The legendary driver Mario Andretti tops the first group of inductees selected for the «Class of 75», an elite list that honors the most successful drivers in the history of the 12 Hours of Sebring. The complete list, which will feature 75 names, will be revealed in batches of 15 until January, as the historic 75th edition of the endurance classic approaches, scheduled for March 20, 2027.
This hall of fame-style list has been crafted and voted on by a panel of ten experts in sports car racing to commemorate the anniversary. The first edition of the 12-hour race took place on March 15, 1952, and has continued annually, except in 1974 due to the global energy crisis.
The selected drivers have been divided into random groups of 15. The first 15 names of the «Class of 75» represent icons from various generations of this legendary circuit:
Featured Drivers
Bob Akin: A native of New York, he competed in ten editions of Sebring between 1978 and 1987, always behind the wheel of a Porsche. Akin achieved two overall victories, the first in 1979 and the second in 1986, where he also set a record for average speed.
Joao Barbosa: The Portuguese driver made 14 appearances at Sebring starting in 2000. He won his first class title in 2012, and in 2015 he clinched the overall victory with a Corvette DP, leading most of the laps.
Geoff Brabham: The Australian won twice in four appearances between 1989 and 1992 with a Nissan GTP, achieving the pole position and leading the early laps of 1989 on his way to victory.
Derek Daly: With a high percentage of victories at Sebring, the Irishman won his first race on debut in 1990, and achieved a total of two overall victories.
Phil Hill: He raced 13 times at Sebring between 1953 and 1966, with three overall victories to his name. Hill is remembered as the first driver to achieve the Triple Crown of endurance racing.
Bruce Jennings: He competed in 18 editions, with a successful debut in 1962, attaining a class victory and a third-place finish overall in his first year.
Looking Ahead
The revelation of the first 15 names is just the beginning of the countdown to the anniversary race. The next batch of 15 drivers will be announced on October 13, followed by another release on November 10. The fourth series of names will be published on December 15, with the list closing on January 12 of 2027.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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