Second WeatherTech Racing entry to return for Sebring

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emailBy Richard S. James | March 1, 2022 7:27 PM ET

Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring defending champion WeatherTech Racing is trying to double its chances of winning the race by entering two cars in GTD Pro, just as it did at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Cooper MacNeil, Maro Engel and Jules Gounon will run the team’s No. 97 Mercedes-AMG GT3. MacNeil is entered in both cars as he was at Daytona, joining Julien Andlauer and Alessio Picariello in the No. 79 Porsche 911 GT3R.

“We are coming into the event as the defending race winners from last year,” MacNeil said. “We had a solid run going in the No. 97 Mercedes at the Rolex 24 until we had the hose issue just after taking the overall lead in the GTD Pro Class. Sebring will have a few less cars, but the competition level will be just as high.

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“Sebring is probably the track I have the most laps at besides Road America. It has a lot of history and to win there twice is huge. With Maro and Jules we have a great chance at getting a third win.”

Engel has raced at Sebring in the past, but without much luck. He hopes he has a better outcome in three weeks.

“Sebring is an amazing track,” he said. “I think it’s one of the best events on the calendar, for sure. Having the WEC there makes it a special weekend. From a driver’s point of view, it’s one of the most amazing tracks to drive. It’s an old-school circuit with a lot of flow. I’ve been there three times so far, but it hasn’t been kind. Hopefully the fourth time will be lucky for me. We have a good team with strong drivers, so maybe we can get that win.”

The 12 Hours of Sebring runs March 17-19, with the green flag scheduled to drop at 10:10 a.m. Eastern on Saturday.

 

CB Motorsports returns to MPC for Sebring

CB Motorsports
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emailBy Ryan Kish | March 2, 2022 2:49 PM ET

CB Motorsports will return to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Sebring after team raced in seven rounds of last season’s championship. The team also ran four races in the series’ Grand Sport class last year.

Caleb Bacon, the 2021 SRO Touring Car champion, will join Kyle Raineri in a Hyundai Veloster N TCR for the race. Raineri will be making his IMSA debut and has a background in the Radical Cup series.

The North Carolina-based TCR team has already completed a test at Sebring.

“Everyone worked really well together immediately,” Bacon said about the test. “I think seeing that on the very first day was a good sign. Before we even got on track, everyone’s having a good time, everyone’s working well together, everyone gets along, and it’s going to be a great weekend going into Sebring for the IMSA race.

“This isn’t going to be an easy race for us though, obviously. We’re going to have to really work at it, but I think we’ll be just fine. We have a good car, a good team, good people behind us and we’ve got the ability to do it.

“All we’ve got to do is keep our heads down and work every day and every session to make the car better and keep developing, and I think we’ll be right there at the end,” Bacon said.

Races beyond Sebring were not mentioned, but the team does have plans to move into a new race shop to support efforts across multiple series.

“We gained a lot of positives from the test at Sebring, and I’m excited for CB Motorsports to continue that momentum here at the upcoming IMSA race,” team owner Chad Bacon said. “Caleb and Kyle worked extremely well together right from start, and I know they’re both ready to fight for a win.

“Overall, we’re eager to get back racing and to build on our success from last year.”

 

Hardpoint expands to MPC with Porsche 718 Cayman GT4

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emailBy RACER Staff | March 4, 2022 2:04 PM ET

Fresh off a top-10 finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and one year removed from a Pro-Am Championship in Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Hardpoint is adding an IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport Porsche to the team’s roster for the 2022 season. Nick Galante and Sean McAlister will drive the No. 22 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for the remainder of the 10 race season.

It’s a return to the championship for Hardpoint, who competed there with drivers Rob Ferriol and Spencer Pumpelly for part of the 2020 season before focusing the team’s efforts on the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. In 2022, the effort will feature sports car racing veteran Galante, a two-time series champion in 2016 and 2018 in what was then the ST class, and McAlister, who was the 2019 Hurley Haywood scholarship winner for his success in single-make Porsche championships.

