The 12 Hours of Sebring is North America’s longest running road race and its most prestigious.  For the first time ever, IMSA/ALMS are facilitating the “Chevy Presents Corvette Corral @ Sebring” with invited co-host, the National Corvette Museum. 

The 53rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring marks the American Le Mans Series inaugural race for 2005.  Along with the exciting and grueling 12 hour endurance road race at the historic Sebring International Raceway, Corvette racing fans and enthusiasts will be treated to unprecedented access to many behind-the-scene elements that make the 12 Hours of Sebring a motor sport spectacle. 

Witness and cheer on the champion Corvette Racing team inaugural C6-R race in the comfort and security of an exclusive preferred area reserved for Corvettes located at Sebring’s Turn 17 (trackside). 

Among the many celebrity guests are Dave Hill, Corvette Chief Engineer and GM Performance Cars Vehicle Line Executive; Tom Peters, C6 Corvette Chief Designer; Steve Shannon, Executive Director GM Racing; Jim Campbell, Director - Car Marketing; Mark Kent, Director GM Racing; Rick Scheidt, Corvette Executive Director, Product and Brand Development; Gary Claudio, Manager, GM Racing; Nate Love, Marketing Manager Corvette and Harlan Charles, Corvette Product Manager.

An unprecedented array of Chevy pre-production vehicles will be on display including the 2006 Corvette Z06 and rolling chassis; Corvette C6 SEMA show cars; Corvette C6 Convertible and Coupe.   

Chevrolet is hosting Corvette Corral participants to cold refreshments on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and catered lunch on Friday and Saturday.

Corvettes at Sebring, 1956.
(Click to enlarge)

One of the surviving Sebring Corvettes will also be on display.  This race car was one of five that ushered in Corvette’s long and lustrous racing pedigree with its inaugural Sebring race in March 1956. 

Meet our special guest, legendary Corvette racing icon, Dr. Dick “The Flying Dentist” Thompson; participate in an informative “walk-around” presentation of the 2006 Corvette C6 Z06 with its creator, Dave Hill; listen to Tom Peters talk about how the C6 design came into being and get technical information from Corvette engineer, Harlan Charles. 

There is more in store at the “Chevy Presents Corvette Corral @ Sebring” including a first-ever 100 Corvette Parade Lap sanctioned by IMSA on Thursday evening and opportunities to meet Corvette Racing’s Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Max Papis, Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen. 

For more details, see the tentative schedule of events.

MORE PHOTOS: (Click to enlarge)