Opening day of races at HSR Sebring Pistons & Props crowns six different winners

Six different race winners reached the top step of the victory lane podium Friday at Sebring International Raceway in the opening day of official competition at the Historic Sportscar Racing Sebring Pistons and Props, presented by Alan Jay Automotive Network. A full day of on-track action featured a trio of races for HSR Global GT, HSR Sasco Sports International/American Challenge presented by Hoosier and the one-hour B.R.M Chronographes Endurance Challenge for the Historic and Prototype and GT Modern (GTM) classes.

Before the weekend’s first trophy was handed out, however, HSR and its parent company IMSA hit the win column when it was announced earlier this week that the sanctioning bodies have been selected as a recipient of a 2025 Classic Motorsports Editors’ Choice Award. The inaugural honors were presented by Classic Motorsports magazine in recognition of standout people, cars, events, organizations or things in the classic car world, as selected by the magazine’s readers.

The award acknowledges both IMSA’s leadership as the premier North American sports car racing governing body and the growth and popularity of HSR. Classic Motorsports editors rolled out the praise below in announcing IMSA and HSR, which were the only motorsports sanctioning bodies among the 15 overall winners and 15 others given a nod for scoring near the top.

“IMSA not only sanctions Daytona, Sebring and the rest of the top-tier endurance races in the U.S., but under John Doonan’s leadership, it purchased Historic Sportscar Racing in 2022. In the short time since, HSR has picked up new industry partners like Goodyear, Hoosier and Michelin while adding some sizzle to the sport. This spring’s The Mitty’s focus on the street stock cars that captured our hearts back in the ’80s and ’90s, for example, certainly brought us to the fences. Another small but meaningful nod to the past: The logo for this January’s HSR IMSA Classic at Daytona mimics the very one carried by all IMSA cars back in the day.”

Another stout entry of Mission GT Challenge eligible modern GT cars kicked off the weekend’s non-stop racing schedule with a competitive 7-lap HSR Global GT sprint race. With 33 GT modern cars retired from contemporary competition taking the green flag, the battle came down to a classic Corvette versus Porsche contest.

The win went to the Charles Wicht Racing 2020 No. 7 Callaway Corvette of team owner Charles Wicht who tracked down and passed eventual second-place finisher Colin Dougherty in the closing laps of the race. Dougherty drove his DAS Sport 2016 No. 16 Porsche 911 Type 991.1 GT3R to runner-up honors just .529 of a second behind the winning Corvette.

Max Ehrlich finished third driving the Hudson Historics prepared 2018 No. 82 Porsche 911 Type 991.2 GT3 Cup car owned by his Uncle John Reisman. Ehrlich is the twin brother of Zach Ehrlich, who co-drove the same No. 82 Porsche with Reisman to a close Run Group C second-place finish in the inaugural HSR Classic Road Atlanta 10 Hour presented by Mission Foods in late September at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The Ehrlich brothers clearly have the same quick and competitive DNA that has seen John Reisman and family patriarch Paul Reisman – John’s father and the twins’ grandfather – consistently race and win in HSR for well over a decade.

The HSR SascoSports International/American Challenge presented by Hoosier sprint saw some late fireworks shake up the final running order on the last lap. Overall and Porsche-class winner David Agretelis stayed clear of the skirmish to continue his successful 2025 season with another victory in the 2025 SascoSports Challenge finale in his 1973 No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR prepared by the 901 Shop.

The International class victory was secured by Greg Ira in his always quick 1972 No. 2 Datsun 240Z, while Craig Ross was the big beneficiary of the late shake up and slipped into the lead and eventual American division victory in the 1970 No. 72 Cross Ross Boss Racing Ford Mustang Boss 302. Ross, who led only the final three-quarters of a lap, completed the top-five overall, one spot behind Ira who was fourth in the outright running order.

The one-hour B.R.M Chronographes Endurance Challenge race for Prototype and GT Modern (GTM) cars closed out the day. Thomas Gruber continued his strong run of success at Sebring with the overall and GTM victories in his TAG 2016 No. 991 Porsche 991 GT3. The Prototype class victory was secured by Larry Huang in his 2010 No. 25 Radical SR10. Gruber and Huang emerged as the winners in a strong field of 34 competitors.

Holding to Sebring Pistons & Props tradition, the Historic Airplane arrival parade from Sebring Regional Airport to the Sebring race circuit false grid closed out Friday’s schedule. On display all-day Saturday, the planes will begin to parade out of the paddock and back to the airport for departure on Sunday, December 6, at 11:40 a.m. EST.

For complete information on the HSR Sebring Pistons & Props event weekend, including the event schedule, entry list and ticket information, visit the Official Event Page here.