In a change from Hardpoint’s traditional red, black and white team liveries, Galante and McAlister will carry the purple representing Alzheimer’s Awareness. Racing to End Alzheimer’s was started by motorsports fan and Legistics CEO Philip Frengs and gives 100 percent of donations made at and away from the track to Alzheimer’s-related causes. The organization raises awareness and helps fund cutting-edge research, treatment, and support services that will end the scourge of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia once and for all – specifically with donations to the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist Hospital and the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program. This is the sixth season for the Racing to End Alzheimer’s program, and the first with Hardpoint.

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Galante joins Hardpoint as an eight-time race winner in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition. A golf caddy at Pebble Beach and a driving instructor away from the racetrack, Galante’s 2016 title came in a Porsche Cayman.

“I am extremely excited to have this opportunity to finally drive with Team Hardpoint,” Galante said. “Watching this team build itself into a top-level team has been tough to race against over the years, and now I can relax a little bit knowing I don’t have to compete against them. I can now work harder than ever to help make this team as strong as possible. I am looking forward to teaming up with Sean McAlister as a co-driver this season. He has been doing some great things in Porsche Carrera Cup, and the new 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport is looking to be one of the top GT4 cars this season. I am excited to be back with the Porsche brand as we had some success the last time we were in one.”

McAlister’s Michelin Pilot Challenge debut is his first season with multiple makes following six seasons in Porsche championships. Two runner-up finishes in Porsche’s Trophy West series in a Cayman led to a 2018 class championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and three seasons in Porsche GT3 Cup and Carrera Cup North America competition, including a third-place finish in 2020.

“I’m incredibly excited to say that I will be racing with Hardpoint this year, making my debut in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series,” McAlister said. “Last year I was racing against Hardpoint in Porsche Carrera Cup North America and was very impressed with the performance they brought to every event. The move from racing in single-make series the past six years to racing in a multi-make series is very new to me, but I’m eager to take on that challenge. Being with Porsche for the seventh year in a row will give me a ton of comfort throughout the entirety of the season. I can’t wait to get the series started and I am really looking forward to running with my teammate Nick Galante and being on board with Phil Frengs and Racing to End Alzheimer’s.”

Hardpoint’s Pilot Challenge program is housed in the same Virginia International Raceway-based shop as the No. 99 GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R piloted by Ferriol and Katherine Legge. Glenn Long will serve in the Team Manager role, with Hardpoint’s Charles Hamm as the team’s Technical Director.

“This program cuts to the core of our values here at Hardpoint,” Ferriol said. “We have a competitive Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport with drivers in Nick and Sean that have proven they can win races and compete for championships. To top it off, we’re able to provide value to a cause like Racing to End Alzheimer’s, which includes fan interaction by carrying the names of those touched by this disease. We’re looking forward to this expansion of our program and can’t wait to get started at Sebring.”

 

Matos, Horrell to team in Fast Track Racing BMW M4 in GT4 America

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emailBy RACER Staff | March 3, 2022 7:53 AM ET

Long-time SRO entrant Fast Track Racing has announced today that paraplegic driver Tim Horrell will team with veteran sports car racer Raphael Matos in a specially prepared BMW M4 GT4 sports car to compete in the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX sports car series, which begins at Sonoma Raceway on April 15-17.

Horrell was severely injured in a 2011 road accident and he lost the use of his legs due to the crash. Despite his disability, the Pennsylvania native had the desire to enter the motorsports world beginning in karting in 2015 with the guidance of the late Jim Pace. Horrell’s karts were developed with hand controls for his on-track competition.

Following an accomplished run in the karts, Horrell moved into sports car racing with strong showings in the Breathless Racing-prepared Porsche 718 Cayman for the GT division in the Trans-Am series. He advanced to the Trans-Am GT series and scored two class victories in 2020 and set several track records. He drove in the Porsche Sprint Challenge in 2021.

Matos, a two-time Trans-Am TA2 series champion originally from Brazil, comes to the Texas-based team after an impressive racing career in open-wheel and sports car racing which includes championships in the Barber national tour (2003), Star Mazda Pro Series (2005), Champ Car Atlantic Championship (2007) and Indy Lights (2009). In addition, Raphael won the Rolex 24 At Daytona (GT) in 2008 and was named the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year in 2009. He was also the fastest rookie qualifier in 2009. In recent years, Matos has concentrated in the Trans-Am sports car campaign with two series titles and two series runner-up finishes.

