Sebring and Road Atlanta: Get To Know
When I was learning about racing, the former Speedvision (now FOX Sports 1) had what they called the "Grand Slam of Endurance Racing." That included Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans, and Petit Le Mans. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue debuted Daytona. Daytona's road course debuted in Gran Turismo 5. Circuit de la Sarthe debuted in Gran Turismo 4. Two of the well-known endurance venues are in the Gran Turismo series. Both have been featured for a long time in the Forza Motorsport series. What about Sebring and Road Atlanta, though? Let me make the case to include both in a future Gran Turismo.
Making the Case: Sebring.
Sebring is just an old-school, old-fashioned, anything but fancy road racing facility. Over 3.74 miles (or 6.02 km) of racing goodness from this flat former air base. It was opened on New Year's Eve in 1950. This track in Sebring, Florida, USA is mostly flat except for some relatively high and low sections of the course. It is also very technical. Sebring once served as the home of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix long ago. Many different companies have competed at the 12 Hours of Sebring over the long history of this endurance race. Winners include the likes of Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, Nissan, and more.The inclusion of Sebring would offer a great road racing challenge. Coupled with having time variable and weather variable elements, Sebring would be great fun to race in the Gran Turismo realm. It would really be great to race with GT-spec machines as well as prototypes classic and modern.
Let me give you an idea of what Sebring is like. Take a look at the following video and imagine playing this in a future Gran Turismo:
^ A Lap Around Sebring International Raceway
Making the Case: Road Atlanta.
Based in Braselton, Georgia, USA; Road Atlanta is a technical road racing facility that is well loved among many racing fans. This track is 2.54 miles (or 4.008 kilometers) in length. It has been around since 1970. Perhaps the most fun part of Road Atlanta are the Esses. These Esses make for a fun test of handling as well as some exceptional photography moments. Unlike my mentioning of Sebring, Road Atlanta has much more elevation changes and undulating roads than Sebring. The premier event for Road Atlanta is the Petit Le Mans- a race that lasts either 1,000 miles or 10 hours, whichever comes first. The Petit Le Mans has been around since 1998. Besides Petit Le Mans, this track is famous for all kinds of racing including motorcycle racing and even drifting. Outside of Forza Motorsport, some other games to include Road Atlanta include "Sports Car GT" and "Le Mans 24 Hours"- both games reviewed here on "John's Race Space."Here is a lap of Road Atlanta for you:
^ A Lap Around Road Atlanta
So now you know about these two tracks.
IN CASE YOU ARE INTERESTED: Learn more about these two tracks by going to their official websites:
• Sebring International Raceway
• Road Atlanta
Will We Get Sebring and/or Road Atlanta in GT?
The inclusion of both of these tracks would two more quality endurance racing courses to the Gran Turismo lineup. I love sportscar racing. It would be great seeing Sebring and Road Atlanta as tracks in the Gran Turismo series. Both tracks are worthy challenge for grassroots type racing and even some world-class racing events. Seasonals and online leagues would be incredible for these tracks in the Gran Turismo realm.
Even imagine if you could do "12 Minutes of Sebring" at Sebring if you couldn't stomach doing a proper 12 Hours of Sebring. I probably would even race Formula 1-style cars around Sebring. As for Road Atlanta, there is no doubt the nature and personality would greatly suit Gran Turismo style racing. Imagine seeing cars go through the Esses and such in a GT game. It would be great fun.
I personally would love to see both tracks find their way into Gran Turismo. What say you?
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