I drove my F-Type to the Sebring 12 hour race on Saturday and a friend drove his Cobra on Friday. Two notable items. We saw only one other F-Type, a Coupe, the two days we were there and the people would walk around my car and take pictures. The F-Type is rarer than I realized. The race is the race. It isn't like the old days with P-1 cars. If it weren't for the two GT classes, the competition amongst the marques wouldn't be there. With the P-1 cars leaving the series and the Daytona Prototypes, the darlings of IMSA (NASCAR's sports car series), being given the performance edge last year and so far this year, the Prototype racing is a contest among the Daytona Prototypes with real racing enthusiasts hoping a real prototype, a P-2, wins. Sad to say that is an up hill climb at this time.

 

Yup. One of the reasons I went with the F-Type. I like that it's relatively rare. I see 911s, Corvettes, etc. everywhere. Wanted something that I only see every now and then.

 

Definitely a BIG +1

 

The Porsche Paddock and the Corvette Corral looked like used/new car cookie cutter car lots. On the plus side, they are enthusiasts who love their cars and sports car racing.

 

No Jaguar Lair?

 

No Jaguar Lair. Other than my and the other F Type I saw, there were only a few other Jaguars there. I saw the Corvettes, Porsche, and the BMW gatherings. Last year there was a Ferrari area that was catered. There may have been an Audi area this year that I didn't see. The problem with being a part of one of these groups is they are on the outside of the track with only the Porsches next to a small grandstand just before the front straight. With any of these areas, you don't need a car infield pass for $80 but you have to walk to the pits or any of the infield viewing areas. We always sit in the spectator stands on the sweepers before the turns to the back straight. Great elevated viewing and your car/water/food right next to you.

 

Apparently there was one (someone I know from another forum saw it), but it was pretty bare. Granted, that's not surprising since there wasn't a factory team running in the event.

 

I drove Sebring a few days ago. A couple thoughts:

It was an open track day. There was a large assortment of race/exotic cars there. I was amazed at how much attention my F-Type R got in the pits. It’s been out since 2014 now, and these people all had amazing cars, so I wasn’t expecting attention. I was very wrong. Everyone wanted to pour through it and ask me questions!

I was very pleased with how the R performed on the track! Better than my expectations. Very fast on the straightaways, solid brakes. As expected, the 911-types whipped me on the turns, but I clobbered them on the straightaways.

One funny story...I drove a young boy around a few laps. I take a hairpin turn and my car is dancing all over. I’m like whoaa, what’s that all about?? My car continues to be super frisky all over. I then realize...that the boy had turned off my traction control!!

 

Turn the DSC off entirely during practice laps. Once you learn how to drive it without assistance, you'll be a lot quicker when you turn the TracDSC back on. The nannies, when deployed, take too much time to give full control (spelled P-O-W-E-R) back to you.