63rd MOBIL 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (BMW Results + spoilers on page 4)

[954Stealth]

Admittedly, this thread is a bit early given that we are still two weeks out but I am pretty excited for this one!

"The 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by “Fresh from Florida” takes the green flag at 10:15 am on Saturday, March 21st. Gates open Wednesday, March 18, 2015 and remain open 24 hours a day through Saturday"





47 Entries for this year:
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/47...s-for-sebring/

Classes Participating:
PC
P
GTLM
GTD

This weekend will also included:
*Visual Studio 150 Continental Tire Challenge Race Set For March 20 At Sebring
*Cooper Tires Prototype LItes
*Porsche GT3 Cup USA

TV BROADCAST:
March 21: 1030am - 123pm on FS1
March 22: 0800am - 1000am on FS1
March 21: 1230pm - 0700opm on FS2
March 21: 1000pm - 1100pm on FS2


Track: Sebring International Raceway
Race Duration: 12 hours
Circuit Length: 3.74 miles

BMW Car Corral Packages:
https://www.sebringraceway.com/bmw-corral-packages

Schedule:

[954Stealth]

"This month, Flying Lizard Motorsports will return to Sebring International Raceway to compete in their twelfth 12 Hours of Sebring TUDOR United SportsCar Championship endurance event. The team currently has five podium finishes at the legendary endurance event, and will return to fight for another win with a new driver line up. Racing the No. 45 Audi R8 LMS will be former Flying Lizard driver Marco Holzer, current driver Robert Thorne and newcomer Colin Thompson."

http://www.planetlemans.com/2015/03/...-hour-line-up/

[vinhvle]

The BMW Car Corral page states the corral is limited to the first 100 cars that register. Will the link to purchase BMW Car Corral tickets be inactive when the spots fill up or is there a chance I could get turned away if the corral lot is full by the time I arrive? It looks like there will be a lot of nice perks for the corral ticketholders.

Friday, March 20

10:00 - 10:30 am Meet & Greet with BimmerWorld in CTSC Paddock

11:00 - 11:30 am Meet & Greet with Ashley Freiberg and Fall-Line Motorsports in CTSC Paddock

12:15 - 1:00 pm IHG Rewards Club Promo at BMW USA Classic Truck

12:25 - 2:55 pm CTSC Race

1:30 - 2:00 pm Meet & Greet with BMW Team RLL in TUSC Paddock

2:55 - 3:25 pm Required pre-meeting at corral tent for participation in BMW CCA Parade Laps

3:40 - 4:00 pm BMW CCA Parade Laps

4:00 - 4:45 pm IHG Rewards Club Promo at BMW USA Classic Truck


Saturday, March 21

8:00 - 9:00 am Cars and Coffee at the BMW USA Classic Truck

8:30 - 9:00 am Meet & Greet with Turner Motorsports in TUSC Paddock

10:45 am - 10:45 pm 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida

5:30 - 5:45 pm BMW Memorabilia Auction to Benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation

6:00 - 6:30 pm BMW Performance Center M School drawing and talk at corral tent

6:30 - 7:00 pm Michelin Tech Talk and Mid-Race Update at corral tent

[954Stealth]

vinhvle If you have any questions, you're best bet I think is to call them: (863) 655-1442 or email: info@sebringraceway.com

[vinhvle]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

vinhvle If you have any questions, you're best bet I think is to call them: (863) 655-1442 or email: info@sebringraceway.com

Thanks for listing the contact information for them! I sent them an email and received a quick response. The 100 car limitation applies to the BMW Parade Lap. All BMWs will be admitted into the corral. The Sebring Facebook page states that the Corvette corral is closed due to capacity so I thought the same would apply to the other corrals.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by vinhvle

Thanks for listing the contact information for them! I sent them an email and received a quick response. The 100 car limitation applies to the BMW Parade Lap. All BMWs will be admitted into the corral. The Sebring Facebook page states that the Corvette corral is closed due to capacity so I thought the same would apply to the other corrals.

