‘Grello’ wins at Sebring
Manthey Racing’s iconic ‘Grello’ Porsche 911 won the GTD Pro class at the 12 Hours of Sebring, marking a rare American victory for the European squad. IMSA notes also record Misha Goikhberg taking his maiden LMP2 pole for BHA/PR1 in the weekend’s running. (speedwaydigest.com) (dailysportscar.com)
Manthey’s No. 911 was driven to the front by Thomas Preining, Klaus Bachler and Ricardo Feller in the “Grello” Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). (imsa.com) The race’s decisive move came with under 90 minutes remaining when the No. 911 executed a pass to take the lead, and the margin at the finish was 1.43 seconds. (imsa.com) Klaus Bachler has now recorded three consecutive GTD Pro class wins at Sebring, while Preining achieved the victory in his fourth IMSA start and Feller was contesting his sixth WeatherTech Championship race. (imsa.com) Manthey entered IMSA as Porsche’s partner for a full five-round Michelin Endurance Cup program, and the Sebring result represents Manthey Racing’s first win on North American soil. (imsa.com) In LMP2 qualifying, Misha Goikhberg put the No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen ORECA 07 on pole with a lap of 1:51.182 (121.098 mph). (imsa.com) The No. 52 entry pairs Goikhberg with Parker Thompson and Harry Tincknell for the race, and the BHA/PR1 alliance has given PR1/Mathiasen a combined 42 pole positions historically (30 in LMP2, five at Sebring). (imsa.com)
