Latest news with #Mobil1TwelveHoursofSebring
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Team Penske Releases Statement After Indy 500 Suspensions And Fines
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Team Penske has released a statement following the hefty penalties issued to the No. 2 and No. 12 entries for the upcoming Indy 500. Following an investigation, the No. 2 and No. 12 cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power were found to have modified attenuators. As a result, the two drivers were relegated to the back of the grid, the team strategists were handed suspensions from the Indy 500, the cars lost all qualification points, and they were handed a $100,000 fines. The Roger Penske-owned team shared to social media: Owner Roger Penske of Penske motorsports looks on during qualifying for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway on March 14, 2025 in Sebring, Florida. Owner Roger Penske of Penske motorsports looks on during qualifying for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway on March 14, 2025 in Sebring, Florida."We accept the penalties issued today by the IndyCar Series which are due to a 'body fit' violation that occurred prior to the qualifying session yesterday. "We are disappointed by the results and the impact it has on our organization. "We will make further announcements later this week related to personnel for the upcoming Indianapolis 500." Team Penske statement in response to recent INDYCAR penalties: — Team Penske (@Team_Penske) May 19, 2025 The official statement from IndyCar explained: "Yesterday, INDYCAR's focus was ensuring that the series had all the facts related to the discovery of the modified attenuators on the Team Penske entries of Nos. 2 and 12 to verify they were in violation of INDYCAR Rule 14.7.8.16. After the series confirmed the technical infraction, by rule, the violating cars were placed in the last positions of the qualifying session for which they qualified. "Upon further review last night and early this morning, INDYCAR will be moving cars No. 2 and 12 to the 32nd and 33rd starting positions for this year's Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. They will start in order based upon their qualifying times from Saturday. "'The integrity of the Indianapolis 500 is paramount, and this violation of the INDYCAR rule against modification to this part and using it 'as supplied' is clear,' INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. 'The penalty should be more than simply starting where the cars might have qualified anyway, if given the opportunity. The cars belong in the field as two of the fastest 33; however, starting on the tail of the field is the appropriate penalty in this instance.' "Car No. 3 did not attempt to qualify Sunday in the Top 12 because of an accident in the earlier afternoon's practice. Upon review of the car, and INDYCAR impounding the No. 3 attenuator, INDYCAR found that the car was in fact using a legal and unmodified attenuator. Therefore, car No. 3 will start in the 10th spot – the final spot of those who had qualified to participate in the Top 12. "Additionally, INDYCAR is suspending the team strategists for the Nos. 2 and 12 for the remainder of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, both cars will forfeit Indianapolis 500 qualification points and each entry has been fined $100,000. "Car Nos. 2 and 12 also will forfeit their pit positions and will select their pit boxes after the remainder of the field has an opportunity to adjust accordingly. "'The positive momentum around the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500 has been on a steep crescendo over the last several months, and we want it to be clear that our intent is to maintain that momentum and discourage teams from putting INDYCAR in positions where it calls into the integrity of our officiating and the levelness of the playing field,' Boles said. 'As we look to the remainder of the week and the race this weekend, we will do everything we can to make it clear that this is not only the best racing on the planet but racing where the best win under completely fair conditions.'"
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Sebring 12 Hours: Penske Sweeps GTP, Tandy Secures ‘Triple Crown'
Porsche Penske Motorsport secured a dominant 1-2 finish at the 73rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, with Nick Tandy joining an elite group by completing endurance racing's "Triple Crown." In LMP2, Tom Dillmann led the No. 43 Inter Europol ORECA to victory, while AO Racing's Porsche "Rexy" triumphed in GTD PRO for its first major endurance win. Winward Racing's Mercedes-AMG went back-to-back in GTD after a dramatic late-race pass, capping an action-packed event across all Penske Motorsport is clearly on a roll in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, and Nick Tandy is reaping the benefits in historic fashion. By co-driving the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 with Felipe Nasr and Laurens Vanthoor to victory in the 73rd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Tandy became the 10th driver to claim overall wins in international sports car racing's three most prestigious endurance races – Sebring, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Nasr crossed the line 2.239 seconds ahead of Mathieu Jaminet in the No. 6 Porsche he shared with Matt Campbell and Kevin Estre as Porsche Penske Motorsport earned its 22nd 1-2 finish in IMSA competition and first since Road America last August. The result gives the No. 7 - the 2024 GTP class champions with a driver lineup consisting of Nasr and Dane Cameron - a solid 91-point lead over the No. 6 in the GTP standings early in the new season. Porsche's Saturday joy at Sebring also included a win in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class for the No. 77 911 GT3 R (992) fielded by AO Racing. But the major story was Tandy's historic feat. Over the last seven weeks, the 40-year-old Englishman added crown jewel race wins at Daytona and Sebring to accompany his overall triumph at Le Mans in 2015. All were achieved with Porsche. 'You rarely see a sports team or operation that does a single event without any faults or mistakes, and we've just celebrated with 40 people who have flawlessly run a car for 36 hours at Daytona and Sebring combined,' said Tandy. 'Just a testament to what Porsche and Penske have put together to allow us to go racing. It's just incredible that we've had this run the last two events. 'The 'Triple Crown' is probably one of the more historic accomplishments or accolades,' he added. 