To the victorious Oreca team goes the Fresh from Florida orange juice. Champagne was soon to follow. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

Passion:
Amidst all the engineers, aerodynamicists, electronics engineers and technical demands of motorsports at this level, there is still great passion in sports car endurance racing, especially at Sebring.

Seeing Team Oreca Matmut’s venerable leader, Hugues de Chaunac, sitting atop the scoring stand with tears streaming down his face as his team’s victory became certain was a magical moment. So was watching him stretch for the skies with his winner’s trophy (below).

Those scenes and many more told everyone watching that Sebring is not just another race, and de Chaunac’s victory was certainly very popular throughout the paddock, the infield and to the international motorsports community.

De Chaunac himself summed it up – in the world of endurance racing there are two major races to win; Le Mans and Sebring. He now has one of those under his belt in 2011.

Having bested factory Audi and Peugeot teams, Oreca's Hugues de Chaunac raises his Twelve Hours of Sebring champion's trophy to the skies. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America