Porsche Motorsports Weekly Event Notes: Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Porsche Motorsport Schedule in North America. Upcoming Event.
Event: 65th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring International Raceway
Dateline: Sebring, Florida
Date: Saturday, March 18
Track Length: 3.74-miles, 15-turn
Race Duration: 12-Hours
Class: GTLM (Porsche 911 RSR)
GTD (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Round: GTLM. 2 of 11
GTD. 2 of 12
Next Round: Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach Street Circuit, Long Beach, California, April 8, 2017
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge
Event: Visit Sebring 120, Sebring International Raceway
Dateline: Sebring, Florida
Date: Friday, March 17
Track Length: 3.74-miles, 15-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours
Class: GS/GT4 (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR)
GS (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport)
Round: 2 of 10
Next Round: Advanced Auto Parts SportsCar Showdown, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, May 4-6, 2017
IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama
Event: 65th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring International Raceway
Dateline: Sebring, Florida
Date: Race 1. Thursday, March 16
Race 2. Friday, March 17
Track Length: 3.74-miles, 15-turn
Race Duration: Two, 45-minute races
Class: Platinum (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2017)
Gold (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2014-2016)
Round: 1 and 2 of 14
Next Round: Grand Prix of Birmingham, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama, April 22-23, 2017
Porsche Profile.
Event Story Lines.
Porsche and Sebring: Two Legends. Porsche GT Team brings New 911 to 12 Hour Classic.
The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is the longest running and toughest sports car race in the North America. The 65th running of this classic event at the Sebring International Raceway on the legendary airfield circuit in the heart of Florida will be held on March 18. The Porsche GT Team tackles round two of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a pair of 510 hp 911 RSR in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. With 18 overall victories and 70 class wins, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in the history of the storied and notoriously bumpy racetrack.
The Porsche werks team also travels to Sebring as the points’ leader of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, a competition encompassing the four long distance races at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans. Each event is broken into individual sections that pay points toward an overall championship. By virtue of its running position during these sectors at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, Porsche leads the GTLM class for this championship within a championship.
The 12 hour classic race is as legendary as its winners. Immortalized on the victors’ list are racing greats such as Hurley Haywood, Juan Manuel Fangio, A.J. Foyt, Hans Hermann, Jacky Ickx and Mario Andretti. Hollywood stars Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, who finished second overall in 1970 with a Porsche 908, have also fulfilled their racing dreams on the Sebring International Raceway. Built on a former military airfield, the circuit with its 17 corners is 3.74-miles long and hosted the inaugural race on New Year’s Eve, 1950.
Six Porsche works drivers contest the GTLM class with the new 911 RSR for the Porsche GT Team. Sharing the cockpit of the No. 911 vehicle are Patrick Pilet (France), Dirk Werner (Germany) and Frédéric Makowiecki (France), who kicked off the season with second-place at Daytona. In the No. 912 car are Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium), Kévin Estre (France) and Richard Lietz (Austria).
The Porsche 911 RSR, which celebrated its race debut in January at Daytona, is a completely new development: the suspension, body structure, aerodynamic concept, engine and transmission have all been designed in Weissach from scratch. Depending on the size of the restrictor, the engine, which is now positioned in front of the rear axle, puts out approximately 510 hp. Thanks to the particularly large rear diffuser combined with a top-mounted rear wing, the level of downforce and the aerodynamic efficiency were significantly improved over the 2016 model. The new factory design of the 911 RSR with the basic colors white, red and black has further developed the clear and dynamic design language of Porsche Motorsport.
Porsche is the manufacturer with the most Sebring victories. The first of 18 outright victories for Porsche on the Sebring International Raceway came in 1960 courtesy of Hans Herrmann and Olivier Gendebien in the Porsche 718 RS/60. Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Emmanuel Collard, driving the Porsche RS Spyder, clinched the most recent overall win in 2008. Porsche’s list of successes also includes 70 class wins at this race – also a record. The most recent success was in 2015 with the Porsche 911 GT America fielded by the Alex Job Racing customer team. Prior to that, in 2014, Jörg Bergmeister, Michael Christensen and Patrick Long scored class victory at the wheel of a Porsche 911 RSR.
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport.
“Our new 911 RSR celebrated a successful race debut at the season-opening round in Daytona. From this we gained a great deal of important insights that we now want to turn into an even better performance against very strong opposition. This alone will not be easy because this airfield course is a very special racetrack that puts huge demands of drivers and cars. However, as the most successful manufacturer in the history of the classic race, we have a reputation to uphold. With our customer teams, who started the season at Daytona with a GTD-class win, we’ll do our very best to achieve this.”
Marco Ujhasi, Director, GT Motorsport.
“After Daytona, Sebring is the second classic of the season. This race is a brutal challenge. It’s only half as long as Daytona, but much harder because of the heat and the incredibly bumpy track. We’ve completed many test kilometers in Sebring with our new 911 RSR and line up on the grid very well prepared. And the prospects look good for a gripping fight for victory, particularly in the GTLM class.”
Frédéric Makowiecki, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“Sebring is very special and alongside Le Mans it’s my favorite race. The masses of fans know their stuff when it comes to motorsport and they display the sort of spirit that I very much like. I’m looking forward to enjoying a huge motorsport party and I hope that we have reason to celebrate when it’s all over.”
Patrick Pilet, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“Sebring is a very intense race. Unlike Daytona, where you have to keep something in reserve over the first two-thirds of the race in order to have a strong car for the final hours, in Sebring you pull out all stops right from the start. It’s one of the big races in the USA that I haven’t yet won. So the motivation to win is huge, particularly as I’m convinced that the circuit is very well suited to our 911 RSR.”
Dirk Werner, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I like this demanding track. With all the bumps it’s not only the drivers who face a huge challenge. The stresses on the cars are greater than at almost any other race. I’ve never won at Sebring so in that regard I still have a score to settle.”
Kévin Estre, Driver, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“Sebring is a really cool race with masses of spectators and a great atmosphere. They celebrate St. Patrick’s Day big time here so everyone’s already in a great party mood. We’ve done some extensive testing in Sebring and the car feels very good.”
Richard Lietz, Driver, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“Sebring is one of my favorite tracks. It’s very challenging and the many bumps make it extremely difficult for drivers to clock consistently fast lap times. The tests with the 911 RSR there were very encouraging. I think Sebring is a very good race track for our new car.”
Laurens Vanthoor, Driver, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I only know this race from television and from the stories my teammates have shared. It has a great history and I’m looking forward to being a part of that. I got to know the course during our testing here. It was an impressive experience.”
Three for GTD. Trio of Porsche 911 GT3 R Customer Teams Look for 12 Hour GTD Title.
While the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class has the heaviest factory involvement of any division in the 65th Running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, the GT Daytona (GTD) class has equally intense competition. The 911 GT3 R is the chassis of choice for Porsche customer teams in the Pro-Am style category with 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona class-winners Alegra Motorsports leading the way. Closely on its heels are Park Place Motorsports and CORE autosport.
The 911 GT3 R celebrated its race debut a year ago in Daytona mounted with the new ultra-modern, four-liter, flat-six engine with direct fuel injection. Porsche had designed the more than 500 hp customer sports racer for worldwide GT3 series on the basis of the 911 GT3 RS production sports car and it immediately found a home in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship paddock. Both the No. 73 Park Place machine – shared by Porsche factory driver and Sebring-expert Jörg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Lindsey (Santa Barbara, California) and 2016 Porsche Young Driver Academy graduate Matt McMurry (Phoenix, Arizona) – and the No. 54 CORE autosport machine – driven by Jon Bennett (Charlotte, North Carolina), Colin Braun (Harrisburg, North Carolina) and Nic Jönsson (Buford, Georgia) – are full-season contenders. The No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R will only contest the four Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Championship (TPNAEC) rounds (Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans). However, it was the endurance race-focused team owned by two-time Rolex 24 At Daytona class champion Carlos de Quesada (Tampa, Florida) that earned the car its first North American 24-hour race victory earlier this season.
