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AMELIA ISLAND CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE

After Amelia, Sports & Sports Racers Invited To Head South To Run At Famous Track Before Annual 12-Hour Race

JACKSONVILLE, FL & SEBRING, FL; May 15, 2006 -- The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Foundation, Inc. and Sebring International Raceway jointly announced plans today to invite sports and sports racing entries from the Concours to participate in a series of on- and off-track exhibitions during the week of the annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race. Next year's Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is scheduled for March 9-11, 2007, with the 55th edition of Sebring being held the following week.

At the 2007 Concours, officials from Sebring will also award for the first time the "Spirit of Sebring" trophy to the racing vehicle that best exemplifies the heritage of this world famous circuit and the many sports racers it has hosted over the past 50 years. A special class devoted to cars that competed at Sebring will be on the field and would become an annual class. Joe Sabatini of Sebring International Raceway had this to say..."This collaboration between the Amelia Island Concours d'elegance, an event that is considered by many to be one of the premier Concours in the United States and the legendary Sebring International Raceway is long overdue. Taking these historic cars from the plush fairways of the Ritz Carlton and placing on the track to do what they do best is something every enthusiast will want to witness." Following Amelia, concours entrants will have the opportunity to "exercise" their cars in parade lap sessions during race week at Sebring, and a special display area for the vehicles will be set up for the public to enjoy.

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12 Hours of Sebring 1965

NEW BOOK RELIVES CHAPARRAL VICTORY AT SEBRING
The classic Sebring race of 1965 – when the Jim Hall / Hap Sharp Chaparral 2 survived a torrential rainstorm and competition from Ford GT40s, Cobra Daytona Coupes and Dan Gurney’s Lotus-Ford to come in first – is relived in a new hardbound book, 12 Hours of Sebring 1965. The book contains over 180 pictures and illustrations, and includes comments by Hall, Gurney, Mark Donohue, plus others who were part of that great race.

As the book explains, the 1965 Sebring was a significant event in motorsports history for several reasons. It underscored the emergence of the Shelby-prepared Ford GT40 as a serious contender in international endurance racing. It gave international exposure to the Group 7 sports-racers that would go on to form the phenomenally popular Can-Am series the next year. But, most important, the success of the American cars and drivers at Sebring in 1965 (arguably, the most prestigious international road race in this country at the time) fueled fan interest in the sport and helped grow it into the next decade.

You can own this piece of history now

This race had many distinctions, including:

The first time Roger Penske was a team manager (the winning Chaparral), rather than driver.
The first US outing for the new Lola T-70, the car that would capture the Can-Am series first championship.
The first professional drive for then unknown Mark Donohue.
The first race with a car entered by Dan Gurney’s newly formed All American Racers.
The first Sebring drive for future endurance legend Peter Gregg.
And, it was the last time the Cobra Daytona Coupes would race as a team under the Shelby American banner.

Fan(s) of the year for 2006

It’s a tie! The Sebring panel of judges have selected two winners in ’06

Norbert “Pridge” Golebiewski has attended every Sebring race since 1970, with the exception of 1984 when he had open heart surgery. Born in Baltimore, he served in the United States Navy and eventually moved to Miami. Pridge started bringing his children and grandchildren to the race when they were eight years old, and they still attend the race and now bring his grand daughters Katie and Lucy with them.

He has a following of fellow fans and campers who appreciate his hospitality and friendship. Pridge met many of his Sebring friends via the internet racing forum (Club Arnage), and as a result he camped with them when he attended Le Mans. His full English breakfast which he cooks and offers to anyone has become a Sebring legend. How dedicated is Pridge? Even though a few years ago he was in pain and facing hip replacement surgery, he came to Sebring to make sure his friends had ample camping gear and supplies.

As one of his devoted followers told us: “It is great to see him every year. I know he would be absolutely delighted to be Sebring Fan of the Year. He certainly deserves this honor!”

John Bullock first attended Sebring in 1963, and has only missed one race since then when he had a military reserve requirement – 42 Sebring races in total (that’s 504 hours at Sebring)!

Born in Buffalo New York, he went to high school in New Jersey and then graduated from Duke University. He lived in Miami many years but he is now a resident of West Palm Beach.

“My favorite location at Sebring is the hairpin turn,” states John. “At my first race my friend George had the use of a truck parked on the outside of the hairpin, as Green Park was not open to spectators until 1966… In recent years the track improvements have been wonderful. The hotel, new pits, bridges, viewing mounds, tram service, better restrooms, improved parking areas and corporate displays all make for a very enjoyable time.”

When attending the races, John stays with his Duke fraternity brother George Hensley and his wife Nancy. George is currently Mayor of the City of Sebring. John is a serious collector of Sebring memorabilia and has programs, tickets, buttons, patches, T-shirts and many other items from the 12-hour classic.

“In my life-time I have attended many, many sporting events, however I can honestly say that the 12 Hours of Sebring is my favorite event of all time.”

WFO party announcement

Second Annual SebringFans.com WFO party

Free Beer... Get primed for the Weekend...WFO... from SebringFans.com

Thursday the 17th, 7:30 PM
We are running out of room to host everyone at one campsite so we decided to take over a road. If you look at the this map there is a road that connects turn 1 and 15. Look for us there.

There will be a Keg of the Cold Stuff, compliments of your friends at SebringFans.com. Everybody is invited, so please put it on your Itinerary.

Small Minded Sports Writer

After reading this article in the Tampa Tribune, I was pissed. How can so many American (so called) auto racing sports writers support NA$CAR with so much diligence? How can you write a "Auto Racing Report" for a major news outlet and be so biased?

Here is a snippet from the Tampa Tribune article by Tony Fabrizio.

