2009 12 Hours of Sebring

Sports car endurance race February 2025 thumb|Track map of the Sebring International Raceway thumb|right|Tom Kristensen at the wheel of the winning Audi R15 TDI. The 2009 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring was the 57th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring and the opening round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Sebring International Raceway, Florida on March 21, 2009. Three new cars made their debut at Sebring: Audi's diesel R15 TDI, Acura's first LMP1 entry the ARX-02a, and the return of the BMW M3 to the GT2 category. It was also the last time GT1 category raced at the event. Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, and Rinaldo Capello won, Audi's ninth Sebring victory in eleven attempts, and set several event records in the process. Peugeot fell 22 seconds short of the winning Audi. While Acura's LMP1s failed to survive for twelve hours, their lone LMP2 entry was the sole finisher in the category and earned Fernández Racing their first ALMS victory. The GT1 category was fought amongst only the two Corvette Racing cars, while GT2's battle of manufacturers was won by Ferrari and the Risi Competizione team. Entry For the start of the American Le Mans Series season, 28 cars were officially entered, with the bulk of the entries in LMP1 and GT2. The 2008 race winners, Penske Racing Porsche, did not return to defend their title. Four manufacturers were represented in LMP1, including a duo of R15 TDIs, Audi's latest diesel prototype, being entered by Joest Racing. Peugeot returned once more with their 908 HDi FAP, entering two cars compared to last year's single Sebring entry. Acura made their LMP1 debut with the new ARX-02a being run by de Ferran Motorsport and Highcroft Racing, while the remaining two entries were Lola-AERs entered by Intersport Racing and Autocon Motorsports. LMP2 consisted of two teams entering three cars, with Fernández Racing once again running an Acura and Dyson Racing partnering with Mazda for two Lola coupés. GT1 was once again left to just Corvette Racing with two cars, while GT2 dominated the entry list with 15 cars. Porsche was represented by two cars each from Flying Lizard Motorsports and VICI Racing, as well as a single entry for Farnbacher-Loles Racing. Ferrari once again aligned with Risi Competizione for two cars, while the Italian-Argentinian Advanced Engineering PeCom team also represents the brand. BMW made their return to the series with two M3 E92s for Rahal Letterman Racing. The rest of the GT2 field was made of a mix of teams and automotive brands, including LG Motorsport's Chevrolet Corvette, PTG's Panoz, Primetime's Dodge Viper, Robertson's Ford GT, and Drayson's Aston Martin. Report Qualifying Held on Thursday, March 19, two 15-minute qualifying sessions were held to determine the starting grid. The two GT categories qualified in the first session, led by the two GT1 Corvettes. Only setting a few laps, the #4 Corvette of Oliver Gavin out qualified his teammate, Jan Magnussen. In GT2 Porsche locked in the first two spots on the grid, led by Dirk Werner of Farnbacher-Loles. Advanced Engineering PeCom led Ferrari with a third place spot, while Robertson Racing's Ford GT earned fifth. BMW's debut was hampered by mechanical problems for the #92 car, while the #90 of Bill Auberlen qualified seventh.http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=12579 Sebring Shocker: Dixon claims Pole for Acura American Le Mans Series 2009-03-19 2009-03-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20090320234749/http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=12579 March 20, 2009 dead In the LMP qualifying session, Acura was able to upset both Audi and Peugeot by earning pole position in their LMP1 debut. De Ferran Motorsports' driver Scott Dixon outpaced Tom Kristensen's Audi by less than a tenth of a second, while Christian Klien led Peugeot to third. Acura earned a second pole position in the session as Fernández Racing led the LMP2 category, nearly two seconds ahead of the fastest Dyson Lola-Mazda. After qualifying the VICI team, who had one qualifier, withdrew from the event. This decreased the starting grid to 26 cars. