Pagenaud Exceeds Drive Time Limit in No. 48 AXR Cadillac

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Simon Pagenaud has exceeded the maximum drive time in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, which will relegate the No. 48 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R to a last place finish in the DPi class.

Pagenaud is understood to have gone 50 seconds over the four-hour maximum drive time in a six-hour period in the Ally-sponsored entry.

Per IMSA sporting regulations, any driver not meeting the drive time requirements will result in the entire car being moved to the back of the class results.

It comes as a significant blow to the DPi that was shared by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, which had mixed day in Saturday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship enduro.

Having started from the rear of the DPi field, Johnson spun in Turn 17 in the opening hour, making contact with the No. 5 JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac and damaging the car’s front bodywork.

It came less than 24 hours prior to Johnson sustaining a heavy crash in qualifying, resulting in the team building up a new car around a spare tub. 

While Johnson rebounded to lead a few laps due to pit stop sequences, the car has not been an outright contender for the overall win.

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