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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: Sebring GT Preview
John Dagys takes a team-by-team look at the GT and GTC class contenders in this year’s Twelve Hours of Sebring (Live! 10:30 a.m. ET, SPEED)...
This year's Twelve Hours of Sebring features an extremely competitive field of GT and GTC entries. (Photos: John Dagys)
Despite not being part of the FIA World Endurance Championship this year, the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring still features a healthy grid of 42 cars that are set to do battle Saturday, in what will be the final American Le Mans Series race at the famed Florida airfield circuit (Live! 10:30 a.m. ET, SPEED).
Roughy half of the field is comprised of cars in the production-based ranks, which sees a competitive-as-ever GT division and a revived GTC category thanks to the arrival of a few high-profile teams. With the lure of being the final Sebring race winner under the ALMS banner, there’s plenty up for grabs this weekend.
SPEED.com takes a team-by-team look at the GT and GTC categories, in the first installment of our extensive race week coverage from Sebring International Raceway.
GT (12 Entries)
THE CONTENDERS:
Corvette Racing (Corvette C6.R): The defending class champions head in with a bullseye on their backs after being the team to beat in 2012. But despite taking home four class wins alone last year, the Pratt & Miller squad has yet to check off a GT(2) class victory at Sebring.
A near mirror-image to its program 12 months ago, the No. 3 Corvette C6.R sees Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor at the helm, with reigning class class champions Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner again reinforced by Richard Westbrook for the season opener.
While no major developments have been made to the car, as much of the focus is now on the next-gen C7.R set to break cover later this year, IMSA has imposed a 15 kg minimum weight increase on the current cars. Despite that, look for the pair of Corvettes to still shine.
Risi Competizione (Ferrari F458 Italia): Making a triumphant return after a one-year hiatus, Giuseppe Risi’s squad is expected to be an instant contender, despite being out of the sport for the last 12 months. It’s brand-new Ferrari F458 Italia showed impressive pace with season-long drivers Olivier Beretta and Matteo Malucelli at the Sebring Winter Test and will be joined by fellow Ferrari ace Gianmaria Bruni for this weekend.
Aero updates to the 2013-spec Prancing Horse should help improve its efficiency, although it didn’t need much help in last year’s FIA WEC, which saw a dominant performance by Bruni and the AF Corse squad. As being the only factory supported Ferrari team in the ALMS, look for Risi to be one of the favorites for the win.
Aston Martin Racing (Aston Martin Vantage V8): The factory Prodrive squad kicks off its 2013 campaign at Sebring, one month prior to the FIA WEC season opener, which will see a four-car assault. This weekend, AMR fields two Vantage V8s, with the No. 97 entry of Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Bruno Senna boasting a serious chance of victory.
Turner and Mucke will be looking for redemption, having led last year’s race at Sebring until a wheel came off its Vantage. With a year’s worth of development, capped off with a victory in the WEC Six Hours of Shanghai, AMR can only be taken as a serious threat, even in the ALMS GT ranks.
AMR’s second entry of Paul Dalla Lana, Billy Johnson and Pedro Lamy, will unlikely play a factor but the 2012-spec Vantage will give Dalla Lana a prime opportunity to get acclimated with the car ahead of his planned WEC effort.
BMW Team RLL (BMW Z4 GTE): All eyes will be on the new GT class contender and whether Bobby Rahal and the folks at BMW can turn the Z4 into a race winner the first time out. Typically, there shouldn’t be high hopes placed on a debuting car. But in the case of the Z4, which originates from BMW’s successful GT3 model, the majority of the car already has a proven endurance race pedigree in Europe.
That’s not to say there could be teething issues, but for the two-car factory squad of Dirk Mueller, Joey Hand and John Edwards (No. 56) and Bill Auberlen, Maxime Martin and Joerg Mueller (No. 55), a third consecutive class victory for BMW Team RLL shouldn’t be ruled out just yet.
THE SPOILERS:
SRT Motorsports (SRT Viper GTS-R): Set to embark on its first full season of ALMS competition, the factory Vipers have come a long way since their debut at Mid-Ohio last year. Encouraging pace at Petit Le Mans, which saw Dominik Farnbacher lead the race at one point, and continual off-season development has put the Riley Technologies-built machine in good shape for its Sebring debut.
The No. 91 entry of Farnbacher and co-drivers Marc Goossens and Ryan Dalziel holds the best chance of taking the fight to the Corvettes, lead Aston and Risi Ferrari, with Tommy Kendall, Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer most likely set to play a supporting role in the No. 93 Viper. A podium is certainly possible, and one couldn’t absolutely rule out a class victory at this stage, either.
Team Falken Tire (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR): With a proven package in the tried and trusted Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, a strong driver lineup in Bryan Sellers, Wolf Henzler and Nick Tandy and the right ingredients, Team Falken Tire could be looking at a podium finish for its effort, which enters its fourth full season campaign. The Derrick Walker-led operation has already visited victory lane on a handful of occasions, but a 12-hour race, given the circumstances, could make it a difficult feat.
Paul Miller Racing (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR): Paul Miller Racing heads in with its best chance ever at Sebring, with an off-season switch to Michelin tires and the arrival of Porsche factory driver Marco Holzer, who joins Bryce Miller for the season. Along with the return of Richard Lietz as the third driver, the second 997-based Porsche in the field could have a fighting chance of a podium finish, if all goes to plan.
OTHER NOTABLE:
Team West-Alex Job Racing (Ferrari F458 Italia): A late addition to the GT ranks this year, effectively replacing the failed Lotus Evora program, the new effort between West Racing, Alex Job Racing and Yokohama is not expected to produce any fireworks, with drivers Townsend Bell, Bill Sweedler and Leh Keen likely aiming to get the Prancing Horse to the finish. Keen is the only driver with past Ferrari experience, having finished on the GT2 class podium at Le Mans in 2010 aboard a Hankook-shod 430.
