In a weekend that would see him compete back to back in the 1000 Miles of Sebring and then the Twelve Hours of Sebring, two-time Le Mans winner and 2013 DTM champion, Mike Rockenfeller left feeling disappointed in what could have been.
In what some call “Super Sebring”, Rockenfeller and his teammates, Kamui Kobayashi and José-María López, experienced heartbreak behind the wheel of their #48 Ally/Action Express Cadillac DPi car.
Around two hours into the race, they were competing for outright victory at the Twelve Hours of Sebring when brake issues saw them drop down the order and out of contention for a win. They would eventually finish in sixth, five laps down from the eventual race winner, the #02 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy to have been able to drive for two really competitive teams on the same weekend,” Rockenfeller stated. “On a personal level, though, Super Sebring has been a shocker. Luck has just not been on my side.” However, Rockenfeller was quite to note the pace of the car and the efforts of his teammates.
Mike Rockenfeller Credit: IMSA Photo Shelter
“First and foremost, the #48 Cadillac was great to drive out of the box,” he added. “José-María [López] and Kamui [Kobayashi] hadn’t driven the car until today, but they were immediately competitive and their efforts were key in giving us the chance to win.
“I think that shows their class, and how good Action Express Racing is when it comes to making a great race car. We definitely had the pace to take victory today. Kamui put in a lap of 1m47.037s which was 0.019s from the fastest overall lap of the race set by our sister car, the #31. We are certainly quick enough, it’s just the luck isn’t there with us on the #48!”
The #31 Cadillac of Pipo Derani, Tristan Nuñez, and Mike Conway would finish the Twelve Hours of Sebring in third. Rockenfeller was also there to congratulate them on their strong performance.
“Pipo, Tristan, and Mike drove a superb race, and full credit to them for setting the fastest lap and bringing home some silverware for Action Express Racing!” Rockenfeller mentioned. “I hope next time out at Watkins Glen, we can have a clean weekend of racing without any drama and use our evident pace to join them on the podium!”