The second round of the Florida 36 hours takes place this weekend as the IMSA paddock heads to Sebring for the 12 Hours following the Daytona 24. Here is all you need to know about the event, including how to watch live.
Image credit: BMW Newsroom
It has now been almost two months since the IMSA Sportscar Championship got underway at Daytona. But only now is the paddock reforming for its second round of the season.
As ever, it is the Sebring 12 Hours that hosts this second race of the year, forming the second leg of what sportscar fans call the Florida 36 hours. With Porsche Penske Motorsport claiming the honours at the Rolex 24 in January, they will be keen to complete the Floridian combo. But there are a plethora of teams, including one new squad, snapping at their heels. Here is all you need to know about this weekend's race.
Throughout the early days of race week, as fans arrived at the track, and teams began unpacking their kit, glimmers of gold started to show themselves. It turns out that a plethora of cars in the race will bare touches of gold. Some models even feature fully gold designs.
Among the grid, the #01 Cadillac Racing GTP and #14 GTD Pro Lexus will feature touches of gold to their designs. But the most shocking of all is no doubt the pair of top flight Corvettes, revealing themselves to have dropped the infamous Corvette yellow, instead running in full gold.
Lamborghini made its WEC debut this month, now it's time for its GTP start. Image credit: Lamborghini Newsroom
For most viewers, the GTP category will be the one that grabs the headlines. From Daytona's ten-car field, the top class grows an entrant. Lamborghini finally join IMSA after a first outing for its SC63 in the Qatar WEC opener. A brand new car, the Iron Lynx squad is sure to struggle at Sebring. But it will be good to see how the Italian marque stacks up against the GTP competition.
At Daytona, perhaps the most competitive class was GTD Pro. With a plethora of strong factory GT efforts, the class saw battles across multiple car models all race long. Whilst the grid does reduce somewhat from the Rolex enduro, Sebring is sure to continue the intensity of battle. In total, 12 cars featuring nine brands will race for the crown. These include fast picks such as the Corvette duo, Daytona-winning Risi Ferrari 296, IMSA favourites in the #14 Lexus and Pfaff as they continue their McLaren voyage.
Aston Martin hoping for first new Vantage GT3 win at Sebring. Image credit: Aston Martin on Newspress
The non-pro version of GTD is also expected to be strong with no less than 22 entries. With such a large grid, predicting a winner is always tough. But much like GTD Pro, Lexus' Vasser Sullivan effort is always a strong bet. Elsewhere, the new Corvette, Mustang and Aston Martin models showed potential in January's opener.
Finally, the LMP2 class typically gets lost in the action between the popular GTP and GTD classes. But with an equally large entry list and plenty of big names, it is not one to overlook. Ben Keating in the #2 United Autosport car will be keen to get his first win of the season after missing out in Daytona. Meanwhile, the #18 Era Motorsport car and #88 AF Corse car have undeniably strong line ups.
Reliability is sure to be a major factor in this year's running of the race, so speed early on in the race is unlikely to translate to victory. Teams will first need to make it through the first 11 hours of the event before pushing for the win in the final 60 minutes.
As we mentioned in the Daytona 24 Hours preview, Safety Cars are an integral element to IMSA racing strategy. Not only do they bunch the field, they also reset the pit cycle, allowing all teams to come in at set times. Last year's race saw no less than 13 SC periods. So being fast right at the very end is more crucial than ever.
But from the comfort of one's own home, streaming access for IMSA races is unrivalled. IMSA.TV, along with Radio IMSA host full coverage of every race, including support events. Over the next few days, race fans will have access to more racing action than they can watch, including the fan favourite Mazda Cup.
Whether you have been planning on watching the race for a while, or just discovering it now, here are all the times you need to watch the Sebring 12 Hours in 2024.
Image credit: BMW Newsroom
It has now been almost two months since the IMSA Sportscar Championship got underway at Daytona. But only now is the paddock reforming for its second round of the season.
As ever, it is the Sebring 12 Hours that hosts this second race of the year, forming the second leg of what sportscar fans call the Florida 36 hours. With Porsche Penske Motorsport claiming the honours at the Rolex 24 in January, they will be keen to complete the Floridian combo. But there are a plethora of teams, including one new squad, snapping at their heels. Here is all you need to know about this weekend's race.
