The 73rd annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is all set to witness a spectacular 56-car lineup, as announced by IMSA. Scheduled for Saturday, March 15, the event is set to showcase the much-anticipated debut of Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie, bearing the No. 23, is ready for its maiden journey, driven by Ross Gunn, Roman de Angelis, and Alex Riberas. The endurance race, considered one of the most challenging in the IMSA calendar, will test the mettle of this new Valkyrie.
Sharing the spotlight in the 13-car GTP field is the Daytona-winning No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, under the helm of Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, and Laurens Vanthoor. Also returning to the arena are the champions from the previous year, Wayne Taylor Racing. Despite a challenging Daytona weekend, their two Cadillac V-Series.Rs are set to roar back into action. The silver No. 40, with Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz, and substitute driver Brendon Hartley, is expected to shake things up.
In related news, JDC-Miller MotorSports is soon to reveal their third driver for Sebring. Tijmen van der Helm and Gianmaria Bruni are already confirmed for the full season in the No. 85 Porsche.
The 12 LMP2 entries have witnessed some driver shuffling since Daytona. Juan Manuel Correa will now take the wheel of the No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA, while Kakunoshin Ohta will be in the driver’s seat of the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA.
Inter Europol Competition has also made changes in its lineup, with Jeremy Clarke replacing Jon Field. Clarke, a recent standout in the Asian Le Mans Series, will be making his first appearance in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
In a noteworthy debut, Matias Perez Companc will feature in the WeatherTech Championship behind the wheel of the No. 88 AF Corse car, alongside his father Luis and Nicklas Nielsen.
The GTD PRO category will see 11 entrants, including the No. 20 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R team of Claudio Schiavoni, Matteo Cressoni, and Richard Lietz, returning after their Daytona appearance.
Ford Performance driver Ben Barker is set to race the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 for the first time, after an injury-induced absence from Daytona. His debut will coincide with Giacomo Altoe’s first start with DragonSpeed in the No. 81 Ferrari 296 GT3.
Attention also turns towards Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch, and Dennis Olsen who are hoping to celebrate a “36 Hours of Florida” sweep in the No. 65 Ford, following their significant victory in Daytona.
The 20-car GTD field will feature returning drivers Antonio Fuoco and Lorenzo Patrese behind the wheel of the No. 47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari, accompanied by Giorgio Sernagiotto. NASCAR driver and commentator Parker Kligerman will also make his second appearance in the No.78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.
Clearly, the upcoming 12 Hours of Sebring is gearing up to be a thrilling spectacle, keeping fans and enthusiasts on the edge of their seats with its impressive lineup and exciting developments.