After a successful restart to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Porsche is eager to take the lead of the manufacturers’ classification at round three in Sebring (USA). After yielding two podium results in the GTLM class from the first two races held at America’s motor racing stronghold, Daytona, the factory squad of the sports car manufacturer is just one point off the lead with the ca. 515 hp Porsche 911 RSR.
At the second race in Florida within two weeks, two works-run RSR from Weissach as well as a customer vehicle will be fielded. In the GTD class, Wright Motorsports campaigns a 911 GT3 R.
The Porsche GT Team drivers
Works drivers Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) share driving duties in the No. 912 Porsche 911 RSR. The reigning GTLM-class champions have scored second place at the first two rounds of the season in Daytona and currently lead the drivers’ championship.
“After two double podium results for the Porsche 911 RSR at the first two rounds of the season, our goal is clear: we want to clinch the first win,” commented Bamber. “The signs look good. Our car is definitely competitive.
“Porsche has won the Sebring 12 Hours in recent years, and our tests there with the new vehicle ran well. The heat will certainly be difficult to cope with. The name of the game on this extremely challenging and bumpy racetrack is to maintain full concentration at all times. That’ll be a key factor to a possible success.”
Briton Nick Tandy and Frédéric Makowiecki from France are keen to claim their first win of the season with the No. 911 sister car. The pair concluded the 24-hour race at the end of January and the race over 2:40 hours in Daytona on 4 July in third place.
“In the manufacturers’ classification, Porsche currently ranks third, just one point behind the joint leaders BMW and Corvette. At round three in Sebring, the North American factory squad now aims to bring home the first IMSA win with the new Porsche 911 RSR.
The race
The Sebring International Raceway throws major challenges at man and machine. About one third of the 6.02-kilometre racetrack consists of old concrete slabs, which were previously part of the runway at the former Hendricks Army Airfield. These washboard-like sections of the track cause hefty vibrations. Due to this special feature, the racetrack about 100 kilometres south of Orlando is often mentioned on social media with the hashtag #RespectTheBumps.
“For the engineers of the works team, the emphasis is on finding a suitable setup for the kinematics of the 911 RSR. Porsche is the most successful manufacturer on the storied circuit, which has regularly hosted endurance races since 1950. So far, the Stuttgart marque has netted 18 outright wins and 72 class victories at Sebring. In the last two years, the Porsche 911 RSR has dominated the GTLM class at the twelve-hour race.
“The “Sebring 240” on 18 July is contested over just two hours and 40 minutes. The long-distance classic over twelve hours, originally scheduled for March, has been pushed to 14 November at the same venue as a season finale.
The schedule (local time, CEST: -6 hours)
Friday, 17 July
6.00 – 7:00 p.m. – Free practice
Saturday, 18 July
10:00 – 11:15 a.m. – Free practice
1:55 – 2:10 p.m. – Qualifying GTD
2:20 – 2:35 p.m. – Qualifying GTLM
2:45 – 3:00 p.m. – Qualifying DPi/LMP2
5:35 – 8:15 p.m. – Race
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