The Sebring International Raceway opened in 1950 on an airfield and is a road racing course styled after those used in European Grand Prix motor racing. The first race held there was a six-hour race on New Year's Eve 1950. The winning car from that race is currently on display at the Edge Motor Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The first 12 Hours of Sebring was held 14 months later.
From 1953 to 1972, the 12 Hours of Sebring was a round of the FIA's premier sports car series, which was contested under various names including the World Sportscar Championship and the International Championship for Makes. In the 1950s, the race was on the calendar alongside now-legendary races such as the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Carrera Panamericana, and the RAC Tourist Trophy on the World Sportscar Championship calendar. It was the most important American race for European teams and drivers and the center of European racing activity in the United States. Top drivers from the European circuit in the 1950s, including Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Nino Farina, Stirling Moss, and Mike Hawthorn, all raced at Sebring. The 1957 Sebring 12 Hours was the only American race that Juan Manuel Fangio ever won.
In its early years, the Sebring circuit combined former airport runways with narrow two-lane service roads. The 1966 event was a turning point in Sebring history due to heavy criticism of the facilities and safety. Five people were killed during the race, more than in the race's prior 15-year history combined. Bob McLean crashed while approaching the hairpin, and his car exploded, killing him. In another incident, Mario Andretti in his Ferrari 365 P2 tangled with Don Wester's Porsche 906 on the Warehouse Straight, killing four spectators and crashing into a warehouse. Following these events, facilities were upgraded, and the circuit layout was changed, including eliminating the Webster Turns and creating the [Green Park Chicane](atlas:green-park-chicane].
The race is known as preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The track's technical layout and extremely bumpy surface, combined with south-central Florida's perennial hot weather, provide a major test of a car's reliability. Teams planning to compete at Le Mans regard Sebring as an ideal preparation run for the prestigious French race.
In recent years, the Audi R8 has achieved six overall victories, one fewer than the record seven wins of the Porsche 935. Tom Kristensen has won the race more times than anyone else, with six victories in 1999–2000, 2005–2006, 2009, and 2012.
In the past, this race has been a round of the now defunct World Sportscar Championship, IMSA GT Championship, and American Le Mans Series. In 2012, the race was the opening event of the FIA World Endurance Championship in a one-off race before being returned to the American Le Mans Series for 2013. Starting in 2014, the event became the second round of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Races up until 1969 began with the traditional Le Mans start procedure, which was abolished at the end of the 1969 season following Jacky Ickx's protest at Le Mans 1969. 1970 was the first 12 Hours of Sebring started with a rolling start.
The 1966 race saw Dan Gurney leading on the last lap when the engine of his Shelby American Ford GT40 Mk II seized. Gurney pushed his car over the finish line, beaten only by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby. However, his actions were ultimately determined to be against the rules, and he did not receive credit for his finish.
In 2005, the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R and Aston Martin DBR9 made their race debut in the hotly contested GT1 class, with Aston Martin winning its class for the first time in 49 years at Sebring ahead of the two Corvettes. Corvette had dominated the class the past three years with its previous generation C5R.
The all-new Audi R10 TDI won the 2006 edition of the race, the car's first ever run in competition. The Porsche RS Spyder campaigned by Penske Racing dropped to take 2nd place in its LMP2 class, behind the Intersport Lola car. The GT1 Corvette C6R team got their revenge against the Aston Martin came within 1/3 of a second of the podium in the closing laps of the race.
2007 saw Audi again winning in the R10 TDI despite requiring more frequent refueling due to changes in American Le Mans series rules intended to even the field between gasoline and diesel-powered engines.
2020 saw the race rescheduled to mid-November due to delays caused by the pandemic. It was the only season where Sebring was run twice. In July, as part of restarting the season, a three-hour race was held with spectators. IMSA allowed spectators for this race.
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