PORSCHE SIGNS OFF IMSA WITH ONE-TWO AT FLORIDA

Porsche’s latest factory campaign in the North American sports car scene came to an end with its dominance of the field at the recent 12 Hours of Sebring. The Porsche GT Team, coupled with its longstanding technical partner, Core Autosport, took first and second place with the highly competitive 991 RSR in a GTLM class contested by numerous manufacturers. The win concludes Porsche’s amazingly successful seven-year programme, which has delivered seven title wins in the IMSA series, five championships in the North American Endurance Cup, twenty-one race wins and fiftysix podium finishes.

In the 2020 season, the Porsche GT Team faced a tough test of patience. The new 911 RSR, which had impressively showcased its qualities at the first races of the FIA WEC, turned heads in the IMSA series. At the first six events of the year, the works team posted pole position four times. During that same period, the team’s brace of cars led the field over a total of 3,445 kilometres, which is close to the combined distances of the Sebring and Road Atlanta endurances races. Even so, it took until the end of October for the long-awaited first victory to be achieved — at Petit Le Mans, the ten-hour race on the outskirts of Atlanta, Nick Tandy, Frédéric Makowiecki and Matt Campbell brought the fittingly numbered #911 car across the finish line in first place. At the following race, Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor bagged the first victory for a factory 911 at Laguna Seca. At that point in time, the tradition-steeped racetrack was the only permanent circuit on the annual IMSA calendar where Porsche hadn’t achieved a win.

Race day in Sebring began with five RSRS turning parade laps. Dressed in the colours of Brumos, Coca-cola and Mobil 1, these striking motorsport machines were spearheaded by two of the latest incarnation of 911 RSR, each finished in commemorative ‘stars and stripes’ paintwork. Thunderous burnouts thrilled those lucky enough to be in attendance.