SEBRING, FL — Test day is complete and all that is left is waiting for the green flag to drop for the 60th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring, this year the kick-off event for the World Endurance Championship.
While there are perceived winners and losers at test day — the times don’t really mean much to anyone since between the the time that test day is run and the green flag drops the track will most likely change at least three times. It will be up to drivers and crews to dial the cars in during speed week.
However, the winner of the test day sessions was Lucas Luhr and the Muscle Milk Pickett Race team. This year the team is running a brand new Honda HPD ARX 03a that had not turned a lap in anger until this session. Luhr’s lap that clocked in at just over 123 mph to top all at the test session. The Audi team was not at the test session nor were any of the other LMP1 teams that are expected to contest the race at Sebring. Most notably missing from the test date is the Peugeot team that quit the series as of mid-February.
One thing that is known is that the Audi team will be bringing two cars the former WWII airfield while Peugeot flicked in at least the next two seasons and their only other competition — competition meaning a manufacturer who can spend euros at the same rate as Audi is the Toyota Team, which will not join the circuit until after the initial race of the series at Sebring. That leaves the Honda the Muscle Milk Picket Racing team to rub a little paint with the Audi team.
1. P1 Luhr/Graf/Pagenaud 1:48.192 123.114 HPD ARX-03a
2. P2 Tucker/Bouchut/Diaz 1:51.522 119.438 HPD ARX-03b
3 . P2 Tucker/Bouchut/Diaz 1:51.714 119.233 HPD ARX-03b
4. P2 Companc/Ayari/Kaffer 1:52.134 118.786 Oreca
5. PC Ende/Cameron/Lewis 1:54.891 115.936 Oreca FLM09
6. PC Junco/Leitzinger/Dobson 1:55.236 115.589 Oreca FLM09
7. PC Bennett/Braun 1:55.431 115.394 Oreca FLM09
8. PC Guasch/Gidley 1:58.194 112.696 Oreca FLM09
9. PC Downs/Downs/Downs 1:58.549 112.359 Oreca FLM09
10. GT Beretta/Vilander/Bruni 2:00.532 110.510 63 Ferrari F458 Italia
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