Sebring "24 hours"
Discussion
Yes, personally I wouldn't book through an agency, but Travel Destinations will sort you out if needed.
We bought our tickets direct from the Sebring website and picked up cheap camping gear from a Wal mart out there, like Le Mans if you want the full experience you need to camp on site.
I'm planning on going back in 2020, hopefully that'll be a double header too.
We bought our tickets direct from the Sebring website and picked up cheap camping gear from a Wal mart out there, like Le Mans if you want the full experience you need to camp on site.
I'm planning on going back in 2020, hopefully that'll be a double header too.
I'm a die-hard 12 Hours of Sebring fan - easy for me, because I live a mere 80 miles north of SIR. I've attended each race since 1999. This may be a little pedantic, but it isn't 2 x 12 hour race. The WEC 1000 mile race (which will likely run for just shy of 10 hours, catering for the occasional accident/caution) is on Friday March 15th and the IMSA 12 Hours is the following day.
It is a great event which I enjoy far more than Le Mans. My first 24 was in 1981 and I went religiously until 2015 - at which point I'd had enough of doing a transatlantic trip just to stare at the back of folks heads, or marvel at the concrete fortifications that the ACO had strategically placed between the track and the paying public. Sebring is accessible in a way so removed from the Le Mans of today.
A doddle for me, because I am so close - but I rent an RV in Orlando, hook up a trailer for my grill, beer tent, fridge and generator and head down to the track on the Tuesday afternoon before the race. There are ordinarily around 300 RVs/trailers/campers staged in line, to get into the facility at 6.00am Weds - at which point there is a mini-stampede to get to respective preferred/traditional camps around and within the track.
For us, the legendary Turn 10 is our home for the week - we are a welcoming and friendly group of 12 core members and several thousand guests, who breeze in and out of camp over the course of the event. If you make it, please come and say hello.
We also have a group of friends from UK and Holland who camp with us each year - guys we've met at Le Mans over the years - they either rent motorhomes here, or just tent it. We look after them with food and drink and transport if needed.
A couple of things to be mindful of - advance ticket sales have been very robust for 2019 (because of the double-header) General RV tix are limited and will be the first to sell out, so don't delay in ordering tix from the SIR website. There is some major construction going on at the track currently. A new drive-over bridge is being constructed that will take up a lot more space than the old one, so some Green Park (infield) camping spaces will be sacrificed, meaning those who historically camped trackside in the Big Bend, will be looking for a new home.
Where in the US are you located? Let me know if I can be of assistance.
It is a great event which I enjoy far more than Le Mans. My first 24 was in 1981 and I went religiously until 2015 - at which point I'd had enough of doing a transatlantic trip just to stare at the back of folks heads, or marvel at the concrete fortifications that the ACO had strategically placed between the track and the paying public. Sebring is accessible in a way so removed from the Le Mans of today.
A doddle for me, because I am so close - but I rent an RV in Orlando, hook up a trailer for my grill, beer tent, fridge and generator and head down to the track on the Tuesday afternoon before the race. There are ordinarily around 300 RVs/trailers/campers staged in line, to get into the facility at 6.00am Weds - at which point there is a mini-stampede to get to respective preferred/traditional camps around and within the track.
For us, the legendary Turn 10 is our home for the week - we are a welcoming and friendly group of 12 core members and several thousand guests, who breeze in and out of camp over the course of the event. If you make it, please come and say hello.
We also have a group of friends from UK and Holland who camp with us each year - guys we've met at Le Mans over the years - they either rent motorhomes here, or just tent it. We look after them with food and drink and transport if needed.
A couple of things to be mindful of - advance ticket sales have been very robust for 2019 (because of the double-header) General RV tix are limited and will be the first to sell out, so don't delay in ordering tix from the SIR website. There is some major construction going on at the track currently. A new drive-over bridge is being constructed that will take up a lot more space than the old one, so some Green Park (infield) camping spaces will be sacrificed, meaning those who historically camped trackside in the Big Bend, will be looking for a new home.
Where in the US are you located? Let me know if I can be of assistance.
Edited by Matt Harper on Wednesday 19th December 18:52
Cheers - yup I got a bit lazy and didn't research how long the 1000km would take!
I moved to NY in Summer and so far haven't really got out of NY/NJ so the idea of coming down appeals. Unfortunately my potential buddy has cash/baby concerns so is lukewarm at best.
