Sensation in Florida: after a dramatic closing stage, Mario Farnbacher wins the 12 hours of Sebring, which also means a victory in the second round of the USCC sports car series. Together with his team colleagues Alex Riberas and Ian James, Farnbacher carried off the longed-for victory in the GT-Daytona-Class.
Mario Farnbacher was over the moon with joy. “I still can’t believe it. What has just happened means so much to me right now. It’s simply incredible”, the very happy Bavarian was struggling for words after the 12 hour racing distance and added, “Two weeks ago, we found an ideal setup during testing and took it here with us. After good practice sessions and an almost perfect qualifying, this victory is all the sweeter.”
Spectators in Florida witnessed a gripping race. Mario Farnbacher made a fantastic start and took a class lead in his Porsche 911 GT America. Lap after lap, he fought a nail-biting battle for pole position with Jeroen Bleekemolen in a Chrysler Viper GTS-R and was able to retain the upper hand. Only after a yellow-phase and the first pit stops, Alex Job’s team temporarily had to give up the lead.
However, these small setbacks couldn’t stop the young German on his road to victory. “We had a few problems with refuelling after an 8-hour distance and had to drive shorter stints”, Mario Farnbacher reported. “Tyre damage forced my team colleague Alex to make another unscheduled pit stop. But the crew did a fantastic job and kept us on our winning run.” The last 15 minutes couldn’t have been more dramatic and Mario Farnbacher triumphed over his strong rivals with flying colours. After 318 laps, he crossed the finishing line as triumphant winner. “I almost needed a new heart after that race”, joked the man from Lichtenau, who was overjoyed and relieved. “The final moments were the longest of my whole life.”
With this victory in his pocket, Mario Farnbacher travels on 2nd/3rd May to Laguna Seca – his next race in America. The ‘Mazda Raceway’ is venue for the fourth round of the USCC sports car championships.
