• Dai and the Pit+Paddock Civic Type R TCX prepare for Rounds 11 and 12 at the iconic Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida.
• Sebring International Raceway is the second longest major road course in North America, spanning 3.74-miles and 17 turns in one lap.
• The road course is famous for its annual 12-hour enduro, which first ran in 1952, but this flagship event is only one of nearly 175 individual events on Sebring’s calendar.
• Sebring International Raceway trades the signature elevation changes from the two previous TC America rounds for one of the more abrasive road surfaces, which often tests a driver’s physicality in equal measures to their equipment.
• Thanks to Whiteline Performance, you have a chance to win either a pair of spectator tickets to the race weekend at Sebring or a Dai team t-shirt.

Drivers know one thing about Sebring International Raceway: “A win here lasts forever.” Indeed, seven decades of motorsport heritage add a special something to standing at the top of the podium. And Dai Yoshihara in the Pit+Paddock Civic Type R TCX will be eager to climb that step at the end of the race weekend.

SPIRIT OF LEMANS

Sebring International Raceway is founded on lofty ambitions. Alec Ulmann, a Russian-American aeronautical engineer built upon the wide-eyed vision of Sam Collier and Bob Gegen to convert Hendricks Army Airfield to stage a sports car endurance race akin to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first contest at the raceway was held on New Year’s Eve in 1950, attracting 30 cars from North America. The first 12 Hours of Sebring — a contest that is still held today — was run for the first time only two years later. The track was also host to the first US Formula 1 race in 1959, which was an incredible achievement for a track that had only opened its doors nine years prior.

As a repurposed airfield, the track itself is extremely flat; however, the raceway is renowned for its abrasive, bumpy road surface. The transitions between sections are jarring because its concrete runway surface was kept intentionally original and as such, creates a contest of the car’s durability as much as the driver’s.

The last turn of the lap, Turn 17, is the most crucial. The bumpy, fast right-hander sits between two straightaways, so bravery in the braking zone is of equal value as the exit speed from the apex. Expect plenty of action here — the track width invites daring dives to the inside or calculated outside passes all the same.

NO RESPITE FROM WEATHER

The TC America calendar provides no relief for the drivers until the last contest in Indianapolis. Indeed, the punishment will be two-fold at Sebring: the aforementioned road surface and 100° track temps are virtually guaranteed. As the penultimate race of the year, the attrition rate throughout the grid will be something to look out for.

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

Support is everything in motorsport and like we have for previous TC America rounds, we’re giving Dai fans a chance to see him and the Pit+Paddock Civic Type R TCX race at the iconic Sebring International Raceway. Thanks to Whiteline, a supporting partner of Dai’s 2023 campaign, we are giving away a pair of spectator tickets for the entire weekend. A Dai team t-shirt is also up for grabs to celebrate our motorsport driver’s first year in the series.

To win either prize, follow @pitandpaddock, @daiyoshihara, and @_whiteline on Instagram, like this post, and tag a friend as many times as you’d like in the comments for a chance to win. Winners will be notified this week via DM on Instagram. Be sure to set your calendars so you don’t miss a moment of the race weekend!

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