The #33 Viper is in the pit, from the GTD lead. Both SRT Viper's are in. Mario Farnbacher pitted on the last lap. Watch out for PC. Colin Braun is within a second of the class lead. Lucas Luhr is the last of the GTLM contenders to pit in BMW #24. Actually, Antonio Garcia, also needs to pit. Antonio Garcia makes his last pit stop and will take the #3 Corvette C-7-R- to the finish. #912 comes into pit lane. They are going to try getting the stripped wheel nut off the car. They can't do it. Nick Tandy is well ahead of the Ferrari of Pierre Kaffer.
The reason for the premature pit stop, Giancarlo Fisichella was having a foot cramp. He's OK. #912 is back on track. But, with the tire trouble, they've lost time. The #85 Prototype Challenge machine pits to get a huge clump of rubber out of the wheel well. Chris Miller at the wheel. Now, #912 has a loose wheel nut. Fred Makowiecki's run for the win, is over. Scuderia Corse's Ferrari is well ahead of the Paul Miller Racing Audi. In GT Le Mans, Corvette boss Doug Fehan says they need a splash and dash before the end of this one.
The Porsche could be struggling for fuel. The fact that the Risi Ferrari had to come in earlier, will blow it's chances of getting a GT Le Mans podium place. Ricky Taylor in the #10 pits, and the #90 might be pitting soon, too. Tom Kimber-Smith has a five second margin in Prototype Challenge, over Colin Braun. #5 pits again, for perhaps, the last time. Fuel and tires for the stop. The car stalls briefly. The team car #31 pits, too. Joao Barbosa is going to take this car to the finish. Only twice before, have GM powered cars won Sebring overall.
1965 with Jim Hall's Chevrolet powered Chapparal, and in 1996, with the Doyle Racing Riley & Scott Mk. III Oldsmobile. Tom Kimber-Smith and Colin Braun are battling for the Prototype Challenge class. Scott Dixon has moved from fourth to third. Richard Westbrook and Ricky Taylor, have yet to make their last stops. We wait for the timing and scoring to cycle. Kimber-Smith in first, with Braun, second. We've seen the two Porsche factory cars, have problems. #912 went to the pit, and then, #911 got stuck in fifth gear.
In 35 minutes, these blokes have to cut qualifying laps. Easier said than done. Less than 30 minutes to go in the sports car endurance classic that is the Mibil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. Final pit stops completed. #23 is leading GT Daytona, and still pursued by the Viper and the Aston Martin. You've got to get close to the end at Sebring, to start racing. Make a dash for the overall and class wins. Antonio Garcia, and Pierre Kaffer, may need fuel. It's going to be tight for all three major manufacturers.
Fuel strategy may determine the GT Le Mans victory. Pierre Kaffer is nine seconds behind Antonio Garcia. But, there's more fuel for Garcia. The #24 BMW Z4 GTE is still in it. Joao Barbosa just ran a 1:54.2. He and Ricky Taylor were within a tenth of each other. No gain for Ricky Taylor, though. Joao Barbosa is still keeping the blowtorch lit. Barbosa almost has a lap in hand over the #10, but not quite. #10 has handled their braking issues all day. Barbosa now has a full lap lead.
The #25 BMW runs really wide, with Dirk Werner at the controls. Brake late, go around the outside of traffic, and take no prisoners. Hammer down. You are good to go to the finish. Time is truly of the essence. The sand in the hourglass, is running out. Less than 20 minutes remain in the 63rd 12 Hours of Sebring. The raceway is now shrouded fully in darkness. Joao Barbosa got into the #5 car a lap up on his nearest rivals.
Joey Hand extended his fuel run by two laps, putting Scott Dixon in the car. The engine stalled, and they went down a position. Both factory GT LM Porsche's had troubles. Busted wheel nut on the car. Then,. the gearbox packed up. Nick Tandy had the lead in the sister factory Porsche, and, the gearbox, packed up. Corvette Racing could win GT Le Mans. It's an upright that broke on thwe factory Porsche.
