The second cohort of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Class of 75 has been announced, spotlighting a constellation of racing luminaries—Michele Alboreto, Sébastien Bourdais, Sir Stirling Moss, and others—whose veritable palmarès span the full arc of Sebring’s storied history.
World‑Conquerors of the 12‑Hour Classic
Michele Alboreto, whose 2001 triumph in the No. 1 Audi R8 ended a 33‑year drought for the German chicane, notably completed the race without cautions for the first time in 25 years, a rarity shared only by 1985, 1994, and 2001. Lidely, his 1995 debut clawed the fastest qualifying time in the Team Scandia Ferrari 333SP, foreshadowing a belt of podiums that followed.
Sébastien Bourdais, a Floridian by residence and a Prix‑winning PGA champion at heart, racks up 985 laps led over three winning seasons—including 2015’s Action Express Corvette DP and 2021’s Mustang Sampling/Cadillac DPi—cementing his status as a dominant edge‑over‑clock at the track.
Sir Stirling Moss, arguably the sport’s most famous “first‑to‑finish” hero, seized the 1954 overall title driving a modest OSCA for Briggs Cunningham. His audacious victory reverberated across Europe during a period dominated by factory‑backed overweights.
Veterans Reinventing Winning Lanes
Rinaldo “Dindo” Capello secured five overall wins across nine starts, carrying himself from a third in 1999’s Audi R8 to the 2012 Audi 18 podium beside Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish. His record remains one of the sharpest win‑to‑start ratios in the race’s 70‑year annals.
Al Holbert, a Porsche stalwart, claimed two wins with the Carrera RSR (1976) and the 935 (1981). He remained a front‑running threat through every subsequent year, with podiums in 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1987.
Hans Herrmann’s decade‑long Sebring saga featured engineering triumphs: an 1960 win in the Porsche RS60, a 1968 overall victory in the Porsche 907 with Jo Siffert, and class victories in 1966 and 1967, arcing between triumph and retirement over 15 starts.
Modern Icons and Dominant Drives
JJ Lehto’s record—six victories in just seven starts—includes two overall wins (1999 BMW V12 LMR, 2005 Audi R8) and a pole that preceded a decisive lead in both victories. His six‑year output remains the highest winning percentage in Sebring lore.
Jan Magnussen’s two‑decade tenure of 21 straight races yielded nine wins, all behind a Corvette. His consecutive class victories in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2015, and 2017 illustrate both durability and adaptability across a rapidly evolving racing landscape.
John Paul Jr., early in his career, dropped a 1982 podium position in a Porsche 935 alongside his father, leading over the final 100 laps. He continued to place in the top five in subsequent years and concluded his Sebring presence with a top‑five finish in 2000.
Non‑Endurance‑Specialists Leap In
Briggs Cunningham, who raced the inaugural 1952 event, later engineered three successive overall wins from 1953 to 1955. Across a diverse field—Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, Porsche, and his own cars—he exemplified the transition from driver to progenitor of racing best‑practices.
Wayne Taylor, first an 11‑start driver who grabbed the 1996 overall victory with Doyle Racing, now channels his expertise as an owner. His 2017 and 2024 team victories demonstrate a seamless shift from driver’s wheel to team strategist.
Bob Wollek, a dual‑sport athlete, dominated the 1985 Swap Shop Porsche 962, leading the field by four laps, and later supplied consistent class points before his tragic death in 2001. His single overall win remains a highlight in an otherwise prolific career.
From Cancelled Fridays to 75th‑Anniversary Gala
Compiling a roster of 75 largely coveted drivers, the selection panel—composed of ten racing chroniclers—dispatched the Group 2 list during the same week as the inaugural September 15 unveiling, keeping the crowd buzzing ahead of the 2027 marathon.
Future releases: a third group on 10 November, a fourth on 15 December, and the final batch on 12 January, culminating the full Class of 75 on the race’s 75th edition scheduled for 20 March 2027. The continued countdown ensures the legacy remains front‑and‑center in aficionados’ mindsets, promising that the 12‑hour race stays a cultural touchstone.
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