Matos and Horrell will compete for the Fast Track Racing team, sponsored by Sewell Automotive Companies, with a specially developed BMW M4 with hand controls for Horrell as the duo compete in the 60-minute, two-driver SRO events in GT4.

“We are excited to bring in drivers such as Tim and Rafa to the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX division this year,” said Toby Grahovec, team manager for the Fast Track Racing operation. “Rafa is one of the top sports car racers in North America and Tim has shown impressive speed in his Trans-Am career. We will be working to develop the team’s BMW M4 with Tim’s hand controls as well as testing with both drivers. We believe this combination will be very competitive in the 2022 SRO season.

”We, at Fast Track Racing, have several crew members who have worked with hand controlled race cars in the past. Their knowledge of the project will help get Tim and Rafa comfortable in our BMW M4 GT4 car.”

Horrell has continued his racing skills this winter in karting at Homestead, FL, and is enthusiastic about the new SRO Pirelli GT4 America project with the Fast Track Racing effort.

“Racing with Rafa in the professional ranks in 2022 is a great opportunity for me,” said Horrell. “I have learned quite a bit from him in karting and I know the Fast Track Racing team is a tremendous squad with many wins and championships. We plan to work on our setups as well as the driver changes in the upcoming testing. I know the BMW M4 is a quick car in the GT4 class, and we’ll work with the crew to give us a competitive car out of the box at Sonoma Raceway.”

Matos is anxious to compete with the new BMW M4 GT4 machine after driving the Trans-Am TA2 cars to series crowns in 2018 and 2021.

“I’ve seen the speed of the BMW M4 in the GT4 races for some time, and I’m very excited to race the car with Tim,” said Matos. “I have worked with Tim in karting and am very impressive with his speed despite his driving with hand controls. He has shown speed in karting and the Trans-Am series. We are anxious to begin the testing with the BMW in the near future.”

Horrell and Matos will drive the No. 10 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4 machine in the seven-weekend, 14-race tour beginning at Sonoma Raceway April 15-17 followed by Ozark International Raceway May 20-22, Virginia International Raceway June 17-19, Watkins Glen International July 22-24, Road America Aug. 19-21, Sebring International Raceway Sept. 23-25 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oct. 7-9.

 

Hobbs, Levy, Cridland book signing set for Sebring

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emailBy Vintage Motorsport | March 3, 2022 7:05 AM ET Follow @http://twitter.com/VMMagazine

Championship-winning racer, fan favorite motorsports TV commentator and 2022 Sebring Hall of Fame honoree David Hobbs will join acclaimed novelist BS Levy (pictured above) and motorsports author/historian Sean Cridland signing copies of their respective books in the Sebring Hall of Fame “Gallery of Legends” car display at IMSA’s Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, March 16-19.

Hobbs will be signing copies of his wonderfully amusing and entertaining autobiography “Hobbo,” which traces his highly successful (and often harrowing) racing and broadcasting career with candor, insight and that wry David Hobbs sense of humor.

Levy will be signing copies of his hilarious (and historically accurate) “The Last Open Road” novels series, Including the recently released “The 200mph Steamroller Book III: Out of the Mist” (the seventh novel in the series), which — like his six earlier titles — has earned exemplary reviews.

Levy will also have copies of The Last Open Road audio book, which he says “is the perfect traveling companion for those long drives and tows…”

Cridland, meanwhile, hit a home run with his engrossing, entertaining and informative biography of championship-winning racer, Porsche factory driver, and multiple Sebring, Daytona and Le Mans winner Hurley Haywood, and has followed that up with a voluminous and fascinating, three-volume history of celebrated Jacksonville-based dealer and longtime and successful race entrant Brumos Porsche.

Please note that this year’s Gallery of Legends car display — and the book signings — will be held in the ballroom of the Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel just east of The Midway overlooking the hairpin. The signings will be held from 12:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16; from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 17; from 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 18; and from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on race day, Saturday, March 19.

Many great machines from Sebring’s past, famous race winners to forgotten also-rans, will also be on display there.

