What’s a Sebring race without last-minute drama and weirdness? The tradition of the 12 Hours continues with the 24 Hours.
The Andy Lally driven 991 class RPM / Krohn Porsche had a steady slide downward during the early a.m., needing not one but two brake changes. On the plus side, everyone has fallen in love with Willi, the brightly coloured #955 Porsche that not only leads the 991 class but solidified third overall as well.
The #188 AC Motorsport Audi maintained a one lap lead in the TCE division, thanks in part to some Autorama drama. The #1 VW attended to some loose bodywork but still kept to a competitive second in TCR. Its sister car, #112, lost ample time with two suspension failures.
In the ho-hum not so news department, the Ginetta crashed again and was patched together again. It’s hope of a TCE division championship being more readily evaporated than a Florida puddle.
Speaking of which, at about 11 am, the 18-hour mark, a steady rain increased in intensity. Teams swapped out tires, the lap times continued to lengthen and the track went purple. The rain became stronger and even at a mere 60 km/h, cars were ploughing through huge pools and beginning to aquaplane. It was time for yet another wrinkle in this odd race, it was time for a red flag.
The 75-minute break coincided conveniently with lunch. It also created the moment that proved to be a turning point in the race. Driving the leading Porsche, Alfred Renauer made an uncharacteristic mistake of running a red light at the fuel lane. The resulting two-minute penalty attached to their next stop would hand the lead permanently to Elia Erhart in the #18 Audi.
The rain stopped and a fleet of dryer trucks prepped the course for the four-hour sprint to the finish.
The GT4 class had been a see-saw affair between the NOLASport Porsche and the Aston Martin of Heart of Racing. However, the latter slowed and pitted, a terminal gearbox problem was diagnosed.
Adding yet another dimension of concern, Vortex driver Philippe Bonnel collapsed after a stint and had to be attended to by paramedics. It turned out to be dehydration. He was attended to and released.
More comically, the Ginetta was given the “meatball” flag as its Rube Goldberg attached door that was rattling off at speed. By the way, it started the race as car number 278. The last time that we checked it was wearing #62—that may be its third car number of the race.
Ominous clouds surrounded the circuit as the 22-hour mark passed but it also appeared as perhaps the weather would spare the dying embers of the race. With about 75 minutes remaining in the race, the finishing order appeared to be settled.
Winkelhock / Erhart / Doppelmayr / Herberger were soaring to first in the race and their first victory of the year. Second place for the #91 Herberth Porsche would be enough to give them the GT3 championship.
Willi’s third overall and first in 991 also nets them the class title as their rivals were not present. (De Castro, Nicolae and Broggi are also the class driver champs). Series irregulars RMP Racing (the Krohn Porsche) recovered to a good fourth overall and second place in 991, followed by the GTX winning #710 of Leipert Lamborghini, running a steady and almost anonymous race. Despite their near bottom finish here, Vortex season-long attendance nets them the GTX title.
NOLASport’s Porsche persevered to the GT4 win from sixth overall but as they are not a season regular, the class title goes to the next car, the BMW of ST Racing. The Canadian based team also won the overall GT division title. Their drivers Tan, Hull and Miller are also the overall GT driver champions with Samantha adding on trophies for the Ladies and Junior Cups as well.
The top TCE division and TCR class car stood at eighth overall. The #188 AC Audi had a brief scare during the penultimate hour, slowing at the esses before recovering full power. It is enough to hand them the division and class title with Perrin and Detry setting the standard on the drivers’ side. Autorama’s two VWs, #1 and #112 were next overall, sandwiching the long-delayed #92 Herberth Porsche.
At 12th overall the Ligier took TCX at Sebring. Although finishing dead effing last, the CWS Engineering Ginetta will still take the TCX class on points, though not the TCE division. White and Brunot are the class driving champions. Mathieu Detry also takes the TCE Junior Cup and Jasmin Preising of the #1 VW the Women’s trophy.
The remaining finishers were the #987 MRS GTX class Porsche, the #421 GT4 class BMW M4, the Vortex and the now forlorn works BMW. As the sole runner, the BMW wins the P4 class.
As dark clouds and general darkness descended the long delayed and sometimes troubled race ended.
Here is to a much smoother 2nd Sebring 24 Hours.