I was thinking of camping tent etc but the logistics daunted me a bit as I started thinking of it - we take 2 fully loaded cars to Le Mans with gazebos etc and I'd have to proper slum it as I'd need to fly down and maybe rent a car to get me to the circuit.
It may be something I put on the back-burner until 2020 as feel I've left it a little late to put decent plans in place for March. Either that or I say f
k it and take my little 1 man tent down and just doss about on my own for the weekend!
I moved to NY in Summer and so far haven't really got out of NY/NJ so the idea of coming down appeals. Unfortunately my potential buddy has cash/baby concerns so is lukewarm at best.
I was thinking of camping tent etc but the logistics daunted me a bit as I started thinking of it - we take 2 fully loaded cars to Le Mans with gazebos etc and I'd have to proper slum it as I'd need to fly down and maybe rent a car to get me to the circuit.
It may be something I put on the back-burner until 2020 as feel I've left it a little late to put decent plans in place for March. Either that or I say f
k it and take my little 1 man tent down and just doss about on my own for the weekend!The reality is that you can fly from La Guardia to MCO and back with Southwest for less than $250 if you book it now.
Either rent the cheapest you can find and tent it, or upgrade to a Suburban/Yukon and sleep in it at the track.
I have quite extensive knowledge of this event, so don't hesitate to ask about specifics.
It is a very special experience - an historic location and the weather is (usually) awesome.
Either rent the cheapest you can find and tent it, or upgrade to a Suburban/Yukon and sleep in it at the track.
I have quite extensive knowledge of this event, so don't hesitate to ask about specifics.
It is a very special experience - an historic location and the weather is (usually) awesome.
Me and the wife are going as part of to a wider holiday. Flying into Miami, hired a mustang convertible, head down to the keys, up to St Pete for the Indy race, over to Sebring, then Daytona bike week before heading back to Miami.
I've been to Sebring once before and loved it.
I've booked a cheap motel a fair distance from the circuit, but will probably sleep in the car during the race.
Phil
I've been to Sebring once before and loved it.
I've booked a cheap motel a fair distance from the circuit, but will probably sleep in the car during the race.
Phil
RichUK said:
I have booked my flights for my first ever trip to Sebring, am meeting friends who have rented an RV, really looking forward to it.
You're gonna love it!Construction work on the new drive-over (as opposed to walk-over) bridge into Green Park is near complete.
This is its status this morning...
Be sure to come and say hello and partake of a frosty adult beverage!
Matt Harper said:
I'm a die-hard 12 Hours of Sebring fan - easy for me, because I live a mere 80 miles north of SIR. I've attended each race since 1999. This may be a little pedantic, but it isn't 2 x 12 hour race. The WEC 1000 mile race (which will likely run for just shy of 10 hours, catering for the occasional accident/caution) is on Friday March 15th and the IMSA 12 Hours is the following day.
It is a great event which I enjoy far more than Le Mans. My first 24 was in 1981 and I went religiously until 2015 - at which point I'd had enough of doing a transatlantic trip just to stare at the back of folks heads, or marvel at the concrete fortifications that the ACO had strategically placed between the track and the paying public. Sebring is accessible in a way so removed from the Le Mans of today.
A doddle for me, because I am so close - but I rent an RV in Orlando, hook up a trailer for my grill, beer tent, fridge and generator and head down to the track on the Tuesday afternoon before the race. There are ordinarily around 300 RVs/trailers/campers staged in line, to get into the facility at 6.00am Weds - at which point there is a mini-stampede to get to respective preferred/traditional camps around and within the track.
For us, the legendary Turn 10 is our home for the week - we are a welcoming and friendly group of 12 core members and several thousand guests, who breeze in and out of camp over the course of the event. If you make it, please come and say hello.
We also have a group of friends from UK and Holland who camp with us each year - guys we've met at Le Mans over the years - they either rent motorhomes here, or just tent it. We look after them with food and drink and transport if needed.
A couple of things to be mindful of - advance ticket sales have been very robust for 2019 (because of the double-header) General RV tix are limited and will be the first to sell out, so don't delay in ordering tix from the SIR website. There is some major construction going on at the track currently. A new drive-over bridge is being constructed that will take up a lot more space than the old one, so some Green Park (infield) camping spaces will be sacrificed, meaning those who historically camped trackside in the Big Bend, will be looking for a new home.
Where in the US are you located? Let me know if I can be of assistance.
