SVRA Sebring SpeedTour with Trans Am – Part 1.

A race report and photography by MRA Racing Images.

Once again, I find myself walking around one of the most prestigious racetracks in the United States; Sebring International Raceway. I was here in 2023 covering this same event, the Sebring SpeedTour, featuring the groups of the SVRA, the Trans Am and the TA2 series as they battled on the track famous for the phrase, “Respect The Bumps.”

Two differences distinguished this visit from my last one:  1) I obtained media credentials from the SVRA, and 2) I rented a golfcart to get around better.  In 2023, I used my personal vehicle and, in all honesty, Sebring can be covered that way just fine, shooting from the spectator areas and from the various viewing mounds scattered about the infield. 

It certainly would have been possible to cover the event with my car, but because we were not allowed to use our personal vehicles on the circuit roads, it would mean parking at the walk-through gates and hiking down to the locations I wanted to shoot from–in some cases significantly so—rather than just driving directly to the spot. For that reason I made the choice to spring for the cart.  My knees aren’t what they used to be, and the cost of renting the golfcart, as stiff as it was, is no comparison to the cost of knee replacement surgery.  Highly recommended.

Sportsman Vintage Racing Association.

The Sportsman Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) has been around since 1981. The SVRA Showcases vintage and historically significant race cars alongside modern race cars. This includes the PSSA class and alignments with several Formula series at some events (last year’s COTA SpeedTour, for instance).  They’ve created a car culture, focused not only on racing but restoration and exhibition, inducing a camaraderie among automotive enthusiasts.  You will find, among other things, the Hagerty “Cars and Caffeine” car show. This is not only a static display but at least once, usually on Saturday, they get a lap around the track.  As a photographer, I try to be ready for that, because it is just one, maybe two laps.  If I have the time I will try to take in some of the static display in the corral. 

 Another thing to look out for is the ever-increasing SpeedTour midway and winner’s circle area, bringing fun and openness to the public for the event. Ben Cissell is always on the microphone shouting at passers-by to “Get in here, we’re inclusive, we let everyone in” before announcing the winners of a particular class.  

SpeedTour Midway and Ben Cissell doing his thing.

Most of the turns and areas of the track have adopted names over the years.

Sebring corner terminology:

Turn 3: “Kristensen Corner”. Named after Sebring Hall of Fame driver Tom Kristensen, who won a record six 12 Hours of Sebring races and is on record with the fastest race lap four times.

Turn 5: “The Carousel”. References the turn as a type of lazy bend, or ‘carousel’-type turn.

Turn 6: “Gurney Bend”. Named after legendary race car driver Dan Gurney. He competed in Formula one as well as many other series over two and a half decades. Dan Gurney won the Le Mans in 1967 and Sebring in 1959.

Turn 7: “The Hairpin”. Because…have you seen this turn?  The original hairpin was removed and replaced with a newer segment due to a lack of runoff, then referred to as the “Safety Pin.”  The Chateau Elan Hotel was renamed in 2019 to Sebring-Seven Hotel in reference to the turn it sits just outside of.

Turns 8/9: “Fangio Chicane”. Named after legendary Formula 1 driver Juan Manuel Fangio, who won Sebring in 1956 and 1957, his only wins on American soil.

Turn 10: “Cunningham Corner”. Named after Briggs Cunningham, an America’s Cup sailing event winner, winning at Sebring in 1953, 1954 and 1955 as a team owner, as well as Le Mans.

Turn 11: “Collier Curve”. Named after Sam Collier, racecar driver and jointly responsible for Sebring track layout.  Collier died leading the Watkins Glen Grand Prix before he could race on the then new track.

Turn 13: “Tower Turn”. Named in reference to the original control tower of Hendricks Field, which was taken down in 1999 but then restored and re-erected (in a different location) and sits just outside the track close to Turn 13.

Flat Between T13/T14: “Flying Fortress Straight”. The name references Hendricks Field as the air force training base for B-17 “Flying Fortress” bombers during World War II.

Turn 14: “Bishop Bend”. Named after John Bishop, founder if the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).

Turn 15: “Gendebien Bend”. Named after Olivier Gendebien, a Belgian sportscar racer. Gendebien won Sebring four times out of six total starts between 1957 and 1962.  He was also a four time Le Mans winner out of eight total starts, winning the 1958 contest and all between 1960-1962.  Regarded as one of the greatest sportscar racers of all time.

Turn 16: “Le Mans Curve”. A reference to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Flat Between T16/T17: “Ulmann Straight”. The back straight leading to Turn 17. Named after Alec Ulmann, founder of Sebring International Raceway and organizer of the first 12 hour race at the track.

Turn 17(a): “Sunset Bend”. The drivers head into this corner facing the setting sun in the second half of the race.

Drive-Over Bridge, Central: “Green Park Bridge”. This is the bridge in the center of the course. It connects the Green Park area of the track with the rest of the infield. It allows spectator traffic into the central area.

The Re-Constructed Airfield Control Tower as seen in the distance from Turn 5.

