2014 Sebring 12 Hours, from the perspective of the 2014 Sebring Fan Of The Year

[Chris24]

Hopefully the link should work and enable you to download a PDF file containing my report on the recent Sebring 12 Hours. "From the perspective of the 2014 Sebring Fan Of The Year."

It's an honest account of my own thoughts following the first Sebring run to the new Tudor series rules as well as the thoughts of drivers and other fans. Hope you enjoy the read and the photographs as well.

Thanks to Tom Gamble for hosting this for me online. More photography from the event can be found on my CSC Motorsport Photography page on Facebook. Send a request and i'll add you to the group.

Regards
Chris Clark

http://csc.emailhouse.co.uk/The%2012%20Hours%20of%20Sebring%202014%20with%20pictures.pdf

[Chris24]

Sorry the original link I copied and pasted came out all wrong. I have manually typed out the correct link and this does or should work now.

[Boorish Grobian]

Hi Chris, big congratulations on the SFOY award.  Your review of this years events was thoughtful, and well written, and the accompanying photos are terrific.   Sadly I think we may be watching the demise of sportscar racing in America right before our eyes.  Unless the folks running the show have a dramatic change of heart about how they regulate, and officiate the series, they're going to run off all the remaining fans of the sport.  There's no reason to think they will change, NASCAR has always had a "Our way or the highway" mentality.  Sebring will survive one way or another, in many ways its like the Indy 500, people will show up for that race who can't be bothered to attend another race the rest of the year, they are there for the party.  But I see vast empty hillsides for the remainder of the schedule.
We're off to see some real racing in a couple of weeks when the USAC Sprinters come to historic Eldora Speedway.  I know that's a series you have a interest in.
Fax

[jimclark]

.   Sadly I think we may be watching the demise of sportscar racing in America right before our eyes.  Unless the folks running the show have a dramatic change of heart about how they regulate, and officiate the series, they're going to run off all the remaining fans of the sport.  There's no reason to think they will change, NASCAR has always had a "Our way or the highway" mentality.  Sebring will survive one way or another, in many ways its like the Indy 500, people will show up for that race who can't be bothered to attend another race the rest of the year, they are there for the party.  But I see vast empty hillsides for the remainder of the schedule.

Fax

x2   

[gatordad]

Hillsides?  At Sebring?  Excuse me but there are no hills at Sebring...just a few mounds....and those "tower" over the landscape!

[Boorish Grobian]

Err, I don't think your getting the point here Gatordad.  Was referring to remaining races on the Tudor schedule, you know places like Road America, Watkins Glen, etc.  Places that do have hillsides...

[jimclark]

Err, I don't think your getting the point here Gatordad.  Was referring to remaining races on the Tudor schedule, you know places like Road America, Watkins Glen, etc.  Places that do have hillsides...

Sometimes you hafta' wonder... I'm still waiting for a reply regarding Niki Lauda at Sebring....

[gatordad]

...maybe it was Watkins Glen.  I did see him but in my brain addled state it could have been in NY

But I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night!

[johnevans3]

 
"Sadly I think we may be watching the demise of sportscar racing in America right before our eyes." per Fax and you are absolutely right at least for me.  Enjoyed Sebring, Road Atlanta, Houston, Watkins Glen but now, no more.  Will hope to watch some real racing in June on TV and think of the good old days even back to CanAm.  What a sorry state we are in. 

[jimclark]

"Sadly I think we may be watching the demise of sportscar racing in America right before our eyes." per Fax and you are absolutely right at least for me.  Enjoyed Sebring, Road Atlanta, Houston, Watkins Glen but now, no more.  Will hope to watch some real racing in June on TV and think of the good old days even back to CanAm.  What a sorry state we are in.  

What's the real racin' in June you speak of? I'm hopin' you've got sumpin' there I don't know about cause there sure ain't nuttin' left.
EDIT: Disregard the above..June...what a brain fart...
Useta enjoy Indy  cars (be it USAC or CART), IMSA, F1, CanAm, TransAm, NASCAR; just about anything...none of it is the same... As much as many complain, at least ACO/FIA still have sumpin' decent... Sad indeed.
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[Boorish Grobian]

Agreed, the state of the sport in North America is a disaster.  I mentioned in a previous post that there is still some terrific racing to found, I also mentioned going to Eldora to see the USAC Sprinters last Saturday, it was absolutely fantastic, pure racing, nothing orchestrated or over hyped, just pure hardcore racing.
I went to my first Indy 500 in 1972, and have been to every one since.  The state of Indycar is laughable, they're going to struggle to cobble together 33 cars for this years race, I can remember a time when there would be almost one hundred entered.  A grandstand ticket for the 500 used to be one of the toughest tickets in sports, now you can get one for a six-pack of beer and a pack of Marlboros.   NASCAR? Don't even get me started, for many years back in the ninties a group of buddies & I used to go to the spring race at Talladega, now you couldn't pay me to go back...
Pro road racing is my first love, Can-Am, IMSA, Trans-Am, F5000 etc., but it's going down the toilet as well, the one bright spot may be Pirelli World Challenge.  There's still some good racing in the SCCA club ranks however.
The wife & I are planning on going to the US Nationals in Indy over Labor day weekend, I've been before but she's never been to a big NHRA meet, it'll blow her away! Fortunately the NHRA is still thriving nicely.
There is some good racing to found here, just not where we've been accustomed to seeing it.
Fax

[Steve Pyro]

Enjoy the drags John. 
All motorsport is suffering to some degree.  Have a look at the NHRA forum and read those who are saying "it isn't like it used to be" as Top Fuel and Funny Car nitro classes are now run to 1000 feet rather than the old 1/4 mile (1320 feet) as the NHRA are trying to limit top speeds.

[Boorish Grobian]

Hey Steve, agreed, many of the purist don't like that call, but at the speeds they're travelling the shutdown areas are just too short for 1/4 mile runs, and many of the tracks don't have the ability to expand them.  Like many unpopular changes it happened in the name of safety, especially in the wake of Scott Kalitta's death.  But it's still one hell of a show.
Fax

[jimclark]

I'm not cold hearted. But when do we stop sanitizing???