IMSA Race TUSC Round 2: The Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by skycafe

The two GT classes alone should offer an amazing race, with loads of cool cars.

indeed, sir. Not concerned at all, just a little tongue and check on my part.

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Ganassi confirms second car for Sebring. The driver lineups:

#01 S. Pruett/M. Rojas/M. Franchitti
#02 S. Dixon/T. Kanaan/S. Karam

More here.

That's cool, I guess. Not sure if I've even seen TKanaan in a sportscar in person or not. Me and my "associate" will have to do some research.

[Maelochs]

The same Ganassi #2 team did a fine job at Daytona. Also Dixon was faster then Memo Rojas or Scott Pruett at the Sebring Test.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Not sure if I've even seen TKanaan in a sportscar in person or not. Me and my "associate" will have to do some research.

Did Kanaan run at Sebring or Petit as a third driver during the Acura days? I seem to remember him in either the DeFerran or Andretti cars once or twice.

[belt driven]

Originally Posted by joeb

Did Kanaan run at Sebring or Petit as a third driver during the Acura days? I seem to remember him in either the DeFerran or Andretti cars once or twice.

He had 5 starts for Andretti with P2 wins at Sebring '07 and Laguna Seca '08, the latter ahead of 5 other P2s on the same lap.[Don't know if he was the closer, but the margin was .054 sec.]

[Danathar]

Originally Posted by Over 9000

Race comes on the weekend spring break starts for me, which is awfully convenient.

I'll be leaving early Thursday afternoon after my last class, hopefully rolling in super early Friday morning with time enough to get a few winks of sleep before heading down to the paddocks for the final practice runs.

Camping is the only way to roll here, right? My old man is taking some convincing, but I'm game for it

Any tips for your first time at Sebring would be appreciated!

I've been there twice in the last 5 years.

Yes, camping is the way to go...if you have an RV. I have no idea about tenting it.

The best experience I had was parking the RV on the concrete section of the track. If it rains at least you will not be knee deep in mud.

If you can get a golf cart, get one or be ready to hike a lot. Bring your stomach. Food is a big deal at Sebring.

The 12 hours of Sebring blew me away. It's been by far the best race experience I've ever had. My 75 year old uncle said it best when we were there he said Sebring is "a happening".

[TheMightyM]

Mike Rockenfeller will be the third driver for the #90 Spirit of Daytona Racing DP at Sebring.

Sportscar 365 story here.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Danathar

Yes, camping is the way to go...if you have an RV. I have no idea about tenting it.

The best experience I had was parking the RV on the concrete section of the track. If it rains at least you will not be knee deep in mud.

IMSA should copy IndyCar and offer glamping tents

[The Badger]

So should Le Mans .

[ATLFalconsFAN]

Originally Posted by The Badger

So should Le Mans .

There's glamping at Le Mans. Try Travel Destinations.

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

There's glamping at Le Mans. Try Travel Destinations.

Im sorted out with B&B at Mulsanne corner this year . We did look at Glamping at LM but it worked out massively expensive ..... but looked good fun .
This will be my 20th year ..... woohoo .

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Ganassi confirms second car for Sebring. The driver lineups:

#01 S. Pruett/M. Rojas/M. Franchitti
#02 S. Dixon/T. Kanaan/S. Karam

More here.

Be nice to see Dario in the car with Marino .....

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Be nice to see Dario in the car with Marino .....

Dario has basically been banned from racing by his doctors after that Houston crash. So... not gonna happen.

[BudLightJaguar]

Have they even considered about repaving the track? Or is lack of money or does the organisation behind the Raceway want to keep it as-is?

[Jaguar4]

Originally Posted by BudLightJaguar

Have they even considered about repaving the track? Or is lack of money or does the organisation behind the Raceway want to keep it as-is?

I believe they want to keep the surface of the track as original as possible. ISC owns the contract and they're definitely not short on cash.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by BudLightJaguar

Have they even considered about repaving the track? Or is lack of money or does the organisation behind the Raceway want to keep it as-is?

IMHO the bumps of the old air field are a part of what makes Sebring quite possibly the coolest and toughest endurance race in the world. I say nostalgia should keep as it is, but eventually the Bricks at Indy had to be paved over.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by Jaguar4

I believe they want to keep the surface of the track as original as possible. ISC owns the contract and they're definitely not short on cash.

This gets complicated. As Jaguar4 said, the key word is “contract.” Sebring Regional Airport is still an active airfield which is administered by the Sebring Airport Authority. (You can see planes taking off and landing during the race.) Panoz Motorsports was running the Sebring International Raceway under a long-term contract, presumably from the airport authority. Then NASCAR buys Panoz out, meaning that the contract is now with… NASCAR, not ISC. (Sebring and Road Atlanta are not currently included on ISC's list of tracks.)

In any case, because Sebring is flat as can be, the bumps are its defining feature. As fieldodreams79 said, you can only run with that for so long… and I understand that there are rumors the place with be repaved. We'll see.

[TheMightyM]

Risi Competizione's third driver at Sebring will be Gianmaria Bruni. John Dagys provides an update on their car and Matteo Malucelli. The car wasn't totaled after all:

While Malucelli escaped serious injury, approximately 70 percent of the car had to be replaced or rebuilt, forcing the Houston-based squad to miss last month’s Sebring Winter Test. Malucelli, however, turned laps in Krohn Racing’s Ferrari in an effort to help get back up to speed.

Malucelli is OK, aside from still having to go to the dentist for a busted tooth.

[Lanky Turtle]

Originally Posted by BudLightJaguar

Have they even considered about repaving the track? Or is lack of money or does the organisation behind the Raceway want to keep it as-is?

Most of the track was paved in the early nineties. It's just that it was paved over the old concrete which has a lot of dips in it, so I could see those parts being redone at some point. The backstretch for example is paved even though it doesn't look like it. Even the paved parts are over 20 years old now.

The last turn, frontstretch, and first turn are the only true original concrete surfaces from 1941 they race on, and these are the bumpiest parts.

I could see them maybe grinding down some of the dips eventually but I don't think they will ever really resurface these parts.

[BullMan]

Originally Posted by BudLightJaguar

Have they even considered about repaving the track? Or is lack of money or does the organisation behind the Raceway want to keep it as-is?

Why would you pave it?

[carbon_titanium]

Why repave the track if manufacturers test their racing cars at sebring mainly because of the extreme bad concrete condition?

[chernaudi]

Any reports or info from the TUSCC test that was supposed to happen today?

[Mechanic Z]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Any reports or info from the TUSCC test that was supposed to happen today?

Muscle Milk and one of Ganassi's drivers, Karam have each posted a photo on Twitter, beyond that I haven't seen anything.

[Lanky Turtle]

I guess todays test replaces the traditional Monday/Tuesday test the week of the race.

[Simmi]

Muscle Milk instantly find a few tenths after putting on black wheels

[Lanky Turtle]

Sebring fan guide which has the spotters guide in it.

http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/fi...%20Guide_0.pdf
New look for a few of the cars like the 02 Ganassi.