The 59th 12 Hours of Sebring - Friday, March 18, 2011.

The 12 Hours of Sebring has been a fixture on the International racing calendar for 59 years. Through history, I feel I know it; But 2011 marks my first visit, writes Stuart Schorr, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Jaguar North America.

Many international driving legends made their impact on American race fans here: Mario Andretti, Juan Fangio, Mike Hawthorn, Graham Hill and Sterling Moss to name but a few.

All of the hallowed automotive marques have competed in Sebring over the decades ‑ Ferrari, Porsche, and of course, Jaguar ‑ among the many that made history here.

They have all screamed around the bumpy, cracked and slightly crumbling race surface of this former WWII B‑17 bomber base. It is truly a test as Sebring batters both cars and drivers mercilessly.

For the 2011 edition of the Sebring 12 hours of endurance, the paddock is full. The GT class of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) has become an exotic car battleground as Jaguar, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Corvette and Ford GTs duke it out for a championship.

The JaguarRSR team is back for another try for GT class honors with 2 cars for 2011.

Scheduled to drive this season in car number 098 will be Americans P.J. Jones, Rocky Moran, jr and Canadian Kenny Wilden. Jones and Moran are both second generation racers, whose fathers Parnelli Jones and Rocky Moran both had successful careers, to say the least!

The number 099 Jaguar XKR is being manned by Brazilians Christiano Da Motta, Bruno Junqueira and Spaniard Oriol Servia, who have a combined total of 22 Indy and Champ Car wins to their credit.

As an added bonus, Jaguar has the honor of being the official pace car of Sebring International Raceway. As the thundering field of 56 cars form up in 2‑by‑2 fashion, a Jaguar XKR will be bringing them up to speed take the green flag. I got my first ride on the expansive track in this 510‑hp machine. Air conditioning on; cool and comfortable at 150 mph.

Jaguar's presence at Sebring is not confined to the on‑track activities; it is also represented in the sponsor and (importantly) food Midway area with a 2,000 sq ft display of the new model line‑up. The display's protective tent is less than 100 feet from the Jaguar Club of Florida Car Corral, which should be packed to capacity come Saturday race day.

Sebring is a rite of passage for serious car makers and Jaguar has played on this field many times over the seven decades of this classic race's existence. The history books tell the story of a D‑Type Jaguar (Chassis number XKD406), driven by future World Drivers Champion Mike Hawthorn and American Phil Walters, and entered by American sportsman Briggs S. Cunningham, defeated a stellar field by a mere 24.5 seconds, one of the smallest margins in Sebring history.

Jaguar's racing heritage is also on display at The Legends of Sebring museum where the Group 44 V‑12 powered Jaguar XJ‑5 IMSA GTP car is on display, right next to The team's Series III V‑12 E‑Type, B Production championship‑winning race car.

I'm thrilled to make my first pilgrimage proudly sporting the JaguarRSR black and green.

The green flag drops on the 59th edition of the Twelve Hours of Sebring tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. EDT.