Steve85

This a very last minute plan, but I am hoping to attend Sebring 12hr in a few weeks. The first thing I have to do is find a hotel room anywhere close so I will definitely be driving to the track.

If I get a "Two Day Superticket" Fri-Sat, (no box or anything special) can I move around to see different parts of the track?

Where are the best general admission places to watch?

The minutia...what time do I need to plan to be at the track Sat morning to get in and get a good spot? 8, 6, 4AM?

Anything you guys have experienced that you can share to help make this more enjoyable and get the most out of it would be greatly appreciated.

shifter77

You will have a blast. Hotels i cant help you with but the track is large with lots of great spots to watch the cars run. My favorate is turn 1 & 17. Lots of vendors / food/ music/ wet t- shirt contest etc. The locals are a blast they turn up in their camoflouge pickups with their sofas in the back. Crossing the bridge over the main staightaway youll get to checkout the pits crews (through a fence) but its great . Arrive about 2 hrs before race, up to you. I bought tickets for the vette corral this year. It will be awesome.

Oyishdog

It is a blast. I had the vette corral tickets a few years ago (very worth it with all the included drinks and food). Hotels were hard to find close by, but I eneded up staying near the south gate of disney and just drove back and forth each day (an hour maybe? easy drive). If you want a real experience, camp at the track.

Jason

caffiene and alcohol make for a very rough next day.

95jersey

This late in the game it is going to be IMPOSSIBLE to find a hotel within 40 miles (ask me how I know) and I booked a few months in advance. So you will definately need a car.

You have NEVER seen anything like this ever! Crowds 5X's larger than Superbowl. I think the year I went there were something like 170k+/- people. General admission gets you EVERYWHERE except in pits. Bring a case of water and beer (there will be plenty of food for you to purchase on hand). Be preparred to walk a lot and bring sun protection and a hat.

Don't worry about finding a good spot to park, just park anywhere as you will NOT get a parking spot anywhere near the actual track anyway (most reserved). But it doesn't matter as you will be walking around 95% of the time...just hanging out under a tree drinking a beer watching world class sports cars go after eachother. It is a really relaxing time.

Bring an umbrella in case it rains, and if it rains for a long time...it will be a miserable muddy mess, so don't wear your Sunday best. Wear comfortable clothes that you don't care if they get dirty or muddy.

When you enter you may want to park close to midway as that is where all the concessions are located and it is a central location where you can go in any direction.

One last thing, watch out for Green Park (print a map). Keep your wallet close and your girl/wife even closer. Green park is nuts.

Steve85

Thanks for the great info and advice. I was really hoping to be able roam and see all different parts of the race. This is part of the draw for me of going to a 12 hour...more time to explore and really take it all in.

Now all I have to do is try to swing a few days off.

Yeah, at this point, I envisioned driving a good hour to and from the hotel.

pewter99

see my thread in Southeast.."Sebring Roll Call" a few tips for n00bs

also hotels?? now? sorry dude...one year we had to drive back to Lakeland to find anything. You can call and "hope" for a cancellation but recent years say that this is going to be a futile effort. You will be able to roam everywhere

pewter99

all good tips...Green Park is crazy but overall most people are very

hope to see you guys out there

like I said see my thread in Southeast

davidfarmer

you can always rent an RV in Orland and drive it down. Just sleep in the parking lot!

63Corvette

"This late in the game it is going to be IMPOSSIBLE to find a hotel within 40 miles (ask me how I know) and I booked a few months in advance. So you will definately need a car."

I concur. In fact I tried to get a room in/near Sebring a YEAR in advance and found no Motel would guarantee me a room!

pewter99

yeah we found a place that would work with us however MOST require a 5 day minimum until real late in the game

Steve85

I noticed that in my quick search the other night. Most had at least 5, some were 7 day minimums.

Gatorac

You'll want to get there early enough on saturday to walk on grid with the cars. It's the coolest thing to see 30k+ people walking around on the front straight right among all the cars.

If you stay for the victory presentations, you can walk right into the pits. We grabbed a couple of cookies from the Audi teams table. lol

Paddock is always open. The drivers are all required to be there for the autograph session on Friday.

I'll be there camping in the Turn 1 Club from Wednesday on again this year.

95jersey

If your into roughing it a bit, and don't want to have to leave Friday night and come back Saturday morning, rent a mini-van and sleep in the back Friday night. The RV option would be great, but doubt you'll find any that would rent for just 2 days.

Nothing sucks more than having a bunch of drinks, then have to drive 1 hour back to a hotel late at night in an unfamiliar area. I almost fell asleep with my wife in the car and I'll never do that again.

You'll have water, food, bathrooms, everything you need on-site for at least a couple days, you just won't be able to take a shower for one day.

But you will have a blast!

Steve85

I am OK with roughing it a bit especially on my first trip.

So just to be clear, even in general parking you can sleep in your car/van/rv? No need for a campsite pass/ticket/reservation?

Yes, CLEARLY, a newbie to attending a major racing venue. The above scenario sounds like a NASA event at Summit Point, I guess I never envisioned you can do the same at an event/track like this.

95jersey

I am not familiar with the official rules, but I literally saw people sleeping on the ground next to their cars and no one bothered them.

shakedown067

Ah, welcome to the madness that is Sebring. This will be my 10th trip in 11 years. We've got two RV spots on the outside of turn 1 across from the turn 1 club. Make sure to stop by if you are in the area. Just look for the black jake flag and sebringfans.com banner (should be on the back of the RV).

I must concur with all of the above. You can also find out more at SebringFans.com. Also, if you find yourself getting tired walking around the track...just find a pickup and ask for a ride. Most will gladly give you a lift.

I believe there are designated camping areas, but if you are sleeping in your car...then that's fine. You just can't setup a tent in a parking area. Also, there are showers in the restrooms, but no hot water if I remember correctly.

TLGunman

If you do drive to the track saturday morning, I'd go straight for the "over flow" parking lot. The walk is little farther, but not bad, and it's quick, no driving around hunting for a spot if you're not there at the crack of dawn.

Walk the entire track. I'd start out at turn 17, and go counter clockwise, against the race car traffic, if you will. It would take me a 2-3 hours, but you got to see a little bit of everything. Take a walk thru the Green Park too, again, you'll see a little bit of everything. Hang behind the fence along pit lane, and you can appreciate what the crews go thru.

Have fun!!

jhester

Watch night practice if you have a chance; it really adds an interesting element before the race itself begins.

I will also say Turn 1 and 17 are my favorite spectator spots.

If you never have been to Sebring before; bring beads. It is Marti Gras at a racetrack. Awesome experience.

In 2005 I was working for a team in the paddock at Sebring at about 2AM and literally had a shirt-less guy come up to me in a panic and ask me if I had a condom he could "borrow". First, I was in a crew shirt, working in the paddock at 2AM, the chances of me having said item were nill. Second, how do you borrow that?

Only at Sebring

dvandentop

**** i need to go next year i have been wanting to go for the last few years but no luck
deffinately going to be on the roster for 2011 as long as i am still around.

thanks for all the tips everyone.

will appreciate if everyone post up some pics from their travels also.