 

• Auberlen preparing for 500th start with BMW

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emailBy Richard S. James | March 8, 2022 12:44 PM ET

Bill Auberlen, already the IMSA leader in all-time race wins (64) and poles (45), will add another milestone at the 70th running of the Twelve Hours of Sebring: 500 race starts for BMW, more than any other BMW racer.

Auberlen’s name has been linked to the German manufacturer for a quarter-century, and he had already established himself as a winning racer before joining the BMW family. In addition, at IMSA’s following race on the streets of Long Beach, the 53-year-old Californian will be inducted into the Motorsports Walk of Fame on April 7.

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“When I look back on 500 races with BMW, I am humbled and proud,” said Auberlen. “When I look to what the next seasons may bring, I say bring on race number 600! It feels appropriate that my 500th for BMW comes at Sebring as the 12 Hour is a special race for me. In 1985, I was the truck driver and crew for my father’s win there. Ten years later I scored my first win at the 12 Hour. My induction to the Motorsports Walk of Fame in Long Beach feels almost surreal. It’s kind of a ‘local kid makes good’ thing and I am truly honored.”

Auberlen, who grew up in Redondo Beach, just north of Long Beach, has won in almost every BMW he has raced, from the GT-class E36 M3s to the mighty V12 LMR prototype and the M6 GT3. At Long Beach, he was a GT class winner in 2013 and 2015 and has a total of nine top-five finishes in 14 starts dating back to 1990. He has been a class winner at the 24 Hours of Daytona twice and finished in the top five twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A six-time professional auto racing champion, Auberlen currently drives the No. 96 BMW M4 GT3 for Turner Motorsport in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The 70th Twelve Hours of Sebring gets underway at 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 19. The 16th annual Motorsports Walk of Fame ceremony, open to the public, will take place at 11 a.m. PT on South Pine Avenue in front of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center as part of the festivities surrounding the 2022 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

 

Penske Logistics backing for Penske LMP2

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emailBy RACER Staff | March 9, 2022 12:49 PM ET

Team Penske announced today that Penske Logistics will be the primary partner on the team’s new LMP2 entry in this season’s FIA World Endurance Championship, which opens March 18 with the 1000 Miles of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway.

The No. 5 ORECA 07-Gibson will be driven by sports car veterans Dane Cameron, Felipe Nasr and Emmanuel Collard, amd feature the familiar bright yellow and blue Penske Logistics colorswhich have adorned Team Penske cars in the past across its NASCAR and IndyCar programs.

“As a company who helps leading global companies optimize their supply chains, we’re excited to be part of the next chapter in Team Penske’s long and successful history on the track,” said Marc Althen, president, Penske Logistics. “We wish the drivers and the team the best of luck in this highly competitive series.”

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This season marks Team Penske’s first experience in FIA WEC sports car competition. The LMP2 program provides an opportunity for the team to get acclimated to the racing, the circuits and the rules of the international endurance series in advance of competing in the LMDh class in association with Porsche for the 2023 WEC season.

This season’s WEC schedule will feature six international endurance rounds, beginning in the United States with the 1000 Miles of Sebring on Friday, March 18. The highlight of the series calendar includes the world’s most historic and prestigious sports car event — the 24 Hours of Le Mans — slated for June 11-12. It will mark the first time that Team Penske will compete at the legendary race since 1971, when Mark Donohue and David Hobbs raced for the team. The WEC schedule also includes visits to Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Fuji and Bahrain in 2022.

 

Record-breaking MPC entry for Sebring

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emailBy Ryan Kish | March 9, 2022 3:42 PM ET

A record 45 cars will enter the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Sebring. The 30 cars in the Grand Sport class and 15 in TCR beat the previous record of 43 that was set in 2019 and is an increase of 10 cars over last season.

The 45 cars that will race at Sebring is more than entered last year’s Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Daytona, which is traditionally the highest-attended race. This year’s race at Daytona had 48 entries.

Ryan Eversley and the No. 73 LA Honda World Racing team are not on the entry list. Random Vandals Racing and AOA Racing are also not on the list. PF Racing, which ran three cars to support Ford NASCAR drivers Chase Briscoe, Hailie Deegan, Austin Cindric, and Harrison Burton has dropped down to a single car for Chad McCumbee and James Pesek.

