After a lengthier break than planned endurance racing is back for the 12 Hours of Sebring, America’s original endurance race! It’s the same deal as with the Rolex 24, but can Porsche do the double once again? And how will Lamborghini’s new Temerario GT3 fare in the hands of Pfaff among others? It’s sure to be a thriller in Florida.

GTP

With the field back underway just two minutes into the ninth hour it was the two leading Porsches who set off into the distance yet again, with the #31 slotting into third. Meanwhile the #40 was handed a drive through penalty for leaving a loose tire on pit lane, promoting the #93 Acura of Renger Van Der Zande to third as Porsche stretched their advantage, running metronomically with the #7 ahead of the #6. The two closed up considerably approaching the final two hours, ending up in a lead battle. Meanwhile Alex Palou pitted his #93 Acura that was running on a slightly alternate strategy.

LMP2

Immediate drama found the #18 for identical circumstances as befell the #40, dropping it to the back of the class, as the #99 led from the #2 of United Autosports, with the sister #22 still running third, until it collected another advertising hoarding and pitting to remove it. Sebastian Alvarez, also brought the #8 up to fourth. As the green flag run lengthened Rasmus Lindh inherited the lead in the #22 with Hunter McElrea in the sister #2 car, which became an intense lead battle in the closing stages of the tenth hour.

GTD PRO

Ricardo Feller continued his lead long into the ninth hour ahead of a resurging #1 BMW of Paul Miller Racing, Neil Verhagen splitting the Manthey and AO Racing Porsches, before Bachler pressed on past and the lead battle became a three way fight between the top three. Contact was made between Max Hesse’s #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW and Nico Varrone’s #4 Corvette at turn 14, netting the latter a drive through penalty and plummeting it down the order.

GTD

Another penalty as the field came back to green was handed to the former race leading #36 DXDT Corvette, a 60 second stop and go penalty was handed to the crew for exiting pit land under a red light as the #023 Triarsi Ferrari became an official retirement. In the lead now was the #21 of AF Corse again, with Ricardo Pera’s #912 Manthey Porsche splitting the the AF Corse and Conquest Racing #34 Ferraris running 1st and 3rd. Yet the race leading Ferrari of Antonio Fuoco was handed a drive through penalty for the earlier contact with the #64 Ford Mustang, promoting Pera to the lead of the class. The Magnus Racing #19 Aston Martin was classified as an official retirement.