World News – US – Sebring 12 Hours: Drama for the title contenders in the first quarter

Acura Team Penske leader Ricky Taylor took the lead at the start of the race ahead of Ranger Van Der Zandy Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V. R who worked hard to stop Dane Cameron’s second Acura. In the back, Harry Tinknell # 55 Mazda RT24-P moved ahead of Sebastian Burdais JDC Miller Motorsports Cadillac to finish fourth, while Action Express Racing, led by Pippo Derani, was ahead of Oliver Jarvis’s second Mazda and the second JDC Miller’s car from Matthews List.

Then word came from Race Control that Van der Zande would have to serve a penalty by dropping off the line to turn behind first-place winner Acura before passing the green flag.

In the first round of stops, after the 35-minute mark, the only change for the driver was 2012 IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Ria who took over Mazda No.55 from Tinknell. Dirani went longer laps – and turned into a strong position – and between the impressive work of the AXR and the rising leaders in traffic, Cadillac jumped No. 31 ahead of leaders Mazda and fourth..

That almost instantly became a third, as Taylor’s No.7 Acura suddenly slowed down and pothole – the rear bodywork was removed and pulled behind the wall. IMSA radio reported that the left-side turbocharger had failed, necessitating the removal of the turbocharger. It will eventually resume 11 laps.

And so Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, still driven by furious Ranger van der Zande, became the championship favorites, despite starting the race two points late.

Jarvis will soon pitch his temporary team-mate Hunter-Rey to take fourth place and try to close 2. 5 seconds deficit for Dirani in third place. Up front, the Pordes Championships saw the JDC-Miller shut down within a second of Commander Cameron, but that became irrelevant when the yellow flew off. That was to recover debris from a conversion by John Farrano’s Tower Motorsport by Starworks Oreca, who was second in LMP2, behind dominant leader Patrick Kelly in the PR1 car Mathiasen Motorsport.

Under yellow, all prototypes block the AXR Cadillac and the # 55 Mazda, so they headed to the field at the start of the second half, but Cameron quickly passed Hunter-Reay for a second time, while the WTR No.10 machine in the backhand pass Van der Zande on Borday is fourth.

When Derani and Hunter-Reay – and delivered to Gabby Chaves and Jonathan Bomarito respectively – Cameron took the lead and set some scorching times to get 10 seconds off the battle between van der Zande and Bourdais, while Olivier Pla (now in # 77 Mazda) and Leist were within 3 seconds.

In the next round of stopping, Van der Zande gave the WTR to Ryan Briscoe, Vauthier took over from Bordes, Juan Pablo Montoya replaced Cameron and Scott Andrews took over from Lest.

Two hours into the race, Montoya made a 7-second lead in a brilliant battle between Chaves, Pomarito and Bla, until Chavez and Pomarito kicked off due to their stoppages of strategy, as they promoted Pla to second place in Mazda’s # 77 with Brisco in third place WTR, Just two seconds before the JDC-Miller machine from Vautier. Mazda Pomaretto will appear before Chavez’s AXR Caddy.

Briscoe had just instigated a Cadillac WTR No.10 when the second warning flew over for a flimsy but large wreck on Turn 17 (last turn). And so the exciting black Cadillac jumped to the top when everyone took advantage of the yellow color, appearing in the order of Montoya, Andrews, Vauthier, Tristan Nunez (No. 77 Mazda), Tinknell (No. 55 Mazda), Philip Nasr (AXR)..

Briscoe resumed a great start to maintain the lead, while Vauthier went third ahead of Andrews, overtaking teammate Nunez Tinknell, and then came in third yellow for the GT Massacre.

The BMW M8 driven by Connor de Philippe takes the lead from the curved Corvette C8. Antonio Garcia at the start. In the opening laps, these two looked at a race of their own, with BMW’s third-placed Jesse Crone dropping five seconds behind while trailing Nick Tandy’s # 911 Porsche 911 RSR, Tommy Milner in # 4 Corvette and Neil Janney’s # 912 Porsche.