A slightly different lineup than chased down the Daytona checkered flag will share the car for the last 12 hours of the “36 Hours of Florida” – as the two Florida endurance classics are collectively called. Porsche factory driver Michael Christensen (Denmark) reprises his role as pro in the car. He will be joined by Porsche Young Driver Academy graduate Daniel Morad (Canada), Michael de Quesada (Tampa, Florida) and veteran sports car champion Spencer Pumpelly (Atlanta, Georgia). Pumpelly joined the team at Daytona playing an integral part in their Rolex 24 win. However, then it was from the timing stand calling strategy for 24 hours. He returns to the cockpit at Sebring.
Sebastian Golz, Project Manager, GT Customer Sport.
“The 911 GT3 R’s win at Daytona was a perfect start into the season for our customer teams. In contrast to Daytona, the primary focus in Sebring is not so much on top speed, but on brake wear. The balance between brake wear and brake performance plays a major role, because one extra pit stop to change the brakes costs precious time and this could make the difference between victory and defeat.”
Jörg Bergmeister, Driver, No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“To have any chance on this track you have to drive flat-out right from the start. Sebring is completely different from Daytona. The race is just half the duration, but twice as difficult. And the fans are great too. The mood that they create is better than at virtually any other race.”
Michael Christensen, Driver, No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“Sebring is a real classic. Winning this race in 2014 was one of the highlights of my career. Driving at the limit on this bumpy track for hours on end is very demanding on drivers. But it’s also great fun. And after our success at Daytona the team is, of course, feeling very motivated.”
Full Lap. Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Returns to Site of First CTSCC Win.
It was here at Sebring International Raceway where the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport saw its first international success. The racecar, which shares over 80% of its parts with the road-going Cayman GT4, had debuted in the IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) last year at Daytona. However, it took one more race before the car won its first event. The winning program, Bodymotion Racing, scored that first victory with drivers Cameron Cassels (Canada)/ Trent Hindman (Wayside, New Jersey). That pairing captured the next two rounds of the GS class as well.
Hindman and Cassells are back to defend their title in the No. 12 Bodymotion Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. They will be joined in the Visit Sebring 120 on Friday, March 17 by the No. 21 Muehlner Motorsports America Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport driven by Cameron Lawrence (Windemere, Florida). The No. 33 CJ Wilson Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport of Till Bechtolsheimer (New York City, New York) and Marc Miller (Grand Rapids, Michigan) as well as the No. 35 CJ Wilson Racing car raced by Russell Ward (Seabrook, Texas) and Damien Faulkner (Ireland) bring a formidable team that showed with podiums and victories in the mid-engined Porsche’s inaugural CTSCC season in 2016. The No. 46 TeamTGM entry of driver/owner Ted Giovanis (Highland, Maryland) and Guy Cosmo (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) showed strength in 2016. Cosmo lives nearby and counts Sebring as one of his home tracks.
For 2017, Manthey Racing developed an upgraded car that made the Cayman eligible under the international GT4-spec regulations. That new car was christened the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR and was a popular choice by a new group of teams. Giovanis’ TeamTGM brings one of the new editions in addition to its standard Cayman GT4 Clubsport. The No. 4 will be co-driven by Giovanis and Hugh Plumb (Unionville, Pennsylvania). Other MR entries are the No. 28 RS1 of Dillon Machavern (Burlington, Vermont) and Dylan Murcott (Ancram, New York) as well as the No. 38 BGB Motorsports entry raced by James Cox (Nokomis, Florida) and John Tecce (Gladwyne, Pennsylvania).
Wright on Target. Wright Motorsports Leaves St. Pete with Win.
Wright Motorsports kicked off the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge season with a quartet of podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg. Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California) claimed his first victory of the season, along with a third-place finish in the GT class. Michael Schein (Glen Cover, New York) had a strong run with back-to-back second-place finishes in the GTA.
An action packed Race 1 on Saturday saw a slew of battles for Long. It wasn't until the last lap that Long slid into the top-three and earned himself a third-place podium finish. Porsche’s only North American factory driver's fastest race lap earned him the third-place starting spot on the grid for Race 2.
The start of Race 2 was what kept people talking. At the drop of the green flag, Long dove around the polesitter, Alex Riberas, and Johnny O'Connell into Turn 1. From there, he bridged a two-second gap in the lead and never looked back. This launch at the start earned the California native high honors with Pirelli World Challenge's Cadillac “Move of the Race” award. The only caution period of the race came during the final six-minutes, which prompted PWC's decision to go green for the last lap. Despite a charging O'Connell, Long maintained his composure throughout the restart and carried the No. 58 Wright Motorsports-backed Porsche 911 GT3 R to its first victory of the 2017 season.