Awesome! Thanks for recording the response here too. Hopefully that'll be helpful to others as well

[SoCal235]

Woowoo!!! Racing season is here!!!!

[954Stealth]

BMW Corral info:

The planned activities at the BMW Corral include:

There will be exclusive BMW parade laps on Friday afternoon. Details and signup will be in the corral. Passengers are allowed in the cars that make the parade laps. You must have a BMW corral pass on your parking ticket to participate in the popular parade laps.
Meet & Greet with BMW Team race drivers and race team personalities in the Paddock. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the Z4 race cars up close and get driver autographs.
Drawing on Saturday for a two-day BMW Performance Center M school with a retail value of $3,995
Meet & Greet with BMW Performance Center Instructors on Saturday
We will have a closed circuit television feed of the race in the BMW corral tent.
The complete corral schedule is posted below.

Location

To access the BMW Corral, take the road straight down the main midway road. Turn left at the BMW corral sign, just past the Patron Hospitality Area. At the entrance to the BMW corral there will be a guard to verify the corral sticker that allows access. Please consult the BMW corral staff for a parking location.



Schedule
Wednesday, March 18
5:30 am Gates open to the public
8:00 am - 5:30 pm Practice and Qualifying

Thursday, March 19
8:00 am - 9:00 pm Practice, Qualifying, and Support Races

Friday, March 20
10:00 - 10:30 am Meet & Greet with BimmerWorld in CTSC Paddock
11:00 - 11:30 am Meet & Greet with Ashley Freiberg and Fall-Line Motorsports in CTSC Paddock
12:15 - 1:00 pm IHG Rewards Club Promo at BMW USA Classic Truck
12:25 - 2:55 pm CTSC Race
1:30 - 2:00 pm Meet & Greet with BMW Team RLL in TUSC Paddock
2:55 - 3:25 pm Required pre-meeting at corral tent for participation in BMW CCA Parade Laps
3:40 - 4:00 pm BMW CCA Parade Laps
4:00 - 4:45 pm IHG Rewards Club Promo at BMW USA Classic Truck

Saturday, March 21
8:00 - 9:00 am Cars and Coffee at the BMW USA Classic Truck
8:30 - 9:00 am Meet & Greet with Turner Motorsports in TUSC Paddock
10:45 am - 10:45 pm 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida
5:30 - 5:45 pm BMW Memorabilia Auction to Benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation
6:00 - 6:30 pm BMW Performance Center M School drawing and talk at corral tent
6:30 - 7:00 pm Michelin Tech Talk and Mid-Race Update at corral tent

Camping

We allow overnight camping in your BMW, Mini, or Rolls Royce or in a personal tent on Thursday and Friday nights. Just be aware that you WILL have to take your tent down by 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning to make room for BMW parking. No open fires are allowed but you can prepare meals on a grill. You can sleep on your cot or air mattress in the corral tent if you choose.

We look forward to seeing you in the BMW Corral. Remember only the first 100 to register will be able to gain access to the Corral.

Parade Laps

There will be BMW-exclusive Parade Laps on the track. These Parade Laps will be Friday afternoon at a time to be determined. Details and signup will be in the BMW Corral on Friday. Passengers are allowed in the BMW, Mini, or Rolls Royce cars that make the parade laps. You MUST have a BMW Corral Pass on your parking ticket to participate in the popular parade laps and there will be a required pre-meeting at the corral tent prior.

Only BMW, Mini, Rolls Royce, and Handicap Vehicles are allowed in the Corral

Sebring’s strict rule is ONLY BMW, Mini, Rolls Royce and Handicap Vehicles are allowed in the corral. If you have a non-BMW car, you can park in public parking and walk into the BMW corral. Note: You are not required have to have a corral pass to walk-in.

[954Stealth]

Equipment is starting to arrive

[954Stealth]

The BMW trailer is now at Sebring

[Dackelone]

I'm looking forward to this race.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

I'm looking forward to this race.

Yes!

This is on the front page but deserves to be here as well

[954Stealth]

Oh yeah!

