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Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx won the 52nd annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours
of Sebring yesterday, the opening race of the 2004 American Le Mans
Series season. This is frustrating for UK Ferrari fans, as last
year the team resurrected the legendary Team Maranello Concessionaires
name to run in the FIA GT Championship. However, they had no alternative
but to put the Prancing Horse out to grass in search of their avowed
aim of outright wins in endurance racing, especially the 24 hours
of Le Mans.
More cheerfully for the tifosi, Barron-Connor Racing made a remarkable
debut in the GT world. The 575 GTC of Danny Sullivan, John Bosch
and Thomas Biagi finished second in the GTS class and 15th overall.
They finished 22 laps behind the rumbling Chevrolet Corvette C5-R
of Johnny O'Connell, Ron Fellows and Max Papis which took the class
win and an excellent fourth place overall. Not bad for a 2 valve
pushrod V8!
The second B-C racing 575 GTC, driven by Mike Hezemans, Ange Barde
and Jean-Denis Deletraz, fared less well, retiring on lap 101 with
front suspension problems.
Team boss John Bosch said. "We came here with brand new cars
that ran here this week for the first time. To finish second then
in such a tough race is a fantastic compliment to everyone who was
involved here at the track this week and a great motivation for
the future."
The only other Ferrari interest in the race was provided by the
Risi Competizione 360GT, driven by Ralf Kelleners, Anthony Lazzaro
and Matteo Bobbi. They finished 7th in the GT class and 16th overall,
just behind the surviving Barron-Connor 575. It is slightly worrying
that six Porsche 911 GT3s finished in front of them, not, we hope,
a portent for the rest of the GT season.
No Maseratis were entered.
To end on a nostalgic note, tifosi favourite Mario Andretti was
inducted into the Sebring Sports Car Racing Hall of Fame. In 1970,
Andretti produced one of the greatest drives in endurance racing
history. After building a tremendous lead in his Ferrari 512S, transmission
failure ended his day, or so it seemed. A furious battle ensued
in the closing stages, as the Porsche 908 driven by Peter Revson
and actor Steve McQueen ran steadily through the field, taking the
lead in the final hour.
The Ferrari team decided to put Andretti in the remaining Ferrari
512S, which had been driven by Ignazio Giunti and Nino Vaccarella.
Andretti responded with record laps in the Sebring darkness, passing
Revson in the final minutes to win in the thrilling race, despite
having to make a fuel stop with just two laps remaining. Andretti
also won Sebring for Ferrari in 1972 driving a 312P with Jacky Ickx.
Happy Days!
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