Grasser Leads Lamborghini 1-2 in GTD

Photo: Jamey Price/Lamborghini

Grasser Racing Team has claimed GT Daytona class honors in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, leading a historic 1-2 finish for Lamborghini and ’36 Hours of Florida’ sweep for the team and manufacturer.

Mirko Bortolotti led home Andy Lally following a duel between the pair of Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evos in the closing stages of the highly competitive race.

The Italian driver took over the class lead in the 10th hour from the No. 57 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo and extended the margin until coming under fire from Lally in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Lamborghini shortly after the final round of pit stops.

Lally managed to get around Bortolotti on Lap 323 but the Lamborghini factory driver quickly responded, retaking the lead one lap later and holding it until the checkered flag, despite a late-race full course caution and restart.

Bortolotti crossed the line 2.724 seconds ahead of Lally, in the first-ever 1-2 finish for the Italian manufacturer in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition.

It marked back-to-back WeatherTech Championship class victories for Bortolotti and co-drivers Rolf Ineichen and Rik Breukers, who have now collected three major endurance race victories in the last 14 months.

Lally and co-drivers Spencer Pumpelly and John Potter claimed their first podium finish in the new-look Magnus Lamborghini operation in second, with Toni Vilander edging out a fuel-deprived Christopher Mies for third in class.

Mies, in the No. 29 Montaplast by Land Motorsport Audi R8 LMS Evo, passed Vilander’s No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 on the final restart but the Finn retaliated with less than five minutes to go.

The No. 33 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 completed the top-five in class, with the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R finishing sixth in the hands of Patrick Long.

Meyer Shank Racing’s pair of Acuras were relegated to seventh and eighth place class finishes, after both enjoyed time out front.

The No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche, which dominated the midpoint of the race, finished tenth in class after ABS-related issues for the Canadian team in the tenth hour.

Other GTD cars to hit trouble included defending race winners Paul Miller Racing (clutch), No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Audi (driveshaft) and the No. 19 Moorespeed Audi (accident).

RESULTS: Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring

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