Patrick Long and Wright Motorsports will carry the GT class championship lead heading into Round 3 at Long Beach, California on April 9.
CBS Sports coverage of the Streets of St. Petersburg will air Saturday, March 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The next stop on the Pirelli World Challenge schedule is April 7-9 at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. First, Wright Motorsports will be heading to Sebring International Raceway for this weekend's IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge USA season opener.
Patrick Long, Driver, No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R.
“This whole weekend I knew that we had a really strong car. Sunday we controlled the start, and kept it on the line so from there it was just clean air. I knew we had a great car, so I'm glad I was able to reach the potential of what it had and capitalize on it heading into the championship. Johnny [O'Connell] had the capability of reeling me in when he had the pressure from [Alex] Riberas in the Ferrari so I was pushing as hard as I could. The head of Porsche Motorsport North America asked me what I wanted to do and I said I want to win this championship. I wanted to come in rested and hungry like the rest of these guys that I’m up against. We have more competition than ever this year. I think we have started the year off very well.”
Udell For Two. GTA Sprint Rookie Alec Udell Races to Twin PWC Wins in 911 GT3 R.
Few doubted Alec Udell’s driving ability entering his first full season of Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) GTA class competition in the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. The resident of The Woodlands, Texas had made his professional debut at the this same St. Petersburg, Florida street circuit at age 15 six years ago. Last season, he won the PWC GT Cup Championship racing for the same GMG program that is preparing the car this season. But few expected the Clemson University junior to score convincing GTA class victories in both 50-minute races this weekend. But that is exactly what Udell did.
The Porsche Young Driver Academy graduate earned the GTA pole position for each race. The GTA class battle was closely between Udell and Michael Schein (Glen Cove, New York) in the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. A multi-time GTA class winner last year, Schein earned second-place in both rounds at St. Petersburg. Making his two podiums more impressive was that this was Schein’s first trip to St. Petersburg.
Alec Udell, Driver, No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports GMG Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“I was nervous. St. Pete is a tricky place to drive at let alone race with several other world-class talented drivers. The GT class in Pirelli World Challenge has been my toughest competition to date. We’re out there fighting from green to checkered at 110% on a street course no less. When 15 GT3-spec cars on the grid are covered by less than one second in lap time differences, you know you’re in a strong field and nearly any one of those cars could take the win. Not only are the drivers top caliber, but also so are the teams. The results we had represent that we came ready to show what we were capable of, and didn’t leave anything on the table.”
Michael Schein, Driver, No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“I enjoyed my first weekend racing at St Pete. The track is enjoyable and it's quite the thrill racing between the concrete barriers. Happy to walk away with a clean racecar and two second-place finishes. Wright Motorsports gave me a great car to race with so thanks to them. Both races were pretty quiet for me. After two frantic starts I was able to get into a good rhythm and run some decent laps. I got a bit unlucky with lapped traffic and lost touch with the group in front of me. I felt good in the car all weekend and found some speed as the weekend progressed. Congrats to Pat Long on his win. I'm looking forward to Long Beach and the rest of the season.”
World Championship Couples. Porsche Announces WEC Driver Pairings.
The Porsche GT Team campaigns two 510 hp Porsche 911 RSR in the LMGTE-Pro class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) again in 2017. This season marks the long-awaited return to “world championship” status for the GT classes of WEC. The Le Mans Prototype One (LMP1) class has had that distinction since the inception of the WEC, with Porsche’s 919 Hybrid capturing the Driver, Team and Manufacturer accolades the last two seasons.
Porsche GT Team, the 2015 FIA WEC title winners, return with a works entry with the new 2017 Porsche 911 RSR.
The 911 RSR with the starting number 91 can be recognized by the red Porsche lettering on a black windscreen banner and on the rear wing as well as red wing mirrors. The vehicle is driven by the 2015 WEC Champion Richard Lietz (Austria) as well as Frédéric Makowiecki (France). Tackling the series in the number 92 vehicle are Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kévin Estre (France). In contrast to the sister car, their 911 RSR features a white background on the windscreen and the rear wing as well as white wing mirrors.