Load-In Day, Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

I rolled up to the entry gate (gate 4) behind Steve Yarborough. Steve is a veteran racer who drove from Reno, Nevada and had a trailer stuffed full of cars.  He had just purchased a 1962 Devin and was itching to get it on the track. 

Two other cars were nestled inside that trailer. A 1966 Corvette, and a Formula Ford racer that I never got to see much of.  I watched him unload the Devin and saw the Corvette later on track, and eventually up close.  Both cars were beautiful, and both garnered the number 76. Steve owns several 76 petrol stations along with a very successful transportation GPS tracking company.

The other Devin present at the event is owned and driven by Jonathan DeGaynor. I first saw in ’23 at Sebring and again at the 2024 COTA SpeedTour in Austin, Texas.  It is always a favorite of mine on track and in the paddock. Now there are two of them racing around!

The “Rev ‘n it! Racing” trailer of Steve Yarborough

There wasn’t much in the way of racing going on, but I continued to stroll through the paddock area. I found the media center, and got myself re-acquainted with the track to get a head-start on the action for Thursday morning.  My intention was to cover more than I had in 2023; at least 75% of all on-track action, and anything else that presented itself. 

Travis Engen’s Beautiful Lotus 23B

A view of the HTA cars on static display

Sebring SpeedTour – Day 1

Thursday, February 20, 2025.
Optional Test Day.

I fired off my first shot of the day around 9 o’clock. My first subject was the 1966 Mustang owned and driven by Victor Corda. A very nice example of Ford’s mid-60’s sports car phenom.  I only managed a single shot of that first Group C (SVRA Groups 6 &12a) test session, but it was a great start to the weekend. 

There were 10 entries in Group 6. Six Mustangs or Shelbys, three Chevrolets (two Corvettes and one Camaro) and Jonathan DeGaynor’s ’59 Devin Evolution.  In addition, Group 12a produced six more Mustangs along with an assortment of other makes.

For the optional test day the groups were organized by letter:
A Group combined SVRA groups 1,3,4,5a,5b, and 8.
B Group consisted of SVRA Group 10 alone.
C Group combined SVRA Groups 6 and 12.
D Group was the HTA Historic Trans Am cars.
E Group combined IGT with SVRA groups 7, 11, and PSSA.

From Friday through the end of the weekend, they were listed by their SVRA group number or the name of the group such as IGT, PSSA or HTA.

Historic Trans Am.

Up next were the Historic Trans Am (HTA) cars making up the entirety of Group D. A field of 24 classic muscle cars from the 60’s and 70’s representing the beginning era of the Trans Am series. This was first known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship.  Some of these cars have epic stories in the history of racing in America. Some are attached to well-known names, such as Roger Penske, Mark Donohue, Sam Posey, and many others.

This was the first time that I had seen most of these cars on a race track.  I have known about a few like the Penske Camaro. Also the beautiful white and blue Camaro that Tomi Drissi owns and drives, but I’ve never seen any of them race. 

Grey Ghost

One of my favorites was a 1964 Pontiac Tempest GTO, the “Grey Ghost” as it was called in its competitive days.  This car is very unassuming, and doesn’t look that special. The car was once the daily driver for Pontiac Special Projects engineering manager Herb Adams’ wife. Having been driven  80,000+ miles before being given a second life as a racing car. It was definitely special to me, maybe precisely because it was so unassuming until that engine came to life. I could hear it growling all the way around the track.

“The Gray Ghost,” Legendary 1964 Pontiac Tempest GTO driven by John Hildebrand

 I grew up with cars like these, watching them roll up and down “the main drag” in a small Texas town on a typical Saturday night. I have always been impressed by the sounds these high-powered, big-bore engines make; that deep bass that rumbles out from under the hood.  The HTA cars didn’t disappoint, in fact, they added an entirely new level of what was already a stellar event. 

Trans Am Hall of Fame.

Some of the original drivers showed up, and on Friday night they had a first-ever Trans Am Hall of Fame induction ceremony. 

Inductees included Wally Dallenbach Jr, Paul Gentilozzi, Roger Penske, Bob Tullius, Jack Roush, Tommy Kendall, Scott Pruett, Amy Ruman, Ron Fellows, Chris Dyson, George Follmer, John Clagett, Ernie Francis Jr, Greg Pickett and Willy T. Ribbs.  Also inducted posthumously were Mark Donohue, Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones.  There’s a lot of racing pedigree in that list of names.

#42 “Swede Savage” 1970 Plymouth Cuda driven by Bill Ockerlund in the HTA Class

The Sebring Hairpin.

As the HTA session began to wrap up, I made it around to the “Hairpin” (Turn 7). Here I could see the banners at the end of the straight, the hotel, the full turn and the exit.  Getting onto the circuit road was through a walk-only gate so I had to leave the cart outside the fence.