[954Stealth]

Historic Sebring 12 Hours.BMW Team RLL and BMW Motorsport are ready for the second round of the 2015 USCC: They return to Florida for the renowned “12 Hours of Sebring” which will be held this Saturday (21st March). This year sees the 63rd edition of the endurance classic, and for BMW Motorsport it is a very special one.

BMW Motorsport Mar 17, 2015



BMW celebrates the 40th anniversary of its first major sports car racing victory in the US. The triumph of the BMW 3.0 CSL at the 1975 “12 Hours of Sebring” marked the start of the history of BMW Motorsport in North America. To honour this anniversary, the two BMW Z4 GTLM will race at Sebring with special liveries that pay homage to the winning BMW 3.0 CSL.

BMW Team RLL finished second (No. 25) and fourth (No. 24) at the season-opening “Rolex 24 At Daytona”. Last season, the team reached the podium at Sebring, claiming third place. As he did at Daytona, BMW DTM works driver Augusto Farfus will drive the number 25 BMW Z4 GTLM along with season-long drivers Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner. BMW works driver Jens Klingmann will join John Edwards and Lucas Luhr in the number 24 BMW Z4 GTLM. Supporting BMW Team RLL at Sebring will be many members of the 1975 BMW Motorsport team, including Jochen Neerpasch, the first managing director of BMW Motorsport GmbH as well as drivers Brian Redman and Hans-Joachim Stuck.

[954Stealth]

TURNER BMW TUNED UP FOR MOBIL1 12 HOURS OF SEBRING; TUDOR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2.

Amesbury, MA. – March 16th, 2015 - -- Turner’s GTD program turns to the second round of the 2015 Tudor United SportsCar Championship after the extended break following the season kick off at Daytona in January. Full season drivers Michael Marsal and Markus Palttala anchor a familiar driver lineup.

The Mobil1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida marks the second stop on the calendar in the four round Patron North American Endurance Cup adding significance to the already important endurance contest. With 17 out of the 47 entries listed under the GTD class, competition will be at its peak.

With the twelfth place finish in the 24 Hour at Daytona in the rear view mirror Turner Motorsport has focused on preparation and set up for the extremely unique Sebring International Raceway, testing at the historic 3.74 mile 17-turn just several weeks ago.

“Testing at Sebring was crucial for us to get the very best set up possible on the No. 97 BMW Z4,” commented Michael Marsal. “We are really looking forward to this race and hopefully walking away with some valuable championship points. I think we have a strong package for this complex circuit, as was proven last year, so it should be a fun weekend. ”

In 2014, the No. 94 GTD BMW Z4 of Dane Cameron, Markus Palttala and Paul Dalla Lana qualified on pole for Turner Motorsport’s first-ever start in the 12 Hour. The No. 94 went on to lead the GTD class for much of the 12 hour race. On the team’s last pit stop a seized right rear wheel knocked the car off the lead lap and out of the lead to finish a disappointing seventh position.

For 2015, Marsal and Palttala will team up with Andy Priaulx and Boris Said in the No. 97 IHG Rewards Club BMW Z4 for the 12 Hour endurance race. The familiar driver lineup will reunite for the second time this season after a strong performance at Daytona.

“I don’t think I could ask for a better endurance driver lineup going into Sebring. The combined experience of Said, Palttala, Priaulx and Marsal is truly impressive,” said Will Turner. “All of them have a long endurance racing resume with many wins and podiums. I am grateful that our partnership with the IHG Rewards Club has allowed us to secure such a great lineup for these endurance events.”

In addition to the driver lineup IMSA’s recently released BoP (Balance of performance) will play into this weekend’s strategy. The Turner Z4 will see an 88/lb. weight increase as well as a significant 19mm engine restrictor reduction.

Team Strategist Don Salama added, “Sebring is a much better track for our Z4 than Daytona because Sebring rewards the great handling aspects of the BMW. However a 12 hour race is run by being reliable and staying out of trouble.”

