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Sebring 12 Hours: The Race hits tenth hour as Audi continue to dominate

Sebring 12 Hours: The Race hits tenth hour as Audi continue to dominate

 

Photo : DPPI - DPPI Media

The Audi steam roller continues to power towards the chequered flag at Sebring. Tom Kristensen in the nr2 Audi is 38.94 seconds ahead of Loic Duval in the nr3 Audi R18. After the earlier pitlane fire the nr12 Relellion Racing Lola-Toyota is lying in 4th overall with Nicolas Prost currently 2 laps behind the two Audis and 1 lap behind the 3rd placed ALMS entered nr6 Muscle Milk HPD of Lucas Luhr.

The nr15 Oak Racing Pescarolo of Guillaume Moreau pulled off the track with smoke coming from the engine cover. The Safety Car was deployed to recover the stricken car.

After 10 minutes the race went green with the nr22 JRM HPD-Honda of Peter Dumbreck limping to the pitlane with a flat right rear tyre. The mechanics replaced the tyre but as the Scotsman exited the pitlane the suspension collapsed and Dumbreck had to do a complete lap to get the car back to the pits.

The nr18 ALMS entered Performance Tech Motorsports Oreca went off at Turn 4, bring out the safety car once again.

LMP1 Leader (WEC) - nr2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 - Tom Kristensen (1st)

LMP2 Leader (WEC) - nr44 Starworks Motorsport HPD ARX 03b Honda - Stephane Sarrazin (7th Overall)

GTE Pro Leader - nr71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia - Olivier Beretta (24th Overall)

GTE Am Leader - nr50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1 – Julien Canal(30th Overall)

Events of tenth hour from FIAWEC tweet feed:

19:32 GTE Pro lead down to 0.23s between Oliver Gavin in #4 Corvette and Joey Hand in #56 BMW
19:35 Oak Pescarolo #15 stopped on circuit, yellow flag - 10th Safety car
19:40 Wave-by process is happening as safety car picks up leaders.
19:43 Moreau in #15 OAK had just set the fastest lap before engine gave up
19:45 Pits open for prototypes and GT pitstops under yellow
19:47 Green Flag!
19:49 The last glow of the sun is fading as Sebring descends into night racing.
19:51 Change of 3rd place overall as #22 HPD Dumbreck lets Luhr in #6 HPD slip past
19:54 Tight in LMP2 also with less than 1 second between Level 5 #055 HPD Bouchut leading and Dalziel in #44 Starworks HPD
19:58 Problem at rear of car for Dumbreck in #22 JRM HPD in pits.
20:02 Full course yellow
20:03 Caution due to recovery of stranded LMPC car
20:14 #2 Audi pitstop Dindo Capello out and Tom Kristensen in.
20:18 Audi #3 now in pits and Duval stays in car. #2 Audi retakes lead
20:21 Green Flag!
20:22 We are now into total darkness at Sebring as we go back to race speed.
20:25 Top 4 in LMP2 still on same lap
20:27 Less than a second between Milner in Corvette LM GTE Pro #4 being chased down by Jorg Mueller #155 BMW
20:30 Only 2 hours racing left!

Jeff Carter

Photo: SEBRING (FLORIDA, UNITED STATES), SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, 12 HOURS OF SEBRING, THURSDAY 15 MARCH 2012, FIRST PRACTICE SESSION.

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