Motorsports legend Mario Andretti has been named the Grand Marshal for the 68th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts on Nov. 14.
The three-time winner of Sebring’s 12-Hour race (1967, 1970, 1972) has a motor sports resume second to none. Andretti has also won the Indy 500, Daytona 500 and Formula One World Championship in addition to four IndyCar championships.
Rescheduled from its traditional March date, this year’s Sebring race has added significance as it will serve as the season finale of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech Sports Car Championship. With several season titles on the line, Sebring will likely have more drama than ever. The race begins at 10:10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14.
Andretti’s 1970 Sebring win is considered among the greatest in sports car racing history. After the Ferrari he co-drove to an incredible 13-lap lead retired due to mechanical problems, the Ferrari team placed Andretti in another of the team’s cars to chase down the leading Porsche driven by Steven McQueen and Peter Revson. In a dramatic final hour Andretti pulled off an incredible night driving stint and won by a margin of 22 seconds, the closest finish ever at Sebring at that time.
Andretti was named Driver of the Century by the Associated Press and is a member of the Sebring Hall of Fame, International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
“Mario Andretti’s achievement for Ferrari at Sebring 50 years ago may be more amazing than his Formula 1, Indy 500 and Daytona 500 titles combined,” said Wayne Estes, Sebring president and general manager. “His legendary drive in the night, making up more than five miles on the Revson-McQueen Porsche in the final 30 minutes, cemented that race as ‘Sebring’s Greatest 12 Hours.’ He honors us with his return to help us remember that incredible moment in motorsports history.”
The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring has been voted North America’s Number One Motorsports Race for two consecutive years in a poll conducted by USA Today. The raceway evolved from a World War II B-17 training base known as Hendricks Field, and its rough and challenging 3.74-mile circuit includes portions of the original air base runways.
Gates open at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Complete ticket information and attendance policies and procedures are available at sebringraceway.com.
