Lamborghini Iron Lynx will compete in the GT Prototype class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the first time this weekend when the SC63 LMDh makes its U.S. debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
After completing its competition test in Qatar two weeks ago, the SC63 will face a completely different challenge in Florida. The former airfield’s infamous bumps require a much-changed setup compared to that used during the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. At the wheel of the No. 63 machine this weekend will be Lamborghini Squadra Corse factory drivers Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean, who will make their racing debut in the SC63.
In the GTP class, a quintet of Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2s will be at the start for the grueling endurance race that is part of the Michelin Endurance Cup. As at Daytona in the season-opening round, four teams will compete in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, with two cars in the GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro).
The team enters the Sebring round with the same goals as in Qatar, namely to focus on reliability, learning more about the car while improving overall performance. The former was particularly positive in Qatar, where the SC63 reached the finish of the 10-hour race and completed a total of 330 laps. In addition to the car’s recent endurance successes, the #63 crew will also come to Sebring with some advance knowledge of the track, having participated in a group test last month.
The 6,019 km (3,741 mile), 17-turn Sebring International Raceway is one of the most demanding tracks on the IMSA calendar, with the change of surface and variation of corners presenting crews with countless challenges. For the Lamborghini Iron Lynx team, the technical challenge is also at the forefront, with significant changes to the suspension and ride height settings required to withstand the natural bumps and undulations of the circuit over 12 hours. Therefore, further learning and data collection will be the main goal of Lamborghini Squadra Corse engineers and technicians over the weekend as the LMDh project continues its journey.
The 12 Hours of Sebring has been a happy hunting ground for Lamborghini in the GTD class over the years, with the Grasser Racing team winning the 2019 edition and completing the unofficial 36 Hours of Florida following its win at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Lamborghini, courtesy of TR3 Racing, also landed on the podium in 2021 with second place. Iron Lynx will field a single Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 in the GTD Pro class, with Franck Perera, Jordan Pepper and Mirko Bortolotti behind the wheel of the No. 19 car. Meanwhile, the number 60 will once again feature Claudio Schiavoni and Matteo Cressoni, with Leonardo Pulcini joining them.
In GTD, the #83 Iron Dames machine remains largely unchanged, with Michelle Gatting, Sarah Bovy and Rahel Frey competing together. The year-round operations of Forte Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti are also contenders for class victory. Devlin Defrancesco, Misha Goihkberg and Loris Spinelli will look to avenge a disappointing Daytona round for Forte, while Kyle Marcelli, Graham Doyle and Danny Formal team up again for WTR.
The weekend at a glance
Competition begins on Thursday morning with the first of three free practice sessions scheduled to take place at 10:05 a.m., with the second session taking place at 3:05 p.m. The last session begins at 7:45 p.m. All sessions last 90 minutes. The starting grid will then be set up on Friday with qualifying, divided into GTP and GTD classes, from 12:50 p.m. The 12 Hours of Sebring takes center stage on Saturday morning, with the green flag lowering at 9:40am.
The opening round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America brand championship, the 12th, will also take place this weekendTh Season of the one-make cup series organized by Squadra Corse. Both 50-minute races will be broadcast live on the official Lamborghini Squadra Corse YouTube channel and IMSA TV.