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New entries from Forbrush Performance, Hardpoint, Ricca Autosport, and CB Motorsports have boosted the numbers back up. CB Motorsports is the lone new entry in TCR while all other new entries are in GS.

Four cars will run for the Bronze Cup, a special class within GS dedicated to all-Bronze driver lineups. Both Automatic Racing Aston Martins as well as Murrillo Racing’s pairing of Brent Mosing and Tim Probert and Capstone Motorsport will contest the special class.

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race from Sebring is set for Thursday, March 17 to accommodate the busy weekend of racing as the FIA World Endurance Championship is slated to start its 2022 season later in the week.

 

Strong 53-car field for 12 Hours of Sebring

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emailBy Richard S. James | March 9, 2022 5:12 PM ET

The entry list for the 70th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring shows no real surprises, except perhaps being a bit more robust than expected for the second round of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season and the second round of the Michelin Endurance Cup, as it marks a 16-entry increase from 2021.

The seven DPi entries running the full season will be there, along with eight LMP2 cars, 10 LMP3s, 11 GTD Pro entries and 17 in GTD.

Notables in the DPi entry list include the absence of IndyCar drivers filling in the role of third endurance driver due to the NTT Data IndyCar Series racing at Texas Motor Speedway the same weekend. Most of the replacements had already been named, including Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac, which featured Alex Palou and Scott Dixon at Daytona, and Stoffel Vandoorne in for Helio Castroneves in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura. One replacement not yet named is who will take over for Kevin Magnussen in the No. 02 CGR Cadillac. Magnussen is headed back to F1 with Haas, taking the seat vacated by Russian Nikita Mazepin, and has been released from his CGR contract.

The Twelve Hours of Sebring marks the beginning of the regular season for LMP2 and LMP3. While both classes featured in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, they did not score points. That means that even though DragonSpeed USA, which won at Daytona with Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward, Devlin Defrancesco and Eric Lux, has an all-new lineup of Henrik Hedman, Sebastian Montoya and Juan Pablo Montoya, those drivers aren’t behind in the championship.
Because this is the first points-paying race, LMP3 has grown from its Daytona entry, adding FastMD Racing with Max Hanratty, Todd Archer and James Vance in a Duqueine and a JRIII Ligier for Ari Balogh, Garett Grist and Dakota Dickerson.

GTD Pro loses a Corvette for the rest of the season as focus shifts toward Corvette Racing’s WEC effort. In addition, there will be no repeat of the incredible battle between the Pfaff Motorsports and KCMG Porsches, as KCMG was a one-off for Daytona. However, GTD Pro gains a one-off Racers Edge with WTR Acura NSX for Ashton Harrison, making her 12 Hour debut, Kyle Marcelli and Tom Long.

Paul Miller Racing will be on the grid for the first time in 2022, having missed Daytona due to its switch from Lamborghini to BMW. Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow and Erik Johansson will drive the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 as Sellers and Snow begin their quest for the championship they so narrowly missed last year. The 17-car entry list features a wide range of marques and teams, led by Daytona winners Wright Motorsports with Ryan Hardwick, Zachary Robichon and Jan Heylen.

The 70th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring starts with practice on Thursday, March 17. The race begins at 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 19. Peacock will stream flag-to-flag coverage, with USA Network carrying the race from 3:30 p.m. ET through the finish.

 

New-look JDC-Miller team aims for same Sebring magic

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emailBy Richard S. James | March 11, 2022 9:22 AM ET

A year ago, Tristan Vautier was celebrating one of the biggest victories of his career — an improbable win in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with JDC-Miller Motorsports in which Sebastien Bourdais drove the final laps with a broken rear wing, holding onto the lead until the checkered fell.

As JDC-Miller prepares to defend its 2021 victory, much has changed. Bourdais is now a rival at Chip Ganassi Racing, even if he is still in the Cadillac family. Richard Westbrook is now Vautier’s full-time partner in the No. 5 Cadillac instead of Loic Duval, who is now filling the endurance role that Bourdais played last year. But the team’s strength remains, if Sunday morning at the Rolex 24 At Daytona was any indication. Duval was setting a blistering pace, and the No. 5 had a substantial lead. Had the race gone green to the end, the team’s chances were very good. But an ill-timed caution dashed their hopes.

