Cadillac Brings Home the Win in Long Beach, Vasser Sullivan Wins GTD

The IMSA Acrua Grand Prix of Long Beach has come to an end. IMSA, IndyCar and Formula DRIFT all have events this weekend which meant a Saturday race day for IMSA fans. The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R took the overall win in the Long Beach sprint race. Drivers Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande took home the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class for Chip Ganassi Racing. The Cadillac ran one set of tires for the entire race. Through proper tire management and good race craft the Cadillac was able to navigate the field to lay down consistent lap times that kept them out in front.

The strategy call to forgo a tire change provide to be the deciding factor in the win. “It was quite cold, then the sun came out and it started to warm up,” van der Zande said. “We left it to the last minute to decide. They made the right choice for sure. Strategy won this race. The tires were kind of gone at the end; it was quite slippery. But I’m very proud of my team.”

Vasser Sullivan Stays on top with GTD Win

The No. 89 Vasser Sullivan tribute entry won the GTD class in Long Beach. The team entered the car to commemorate the year the Lexus brand started in America; 1989. The team secured the victory over the No. 96 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3. Parker Thompson and Ben Barnicoat drove the No. 89 to a brilliant victory that will be remembered as a testament to the legacy of racing at Lexus. “He crushed it,” Barnicoat said speaking about Thompson’s performance.

“Track record, and he was faster than me in the race too, so I might have to look out for my seat in the No. 14. He’s definitely one of the up-and-comers. He’s got a bright future and I’m very lucky to drive with him now. He’s going to achieve great things, no doubt.”

Full Race Result are Below

This weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Qualifying has concluded with Pipo Derani once again maintaining his recent form by claiming pole position for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It was a good result for Cadillac with the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing finishing in first and the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R finishing third.

Derani said, “I put the lap in early and it was enough,” said Derani, who shares the car with Jack Aitken. “The last flying lap I requested the team not to talk over the radio. I came to the end a little bit quicker. I thought I’d try it to push an extra gap if necessary.

It starts to get a bit quicker. I locked up and went into the barriers. I had to come off the barriers quickly and had to remind myself how to get it done. I knew how important it was to get on pole here. We can swap the nose. A race here is so important to start on pole.”

Vasser Sullivan Finishes 1-2 in GTD

Vasser Sullivan put on a dominant performance in qualifying. The team finished 1-2 in the session ahead of third place No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. Parker Thompson was the fastest of the Lexus drivers setting 1m17.357s lap. Thompson said,

There was a lot of pressure today,” Thompson said. “We did a qualifying simulation in Practice 2, and I thought we were going to have to work really hard for that pole. To be 1-2, I’m really proud and that just shows how good our Lexus is around the Grand Prix of Long Beach…But that’s only half the job, unfortunately,” he added. “They only give you a medal for pole, they don’t give you a trophy. Tomorrow is the big day.”

Saturday’s race that airs live at 4:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and IMSA Radio.

The IMSA WeatherTech Championship returns for the third round of the year on the streets of Long Beach, California. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is a compound event that will showcase the GTP and GTD classes for IMSA alongside, IndyCar and Formula DRIFT all packed into one adrenaline filled weekend.

The Fast Facts for the IMSA Race can be found below.

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach Street Course – Long Beach, California; April 19-20, 2024

• Race Day/Time: Saturday, April 20 – 4:35 p.m. ET
• NBC Sports Coverage: USA Network and Peacock from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
• Live Qualifying Stream: Friday, April 19 – 7:55 p.m. ET on Peacock (U.S.) and IMSA.tv (globally)
• IMSA Radio: All sessions live on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins Saturday, April 20 at 4:30 p.m. (Sirius 211, XM 206, Web/App 996)
• Circuit Type: 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street course
• Race Length: 100 minutes
• Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)

The Full Entrant List is Below

The initial announcement that the Iron Lynx and Lamborghini were partnering up to launch a GTP program in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship sparked a frenzy amongst racing face all around the word. After months of anticipation the fans finally got their first opportunity to see the Lamborghini SC63 in action during a race. The No. 63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63 finshed 7th overall in their debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring; a feat that the team admitted wasn’t expected.

