast. Today the two Regions work hand-in-hand to provide the preeminent event each February. Look for the Florida flamingos . . . groundhogs need not apply.

Quarterly Membership Meeting

Date: March 25 at 9am

Location: Porsche West Broward

Continental Breakfast will be served

Hybrid S Head & Neck Restraint

Only FIA Certified Restraint compatible with 3pt harness. Great for passengers/coaches.

TRAC-COM Intercom

Designed for DriverPassenger Communication

Full duplex, driver and passenger can hear themselves and each other all the time.

Call For Your Special Pca Club Discount