“If we do and stay on the lead lap with 2-3 hours to go, we have hopefully have a competitive fight for the win,” Salama commented. “My concern is that we still believe that Balance of Performance adjustment by IMSA after Daytona will favor some of the other manufacturers.”

On track action will kick off on Thursday for testing. Tudor Championship practice and qualifying will take place on Friday, March 20th. Tune into IMSA.com for GTD qualifying at 3:15pm ET.

The Mobil 1 63rd Annual 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida will take the green flag on Saturday, March 21st at 10:30 am ET. Watch the two hour opening broadcast on Fox Sports 1 from 10:30am-12:30pm ET as well as the continued race broadcast on Fox Sports 2 and IMSA.com.

[954Stealth]

STUCK, REDMAN REUNITED WITH 1975-WINNING BMW CSL AT SEBRING
BMW TEAM RLL UNVEILS SPECIAL ‘THROWBACK’ PAINT SCHEME TO CELEBRATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY

IMSA.COM:

BMW Motorsport will proudly glance at the rear-view mirror while embracing the present this weekend at Sebring International Raceway.

To mark the 40th anniversary of BMW Motorsports’ first victory, the two BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTLMs will carry the classic paint scheme from 1975 in Saturday’s 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida.

The “throwback” livery for the No. 24 IHG Rewards Club entry of John Edwards, Lucas Luhr and Jens Klingmann, and the No. 25 IHG Rewards Club BMW of Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner and Augusto Farkus was unveiled this past weekend at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance near Jacksonville, Florida.



“Definitely my best Sebring memory was my first win with the BMW,” Stuck said. “Getting to drive that car will be a very precious moment – I haven’t driven that car in a long, long time. I remember 1975 was a very exciting race, and I really appreciate BMW taking me over for this event.”

Redman and Allan Moffat were the original drivers of the No. 25 BMW in the 1975 event. Stuck won the pole in the team’s similar No. 24 entry, but switched to the eventual winner when their car retired. The four drivers combined to win by three laps.

“They were fantastic cars, back in 1975 and 1976, and BMW had the only real works team at that time,” Redman said. “The degree of preparation was extremely professional. The following year, the leading BMW went to five cylinders at 5 a.m., and it was still faster than any Porsche RSR out there. It was a fantastic car. The engine revved at 9,000 RPM – the power band was 6,000-9,000 – and the brakes were terrific.



“I remember our only problem was that the battery was going down late in the (1975) race.. So I was running without lights, except past the pits, because I didn’t want to get black flagged. With 20 minutes to go, the rear axle temperature gauge was off the clock. So I crawled around, it held together and we won. We later found that the rear axle pinion bearing had failed, and it could have stopped at any time.”

Auberlen also will be celebrating two personal anniversaries at Sebring. The weekend is the 30th anniversary of his father Gary Auberlen’s lone IMSA victory in the 1985 Twelve Hours, while Auberlen won the GT2 class in 1995 at age 23, early in a career which has seen him win 53 major sports car races in North America.

Fans can follow the action in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring flag to flag this weekend. Coverage begins on FOX Sports 1 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., before moving to FOX Sports 2 from 12:30 -7 p.m., IMSA.com from 7-10 p.m., and finishing on FOX Sports 2 from10-11 p.m. A two-hour special highlights show will be aired on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, March 22, from 8-10 a.m.

[954Stealth]

Well, crap. I wanted to see the GT-R LM NISMO at Sebring. Apparently they wont debut it until 24H Le Mans now.

