2017 Twelve Hours of Sebring -Prototypes

Prototypes battle it out at Sebring's Hairpin. A Cadillac chases down the ORECA for third place.

The overall winner of the Sebring 12 hours was always likely to come from the Prototype class, barring a major surprise.   As it turned out, they took the first four places overall. The IMSA Prototype class caters for both LMP2 cars and Daytona Prototype international cars. These DPi cars are 600hp prototypes with individual manufacturer bodywork and engines; so very similar to LMP2 cars but with more variety. With six different cars there was both quality and variety in this class.  The class of the field was obviously the Cadillacs fresh from their Daytona 24 hours victory.  However, Rebellion Racing surprised them by getting pole position and leading the first part of the race before falling back with electrical issues.  This left it for the three Cadillacs to battle it out throughout the 12 hours although there was no last minute drama like at Daytona.  Eventually, the Wayne Taylor Racing entry won again with the Taylor Brothers repeating their Daytona victory.  The Whelan car led at one stage but spun and lost two laps but then came through the field to get a podium place.  The Mustang car also led but got overtaken in traffic by the winning car in the last quarter of the race.  The fourth placed ORECA actually held third place for much of the race but in the end did not have the pace of the Cadillacs.

1^st – No.10 -WTR Konica Minolta – Cadillac Dpi V.R. – R.Taylor, J.Taylor, A.Lynn

The WTR car passing one of Sebring's planes.

The winning Cadillac rounds turn 3 as dusk falls

2^nd – No.5 -Mustang Sampling Racing – Cadillac Dpi V.R. – J.Barbosa, C.Fittipaldi, F.Albuquerque

The No.5 Cadillac was leading as it got dark but later had to make do with second place.

The Mustang Sampling Cadillac rounding the last turn on to the start finish straight.

3^rd – No.31 -Whelen Engineering Racing – Cadillac Dpi – D.Cameron, E.Curran, M.Conway

The sun starts to go down as the Whelan Cadillac exits the hairpin.

Earlier this is the No.31 Cadillac breaking for the hairpin.

4^th- No.85 -JDC Miller Motorsports – ORECA 07 Gibson – C.Miller, S.Simpson, M.Goikhberg

The ORECA rounding turn 6 into the setting sun.

The ORECA braking for the hairpin.

5^th- No.55 -Mazda Motorsports – Mazda RT24 P– T.Nunez, J.Bombarito, S.Pigot (29^th overall)

The bast placed Mazda speeds past the airport section.

The Mazda is certainly a good looking car for a modern prototype.

6^th-No.90 -Visit Florida Racing- Multimatic Riley Mk30 Gibson – M.Goossens, R.van der Zande, R.Rast

The Visit Florida Racing car resplendent in its blue colours.

The Visit Florida pits.

7^th-No.52 -PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports-Ligier JS P217 Gibson – M.Guasch, J.Gutierrez, T.K.Smith

The Ligier exits turn 10.

8^th-No.70 -Mazda Motorsports-Mazda RT24 P-T.Long, J.Miller, M.Franchitti

The No.70 Mazda enters Sebring's hairpin as the other Mazda exits.

9^th-No.13 -Rebellion Racing-ORECA 07 Gibson-S.Buemi, N.Heidfield, N.Jani

The early leader was this Rebellion ORECA.

10^th-No.22 -Tequila Patron ESM- Nissan Nismo DPi-E.Brown, J.van Overbeek, B.Senna, B.Hartley

The No.22 Nissan being prepared in the paddock on race morning.

The Nissan lapping a Lexus.

11^th- No.2 -Tequila Patron ESM-NissanNismo DPi- S.Sharp, R.Dalziel, L.Derani

The No.2 Nissan.

Lots more photos from the Twelve Hours of Sebring  coming soon.

For the GTLM class battle, click here.

For the Sebring Prototype Challenge cars, click here.

For the GT Daytona cars, click here.

The Sebring pits at night.

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.

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.

38 ème Rallye Regional du Pays Avallonnais 2017

Tony Agasse, Subaru Impreza, Rallye du Pays Avallonnais 2017.  

For some people the first day of spring is the day they hear their first cuckoo of the year.  For me it is the day in March that I hear my first racing or rally engine at full chat.  Thus for me it is officially spring as today I attended my first motor sport event of the year,  The occasion was the regional rally of Avallon in the beautiful Burgundian countryside around that town.  The weather was rather wet and thus the drivers had some difficult conditions to contend with.  As well as being the 38th running of the rally it was the 4th time that they had a class for VHC historic rally cars.  A thoroughly enjoyable day despite the rain, so I hope you enjoy some of my pictures below.  All positions mentioned in the captions are after the first stage between Avallon and Magny on Saturday afternoon March 4th.

The Matra Murena of Eric Bailly, one of the VHC cars leaving Avallon to go the the 1st stage.

To find out more about the Matra Murena, click here.

The parc fermé in Avallon with all the cars waiting for the start,

The Skoda Fabia R5 of Laurent Lecki was third fastest on the first stage.

The sixth fastest car, the Renault Clio R3 of Alain Goussot passing through Meluzien on the 1st stage.

The ninth placed Peugeot 207 RC of Ghislain Barbier on the first stage.

The eleventh placed Subaru Impreza of Julien Sandona on the first stage between Avallon and Magny.

The fastest VHC car on the first stage was this Peugeot 205GTi of Dominique Dupuy.

A Peugeot 306 S16 on the first stage driven by Gérard Baudon.

The Renault Clio 16S of the Benards.

A Renault Clio Williams passing through Meluzien on the first stage.

Franck Bailly's Subaru Impreza roars past the first stage spectators.

The Peugeot 207 Rc of Gaylor Fourrey.

Some spectators start sing the Ban Bourguignon and other songs whilst waiting for the cars on the hill above Meluzien.

The Varlet's Renault Clio R3.

A yellow flag is waved as car has gone into a ditch a little further on.  This is the Mitsubishi Lancer of Eddy Berthelot.

Christophe Plinguier in a Subaru Impreza.

The Matra Murena goes by very slowly.

Cars line up for the start.

A Peugeot 206Rc ready for the night stages.

Ford Puma in the parc fermé.

For action from the Rallye du Medoc, click here.

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.