Aerial map of Sebring International Raceway The Sam Collier 6 Hour Memorial race was won by Frits Koster and Ralph Deshon in a Crosley Hot Shot that had been driven to the track by Victor Sharpe. Sebring's first race was held on New Year's Eve of 1950, attracting thirty race cars from across North America. After the war, Russian-American aeronautical engineer Alec Ulmann was seeking sites for converting military aircraft to civilian use when he discovered potential in Hendricks' runways and service roads to stage a sports car endurance race similar to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race Ulmann was inspired to somewhat re-create in the United States. Sebring Raceway occupies the site of Hendricks Army Airfield (a training base for B-17 pilots in operation from 1941 to 1946). The raceway occupies a portion of Sebring Regional Airport (an active airport for private and commercial traffic that was originally built as Hendricks Army Airfield, which was a World War II training base for the United States Army Air Forces). Sebring is one of the classic race tracks in North American sports car racing, and plays host to the 12 Hours of Sebring. Sebring Raceway is one of the oldest continuously operating race tracks in the U.S., its first race being run in 1950. Sebring International Raceway is a road course auto racing facility in the southeastern United States, located near Sebring, Florida. IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 12 Hours of Sebring FIA World Endurance Championship 1000 Miles of Sebring Highlands County, east of Sebring, Florida, U.S.