SEBRING, Fla., (March 14, 2023) -- This weekend, Sebring, Florida becomes a hotbed of racing action as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship resumes the 2023 championship with the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Entering the second round in the full-season championship, the drivers and crew of the No. 16 Wright Motorsports 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R are ready and eager to return to the top step, after celebrating a win in 2020, and finishing second in 2021.
“The No. 16 Porsche has done very well at Sebring in recent years,” said Team Owner John Wright. “The group on the 1st Phorm car knows firsthand how to get the job done to make it to the top step of the podium on this race. It has been a busy stretch of preparation since the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, and we’re ready to get this event going.”
The No. 16 Porsche had a challenging start to the season, resulting in a hard-fought top-ten finish at the grueling Rolex 24 at Daytona. The team’s tenacity and persistence paid off, still bettering 14 other cars in the GTD class. Drivers Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen, and Zacharie Robichon, the 2022 pole sitter, have high hopes heading into Sebring International Raceway, armed with their knowledge and previous experience on the circuit, joined with the team’s recent successes on the 3.74-mile, 17-turn course.
A key event in the racing calendar, the Twelve Hours of Sebring attracts top drivers and teams from around the world. Built as a military training airfield during World War II, Sebring International Raceway is now a world-renowned motorsport complex in Sebring, Florida. Despite the track’s modern upgrades, the circuit holds on to the original concrete surface. The unique, bumpy, and abrasive pavement makes tire management an important key to the race, as 54 entries race in five classes over the course of the twelve-hour race.
The 71st Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will begin on Saturday, March 18 at 10:10 AM Eastern. All twelve hours of the race broadcast will air flag-to-flag on Peacock, while also airing on the USA Network from 4:30 to 10:30 PM ET. All practice and qualifying sessions will air live on imsaradio.com with colorful and comprehensive coverage offered by the IMSA Radio team of experts. For more event information, visit wrightmotorsports.com or imsa.com.
DRIVER QUOTES
Ryan Hardwick
I always look forward to racing at Sebring. The track and the race itself are so demanding on the teams, the cars and the drivers. To be successful here, you have to be prepared and you need to be tough! That is exactly why our Wright Motorsports team has won this race previously. I’m hopeful that IMSA will make the changes needed with the balance of performance so that our car can have the chance to be in the fight. Hopefully they can do what’s needed so we can all put on a great race for the amazing Sebring fans.
Jan Heylen
I’m happy to be going back to Sebring. We obviously didn’t have the best start to the year and didn’t get the result we were hoping for at Daytona. I think we’ll be in a much better place at Sebring, and I can’t wait to be back at the front of the field and fight for a victory. I hope we can pay Ryan Hardwick and the team back with a good result after a tough weekend at Daytona. The Twelve Hours of Sebring is one of my favorite races and should be a lot fun.
Zacharie Robichon
Last year at Sebring we started strong, and were hit with some tough luck. We have something to prove after that race and with the struggles we faced at Daytona, but we come prepared. This track is a completely new challenge for our new 911 GT3 R and we’ll be sure to get the most out of it over the bumps.
Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America
As previously announced, the 2023 Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America season will begin this weekend at Sebring International Raceway in support of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The professional one-make sports car racing series features the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, a purpose-built racing machine based on the Porsche 911 GT3 sports car. Varun Choksey and John Goetz have returned for another year competing with Wright Motorsports, racing the No. 13 Porsche and No. 57 Porsche, respectively. The driving duo will contest in a pair of 40-minute races, first on Thursday, March 16, at 9:15 AM ET, and again later that evening at 5:35 PM ET. Both races will air live on porschecarreracup.us.