Six NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers will compete to win one of the crown jewels of North American sports car racing – the 12 Hours of Sebring – on Saturday, March 16 at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.
The 12-hour endurance classic is the second event of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and one of the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events. The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks, Sept. 22-24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is the fourth event in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.
Three NTT INDYCAR SERIES regulars arguably have the best chance to win Saturday based on qualifying results Friday on the 17-turn, 3.74-mile circuit that features plenty of challenge with its bumpy mix of asphalt and concrete.
Tom Blomqvist will share the pole-winning car in the premier Grand Touring Prototype class with Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken. Derani won the pole Friday in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R.
But a GTP car shared by six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon also will start on the front row. Four-time INDYCAR SERIES champion Sebastien Bourdais qualified second in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing and shared with Dixon and Renger van der Zande.
Colton Herta is part of the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti team that qualified third overall in the hands of Louis Deletraz. Jordan Taylor also is driving the No. 40 Acura ARX-06.
Romain Grosjean will have more work to do to contend for an overall and GTP class podium spot in the No. 63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63 after Matteo Cairoli qualified eighth in class and 14th overall. Andrea Caldarelli also is driving for that team.
In other classes, Colin Braun – who made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut last weekend at St. Petersburg – is joining George Kurtz and former INDY NXT by Firestone driver Toby Sowery behind the wheel of the No. 04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR ORECA in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class. They will start sixth in class and 14th overall.
Kyle Kirkwood will return to the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 with a good chance to win the GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro) class after teammate and former INDYCAR SERIES driver Jack Hawksworth qualified the car on the class pole. Ben Barnicoat also will share driving duties.
The race starts at 9:40 a.m. ET Saturday, finishing 12 hours later in darkness. Peacock will stream the entire 12 Hours of Sebring live from 9:30 a.m.-10 p.m. ET. USA Network will provide coverage from 4-10 p.m.
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge, a non-points special event March 23-24 at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California.