SEBRING, FL (Eagle News) — Competitive racing is no stranger to the State of Florida. Racing fans get to enjoy the NASCAR Rolex 24, Coke Zero 400, and the world famous Daytona 500. On March first to the fourth, racing fans witnessed the 2018 Sebring Vintage Classic (SVC) in Sebring, FL.
Hosted annually by the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), the SVC serves as the season opener to the 2018 racing season. This endurance race is held at Sebring International Raceway, the nation’s oldest road racing track, which held races for over 60 years. The 3.74-mile track, with 17 turns, according to the svra.com, began as Hendricks Field, a World War II air base, using the runways for their competitive races.
“It’s different than most tracks because it’s pretty much flat,” said Rick Johnson, SVRA official about the race. “It’s a 12-hour race. It’s the longest running road race in the U.S.”
Joe Wilchak, an avid racing fan looked forward to seeing this live race.
“Watching racing on TV doesn’t do justice to what it’s like in real life,” Wilchak said. “The smell of the fuel, the vibration in your chest from the motors going by. It’s a totally different experience and one that I enjoy.”
The four-day event left the fans appreciating the high level of racing in Florida and looking forward to next year’s Sebring Vintage Classic.
(Eagle News Service, Adrian Manguit, EBC Florida Bureau)
