The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship resumes this weekend for Round 2, the 65th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by “Fresh from Florida.” Full season drivers Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow will joined by Dion von Moltke in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Total/UIS Lamborghini Huracán GT3.
While the track offers little in elevation changes, its high speed corners and long straights offer competitive racing from start to finish. The notoriously bumpy track surface, comprised of three miles of asphalt, and less than a mile of concrete, offers possibly the most challenges to drivers, cars, and tires. In preparation for the demanding event, Paul Miller Racing participated in the IMSA sanctioned test at the 17-turn, 3.74 road course.
“Sebring International Raceway is a demanding track for drivers and cars, which makes testing there so beneficial,” said Team Owner Paul Miller. “The GTD field will be ultra competitive, so the IMSA test was the perfect chance for us to get some extra laps in and experiment with the car’s set up. We were able to try some ideas that we feel good about, and as a result, we are optimistic about our ability to run competitively in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Despite some breaks in our running time, Bryan, Madison, and Dion all had ample seat time in our Lamborghini Huracán GT3, and they will be tough to beat on track this year.”
In the 2016 running of the event, the No. 48 ran within podium contention for the majority of the race. The team started the 12-hour endurance event from 13th in the GTD class, and made it to the front of the field just an hour and a half in. Problems in the pit just after the eight hour mark dropped the team to 12th, but hard charging by each team member resulted in a satisfying sixth place finish. With a competitive car and driver lineup, Paul Miller Racing will look to be a strong contender in this year’s event.
The Twelve Hours of Sebring also marks the second round in the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, the four race endurance championship within the full season championship. Points this weekend for the TPNAEC will be awarded at the four hour, eight hour, and 12 hour marks.
Coverage for the 65th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida beginsSaturday, March 18, at 12:30PM on FS1. Flag to flag online coverage will begin at 10:30AM ET on www.FOXSportsGo.com or with the FOX Sports GO app with FS1 authentication. For more information, visit imsa.com.
Bryan Sellers
“I’m really looking forward to Sebring. We had a good test there a couple weeks ago. It seems like it has been a long time since Daytona already, so I’m looking forward to getting back in, racing, and continuing to improve our results and car. Daytona showed just a little bit of how deep the talent is in the series, so we’re certainly going to have to be on our best game. We’ll focus on getting a good car set up fast, and work towards race preparation. I think we’re in a good position moving forward, and I’m excited to get back.”
Madison Snow
“This race has always been the hardest ones I have competed in, partly because it is our second longest race of the year, so there is a lot of time for the drivers and cars to fade away as the race goes on, but also because it is the most physically demanding race we do in IMSA. Sebring usually proves to be dreadfully hot by race day. This both affects how we have to set the car up with the daily changing temperature swings, but Sebring is also a track that massively changes as rubber is applied down to the concrete due to cars doing laps on the track. It would be impossible to start this race and have car handling the same as it does at the end due to the changing track conditions through the 12 hours of racing. It makes teams and drivers predict what the track and handing characteristics will be at the end of the race, so that when that time comes, we can fight for positions.
Paul Miller Racing comes this year with what I believe to be our most competitive line up yet. With Bryan and Dion as my co-drivers, we will be able to challenge every other driver and manufacturer for the win. This nearly week-long event gives us a lot of time to get settled into the track and car. It’s all about being the most productive on and off the track to gain that little advantage against everyone else.”
Dion von Moltke
“Finally, it’s a race week again! I am really excited to be back with Paul Miller Racing in our #48 Lamborghini Huracán. The Sebring 12 Hour is a very special race to myself and our sport,and I am very honored to be back to battle at this amazing event for my seventh straight year. This will be my first time attacking this race behind the wheel of a Lamborghini, but I was able to learn a little more about this car at the series test at Sebring a few weeks ago.
I believe we left the test with a pretty good race car, which is important as you really need to show up fast at Sebring to be competitive. Sebring is just such a tough race on cars, drivers and teams, so going in with a great team in Paul Miller Racing and great teammates like Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers, I know we have everything we need to be able to fight for a win.”
