HSR Brings The Classic 12 Hours Pistons & Props To Sebring International Raceway
Sebring, Florida (12/1 -12/3/2023)
Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) wrapped up their 2023 season with the eight annual Classic 12 Hour Pistons & Props at Sebring International Raceway. Over the course of five days motorsports fans had the opportunity to catch historic and in some cases iconic race cars from the past stretch their legs and compete the way they were originally designed to do. Not a single crew or driver would treat this weekend as a parade to merely showcase their car, after this is very much real racing.
As part of the name states the weekend is billed as Pistons & Props. The pistons part is the easy part, after all there is plenty of on track racing action. The props refers to the classic airplanes that land at Sebring Regional Airport, which is adjacent to the track, and are brought over to share the paddock with all the classic race cars. For the whole weekend fans were able to snap pictures with all the planes as well as the race cars.
But it’s the racing action that has brought everyone to central Florida. The Classic 12 Hour is a symbolic 12 hours of racing spread out over Saturday and Sunday. Each of the four groups of cars would get three individual one hour races in rotation for nine hours of action on Saturday. Sunday would continue in the same fashion for the final three hours of the symbolic twelve hours.
Groups A, which features cars from the early FIA period and are from 1952 to 1972 and group B which are cars from the early IMSA GTO/GTU period and are from 1973 to 1993 would share the track at the same time. Group A would be the only one that would have a repeat winner. Toni Seiler and his Waite-N-See Motorsports 1969 No. 17 Lola T165 would nab their third Classic 12 Group win and fourth over Classics win.
Group B winner Kyle Collins was dominant in his GMT Racing 1972 No. 8 Chevron B21 winning all four of his races in a commanding fashion. What made this all the more interesting was this was a family connection. Collins grandfather John Delane drove this very car to a Classic 12 victory in 2020. Not only did he let his grandson drive the car, but he was there on the pit wall coaching him over the radio.
Group C features more modern IMSA/WEC prototypes provided that they are at least five years old. Much like the DPi era of IMSA this class featured a Cadillac vs Acura battle. The Matador Motorsports 2017 No. 02 Cadillac would battle the No. 10 Acura ARX-05 throughout the whole weekend. Driver Stuart Wiltshire would pilot his Acura to wins in the second and final segments. But Pierce Marshall and Eric Foss in just their second race in the Cadillac would win the first race by a commanding forty seconds and add to it with a win in the third race. In the final race by staying within ten seconds of the Acura they were able to snag the group win.
Group D which normally features early GT3’s, Porsche Cup, and Ferrari Challenge entrants had one unique entry, the 2014 FedEx No. 11 Toyota Camry driven by Patrick Womack and NASCAR star Joe Nemecheck. Yes just like this years 24 hours of Le Mans garage 56 entry, the Classic 12 would feature a NASCAR entry. Unlike the 24 Hours Of Le Mans entry, which was competitive against its European competition, Womack and Nemechek would beat it’s foreign counterparts and capture the group win.
The weekend would end with the best plane and best car awards. It was no surprise that the ultra-rare 1945 Grumman TBM Avenger piloted by Joe Savage would capture the award. Lovingly restored in the 90’s and maintained to a tee, it was no surprise that this plane won the award judging by the crowd it drew. The winner of the best car category was the 1978 No. 4 Toj SC206 driven by Phil Daigrepont. Unfortunately though the car was damaged during Saturday nights action.
For race fans HSR put on an incredible event at Sebring International Raceway. Between getting a chance to see some of the finest historic cars race in action as well as the classic aircraft, this made for an idyllic weekend for motorsports fans. With the 2023 HSR season officially in the books, all eyes will now be on the 2024 season kickoff Spring Fling at Sebring International Raceway.
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