Twenty Years Ago at Sebring

Subtitle:Ferrari Returns to Top of Podium; Breakthrough Win for Auberlen, Alex Job

History was made in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida in 1995 as Ferrari returned to victory after a 23-year absence, while a young Bill Auberlen helped Alex Job Racing record its first of nine Sebring victories.

Fermin Velez, Eric Van de Poele and future IMSA owner Andy Evans drove a Team Scandia Ferrari 333SP to victory after a tough battle with the Auto Toy Store Chevrolet Spice driven by Derek Bell, Andy Wallace and Jan Lammers. The pole-sitting Ferrari qualified by Michele Alboreto finished fourth, just behind Jim Downing’s Mazda Kudzu, as the IMSA World Sports Cars swept the top four positions.

Prior to the event, the most recent Ferrari winners at Sebring were Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx, who won in 1972 driving a Ferrari 312PB. Ferrari also captured seven overall victories in the Twelve Hours of Sebring over a nine-year span from 1956 through 1964.

Finishing fifth overall and winning in the GT1 class for the second straight year were Johnny O’Connell, John Morton and Steve Millen aboard the No. 75 Clayton Cunningham Racing Nissan 300ZX. In 1994, the trio won overall at Sebring after Millen joined Scott Pruett, Paul Gentilozzi and Butch Leitzinger in winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona overall in a similar GTS class Nissan.

Bill Auberlen and Alex Job Racing combined for their first Twelve Hours of Sebring victory in the GT2 class. Auberlen co-drove with IMSA owner Charlie Slater and Joe Cogbill in the No. 26 Porsche 911. Auberlen, a former runner-up at both Daytona and Sebring, launched a breakthrough season that saw him win five races and finish second in the championship.

Auberlen, who won his first IMSA race at Road America in 1993, now has 53 victories in major North American endurance competition, second only to Pruett’s 59.

“That was one of my biggest wins I’ve had,” said Auberlen. “It came on the 10th anniversary of my dad’s only victory. (Gary Auberlen won the GTU class at Sebring in 1985). To go back and win there in 1995 was a real special day for me.

“It was raining, it was a crazy race,” Auberlen recalled. “We just put our heads down. It was the beginning of Alex’s reign to terror, and he hasn’t stopped winning ever since. It was real nice to be there for his first win, because he is one of the nicest guys in racing. I was real grateful they brought me in for that."

For Alex Job Racing, it was the first of a record nine class victories at Sebring, coming in the team’s seventh season.

“Winning at Sebring was huge,” Job recalled. “It was AJR’s first big professional victory, and we had finished second at Sebring twice in 1991 and 1993. To finally win at Sebring was big. Now, we’d love to get that 10th Sebring victory this year, for sure.”

Job recalls the weather playing a big factor in the event.

“It was a very challenging race, because it was red flagged (for one hour, 15 minutes) at one point for a huge downpour. The place was flooded. Prior to the red flag, Joe Cogbill was in the car and still on slicks, and he lost it on the back straight, the water was so deep. It was like he was in a boat – he was just sliding along – and it was near disaster. Luckily, they soon red-flagged the race, and we were able to continue and go on to win.”

Franz Konrad fielded a Porsche K8 Spyder similar to the car that won the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the Kremer Brothers. Konrad finished eighth overall and won the Le Mans class, co-driving with Antonio Hermann and Ernst Schuster.

Team Scandia returned to the top of the Sebring podium in 1997, with Evans and Velez joined by Yannick Dalmas and Stefan Johannson. Ferrari scored its 11th and most recent overall Sebring victory in 1998, when Gianpiero Moretti joined by Didier Theys and Mauro Baldi in the MOMO Ferrari 333SP fielded by Kevin Doran.