A photographer I also talked to was Pete, who I first met at the 2024 COTA SpeedTour. I spotted him taking some shots around the exit of the Hairpin.  While I was still shooting up-track from him when he made his way around. I stayed there for a while, through Groups B and C. I wanted to get a few shots of the “Sebring” track logo that was pasted across the side of the walk-over bridge, so I concentrated mainly on that. 

Eventually I hopped back in my cart and started back up the road, counter-clockwise to the race direction. I would see Pete several times over the course of the weekend.  One thing can be said is that the SVRA creates a camaraderie among media as well as the racers.  It all feels like a family.

Ken Epsman’s #2 1972 AMC Javelin

Sebring SpeedTour Gurney Bend

I found a set of bleachers at the end of the sweeping “Gurney Bend” (Turn 6). This is about half-way between the drive-over Green Park Bridge and that walk-over bridge that I had just been using as a background.  I liked the point of view from here, partly because I hadn’t been in the area before, and also for the variety that it gave me; some good front-end shots coming under the bridge, and a nice area just past it with colorful banners for panning.

It was a new season so I had expected a few changes to the lineup.  I recognized some of these from previous events, others I had to look up on the entry list.

Rafa Matos in the #57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR/Chevrolet Camaro

Sebring SpeedTour Paddock.

I was beginning to figure out how to get around to different areas via the circuit roads and decided that the lunch break might be a great time to hit the paddock.  Going directly to the “Rev ‘n It” trailer and found Steve Yarborough’s Devin sitting next to it, but not Steve. I figured he and Dave must have been having some lunch in the cab so I left them alone.

There were some nice things across the main paddock road; a 1968 Alfa Romeo GTV and a 1967 Fiat Abarth, driven by Russell and William Jones, respectively.  In yet another paddock spot I ran into a nice English gentleman, Tim Scopes, who had a gorgeous 1957 Lotus Eleven.  That car looked fast just sitting in the paddock.  Tim was nice enough to entertain my chatty banter for a bit, allowed me to take a couple of photos of the car, and then I politely left him to his lunch.

Sebring SpeedTour Turn One.

It wasn’t long before I found myself at the outside of the first turn for my second look of the day at the HTA cars.  This time my view was up the main straight, catching front end shots.  I stood against the concrete barrier at the entry of the track used by the safety trucks. 

It is a location where you must give some of your attention to what’s going on around you at all times; keep your head on a swivel, as they say.  When something happens on track, the guys in the safety trucks take off quickly. 

I found a good spot for panning just up-track from the turn entry point, giving me a look at a long row of Rolex banners applied to the opposing wall in anticipation of the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Eventually I moved along to be more in line with the front straight and shot through a photo hole in the catch fence.  It gave a view up the main straight all the way to turn 17b exit at the top end. 

Jonathan DeGaynor’s lovely 1959 Devin Evolution heading into the “Hairpin” Turn

Sebring SpeedTour Turn Two.

I started exploring a little further down track, past the end of the catch fence in the vicinity of turn 2 for Group E, in what was their second optional test session of the day.  In this area, the circuit road (what I’ll call “Circuit Road #1”) is accessible from both sides of the slim infield grass area between the outbound track heading toward “Kristensen Corner” (Turn 3), and the inbound track coming off turn 13, the “Tower Turn”, to the north. 

If I were drive up to T3 and beyond, through the Gurney Bend, Hairpin Turn, the Fangio Chicane and finally the Tower Turn at the extreme northeast of the property. I will end up in the same area but next to the “Flying Fortress Straight”.  In the middle there is an open area of infield called the North Paddock. Here you can quickly switch from outbound to inbound traffic by moving from one side to the other.  I call it the “cross-over,”  and it is where several safety trucks sit out of convenience.

Sebring SpeedTour Circuit Road 1

I was constantly referring back to the track map on my phone until I got familiar with the ways to get to different turns.  Circuit Road “1”, as I call it, runs on driver’s right from the medical center just past the pit structure / walk-over bridge, around the course on the outside of Turn 1 and the Kristensen Corner, Carousel, Gurney Bend, and then inside the hairpin, up the Fangio Chicane to T10 and the Tower Turn, turning south to Turn 14 at the cross-over, and finally inside Turn 15 and just a bit further.  Technically, you can get all the way to the paddock from there, but I didn’t go that far. 

Sebring SpeedTour Circuit Road 2

The other circuit road, (#2”), runs from the north side of the track entrance drive-over bridge, under the two walk-over bridges along the front straight on driver’s left (opposite the pit road suites structure), inside T1, and around the inside of T3 through the Carousel, ending abruptly at the “Green Park Bridge” in the center of the course.  Along the rest of the course, starting on the other side of that bridge, you can walk it but it isn’t driveable up to Turn 7.  On the other side of the hotel, this circuit road continues and is accessible through a gate which is off the external road to the track; it continues around the outside of the track to roughly turn 15, where it stops at airfield property.

One other thing that I discovered about circuit road #2; there is a curb about 6 inches high extending all the way across from somewhere inside the spectator area extending completely across the circuit road to the concrete track barrier/catch fence.  It was a no-go for the cart, so the road is effectively cut into segments at that point.

