ROCK HILL, S.C. (March 16, 2021) – The No. 54 CrowdStrike / Flex-Box Ligier JS P320 is back in action this week at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. CORE autosport comes into the 12 Hours of Sebring as the defending LMP3 race winner.
Though it is half the distance, the 12 Hours of Sebring is as challenging, if not more so, than the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. The 3.74-mile road course is notorious for its rough and bumpy surface, which takes a toll on both the car and the drivers. Without the banked oval turns, drivers have less time to take a quick breather or perform easy overtaking maneuvers in traffic. Sebring’s temporary lighting is a fraction of that at Daytona, making it that much trickier to navigate traffic.
Historically, these challenges have played to CORE’s strengths. Last year, drivers Jon Bennett, Colin Braun and George Kurtz won the race by more than 2.5 seconds. That win brought CORE’s total number of victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring to four.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship track action begins on Thursday, March 17. The race will go green at 10:10am ET on Saturday, March 19. TV coverage is shared between USA and Peacock.
Noteworthy:
- CORE has earned eight podium finishes at Sebring, including four wins
- Colin Braun has earned the podium for CORE at Sebring twice (2013, 2016)
- CORE finished third in the IMSA season opener at Daytona, but that race does not count toward the LMP3 season championship
Jon Bennett
Driver: No. 54 CrowdStrike / Flex-Box Ligier JS P320“One of the keys to success in the endurance races is understanding the long view and managing risk. The trick to the strategy is going quickly while protecting the race car. We have been fortunate in this area over the years. If all goes well for the first 10 hours, Colin Braun is an incredible closer in the dark, final stages of the race.
“The bumpy nature of the Sebring circuit can certainly grind away at the physical aspect of going fast and maintaining focus during long stints. In many ways, this race requires a similar effort to a 24-hour race.”
Colin Braun
Driver: No. 54 CrowdStrike / Flex-Box Ligier JS P320“I think it’s a race that plays to CORE’s strength. We’re good in races where there’s the endurance aspect, but you also have to be really smart at certain parts in the race and I think that understanding when you need to be fast and when you need to be patient, as drivers and as a team, is the key at Sebring.
Daytona is challenging in a different way, being 24 hours, but to me 12 hours of Sebring you feel equally drained as you do at Daytona. Traffic-wise, there’s a lot of spots at Daytona, with the banking, that you can sort traffic out. Sebring, while it has some long straightaways, it’s definitely much more mentally grueling to make all the moves and let the faster class cars by, so I think the traffic at Sebring is one of the toughest things.”
George Kurtz
Driver: No. 54 CrowdStrike / Flex-Box Ligier JS P320“Sebring is one of the most iconic and demanding tracks of the entire season. The team is coming into the race well prepared and focused on running our race. Our goal is to put the car in a position to win at the end of the race like we did last year. With good strategy and a bit of luck, I think there is a possibility of a repeat.”