PHOTOS: 12 Hours of Sebring Testing Photo Gallery
Roughy half of the field is comprised of cars in the production-based ranks, which sees a competitive-as-ever GT division and a revived GTC category thanks to the arrival of a few high-profile teams. With the lure of being the final Sebring race winner under the ALMS banner, there’s plenty up for grabs this weekend.
SPEED.com takes a team-by-team look at the GT and GTC categories, in the first installment of our extensive race week coverage from Sebring International Raceway.
GT (12 Entries)
THE CONTENDERS:
Corvette Racing (Corvette C6.R): The defending class champions head in with a bullseye on their backs after being the team to beat in 2012. But despite taking home four class wins alone last year, the Pratt & Miller squad has yet to check off a GT(2) class victory at Sebring.
A near mirror-image to its program 12 months ago, the No. 3 Corvette C6.R sees Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor at the helm, with reigning class class champions Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner again reinforced by Richard Westbrook for the season opener.
While no major developments have been made to the car, as much of the focus is now on the next-gen C7.R set to break cover later this year, IMSA has imposed a 15 kg minimum weight increase on the current cars. Despite that, look for the pair of Corvettes to still shine.
Risi Competizione (Ferrari F458 Italia): Making a triumphant return after a one-year hiatus, Giuseppe Risi’s squad is expected to be an instant contender, despite being out of the sport for the last 12 months. It’s brand-new Ferrari F458 Italia showed impressive pace with season-long drivers Olivier Beretta and Matteo Malucelli at the Sebring Winter Test and will be joined by fellow Ferrari ace Gianmaria Bruni for this weekend.
Aero updates to the 2013-spec Prancing Horse should help improve its efficiency, although it didn’t need much help in last year’s FIA WEC, which saw a dominant performance by Bruni and the AF Corse squad. As being the only factory supported Ferrari team in the ALMS, look for Risi to be one of the favorites for the win.
Aston Martin Racing (Aston Martin Vantage V8): The factory Prodrive squad kicks off its 2013 campaign at Sebring, one month prior to the FIA WEC season opener, which will see a four-car assault. This weekend, AMR fields two Vantage V8s, with the No. 97 entry of Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Bruno Senna boasting a serious chance of victory.
Turner and Mucke will be looking for redemption, having led last year’s race at Sebring until a wheel came off its Vantage. With a year’s worth of development, capped off with a victory in the WEC Six Hours of Shanghai, AMR can only be taken as a serious threat, even in the ALMS GT ranks.
AMR’s second entry of Paul Dalla Lana, Billy Johnson and Pedro Lamy, will unlikely play a factor but the 2012-spec Vantage will give Dalla Lana a prime opportunity to get acclimated with the car ahead of his planned WEC effort.
BMW Team RLL (BMW Z4 GTE): All eyes will be on the new GT class contender and whether Bobby Rahal and the folks at BMW can turn the Z4 into a race winner the first time out. Typically, there shouldn’t be high hopes placed on a debuting car. But in the case of the Z4, which originates from BMW’s successful GT3 model, the majority of the car already has a proven endurance race pedigree in Europe.
That’s not to say there could be teething issues, but for the two-car factory squad of Dirk Mueller, Joey Hand and John Edwards (No. 56) and Bill Auberlen, Maxime Martin and Joerg Mueller (No. 55), a third consecutive class victory for BMW Team RLL shouldn’t be ruled out just yet.
THE SPOILERS:
SRT Motorsports (SRT Viper GTS-R): Set to embark on its first full season of ALMS competition, the factory Vipers have come a long way since their debut at Mid-Ohio last year. Encouraging pace at Petit Le Mans, which saw Dominik Farnbacher lead the race at one point, and continual off-season development has put the Riley Technologies-built machine in good shape for its Sebring debut.
The No. 91 entry of Farnbacher and co-drivers Marc Goossens and Ryan Dalziel holds the best chance of taking the fight to the Corvettes, lead Aston and Risi Ferrari, with Tommy Kendall, Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer most likely set to play a supporting role in the No. 93 Viper. A podium is certainly possible, and one couldn’t absolutely rule out a class victory at this stage, either.
Team Falken Tire (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR): With a proven package in the tried and trusted Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, a strong driver lineup in Bryan Sellers, Wolf Henzler and Nick Tandy and the right ingredients, Team Falken Tire could be looking at a podium finish for its effort, which enters its fourth full season campaign. The Derrick Walker-led operation has already visited victory lane on a handful of occasions, but a 12-hour race, given the circumstances, could make it a difficult feat.
Paul Miller Racing (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR): Paul Miller Racing heads in with its best chance ever at Sebring, with an off-season switch to Michelin tires and the arrival of Porsche factory driver Marco Holzer, who joins Bryce Miller for the season. Along with the return of Richard Lietz as the third driver, the second 997-based Porsche in the field could have a fighting chance of a podium finish, if all goes to plan.
OTHER NOTABLE:
Team West-Alex Job Racing (Ferrari F458 Italia): A late addition to the GT ranks this year, effectively replacing the failed Lotus Evora program, the new effort between West Racing, Alex Job Racing and Yokohama is not expected to produce any fireworks, with drivers Townsend Bell, Bill Sweedler and Leh Keen likely aiming to get the Prancing Horse to the finish. Keen is the only driver with past Ferrari experience, having finished on the GT2 class podium at Le Mans in 2010 aboard a Hankook-shod 430.
PHOTOS: 12 Hours of Sebring Testing Photo Gallery
FIA WEC Six Hours of Spa
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