Great post Matt. We live in Canada and plan to go in 2020. We do the Le Mans trip each year, mostly flight to the UK then ferry, but this year we fly direct from Calgary - Paris, then TGV to Le Mans.It is a great event which I enjoy far more than Le Mans. My first 24 was in 1981 and I went religiously until 2015 - at which point I'd had enough of doing a transatlantic trip just to stare at the back of folks heads, or marvel at the concrete fortifications that the ACO had strategically placed between the track and the paying public. Sebring is accessible in a way so removed from the Le Mans of today.
A doddle for me, because I am so close - but I rent an RV in Orlando, hook up a trailer for my grill, beer tent, fridge and generator and head down to the track on the Tuesday afternoon before the race. There are ordinarily around 300 RVs/trailers/campers staged in line, to get into the facility at 6.00am Weds - at which point there is a mini-stampede to get to respective preferred/traditional camps around and within the track.
For us, the legendary Turn 10 is our home for the week - we are a welcoming and friendly group of 12 core members and several thousand guests, who breeze in and out of camp over the course of the event. If you make it, please come and say hello.
We also have a group of friends from UK and Holland who camp with us each year - guys we've met at Le Mans over the years - they either rent motorhomes here, or just tent it. We look after them with food and drink and transport if needed.
A couple of things to be mindful of - advance ticket sales have been very robust for 2019 (because of the double-header) General RV tix are limited and will be the first to sell out, so don't delay in ordering tix from the SIR website. There is some major construction going on at the track currently. A new drive-over bridge is being constructed that will take up a lot more space than the old one, so some Green Park (infield) camping spaces will be sacrificed, meaning those who historically camped trackside in the Big Bend, will be looking for a new home.
Where in the US are you located? Let me know if I can be of assistance.
Edited by Matt Harper on Wednesday 19th December 18:52
Terry
I admit to mentioning this several times in the past, but the thing to appreciate about Sebring is its 'folksy' kind of feel.
The event has a spectacular heritage in the field of endurance/sportscar racing - but still retains a very home-spun atmosphere about the place and the race.
One of the things that really attracted me to Le Mans, back in the day (early-mid 80's) was that same, slightly backwards feel about the event - it was almost stuck in time, from the 60's (apart from the vehicular technology). No debris fencing - just a chain-link fence to lean on, broken bottles everywhere, heat, dust, carnies, have-a-go-if-you-think-you're-hard-enough boxing, Erta and even a wall of death.
Of course time moves on and Le Mans gradually got sucked into the corporate vortex. Sebring is like Le Mans used to be. Spectator enclosures are super-close to the track, there is only catch-fence where there needs to be the party is enormous, good humored and friendly and the weather is ordinarily excellent.
The very familiar (even to a first-timer) camp atmosphere is charming and cheerful - many part of Sebring folklore - F-Troop, McGruffs, La Bomba, Mudsharks, Hank'n'Sheilas Big Freakin' Tent, The Stumble Inn, Magic Bus, Beertown USA and our beloved Turn 10. All are filled with welcoming people who've been doing this for decades.
It surpassed Le Mans for me, when the ACO stopped us bringing our own booze into the track. The corporate takeover, the razor-wire topped concrete walls and the sterilization of the fairgrounds on the run down to the esses, I could live with - but stopping us from bringing in our Guinness and Champagne - that kiboshed it for me.
I suppose that if I still lived in the UK, I'd probably still go to Le Mans, but somewhat grudgingly - Sebring gave me back some of the things I really liked about Le Mans during the Group C era and up until the time Audi took over.
The event has a spectacular heritage in the field of endurance/sportscar racing - but still retains a very home-spun atmosphere about the place and the race.
One of the things that really attracted me to Le Mans, back in the day (early-mid 80's) was that same, slightly backwards feel about the event - it was almost stuck in time, from the 60's (apart from the vehicular technology). No debris fencing - just a chain-link fence to lean on, broken bottles everywhere, heat, dust, carnies, have-a-go-if-you-think-you're-hard-enough boxing, Erta and even a wall of death.
Of course time moves on and Le Mans gradually got sucked into the corporate vortex. Sebring is like Le Mans used to be. Spectator enclosures are super-close to the track, there is only catch-fence where there needs to be the party is enormous, good humored and friendly and the weather is ordinarily excellent.
