ILMC/ALMS - 12 Hours of Sebring - Thursday Afternoon
Audi Fastest Again - More Reds...

One problem with big fields is that it can lead to an increased number of red flags.  That is the mode we are in.  With the amount of new cars debuting here at Sebring – 5 by our count – that is not good for the teams that are trying to develop their new weapons.

There is no question about the speed of the new Ferrari 458 – they have been near the tops in the timed sessions.  The problem is that it is not known for how long that speed might be good for.  Risi, who just recently took possession of their car (the car arrived in Houston on Friday after a lengthy delay in Customs), has not had the opportunity to run full stints yet.  How many other teams are in that same situation?

The afternoon session, as has been the norm, was not without incident.  The first was due to what appeared to be mechanical issue – motor likely – for the 006 Core LMPC.  The other was a lengthy one, for the Black Swan which landed off course in a rather un swan-like manner, damaging its hind quarters.

Another incident happened on track, when Tom Kristensen in the No. 2 Audi and the 040 Ford GT came together.  The damage to the left rear of the Audi prevented it from finishing the session and prevented Dindo Capello from getting in the car.  T.K. had already set the fastest time of the session on his 3rd lap, but this time held for the session, as no one was able to improve on his already set 1:50.424.

Not surprising here at Sebring, but the times continue to vary, depending on the condition of the track.  The combination of warm temperatures and multiple support races have contributed to degradation of the track times today.

The fastest of the non-diesels was the Rebellion Lola, which has had a quiet event so far.  The team is awaiting the arrival of a new aero package from Lola, which the team hopes will narrow the gap to the diesels later on in the season.

The 016 Dyson Lola was limited to only 2 timed laps, as the car pitted soon after the session started and then went back to the transporter for an engine change.  It was planned to be done anyway – but in this case electrical issues curtailed the track time for the team in this session.

As far as Highcroft, they seem to have settled into a comfortable range, a bit further back than they had been earlier, but still impressive for what is in essence a very significant evolution of the original LMP2 car.

As has been the case so far here at Sebring, P2 belongs to the Signatech Oreca Nissan, which appears to have the field covered, speed wise. 

Except for the blown motor, the session was kind to Core, as they were a clear 1-2 over the rest of the C field, by just over 2 seconds.

GT(E) continues to be the expected dog fight, cat fight, bar room brawl…The top seven in class were all within a second.  This time it was Corvette (03) over Porsche (045), over Ferrari (062).  Jaime Melo, who was responsible for quite a bit of the development of the new 458, said that the team was still adapting their car to the unique demands of Sebring.  “We’re getting there, but we still have quite a bit of sorting to do.  Right now, we’re working on softening the rear, to handle the bumps a bit better.  The car has tremendous potential and we’re just now starting to learn about it.  This car is an improvement over the 430, but mainly because the 430 had reached the end of its development.  There just wasn’t much left to do to improve the car.  The 430 is still a very fast car though and I fully expect AF Corse to be right there at the end of the race, fighting for the win.”  As added incentive and/or pressure, directors of Ferrari and Ferrari North America will be on site for the race on Saturday, hoping to see a good result from their teams.

The GTC class was a bit depleted, with neither the AJR nor GMG Porsches making it out on track due to the damage form earlier in the day.  The TRG Porsche did set the fast time of the session. 

In the GTE-AM class, the Proton Competition Porsche set the fastest time in this session, just as they had in the morning session.

Fuel notes – it appears as if regulation changes have shifted the fuel of choice in the series, as many teams have changed from E85 to E10.  Included in those that made the change are Corvette Racing and the Flying Lizards.