Eighth Edition of Classic Sebring 12 Hour Tribute Event for Sebring’s Rich Motorsports and Aviation History Saturday and Sunday at Sebring International Raceway Features New and Returning Historic Sports Cars and Classic Airplanes
SEBRING, Florida (December 1, 2023) – The season-ending Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) B.R.M. Chronographes Endurance Challenge, Sasco Sports International/American Challenge and Classic RS Cup races came to a competitive conclusion Friday at the HSR Sebring Historics at Sebring International Raceway.
The Sebring Historics wrap up HSR’s season-long racing series and championships while setting the stage for this weekend’s eighth running of HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour, Pistons and Props, presented by the Alan Jay Automotive Network.
Friday’s big winners included a trio of victorious teams across three classes in the B.R.M. Endurance Challenge race for the Prototype, GT Modern (GTM) and Historic classes.
The overall and Prototype B.R.M. Endurance Challenge win went to the Matador Motorsports 2017 No. 02 Cadillac DPi of Pierce Marshall and Eric Foss. The team shook off both Marshall’s lap one slide through Sebring’s tricky Turn 17 and a late deflating tire with Foss at the wheel to top a competitive 36-car field.
Second overall and in Prototype went to the Olthoff Racing 2007 No. 25 Oreca FLM09 driven by veteran HSR competitor Larry Huang.
The overall podium was completed by GTM-class winner Juan Lopez-Santini in his 901 Shop 2016 No. 8 Audi R8 LMS Ultra. In addition to finishing a stout third overall, Lopez-Santini continued the recent trend of swapping top-two race finishes with his teammate Jeronimo Guzman. Guzman led the one-two team finish in Thursday’s Stoner Car Care Global GT race only to see Lopez-Santini return the favor today.
Guzman’s GTM runner-up finish saw him cross the finish line fifth overall, just one spot behind the third-place Prototype finishers. Francesco Melandri and Nigel Greensall co-drove the 2017 No. 24 Fransco Racing Ligier JS/P3 to the class podium finish and a fourth place overall showing.
Melandri and Greensall once again pulled double duty in the one-hour B.R.M. race, trading off driving duties in both the Ligier and the Fransco Racing 1996 No. 96 Porsche 993 GT2 in the Historic class.
The Historic division victory went to the similar Air Power Racing 1996 No. 836 Porsche 993 RSR driven by Kenneth Greenberg. Greenberg battled with Melandri and Greensall in a 993 RSR shootout for part of the race but the Porsches ended up being spilt on the Historic podium by second-place finisher Andrew Myers in his Wolf Motorsports 2001 No. 51 Carbir CS2 Sports 2000. Melandri and Greensall, meanwhile, scored third-place showings in both Prototype and Historic in the same race.
The B.R.M. races final podium player was Bob Neapole who pulled off a last lap pass for third in GTM at the wheel of his 2016 RBN Motorsports with Cosmo-Sport No. 167 Porsche 991 GT3R prepared by Hudson Historics.
Three more race winners were crowned in the final Sasco Sports race of the season that includes classes for American, International and Porsche competitors. The Sasco Sports race was run at the same time as the season-ending Classic RS Cup race that saw frequent HSR winner Todd Treffert rebound from a disappointing day on track Thursday to take the RS Cup win in his Speedconcepts 1974 No. 141 Porsche 911 IROC prepared by the 901 Shop.
The overall winner in the Sasco Sports/Classic RS Cup race was Colin Watson who went two-for-two in HSR feature race victories in his quick Boss Racing 2000 No. 91 Caterham C400. Watson and co-driver Jeremy Adams were also victorious in Thursday’s B.R.M. Endurance Challenge Vintage and GT Classic (GTC) race. Friday’s Sasco Sports victory saw Watson top a 37-car field and take International class honors as well.
The Sasco Sports American division victory went to none other than NASCAR legend and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee Bill Elliott in the Vintage Race Car Restorations 1970 No. 9 Ford Mustang Boss 302.
The Sasco Sports Porsche class victory was secured by Colin Dougherty in his 1988 No. 77 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup series car prepared by DAS Sport.
Saturday’s on-track HSR schedule at Sebring features the start of the eighth annual Classic Sebring 12 Hour at 12 p.m. EST. The opening rounds for all four competing Run Groups will take place in succession in a non-stop rotation until the day’s final checkered flag at 9 p.m. EST.
Detailed event information for the Classic Sebring 12 Hour and Sebring Historics is available at www.HSRRace.com.
Spectator tickets for the HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour are available exclusively at the Sebring International Raceway ticket office through the weekend. For more information visit www.HSRRace.com. Please note listed prices are for advance purchases and at-event prices may be slightly higher.
About HSR: An International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.
