This year’s Sebring 12 hours proves that America’s oldest endurance race can still throw a curveball. This time, rain played hazards for the almost 50-strong grid. It got so bad that a little over two hours of the race were actually spent under red flag conditions, the first time since 1995.
The exquisite Prototype category boasted a strong field of 12 cars, six of which being DPs that were joined by five Le Mans-eligible LMP2 chassis. There was also the lone closed-cockpit DeltaWing that rebounded after a frustrating end to their Daytona 24 Hours race. The DPs proved quicker in the wet due to the quarter-inch larger radius of their front tires (a factor made relevant by the new belt design) but the P2s never gave up the fight.
Lower down in LMPC, the usual culprits were all present to add up to a seven-car grid. The novelty in this category was to be the newly updated electrical system which now offered traction control. This system, though, had not been tested by other teams but for CORE Autosport which was chosen by IMSA to play as chief developer. This meant that some teams declined the offer to run the new system, thus challenging themselves to run without TC. It proved to be a far less daring choice as some might have thought since most of the cars that did run the new electrical problems ran into countless problems such as dozens and dozens of spins.
GT-LM offered the closest ever class finish at Daytona between the two Corvettes and promised just as much excitement come Sebring – the second half of the “36 Hours of Florida.” Ford, BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari were all present and gave Corvette Racing a hell of a run for its money. How close was it? Well, if we are to judge by the qualifying times, very close! Pole-man Bill Auberlen was only 0.8 seconds quicker than the back of the grid.
After being penalized for sandbagging during the season opener at Daytona, the Huracans lacked the edge they’ve previously shown. Instead, Ferrari’s brand-new 488 GT3 shone by taking its maiden pole on debut with Scuderia Corsa. But the opposition proved to be strong, especially from BMW and Porsche, with the final running order being decided within minutes of the end.
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