Sebring Exxon Superflo 17/03/2001   Wednesday Practice Session 1   Sebring, Florida--It misted the windshield (windscreen in the UK) for about five minutes driving to the track this morning, but since then it has been warm--about 80 degrees F.-- "Florida humid", and overcast. All-in-all pleasant, and the kind of weather likely to make for very fast track times. The first official practice session this morning was "all Audi, all the time" at the top. The two new Audi privateers did some fast testing runs over the past two days, and actually topped the charts both days. By the end of today's practice, however, the Joest-led Audi Motorsport North American R8s asserted themselves with some fast times of their own and led the "Audi class." Champion Motorsport with its signature "splashes" livery, and Johansson Motorsport, carrying the historic powder blue and orange Gulf Oil colors made famous by the John Wyer Porsche 917s at Le Mans, are beautiful additions to the field at this 49th Annual 12 Hours of Sebring, as it is officially known. 2002 is the 50th year for the 12 Hours that first ran in 1952 (though not an official international event), and was not held in the oil crisis year of 1974. The No. 50 Panoz LMP07 will carry next year's 50th Anniversary logo throughout the 2001 season. Still the "Audi class" is covered by only just over two seconds of time. The best of the next class entered at Sebring, the LMP900s, Jan Magnussen's Panoz LMP07, stood a full three seconds adrift, and the remainder spread themselves back from there in one second intervals; Rob Dyson's new R&S Mark IIIC, the Jon Field Intersport Lola-Judd, Courage C60 Peugeot, and the sister Panoz LMP07, in that order. As of early afternoon, the Gunnar Racing Lola Porsche LMP675 has not yet been on track, the canvas at their paddock was suitably marked "Top Secret," covering whatever ills are involved in fitting the Porsche turbo motor in the Lola (for which it was not designed). So the car missed tech. With the Roock-KnightHawk Racing Lola the only other car in class--still with their Nissan V6--PSCR is likely to allow Gunnar through tech any time they are ready, perhaps even during Saturday's parade lap. Word is that the centerline of the Porsche crank is a full four inches above the car's design optimal, and an entirely new rear end has had to be designed and fabricated. In GTS the story is once again the Saleen SR7, topping times throughout the two days of testing, and in this morning’s practice again leading the class. Terry Borcheller put the swoopy new car only eight tenths back of the #51 Panoz LMP07, and a full second ahead of Ron Fellow's Corvette C5-R. Still struggling here is the American Viperacing team with their best effort some seven seconds back of the second of the Corvettes. I had called this team "amateur" in an earlier article--that is hardly the case, from Team Manager Gene Martindale, late of ORECA, and John Brzustowicz, one of the aerodynamicists of Dodge's NASCAR effort, and many other experienced hands on board this entirely privateer team. They had used the term "volunteers" earlier, and that is closer to what was meant. This team is neither a factory effort nor strictly volunteers, and it certainly is not amateur. It does, however, have to get these cars, one of which came in still-damaged condition from the 2000 season, up to speed, both drivers and crew. On the driver front, team owner Tom Weickardt was impressed with the work of Terry Borcheller at Texas, the latter's 3-seconds-better than any other driver literally jumping off the timing and scoring charts. That has led Tom to add Stu Hayner and former Trans AM Rookie of the Year Jeff Altenberg to partner Eric Messley in the lead car, #45. Borcheller is contracted to Saleen, and as such has been loaned to Saleen privateer Konrad for this race. Weickardt spent some of today musing about the "cost of a buyout for the weekend of that Saleen contract." In GT, Bill Auberlen has had his #10 PTG BMW M3 GT amongst the top three since Monday, and stuck a second place between the two Alex Job Porsches in the first practice. Auberlen, having returned to PTG to find Nic Jonsson the "hot shoe in residence" seems to be bent on putting himself back at the top of the pecking order. His times have consistently led the M3s and have been the only ones challenging the best of the Porsches. Meanwhile, the Schnitzer managed BMW Motorsports Team lost most of its first day of practice to a broken alternator bracket. Aspen Knolls' Callaway C12-R was close to the pace in practice, eighth quickest in class. The Trinkler Corvette was 13th, about mid-pack in the field, still a credible effort for the all-new car. Trinkler lost driver Jeff Altenberg to American Viperacing and today replaced him with ‘veteran’ B.J. Zacharias. More from Tom Kjos and Janos Wimpffen on Thursday morning UK time. Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport