The 2016 12 Hours of Sebring, as a whole, is always a strange, and wild event. The race is one part of the puzzle, but when Sebring Nation shows up, things can get...a little weird. But with a serious storm causing a serious red flag, and the hot pit turning into a swimming pool, it's a wonder the race even when on at all.

My time at the event this year was a bit on the short side, but as most attendees can attest to, it is rarely about the race, and more about the friends, the good times, and even the bad. This year was no exception. My photo roll is short this go around, but in the end, I was happy my camera made it safely back into my tent after the nights we had. 

I had a great deal of fun this year. Even with my short time on the grounds. Carrying the least amount of photo gear of any of the years I have been was both a relief, and a little nerve wracking. 

I started with an overall feeling of anxiety and worry that I would miss shots that I could see in my mind, but that feeling very quickly slipped into me relaxing and spending time with the people I was surrounded with. 

At that point, the camera was an after thought. The pictures, while sparse, happened on their own. 

I'm not going to sit here and try to get all philosophical about carrying less gear to be in the moment or anything like that. But I'll say what worked for me. Not having 5+ pounds of glass, batteries, and bodies walking around a hot race track really did the trick for me. I had more fun, met more people, and realized that in the end, these are the times I'll remember when I get older.