Sebring Pre-Race Notebook

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

***In a technical infraction confirmed late Friday, all four Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs have lost their qualifying times for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, while Chevrolet has been fined $10,000 by IMSA due to violation of Art. 2.5.2 of the GTD Pro/GTD technical regulations, which states “the original, as-homologated configuration of the car model must not be modified unless permitted by these technical regulations.”

***Alexander Sims had been the highest-placed Corvette entry, having initially qualified fourth in GTD Pro in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports entry.

***The penalties for the Corvettes are in addition to the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, which lost its GTD class pole due to having non-permitted sensors on the car in qualifying. Click Here for the revised starting grid, which also sees the No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 moved to the rear of the GT grid due to a change of starting driver.

***With the race start moved up by one hour this year, there was no warmup session this morning. Cars will take the track for reconnaissance laps beginning at 8:05 a.m. EDT prior to the open grid at 8:20 a.m.

***Iron Lynx is likely to reduce its presence in the GTD Pro category to a single car after Sebring. Team principal Andrea Piccini told Sportscar365 that the No. 60 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 is most likely not to return, although the result of today’s race is to be a factor in the decision. Piccini ensured the No. 83 Iron Dames entry will complete the rest of the Michelin Endurance Cup season.

***Piccini is staying realistic when it comes to a target for the SC63’s U.S debut race, stating that a race finish would be a positive outcome. “Of course you cannot expect to be beating or fighting with the biggest brands like Porsche or Cadillac that are here since last year,” he said. “They have a lot more experience. It would be a bit arrogant to be able to stay with them, but at least to be in the race and of course finish would be already quite important here.”

***BMW M Motorsport director Andreas Roos reacted positively to IMSA’s early announcement of the WeatherTech Championship calendar, saying it “definitely helps in terms of planning.”

***Roos expressed hope that the early announcement would help prevent clashes with other major events, something that has occurred this year. “I think it will help definitely because the other serious promoters see already when there are big dates and where clashes may be cured,” he told Sportscar365. “But on the other hand, it’s also very difficult with the amount of racing what we especially at BMW also do with all the championships we are competing. At the end you run out of weekends.”

***Pfaff Motorsports team manager Steve Bortolotti told Sportscar365 that it has scheduled the bulk of its testing program for the McLaren 720 GT3 Evo for later this season, and that the team expects a “ramp up in performance” as a result. Sportscar365 understands that there will be a significant increase in Pfaff’s testing program following the next GTD Pro round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in May.

***Mario Farnbacher says he’s enjoying his time in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with The Heart of Racing. The German driver told Sportscar365 that while he had not driven the previous iteration of the car, adapting to the front-engined Aston Martin has been a “big adjustment” from piloting the mid-engined Acura NSX GT3 Evo22.

***In addition to his Endurance Cup commitments with the team, Farnbacher is set to sub for Alex Riberas in the No. 23 Aston at Laguna Seca and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, with the Spaniard set to be on FIA World Endurance Championship duty with the team.

***Winward Racing is nearing completion on a new 38,000 square-foot headquarters and workshop in Houston. Team principal Russell Ward told Sportscar365 that the team aims to move into the new facility, which is located “just down the road” from its current base, on May 1.

***IMSA has stated that this weekend’s paddock at Sebring is the longest in series history. Incorporating both the WeatherTech Championship and all support series, the paddock running along the Ullman Straight measures at more than half a mile long end-to-end.

***Sebring International Raceway has formally re-dedicated the Sebring Officers Club, the last original building remaining from Hendricks Field, which served as a World War II training base for B-17 bomber crews from 1942-45. Situated near the track’s Midway area and Crosley Valley between Turns 6 and 7, the club includes a bar and indoor seating for 40, patio seating for more than 100 and exclusive trackside deck seating for approximately 40.

***NBC Sports will carry flag-to-flag coverage on Peacock, with the final six hours also being aired live on USA Network, beginning at 4 p.m. EDT. Leigh Diffey and Dave Burns will be joined by Calvin Fish, Townsend Bell, Brian Till and James Hinchcliffe in the booth, with Kevin Lee, Dillon Welch and Matt Yocum on pit lane.

***IMSA Radio will have its usual coverage led by the team of John Hindhaugh, Jeremy Shaw, Shaw Adam and Nick Daman. Additionally, for the first time, IMSA will stream the race live on YouTube for international viewers.

Davey Euwema & Jonathan Grace contributed to this report

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