“We pulled out a nice lead, because we had a really good car,” recalls Westbrook. “It seemed like over a stint we were one of the strongest, if not the strongest. Unfortunately the safety car came out, we didn’t get the opportunity to pit, and we got shuffled to the back. After that it was always going to be very difficult to overtake the Acuras on the track.”

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The JDC-Miller squad finished third, the first Cadillac. Since then, the team has had a chance to test at Sebring, to work together more and find improvement in the car. As a result, Vautier’s focus isn’t on last year’s victory but what he, Westbrook and Duval, along with Ben Keating, were able to achieve in the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“Everybody has improved a lot since last year and the teams are making progress every weekend, so we’re mainly trying to keep the momentum from Daytona where we were really strong and were winning the fight,” he says. “I hope we can keep on that trend and that Sebring can be another confirmation that we are on a really good track to be in the fight.”
The revised JDC-Miller line-up stood on the podium first time out at Daytona, but is confident it had the speed to do even better. Motorsport Images

Last year, Westbrook wasn’t in the race, his most recent experience having come in CGR’s Ford GT GTLM cars. So not only is he returning to IMSA competition after an absence, he’s coming back in an entirely different car with new teammates. Circumstances aside, he says it’s all coming together.

“I’d say we’re on target, because there had to be quite a fast process that we got used to each other and how we work. We didn’t do any preseason testing before Daytona, so we have to get through that, and we’ve done that. We’ve definitely jelled and found nice common ground on how to work, to extract the best out of the car. We did a pretty good test at Sebring, and so far I have to say it’s really good. I think it’s only going to get better.”

Frenchman Vautier echoes the Briton’s sentiment, saying Westbrook has integrated quickly into the fold.

“I think the result and the overall performance has shown it, Vautier says. “He is very experienced. He has not driven prototype for a long time, but he adapted back very quickly, and I think all three of us — Richard, Loic [Duval] and I – we are very close. Daytona showed our line-up was very consistent. We all bring different things to the table for the team. Richard is older and has a lot of experience, so there are things he brings for me as a younger driver in sports cars. We all bring things that are unique, and I think it makes the line-up quite complete.”

The Sebring victory aside, 2021 was not a great year for Vautier and Duval in the championship. But Vautier says he felt the team made good progress that began to reveal itself at Petit Le Mans and carried on to the 2022 opener. But he knows that other teams have made progress as well, and with CGR expanding to two cars — and snagging Bourdais — he knows that they’re going to be tough if CGR can avoid the troubles that hit them at Daytona. But for his own team, he feels like they are in a stronger position than they were a year ago.

“I feel much better going into the race weekend than I did last year but it’s such high level in DPi right now — if you have one little thing that’s wrong, you’re last,” Vautier notes. “You’re not mid-field or anything. There are seven cars and the field is often covered by a half-second, so if something is not right, you’re last. We feel strong and we know we need to get everything right. We will have the validations once we are there. Sebring is a very specific track; depending on winds, temperature and track conditions, things can change very quickly on race weekend. I feel better, but we really don’t take anything for granted. It’s eyes forward.”

As Westbrook looks to carry forward the momentum from Daytona and better that finish, and as the team he has stepped into prepares to defend its victory at Sebring, there’s a certain amount of pressure. But, he says, it’s a positive pressure.

“I feel like I always raise my game when I’m in a winning situation. If I’m on the lead lap in a 24-hour race, I’m going to perform a lot better than I am if we’re, say, five laps down. I like that sort of added pressure, but it’s not really pressure… it just gives everyone a bit of belief in the team, that we’ve done this before so why can’t we do it again, especially if we’re still improving? Which we are.”

Westbrook says he can’t really compare the Ford GT and the Cadillac DPi.R, or say in which he’d rather contend with Sebring’s legendary bumps. But he notes there is something they have in common, or at least that is consistent with him driving either car.

“I’ve found I do better when I’ve got a smile on my face. I had a smile on my face in that Ford GT Le Mans car, and I feel like I’m smiling in the car now. I love both of them. There’s been some cars I didn’t like so much at Sebring, and there’s some cars I’ve loved. But the Ford and the Cadillac, when you get them right and the balance is right, I just love Sebring.”