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-warm-up-report/ Sebring 12 Hours – Warm-Up Report PlanetLeMans.com Marcel ten Caat 2009-03-21 2009-03-22 https://web.archive.org/web/20090324011719/http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-warm-up-report/ 24 March 2009 live Qualifying result Pole position winners in each class are marked in bold. http://www.imsaracing.net/2009/events/sebring/Qualifying%20ALMS%20Sebring.pdf ALMS Qualifying International Motor Sports Association PDF 2009-03-19 2009-03-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20090326163231/http://www.imsaracing.net/2009/events/sebring/Qualifying%20ALMS%20Sebring.pdf 26 March 2009 dead Pos Class Team Qualifying Driver Lap Time 1 LMP1 #66 de Ferran Motorsports Scott Dixon 1:45.278 2 LMP1 #2 Audi Sport Team Joest Tom Kristensen 1:45.360 3 LMP1 #07 Team Peugeot Total Christian Klien 1:45.462 4 LMP1 #1 Audi Sport North America Mike Rockenfeller 1:45.551 5 LMP1 #08 Team Peugeot Total Sébastien Bourdais 1:45.559 6 LMP1 #9 Patrón Highcroft Racing David Brabham 1:46.504 7 LMP2 #15 Lowe's Fernández Racing Adrian Fernández 1:49.686 8 LMP2 #16 Dyson Racing Team Chris Dyson 1:51.534 9 LMP1 #12 Autocon Motorsports Chris McMurry 1:51.598 10 LMP2 #20 Dyson Racing Team Butch Leitzinger 1:51.840 11 GT1 #4 Corvette Racing Oliver Gavin 1:57.882 12 GT1 #3 Corvette Racing Jan Magnussen 1:58.203 13 GT2 #87 Farnbacher-Loles Racing Dirk Werner 2:03.051 14 GT2 #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Jörg Bergmeister 2:03.433 15 GT2 #95 Advanced Engineering PeCom Gianmaria Bruni 2:03.487 16 GT2 #62 Risi Competizione Mika Salo 2:03.829 17 GT2 #40 Robertson Racing David Murry 2:04.333 18 GT2 #21 Panoz Team PTG Dominik Farnbacher 2:04.437 19 GT2 #90 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Bill Auberlen 2:04.566 20 GT2 #11 Primetime Race Group Chris Hall 2:05.619 21 GT2 #007 Drayson Racing Jonny Cocker 2:05.692 22 GT2 #18 VICI Racing Nicky Pastorelli 2:05.805 23 GT2 #28 LG Motorsports Lou Giglotti 2:06.678 24 GT2 #61 Risi Competizione/Krohn Tracy Krohn 2:08.386 25 GT2 #44 Flying Lizard Motorsports Darren Law 2:10.912 26 LMP1 #37 Intersport Racing Did Not Participate 27 GT2 #92 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Did Not Participate Race The field crossed the starting line to begin the 12 Hours of Sebring at 10:30 am EST. Although the de Ferran Acura led from pole position, the lead of the race was quickly taken by Audi before the first turn, followed by Peugeot. The #08 Peugeot started at the tail of the field due to power steering problems forcing it to begin from pit lane. One of the two Rahal Letterman BMW's also suffered problems on the grid and had to be taken to the garage, finally starting the race nearly an hour late. An early on track incident was a collision between the #40 Robertson Ford and the #45 Flying Lizard Porsche, with the Porsche requiring extensive repairs. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-hour-1-update-2/ Sebring 12 Hours – Hour 1 Update PlanetLeMans.com Marcel ten Caat 2009-03-21 2009-03-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20090324045900/http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-hour-1-update-2/ 24 March 2009 live During pit stops in the first few hours of the race, Audi changed their Michelin tires at every opportunity while Peugeot opted to change tires at every other pit stop. This allowed Peugeot to take the lead. The Highcroft Acura suffered a spin in the hands of David Brabham, forcing the Robertson Ford to evade the Acura and hit the wall outside Sunset Bend, bringing out the first full-course caution. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-hour-2-update-2/ Sebring 12 Hours – Hour 2 Update PlanetLeMans.com Marcel ten Caat 2009-03-21 2009-03-23 A second caution was required an hour later to retrieve the Intersport Lola-AER after its engine failed while on the circuit.http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=12623 Peugeots sit 1–2 after three hours of racing American Le Mans Series 2009-03-21 2009-03-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20090324004723/http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=12623 March 24, 2009 dead While Sébastien Bourdais led the race in Peugeot #08, he suffered a spin on Sunset Bend while diminished his lead by 20 seconds, but he was able to continue. The #07 Peugeot however came to the pits for a lengthy stop to repair an air conditioning fan in the cockpit, dropping it from contention. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-hour-5-update-2/ Sebring 12 Hours – Hour 5 Update PlanetLeMans.com Marcel ten Caat 2009-03-21 2009-03-23 Meanwhile, the Dyson Racing Team retired their two cars from the event, as did the remaining Rahal Letterman BMW, all due to engine failures. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-hour-6-update-2/ Sebring 12 Hours – Hour 6 Update PlanetLeMans.com Marcel ten Caat 2009-03-21 2009-03-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20090324045943/http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-hour-6-update-2/ 24 March 2009 live A third caution period came out when David Brabham once again spun his Highcroft Acura, this time making light contact with a wall. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/21/sebring-12-hours-hour-7-update-2/ Sebring 12 Hours – Hour 7 Update PlanetLeMans.com Marcel ten Caat 2009-03-21 2009-03-23 While Peugeot still led in the eighth hour of the race, Audi began to double stint their tires for the first time when Lucas Luhr brought the third place Audi in for a scheduled stop but did not change tires. This aided Audi in retaking the lead from Peugeot during the race's ninth hour. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/22/sebring-12-hours-hour-9-update-2/ Sebring 12 Hours – Hour 9 Update PlanetLeMans.com Marcel ten Caat 2009-03-21 2009-03-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20090325092604/http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/22/sebring-12-hours-hour-9-update-2/ 25 March 2009 live Peugeot #08 then suffered a small leak in a rear tire, requiring the team to make an unscheduled pit stop to replace it. http://www.endurance-info.com/version2/news-focus-563.html A slow puncture deprives Peugeot of victory Endurance-Info.com 2009-03-22 2009-03-23 2009-07-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20090731140600/http://www.endurance-info.com/version2/news-focus-563.html dead The two LMP1 Acuras meanwhile suffered mechanical problems, eventually leading to the retirement of both de Ferran and Highcroft. In the closing hours, the #45 Porsche, having rebounded from its incident early in the race, was attempting to pass the PTG Panoz for third place in GT2 when the two came into contact at the exit of Sunset Bend. The Porsche, driven by Marc Lieb, was spun into the concrete wall and required extensive repairs while the Panoz continued on. http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/22/sebring-12-hours-hour-11-update-2/ Sebring 12 Hours – Hour 10 Update PlanetLeMans.com Marcel ten Caat 2009-03-21 2009-03-23 In the closing hours, Peugeot and Audi traded the lead as each team made their respective pit stops. Peugeot #08 led as it came to the pits for its final stop, but Audi needed only a short refuel on their final stop several laps later. This allowed Audi driver Allan McNish to exit the pits after his final stop ahead of Peugeot with only fifteen minutes remaining. By the race finish the margin of victory between the #2 Audi and #08 Peugeot was 22 seconds.http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=12628 Another Debut, Another Audi Victory at Sebring American Le Mans Series 2009-03-21 2009-03-22 https://web.archive.org/web/20090323004227/http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=12628 March 23, 2009 dead Tom Kristensen earned his record fifth overall win. The #2 Audi covered a distance of 1417 mi km on at an average speed of 117.986 mph km/h on, both of which were new event records. The Lowe's Fernández Racing Acura was the sole survivor in LMP2, finishing in fourth overall, while Corvette Racing #3 outperformed its teammate in GT1. The GT2 class was won by the Ferrari of Risi Competizione, while the European Advanced Engineering PeCom Ferrari was second. Panoz completed the GT2 class podium. In the Michelin Green X Challenge, the race winning #2 Audi was the most efficient LMP, while the #3 Corvette lead GTs. Race result Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC). http://www.imsaracing.net/2009/events/sebring/Final%20Race%20ALMS%20Sebring.pdf ALMS Final Race Report International Motor Sports Association PDF 2009-03-22 2009-03-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20090326163230/http://www.imsaracing.net/2009/events/sebring/Final%20Race%20ALMS%20Sebring.pdf 26 March 2009 dead Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Tire