Sebring SpeedTour Turn Three.

For Group “E”, I stayed outside T3, drifting into the Carousel.  That put me on the shady side of the cars, so I crept closer to the bridge to get some front-end shots for an angle with better sunlight.  I kept moving, driving under the bridge (“pass-through tunnel” on the map) and got some different backgrounds, plus angled pans at a higher speeds.  Although they are a bit slower coming out of the Carousel, by the time they hit that bridge they’re cookin’ along through Gurney Bend allowing for a higher shutter speed, if needed.

Rob Sherwood’s 1988 “Payton” Lola S2000

Continuing down the circuit road, I stopped inside the Hairpin across the track from the hotel.  The sky was partly cloudy, and in the 4 or 5 minutes that it took me to get down there from the tunnel bridge it became fully overcast.  This only lasted for a few minutes, but it was something that was constantly changing the look and lighting of my images. 

For racing events I usually keep my settings on shutter priority mode and shove my aperture setting around manually, but when I want to shoot with a particular aperture, I will set the ISO to Auto and make it adjust that way, even if that means I need to adjust my exposure compensation as well.  On a more consistent day I might choose to shoot in full manual mode.  In the end I am constantly evaluating the situation, and I will use whatever works best for what I want to accomplish.

Ike Keeler in his 2016 Ford Mustang TA car

Sebring SpeedTour Fangio Chicane.

As I continued up the west side of the course, I rolled up on a large, solitary pine tree, looming pleasantly between the circuit road and the Armco barrier somewhere along the Fangio Chicane.  It seemed like a nice place to sit and watch the action, and I put it in the back of my mind as a place to retreat to on an extremely hot day.  It was also a great for taking photographs, with trees on the opposite side of the track and not many visual distractions to avoid.

Group C began their last test session around 3pm while I was still contemplating the finer points of having such a lovely Pine sitting there, just off the track.  I wondered how it looked to the drivers as they approach it.  Did they even notice it?  I kept drifting further down the road, finally reaching the apex of Turn 10. 

I caught some of the last of Group C session from there; DeGaynor’s elegant Devin, Yarborough’s Corvette, with its very unmistakable “76” number plate in the not-so-accidental design of the old 76 gas stations.  The mix of Mustangs from different years and different eras also caught my attention, each with its own recipe of engine and paint scheme to set it apart from the rest.

Steve Yarborough’s immaculate 1966 Corvette

Sebring SpeedTour Turn 13.

As the HTA began their third and final test session, I found myself shooting on alternate sides of the corner worker stand centered on the apex. I was catching both looks but after some time I began to prefer the down-track side over the up-track side.  At that time of day there was better sunlight and a better background.  I returned to the “cross-over” that I mentioned earlier, shooting north toward Turn 13 through the end of the Group E session and about 10 minutes into the last session of the day; TA2.  When TA2 began I repeated my route between turn 3-5, the Green Park Bridge, along the track and down close to turn 7.

 After the racing action I tooled around for a while on the cart just to look at things.  The track has a lot of history, certainly not as old as Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but it has witnessed many moments in time that make it one of the historic and renowned race tracks in the United States, particularly in the road racing genre.  It was not that long ago that the Audi R8 dominated racing for several years, winning the Sebring 12 Hrs and Le Mans multiple times.  Now, one of those chassis re-lives its glory days with Travis Engen at the helm and breathing new life into it, and allowing those of us who may have missed it in its glory days to experience in some semblance that essence of racing spirit that such an automobile represents.

The Solitary Pine, Northeast of the “Hairpin”

Sebring SpeedTour – Day 2.

Friday, February 21, 2025.

Practice, Qualifying, and IGT Sprint Race 1.

I arrived earlier at the track on the second day, getting myself in position and ready to shoot around 0830, just in time to catch the start of Group 10 on a day full of practice and qualifying.  I set up at the wall outside turn 1 as I had started the day before, but this time I had the end of the wall to myself and was able to position myself for a slightly better view.  A few inches in either direction can make a real difference from the standpoint of background and subject angle. 

Variety is the key when covering a motorsport event; just keep shooting and moving, otherwise everything begins to look the same.  For me, it isn’t about just the cars on the track; I want to convey the action, the sounds, and give some context to what it’s all about.  I’ve found about 6 different shooting locations just on the outside of turn 1.  Each provides a different look, and each carries with it an ability to expand the story just that much more; a sign on a barrier here, a distant grandstand surrounded by caravans there.  It’s all a part of the story.

In Group 10, the fastest cars were pulling laps in the 2:08 and 2:10 range, with Charles Wicht leading the way in his 2021 Porsche GT3 Cup car, and Curt Vogt right behind him in a 1997 Ford Thunderbird. Granted, it isn’t close to the monster laps the hybrids put down during a 12 Hrs of Sebring race, but pretty respectable laps in vintage racing.

Group 10 Practice

Sebring SpeedTour Green Park drive-over bridge.

