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Highlands Today

It's Race Week

Jasmina Meyer, Highlands Today

From left: Corvette Racing mechanic Ross Jeffery works on the restrictors after an inspection as Jason Trompeter, engineer, checks the sensors on the No. 4 GT1 Corvette on Tuesday at the Sebring International Raceway.

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By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: March 18, 2009

SEBRING - Last week, it was an empty field beside Sebring International Raceway. On Tuesday, there were hundreds of semi-trailers, RVs and campers, all waiting for Wednesday morning, so they can dash to the infield for the best spot at the Mobil One Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.

Racers have been practicing for weeks, their high-rev engines sounding like thousands of angry bees swarming.

"I've been cooking since 10 o'clock last night," said a man named Al Reapsummer. His friends and barbeque catering customers call him "Shipwreck," because years ago he totaled a brand new boat before it was ever launched.

Some of the Corvette drivers and mechanics, who gave Shipwreck a jacket, are being repaid with lunch. About 100 race fans are expected for supper.

"A lot of people will come. I'm not sure who. There are some guys over there," Shipwreck pointed behind his back with a thumb, "who are off duty St. Pete police officers. They're just here having fun too."

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day, so the meal plan was 40 pounds of corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes and carrots.

Some guy named Dave is bringing three gallons of split pea and ham soup.

"Because it's green," Shipwreck explained. A bartender who's part of Shipwreck's crew is supplying lime Jello shooters, presumably for the same reason. Mae Lee's International Deli and Shipwreck's BBQ donated the rest of the food.

And there was Crown Royal. On top of a giant TV projection screen sat eight empty cut-glass bottles. On a counter, 10 paces away, was a sign, "Help. Need Crown."

This is Race Week, when the population of Highlands County doubles, from 100,000 to about 200,000. Inside the main paddock are three makeshift streets: the front street with retailers and food vendors, the second street with race support staff and vendors, and a third street with race crews.

The third street is where the big bucks reside. Corvette, for instance, brought three semis, one filled with computers and technology, a second with chrome buffet pans for the mechanics and the drivers and the brass, another with spare engines and transmissions and belt sanders and pneumatic tools.

A few doors down is Ferrari, across the street sits an Audi, and so on, stretching for what looks like a mile. Semis, trailers, tents. The teams don't work on the blacktop, they stand on rubber mats that stretch hundreds of square feet.

By 10 a.m., there's no place to park, unless your name is ACO, Don Panoz, or Scott Atherton. In that case, in front of the three-story grandstand, there are three reserved spaces, surrounded by a white picket fence.

One of the two Corvettes started, and it sounded like an explosion. The 427 engine thundered through the tail pipes, which were vented under the driver's and passenger's doors.

An occasional race car, prepared along this row, growls by, but the streets here are dominated by electric golf carts and gas engine transports hauling people and race gear.

After Shipwreck serves his meal, every pot, lawn chair and barbeque grill will be packed on the trailer behind his Rockwood camper.

At 6 a.m. Wednesday, it's every man for himself. The gates open, and every vehicle heads for the best spot in the infield, where they'll watch Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's speed challenges and qualifying laps.

On Saturday, the endurance race starts at 10:30 a.m., and on Sunday, these three streets will be empty again.

Highlands Today senior reporter Gary Pinnell can be reached at gpinnell@highlandstoday.com or 863-386-5828

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