[954Stealth]

GTLM Competition: There are NO weak cars, manufacturers, drivers or teams in GTLM this year. The #3 Corvette won Daytona, in a convincing fashion, but none of the others had a clean run. We certainly didn't. All the GTLM manufacturers; Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Corvette and Aston Martin will have super competitive cars and second to none driver lineups. You can do this race with two drivers but all will have at least three on their entry list. We won't know the comparative inter-class pace until race week with the cancellation of the long standing Sebring IMSA winter test days. This has unfortunately forced all the serious competitors to organize expensive private test days at Sebring prior to the event week. The BoP (Balance of Performance) from Daytona may or may not suit Sebring. Unfortunately TUDOR's first three race tracks are anomalies; Daytona, Sebring, and Long Beach. You would have to give the BMWs a slight advantage at Sebring, with the current BoP. All they needed last year was a bigger engine restrictor, which they got this year. The Porsches will still be strong as they still have the highest downforce in the GTLM field via their BoP, while still maintaining good power and speed. You can't count the Corvettes out as they are always fast here and have a favorable BoP. The Aston Martin is a bit of an unknown. They've been very fast here in the past, have a favorable BoP but went out so early in Daytona that their true pace is still unknown. They are quick in Europe so we'd expect them to be quick in the States as well. The Ferrari has typically been fast here with a good finishing record (last year excluded), and should be competitive this year as well.

The Track: Sebring is a historic track hosting the longest running endurance race in North America; it's also one of the toughest tracks to get the setup right. You're always chasing the setup as the track changes throughout the week. It's super bumpy in sections, which means you want to go in a softer setup direction. There are numerous near-threshold braking zones that require good platform support and two sections where change of direction is important, which doesn't suit a soft setup. So it's a conundrum. You need very good braking here and that's a main area for gains, and the brakes need to be consistent and last 12 hours. The drivers need confidence in Turn 1 and Turn 17 on the bumps and a good platform in Turns 3-4 and Turns 15-16 for the change of direction. Good power down out of Turns 5, 7, 10, 13 and 16 aids in a quick lap, as they all lead on to relatively long straights.

The Setup: Sebring is a compromise. You need dampers that support the car but are compliant, with enough high speed damping to settle and control the car through the bumps. Too much low speed damping upsets the car on the bumps but not enough and you lose platform support/control. Ride heights are typically higher than the legal minimum to keep the car from bottoming, mainly in Turn 17. The typical GTLM 458 Ferrari direction is moderate springs with anti-roll bars on the soft side. GT cars, in general, struggle with rear stability under braking at turn-in, and this is the worst track for this tendency. A soft setup tends to aggravate this tendency. The Ferrari 458 is no exception. Good power down is important with the many long straights; most are not actually 'straight' but are long full throttle sections. If you get the rear stable, the tendency for off-brake mid-corner understeer becomes the next problem, which delays the ability to go to power. Sebring is bumpy. Sebring is low frequency large amplitude bumps (inputs), just the opposite of a track like Long Beach, which is more high frequency low amplitude.

The Race: The last several years have seen the end to the classic endurance race strategy where you'd save the car to make it to the end. The cars are all so reliable now that long races are just long full-on sprint races. The safety car wave-by rules are intact from Daytona, which should again keep the class fights competitive to the end, as this race will likely be caution filled. Pit boxes will again be small and crowded. This track doesn't have the best runoff area and with the large car count, patience on the track will be very important. You have to finish strong to win and penalties for avoidable contact are steep; you'll go down a lap easy in the penalty box.

[954Stealth]

BimmerWorld Ready for Sebring After Long Daytona Break
March 17th, 2015.



The long annual pause after the first Continental Tire Series race of the year at Daytona International Speedway comes to an end this week when teams descend on the legendary Sebring circuit. More than six weeks have passed since BimmerWorld’s turbocharged BMW F30 engines fell silent at Daytona, and team owner/driver James Clay says the extra time has been put to good use.

“The breaks in the schedule at the start of a new season are always appreciated and well-used,” he said. “The BimmerWorld guys have been primarily focused on suspension and engine tasks for our F30 chassis duo, with a quick bit of testing at VIR thrown in the mix. We made a big change in the off-season and Daytona was an indicator for us, but Sebring will be the true proof of concept.”

Sebring’s rough and punishing track surface will also put BimmerWorld’s F30-based BMW 328is to the test.

“We have learned so much on the F30 platform since our Sebring race last year, which was not one of my fondest memories,” Clay added. “We had a solid car at Daytona and I think we will see even better at Sebring. I have been anxious to get back to racing since the checkered flag at Daytona – we have a lot to achieve this year and I am eager to get to it!”