For the next few sessions, I drifted along the stretch between turns 1 and 3,  paying attention to the structures and details in the background, especially the Green Park drive-over bridge with its prominent Corvette banner on one side and Mission Foods on the other.  Because it was mid-morning, I caught the sunny side of the cars with the front in shadow. I used the cross-over during the IGT qualifying session to get a more sun-lit front, sacrificing a little on the sides.

Bill Ockerlund set the pace in Historic Trans Am with his 1971 (dressed for ’72) Penske AMC Javelin leading the charge, slapping down a 2:30.268 fast lap. The next five cars were within five seconds of his time, all of which were Ford Mustang/Boss 302/Shelby except for the one Camaro of Tomi Drissi. Of course he would be up in the top group mixing it up.

Sebring SpeedTour PSSA Class.

In the practice session for Groups 5a, 7, 11 and the PSSA class, Wayne Williams was out front with the Radical SR10 posting a best lap time of 2:04.133. Ralph LaMacchia was just behind him with a slower, but not much slower, 2:05.558 lap in his Mazda Elan DPO2, a car that I have seen race and have photographed before. This grouping was full of diverse flatties and muscle, with eight different manufacturers ranging from Lola and Radical to Devin and Ford, and an age range gapping from 1978 to 2023…a span of forty five years!

Ford GT of Andrea Robertson

One car that stuck out in this group and continued to hold my attention through the entire event was the Ford GT of Andrea Robertson. This car and this husband-and-wife team competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2011. They became the first husband and wife team to co-drive at Le Mans and they managed a P3 in the GTE-Am class. Making Andrea the first woman to podium since 1931. The car was very sleek-looking on track, and the engine purred as it mastered the straights and shifting was quick and decisive in the corners. I was one of my favorite cars to see on track.

Historic Trans Am Practice

Andrea Robertson in the 2006 Ford GT during Groups 5a/7/11/PSSA Practice

It was no surprise to me to be seeing DeGaynor out front in his Devin Evolution. I have seen him race it in several events now, and it is always a front-runner. He was putting down laps in the 2:21 range along with another car, this one in the 12a group, a 2013 For Boss 302s driven by John Strauss, setting down similar lap times.

The two groups were fairly evenly matched. Ford represented 11 of the 17 entries, with Chevrolet, Porsche, Ferrari and Devin filling out the rest of the field.

Jonathan DeGaynor in his elegant 1959 Devin Evolution during Groups 6/12a Practice

GT3 Cup.

The IGT qualifying session showcased a dual which would continue through the entire event; a pair of Porsche GT3 Cup cars going head-to-head up front, the #40 2010 GT3 of Lukas Pank against the equally strong and somewhat newer #68 2015 GT3 of David Tuaty. Both cars have eye-popping liveries; Pank’s giving off the green/blue vibe against Tuaty’s absolutely neon-esque “racing red”, or more closely resembling orange. When the two cars ran together, which was frequently, it was a very colorful scene indeed.

Not to speak less of the rest of the field, it was chock full of GT3 Cup cars. Porsche Caymans, one Boxster and the exhibition Lamborghini driven by Seth Henry and co-driven by Wyatt Foster, who is the driving instructor at VIR. With the exception of the Boxster, the entire field was within twelve seconds of the leader, the slowest lap being a 2:18, and the Boxster, one of three exhibition cars running in EXH class, coming in at 2:32. Almost all of the cars were running 4.0L engines, some ran 3.8L, the Lambo sported a 5.2L, and the Boxster was equipped with a 2.7L. It is definitely a group worth watching.

Clicks from the “Cross-over” during IGT Qualifying

Sebring SpeedTour Tower Turn.

I was standing inside the Tower Turn for the start of Trans Am, just past the corner worker stand.  This was one of two optional test sessions on the day, during which Tomi Drissi, this time in the #8 Trench Shoring Co / Motul/Chevrolet Camaro, threw down some excellent laps, the fastest being a blistering 1:58.402.

The cars are hard on the binders coming into Tower turn, and as they negotiate the sweeping 90-degree turn I could see the body flex and the suspension compensate for the rough track. There is a good sized bump just past the apex which tends to throw the cars around.  A lucky shutter click can reveal a tire-hop, or capture that flex of the racecar as it continues south.

TA/SGT/XGT/GT Optional Test Session 1

Sebring SpeedTour TA2 practice.

TA2 practice followed, with Tyler Gonzales in the #10 Derrick Cope inspired Mustang and Rafa Matos in the very sharp looking #57 “Silver hare” Camaro throwing down some solid lap times in the 2:04 range. I moved up a little to catch them ripping out of Collier Curve (Turn 11) and down the short straight going into 12. This is a fast section even with the corners; not much brake pedal until they get to turn 13 and head south. Before the end of the session I took the cart up to turn 10, another hard braking zone and another good chance to catch some exhaust flames.