'You look at the names of the people on that list that you are linked with, and that's an unbelievable thing.' At Sebring, Nasr qualified the No. 7 Porsche third fastest, then led most of the first hour after BMW Team RLL's Motul Pole Award winning No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 incurred a start procedure penalty. Nasr was in the No. 7 when it took control of the race just before the halfway mark. From that point, its chief competition came from the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, which paced most of the 10th hour. But Tandy made an aggressive overtake on Frederik Vesti for the lead, and the Cadillac's speed faded in the cooler night conditions, allowing the No. 6 Porsche and the No. 93 Acura to claim the final two podium positions. 'It was incredible to get the job done once again,' exclaimed Nasr after his 13th career IMSA race win. 'After the Rolex 24 At Daytona, we spoke among ourselves and said, 'What a dream it would be to win Sebring if we can.' And here we are. It's just sinking in.' Acura's sister No. 60 car, the No. 31 Cadillac and the pair of BMW M Hybrid V8 cars also factored but all faded from the podium due to some issues in-race. The debuting Aston Martin Valkyrie also ran consistently on debut to finish in ninth place. Porsche doubled up victories with the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class with the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 R GT3 (992), shared by Laurin Heinrich, Klaus Bachler and Alessio Picariello. They beat the pair of BMW M4 GT3 EVOs fielded by Paul Miller Racing, the No. 48 car finishing ahead of the No. 1 car. Winward Racing repeated its 2025 GTD class win with the same trio of Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje in the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3. A forceful pass by Ellis on last year's GTD PRO winner, Jack Hawksworth, netted the Winward Mercedes-AMG the top spot. 'It feels super to win the 12 Hours of Sebring, such a legendary race,' remarked Dillman. 'When you race in IMSA you have the chance to compete for the win in some amazing events like Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Le Mans. 'We had a plan; we wanted a quick car in the night, so we had to suffer a bit with the balance in the afternoon. But it worked out well. A mega job by everyone with the team.' The No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA that Steven Thomas drove to the LMP2 Motul Pole Award finished third in class. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Rolex 24 At Daytona GT class season-opener featured a classic battle among American manufacturers Ford and Chevrolet. Its follow-up, Saturday's 73rd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring added Germany's finest from Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-AMG into the mix, with a pinch of Italian flair from Ferrari to create an exciting and eclectic mix. The Porsche better known as 'Rexy' secured its first traditional IMSA endurance race win, and second IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup win in its team history. After Heinrich and Michael Christensen won last September's six-hour Battle on the Bricks in Indianapolis, Heinrich, Austrian Klaus Bachler and Belgian Alessio Picariello secured the win in one of the three longest IMSA races tonight at Sebring. 'Unbelievable result, I'm so proud of the team,' Bachler said. 'They did an amazing job. And honestly, Laurin in the end in the last two hours, was incredible. 'Somehow during the last three hours, I thought maybe we had a chance to go for the victory, but you never know. Honestly, I'm so proud of the team and also for sure my teammate Alessio. 'We finally won something together really big, the Twelve Hours of Sebring in GTD PRO! I won it two years ago, but I'm so happy that we managed this today again. And I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.' The victory was Heinrich's fourth in the series. It was the second IMSA victory for Bachler and the first career win for Picariello. The No. 48 Paul Miller BMW, driven by German Max Hesse, Brit Dan Harper and Finn Jesse Krohn finished runner-up in the GTD PRO Class by a slight 4.907 seconds followed by the team's No. 1 BMW co-driven by the American trio of Madison Snow, Neil Verhagen and Connor De Phillippi. Meanwhile in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD), Swiss driver Phillip Ellis pulled off perhaps the most dramatic move of the race to victory in the closing laps, his No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 passing Brit Jack Hawksworth in the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 with less than 15 minutes remaining in the race. The GTD class provided one of the more dramatic race outcomes with Ellis invoking a NASCAR-style 'bump-and-run,' bumper tap on the leading No. 12 Lexus. The contact in Turn 5 was enough to allow him to maneuver around and pull away from what was a tight chase all day. Ellis described the maneuver: 'I mean, it was just a good battle I think with the Ferrari and the Lexus for probably the last two hours. Was very tough, but that's what this racing is, especially in IMSA,' he said. 'I think the drivers like it, I think the spectators like it. I think that's what we should keep doing, as well. 'Obviously there was some rubbing here and there. That's part of good racing. Nothing was over the limit. Just used whatever I had to use.' Even then, the podium order was not fully decided until the very final seconds. The No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus ended second with the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in third. It marked the ninth IMSA victory for Ellis and Ward, and fifth for Dontje. Most have come in Michelin Endurance Cup races. Ellis laughed off any controversy over his pass. 'Yeah, I wouldn't be happy if I lost first place either,' he said. 'I understand that he's not super happy with it. 'To be honest, I just gave him back what he gave me a couple laps before in Turn 7. He we all know Jack. I have a lot of respect for him. He's a great guy. But that's how he races, as well. You reap what you sow.' After opening 2025 with a pair of iconic events counting toward the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship resumes April 11-12 with the first sprint race of the 2025 season - the 50th anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, for GTP competitors. The LMP2 field has an extended break until the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, June 19-22.
