12 Hours of Sebring brings stars (cars, drivers) to rural Central Florida
12 Hours of SebringSebring International RacewayTV: 4:30 p.m., USA (Streaming on Peacock at 10 a.m.)
SEBRING — The massive and notably rowdy crowd started arriving midweek at Sebring International Raceway. By Friday’s qualifying session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, the racetrack in rural Central Florida had singularly increased the size of this normally sleepy town by tenfold. Part spring-breakers and part race fanatics.
Many came dressed for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration — kilts and shamrocks all over the facility. Many traveled from overseas for this highly anticipated annual sports car doubleheader — featuring the 1000 Hours of Sebring FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) race on Friday followed by the classic American showcase, the 71st edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring.
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The Sebring facility has undergone massive upgrades in recent years. The “Fangio Terrace” — a nod to the Argentinian racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio — overlooks the track — one of dozens of corporate suites. Even the clocks next to the pits are oversized Rolex watch faces — a nod to one of the marquee series sponsors. There are Corvette, Cadillac, Mercedes, Porsche and Ferrari flags flying all around the infield.
Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves and popular second-year IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, of Jupiter, are among those racing in Saturday’s 12-hour classic, while former Formula One drivers from Robert Kubica to Jacques Villeneuve to Antonio Giovanassi ran the 1000-hour race Friday.
Yet for all the trackside character and characters, the 12 Hours of Sebring is a vital part of the IMSA schedule. It’s a career-maker. And the drivers and teams are as excited for Saturday’s green flag as the legions before whom they will race.
Brazilian racer Pipo Derani — a three-time 12 Hours of Sebring overall winner — earned the pole position for Saturday’s race in a shortened qualifying session on Friday around the 3.74-mile track. His No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac V-Series R edged fellow Cadillac driver — and St. Petersburg resident — Sebastien Bourdais for the top position. They will line up side-by-side to lead the 54-car field to the green flag at 10 a.m. EDT.
This is the Sebring debut of the new GTP headlining class featuring two each of the sophisticated hybrid Cadillacs, Porsches, BMWs and Acuras.
“On a personal note, it’s really nice to have the first Cadillac LMDh pole at a place I really like to drive — just a fantastic beginning to our weekend and hoping we can have a good weekend," Derani said. “A lot can happen but more than coming to a race with a car that is strong, you sometimes need luck, but it’s all positive and I think we are in a strong position to try and have a really strong result."
Noted Bourdais: “Obviously, a great day for Cadillac. I had just a tiny bit of understeer, but I think it was pretty close with lap times and everything. I guess last year’s pole didn’t really serve us so well. Maybe it’s a good omen. I think we have a solid race car and looking forward to the grueling 12 hours ahead. It’s going to be a lot of keeping your nose clean and make sure that you execute and don’t run into any trouble."
The No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Acura, which won the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona, qualified fourth. The session was cut short when the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsports 963 crashed heavily in Turn 1 bringing out a red flag.
There was similar drama and high action in the other qualifying sessions. Ultimately, however, the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 O7 won the pole for the eight-car LMP2 class. The No. 36 Andretti Autosport Ligier JS P320 — owned and co-driven by the late IndyCar and NASCAR star John Andretti’s son, Jarrett — will start on pole in the 10-car LMP3 class.
Antonio Garcia, a four-time class winner at Sebring, will lead the popular eight-car GTD Pro field to green in his No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C8.R. And Canadian Kyle Marcelli won the pole position in the No. 93 Acura NSX GT3 for the 20-car GTD class. These production-based classes pitting Corvettes against Porsches, Lexux, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis and Ferraris are among the most popular for fans to follow.
“It’s an hour and a half away so the closest to-home track I have," said the 24-year-old Kirkwood, who will start second in the GTD Pro class driving the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GR3.
“Driving at this place is awesome. It’s an iconic track for sports car racing that goes back over 50 years and a huge one to win. It’s my third year in it and feel like the team is in a good spot to go for a win here."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Stars (cars, drivers) light up rural Central Florida for 12 Hours of Sebring
