What is a lap of Sebring International Raceway like?
Sebring was laid out on the runways and service roads of Hendricks Army Airfield, a Second World War B-17 training base; its bumpy concrete runway sections were hard on cars, and it has hosted the 12 Hours of Sebring since 1952. The 1959 United States Grand Prix, the last round of the season, was the first World Championship Grand Prix held in the United States apart from the Indianapolis 500: Bruce McLaren won at 22 to become the youngest Grand Prix winner, and Jack Brabham ran out of fuel on the last lap and pushed his Cooper across the line in fourth to take the title. The race drew a poor crowd and lost money (Charles Moran and Briggs Cunningham paid the prize money themselves when the promoter's cheques bounced), and the 1960 United States Grand Prix moved to Riverside. The circuit is still in use: after five deaths at the 1966 12 Hours the Webster Turn was replaced in 1967 by the faster Green Park Chicane, and later changes moved the track off the active airport runways to its current layout.
Lap length
8.369 km
Direction
clockwise
Layout described
Original 5.2-mile (8.369 km) airfield course (1st variation, 1952-1966) on the runways and service roads of the former Hendricks Army Airfield; Formula 1 used it only for the 1959 United States Grand Prix
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