All four of the factory drivers are regulars in North America and, in fact, already have laps turned in competition in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Lietz, Makowiecki and Estre all ran the 911 RSR at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. Christensen piloted the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R to a GTD class victory in the 24-hour classic. All four are back this weekend to challenge for wins in those cars and classes again.
Both 911 RSR, which were designed from scratch for the 2017 season featuring a four-liter flat-six engine mounted in front of the rear axle, will take part in the official WEC Prologue tests on April 1-2 in Monza, Italy. Silverstone (Great Britain) hosts the first six-hour race of the season on April 16.
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport.
“In the fight for the maiden GT World Championship title in the FIA WEC we’ve put together two strong driver pairings. And all four pilots come from the world’s best GT hotbed of talent, Porsche’s one-make race series.”
Children’s Charity. Porsche Factory Driver Long Supports John Hopkins.
Porsche factory driver Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California) and IndyCar Series racer Sebastien Bourdais (France) were instrumental in the organizing and success of the Sixth Annual Kart 4 Kids Pro/Am Kart Race held at Andersen Race Park in Palmetto, Florida over the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend. Perhaps in part because of the $81,000 the event raised this year, fate smiled upon the two as they were the big winners of the event; Long driving the No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R to the overall GT victory in Sunday’s Pirelli World Challenge race, Bourdais to the Indy car feature earlier in the day.
In addition to his longtime role as an ambassador of the race, Long also commissioned a special Arai helmet be painted by famed helmet designer Troy Lee with the sole intention of auctioning it off for the charity. Lee, who has painted the Californian’s helmets for much of his career, fashioned a unique design incorporating both the John Hopkins and GP of St. Petersburg brands as well as key elements associated with Long’s helmet, including his classic flames and four-leaf clover.
North America’s only Porsche works driver raced with the helmet at St. Pete both before (Saturday) and after (Sunday’s victory) it was auctioned. The sale of the special “lid” brought in $5,200 USD with the full amount of the sale going directly to the John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
The Professional IndyCar and Sports Car drivers who participated included Long, Bourdais, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Spencer Pigot – whose team won the karting event, Ed Jones, Jan Heylen, RC Enerson, Porsche Young Drivers Academy graduate Daniel Morad (Canada), Trent Hindman, James French, Ethan Lowe, Nate Stacy (driver on the No. 14 Flying Lizard Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class), and Glenn McGee.
2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona GTD class winners Alegra Motorsports were a major backer of the race.
Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital is the only critical care children’s hospital on the West Coast of Florida. Included in their areas of expertise are extreme premature births, infant open-heart surgery, pediatric cancer, and child critical trauma.
Kart 4 Kids, Inc. sole focus is raising money for children's medical needs. It is an all-volunteer organization and all money raised net of direct event expenses goes directly the Hospital located in St. Petersburg.
Supported in part by the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg, the race to date has raised $281,000 for Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.
Images of the John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Charity helmet can be found at: http://press.porsche.com/media/gallery2/v/photos/motorsports/2017+IMSA+-+Roar+Before+the+24/2017+Pirelli+World+Challenge+-+St_+Pete/Patrick+Long+Charity+Helmet#gallery
Porsche History. Porsche Motorsport History at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Porsche history at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring dates back to 1953 when Richard Toland entered a Porsche 356 in the race. The German marque’s first win came in 1960 when Hans Herrmann and Oliver Gendebien piloted a Porsche 718 RS 60 to overall victory nine laps ahead of second-place, the Brumos Racing-entered Porsche 718 RS 60. Since that time, Porsche has raced to hold nearly every significant record on the former US Army Air Corp airfield.
