In motorsports, there's one race, and one place, that stands apart. No fancy things. Just bone rattling pavement in the orange groves of central Florida. This is the toughest challenge, and the biggest party in sports car racing. This is the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring in Sebring, Florida. It's not the longest, but it's the toughest race. This is round two of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship. We race once around the clock... 12 hours today. Who masters the track, and the field of great race cars? Let's find out, now.
It is going to be a hot, humid day. It's always been this way, since the first race, in 1952. The track is virtually unchanged. 3.74 miles, 17 turns. This race couldn't be more different from the 24 Hours of Daytona. Sebring, eats race cars. It also provides an idea, of who might be a championship contender. You have to be committed. Operate at, and be pushed, to the limit. The bumps are so punishing, you pay for it. The field is on it's way on the pace laps. Let's get ready, folks. We'll be open, all day.
Less than two and a half minutes before we race. In Prototype qualifying, Olivier Pla, took the Ligier Judd to pole, with a new track record. The #16 Prototype Challenge car is on pole in the class, with Martin Plowman at the wheel. In GTLM, the #912 Porsche of Fred Mokowiecki. In GT Daytona, it's the #33 SRT Viper of Jeroen Bleekemolen, getting pole. Three new class records. Tequila Patron Racing has now switched back to their open cockpit HPD ARX-03b machine. Both of these cars, are going to Europe to test tomorrow.
We're ready for a start, boys and girls. Let's go! We're green at Sebring! Ryan Dalziel takes the lead right away. He timed it beautifully. But, Olivier Pla, soyas, oh no you don't. The GT Le Mans and GT Daytona cars, have a clean start with Porsche leading Corvette. They race through Gurney Bend... turn six at Sebring. Patrick Pilet is trying to find his rhythm, as BMKW and Ferrari are on it. BMW won here, 40 years ago.
The endurance mentality, is somewhat replaced, by a sprint mentality, at least among the factory teams in GT Le Mans. Memo Rojas is in the pits in the Deltawing. These boys hav had a hard time. They have a stuck throttle. The gearbox bit the dust last time at the Rolex 24. Rojas won last year, with Gnassi Racing, and the Riley Ford EcoBoost V6. But, Rojas, is now a Deltawing driver. Ricky Taylor runs fourth in the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette Prototype. Ricky Taylor is not sure how well he'll do, because the team has had braking issues all weekend.
They had a bitter disappointment at Daytona, with drive time violations. They have to dig deep. Joao Barbosa, and the Action Express team are up there. So is the CORE Autosport car in Prototype Challenge, with Colin Braun at the controls. Martin Plowman is seocnd in class right now. The Prototype Challenge division, there is a cost cap, and all the chassis, are the same, with the same small block Chevrolet V8 engines.
Conor Daly is in one of the Prototype Challenge cars. His dad, Derek Daly, won, for Nissan, at Sebring, back in the 1990s. In GT Daytona, we see Mario Farnbacher in the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America. They are going for their tenth class win at Sebring, having won nine races, in class, already. You have to manage the race. James Davison in the Astgon Martin V12 Vantage, is rolling around. James Davison, had his string of five straight GT Daytona poles, snapped, this weekend.
Olivier Pla, still leads. The infield, is great for overtaking, and turn 17, is so bumpy, you bounce through. It's called Sunset Bend. The bumps, and the heat, are a big deal. It's going to be close at the end of the race, too. Ryan Dalziel is running well. Now, it's 76 degrees, and 61% humidity. It's hot, and steamy, at Sebring. In the 62 previous runnings of this event, it has only rained, seven times. There's still a great battle between Colin Braun, and Martin Plowman.
These cars are so stiff, the chassis rock fore and aft, as the lateral center of the car, is not square. Mike Shank Racing, had to do an engine change before qualifying yesterday. They barely got the car out for qualifying. Oswaldo Negri Jr. qualified fourth, and is third now. The #10 Corvette Prototype is still having braking issues. Ricky Taylor was told to be careful through turns seven and ten. Turn seven, is the old hairpin.
