Ending late last night, the 2009 12 Hours Of Sebring endurance race was won by Audi’s new R15 TDI with a slight 22-second margin over Peugot’s 908 HDI FAP. This was the first endurance race that I have ever followed (at least in periods), and I couldn’t have asked for a better one to watch. I have to concede, I was only really paying attention to the LMP1 and LMP2 classes, as this is where the clear competition was. Some of my observed highlights and more photos of the cars come after the jump, but, wow, what a race this was. I can’t stress that enough.
Truth In Truth In Engineering
True to their engineering excellence, Audi’s two R15 cars did not suffer any mechanical or electrical issues throughout the course of the entire race, and only made routine fueling and tire pit stops. If I had to state reasons why I think #2 R15 TDI won this, I’d have to go with a) this brilliant reliability and b) some of the various pitting strategies used in the last hour of the race, especially that quick, ten-second stop for a shot of fuel… oh, and also Allan McNish. Pulling out the fastest R15 lap of the race of during his last period in the car, and at night? Wow. One of #2 R15′s other drivers, Tom Kristensen, has the honor of calling this victory his fifth at Sebring, making him the winningest driver ever at Sebring. Amazing driving.
There Can Only Be One
Where there are winners, there must be losers. Unfortunately for Peugeot and Acura, things didn’t work out well enough to let them come out on top. Peugeot’s #08 908 HDi FAP, while in the hands of Stephane Sarrazin was shockingly close, but not close enough to the winning Audi, despite being ahead for the majority of the 12 hours. Peugeot’s other 908 had air conditioning problems near the beginning of the race, almost immediately putting it out of the running for the LMP1 class. Later, a slow puncture further hampered Peugeot’s efforts, yet they still managed to stay less than one lap behind or in front of Audi for the entire race. Acura did do well in the LMP2 class by default, winning because there were no other finishers; however, LMP1 for Acura didn’t go as planned. The full 12-hour debut of the Acura ARX-02a was cut short due to a suspension issue, and even if the car had been in for the entire time, it never could have kept up with the diesels.
Diesel Reigns Supreme
It’s clear that in the LMP1 class, fielding a diesel car is the only way to win. If less pit stops and more torque aren’t reason enough to do so, maybe the fact that development of the technology can be further applied in the consumer market is. For the rest of the American Le Mans Series, I have a feeling that this will become more and more painstakingly obvious to Acura. There really is something to be said about diesels, though: the slow, smokey, noisy diesels of the past are no more. Too bad the United States is just starting to figure that out, if at all. Expect another diesel-related post in a short time.