This weekend, IMSA’s top series return to action at Sebring International Raceway. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will headline with the 74th running of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will head up the undercard. The card will be completed with the season openers for Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Mustang Challenge.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring
There are 55 teams entered in the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, down five teams from the Rolex 24 at Daytona back in January. That is somewhat typical since Daytona does attract one-off entries. The entry is down one car from last year’s 56-car field.
The GTP class has the same 11 entries that we had for the Rolex 24. However, JDC-Miller MotorSports’ Porsche will look very different.
The team has re-acquired primary sponsorship from Mustang Sampling for their Porsche. With that comes a number change from the team’s normal No. 85 to No. 5.
Mustang Sampling previously served as the team’s primary sponsor from 2020-2022 when they fielded a Cadillac DPi-V.R. In that time, the team had one overall victory, the 2021 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring with Sebastien Bourdais, Loic Duval and Tristan Vautier.
The LMP2 class has 12 teams entered, down one from Daytona. Teams that are not entered include AF Corse’s No. 83, which is part-time. Inter Europol Competition’s second car, No. 343, is also not entered.
In addition to welcoming Mustang Sampling back, JDC-Miller MotorSports will also field their LMP2 entry, No. 79, which last raced at Road America last August. The car will be shared by Josh Burdon, Sennan Fielding and Gerry Kraut.
Kraut has previously driven the No. 79 for the team. Burdon previously was the third driver for Riley Motorsports in their LMP2 effort that shut down at the end of last season. Fielding is a past champion in the British GT Championship’s GT4 class that will be making his IMSA debut.
Speaking of Bourdais, he has left Tower Motorsports since Daytona. He will be replaced by Vautier in the No. 8 ORECA 07-Gibson.
UPDATE: TDS Racing announced Tuesday that Mathias Beche has had to opt out of this weekend’s action in Sebring due to symptoms of “Long COVID.” As a result, Charles Milesi will return to the team to drive in his place.
In GTD Pro, there are 13 teams entered, down from 15 in Daytona. GetSpeed Performance and 75 Express, one-off teams, are the ones that are not entered.
This weekend will see the worldwide debut of the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3 with Pfaff Motorsports. Regular drivers Andrea Caldarelli and Sandy Mitchell will be joined by Franck Perera.
GTD has 19 teams entered, down from 21 in Daytona. Teams that are not entered this week include Magnus Racing and Muehlner Motorsports America.
The Muehlner Motorsports America entry was a Daytona one-off. Their car is back in Europe at this time. As for Magnus Racing, their schedule for the remainder of the year, according to team strategist Sean Heckman, is not set, but it is “flexible.”
Rennsport One has a driver lineup change. Spencer Pumpelly is back with the team as the third driver alongside Jan Heylen and Dillon Machavern. Pumpelly, who will share a Rennsport Porsche with Luca Mars in Pirelli GT4 America this year, is more or less replacing Eric Zitza, who crashed the car in the opening laps of the Rolex 24.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Entry List
Qualifying for the 12-hour classic is scheduled for 11:20 a.m. ET Friday with live coverage on NBCSN, the IMSA Official YouTube channel and Peacock. Flag-to-flag race coverage will begin at 10 a.m. ET Saturday on Peacock with the green flag flying at 10:10 a.m. ET. NBCSN will simulcast the race starting at 5 p.m. ET.
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Alan Jay Automotive Network 120
Friday’s Michelin Pilot Challenge two-hour race will have 50 cars entered, a decrease of just one from Daytona. It is up by 10 cars over last year.
The Grand Sport class for GT4 cars will have 34 teams entered, down one from Daytona. There is one substantial team change. Van der Steur Racing fielded an Aston Martin in Daytona for Ben and Christine Sloss. The team is still fielding an Aston Martin this weekend, but this time, it will be No. 66 for Trenton Estep and Allen Patten.
Estep and Patten raced a BMW in Daytona for Thunder Bunny Racing, a team that previously raced in Pirelli GT4 America last year. Unlike the Sloss entry, which is part-time, Estep and Patten will drive the remainder of the season for the team.
Czabok-Simpson Racing expands back to two cars with the addition of the No. 3 Porsche for Madeline Stewart and Jonathan Browne. Stewart co-drove the No. 2 Porsche in Daytona, finishing ninth overall.
89x Motorsports has an unknown driver that will partner with Johan Schwartz in the No. 8 Aston Martin. That slot was taken by Michael Fitzpatrick in Daytona.
In TCR, there are 16 teams entered, equal to what they had in Daytona. The 16 teams entered are the same 16 from Daytona.
At Baker Racing, former CART racer Bruno Junqueira will return to the No. 56 Audi alongside Dean Baker, replacing Kenny Riedmann. Junqueira drove in five races last year with a best finish of fourth at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
At Pegram Racing, Larry Pegram is back in the Honda, replacing Mario Farnbacher. Pegram was injured in a preseason testing crash, resulting in him missing Daytona.
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 Entry List
Coverage of the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 will begin at 1:55 p.m. ET Friday afternoon on the IMSA Official YouTube channel and Peacock. The green flag will fall at 2 p.m. ET.
Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the Frontstretch email newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the Frontstretch Sports Car racing editor.
Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.