Driver Matteo Cairoli said, “I didn’t expect such a great result and I’m delighted for what we achieved today in our first race with this car. I want to thank the team because they never stopped working as hard as possible. I’m extremely happy to be part of this team. To finish less than 30 seconds away from the lead in a 12-hour race on such a tough track is something I could not believe at the start. We now enjoy the moment, and we will prepare to get back on track even more competitive in the next rounds.”

Words from the Team Racing Director

The 12 Hours of Sebring is a test of reliability for the manufacturers. Lamborghini knows they can build a car that possess the build quality to finish an 12 hours endurance race. Emmanuel Esnault, Racing Director, “We can be proud of what we accomplished at Sebring. We completed one of the toughest races in the world and overcame every obstacle that came to us.

Our drivers and team members worked incredibly hard, constantly adapting and focusing on the big picture. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we feel we made great progress at Sebring that we will carry forward in the rest of our 2024 journey. Making our first IMSA race has been a great challenge, as this project is still very new, but here and in Qatar we proved that as a team, we can make a difference. Our focus now shifts to our home race at Imola, but we are leaving the USA extremely motivated and we cannot wait to be back on track.”

Next up for the Iron Lynx Lamborghini collaboration is the 6 Hours of Imola; a race on home soil.

Check out the 12 Hours of Sebring GTP Results Here

GTD Pro

Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat and Kyle Kirkwood secured the win in the GTD Pro class for Vasser Sullivan in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Cadillac. The defending champions had a poor finish in the season opener at the 24 Hours of Daytona and needed to bounce back in Sebring to defend their 2023 championship. The race started off on a low note after Jack Hawksworth was penalized for hitting a crew member in the pits which relegated the No. 14 Lexus to the back of the grid. However, Hawksworth didn’t give up hope. “We’ll get back into it and see if we can’t keep the car clean for another seven or eight hours and then have a go at it at the end,” he said. That state rang true when the checkered flag flew.

Jack Hawksworth Commented on the Fight for the Win

“These long races, you have to do everything perfectly. Everyone has to do their job absolutely perfectly just to be there to even have a chance at the end. Then you just hope that the cards fall your way. We had a tough day. But the team, we made good steps over the off-season. We wanted to come and show what we could do, right? This has been a proper bounce back…We had the one obviously drive-through early in the race, a wobble there. Other than that, it was rock solid all day. The guys on pit lane were unbelievable all day. Ben and Kyle were absolute monsters out there. Yeah, we ended up in the fight there at the end. Come out on top. I couldn’t be prouder of everybody. Yeah, the last four hours out there were absolutely nuts.”

The No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus beat out a hard fought second place finisher the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3. The No. 62 won the in class race at the 24 Hours of Daytona but were later disqualified for exceeding the expected performance for their car by the IMSA stewards. While a win would have been the goal for the team. This weekend a podium is a solid consolation after the championship points from the 24 Hours of Daytona were taken away. The No. 62 Ferrari has demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with in the championship this year. We expect these battles between Vasser Sullivan and Risi Competizione to heat up as the cares head for the next round in Long Beach.

GTD

The No. 57 Windward Racing Mercedes had a similar uphill battle to the winners of the GTD Pro class. The car was penalized at the beginning of the race for having un approved sensors on the car resulting in start from dead last on the grid. “We knew we had the car for it,” said Russell Ward, closing driver for Winward Racing. “We just wanted to keep our heads clean. We started off the season in such a great form winning Daytona.

Our goal really was just to get the maximum amount of points that we could out of this race. This track really suits this race car well. The Mercedes-AMG gives you a ton of confidence here. You need it at Sebring — a dangerous racetrack. A lot of chances to make a mistake. The crew performed flawlessly. No mistakes on their part. Few mistakes on the drivers’ part. Came out on the top.”

LMP2

In LMP2 the majority of the field finished the race on the lead lap. The top of the pack completed 330 laps during the 12 hours of Sebring with the No. 18 Era Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 securing the win. Doubling down and backing up their in class win at Daytona this year. The race wasn’t a cake walk for the team by any means. With two hours left in the race the No. 18 found itself in 8th place which seemed like a feat the team wouldn’t overcome.

