Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring underway

[dbk]

Here's Müller's initial stint in the rain, into the tires at 35:40.

[video=youtube;WYZO5wTvdgk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYZO5wTvdgk[/video]

 

[dbk]

10 minutes with Bourdais:

[video=youtube;u254-KByUmI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u254-KByUmI[/video]

 

[Sinovac]

Here is the race schedule for those who don't have it. We need on-the-scene reporters for some of the far flung races.

http://racing.ford.com/series/road-...hedule-for-2016.html?fmccmp=vhp-module-racing

Dave, are you aware of any changes to the schedule?

 

[gtjoey]

Hey , For a BRAND NEW team with less than 10 months of experience, its pretty good. The BMW 's were caught on real time when their turbo revs were higher than allowed. Theres SOOOOOOO much going on , I think its computers talking and adjusting to each other that Ford has to dial in.
Did anyone else pick up on the penalty to BMW.
This is so much more high tech.
The 488 was unreal until the rain, its so new it had no data, it fell off the map besides all the kookie crashes and lightning storms.
Go Blue.......
See you at Limerock and Watkins Glen.
GTJOEY1314

 

[dbk]

Here is the race schedule for those who don't have it. We need on-the-scene reporters for some of the far flung races.

http://racing.ford.com/series/road-...hedule-for-2016.html?fmccmp=vhp-module-racing

Dave, are you aware of any changes to the schedule?

The only reason I didn't go was because Francesca was due on the 15th. It's the 20th and still no baby.

I'll be at the majority of the rest of the season.

Combined:

Jan. 30-31 Rolex 24 At Daytona (All) Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida

March 19 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida (All) Sebring International Raceway – Sebring, Florida

March 25-26: The Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard, France

April 16 Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach (P, PC, GTLM) Long Beach Street Circuit – Long Beach, California

April 17: 6 Hours of Silverstone, GBR

May 1 Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix (All) Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – Monterey, California

May 7: WEC 6 Hours of Spa, BEL

June 5: 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day

June 18-19: 24 Hours of Le Mans, FRA

July 3 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (All) Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, New York

July 10 Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance (All) Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

July 23 Northeast Grand Prix (PC, GTLM, GTD) Lime Rock Park – Lakeville, Connecticut

July 24: 6 Hours of Nürburgring, DEU

Aug. 7 Continental Tire Road Race Showcase (All) Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Aug. 21 Oak Tree Grand Prix (GTLM, GTD) VIRginia International Raceway – Alton, Virginia

September 4: 6 Hours of Mexico City, MEX (To Be Confirmed)

Sept. 17 Lone Star Le Mans (All) Circuit of The Americas – Austin, Texas

September 17: 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas (Lone Star Le Mans), USA

Oct. 1 Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda (All) Road Atlanta – Braselton, Georgia

October 16: 6 Hours of Fuji, JAP

November 6: 6 Hours of Shanghai, PRC

November 19: 6 Hours of Bahrain, UAE

 

[RALPHIE]

Just as we enter into the final hours and probably most exciting part of the race, Fox Sports 2 moves to a MotoCross event... :thumbsdn

...btw saw an IMSA post on f/b re:TV broadcast. They will be talking seriously with Fox on channel switching, etc. I was very disappointed with the broadcast during the final hour. Tired chatter by announcers, lots of ad time, and not much racing. At least they got the late pass and eventual winner right. Pure luck on their part I assume.

Probably the most exciting time of Sebring is the last 4 hours. Up to that point, cars are trying to survive - especially in the rainy conditions of yesterday's race. It is in the last hours that strategies are developed for the finish - fuel stops, driver selection, etc. (I think the selection of Joey Hand and Richard Westbrook as the closer guys was great!) It was then that FOX decided to turn off the broadcast - a decision that I will never understand, as that is when the good racing action started!

Oh well....

 

[Sinovac]

That's a valid excuse Dave. All the best to you and Francesca. The more the merrier.

Who wants to go to Japan for Fuji?

 

[dbk]

That's a valid excuse Dave. All the best to you and Francesca. The more the merrier.

Who wants to go to Japan for Fuji?

Thanks!

I'm trying to pick between Fuji & Shanghai. One of the other forum guys going has connections in Shanghai, and it's a lot cheaper. I checked the Fuji area hotels and it wasn't exactly a diverse selection that weekend, but I do think that's a great venue. GT Rally 11.2 - Asia.

 

[Awsum GT]

Congrats Dave! I hope you are blessed with a healthy baby very soon. My best to Francesca!