Sebring 12: A Golden Grid
For the 2024 edition of the Sebring 12 Hours, it is not just an enthralling prospect of a race that fans can celebrate. In fact, this year, the event's title sponsor Mobil 1 celebrates its 50th anniversary. And with the occasion come a number of rather glowing racecar liveries.Throughout the early days of race week, as fans arrived at the track, and teams began unpacking their kit, glimmers of gold started to show themselves. It turns out that a plethora of cars in the race will bare touches of gold. Some models even feature fully gold designs.
Among the grid, the #01 Cadillac Racing GTP and #14 GTD Pro Lexus will feature touches of gold to their designs. But the most shocking of all is no doubt the pair of top flight Corvettes, revealing themselves to have dropped the infamous Corvette yellow, instead running in full gold.
A Full Entry List
With the explosion in sportscar popularity of recent years, grids are seemingly consistently at capacity. That is no different here at Sebring. An eye-watering 58 cars will compete on the infamous ex-Air Force base this weekend, across four classes.Lamborghini made its WEC debut this month, now it's time for its GTP start. Image credit: Lamborghini Newsroom
For most viewers, the GTP category will be the one that grabs the headlines. From Daytona's ten-car field, the top class grows an entrant. Lamborghini finally join IMSA after a first outing for its SC63 in the Qatar WEC opener. A brand new car, the Iron Lynx squad is sure to struggle at Sebring. But it will be good to see how the Italian marque stacks up against the GTP competition.
At Daytona, perhaps the most competitive class was GTD Pro. With a plethora of strong factory GT efforts, the class saw battles across multiple car models all race long. Whilst the grid does reduce somewhat from the Rolex enduro, Sebring is sure to continue the intensity of battle. In total, 12 cars featuring nine brands will race for the crown. These include fast picks such as the Corvette duo, Daytona-winning Risi Ferrari 296, IMSA favourites in the #14 Lexus and Pfaff as they continue their McLaren voyage.
Aston Martin hoping for first new Vantage GT3 win at Sebring. Image credit: Aston Martin on Newspress
The non-pro version of GTD is also expected to be strong with no less than 22 entries. With such a large grid, predicting a winner is always tough. But much like GTD Pro, Lexus' Vasser Sullivan effort is always a strong bet. Elsewhere, the new Corvette, Mustang and Aston Martin models showed potential in January's opener.
Finally, the LMP2 class typically gets lost in the action between the popular GTP and GTD classes. But with an equally large entry list and plenty of big names, it is not one to overlook. Ben Keating in the #2 United Autosport car will be keen to get his first win of the season after missing out in Daytona. Meanwhile, the #18 Era Motorsport car and #88 AF Corse car have undeniably strong line ups.
Respect The Bumps
Do not expect the list of finishers to be anywhere near the total of 58 cars however. Reputed for its harsh surface and tricky layout, Sebring is nothing if not a car killer. Last year's World Endurance Championship opener certainly proved that knocking a majority of the new cars out of contention. In addition, a late-race incident in the 2023 12 hours made for a spectacularly surprising win.Reliability is sure to be a major factor in this year's running of the race, so speed early on in the race is unlikely to translate to victory. Teams will first need to make it through the first 11 hours of the event before pushing for the win in the final 60 minutes.
As we mentioned in the Daytona 24 Hours preview, Safety Cars are an integral element to IMSA racing strategy. Not only do they bunch the field, they also reset the pit cycle, allowing all teams to come in at set times. Last year's race saw no less than 13 SC periods. So being fast right at the very end is more crucial than ever.
How to Watch the Sebring 12 Hours
One of the main reasons sportscar fans love the IMSA Sportscar Championship is the access. At the track, one can freely walk around the paddock and get as close as possible to these impressive racing machines.But from the comfort of one's own home, streaming access for IMSA races is unrivalled. IMSA.TV, along with Radio IMSA host full coverage of every race, including support events. Over the next few days, race fans will have access to more racing action than they can watch, including the fan favourite Mazda Cup.
Whether you have been planning on watching the race for a while, or just discovering it now, here are all the times you need to watch the Sebring 12 Hours in 2024.
- Sebring 12 Hours Qualifying: Friday - 17:50 CET, 16:50 GMT
- Sebring 12 Hours: Saturday - 14:40 CET, 13:40 GMT
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