In GT Daytona, #23 could give Alex Job his tenth Sebring class win. The #24 BMW passed the GT Daytona leaders. So, it's mano e mano with the #23 and it's competitor. Some of these boys have to come in for a splash of fuel. The two factory Porsche's did not have identical problems. Suspension for car #912. Gearbox gremlins for the #911. We have ten minutes to go, in this race now, folks. It's crunch time.
We've had another drama in GT Daytona. Mario Farnbacher locks the brakes on the #23 Porsche into turn ten, onto the escape road and into the dirt! So, the #33 SRT Viper GTS-R- takes the lead. The Porsche's don't brake well when the tires are worn off. So, Alex Job Racing might be bale to still get a podium in class. Tom Kimber-Smith looks to be the Prototype Challenge class winner, with six minutes left in the race itself.
Conor Daly is going to finish on the podium in Prototype Challenge. With a lap or two left, Richard Westbrook has passed Scott Dixon for the final spot on the podium. Five minutes to go. Oh no! #33 leading GTD is on pit road! This is not good! The #33 will not see the victory in GT Daytona! A terminal mechanical issue! Can you believe it! Ugh! Mario Farnbacher moves back to the class lead. Will Alex Job now get a class win? This will set a world record, for the most people collectively holding their breath.
We're into the final three minutes. We know we'll see a Corvette Prototype sweep of the podium, here at Sebring. Wow. Mario Farnbacher must be over the moon! You never know what might happen. Snatch victory, from the jaws of defeat. That's why we run the races. Nothing is certain until the checkered flag waves, folks. Nothing. Joao Barbosa heads into turn seven, into the esses. Antonio Garcia leads GT Le Mans. Nick Tandy may get a top five in class, even though he's stuck in high gear.
These points are very critical for the season. So, everyone deserves a finish. Action Express picks up where they left off as champions last year. We are coming to the white flag. It's a reverse of last year. Team manager Gary Nelson, says, "expect to win". He's right. They've completed every racing lap in the history of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship! The #31 sister car will have a top five finish here tonight, too. Tom Kimber-Smith is going to win Prototype Challenge.
Bring it home, nice and easy. Joao Barbosa has his cushion. Not since 1965 has a Chevrolet powered car won Sebring. 50 years ago, the Chapparal 2 won with Jim Hall and Hap Sharp. Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi, and Sebastian Bourdais, break the drought! They win the 12 Hours of Sebring! Tom Kimber-Smith and his team mates Andrew Palmer and Mike Guasch, win their second enduro in a row, after taking Daytona, too.
In GT Daytona, it's Alex Job Racing, winning their tenth Sebring! Mario Farnbacher, Ian James, and Alex Riberas, win Sebring! The #3 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R- wins their second in a row, winning Daytona, and Sebring!
Overall/Prototype: #5 Barbosa/Fittipaldi/Bourdais Chevrolet Corvette Prototype
Prototype
Challenge: #52 Kimber-Smith/Palmer/Guasch Oreca FLM 09 Chevrolet
GT Le Mans: #3 Garcia/Magnussen/Briscoe Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-
GT Daytona: #23 Farnbacher/James/Riberas Porsche 911 GT America
So, two enduros in the books. Now, we move on to the sprint racing section of the season. 340 laps. 1,271 miles, completed. Action Express picks up maximum points. The next NAEC round will be at Watkins Glen, New York, for the Six Hours of Watkins Glen, in late June. Joao Barbosa, and his team mates, get to drink the orange juice, at Sebring. Corvette Racing wins their ninth 12 Hours of Sebring in GT Le Mans.
Jan Magnussen gets his fourth Sebring win. Ryan Briscoe will now focus on his Indycar drives. The #23 car had no brakes at the end of the race. They saved the car, and came back for the GT Daytona win. Ian James and Alex Riberas, are all extremely happy about their win. Crazy races are normal business activity at Sebring. What a race this was. We will have two more endurance races to go this season, and now, we get into the sprint racing season.
The next event is the Tequila Patron Sports Car Showcase, from the streets of Long Beach, California. The first sprint race, of 2015, in a month's time. Until then, goodnight, and so long, from Sebring, Florida.
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