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Race report for Cavallino magazine, April/May 2007
Ferrari Wins Sebring
For the 55th running of this classic endurance race five of the latest specification Ferrari F430 GTs were assembled against ten of Porsche’s new 997s (911 GT3 RSRs). (Pretty good odds.) Risi Competizione entered two F430 GTs for driver teams M. Salo/J. Mowlem/J. Melo and T. Krohn/C. Braun/N. Jonsson. Two more F430 GTs came from former Porsche campaigners White Lightning for driver squads of T. Bergmeister)/T. Enge/M. Gidley and M. Mediani/R. Aguias. A fifth F430GT was entered by JMB Racing for B. Aucott/J. Macari/R. Wilson. Jamie Melo and Thomas Enge qualified first and second in GT2 class.
The overall outcome of the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring was anticipated by many trackside observers. And, predictably, one of the fantastic, diesel-powered, Audi R-10s prevailed. The drama that developed between P1 and P2 and in the P2 and GT2 classes was unforeseen. Audi were undoubtedly surprised by the pace the smaller, Acura-powered combinations in P2 class were able to maintain. For ten of twelve hours Acura powered P2 ARXs or Lolas took the fight to the P1 Audi R-10s. Porsche’s P2 entrants were probably even more surprised when they were relegated to third in class behind two brand new and unproven Acuras.
As the race wound down, fluid systems on the second overall P2 ARX Acura began to falter. The Acura reduced pace to protect its advantage over P2 class rivals Lola and Porsche. With the pressure off the leading Audi R-10 in P1 and the outcome of GT1 long decided, all eyes turned to the very close race in GT2 class.
After more than eleven hours and forty-five minutes of racing the gap between the leading GT2 contenders was just over 3 seconds. With four laps remaining Jamie Melo kicked it up a notch in his Risi Competizione F430 GT while Jorg Bergmeister in his Porsche 997 had to let a faster prototype go by. The separation between Modenese and Stuttgarter grew to 4 seconds. A lap later the gap was reduced to 1.9 seconds. After Bergmeister dispatched the last car between them, he set out after class leader Melo.
As Melo overtook a slower, lapped Porsche, Bergmeister nearly drove his 997 up the F430 GT’s diffuser. Locked in heated competition, they cross start/finish just ahead of the leading Audi. One lap to go is signaled to Werner in the Audi as it crosses. Ahead of the Audi, Melo and Bergmeister will have nearly two full laps to go. The last time past they were separated by 1.25 seconds. As the Audi took the checkered flag the Porsche was only a half second behind the Ferrari with one lap to race.
Melo’s F430 GT’s tires and brakes were badly worn after three stints. At each turn the Porsche pulled alongside. Twice the Ferrari and Porsche were side by side in a turn but Italian torque pulled Ferrari clear of Porsche. Coming through turn sixteen then onto the long straight Bergmeister got past with only inches between Porsche and Ferrari. Melo’s Ferrari powered back and barely maintained its advantage down the straight. Into the final turn its Bergmeister, then Melo pulled alongside, then Bergmeister again. As they drifted onto the last straight Melo pulled away slightly. Then, they touched, once and a second time. It was apparent that both competitors wanted the larger trophy from this 55th Sebring. Melo pulled ahead again swerving one way then correcting. Bergmeister made a try, but couldn’t get it done as the Ferrari crossed the line first, by less than a car length. It was said to be Sebring’s closest finish, ever*. It was Ferrari’s first win since 1998, It was a great race. Another close contest with unexpected outcomes is added to the glorious history of Sebring.
* Even closer than 1970 when Ferrari last bettered Porsche to the overall win as the Mario Andretti/Ignazio Giunti/Nino Vacarella 512s beat the 908 of Steve McQueen and Peter Revson.
Race report for Cavallino magazine, April/ May 2008
Sebring 2008
An appropriate subtitle for the 56th running of the Twelve Hours of Sebring might have been “What a Difference a Year Makes.” In prospect, the race appeared to have good competition in at least three of the four classes contested.
In the six car P1 class two Audi R10s would have to contend with a LeMans proven Peugeot 908, an untested Radical R10, an aging Creation CA07-002 and a perennially heart breaking Lola BO6/10. Potent competition for the P1s would come from the P2 class where five much improved Porsche RS Spyders and three very fast Acura ARX-10Bs would be joined by a Lola B07 46 and a Zytec 07S. In the three car GT1 field, the two Chevrolet Corvette C6Rs were favored over the lone Aston Martin DBR 9.
