The Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Classic Sebring 12 Hour race, sponsored by Mission Foods, reached its midpoint on a clear Saturday evening. As the sun set on the Sebring International Raceway, the four different Run Groups had each completed half of their four-segment race on the legendary 3.74-mile airport road course.
Three new faces are vying for the top spot, along with a previous HSR Classic multi-champion, as the first half of the race concluded. Among them is Todd Treffert, a habitual HSR victor who has triumphed in a multitude of classes and series throughout HSR’s sprint and endurance championships. Despite his impressive track record, a win in any HSR Classic race has remained elusive for Treffert over the last ten years.
However, the tides may be turning as Treffert leads overall in the combined Run Group A and B divisions at the halfway point of the Classic Sebring 12. Piloting his 901 Shop-prepared 1975 Porsche 911 Carrera Cup RSR “Baby” Turbo, Treffert secured the second spot in the first two segments of Group B, gaining a one-lap lead over his competitors.
Meanwhile, in Run Group A, despite finishing fourth overall in both opening rounds, the division leader occupies the third spot in the cumulative ranking. David Agretelis claimed victory in the second Group A race and finished second in the hotly contested first round, giving him a 16-second lead over his closest contender in his 901 Shop 1972 Porsche 911 S/T.
An intense rivalry continues to play out in Run Group C, between Pierce Marshall and Eric Foss of Matador Motorsports and their opponents Bob Neapole and Guy Cosmo of RBN Motorsports with Cosmo-Sport. After their first HSR Classic victory last December at Sebring, Neapole and Cosmo are facing stiff competition from Marshall and Foss, who are hungry for redemption.
In a thrilling twist, an unintentional bump-and-run spin caused by the No. 60 car knocked the No. 02 out of the lead during the second segment. Despite the Acura crossing the finish line first, the win was awarded to the Cadillac after the No. 60 was handed an incident responsibility time penalty. Both teams reportedly took the incident in stride, laughing it off and looking forward to the final two segments of the race.
Another racer gunning for his first HSR Classic victory is Tom McGlynn of the 901 Shop team. Competing in Run Group D, he has taken an early lead in his 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 R, winning the first segment by over six seconds and extending his lead by an additional 14 seconds after the second round.
The final round of the Sebring HSR Classic 12 is set to take place on Sunday. All eyes will be on the track as the remaining Run Groups compete for the coveted title. The Group A/B finale will kick off at 1:30pm ET, with Group D concluding the weekend with a 3:30pm ET start. For further details, visit the HSR Race official website.