The distance between De Philip and Garcia was less than a second in fifty minutes, but 17 seconds behind the BMW Croon which was not under pressure from Tandy and Milner, while Janie was 12 seconds behind the second Corvette.

In response to the wreckage, before the yellow flag, all cars were withdrawn and De Phillippi resumed his pre-Garcia appeal, while Porsche got # 911 – now driven by Earl Bamber – ahead of Krohn’s BMW and third.

The next round of pauses saw the debut of the No.3 Corvette – now driven by Jordan Taylor – ahead of the now-driving BMW 25 Colton Hertha, with Bamber holding the third place but just ahead of the BMW 24th now with Augusto Farfoss is on board. Nine seconds in fifth was Oliver Gavin, while Lorenz Fantor was charging in sixth.

The second yellow saw the GTLM pit again, and Herta dropped to fifth, but after the reboot he promptly re-passed Gavin to fourth, while Bamber’s # 911 Porsche collided head-on in front of Taylor’s Corvette and Farfus’s BMW. Taylor will soon make a simple mistake that allowed the M8 to pass the C8. Then Gavin’s Corvette expired, spewing fluids and requiring drilling.

Jan Helen was easily able to turn the Wright Motorsports Porsche pole into the lead, with Andrew Davis chasing him in a Hardpoint Racing Audi R8, AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC Fs for Frankie Montcalvo and Aaron Tillitz. The latter appears to be struggling in the early stages, pulling back on his teammate by about five seconds and chasing him down by Richard Hustand Grasser Racing Lamborghini Huracan, Robby Foley in Turner Motorsports BMW M6, Cooper MacNeil in Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488, Madison Snow’s Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini.

Half an hour later, Heylen led by 10 seconds over Davis, with Montecalvo, Tiltes and Heistand edged by nearly five seconds. . Nevertheless, a BMW Foley was filling the mirrors of the Lamborghini’s Hiestand.

Heylen’s progress was stunning in 20 seconds by the time Wright Motorsports pulled him as teams responded to debris on the track from the LMP2 diversion, anticipating a full warning. Hand Helen to Ryan Hardwick. At the start of the first half, Hardwicke maintained the lead but ran 15 minutes later allowing the Hardpoint Audi (now driven by Rob Ferriol) and the Grasser Racing Lamborghini driven by Steijn Schothorst – who then sacked Ferriol to the class. In fact, Hardwick’s loss of momentum drove him down to 11th place.

Meanwhile, Ferriol was parking the Lexus RC Fs now driven by Michael de Quesada, Kyle Kirkwood, and Ian James in an Aston Martin Vantage. Meanwhile, the 86th championship favorite, Acura NSX in Mayer Shank Racing has moved to sixth place, with Shinya Michimi at the wheel..

After the next round of stops, Heystand kept a 17-second lead over two Lexus RC F planes, Townsend Bell now driving 12th ahead of Kirkwood, while Darren Turner was driving Aston Martin in fourth place ahead of Brian Sellers in Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini And Matt McMurry at MSR Acura.

The stops following the second yellow were a disaster for Grasser, as the car died as it left the trunk and had to be taken behind the wall. That left Bill and Kirkwood 1-2 for AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus but not for long. With the Corvette of Gavin suddenly slowing down and dropping liquids (liquids), GTD captains were the first to collide with it and turn both RC Fs into the tire wall at the exit from Turn 17. Ferriol also recycled Hardpoint Audi and Hardwick flew Wright Porsche, but this pair was able to make a comeback in 10th and 9th places, respectively.. Race # 14 Lexus has ended, and # 12 actually ended.

Thus, Turner’s Aston Martin Vantage topped the class, Jeff Westphal finished second in the Scuderia Corsa Ferrari, Riley Motorsports Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 from Lawson Achenbach, Acura MSR McMurry and sellers at PMR Lambo. .

Sebring International Racetrack, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Wayne Taylor Racing, 12 Hours of Sebring, Motorsports, Ranger Van der Zande, Ricky Taylor