Marked by a big pile-up at the start, the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series in 2013 on the street circuit in Baltimore (Maryland) finished with another victory for the Honda of Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, securing a second consecutive title for drivers Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr.

Barely three months ahead of its maiden 24 Hours of Le Mans appearance (11-15 June 2025), the Aston Martin Valkyrie put in an encouraging performance at the 12 Hours of Sebring that stoked the enthusiasm of the newcomer’s many fans.

After making its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/aston-martin-valkyrie-makes-its-first-official-outing-at-the-fia-wec-prologue-in-qatar-59370" target="_blank">official race d&eacute;but at the Qatar 1812 Km</a>, the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship, the Valkyrie took up the mammoth challenge of the 12 Hours of Sebring, the second race on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar. The bumpy surface of the Sebring International Raceway and the extreme difficulty of the event, the legendary race has earned a fearsome reputation.

But despite the daunting conditions, the #23&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/aston-martin-thor-team-unveils-valkyrie-livery-59319" target="_blank">Aston Martin Valkyrie</a> driven by Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis and Alex Riberas crossed the finish line in ninth place, three up from its grid position. Adam Carter,&nbsp; Aston Martin Head of Endurance, was delighted with the performance. &ldquo;Sebring is well renowned for being a tough test on any racecar, let alone a new hypercar,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But we were confident in the car&rsquo;s ability to go the distance, and the fact that it did it so well is a huge testament to everybody working on the programme and a good indicator of the inherent potential of the car. We are right at the beginning of this journey with Valkyrie, and of course there will be opportunities for improvement, but we have learned a huge amount and gathered an enormous amount of data that we can now take away and digest.&rdquo;

Aston Martin THOR Racing team exploited every lap to hone the development of the British hypercar. The data gathered at Sebring and in Qatar offer a solid basis on which to fine-tune the Valkyrie&rsquo;s setup and maximise its performance.

De Angelis, one of the #23 car&rsquo;s drivers, said: &ldquo;It is a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least. It&rsquo;s one of the hardest races I&rsquo;ve had [...] and we have clearly made good progress here.&rdquo;&nbsp;Teammate Riberas agreed:&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an amazing feeling. We came here with really no expectations because we knew that Sebring was going to be one of the toughest challenges we would face as a team with a new car. We really didn&rsquo;t think we could come here and do what we just did &ndash; to finish the race, and not just that but in the top ten as well. It&rsquo;s unbelievable.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s a great start and this is only the beginning.&rdquo;

The Valkyrie&rsquo;s performance at the 12 Hours of Sebring marked a watershed in Aston Martin&rsquo;s Hypercar programme. Ian James, Aston Martin THOR Team Principal, emphasised its importance: &ldquo;Twelve hours around this place is momentous for us in terms of the programme. Every lap we do we learn something and we are going to come back stronger every time.&rdquo;

Next up for the Aston Martin Valkyrie are the Long Beach Grand Prix (12 April) in IMSA and the 6 Hours of Imola (20 April) in the FIA WEC. These races will offer a further opportunity to rack up experience and collect precious data with a view to the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. Aston Martin&rsquo;s supporters and endurance fans everywhere can expect the performance of the Valkyrie&nbsp; to continue its upward trajectory.

Promising signs for the Aston Martin Valkyrie at Sebring

Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Porsche 963 Hypercar has followed up on its 24 Hours of Daytona success in January by winning the 12 Hours of Sebring, the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. With less than three months to the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June 2025), this triumph strengthens the German manufacturer’s bid to see off Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Toyota – its rivals for overall victory in la Sarthe.

This weekend, the #7 Porsche 963 driven by Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor clinched a sparkling success in Florida. The Porsche Penske Motorsport trio claimed victory after a tough 12-hour fight that was neutralised times as temperatures topped 31&deg;C. This performance confirms the consistency and reliability of the German prototype on the back of its win in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.

The race reached a dramatic climax in the final half-hour as Nasr withstood attacks from his main rivals following the final Full Course Yellow. With a perfectly executed strategy and flawless tyre and fuel management, Porsche Penske Motorsport took an overall 1-2 with Matt Campbell, Mathieu Jaminet and K&eacute;vin Estre in the #6 sister car finishing just 2.239 seconds behind.

<h2>A performance that sets the tone for the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans</h2>

This Sebring victory strengthens Porsche&rsquo;s position as favourite for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans &ndash; the fourth round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship. The manufacturer that holds the record for outright Le Mans wins (19) faces stiff competition, notable from Ferrari, winner in the last two years, as well as Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Toyota and Peugeot.