Overall Wins. 18 (Manufacturer Record, six ahead of its nearest rival, Ferrari)
Class Wins. 70 (Manufacturer Record, 43 ahead of its nearest rival, Corvette)
13-Year Winning Streak. 1976-1988
1960 – Hans Herrmann/Oliver Gendebien Porsche RS 60
1968 – Hans Hermann/Jo Siffert – Porsche 907
1971 – Vic Elford/Gerald Larrousse – Porsche 917
1973 – Hurley Haywood/Peter Gregg/Dave Helmick – Porsche Carrera
1976 – Al Holbert/Michael Keyser – Porsche Carrera
1977 – George Dyer/Brad Frisselle – Porsche Carrera
1978 – Brian Redman/Charles Mendez/Bob Garretson – Porsche 935
1979 – Bob Akin/Roy Woods/Rob McFarlin – Porsche 935
1980 – Dick Barbour/John Fitzpatrick – Porsche 935 K3
1981 – Hurley Haywood/Al Holbert/Bruce Leven – Porsche 935
1982 – John Paul, Sr./John Paul, Jr. – Porsche 935
1983 – Kees Nierop/Wayne Baker/Jim Mullen – Porsche 934
1984 – Stefan Johansson/Mauricio DeNarvaez/Hans Heyer – Porsche 935
1985 – A.J. Foyt/Bob Wollek – Porsche 962
1986 – Hans Stuck/Bob Akin/Jo Gartner – Porsche 962
1987 – Bobby Rahal/Jochen Mass – Porsche 962
1988 – Klaus Ludwig/Hans Stuck – Porsche 962
2008 – Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard, Emmanuel Collard – Porsche RS Spyder
Other Porsche Sebring Facts.
- Class Wins: 70 (a manufacturer record)
- Fastest race lap: 130.707 mph (by Derek Bell in a Porsche 962 – 1986)
- Porsche 911 Wins: 31 Overall and Class Victories
- GT Class Wins: 28 (since 1979)
- Porsche has led 4,198 laps at Sebring (overall) for a total of 19,997.4 miles (Ferrari is second at 2,743 and 13,099.1 respectively)
- Porsche has lead the 12 Hours of Sebring overall in 25 of its 65 years – 3 more years than its nearest competitor, Ferrari.
- Porsche has the most GT class pole positions of any manufacturer: 15
- Porsche scored its 70th class win at Sebring in 2015 when the No. 23 Team Seattle Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America took GT Daytona (GTD) honors.
- Porsche won both GT classes in 2014 – Porsche 911 RSR in GTLM and Porsche 911 GT America
- Porsche holds the all-time GTD class track record at Sebring for race distance covered in 12-hours: 318 laps, 1189.3-miles (2015, Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America)
- Porsche has earned the overall fastest race lap a record 14-times in its history, three times more than Ferrari.
- At least one Porsche has competed at Sebring every year since 1953 – 62 straight races (there was no race in 1974). No other manufacturer is close to that record.
- Hurley Haywood has 28 starts at the 12 Hours of Sebring (27 of them in Porsches) – five more than his nearest rival
Porsche Entries at Sebring International Raceway.
Total Car Count. 42 Porsche Motorsport-produced cars are competing at Sebring during the 65th Running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring weekend across three series: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Total Car Count: Five (5) Porsche entries will be competing in the first round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
GTLM Class – Two (2) Porsche 911 RSR.
No. 911 Porsche GT Team Patrick Pilet (France)/ Dirk Werner (Germany)/ Frédéric Makowiecki (France)
No. 912 Porsche GT Team Kévin Estre (France)/ Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium)/ Richard Lietz (Austria)
GTD Class – Three (3) Porsche 911 GT3 R.
No. 28 Alegra Motorsports
Michael Christensen (Denmark)/ Daniel Morad (Canada)/ Michael de Quesada (Tampa, Florida) / Spencer Pumpelly (Atlanta, Georgia)
No. 54 CORE autosport Jon Bennett (Charlotte, North Carolina)/ Colin Braun (Harrisburg, North Carolina)/ Nic Jönsson (Buford, Georgia)
No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Jörg Bergmeister (Germany)/ Patrick Lindsey (Santa Barbara, California)/ Matthew McMurry (Phoenix, Arizona)
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.
Total Car Count: Eight (8) Porsche Motorsport-produced entries will be competing in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at Sebring.