However, thanks to an incredible pit strategy on the final refuel from engineers Scott Besst and Nico Brisseau the team was able to pull out the final stint of the race and secure their second win of the season. Connor Zilisch, final driver had the following words, “It’s an honor for the team to trust me, give me the chance to go out there and show them what I have at the end,” Zilisch said after the race Saturday night. “Scott and Nico were on it with the strategy calls all day. It was really tough to pass out there. It was kind of just whoever could get track position, get to the lead, was going to end up winning.”

Zilisch Continued

“At about an hour to go, we were all running in a train. I think I was seventh. I knew I wasn’t going to pass them, so I just started saving fuel, was going to wait for the last pit stop…I took the lead when I came back out. It takes a team effort. Ryan and Dwight did a great job. We kept the car clean all day.”

The LMP2s were flying in Sebring having only fallen behind the GTP class by 3 in number of the laps completed. Three LMP2s retired from the race with the first being the No. 88 Richard Mille AF Corse ORECA LMP2 07 after just 65 laps. The No. 08 Tower motorsports and the No. 99 AO Racing LMP2 cars also had to retire form the race.

The 72nd annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring was a battle down to the end. Louis Deletraz in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 and Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R battle it out in the closing minutes. Deletraz put on a display of perfect race craft after faking a move and subsequently setting himself up for a pass which Bourdais wasn’t able to recover. The closing exchange of the race happened without incident which was in contrast the the multiple car incident that overshadowed 2023’s result.

Deletraz was ecstatic after the race. “Really big thank you to the team, WTRAndretti, Acura and HRC, and the two guys right here,” he said. “Because obviously without them it’s not possible. The car was really strong in the end, and I knew we were in a position to win, which to be fair was a lot of pressure. I’ve never really done that, Daytona was my first time, that’s my second time finishing a race. I just obviously wanted to win and also bring points for the championship, but I saw I had the opportunity. Sebastien was tough but fair, so thanks to him. And in the end, I saw the gap, and I went for it, and I had more pace and I won, and I think I’ll remember this one for a long time.”

Pipo Derani Emerged Unscathed in Crash

Last years winner the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac suffered a devastating off earlier in the race after making contact with the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 driven by Miguel Molina. Pipo Derani was driving the No. 31 car and as a result of the contact the No. 31 car flipped over the tire barrier resulted in a full course safety car. Derani appeared to leave the wrecked unharmed despite the car being mangled. “One of those days when things go upside down literally,” Derani said. “Fortunately, everything was all right, the safety crew was there quite quickly. … In general, I didn’t feel any pain, nothing. I think the tire barriers reduced the impact by quite a lot. Thanks for the safety crew as well, for the car and everyone who showed up here to see if I was Ok.”

RLL Racing Misses Out on Podium

The No. 25 RLL BMW M didn’t bring the team the same level of success as last year however the team had some positive takeaways from this years race. Early last season the RLL Racing side struggled with reliability issues with their hybrid batteries. It seems the team has figured those issues out in 2024. Andreas Roos head of BMW M Motorsport said, “The 12 Hours of Sebring were exciting until the end. The places were only decided in the last hour. Our BMW M Hybrid V8 showed during the race that its pace is good. In the end, we were a bit unlucky with the timing of one of the last yellow phases, as it allowed some competitors to come back into the fight for the lead.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for a podium in the end, but it’s good to see that our hard work since Daytona has paid off and we were able to significantly improve both the performance and the reliability of the cars. For that, I thank everyone at BMW M Motorsport and the BMW M Team RLL. In the GTD categories, the BMW M4 GT3 has shown that it can compete for the win here. Overall, we have proven in all classes that the performance is fundamentally right. With a bit more racing luck, we hope to convert that into podium places.”

The Unofficial 12 Hours of Sebring Results are Below

GTP class qualifying for the 12 Hours of Sebring got off to a slow start with many drivers not able to get in flying laps before the session was flagged. With 9 minutes left in the session the No. 06 Porsche Penske 963 spun out and stalled on track after running a bit wide in turn one and coasting out to turn 3 before stalling. The red flag came out and the session was restarted with 3 minutes. Many of the cars hadn’t set flying laps by this point. In the closing seconds of the session it was the No. 31 Cadillac that emerged as the pole sitter in GTP with Pipo Derani at the wheel.

