IMSA returns for the annual running of the 12 Hours of Sebring, as Motorsport Week previews what is expected to be a thrilling, action-packed affair.
For the 72nd time in sportscar history, Sebring International Raceway will host one of the most challenging, hard-fought events on the global endurance calendar.
After opening the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at the end of January, the second-longest race on the calendar will continue the story on 16 March.
The circuit itself is known historically – and characteristically – for its bumpy surface which combined with the local weather climate and a large grid capacity, can set the scene for a frantic race.
Fifty-eight entrants across four categories will take on the race, making this an event not to be missed by any motorsport fan.
A recap on what happened last year
Anyone who remembers last year’s edition will recall a dramatic and frantic race for the debut year of GTP, in which only two class entrants finished on the lead lap as all their competitors ran into issues – mostly incident-related.
Out of the 53 entries last year, 14 did not make it to the chequered flag. That’s over a quarter of the field — a sizable chunk lost to retirement.
Porsche Penske had a tough qualifying session last year when #7 driver Matt Campbell crashed, and so the recently-crowned Daytona 24 Hours winner will have another chance for redemption – if the rapid Australian driver is given the responsibility of qualifying the #7 Porsche 963 again.
/ Copyright: © 2023 Jake Galstad
/ Copyright: © 2023 Jake Galstad
Cadillac dominated qualifying when they occupied the front row, with Sebastien Bourdais taking pole for Chip Ganassi Racing and Pipo Derani trailing in his red #31 Cadillac V-Series.R, which would go on to win.
For this year’s edition, Derani is joined once again by Jack Aitken and now Tom Blomqvist, since he joined the team for this year, replacing Alexander Sims.
Cadillac and Porsche machinery showcased great pace at Daytona, although Sebring will become the real test over how either GTP manufacturer performs over brutal bumps.
The race itself was littered with several, crucial incidents which led to class winning-contenders retiring and thus scoring no points – or others involved who emerged with damage to repair.
Most notably, both Porsche Penske cars were involved in race-ending incidents and so they seek redemption this time round.
The #7 Porsche Penske crew currently leads the GTP standings on 380 points, followed by the #31 Wherlen Cadillac Racing team on 355, and the #40 WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 on 326.
GTP debut of Lamborghini Iron Lynx
The Bologna-based manufacturer will continue to run their two Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 entries in the GTD Pro category, whilst commencing their IMSA journey with their single SC63 for the Endurance Cup.
For this year, the Endurance Cup calendar started at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, followed by the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Six Hours of the Glen, the six-hour Battle on the Bricks race at Indianapolis, concluded by Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta.
Technically speaking, Lamborghini has already driven their SC63 amongst the grid during last December’s IMSA-sanctioned test, but were not able to complete the homologation process in time for the season-opener.
The car made its highly-anticipated debut during the recent FIA World Endurance Championship curtain-raiser in Qatar, in which their #63 SC63 finished in 14th position.
Now its turn on North American soil will be much anticipated as Sebring’s demanding surfaces and corners will put the first Ligier-LMDh chassis to its test.
Apart from a small issue concerning the gearbox in WEC free practice, the SC63 ran a smooth from a reliability perspective.
Bumpy Sebring, though, will be an altogether different kettle of fish, and so Lamborghini will likely be hoping they can finish the race, with competitiveness against the other GTPs a bonus.
A matter of survival and not just raw pace
A grid of 58 cars around Sebring, a record entry number, is a recipe for chaos, as there will only be certain corners in which the faster cars can lap the slower classes.
Over 12 hours, teams will need to manage their tyres in addition to respecting the bumps and other traffic to ensure they do not trigger costly incidents.
Unlike Daytona with wide Speedway corners, Sebring is a contrast of blind bumps, narrow corners and some tight bends, most crucially when the race enters darkness.
The matter of taking risk not only applies to the faster cars, but the slower ones too as being unfortunate victims of other incidents is lesser wanted by the teams racing.
At such a physically demanding venue for the drivers, they will set about prolonging their energy for the duration of the race as the idea of the final hours being a sprint race is exactly that – an idea.
This is nullified when the reality is that drivers can be eager in IMSA, and so the margin for error as well as leaving untapped pace could prove damaging. One must consider, however, about the caution procedures utilised by IMSA which works on keeping the top cars of each class on the same lap. This will keep the racing going until the end.
Sunset Bend, the final turn at Sebring, is an example of how important mid-corner stability is within the set-up of a car as the GTPs and LMP2s will take it on with great speed, thus the Bronze drivers will be especially tasked to perform.
The prototype classes will have to navigate the lapped GTD traffic with care as there are only certain places on the track to do so.
Out of the exciting IMSA races this year, the Sebring 12H is up there as one of the most action-packed, unpredictable spectacles in sportscar racing – arguably more so than Daytona.
One thing for certain, it will be exciting to watch who can conquer the bumps!