GS Class – Eight (8)
GT4 Spec – Three (3) Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
Grandfathered GS Spec – Five (5) Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport
No. 4 Team TGM
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR Ted Giovanis (Highland, Maryland)/ Hugh Plumb (Unionville, Pennsylvania)
No. 12 Bodymotion Racing
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Cameron Cassels (Canada)/ Trent Hindman (Wayside, New Jersey)
No. 21 Muehlner Motorsports America
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Cameron Lawrence (Windemere, Florida)/ TBD
No. 28 RS1
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR Dillon Machavern (Burlington, Vermont)/ Dylan Murcott (Ancram, New York)
No. 33 CJ Wilson Racing
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Till Bechtolsheimer (New York City, New York)/ Marc Miller (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
No. 35 CJ Wilson Racing
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Russell Ward (Seabrook, Texas)/ Damien Faulkner (Ireland)
No. 38 BGB Motorsports
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR James Cox (Nokomis, Florida)/ John Tecce (Gladwyne, Pennsylvania)
No. 46 TeamTGM
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Ted Giovanis (Highland, Maryland)/ Guy Cosmo (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida)
IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.
Total Car Count: 29 Porsche Motorsport-produced entries will be competing in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.
Platinum Class – 19 – 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
Gold Class – 10 – 2014 – 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
A complete list of entries for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2017 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama can be found at:
http://porschegt3cupusa.imsa.com/sites/default/files/event-weekends/2017/emediteventweekend/emmobil1twelvehoursofsebringfueledbyfreshfromflorida/2017sebringporschegt3cupprovisionalentrylist.pdf
Social Media.
Porsche Cars North America. @Porsche
Porsche GT Team @PorscheNARacing
Porsche Motorsport – GT Cars. @PorscheRaces
Porsche Racing – 919 Hybrid. @Porsche_Team
Model Hashtags.
Porsche 911 RSR. #911RSR
Porsche 911 GT3 R. #911GT3R
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup #911Cup
Porsche 919 Hybrid. #919hybrid
Event Hashtag.
Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring #Sebring12
Visit Sebring 250 #VisitSebring120
Series Hashtags and Handles.
GT3 Cup Challenge USA. #GT3USA
GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. #GT3CAN
PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East @CaymanGT4CSEast #GT4CSE
Future Porsche Events.
FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)
Event: The Prologue, Autódromo Nazionale Monza
Dateline: Monza, Italy
Date: Saturday - Sunday, April 1 - 2
Track Length: 3.6-miles, 11-turn
Race Duration: NA
Class: LMP-1 Hybrid (Porsche 919 Hybrid)
LMGTE-Pro (Porsche 911 RSR, MY 2017)
LMGTE-Am (Porsche 911 RSR, MY 2016)
Round: Official Pre-Season Test Days
Next Round: Six Hours of Silverstone, Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, England, April 17, 2017
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Event: BUBBA Burger Sports Car Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach Street Circuit
Dateline: Long Beach, California
Date: Saturday, April 8
Track Length: 1.968-miles, 15-turn
Race Duration: 1-Hour, 40-minutes
Class: GTLM (Porsche 911 RSR)
GTD (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Round: GTLM. 3 of 11
GTD. 3 of 12
Next Round: SportsCar Showdown, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, May 4 - 1, 2017
Pirelli World Challenge
Event: Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach Street Circuit
Dateline: Long Beach, California
Date: Sunday, April 9th
Track Length: 1.968-miles, 15-turn
Race Duration: One, 50-minute Races
Class: GT/GTA (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Round: GT/GTA. 3 of 10
Next Round: SprintX Season Opener, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia, April 28-30, 2017
IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama
Event: Grand Prix of Birmingham, Barber Motorsports Park
Dateline: Birmingham, Alabama
Date: Race 1. Saturday, April 22
Race 2. Sunday, April 23
Track Length: 2.38-miles, 15-turn
Race Duration: Two, 45-minute races
Class: Platinum (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2017)
Gold (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2014-2016)
Round: 3 and 4 of 14
Next Round: Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York, June 29 – July 2, 2017
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge
Event: Circuit of the Americas 120, Circuit of the Americas
Dateline: Austin, Texas
Date: Friday, May 5
Track Length: 3.4-miles, 20-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours
Class: GS/GT4 (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR)
GS (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport)
Round: 3 of 10
Next Round: Continental Tire 150, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York, June 29 – July 2, 2017