The very familiar (even to a first-timer) camp atmosphere is charming and cheerful - many part of Sebring folklore - F-Troop, McGruffs, La Bomba, Mudsharks, Hank'n'Sheilas Big Freakin' Tent, The Stumble Inn, Magic Bus, Beertown USA and our beloved Turn 10. All are filled with welcoming people who've been doing this for decades.
It surpassed Le Mans for me, when the ACO stopped us bringing our own booze into the track. The corporate takeover, the razor-wire topped concrete walls and the sterilization of the fairgrounds on the run down to the esses, I could live with - but stopping us from bringing in our Guinness and Champagne - that kiboshed it for me.
I suppose that if I still lived in the UK, I'd probably still go to Le Mans, but somewhat grudgingly - Sebring gave me back some of the things I really liked about Le Mans during the Group C era and up until the time Audi took over.
Mannginger said:
Odd follow up question but are there actual camping sites (where I could pitch a tent) or is it all RV parking? I've not been able to see much about camping other than RV pricing.
If there is actual camping are there preferred sites?
The general admission ticket assumes camping and that's included in the price. If there is actual camping are there preferred sites?
You may camp anywhere you can find a spot, as long as it's on dirt, not concrete. Reserved RV slots are on concrete or adjacent to a paved road.
Two things to be mindful of - the area is flat as a pancake and surrounded by concrete runways and perimeter roads - if it rains hard, for even a short period of time, tents get flooded and misery ensues. The other bane of Sebring campers lives is fire ants. Sebring has a LOT of fire ants. If you are camping, liberally treat your camp area with ant killer as soon as you arrive. There's a long-standing joke about how to spot a Sebring noob - they're wearing flip-flops. Fire ant bites are very unpleasant - avoid.
If you're flying solo, just introduce yourself to your neighbors - they will usually become your new BFF's - particularly if you are outgoing and happy to share beer/hot dogs etc. Steer clear of "The Pit Crew" camp in Green Park - they are mainly young kids and are a bit obnoxious. I'm kind of surprised nobody has burned their camp down yet - though it would be difficult to notice even if they had.
As a first-timer, my suggestion would be to rent an SUV or minivan and sleep in it. It's way more secure, air conditioned and off the ground. The toilet/shower facilities have improved dramatically in recent years, track food is plentiful (but meat-based) and if you get on with your neighbors, you'll be invited to eat with them anyway.
Again - 2 things to note about living out of your rental car - parking on grass, away from paved roads means you will invariably get blocked-in and won't be able to leave until Sunday morning - so if you anticipate leaving the track for beer runs, excursions to WallyWorld etc., park close to a paved surface.
Do not sleep with the keys in the ignition if you have partaken of the drink. Highlands County cops have a detention center within the track facility and they are not afraid to use it. Keys in the ignition can get you a 'drunk in charge' arrest - so be mindful of that. Don't even think about heading out onto the highway if you've had a few. There is a zero tolerance policy that is enthusiastically enforced, so don't chance it.
Don't want to make it sound unappealing, just summarizing some of my Sebring experience over the years - it is a thoroughly awesome event.
Edited by Matt Harper on Sunday 30th December 16:50
So flights are booked RV is reserved and looking forward to another Sebring!
Last time was in 2010 and I am sure a few things have changed if not just the Drive Over Bridge.
Will arrive on Saturday in Orlando and head for the FOF (Matt you know this :-)) but then will head off in the RV in the morning. We have no plans as yet between Sunday and Tuesday.
My plan is to arrive in line on the Tuesday, I can't remember if there is a charge for this or if its free. Also what time does Will Call close as we will need to collect tickets in advance of the Wednesday AM roll in.
With the RV are there and water bowsers that head around yet to top up RV tanks or has it not got that far yet? Do they still suck tanks on the way out as well?
Is there also still an Off License in the nearby large town that sells some of the more special beers?
Would be good to catch up with everyone again.
Last time was in 2010 and I am sure a few things have changed if not just the Drive Over Bridge.
Will arrive on Saturday in Orlando and head for the FOF (Matt you know this :-)) but then will head off in the RV in the morning. We have no plans as yet between Sunday and Tuesday.
My plan is to arrive in line on the Tuesday, I can't remember if there is a charge for this or if its free. Also what time does Will Call close as we will need to collect tickets in advance of the Wednesday AM roll in.
With the RV are there and water bowsers that head around yet to top up RV tanks or has it not got that far yet? Do they still suck tanks on the way out as well?
Is there also still an Off License in the nearby large town that sells some of the more special beers?
Would be good to catch up with everyone again.
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