With just one year of on-track development with the F30 platform, BimmerWorld learns more about the car’s potential at each race, and with that knowledge in hand, better aftermarket and tuning packages are offered to Clay’s customers.

“Our BimmerWorld performance and parts business is built on the foundation of a close relationship with our race team and implementing what we work on there,” he explained. “This is a part of daily life at BimmerWorld with information constantly streaming into the sales office, to our development team, and to our customers. In the very near future, we will be launching much more heavily into the forced-induction BMW cars at the in-depth level that BimmerWorld customers are accustomed to. The F30 is teaching us a lot about running BMW forced induction at the limits.”

PRE-RACE QUOTEBOARD: Sebring

No. 81 BMW 328i: Tyler Cooke and Andrie Hartanto
Cooke: Sebring is a track I’ve been watching races at since I was a little kid. Seeing all the names and winners that come through that track makes up the history and the Sebring we know today. Last year all four BimmerWorld cars had good finishes in sight and showed that we had the pace. The F30 last year was quick and strong, and I think Sebring will be a good finish for both cars. It’s always one of our most exciting races of the year.

Hartanto: It will be my first time at Sebring, and I’ve been spending a lot of time learning what I can on iRacing. This will come down to how quickly I can acclimate myself to the track. I’m anxious and hopeful that we will do well. I am a quick learner, but more importantly I have great team mates that will help me to learn even faster.

No. 84 OPTIMA BMW 328i: James Clay and Jason Briedis
Briedis: The F30 showed potential last year, but we had some issues and were not able to realize it. I am looking forward to seeing how we can do this time around. There will be some other new cars making their debut at this event so it will be interesting to see how it all plays ou

[954Stealth]

Fall-Line

[954Stealth]

...

[954Stealth]

Burton Racing Set for Sebring
(Burton Racing Press Release, published March 17 2015)

Solid start to 2015 with venerable BMW 128i as 2013 champions target momentum


Indianapolis, Ind. (16 March 2015) – Following an encouraging start to the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship at Daytona International Speedway, Burton Racing looks to carry that positive momentum into Round 2 this weekend. The team and its drivers Mike LaMarra and Terry Borcheller head back to Florida – this time a bit farther south to Sebring International Raceway as part of the traditional Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race event.

The squad finished seventh at Sebring last year in its debut at the track as the new IMSA era saw the Continental Tire series make its first-ever visit to the Florida facility.

Borcheller has years of experience at the 3.74-mile road course, including nine starts in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring while driving in the American Le Mans Series. He won the 2001 running of the event and took three additional podium finishes in 2002, 2004, and 2008.

Now in its fourth season with the No. 23 BMW Automotive Chemicals/Excelda BMW 128i, the 2013 championship-winning team has continued to develop and improve the car. Burton Racing had the opportunity to test the BMW at Sebring during the two-month break in IMSA race action and will look to convert that recent experience into more points this Friday afternoon.

“We had a very good test at Sebring in February,” said Team Owner Keith Burton, who once called Sebring home as a crew chief for Skip Barber Racing. “Both Mike (LaMarra) and Terry (Borcheller) spent plenty of laps in the car and we feel good heading into this week. We’ve got Jim (Bell) helping out on the engineering side, so we continue to work to get the most that we can out of this package. Of course between Jim and Terry, they’ve got a huge notebook of experience at Sebring so we are focused on bringing home a solid result and continuing to build as the season progresses.”

Sebring International Raceway is well-known for its passionate race fans and car enthusiasts. Burton Racing will have the opportunity to meet with some of those folks, as the team will host guests from the BMW Club at its transporter on Friday as BMW celebrates a milestone weekend commemorating the brand’s big victory at the track in 1975.

Live timing and scoring can be followed throughout the weekend at IMSA.com which will also have a LIVE video broadcast available for the 2.5-hour race set to begin at 1:05 PM ET on Friday, March 20.

FOX Sports 1 will televise the event on Sunday, April 5 at 9:00 AM ET.