For the Ferrari teams a good GT2 result this year did not seem unreasonable, especially when the success of their F430GTs in the 2007 season was considered. At least the odds were a little better than last year with a total of six Ferrari F430GTs entered against and equal number of Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs. Longtime Ferrari patron Giuseppe Risi prepared two F430GTs for driving teams of Mika Salo/Jaime Melo/Gianmaria Bruni and Tracy Krohn/Nic Jonsson/Eric van de Poole. Newcomer Jim Tafel’s racing team brought a pair for Allan Simonsen/Jim Tafel/Pierre Ehert and Porsche defector Dominick Farnbacher/Dirk Mueller/Robert Bell. Another class newcomer, Corsa Motorsports entered an F430GT for Gunnar Jeanette/Ralph Kellners/Johnny Mowlem (one third of last year’s class winning driving team). Unfortunately the team would learn that tires provided by one of their sponsors weren’t up to Sebring’s high speed turns over the combination asphalt and concrete surface. They had a miserable experience in practice and selected not to start the race. The remainder of GT2 consisted of a new Ford GT-40R, a Corvette, an Aston Martin DBRS 9, a new Dodge Viper and a tired Panoz Esperante.
Peugeot’s 908 would have started from pole position had its time not been disallowed because the final official qualifying session was cancelled before it was completed. As a result the field was gridded based on aggregated practice times. The front row was shared by an Audi R10 and the lone Peugeot 908. Dirk Mueller in Tafel’s F430GT bettered Mika Salo of Team Risi by just over a tenth of a second for pole in GT2.
From the start the Peugeot sped away from the Audis and the rest of the field. At twenty minutes into the contest Risi’s Melo lead Tafel’s Mueller by eleven seconds in GT2. Risi’s first pit stops for the class leading Melo came about half an hour into the race. Tafel’s Mueller pitted two laps later. Twenty minutes into his second stint behind the wheel Mueller’s Ferrari was reported to be leaking fluid around the track. He pitted. A water cooler on the passenger side was found leaking and had to be replaced. Co-driver Robert Bell took over from Mueller, returning to the race three laps down to the class leading Melo. Shortly thereafter, and with more than thirty seconds in hand, Melo went off course at Turn 10. He was able to return to the track and continued, loosing about 10 seconds of his lead to the second in class Porsche.
Peugeot and Audi would swap the overall lead until about an hour an a half into the race when the very fast P2 Acura ARX-10B driven by Marco Andretti gained the first overall position from the pitting Peugeot. This was the first time an Andretti had lead Sebring since 1972 when Mario Andretti did so as Jackie Ickx’s teammate in the race winning Ferrari 312PB.
Risi’s Melo driven Ferrari F430GT would lead class at the two hour mark, as the other Ferraris were overtaken by Porsches which now occupied second and third in GT2. The Risi Ferrari would maintain its class advantage even after pitting for Gianmaria Bruni to replace Melo. Into the fifth hour the Risi Ferrari continued to lead its class with Melo again behind the wheel. But, this year GT2 would not end so dramatically as last year.
With not quite half the race completed and while leading the class by a lap, Melo drove his Ferrari into the lapped Porsche of Dirk Werner in Turn 7. Both cars were badly damaged in the collision. As they hobbled back to their pits another Porsche, driven by Wolf Henzler, took over the GT2 class lead. Within minutes Melo’s Ferrari had gone from class leader to retired from the race. This must have been a sweet settling of scores for Henzler’s teammate, 2007’s second place GT2 finisher, Jorg Bergmeister. Sebring aficionados will recall Bergmeister was ruthlessly overtaken by Melo in the last seconds last year, as they raced to IMSA’s closest finish ever.
For the remainder of the race no Ferrari would contest the GT2 class lead again. The F430GT entered by Giuseppe Risi for Krohn Racing and driven by Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson and Eric van de Poole fought back from as low as seventh to third in class. They maintained position through the second half of the race to finish third in GT2. Tafel Racing’s F430GT took Jim Tafel, Allan Simonsen and Pierre Ehert to fourth in GT2. It wasn’t the dramatic finish of 2007 and Ferrari was unable to back up its class victory of the previous year. However, if there is any consolation, the Ferrari teams did run competitively and were rising in the field as the race drew to conclusion.
In the end, the smaller P2 class Porsche RS Spyders provided a big surprise by finishing first and second overall and first and second in class ahead of all the bigger, more powerful P1 class. And, this year rather than being surprised at the GT2 finish, Porsche surprised Ferrari with newfound pace and reliability. What a difference a year made.