The No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura set the fastest lap of the session but all times were deleted due to the team working on the car during their pitstop under the red flag. Sebastien Bourdais was able to place the No. 01 the Cadillac prepared by Chip Ganassi Racing to second, 0.114s behind. The No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura finished third.

LMP2

AO Racing’s “Spike” topped the LMP2 class setting a 1m52.142s lap during the LMP2 only session. Pj Hyett commented on the amazing run during qualifying by saying to Motorsport.com. “Yeah, I’m kind of speechless about what’s happening here,” Hyatt said. Sebring is one of the greatest tracks in the world, and to get pole in a P2 car is a dream come true. I can’t believe it. I honestly can’t believe it.” The No. 99 ORECA LMP2 07 has become a fan favorite sporting its bright Spyro the Dragon themed livery. Daniel Goldburg and Ben Keating placed the United Autosport No. 2 and No.22 respectively sister cars in 2nd and 3rd.

GTD Pro/GTD

The Vasser Sullivan’s No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 claimed pole for the GTD Pro class. Winward Racing’s Philip Ellis led the GTD class in the No. 57 Mercedes AMG GT3. The Winward racing car later lost pole position due to a post qualifying technical inspection. The disqualification promoted No. 47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 of Antonio Fuoco to the class pole for Saturday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. Racing kicks off at 9:40am ET tomorrow.

Sebring International Raceway was established in 1950 on the site of a former WWII airbase, Hendricks Army Airfield. It was originally built for use as an airport racing circuit and has since evolved into one of the most iconic road racing tracks in the world.

First held in 1952, the 12 Hours of Sebring is one of the oldest and most prestigious endurance races in North America. The event has been a part of many different competitions. This year it’s the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship that returns for its second installment of the 2024 season. The race will feature all 4 WeatherTech championship classes including the new SC63 GTP car from Iron Lynx Lamborghini which has been undergoing testing for the past few months.

Sebring is known for its challenging conditions, including its bumpy surface which puts immense stress and wear on both the drivers and cars. The track features a mix of fast straights, tight corners, and technical sections, making it a favorite among drivers and fans alike. One of the best aspects of the race is the fan access. Fans can enjoy views during the race up close and personal with many of the campgrounds being positions along the track.

Last years race ended in dramatic fashion with the race being decided in the closing minutes.

The 12 Hours of Sebring will be streamed on the NBC Sports App, NBCSports.com and Peacock, which will have coverage of the event from flag to flag beginning at 9:30 a.m. on March 16. USA Network also will have coverage of the race from 4-10 p.m EST.

IMSA has released the BoP for the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring. Here are the adjustments.

The Cadillac V-Series.R sees the most dramatic penalty in the minimum weight category. Whelan Engineering secured the win in 2023 after a dramatic finish that saw the top of the GTP class crumble in the closing stages of the race. The minimum weight for the V-Series.R increased by 22 kg over last years minimum weight. The Least effected were the BMW M Hybrid V8 who weren’t handed any adjustments for this weekends race. A summary of the changes for the GTP class can be found here:

GTP Class Balance of Performance Changes

For GTD Pro and GTD, given the number of changes the details can be found in the bulletin below.

Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac are set to part way at the conclusion of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech season. The partnership between Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) and Cadillac began with Chip Ganassi Racing fielding Cadillac DPi-V.R prototypes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Prototype class. This move marked Cadillac’s return to top-level prototype racing after a 14-year hiatus.

The two quickly found success with Cadillac and CGR winning the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona in both 2017 and 2018 with their DPi-V.R prototype. This success helped solidify their presence in IMSA racing where they’ve made challenges for top contention in the years to follow. In a statement from Jim Campbell, GM’s U.S. Vice President of performance and motorsports said, “Our GM divisions have had successful partnerships with Chip Ganassi Racing across multiple series – NASCAR, IndyCar, Extreme E, IMSA and FIA WEC – over the years. Together we have won numerous races and have had great success. We remain committed to winning races and championships together in IMSA and FIA WEC this year.”