TA2 Practice Session Unfolding on Friday morning

Sebring SpeedTour Turn 13

After TA2 practice there was the scheduled lunch break, and for that I returned to the lofty, solitary pine to sit and relax during the lull.  A road runs adjacent to the track in that area, supporting light but steady traffic.  The outside fence separates it from the course, but the people in their cars can still look to the side and get a glimpse of any action, should there be anything running at the time they pass. 

I sat and watched them slowly drive toward the industrial area that is in the background of most of my Turn 13 photos.  As far as I could tell, that’s about as far as that road goes.  I could hear people talking, trucks moving around, birds, and sometimes an occasional engine roaring to life in the distant pit area.  There was a relatively peaceful silence to it; along with the certainty that, as with all things, this will not last; the engines will roar again.

Sebring SpeedTour Turn 7

The afternoon sessions began with Groups 1/3/4/5b/8 and 12b qualifying.  By the time it started, I was already set up outside turn 7.  For the early part of the afternoon I explored the different areas during the qualifying sessions for Group 10, HTA and Groups 5a, 7, 11, and PSSA. 

Travis Engen took his very red Group 5b Lotus 23B to the P1 spot with a best time of 2:29.632, and as the lone Group 5b entry. Group 10 qualifying saw Charles Wicht improve his practice session time by almost a second, but not by enough to stave off the better times of Ryan Gemmell, with a 2:06.310, and Joe Nemechek with a 2:06.974. Curt Vogt dropped to a 2:09.855 and posted a P5 on the grid for the first sprint race.

Qualifying session for Groups 1/3/4/5b/8 and 12b.

Tomi Drissi improved to third spot in HTA qualifying his 1970 Camaro behind the Peter Klutt and Jim Hague Fords, all with lap times in the 2:29 range. Finally, during the qualifying session for Groups 5a, 7, 11, PSSA, Jacek Mucha took the pole in his 2019 Cadillac Dallara DPi with a qualifying lap time of 1:58.868, running very competitively against the top Trans Am lap times.

Sebring SpeedTour Carousel

Any sub-2-minute time on this track is going to get some attention. Travis Engen was not that far behind him, in the very familiar Audi R8, putting down laps just over 2 minutes, and qualifying P2 at 2:00.844. Wayne Williams secured P3 with a 2:04.075 qualifying lap time, not withstanding his little “slip ‘n slide” coming out of the Carousel. All’s well that ends well, and nothing got disturbed but the grass. It wasn’t exactly “Spin and Win,” but I’ll be he would take that over the tire barrier any day.

Group 10 Qualifying session.

Qualifying session for Historic Trans Am (HTA).

Groups 5a, 7, 11, and PSSA and for Groups 6/12a qualifying sessions.

Wayne Williams recovers from a spin and heads for the Gurney Bend
en route to a P3 qualifying lap

Phil Lasco edged out DeGaynor’s Devin in a 2018 Ford Mustang GT, pulling down a P1 in Group 6/12a qualifying by less than a second. I caught about 3 laps of the session before deciding that I had accomplished enough.

Historic Trans Am static display

I finished out the day in the paddock talking with Steve Yarborough.  It had been my intention to set up an interview, but unfortunately I learned that the Devin sustained some damage going through turn 1.  I am looking forward to seeing this car again, hopefully in New Orleans. 

I had planned to cover the Eagle Canyon event in Decatur, but life can sometimes get in the way, and I will not be able to make that one.  Another pass by the Historic Trans Am static display yielded a few more close-ups.  Just ask Mr. DeMille; you can never have too many close-ups.

Sebring SpeedTour – Day 3.

Saturday, February 22, 2025.
Qualifying, Sprint Races, TA2 Series Feature Race

By the start of day 3, the track was sporting a much different atmosphere than the previous two days.  I noticed immediately that there were more people around, and more cars and caravans to go with those people.  The day before, most of the viewing areas along the fences outside the turns sat empty.  But on Saturday, spots had been picked, grills had been unpacked and set, in some cases platforms had been built in order to get an elevated view of things above the fences. There were even some self-lighting palm trees just past turn 3, obviously an early setup for the 12 Hrs of Sebring kicking off the following week.

Morning Session

I started the day just up-track from turn 1 on the outside, facing the infield and shooting against the generous row of Rolex banners running along the inside.  Group 6/12a and the HTA group had already run their qualifying sessions for the second sprint race by the time I got to the track. SVRA Groups 5a, 7, 11 and PSSA were first through my viewfinder; Henry Payne’s Lola 90 was my first catch, followed by the Radical SR8 driven by Garry Gray.  I really enjoyed seeing the Ford GT40 RCR entry, with its beautiful livery and unmistakeable sound.

This is the group that Travis Engen’s historic and legendary Audi R8, I can’t describe how impressive it is up close. Other noteables were Ralph LaMacchia in his Mazda Elan DPO2, Wayne Williams bright and fast Radical, and Seth Henry’s 2022 Sebeco NP01, which had a really low-slung rear wing. Seth was alo co-driver with Wyatt Foster of the Lamborghini running in the IGT sessions.