 

[LOVE CHP]

:willy

Legitimate excuse Dave. And for good reason. But you still stayed on top of the race! We appreciate the pictures. I will see you at Laguna Seca, with new baby? This was a good race for the GT considering it was only the second outing. Leading a race at Riverside in 1974 my car hydroplaned in the rain, and into the hay bales. It is like driving on glare ice, no control whatsoever. Our guys and the Ford team did great, keep it up, we are behind you.

The only reason I didn't go was because Francesca was due on the 15th. It's the 20th and still no baby.

I'll be at the majority of the rest of the season.

Combined:

Jan. 30-31 Rolex 24 At Daytona (All) Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida

March 19 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida (All) Sebring International Raceway – Sebring, Florida

March 25-26: The Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard, France

April 16 Tequila Patrón Sports Car Showcase at Long Beach (P, PC, GTLM) Long Beach Street Circuit – Long Beach, California

April 17: 6 Hours of Silverstone, GBR

May 1 Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix (All) Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – Monterey, California

May 7: WEC 6 Hours of Spa, BEL

June 5: 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day

June 18-19: 24 Hours of Le Mans, FRA

July 3 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (All) Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, New York

July 10 Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance (All) Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

July 23 Northeast Grand Prix (PC, GTLM, GTD) Lime Rock Park – Lakeville, Connecticut

July 24: 6 Hours of Nürburgring, DEU

Aug. 7 Continental Tire Road Race Showcase (All) Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Aug. 21 Oak Tree Grand Prix (GTLM, GTD) VIRginia International Raceway – Alton, Virginia

September 4: 6 Hours of Mexico City, MEX (To Be Confirmed)

Sept. 17 Lone Star Le Mans (All) Circuit of The Americas – Austin, Texas

September 17: 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas (Lone Star Le Mans), USA

Oct. 1 Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda (All) Road Atlanta – Braselton, Georgia

October 16: 6 Hours of Fuji, JAP

November 6: 6 Hours of Shanghai, PRC

November 19: 6 Hours of Bahrain, UAE

 

[Shoboat]

It was exciting to be there.

 

[dbk]

This thing is truly from another planet:

 

[dbk]

 

[Awsum GT]

WOW! great shots! Sorry I had to miss this one in person... watched all of it on TV though.

 

[texas mongrel]

Interesting; in the group overhead shot the GT looks quite compact and not much bigger than the Porker. The M6 looks like an oil tanker.

 

[GTED]

In deed, beautiful!!
One question, does anyone know why the mid part of the front lip curls up; is it by design or simply being a FGT, just like the 05-06 ones?

thx

 

[Bart Carter]

In deed, beautiful!!
One question, does anyone know why the mid part of the front lip curls up; is it by design or simply being a FGT, just like the 05-06 ones?

thx

Better aero.

 

[fordification]

Was there footage of the 67 getting run off track? I think that's what happened. Somewhere around in the last 10 minutes.

 

[TO AWSUM]

We left Sebring at about 2:30. Pretty miserable. But...got to hang out with Sinovac and son, STORMCAT, andymlow, Ron and Angie Cline (who had their GT parked outside the Ford Performance area). I know To Awsum was there, but we never found him.

It's a shame...we've had zero rain in March, until today. Rain tires don't work in lakes and rivers.

Sorry I missed you Gary. I hung out with all the other guys at Ron and Angie's car on Saturday for about half an hour before the 12 hr started. Then we walked the track until 10:40 PM viewing the race from many locations around the track. When the monsoon hit, luckily we were near the Mobil 1 tent, so we found shelter there. The rain was heavy and blowing sideways. Pretty miserable day to watch the race.

When we were at turn #15 in the morning before the rains started, we noted that #67 was consistently pulling away from the #3 Corvette on every lap for about 4-6 laps, then all of a sudden it significantly slowed down and everyone started passing it. We said something bad mechanically must have occurred to the GT again, then on the next lap it was back on pace. Have no idea why it slowed down so significantly. After this early morning performance, the GT never seemed able to have that type of dominating performance again and just maintained it's position lap after lap only gaining position when one of the leaders pitted.

 

[TO AWSUM]

Surprising, but I think they may have Dixon pushing it because they are off on their stop strategy. The Bimmers were murderous fast in practice.

The Bimmers were fast and sounded so sophisticated and refined. They weren't super loud and just had a nice smooth running sound with smooth acceleration unlike the raspy flat plane Corvettes and GTs which were loud and sounded like the engines were missing. The BMWs were as quiet as the Ferrari's, nice sound.