A Jam-Packed Field of 58 Cars Waits to Take on the Bumps and Bruises of Sebring International Raceway
March 6, 2024
By Mark Robinson
IMSA Wire Service
Entry List (Click Here)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A hefty field of 58 cars – up five from a year ago – is entered for the 72nd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac. The fabled race on the former airfield at Sebring International Raceway takes off in the morning hours of Saturday, March 16, with flag-to-flag live streaming available on Peacock and USA Network picking up coverage at 4 p.m. ET.The Twelve Hours of Sebring is the second stop on the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule and will complete the “36 Hours of Florida” following the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. All four series classes – Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) will be competing.Here’s the vital information you need for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Fast Facts
Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac
Sebring International Raceway – Sebring, Florida
March 13-16, 2024
Race Day/Time: Saturday, March 16 – 9:40 a.m. ET
Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 9:30 a.m.
NBC Sports Coverage: USA Network from 4-10 p.m.
Live Qualifying Stream: Friday, March 15 – 12:15 p.m. (Peacock in the U.S., IMSA.com/TVLive outside the U.S.)
IMSA Radio: Select sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins March 16 at 9:30 a.m. (Sirius channel 211, XM 207, Web/App 996, at track 100.9 FM, Sebring local 99.1 FM)
Circuit Type: 3.74-mile, 17-turn road course
Race Length: 12 hours
Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), GT Daytona (GTD)
Track Social Media: Twitter: @SebringRacewayInstagram: @SebringRacewayFacebook: @SebringInternationalRaceway
Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #Sebring12
WeatherTech Championship Track Records
GTP: Pipo Derani, Cadillac V-Series.R, 1:45.836 / 127.215 mph, March 2023
LMP2: Giedo van der Garde, ORECA LMP2, 1:48.311 / 124.308 mph, March 2022
GTD PRO: Antonio Garcia, Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD, 1:59.315 / 112.843 mph, March 2023
GTD: Daniel Serra, Ferrari 488 GT3, 1:58.710 / 113.420 mph, March 2018
2023 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Winners:
GTP: Pipo Derani/Alexander Sims/Jack Aitken, No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R
LMP2: John Farano/Scott McLaughlin/Kyffin Simpson, No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07
GTD PRO: Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet/Laurens Vanthoor, No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
GTD: Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow/Corey Lewis, No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3
StorylinesRespecting the Bumps for Round 2: All four WeatherTech Championship classes are in action again for the grueling 12-hour encounter at Sebring following a seven-week break after the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the longest race of the year that also serves as the season opener. Porsche flexed its muscle at Daytona with four of the top six finishers in GTP, including the winning No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963. Acura and Cadillac secured the other two podium spots at Daytona, however, and BMW looks to rebound. Mercedes-AMG extended its GT class winning streak to three races dating to Indianapolis last year, when the No. 57 Winward Racing came home first in GTD at Daytona. Among the 35 cars entered in GTD PRO and GTD for Sebring are four Mercedes seeking to extend that streak.
Lamborghini GTP Debut: The fifth GTP manufacturer is set to make its WeatherTech Championship debut when the No. 63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63 takes the track. Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean will wheel the Lambo at Sebring and the three remaining IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races this season.
Renger’s 100: The Twelve Hours of Sebring will mark Renger van der Zande’s 100th start in WeatherTech Championship competition and his 106th overall IMSA race. The 38-year-old co-driver of the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R has compiled 19 career wins with at least one victory in each of the past 10 seasons. He has yet to reach the top step of the podium at Sebring, however.
IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup: The second race of the WeatherTech Championship season also marks the second event counting toward the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, where separate points are accumulated at different junctures of the endurance races. At Sebring, those junctures are the four-, eight- and 12-hour marks. Leading in each class following the Rolex 24 are the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R in GTP, the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07 in LMP2, a tie between the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 and No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 in GTD PRO, and a tie between the No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 and No. 70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 Evo in GTD.
