Road to Le Mans - LMP3 & GT3 support race

First lap action in the road to Le Mans race.

The Road to Le Mans race was a support race at the 2017 Le Mans 24 hours and a round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup series.  This huge field of LMP3 and GT3 cars featured cars from that series, the ELMS series plus a number of one-off competitors.  Although it had a great variety of cars, I didn't find the race particularly close or interesting. However, I am sure the drivers relished the chance to race on the full 24 hour circuit.  The race I saw was on the Saturday morning and lasted for 55 minutes and was the second race for these cars of the week. 49 cars took part and the format of the race was that each car had to have a mandatory pitstop to change driver.  The faster cars covered 13 laps.  Here are some of the cars that took part. As an experiment and to keep out of the sun I took all of these photos from the Tertre Rouge grandstand.

1st place overall and in the LMP3 class went to the DKR Engineering Norma M30-Nissan.  

Winner of the GT3 class was this TF Sport Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3.

This N'Race Ligier JS P3 finished sixth.

A lap behind in 35th place was this DKR Engineering Adess 03-Nissan.

Spectators watching the battle for the lead in the Road to Le Mans.

The Spirit of Race Ferrari 458 Italia completed 11 laps.

Third in the GT3 class was this SVC Sport management Lamboghini Huracan GT3.

The IMSA Performance Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Porsche GT3 leads Ligier LMP3

Optimum Racing Audi R8 LMS.

Spirit of Race Ferrari 488

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.

Ginetta P3 15 - Nissan

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:

1^st-No.33 -Riley Motorsports Team AMG-Mercedes AMG GT3- B.Keating, J.Bleekemolen, M.Farnbacher (16^th 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.

2^nd-No.63 -Scuderia Corse-Ferrari 488 GT3- C.Nielsen, A.Balzan, M.Cressoni (17^th 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

3^rd-No.75 -SunEnergy1 Racing-Mercedes AMG GT3- T.Vautier, K.Habul, B.Said (18^th 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.

4^th-No.29 -Montaplast by Land Motorsport-Audi R8 LMS GT3-C.De Phillippi, C.Mies, J.Gounon (19^th 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.

5^th-No.48 -Paul Miller Racing-Lamborghini Hurácan GT3- 

B.Sellers, M.Snow, D.von Moltke (20^th overall)

Lamborghini Hurácan at dusk

The Paul Miller Racing car speeds through turn 17 at Sebring in 5th place..

6^th-No.73 -Park Place Motorsports-Porsche 911 GT3 R- 

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

7^th-No.57 -Stevenson Motorsports-Audi R8 LMS GT3

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

8^th-No.86 -Michael Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian-

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

The Acura NSX braking for the hairpin whilst in last place in the class.

9^th-No.11 -GRT Grasser Racing Team-Lamborghini Hurácan 

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

(24^th overall)

The green No.11 Lamborghini Hurácan.

10^th-No.28 -Alegra Motorsports-Porsche 911 GT3 R-M.De Quesada, 

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

The Alegra Motosports Porsche entering the hairpin.

11^th-No.16 -Change Racing-Lamborghini Hurácan GT3-

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

The No.16 Lamborghini negotiates the Sebring hairpin.

12^th-No.46- Ebimotors-Lamborghini Hurácan GT3- 

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

The Ebimotors Lamborghini racing up to turn 3.

13th-No.15 -3GT Racing-Lexus RCF GT3- R.Alon, 

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

The No15 Lexus RCF being chased during the evening at Sebring.

The Lexus passing the palms and the planes.

14^th- No.93 -Michael Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian, 

Acura NSX GT3, A.Lally, K.Legge, M.Wilkins (30^th overall)

The No.93 Acura in the evening.

Earlier in the day it passes the planes.

15^th-No.23 -Alex Job Racing-Audi R8 LMS GT3-B.Sweedler, 

T.Bell, F.Montecalvo (31^st overall)

The Audi entering the hairpin.

16^th-No.54 -CORE Autosport-Porsche 911 GT3 R-J.Bennett, 

C.Braun, N.Jonsson

The No.54 Porsche heading towards the haipin.

17^th-No.18 -DAC Motorsports-Lamborghini Hurácan GT3- 

E.Anassis, B.Gdovic, A.Massari

The No.18 Lamborghini.

18^th-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.

19^th-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.

20^th-No.96 -Turner Motorsport-BMW M6 GT3-J.Marks, 

J.Klingmann, J.Krohn

The Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3

21^st-No.50 -Riley Motorsports-WeatherTech Racing-

Mercedes AMG GT3- C.MacNeil, G.Jeannette, S.Gisbergen

The WeatherTech Mercedes racing in Florida.

For the GTLM cars that raced at Sebring, click here.

For the fast DPi and LMP2 Prototype cars, click here.

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.