If the braking on the race car is not consistent, the corner setup is totally different. In terms of lap times, going fast is a message. Some of these teams are within a second of their qualifying rate. Ozz Negri and Joao Barbosa, had some contact. Negri didn't realize Barbosa was there. Negri was paying attention to the #58 GT Daytona class Porsche. So many wonderful, thrilling races, have been run here at Sebring. Sir Stirling Moss, is just one legend to have raced.
Moss won in a 1.5 liter 4 cylinder powered Osca MT4. Bill Lloyd was the co-driver. The #93 SRT Viper is pitting. Cameron Lawrence takes over from Ben Keating. Cameron Lawrence has won in Trans Am. He did so, here at Sebring, a month ago. In GT Le Mans, there's a major battle right now. Porsche vs. Corvette vs. Ferrari vs. BMW. You are still flat as you enter turn 17. The bumps, and the angle of the corner, is a mind game. Find the rhythm of the traffic. Find new spots, to pass.
Most of these GT LM cars are factory supported, two car teams. The only one-car teams are the Falken Tires Porsche, and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. BMW won this race, 40 years ago, as mentioned on this blog, with drivers like Hans Stuck, Brian Redman, and Sam Posey. The BMW has the handling, but has more drag, on the straightaways, making for less top speed. Ganassi Racing has been wondering. They had huge understeer in qualifying, even though they tested here, at Sebring, three weeks ago.
The team is experienced enough, they don't panic. We will take a look at track temperatures, soon. The race is just beginning. Colin Braun and Martin Plowman still scrap for the Prototype Challenge lead, as rubber from the tires is already building up. There are some big, fist sized chunks of rubber already. Those things, can punch a hole into your bodywork, immediately. The fuel windows are going to open soon. But, gauge the fuel, and see how much is necessary, as well as how many laps.
We are on lap 20, now. Olivier Pla sets a lap, 1.1 seconds off his pole time. The top two are in the 1:52 bracket, while other cars run in 1:53 and 1:54 times. Pedro Lamy and Wolf Henzler are battling for position in GT Le Mans. The leader pits. Olivier Pla, out. Tracy Krohn, in. The car is oversteering a little bit. The team is having issues with their driver change. The #1 car, pitted, and got out faster than the #57. The leading Prototype Challenge car #54 pits.
Colin Braun will get out, and Jon Bennett will get in. The #10 Corvette Prototype of Ricky Taylor, pits. Richard Westbrook is right on Ozz Negri's gearbox. Joao Barbosa and Dane Cameron, run 1-2, for Action Express Racing. Points are awarded atr four, eight, and twelve hours, as this is round two of the Tequila Patron North American Endruance Cup. Tracy Krohn runs wide in the Tower Turn, and is passed by Ricky Taylor.
Oswaldo Negri Jr. and Richard Westbrook, still battle. They seem pretty evenly matched. Richard Westbrook will race for BMW at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, later this spring. The #22 Weatehertech Porsche cur the corner at turn ten. Leh Keen is at the controls. Alex Job Racing had a good run last year. The cars negotiate the Alec Ulmann straightaway, named for the founder, of this great event, Alec Ulmann, who wanted to see a sports car race, similar to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, here in the United States.
Jorg Bergmeister had trouble with his safety belts, after his pit stops. That has been a discussion topic, this weekend, at Sebring. The rule should be tightened, to some people. Oh no! Pedro Lamy has lost the right rear wheel on the Aston Martin. Correction. Paul Dalla Lana, is at the wheel. This is our first full course yellow. It was the first pit stop for the team. Someone made a mistake on trying to tighten the rear wheel.
Antonio Garcia had some contact with a Prototype Challenge machine in the Tower Turn. Read the dynamic of the situation. That is what the drivers are doing. This yellow comes, with nine cars yet to make their first pit stop. If you are low on fuel while pit lane is closed, you're up the creek, sans a paddle.
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