Engen, Williams and Mucha took P1, P2 and P3 respectively, with laps times from 2:01.322 (Engen) to a still quick 2:06.509 for Mucha in the Caddie. Williams was stuck in between them with a 2:02.661, almost a second and a half quicker than his qualifying lap for the first sprint race as well as his fastest lap during practice.

NASCAR at the SpeedTour

The session was followed by Group 10 around 9:15AM, showcasing many of the NASCAR cup cars including the 07 Monte Carlo driven by Donnie Eatherly, the #15 “Ricky Rudd” car now driven by Carlus Gann, and the #85 1994 Camaro driven by Michael Kern, sporting the “Visit Portugal” slogan on the back fin. Why, yes…I believe I will.

Gemmell and Nemechek once again took the top two spots, sporting lap times of 2:06 range. P3 went to Curt Vogt, who improved from the previous qualifying session, replacing Charles Wicht who fell compared to his previous effort.

Sebring SpeedTour Trans Am

Once Group 10 finished up, there was a brief track inspection and then the Trans Am group hit the pavement for a practice session.  Throughout the three previous sessions, I stayed in the same general area, moving around a little depending on the result I was looking for. Just before the end of the Trans Am practice session, I moved past the catch fence that ends between turns 1 and 2.  I maintained my position for all of the Group 1/3/4/5b/8/12b final qualifying session and the start of the IGT sprint race #2.

Trans Am turning up the wick in a practice session ahead of Sunday’s main event

Tim Scopes in a beautiful 1962 Lotus 11, coming out of turn 1 during the final qualifying session for Groups 1/3/4/5b/8/12b

Sebring SpeedTour Bishop Bend.

There was an early caution, during which I spent some time talking with a gentleman on the other side of the spectator fence who was driving around in a Porsche Cayman.  From that point I crossed over to the southbound track and caught them through one of the photo holes looking up toward Bishop Bend (Turn 14).  It is a similar shot, but with different context in the background.

Sebring SpeedTour Touring Car Show

The lunch break came at the end of the sprint race.  I spent most of that time photographing the touring car show, heading around on parade in what seemed like slow motion.  In reality, they were probably going faster than they looked.  The cars represented just about everything you could imagine; new Corvettes, old Cobras, Mustangs and Camaros, a Cadillac, VW’s, and what looked to be a Shelby Daytona Coupe.  Likely a kit, but you never know.

Two of the cars have presented me with an interesting story.  As I work on this report, I have already been to Sebring again for the HSR event.  During both trips, I stayed at the same rental not far from the track. During the SpeedTour trip, I noticed a very nice 1940 Plymouth sitting in the grass next door.  I didn’t have time to investigate it, but during the trip for the HSR event, I did have some time so I walked next door to have a chat. 

Turns out, the owner also had a couple more gems sitting a little further back away from the road; A 1930 Shay and a flame-sporting 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Coupe!  After talking with him and looking at the cars, I realized that they were both in the car show turning laps during the lunch break.  A quick review of my photos confirmed it.  If one of these looks familiar, it should; a convertible version of the Deluxe Coupe was used in the movie “Back to the Future” (Biff’s car).

The Shay, the Super Deluxe, and the Plymouth

Sebring SpeedTour afternoon session Gendebien Bend

Before the TA2 grid formed up I made my way back to where I had been before lunch, inside Gendebien Bend (Turn 15).  This part of the track is adjacent to airfield property, and it looks like it.  Barren compared to most other turns, T15 had a stark appearance, giving off an almost surreal feeling. 

A set of banners and some scattered palm trees adorn the opposite side, and other than a fairly large plane sitting on the tarmac and the blue and white barrier wall, there wasn’t much to use in the way of context.  I moved up-track along the fence line, pausing at the photo holes giving two different but equally useful views of Bishop Bend, T14.

 I slowly worked my way north toward the Tower Turn, stopping along the way. There really isn’t a bad spot along this section of the track, so I could have my pick of vantage points; two different turn apexes, a long straightaway and some shots through the photo holes with the cars coming at me head-on.

TA2 Feature Race Top Results:

P1 | Thomas Annunziata | #90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang.
P2 | Mike Skeen | #48 Cube 3/Franklin Road SLR Chevrolet Camaro.
P3 | Austin Green | #89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with each SVRA Group Sprint Race 1, starting with Group 5a, 7, 11 and PSSA, along with the Trans Am qualifying session and the IGT third and final sprint race.  By the time the PSSA & Co. sprint race began, I had already gone past the apex of the Tower Turn and ended up about fifty feet on the other side of it, looking back up-track.  From there I could see them coming out of the esses past T10, speeding toward me and getting hard on the binders before turning south. 

Travis Engen crushed it early on, gaining quite a gap from the rest of the field and putting 2 seconds a lap on the next fastest car, the Wayne Williams Radical. One car that was curiously absent was the Cadillac driven by Mucha, not sure what happened there. Ralph LaMacchia brought the #7 to a P3 finish ahead of Joe Cauley in the 2023 Dallara EXP.

