Sebring 12 Hours is a go, WEC race under threat

At time of writing (Wednesday evening), there are 1237 cases in the U.S., 23 of which are in Florida. But just as this weekend’s IndyCar season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is going ahead, so too IMSA has elected to keep one of its most prestigious races unaffected, with 37 cars on the current entry list.

Since last year, the World Endurance Championship has also been on the Sebring 12hr bill, with a 1000-mile race held on Friday, forming an event named “Super Sebring.” There have been no announcements from the FIA regarding how many teams would be making the trip from Europe and therefore whether that race was still viable.

Such a decision appears now to have been taken out of the hands of the FIA, WEC and its participants, as President Trump tonight announced a suspension of travel to the U.S. from 25 countries in mainland Europe, coming into effect from midnight on Friday.

Regarding the 12 Hours, today’s statement from IMSA reads: “IMSA has been closely monitoring all available information related to the spread of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19. IMSA’s priority is the health and safety of our fans, drivers, partners, employees, volunteers and everyone involved with our races.

“Upon guidance and counsel from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) plus federal, state and local health agencies and our medical experts, there are no planned schedule changes for next week’s SuperSebring event. IMSA, along with Sebring International Raceway, will continue to analyze and implement recommendations from these agencies and take precautionary operational steps to protect the health of all involved during the event.

“We are asking fans, employees, competitors and partners to continue to follow best practice precautions as recommended by the CDC, such as frequent handwashing, use of hand sanitizer and covering coughs and sneezes appropriately.

“We understand this situation is of great concern to everyone involved and we will communicate updates as necessary. We encourage you to keep informed of developments through official CDC (www.cdc.gov) and WHO (www.who.int) updates.”