CrowdStrike Award: The No. 2 United Autosports ORECA LMP2 07 was awarded the CrowdStrike Endurance, Teamwork and Speed Award for its performance at the Rolex 24. The team will be presented with the award in Sebring prerace ceremonies.
Who’s Hot?Cadillac: The manufacturer has been the overall winner at Sebring the past three years and four of the past five. The No. 31 Whelen entry fielded by Action Express Racing won last year, with the No. 02 from Chip Ganassi Racing winning in the former Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class in 2022, the No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports DPi taking honors in 2021 and the No. 31 Action Express DPi conquering the field in 2019.
Winward Racing: The Mercedes GTD team has two wins in its last three races: the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last September and the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. The team wants to put last year’s 18th-place Sebring finish in the rearview mirror with a strong result this time. Additionally, Mercedes-AMG has earned GTD or GTD PRO class victories in three consecutive races dating back to Indianapolis last year with the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes team taking GTD PRO honors at both Indianapolis and the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Who’s Good Here?
King Pipo of Sebring: With his victory last year in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing V-Series.R, Pipo Derani notched his fourth overall Sebring triumph in the past eight years. He’ll go for a fifth win with co-drivers Jack Aitken and Tom Blomqvist this year.
Antonio Garcia: The Spaniard collected his fourth Sebring win in 2022, all with Corvette Racing and the latest coming in the GTD PRO class. He’ll go for a fifth victory in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R with co-drivers Alexander Sims and Daniel Juncadella.
Porsche: The German marque has compiled seven wins in the GT classes since 2018, including the GTD PRO victory last year.
Previous Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Winners in 2024 Field (54)
Pipo Derani (4): P – 2016, 2018; DP – 2019; GTP – 2023
Antonio Garcia (4): GT1 – 2009; GTLM – 2015, 2017; GTD PRO – 2022
Joao Barbosa (3): P2 – 2012; P – 2015; LMP3 – 2022
Sebastien Bourdais (3): GT2 – 2006; P – 2015; DPi – 2021
Colin Braun (3): PC – 2014, 2016; LMP3 – 2021
Ian James (3): P2 – 2004, 2005; GTD – 2015
Ben Keating (3): GTD – 2017; LMP2 – 2021, 2022
Fred Makowiecki (3): GTLM – 2018, 2019, 2020
Dirk Mueller (3): GT – 2000, 2011, 2012
Nick Tandy (3): GTLM – 2018, 2019, 2020
Earl Bamber (2): GTLM – 2020; DPi – 2022
Mario Farnbacher (2): GTD – 2015, 2017
Joey Hand (2): GT – 2011, 2012
Mikkel Jensen (2): LMP2 – 2021, 2022
Corey Lewis (2): GTD – 2018, 2023
Tommy Milner (2): GT – 2013; GTLM – 2016
Bryan Sellers (2): GTD – 2018, 2023
Madison Snow (2): GTD – 2018, 2023
Jordan Taylor (2): P – 2017; GTD PRO – 2022
Jack Aitken (1): GTP – 2023
Klaus Bachler (1): GTD PRO – 2023
Mirko Bortolotti (1): GTD – 2019