Group 5a/7/11/PSSA Sprint Race #1 Top Results:

P1 | Travis Engen | #2 2005 Audi R8 LMP.
P2 | Wayne Williams | #57A 2023 Radical SR 10.
P3 | Ralph LaMacchia | #7 2008 Mazda Elan DPO2.

I used the photo holes in the catch fence near turn 11 for the HTA race. As they hit the starting line I could hear the sound from turn 11, all twenty of those 302 cubic inch engines thundering down the main straight toward turn 1, it would be only a minute before they hit my position. I could hear them again as they rounded turn 5 into the Gurney bend.

In short order they began appearing around the corner at 10 and into my viewfinder. Liebenberg, Epsman, Keeler, Klutt, Hague, and the rest of the field shot through the chicane with style, every one of them body-rolling as they exited turn 11, some even giving a wheel-pop over the rumble strip.

The lead switched back and forth between Ockerlund, Klutt and Hague, and Keeler was up there in the mix as well. Considering that these cars are highly collectible and almost all of them are one-offs, they seemed to be running hard.

Group HTA Feature Race #1 Top Results:

P1 | Jim Hague | #16 1971 Ford Boss 302.
P2 | Bill Ockerlund | #6 Penske AMC Javelin.
P3 | Ike Keeler | #14 1967 Mercury Cougar.

It was time to head over to the media center after the HTA race to rest a bit and download some images.  I sat out the Group 10 and Groups 6/12 sprint races, as well as the Trans Am qualifying.  As the cars screamed past as I ate some afternoon snacks, topped off my water, and emptied my cards for the next round of shooting.

Sebring SpeedTour Kristensen Corner

By late afternoon the Group 1/3/4/5b/8/12b sprint race 1 was getting lined up in the staging area.  I headed out to turn 3, this time shooting through the fence hole head-on at the cars coming into the turn. 

Late in the afternoon, the area of the track between Kristensen Corner (T3) and the Carousel (T5) becomes more favorable to shooting from the north side toward the south or east depending on your position and the angle.  The warmer light is just beginning to show up, and the sun is in a position that hits the west facing side of the cars.  In turn 3, that means getting a good, solid and well-lit front shot.  In turn 5, you really can’t lose shooting frontal or sides.  About the only thing that won’t look good would be rear-car shots from turn 5 or from turn 3; facing into the sun would cause too much glare. 

Travis Engen, this time guiding his Lotus 23b around the track, was pole sitter, followed closely by the 1982 Alfa Romeo GTV6 driven by Gregory Serefian and Alex Moya in a 1969 Datsun PL510. Once the race began he started forming a good gap between himself and second. By the end of the race, he had handily won, putting a lap on the field.

Group 1/3/4/5b/8/12b Sprint Race #1 Top Results:

P1 | Travis Engen | #1 1962 Lotus 23B.
P2 | Gregory Seferian | #94 1982 Alfa Romeo GTV6.
P3 | Alex Moya | #33 1969 Datsun PL510.

I worked that part of the track on both sides of the Green Park tunnel, down to the turn 7 hairpin through the end of the final race of the day, the IGT Sprint Race 3, capturing some (sort of) sunset photos. 

A stubborn and ill-timed caution period right around that time, along with cloud cover that became a bit thick, turned the sunset photo potential into more of an overcaset day grey shot. I was a bit disappointed, but as they say, a bad day at the racetrack is still better than a good day at work. Or, at least I think that’s how it goes. Maybe it’s a bad day fishing, but I will take some poetic license with it.

Tuaty and Pank started off 1 and 2, with Merritt coming up behind them and eventually taking second away from Pank. Seth Henry in the Lamborghini negotiated quickly through the ranks into third, second and as he approached Tuaty a double yellow came out due to an incident involving a car hitting the tire barrier. Once the action resumed, Seth Henry in the Lamborghini resumed his attack on Tuaty in the Porsche, finally overtaking him before the finish for P1, Tuaty for P2, Pank filling out the podium in P3.

IGT Sprint Race #3 Top Results:

P1 | Seth Henry | #44 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
P2 | David Tuaty | #68 2015 Porsche GT3 Cup
P3 | Lucas Pank | #40 2010 Porsche GT3 Cup

I spent a little more time there covering the Optima “Search for the Ultimate Street Car” challenge, but only caught round one of three.  At that point I felt like it was time to call it a day.  There was another long day coming, and it was predicted to be warmer.

Participants negotiate the apex of turn 7 during the
Optima “Search for the Ultimate Street Car” challenge

The report for “the”Part 2,” final day of action is coming up next, which includes not only the Trans Am Feature race, but the IGT Endurance Race, the HTA feature race #2 and the SVRA groups’ second sprint race.

You can catch all of their action from past events on youtube, and when an event is live you can go to the SpeedTour website and watch live.  In addition you can find past race results, a list of upcoming events, and more detailed information about each group of racing, the criteria for them, as well as other programs that might be going on now and in the future. 

The SVRA website is: www.svra.com

The SpeedTour TV site is: https://www.youtube.com/@SpeedTourTV/streams