IMSA – Cadillac and Corvette triumph at Sebring

There was no suspense during this 65th edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Quickly out of the race due to insoluble problems having irremediable consequences on the alternator, the Oreca 07 of Rebellion Racing left the Cadillacs scrapping for victory. Ultimately, it was the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing DPi-VR that won, making it two points after having already triumphed at the 24 Hours of Daytona at the end of January.

Already winners a month and a half ago, the Taylor brothers are at it again, this time accompanied by the Briton Alex Lynn, who wins for his first appearance in IMSA SportsCar Championship. On the other two steps of the podium, we find the Cadillacs operated by Action Express Racing, the No. 5 of Barbosa-Albuquerque-Fittipaldi ahead of the No. 31 of Curran-Cameron-Conway. The top five is completed by the Oreca 07 from a valiant JDC/Miller Motorsports team that no one expected at such a celebration, and by the No. 09 Oreca 38FLM from Performance Tech Motorsports led by the trio French-O' Ward-Masson.

In GTLM, it was Corvette Racing which ultimately had the last word. The No. 4 having retired very quickly due to an engine problem, it was the No. 3 of Magnussen-Garcia-Rockenfeller who won the day. The C7.R precedes the No. 66 Ford GT at the finish. Bourdais-Hand-D. Müller and the Ferrari 488 GTE n°62 de Calado-Fisichella-Vilander. Bien partie pour gagner, la Porsche 911 RSR n°911 de Pilet-Makowiecki-D. Werner a été contrainte à un ultime arrêt non programmé en raison d’une crevaison à l’avant gauche et termine finalement 7e de sa classe.

Tristan Vautier, for his part, put on a show in GTD. Starting last because he was not present on the grid after an oil leak was detected during the warm-up, the Frenchman overtook a small handful of competitors in the final loops to raise his Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°75 from SunEnergy1 Racing in third place in the category, to the delight of his teammates Kenny Habul and Boris Said. A major feat worth noting. The three men, exemplary throughout the event, were only beaten by the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT33 of Keating-J. Bleekemolen-M. Farnbacher and the Ferrari 488 GT3 of C. Nielsen-Balzan-Cressoni operated by Scuderia Corsa.

The next IMSA SportsCar Championship event will be held on April 8 in Long Beach, California.