2017 Twelve Hours of Sebring - Prototype Challenge Class

Dusk has fallen but you can still make out the winning Prototype Challenge ORECA Chevrolet in between turns 3 and 4.

I love endurance races like at Sebring as there is the challenge and opportunity of taking photos in different lighting conditions as the race progresses.  Dusk is my favourite as perhaps you can see.

The IMSA Prototype Challenge  is a class for identical open prototype cars made by ORECA with 520hp Chevrolet engines. In IMSA racing they are normally the second fastest class.  It is meant as a Pro-Am class and this is the last year that they will be racing in IMSA.   For sure it was a small class of good looking cars that all lasted the race.  The performance Tech car finished a very good fifth overall and repeated its Daytona class victory with a fairly dominating display and finished two laps ahead of the next best Prototype Challenge car.

1^st-No.38 -Performance Tech Motorsports-ORECA FLM09 Chevrolet- J.French, P.O'Ward, K.Masson (5^th overall)

The winning Prototype Challenge car rounds Gurney Bend.

2^nd-No.8 -Starworks Motorsport-ORECA FLM09 Chevrolet- G.Grist, M.Hanratty, S.Rayhall (6^th overall)

The second placed car in the Prototype Challenge class.

Just before dusk the Starworks Oreca bumps over the kerbs at turn 3.

3^rd-No.26 -BAR1 Motorsports-ORECA FLM09 Chevrolet- M.Drumwright, C.Ducote, G.Yacaman, C.Thompson (15^th overall)

The first of the BAR1cars leading the class at an early stage in the race.

An ORECA Chevrolet at dusk with the setting sun colouring the background.

4^th-No.20 -BAR1 Motorsports-ORECA FLM09 Chevrolet- D.Yount, B.Rice, D.Burkett, M.Kvamme

Red hot front brakes on the GasMonkey ORECA as it brakes for the hairpin.

Lots more photos from the Twelve Hours of Sebring on the posts below.

For pictures of the DPi and LMP2 prototypes, click here.

For pictures of the amazing GTLM class battle, click here.

For pictures of the myriad of GT Daytona cars, click here.

The fly-past just before the main event.  

A vestige of Sebring's past as Hendrick's Field Army Airforce Traing Base.

Various cars about to go out on demo laps.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.