CORE Autosport heads to Sebring in search of its second successive victory following the Rolex 24 at Daytona win.
Unsurprisingly, the team lead both the PC Drivers’ and Team’s Championships after winning the opening round of the season, and part of the Daytona-winning team, James Gue, will return to partner full-time drivers Jon Bennett and Colin Braun.
“Sebring is a really special race,” said Gue. “It has a lot of history and has built a reputation as one of the premier sportscar races in the world. It’s a unique location in the middle of south Florida that use several runways and taxiways for the race track. It always draws a huge crowd, which is a mix of diehard sportscar fans, race enthusiasts and spring breakers. You always get the feeling that you’re at a special event and you can feel the energy in the air. The fans definitely know how to have a good time!”
The stats also suggest that CORE Autosport can expect a strong finish at Sebring, with four of the last five CORE entries finishing on the podium in the past three years, including a victory in 2012. The team could only manage to finish fifth in 2013.
“This year Sebring is the second race of the season,” said Bennett. “For past seasons, this has been our opening race. It’s nice to go to Sebring this year with one race in the books. Our systems have been exercised. Our teamwork has been polished at Daytona and we are even more prepared for a challenging 12 Hours of Sebring. In a strange way there is a different feeling coming to Sebring after our company’s double win at Daytona. It’s hard to improve from that result.”
“Sebring is a grueling race,” concluded Braun. “The track surface is so bumpy that it’s really abusive on the cars, especially for 12 hours of racing. There are hardly any lights around the circuit, so it’s all about the lights we have on the car. It’s quite a bit darker than Daytona, which makes it challenging with all the traffic and how congested it gets there. Couple all that together and it makes for a tough race.”