This Sebring success was extra-special for 2015 Le Mans-winner Tandy who joined the elite club of winners of the Triple Crown of Endurance (Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans): &ldquo;It feels amazing to win two races in a row [...] And to top it off, both Porsche 963 finished both races on the podium. Given the fierce competition, that&rsquo;s incredible. No mistakes, no penalties, no damage &ndash; today was simply a dream in endurance racing.&rdquo;

For Porsche, this first Sebring win since 2008 illustrates the strength of the manufacturer&rsquo;s ambitious project. Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport, beamed: &ldquo;The Porsche 963 has again upheld its reputation as the most successful LMDh car since the regulations were introduced. This is something we can all be very proud of.&rdquo; Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh, was equally enthusiastic: &quot;Victory at Daytona, and now Sebring: We&rsquo;ve won the 36 Hours of Florida! That was one of our most outstanding races, absolutely flawless. I&rsquo;m ecstatic. All the drivers and the entire team put in an incredibly strong effort: pit stops, strategy, car &ndash; everything went perfectly.&rdquo;

Porsche Penske Motorsport&rsquo;s back-to-back wins in the two Florida classics underlines the consistency and performance of the Porsche 963 in the IMSA championship. In the run-up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team is a serious candidate for a return to the top step of the podium. Porsche&rsquo;s last outright Le Mans victory dates back to 2017 when Timo Bernhard, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley took the honours in the 919 Hybrid.

We look forward to June to see if the German powerhouse can overcome the biggest carmakers on the planet and add a 20th win to its Le Mans track record.

Porsche 963 adds another legendary race to list of triumphs

A new-look Hyperpole will be introduced at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Get ready for a whole new level of excitement! Split over two days (11–12 June), the revised Hyperpole promises suspense, strategy and elimination. It’s an event in itself with on-track battles in every class and a frenetic fight for pole position. Don’t miss a second of the action!

In 2024, the 24 Hours of Le Mans served up an intense, closely fought race with no fewer than nine Hypercars finishing on the same lap. Starting near the front of the grid has never been so important in the quest for victory in the world&rsquo;s toughest endurance race. Qualifying therefore plays a crucial role in setting the tone before the race itself.

<h2>A multi-step&nbsp;Hyperpole process</h2>

The new two-day format, to be held on 11&ndash;12 June, is designed to ramp up the tension as the sessions progress and the field narrows down. On the Wednesday, after an initial Free Practice, the LMP2 and LMGT3 competitors set off for 30 minutes of Qualifying with a clear objective &ndash; to figure among the 12 fastest in each class that will compete in the Hyperpole run-off. A similar session will then take place for the Hypercars, but with 15 places up for grabs.

Two Hyperpole sessions &ndash; H1 and H2 &ndash; will be staged on the Thursday. In H1, the 12 LMP2 and 12 LMGT3 qualifiers will have 20 minutes to clock one of the eight fastest times and proceed to H2. This elimination format is repeated for the Hypercars, with the 15 quickest qualifiers facing off in H1 which will determine the 10 finalists. In H2, the survivors will have just 15 minutes in which to seek the perfect lap and achieve the best possible place on the grid.

<h2>Twice the thrills!</h2>

Splitting Hyperpole into two consecutive sessions is designed to create a thrilling experience for the fans and test the teams&rsquo; nerve and rapidity. With cars eliminated at every&nbsp;step, the slightest error can be costly. The shorter sessions (20 and 15 minutes) guarantee maximum intensity and force the drivers to adapt quickly to track conditions. Adaptability is a key skill for any endurance driver.

This new format is not only of benefit to the top class. LMP2 and LMGT3, more often the realm of amateurs and private teams, are thrust into the spotlight as this revolution challenges the whole grid and rewards performance in every class.

The 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans Hyperpole will conclude with a whole new ceremony. The fastest drivers will be invited on to the podium together with their team manager. A Hyperpole trophy will be presented to reward their performance and their determination to achieve pole position. No doubt that the enthusiastic 24 Hours of Le Mans crowd, ever eager to hail impressive feats, will give them a resounding cheer.

&nbsp;

<h2>Be there!</h2>

With this new strategic, spectacular format, fans will have the chance to witness two nights of thrilling track action before the actual race.&nbsp; The very best drivers and teams will pull out all the stops in their efforts to trim fractions of a second off their best lap time to make the cut.

