Six completely different race winners reached the highest step of the victory lane podium Friday at Sebring Worldwide Raceway within the opening day of official competitors on the Historic Sportscar Racing Sebring Pistons and Props, introduced by Alan Jay Automotive Community. A full day of on-track motion featured a trio of races for HSR World GT, HSR Sasco Sports activities Worldwide/American Problem introduced by Hoosier and the one-hour B.R.M Chronographes Endurance Problem for the Historic and Prototype and GT Trendy (GTM) courses.
Earlier than the weekend’s first trophy was handed out, nonetheless, HSR and its dad or mum firm IMSA hit the win column when it was introduced earlier this week that the sanctioning our bodies have been chosen as a recipient of a 2025 Traditional Motorsports Editors’ Alternative Award. The inaugural honors had been introduced by Traditional Motorsports journal in recognition of standout folks, automobiles, occasions, organizations or issues within the basic automotive world, as chosen by the journal’s readers.
The award acknowledges each IMSA’s management because the premier North American sports activities automotive racing governing physique and the expansion and recognition of HSR. Traditional Motorsports editors rolled out the reward beneath in saying IMSA and HSR, which had been the one motorsports sanctioning our bodies among the many 15 total winners and 15 others given a nod for scoring close to the highest.
“IMSA not solely sanctions Daytona, Sebring and the remainder of the top-tier endurance races within the U.S., however underneath John Doonan’s management, it bought Historic Sportscar Racing in 2022. Within the brief time since, HSR has picked up new business companions like Goodyear, Hoosier and Michelin whereas including some sizzle to the game. This spring’s The Mitty’s concentrate on the road inventory automobiles that captured our hearts again within the ’80s and ’90s, for instance, actually introduced us to the fences. One other small however significant nod to the previous: The brand for this January’s HSR IMSA Traditional at Daytona mimics the very one carried by all IMSA automobiles again within the day.”
One other stout entry of Mission GT Problem eligible fashionable GT automobiles kicked off the weekend’s continuous racing schedule with a aggressive 7-lap HSR World GT dash race. With 33 GT fashionable automobiles retired from modern competitors taking the inexperienced flag, the battle got here all the way down to a basic Corvette versus Porsche contest.
The win went to the Charles Wicht Racing 2020 No. 7 Callaway Corvette of group proprietor Charles Wicht who tracked down and handed eventual second-place finisher Colin Dougherty within the closing laps of the race. Dougherty drove his DAS Sport 2016 No. 16 Porsche 911 Kind 991.1 GT3R to runner-up honors simply .529 of a second behind the profitable Corvette.
Max Ehrlich completed third driving the Hudson Historics ready 2018 No. 82 Porsche 911 Kind 991.2 GT3 Cup automotive owned by his Uncle John Reisman. Ehrlich is the dual brother of Zach Ehrlich, who co-drove the identical No. 82 Porsche with Reisman to an in depth Run Group C second-place end within the inaugural HSR Traditional Highway Atlanta 10 Hour introduced by Mission Meals in late September at Michelin Raceway Highway Atlanta. The Ehrlich brothers clearly have the identical fast and aggressive DNA that has seen John Reisman and household patriarch Paul Reisman – John’s father and the twins’ grandfather – persistently race and win in HSR for nicely over a decade.
The HSR SascoSports Worldwide/American Problem introduced by Hoosier dash noticed some late fireworks shake up the ultimate working order on the final lap. General and Porsche-class winner David Agretelis stayed away from the skirmish to proceed his profitable 2025 season with one other victory within the 2025 SascoSports Problem finale in his 1973 No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR ready by the 901 Store.
The Worldwide class victory was secured by Greg Ira in his all the time fast 1972 No. 2 Datsun 240Z, whereas Craig Ross was the massive beneficiary of the late shake up and slipped into the lead and eventual American division victory within the 1970 No. 72 Cross Ross Boss Racing Ford Mustang Boss 302. Ross, who led solely the ultimate three-quarters of a lap, accomplished the top-five total, one spot behind Ira who was fourth within the outright working order.
The one-hour B.R.M Chronographes Endurance Problem race for Prototype and GT Trendy (GTM) automobiles closed out the day. Thomas Gruber continued his robust run of success at Sebring with the general and GTM victories in his TAG 2016 No. 991 Porsche 991 GT3. The Prototype class victory was secured by Larry Huang in his 2010 No. 25 Radical SR10. Gruber and Huang emerged because the winners in a robust subject of 34 opponents.
Holding to Sebring Pistons & Props custom, the Historic Airplane arrival parade from Sebring Regional Airport to the Sebring race circuit false grid closed out Friday’s schedule. On show all-day Saturday, the planes will start to parade out of the paddock and again to the airport for departure on Sunday, December 6, at 11:40 a.m. EST.
For full data on the HSR Sebring Pistons & Props occasion weekend, together with the occasion schedule, entry checklist and ticket data, go to the Official Occasion Web page right here.