NBC Sports
16-03-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Highlights: IMSA Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
Relive all of the action and highlights from the 2025 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway.
NBC Sports
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
2025 Twelve Hours of Sebring starting lineup: Vanthoor, BMW win second consecutive pole
Dries Vanthoor got off to a fast start in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, earning the second consecutive pole position for BMW in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. For his qualifying debut at Sebring International Raceway, Vanthoor turned a 1 minute, 47.091-second lap in the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 for Team RLL BMW and backed up the pole position that he won for the Rolex 24 at Daytona season opener. After Daytona, we knew we had a good qualifying car, but it's the first time here,' Vanthoor told NBC Sports' Kevin Lee on Peacock. 'So it's really cool to be on pole the first time here. The comeptition is very hard, so it's never easy to do but very happy we got a lap in and get ourselves on pole.' The No. 24 BMW, which is co-driven by Vanthoor, Philipp Eng and Kevin Magnussen, finished fourth at Daytona after leading 90 laps. The Sebring pole was another indicator that BMW is emerging as a premier class contender after winning only twice in the past two seasons of Grand Touring Prototype category. 'So far it's looking quite good but still a long ways to go,' said Vanthroor, a 26-year-old from Belgium in his first season of full-time racing in IMSA's top division. 'It's a long ways to go tomorrow, that's first on our list, and we can see after that how it goes.' Tom Blomqvist qualified second at 1:47.116 in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06, coming up just 0.025 seconds short on his final qualifying lap of knocking Vanthoor off the pole. Felipe Nasr qualified third in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 that opened the season with its second consecutive victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The GTP qualifying session was abbreviated by a 6-minute red flag after the No. 31 Whelen Action Express Cadillac V-Series.R stopped on track. That left Vanthoor and other drivers with one last shot at the bumpy and challenging 17-turn, 3.74-mile road course. 'On a normal qualifying session, you maybe get two chances, now you only had one,' said Vanthoor, whose car is sporting a special livery to celebrate the 50th anniversary of BMW North America and the automaker's 1975 win at Sebring. 'It makes a bit more pressure to get that lap together. It makes it a bit more difficult. But yeah, it makes me a bit fired up or nervous at the same time. Looks like it's working.' Here are the pole-sitters in other categories for the endurance race classic on the 17-turn, 3.74-mile road course: LMP2: Steven Thomas, No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA LMP2 07, 1:51.804 GTD Pro: Albert Cotsa, No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3, 1:59.225 GTD: Alessandro Pier Guidi, No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, 1:59.131 SEBRING QUALIFYING ROUNDUP Results Results by class Fastest lap by driver after qualifying Fastest lap by driver and class after qualifying Best sector times Fastest lap sequence Time cards PRACTICE RESULTS: Session I l Session II l Session III
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aston Martin Valkyrie Gears Up for Historic Sebring Debut
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector Aston Martin's Valkyrie hypercar is set to make its highly anticipated North American racing debut this weekend at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, ushering the British automaker back into top-tier U.S. endurance competition for the first time in over a decade. The competition-spec Valkyrie, developed in partnership with the Aston Martin THOR team, is the first Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) to race in IMSA's premier GTP category. It also holds the distinction of being the only LMH entry competing in both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA, following its global racing debut in Qatar last month. Powered by a race-modified 6.5-liter V12 engine producing 680 horsepower under hypercar regulations, the Valkyrie blends cutting-edge aerodynamics with the aggressive engineering of its road-going counterpart. The hypercar's entry into IMSA competition signals Aston Martin's intent to compete at the highest level of endurance racing. Veteran drivers Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn, both with experience in IMSA GT categories, will pilot the Valkyrie for the full season. They are joined at Sebring by Alex Riberas, a seasoned competitor in endurance racing and a WEC Valkyrie driver. Their collective expertise will be tested on Sebring's notoriously rough, 3.74-mile circuit. Sebring's grueling 12-hour format is expected to push the Valkyrie to its limits as Aston Martin refines its hypercar program. With a striking blue livery and the unmistakable roar of its V12 engine, the Valkyrie is set to captivate racing fans and reinforce Aston Martin's legacy in endurance motorsport. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