Laps Engine 1 LMP1 2 DEU Audi Sport Team Joest GBR Allan McNishITA Rinaldo CapelloDEN Tom Kristensen Audi R15 TDI Michelin 383 Audi TDI 5.5 L Turbo V10(Diesel) 2 LMP1 08 FRA Team Peugeot Total FRA Franck MontagnyFRA Stéphane SarrazinFRA Sébastien Bourdais Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Michelin 383 Peugeot HDI 5.5 L Turbo V12(Diesel) 3 LMP1 1 DEU Audi Sport North America DEU Mike RockenfellerDEU Lucas LuhrDEU Marco Werner Audi R15 TDI Michelin 381 Audi TDI 5.5 L Turbo V10(Diesel) 4 LMP2 15 MEX Lowe's Fernández Racing MEX Adrian FernándezMEX Luis Díaz Acura ARX-01B Michelin 360 Acura AL7R 3.4 L V8 5 LMP1 07 FRA Team Peugeot Total FRA Nicolas MinassianPOR Pedro LamyAUT Christian Klien Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Michelin 356 Peugeot HDI 5.5 L Turbo V12(Diesel) 6 GT1 3 USA Corvette Racing USA Johnny O'ConnellDEN Jan MagnussenESP Antonio García Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Michelin 349 Chevrolet LS7.R 7.0 L V8(E85 ethanol) 7 GT1 4 USA Corvette Racing GBR Oliver GavinMON Olivier BerettaSUI Marcel Fässler Chevrolet Corvette C6.R Michelin 348 Chevrolet LS7.R 7.0 L V8(E85 ethanol) 8 GT2 62 USA Risi Competizione BRA Jaime MeloDEU Pierre KafferFIN Mika Salo Ferrari F430GT Michelin 332 Ferrari 4.0 L V8 9 GT2 95 ITA Advanced EngineeringARG PeCom Racing Team ITA Gianmaria BruniARG Matías RussoARG Luís Pérez Companc Ferrari F430GT Michelin 330 Ferrari 4.0 L V8 10 GT2 21 USA Panoz Team PTG GBR Ian JamesDEU Dominik Farnbacher Panoz Esperante GT-LM Yokohama 329 Ford 5.0 L V8 11 GT2 45 USA Flying Lizard Motorsports USA Patrick LongDEU Jörg BergmeisterDEU Marc Lieb Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 326 Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 12 GT2 44 USA Flying Lizard Motorsports USA Johannes van OverbeekUSA Darren LawUSA Seth Neiman Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 326 Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 13 GT2 61 USA Risi CompetizioneUSA Krohn Racing USA Tracy KrohnSWE Niclas JönssonBEL Eric van de Poele Ferrari F430GT Michelin 325 Ferrari 4.0 L V8 14 GT2 40 USA Robertson Racing USA David RobertsonUSA Andrea RobertsonUSA David Murry Ford GT-R Mk. VII Dunlop 303 Ford 5.0 L V8 15DNF LMP1 9 USA Patrón Highcroft Racing AUS David BrabhamUSA Scott SharpGBR Dario Franchitti Acura ARX-02a Michelin 302 Acura AR7 4.0 L V8 16 GT2 87 USA Farnbacher-Loles Motorsports DEU Wolf HenzlerDEU Dirk WernerAUT Richard Lietz Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin 274 Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 17DNF GT2 11 USA Primetime Race Group USA Joel FeinbergGBR Chris HallUSA Ritchie Holt Dodge Viper Competition Coupe Dunlop 251 Dodge 8.3 L V10 18DNF LMP1 66 USA de Ferran Motorsports BRA Gil de FerranFRA Simon PagenaudNZL Scott Dixon Acura ARX-02a Michelin 246 Acura AR7 4.0 L V8 19DNF GT2 007 GBR Drayson Racing GBR Paul DraysonGBR Jonny CockerGBR Rob Bell Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2 Michelin 204 Aston Martin 4.5 L V8(E85 ethanol) 20DNF LMP1 12 USA Autocon Motorsports USA Chris McMurryUSA Bryan WillmanCAN Tony Burgess Lola B06/10 Dunlop 151 AER P32C 4.0 L Turbo V8 21DNF LMP2 20 USA Dyson Racing Team USA Butch LeitzingerGBR Marino FranchittiGBR Ben Devlin Lola B08/86 Michelin 149 Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4 22DNF GT2 92 USA BMW Rahal Letterman Racing USA Tommy MilnerDEU Dirk Müller BMW M3 GT2 Dunlop 140 BMW 4.0 L V8 23DNF LMP2 16 USA Dyson Racing Team USA Chris DysonGBR Guy SmithUSA Andy Lally Lola B09/86 Michelin 127 Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4 24DNF GT2 28 USA LG Motorsports USA Lou GiglottiUSA Eric CurranBRA Lucas Molo Chevrolet Corvette C6 Dunlop 89 Chevrolet LS3 6.0 L V8 25DNF LMP1 37 USA Intersport Racing USA Jon FieldUSA Clint FieldUSA Chapman Ducote Lola B06/10 Dunlop 77 AER P32C 4.0 L Turbo V8 26DNF GT2 90 USA BMW Rahal Letterman Racing USA Bill AuberlenUSA Joey Hand BMW M3 GT2 Dunlop 27 BMW 4.0 L V8 DNS GT2 18 DEU VICI Racing DEU Hans-Joachim StuckDEU Johannes StuckNED Nicky Pastorelli Porsche 997 GT3-RSR Michelin – Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 References External links American Le Mans Series Sebring International Raceway 2009 American Le Mans Series None Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg Sebring Category:12 Hours of Sebring 12 Hours Of Sebring 12 Hours Of Sebring