All four classes in this weekend’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will have some intriguing action. Some of the key storylines to watch may include the following…
P: P2 FAMILIARITY VERSUS DP UPGRADES
After racing at a relative performance disadvantage at Daytona, the P2-spec cars should be on more even footing at Sebring.
The current generation of P2-spec cars has roughly three years of Sebring data to utilize, while DP cars have only properly tested at Sebring within the last five to six months.
The P2s will be back to a higher downforce package and configuration, while DPs make other aero adjustments, including new dive planes.
Action Express Racing’s No. 5 Corvette DP has been the class of Sebring testing and has accumulated more laps than any other DP thus far at the track. Whether any other DP will be able to match the pace shown remains to be seen.
Additionally, although DPs have had no issues with 24 hours at Daytona, 12 at Sebring is an entirely different challenge. The track’s a grinder; it punishes first-timers more often than not. Continental Tire has 12 hours of running on the PC class cars from last year, but this will still be new territory for the DPs.
American Le Mans Series fans are probably hoping – publicly or privately – that one of “their” P2 cars wins, instead of a DP in their Sebring debut. We’ll see whether that actually comes to fruition.
GTLM: PORSCHE VERSUS THE WORLD
What should have been one of the most exciting class battles at Daytona turned into a battle of survival, as the GT Le Mans-class winning No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR was the only GTLM class car without major drama.
The pace of the factory 911s in February’s preseason test, plus the debuting Falken Tire entry, was a disconcerting sign once more.
BoP adjustments have been made in the class, primarily in reducing fuel tank capacity across the board. Still, the last thing I would have expected to start this new season and new era is that one manufacturer could potentially open with back-to-back wins and a pace advantage on such disparate circuits as Daytona and Sebring.
This class has seen incredibly dramatic Sebring finishes; Corvette’s win over Ferrari last year; the Joey Hand-driven BMW over Olivier Beretta’s Ferrari in 2012; the door-banging Ferrari versus Porsche finish in 2007.
For the fans, this year’s GTLM showcase needs not to be a one-horse race, and for all intents and purposes, it probably won’t be.
Porsche may enter as favorites, but all of Corvette, SRT Viper, Ferrari and BMW will be giving chase. The RLL BMWs got results at Daytona by surviving more than outright pace, and should be in with a good shot at a handling track this week.
PC: BATTLE OF THE CHANGING LINEUPS
After PC had a good 2013 battle with five cars competing for the class win down to the wire a year ago, in the class’ first race with Continental tires, there should be more of the same in 2014.
PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports enters as defending race winners but with an overhauled lineup, now featuring Bayshore Racing/Camp Boggy Creek partnerships and Gunnar Jeannette, Frankie Montecalvo and Mike Guasch in the No. 52 driver’s seat.
CORE autosport’s relative stability and track experience should play dividends. Both of RSR’s lineups are strong, as is at least one of Starworks’ and BAR1’s.
The 8Star, Performance Tech and debuting JDC/Miller teams could also enter the picture depending on how reliability or contact affects any of the above eight cars.
GTD: A CALL FOR A CLEAN, NON-CONTROVERSIAL FINISH
The dust has settled, mostly, after the GT Daytona finish at Daytona. Level 5 won when a penalty issued for avoidable contact was rescinded; Flying Lizard, justifiably, felt jobbed.
Yet it’s Level 5, along with three of the top four teams from Daytona that actually won’t be in action at Sebring as they were last month. Third-placed Snow Racing has partnered with Rum Bum Racing for a new No. 13 entry; the fourth-placed SMP Racing Ferrari team was a Daytona-only entry.
Level 5’s pair of Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler continues, in the same number and car, but now run by the returning AIM Autosport group.
Elsewhere there’s any of the other Ferraris, Audi R8s, Porsche 911 GT Americas, Aston Martin Vantages and solitary BMW Z4 GT3 and SRT Viper GT3-R that could contend this weekend.
There was good diversity of manufacturers in the top five at February’s test. The key to success in GTD is often how well the leaders manage faster traffic lapping them, and staying out of the way throughout the race. Some cars even have four-driver lineups, which will allow each driver to go close to flat out for their presumably one or maybe two stints.