The Le Mans Series barely registers a blip on the mainstream sports radar screen, and that's why this month's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring has fallen in stature.

This is not to disparage the race, which has a glorious history and is hugely important to Central Florida. But the truth is, because the Le Mans Series doesn't matter, Sebring has been rendered irrelevant as a sporting event, except to a niche audience.

The Tampa Tribune used to be a big sponsor of Sebring. Every year they have an insert covering the race and truck down copies daily to be sold at the track. I wonder if this is a break in that relationship or just another small minded sportswriter.

In his article he wrote: none of the regular motorsports writers from the state's largest newspapers will be at Sebring. Most will be in Atlanta for NASCAR's Golden Corral 500. I guess the international audience that is drawn to Sebring for a 12 hour race, is nothing compared to the Golden Corral 500 in his eyes. The Golden Corral 500 is a shell of a race compared to Sebring. This is a 3 hour, what we would call sprint race, with a maximum attendance of 124,000. To me that sounds like it should be compared to the Petit LeMans, also held in the Atlanta area, not Sebring.

I would like all of you to voice your intelligent opinion on this article. Please take your time to read the article and if you have time browse his blog so you can see where he is coming from. Then send him and his boss an email with your comments on his story.

2006 miss Sebring

At 24 years old, Stephanie Murphy has earned her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Florida. She is the director and head instructor at Starke Academy of Dance and was recently named Miss 12 Hours of Sebring 2006. In 1999, Stephanie graduated with honors from Sebring High School and moved to Gainesville where she attended the University of Florid, and began her small business. Over the past five years, Starke Academy of Dance has grown into one of the leading dance studios in Florida. Her competition team now boasts close to 50 students who travel around the U.S. where they have received top honors and scholarships to New York and Los Angeles.

Stephanie currently travels around the state teaching classes and choreographing various pieces for numerous schools and dance academies. In the future, Stephanie would like to continue her education as she seeks a Ph.D. from UF. Stephanie is the daughter of Joe and Rachelle Murphy of Sebring. She is thrilled about her new title, Miss 12 Hours of Sebring, and looks forward to representing the exciting events surrounding the race.

2006 Grand Marshal

Accomplished actor and race car driver Patrick Dempsey will serve as Grand Marshal of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, but not before he takes a run at the checkered flag in the Panoz GT Series support race.

“It is a tremendous honor to be the Grand Marshall at Sebring,” says the star of the ABC drama ‘Grey's Anatomy’. “I feel like I’m a kid in the candy store, and I am going to enjoy every minute of it.”

Despite a hectic shooting schedule for his TV show, Dempsey finds time to pursue his #1 passion – racing. He recently became a co-owner of Vision Racing that will field two cars in the Indy Racing League.

Dempsey, 40, will be competing in the Panoz GT Series race at Sebring Friday. A Panoz Racing School graduate, he began racing in the Panoz GT Series in 2004. He finished an impressive third in the Panoz race at Road Atlanta in May 2005, his best career finish. He also competed in the April 2005 Toyota Celebrity Race at Long Beach and the 2005 Baja 1000 with drivers Boris Said and Oriol Servia. “Maybe I need to win the Panoz race Friday so I’ll know my way to winner’s circle for the 12 Hours,” Dempsey says with a laugh. “That would be sweet!

“I have always been a race fan,” Dempsey says, “and to have the opportunities I have today is very rewarding. I enjoy the camaraderie among the racers and the passion of the fans.”

Born in Maine, Dempsey’s professional theatrical career launched in 1987. His latest film was “Sweet Home Alabama” but for now the small screen is his focus. His character on “Grey’s Anatomy” is Dr. Derek Sheperd. The show is a Seattle-based medical drama about first year surgical interns.

Growing up, Dempsey considered going to clown school – he is an accomplished juggler – but there’s no joking about his serious commitment to racing.

Bikini Contest

MAKES and MODELS Magazine announces the MAKES and MODELS Magazine / Hawaiian Tropic bikini contest and model search at Sebring International Raceway, March 17 (Friday previous to 12-Hour race). Women over 18 are invited to participate in the event, which will take place in the "Spring Break Party Zone", and draws contestants from across the nation.

The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize, a complimentary photo shoot and will have a layout published in M&M. The runner-up will receive $500 and a free shoot. Third place will receive a $250 award. All candidates will be considered for future publication in this premium magazine. Contestants can register online.

MAKES and MODELS Magazine is a premium lifestyle publication with a special focus on "The Finer Things in Life", including vehicles, boats, aircraft and personal accessories. Our combination of classy, sexy models and exotic machinery in our photography and layouts provides our readers an exclusive entertainment venue. Based in Tampa, Fla., the magazine is distributed nationally through thousands of commercial outlets and has the world's finest automobiles, models and photographers at its disposal. Our models and photographers are routinely found in other publications, such as Maxim, Playboy and FHM. For more information, call 813-963-3490 or visit us on the web www.MAKESandMODELS.com.

Flying Lizards are back

Flying Lizard Motorsports announced today its racing plans for the 2006 season. For the third consecutive year, the Sonoma-based privateer team will field two Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs in the GT2 category in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The team will compete in the entire 10-race ALMS season, starting with the Mobil Twelve Hours of Sebring in March and finishing in October with the ALMS season finale.

For the 2006 season, drivers Johannes van Overbeek and Jon Fogarty will again pair up in the team's No. 45 Porsche, looking to best their 2005 third in class finish. Sister car No. 44 will host three drivers: Seth Neiman will be paired for four races with his partner from the last two seasons, Lonnie Pechnik, and for four races with Darren Law. All three will drive together at the two longer races (Sebring and Petit Le Mans). Law ran with the Lizards in the No. 45 car for the full 2004 season and two races in 2005.