A WWII bomber base reborn as a legendary racetrack
From 3,000 feet above Sebring, the geometry tells two stories. The long straightaway is a WWII runway. The turns trace military taxiway intersections. Hendricks Army Airfield trained over 6,000 personnel to fly B-17 Flying Fortresses — heavy bombers that devastated targets across Nazi Germany. When the war ended, sports car enthusiasts recognized the layout as a natural road course. The 12 Hours of Sebring has run since 1952, and the WWII control tower still stands trackside.