Sebring 2010 thread ::::::::::::::::

[Heel n Toe]

Okay, any of you guys that are down there... talk to us.






Ingram's Flat Spot On: Post time and Sebring
by Jonathan Ingram

To the casual observer, the American Le Mans Series may appear to have hit a slippery spot due to the absence of any commitment from a major manufacturer to run the entire season in the premier LMP1 category. One might surmise the ALMS is turning into a GT series once the big guns at this weekend's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring return to Europe to prepare for the Le Mans 24-hour.

Naturally, in a pre-season discussion with Scott Atherton, the president of the ALMS, that was the first question. Is the ALMS going to turn into a GT series?

The GT class said Atherton "has never been better. But the prototypes will continue to play a critical role. Nothing will diminish that."

At Sebring, the mighty Peugeot armada will square off against one Lola-Aston Martin and one Lola-Judd, the only real contenders in a slender prototype field now absent the crashed Lola-AER of Intersport. In the absence of Audi's new Evo version of the R15, the brace of Peugeot 908 HDi FAP's may well steamroll the other LMP1's and the LMP2 entries from Highcroft Racing, Dyson Racing and Muscle Milk (the Porsche Spyder of Greg Pickett).

At Sebring, the LMP2's must run according to the Automobile Club de l'Ouest rules established for the Le Mans 24-hour. That means severe restrictions versus the LMP1 category. It's only after Sebring that the ALMS will alter the air restrictors to equate both LMP1 and LMP2 for the sake of putting an emphasis on one over-all prototype class, one that is expected to feature Acura, which is supplying engines on a lease basis to Highcroft, versus Mazda, i.e. Dyson Racing's factory-assisted Lola.

More: News > Ingram's Flat Spot On: Post time and Sebring - Motorsport.com

Thursday night practice report
News > Sebring: Series Thursday night practice report - Motorsport.com

[Heel n Toe]

[URY914]

I heard that only 34 cars are starting now. I'll be watching on TV tomorrow.

[Racerbvd]

Me too, my attorney is already there, my F-Troop buddies are, well, being F-Troop and here I sit in my office
Well, we are having a Pig Roast at the club this weekend & I'm cooking on the 1st shift and be be watching the TV on the deck tomorrow there

[URY914]

[Heel n Toe]

Peugeot 1, 2... and Team CytoSport ('08 RS Spyder) wins P2.

The trio in the No. 07 Team Peugeot Total scored the victory in the 58th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. They were followed across the start/finish line by their own team No. 08 car, handing the French-based team a one, two finish on the 3.7 mile Sebring International Raceway. The season opener of the American Le Mans Series saw heartache and celebration in one of the two crown jewels that the series puts on each year.

"The last time I was at Sebring was 1997 where I shared a car with Greg Moore. He was really, really a great guy and I was thinking of him and his family today and I want to share this win with him," said Alexander Wurz after taking the checkered flag for his, Peugeot and his teammates first win at Sebring.

The two 908s dominated the field and at times, they had a contest for the lead and at other times, they worked together to get pass the slower cars. At one time the gap was down to three seconds but after a spin exiting pits on cold tires by Bourdais, Wurz was able to feel a bit more secured. The gap at the end was 13.817 seconds.

Wurz was joined on the top of the podium by his co-drivers, Anthony Davidson and pole winner Marc Gene. Bourdais, Pedro Lamy and Nicolas Minassian finished second as the fireworks added light to the night sky.

"We really think after driving, this is the best prep for Le Mans," said Gene. "The bumps are are more perfect to test for Le Mans than maybe Paul Ricard, where it is more smooth."

It was the first win for Peugeot at Sebring, breaking the string of German marquee wins at the historic track. "With Peugeot we came here as a team and wanted to accomplish a goal and we did," said Davidson.



Team CytoSport are the LMP2 winners, driving a 2008 RS Spyder previously owned by Dyson Racing. Greg Pickett, Klaus Graf and Sascha Maassen drove the wheels off the car to stay in touch with the Highcroft Racing Honda Performance Development ARX-01c, at one point CytoSport were four laps down. They got lucky when their Highcroft rivals had to pit due an electrical issue for six laps. Highcroft still finished second in the P2 class.

More: News > Wurz, Gene, Davidson score victory at Sebring - Motorsport.com

[Racerbvd]

Well, we had great weather here, the pig roast was great, I watched the race on an TV sitting on a deck over looking the river