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Les courses automobiles francaises et voitures classiques

Monday 3 April 2017

2017 Twelve Hours of Sebring GT Daytona class

GT Daytonas battle it our in the early laps

The biggest class at this year's Twelve Hours of Sebring was the GT Daytona class. This class is for GT3 cars which have less aerodynamic aids and slightly less power than the other GT class (GTLM) and is meant as a Pro-Am class. Although not fastest in practice the Mercedes proved the class of the field in the race and took the GTD class victory despite a late challenge from the Ferrari.  It marked the first class win for Mercedes since their return to GT racing at Daytona.  All of the cars that raced at Sebring in this class are pictured below:

1st-No.33 -Riley Motorsports Team AMG-Mercedes AMG GT3- B.Keating, J.Bleekemolen, M.Farnbacher (16th overall)
The winning Mercedes about to enter turn 3 at night.
The Riley Motorsports AMG Mercedes lifts a wheel at the bumpy turn 10.
The Mercedes early in the race.
2nd-No.63 -Scuderia Corse-Ferrari 488 GT3- C.Nielsen, A.Balzan, M.Cressoni (17th overall)
The Scuderia Corse Ferrari in the paddock before the race.
The Frerrari heading for second place in class as night falls.
The Ferrari 488 GT3
3rd-No.75 -SunEnergy1 Racing-Mercedes AMG GT3- T.Vautier, K.Habul, B.Said (18th overall)
As the sun sets, the Sun Ennergy Mercedes accelerates out of the hairpin.
The Sun Energy Mercedes races past the planes parked at the airport.
4th-No.29 -Montaplast by Land Motorsport-Audi R8 LMS GT3-C.De Phillippi, C.Mies, J.Gounon (19th overall)

The Montaplast Audi was in third place as night fell but later fell back to fourth.
The No.29 R8 races through the hairpin.
5th-No.48 -Paul Miller Racing-Lamborghini Hurácan GT3- 

B.Sellers, M.Snow, D.von Moltke (20th overall)
Lamborghini Hurácan at dusk
The Paul Miller Racing car speeds through turn 17 at Sebring in 5th place..
6th-No.73 -Park Place Motorsports-Porsche 911 GT3 R- 

P.Lindsey, J.Bergmeister, M.McMurry, J.Heylen (21st overall)

The Park Place Porsche in the pits just before the race started.
Much later the Porsche races towards turn 4 with a bright orange sky behind it. 
The Porsche during the early laps.
7th-No.57 -Stevenson Motorsports-Audi R8 LMS GT3

 - L.Aschenbach, M.Bell, A.Davis (22nd overall)

The No.57 car kicks up the dust at turn 10.
The Audi races past the many motor homes as night falls.
Earlier, seen racing past the planes.
8th-No.86 -Michael Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian-

Acura NSX GT3- J.Segal, O.Negri, T.Dyer (23rd overall)

The Acura NSX braking for the hairpin whilst in last place in the class.
9th-No.11 -GRT Grasser Racing Team-Lamborghini Hurácan 

GT3 - C.Engelhart, R.Ineichen, R.Antinucci, M.Bortolotti 

(24th overall)
The green No.11 Lamborghini Hurácan.
10th-No.28 -Alegra Motorsports-Porsche 911 GT3 R-M.De Quesada, 

D.Morad, S.Pumpelly, M.Christensen (25th overall)

The Alegra Motosports Porsche entering the hairpin.
11th-No.16 -Change Racing-Lamborghini Hurácan GT3-

C.Lewis, J.Mul, B.Sandberg (26th overall)

The No.16 Lamborghini negotiates the Sebring hairpin.
12th-No.46- Ebimotors-Lamborghini Hurácan GT3- 

E.Busnelli, F.Babini, M.Beretta, E.Collard (27th overall)

The Ebimotors Lamborghini racing up to turn 3.
13th-No.15 -3GT Racing-Lexus RCF GT3- R.Alon, 

J.Hawksworth, A.Cindric (28th overall)

The No15 Lexus RCF being chased during the evening at Sebring.
The Lexus passing the palms and the planes.
14th- No.93 -Michael Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian, 

Acura NSX GT3, A.Lally, K.Legge, M.Wilkins (30th overall)
The No.93 Acura in the evening.
Earlier in the day it passes the planes.
15th-No.23 -Alex Job Racing-Audi R8 LMS GT3-B.Sweedler, 

T.Bell, F.Montecalvo (31st overall)

The Audi entering the hairpin.
16th-No.54 -CORE Autosport-Porsche 911 GT3 R-J.Bennett, 

C.Braun, N.Jonsson

The No.54 Porsche heading towards the haipin.
17th-No.18 -DAC Motorsports-Lamborghini Hurácan GT3- 

E.Anassis, B.Gdovic, A.Massari

The No.18 Lamborghini.
18th-No.14 -3GT Racing-Lexus RCF GT3- S.Pruett, 

S.Karam, I.James

The Lexus when it was in fourth place in class early in the race.
19th-No.27 -Dream Racing Motorsport-Lamborghini Hurácan 

GT3- L.DeGeorge, C.Sbirrazzuoli, P.Ruberti, L.Persiani

The Dream Racing Lamborghini in the pits before the race.
No.27 racing past the planes.
20th-No.96 -Turner Motorsport-BMW M6 GT3-J.Marks, 

J.Klingmann, J.Krohn

The Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3
21st-No.50 -Riley Motorsports-WeatherTech Racing-

Mercedes AMG GT3- C.MacNeil, G.Jeannette, S.Gisbergen
The WeatherTech Mercedes racing in Florida.
For the Sebring Prototype Challenge cars, click here.


Discussion in the pits.
The Audi team pits.

Sebring can have an other side as well with strange humour including booby trapping the hand rails with blue ink (yes, I did get caught!) and blow up dolls!.
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.

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