Another Massive PC Accident as Race Reaches Halfway Mark

Photo: John Dagys

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is under the eighth full-course caution at the halfway mark of what’s been an accident-filled race thus far.

At least four Prototype Challenge cars have been destroyed, the latest two coming in a Turn 16 wreck between the No. 87 BAR1 Motorsports Oreca FLM09 of Gaston Kearby and Alex Tagliani’s No. 08 RSR Racing entry.

Kearby spun and rejoined in front of the open-wheel star, who was running inside the top-three at the time. Both drivers climbed from the car, although team owner Paul Gentilozzi said Tagliani may have a hand injury.

This latest accident came just two hours after a brief red flag period for another two-car PC collision in Turn 17 involving David Ostella and Frankie Montecalvo, which also saw both drivers escape serious injury.

More than half of the race has been run under caution.

Up front, the No. 1 Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b of Ryan Dalziel is credited as the overall leader at the six-hour mark, ahead of Christian Fittipaldi’s No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP in second.

Alex Brundle has put the No. 42 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan in third, followed by the No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford of Tony Kanaan in fourth. The top six cars are all on the lead lap.

Trouble has struck both the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Oreca 03 Nissan (driveline) and No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP (throttle sensor) in the last two hours, taking both Prototype class cars out of contention.

GTLM is currently being led by the No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR of Joerg Bergmeister, closely in pursuit by the No. 93 SRT Motorsports Viper GTS-R of Rob Bell in second.

Trouble for the No. 3 Corvette, No. 911 Porsche and No. 56 BMW, all of which suffered bodywork damage from minor accidents, have set the cars down the running order.

Only five of the nine PC cars remain in the race, led by the No. 54 CORE autosport Oreca FLM09 of Colin Braun, who has a four-second advantage over the No. 09 RSR Racing entry of Bruno Junqueira in second.

An incident involving the No. 25 8Star Motorsports car of Eric Lux and Paul Dalla Lana’s Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 GT3 sent the PC contending 8Star car behind the wall in the sixth hour for repairs. It has since rejoined the action.

GTD is being led by the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 of Jeff Westphal, ahead of the recovering Dalla Lana in second and the Rolex 24 class winner Townsend Bell in the No. 555 AIM Autosport Ferrari in third.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John