Gianmaria Bruni (1): GT2 – 2010
Josh Burdon (1): LMP3 – 2023
Dane Cameron (1): PC – 2011
Matt Campbell (1): GTLM – 2021
Nicky Catsburg (1): GTD PRO – 2022
Michael Christensen (1): GTLM – 2014
Ryan Dalziel (1): WEC P2 – 2012
Romain Dumas (1): P2 – 2008
John Farano (1): LMP2 – 2023
Felipe Fraga (1): LMP3 – 2023
Antonio Fuoco (1): GTD – 2022
Ryan Hardwick (1): GTD – 2020
Jan Heylen (1): GTD – 2020
Mathieu Jaminet (1): GTLM – 2021
Neel Jani (1): DPi – 2022
Oliver Jarvis (1): P1 – 2013
Lars Kern (1): GTD – 2021
George Kurtz (1): LMP2 – 2021
Roberto Lacorte (1): GTD – 2022
Andy Lally (1): GTD – 2014
Scott McLaughlin (1): LMP2 – 2023
Felipe Nasr (1): DP – 2019
John Potter (1): GTD – 2014
Alex Riberas (1): GTD – 2015
Zacharie Robichon (1): GTD – 2021
Gar Robinson (1): LMP3 – 2023
Mike Rockenfeller (1): GTLM – 2017
Giorgio Sernagiotto (1): GTD – 2022
Alexander Sims (1): GTP – 2023
Ricky Taylor (1): P – 2017
Harry Tincknell (1): DPi – 2020
Lance Willsey (1): LMP3 – 2022
Previous Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Pole Winners in 2024 Field (20)
Gianmaria Bruni (3): GT – 2011, 2013; WEC GT – 2012Dane Cameron (3): LMPC – 2011; GTD – 2014; DPi – 2019Antonio Garcia (3): GTLM – 2020, 2021; GTD PRO – 2023Sebastien Bourdais (2): P – 2014; DPi – 2022Colin Braun (2): LMPC – 2013; PC – 2016Pipo Derani (2): DPi – 2021; GTP – 2023Jan Heylen (2): GTD – 2020, 2021Ben Keating (2): LMP2 – 2022, 2023Daniel Serra (2): GTD – 2018; GTD PRO – 2022Michael Christensen (1): GTLM – 2014Connor De Phillippi (1): GTLM – 2018Scott Dixon (1): P1 – 2009Andy Lally (1): GTC – 2013Fred Makowiecki (1): GTLM – 2015Kyle Marcelli (1): GTD – 2023Dirk Mueller (1): GT – 2000Zacharie Robichon (1): GTD – 2022Gar Robinson (1): LMP3 – 2022Ricky Taylor (1): DPi – 2020Steven Thomas (1): LMP2 – 2021
Previous Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Winning Teams in 2024 Field (21)
Corvette Racing (12): GTS – 2002, 2003, 2004; GT1 – 2006, 2007, 2008 2009; GT – 2013; GTLM – 2015, 2016, 2017; GTD PRO – 2022
PR1 Mathiasen (5): LMPC – 2013; PC – 2015; LMP2 – 2020, 2021, 2022
Penske Racing (4): PROTO 15 – 1964; GT13 – 1966; Trans-Am – 1968; P2 – 2008
Action Express Racing (3): P – 2015; DP – 2019; GTP – 2023
Risi Competizione (3): GT2 – 2007, 2009, 2010
BMW M Team RLL (2): GT – 2011, ALMS GT – 2012
Chip Ganassi Racing (2): P – 2014; DPi – 2022
Paul Miller Racing (2): GTD – 2018, 2023
Performance Tech Motorsports (2): PC – 2017; LMP2 – 2019
Pfaff Motorsports (2): GTD – 2021; GTD PRO – 2023
Riley (2): GTD – 2017; LMP3 – 2023
AF Corse (1): WEC GT – 2012
Andretti (1): P2 – 2007
Cetilar Racing (1): GTD – 2022
Ford (1): P13 – 1967
JDC-Miller MotorSports (1): DPi – 2021
Magnus Racing (1): GTD – 2014
Sean Creech Motorsport (1): LMP3 – 2022
Tower Motorsports (1): LMP2 – 2023
Wayne Taylor Racing (1): P – 2017
Wright Motorsports (1): GTD – 2020
Previous Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Winning Manufacturers in 2023 Field (10)
Porsche – 101
Chevrolet – 41
Ferrari – 38
Ford – 9
BMW – 8
Cadillac – 5
Acura – 3
Aston Martin – 3
Lamborghini – 2
Mercedes-AMG – 2 |
