It's a legendary palace of speed, that once was a bomber training base for B17 pilots during WW. II. It lies in the sleepy community of Sebring, in Central Florida, among orange groves, and old people digging games of shuffleboard. But, for almost seven decades, it's been the home of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. Rain has appeared at Sebring, for the first time in over 25 years. Team Penske is strong in NASCAR, IndyCar, and Australian Supercars, and now, they have pole here at Sebring, in the rain. Four makes and eight drivers compete for victory in GT Le Mans. Patrick Pilet has pole in GT Le Mans. Laurens Vanthoor was disqualified, and will start farther down the field.
Eight makes represent the 17 car field in GT Daytona. Trent Hindman scores his first ever WeatherTech Championship GT Daytona pole. We are going to see a lot of rain, just like we did at the end of the FIA World Endurance Championship race, last night. The concrete patches are really slick, and the wet makes it hard for the drivers to know where the bumps are. Dane Cameron, Matt McMurry, Patrick Pilet, and Trent Hindman are your class polesitters. This old airfield, with it's concrete, is really bumpy. Hold on tight, watch your sightlines. TAhe hairpin at turn seven is a great overtaking spot. Sunset Bend, turn 17 is really bumpy, and ifwe see the sun, it is blinding.
"Respect The Bumps", as we begin the race behind the safety car. The visibility with the spray is going to be really difficult. The concrete is really sketchy in a straight line. We saw this at the end of the World Endurance Championship race, last night. Florida rain has lasted for a long time. We had a ton of rain at Daytona, and we have more, here. The drivers must be going nuts! When we do see a green flag, watch out for the standing water on the right hand side of the road. Be very, very patient. Don't make any mistakes, whatever you do. Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink, and the clock starts. The Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, is underway. Dive out to the side, to stay out of the spray, but you cannot see the puddles.
11 drivers pulled the double with last night's WEC race and the 12 Hours today. Mike Rockenfeller said that he always wanted to do a 24 hour race at Sebring, he'll get close today because of racing eight hours in the WEC 1,000 miles, last night. It is hard to get heat into the Michelin wet tires, and you've got to get brake temperature. Visibility is the big deal here, chaps. You run the defroster, but you can't defrost the windscreen too much, bcause then, the tear offs will bubble up. Use lots of Rain X. Ricky Taylor got sick to his stomach with the flashing lights through the rain at Daytona. So, drivers need to be very careful. Drag the brake to get tire temperature.
We are into the race, but still lapping behind the safety car. Again, extremely wet. Under the umbrella of safety, pardon the pun, we are pushing water uphill. The standing water is all over the shop here, ladies and gentlemen. We have had rain at Sebring, before. 2016 was also a wet race here. Our Daytona winning car, the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac is in the pit lane, look. Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, and Frenchman Matthieu Vaxiviere, they are driving today, coming out of pit lane. Jordan Taylor came to the lane for fuel, and to get water out of the car. There was something in the data they saw.
Those jet blowers are things the race cars are susceptible to. All three Mazda drivers raced for the Ford GT team in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring last night, as you have read about after the blog posts from yesterday's motor race. Eleven drivers have done double duty this weekend, including sports car veteran, and one season Formula 1 racer, Brendon Hartley. He also has a Le Mans win to his credit. We remain under yellow as the first hour here at Sebring, continues. A record crowd is getting soaked today. You need Michelin rain tires, and that's what these blokes have. You are going a whole lot faster in a race car. Settled concrete, means that puddles build up. Stay away from the middle of the puddles, and there's spray off the aerodynamic parts of the car.
Allan McNish, is Grand Marshal, here at Sebring. The #10 Cadillac is still figuring out what they need to do with the car, topping him up with fuel. We don't know when we will go to green flag racing. Drivers are just not used to driving slow. In certain sections of the race, you have to change your mindset and try to run as hard as possible. Race the racetrack. It's an old, worn out cliche, but that's what these blokes, and ladies, have to do. There is a major guessing game with tire pressure at this moment. The standing water is the big deal. But, the drivers, and also, the fans, have to hang tough.
We continue to run at low speed behind the safety car in the orange groves of central Florida as Helio Castroneves takes an alternate line. That's a little sketchy, look. Matt McMurry is at the wheel of the #52 car, sharing with Danish driver Anders Fjordbach. We continue to remember the late, great Charlie Whiting, Formula 1 Race Director and chief steward, who passed away suddenly earlier this week at age 66. The motorsport community mourns his loss. Rest In Peace, Charlie Whiting. We'll all miss you.
We are going to go green here, very soon. Penske has had tons of success to start this season. He has won in NASCAR, Australian Supercars, and IndyCar, and is looking for another win in IMSA. He's driven here at Sebring, with Jim Hall. Adapt to the conditions, park your ego and think big picture, tire strategy, and save your best for last. Who wants the ball? Who wants to win the game? We are coming to the green flag, now. Dane Cameron leds the field to green, and we are racing at Sebring! The Acura is out of shape, plook, and Tristan Nunez wants to lead! He goes for it and he's got it. He has clear track as the race begins in earnest. Don't get too feisty. Don't go off the road. Filipe Albuquerque is also coming into the picture, look.
Filipe Albuquerque is pressing hard. The Acura is twitchy in the dry, and he doesn't have the rear enjd of the car settled in the wet. Pipo Derani sia two-time winner of this race, in the #31 Whelen Cadillac. We have a car off and on in the esses. It may clear up and dry out later on. Think big picture. This is the strategy. Tiptoe around the track and take things easy, before you floor it and get on with the program. Tristan Nunez played with his rock band here last night, called Acceleration, while team mate Jonathan Bomarito drove the Ford GT in the WEC 1,000 mile race. The BMW M8's are chasing Richard Westbrook in the #67 Ford GT. Ford wants a win in GTLM here in the 12 Hours. They don't have one yet.
Tom Blomqvist moves past his team mate. Porsche #912 with Laurens Vanthoor is at the wheel of it, is in the lane for new tires and different tire pressures. Vanthoor was telling the team, "I can't drive the car." The tires start floating, feeling like a giant balloon. Now, Zach Robichon in the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R, crashed in the morning warmup. Meyer Shank Racing is third in the Acura, followed by Christina Nielsen. Check that, as it is Trent Hindman in second spot. Filipe Albuquerque leads the way. Dane Cameron is in the lane for service, starting with higher air pressure on the tires. Four fresh Michelin tires, and fuel. No driver changes yet, as they are doing double stints on the tires.
Eric Curran is the third driver in the #31 Cadillac with Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani this weekend. The wet weather tires, some teams are getting grip and good load, but others are not at the moment. In LMP2, we have Kyle Masson leading the class, running seventh overall, sharing with Cameron Cassels. Patricio O'Ward, now an IndyCar driver, started here in IMSA. Zach Robichon and Trent Hindman are in a good scrap for position in GTD. We have the #12 Lexus RC F GT3 of Frankie Montecalvo, spinning in Sunset Bend. He had a horrid crash last year, in a Ferrari, flipping onto his roof. Acura #7 goes off and on. That's the Helio Castroneves, Ricky Taylor, and Alexander Rossi sharing the car. Frankie Montecalvo went wide looking for grip, and hit a puddle, spinning, but didn't hit anything. Trent Hindman retakes the GT Daytona lead.
Trent Hindman's confidence is going up, having also won a championship in Lamborghini Super Trofeo. He was on BMW's radar, but now races for Acura.
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