Credit: LAT Images
Pipo Derani, driver of the Wehlen Cadillac Racing team, suffered a dramatic accident while leading the race at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The incident occurred in the Cadillac V-Series.R GTP #31, after Derani was in control of the race.
During the second stage of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Derani was in the lead when he hit the tire barrier at Turn 9. The impact caused his red Cadillac to flip over and end up upside down, while the tires absorbed the force of the crash.
The accident was triggered when Derani tried to overtake the AF Corse Ferrari 296 #21, driven by Miguel Molina. As he moved back to the right to pass the Ferrari, Derani made contact with the front of the car. This caused Derani to go off track and collide head-on with the tire wall.
Shortly before the accident, Derani had built a lead of over 12 seconds, surpassing Felipe Nasr in the Porsche Penske 963 #7.
Derani, a five-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring, had been skillfully and composedly driving the Cadillac #31. Unfortunately, the team will not be able to defend their title as champions from last year.
Despite the seriousness of the accident, Derani managed to get out of the upside-down Cadillac #31 with the help of track marshals.
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