Dyed-in-the-wool motorsport fans and Le Mans newcomers alike will be equally enthralled by the two days of unforgettable battles on the asphalt.&nbsp; Tickets for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Qualifying and Hyperpole sessions on 11&ndash;12 June 2025, as well as Eddy de Pretto (Wednesday) and Pascal Obispo (Thursday) in concert,&nbsp; are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/tickets" target="_blank">still available</a>. Don&#39;t miss this chance to see a piece of Le Mans history in the making!

&nbsp;

Don’t miss the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans Hyperpole!

A new challenge awaits Wayne Taylor Racing. The team is fielding a #101 Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar in the hands of Ricky and Jordan Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans (11–15 June). A dream come true. Finally.

They have that most coveted of prizes: an invitation to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans! Team Principal and former driver Wayne Taylor set his sights on competing for the outright win long ago. &ldquo;It has always been our plan to go to Le Mans with a shot at the overall win. When I was there with Cadillac in 2002, I was driving and both my kids were with me as spectators. Now, 20 years later, they are driving for me with Cadillac. It is very exciting&rdquo;, he says, visibly moved.

With Cadillac WTR, Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA and Cadillac Whelen, there will be four US Hypercars at the start this June. &quot;Cadillac has built an amazing race car. This is such an important event and to be competitive you must arrive with everything in place. I believe we now have the car to beat.&quot;

<h2>A well-versed crew</h2>

Taylor can count on three seasoned drivers. First, his sons Ricky and Jordan Taylor, who total 15 Le Mans 24 Hours starts between them, not to mention several Rolex&nbsp;24 at Daytona victories. They are joined by fast-paced Portuguese driver Filipe Albuquerque, winner of the 2020 LMP2 class with United Autosports.

Wayne Taylor&rsquo;s Cadillac V-Series.R finished fifth overall at the Rolex&nbsp;24 at Daytona in January.

<h2>Cadillac&rsquo;s quest for the 24 Hours of Le Mans crown</h2>

With 12 starts, including two with Cadillac in 2000 (22nd) and 2002 (9th), Wayne Taylor has ample Le Mans 24 Hours experience of his own. This year&rsquo;s entry is a sign that Cadillac and its partners are as eager as ever to claim their share of 24 Hours of Le Mans glory. &ldquo;With the combination of Cadillac and our team partners at JOTA and AXR, we have really strong organisation. We are grateful to have a chance to compete at Le Mans,&rdquo; concludes Wayne Taylor.

See <a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2025/24-heures-du-mans/uocyygucshl9wt73upgk.pdf" target="_blank">the full entry list</a> for the next 24 Hours of Le Mans (11&ndash;15 June).&nbsp;

Wayne Taylor Racing's dream come true

<img alt="" src="/wpphpFichiers/1/1/ressources/Image/actualites/2013/alms/2013-07/hpd-muscle-milk-LB1_5933_0_l.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 233px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; float: right;" />

	Once more, Honda reigned supreme in prototypes. Besides the success of Graf and Luhr in LM P1 ahead of the Lola-Mazda of Dyson Racing, Level 5 Motorsports won in LM P2, with third place overall. In GT, the race finished with a 1-2 for Corvette Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia ahead of their team mates Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner. The podium was completed by the BMW Z4 GTE of M&uuml;ller and Hand.

	Klaus Graf et Lucas Luhr s&rsquo;adjugent le titre pilotes LM P1 trois courses avant le terme de la saison <a href="http://www.alms.com/">American Le Mans Series (ALMS)</a> 2013. &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a great day for Muscle milk, second championship in a row, 6 wins in a row. We hadn&rsquo;t won here yet, so a big win today. We had some great races early in the year with Rebellion, but unfortunately they decided to not do the whole year. Whatever the new series will bring, I think we will bring a new package.&rdquo;

	The next ALMS race of 2013 will be on Saturday the 21st of September on the Circuit Of The Americas at Austin (Texas), in the company of the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

	Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO 
	 
	Photo : Six victoires in seven races for the Honda HPD ARX-03c of Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, who have dominated the American Le Mans Series for two seasons. 
	&nbsp;

24H LE MANS

ALMS Baltimore : The race

Related News

Promising signs for the Aston Martin Valkyrie at Sebring

Porsche 963 adds another legendary race to list of triumphs

Don’t miss the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans Hyperpole!

Wayne Taylor Racing's dream come true

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