Team principal at Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM), Sean Creech, acknowledges that his team is making progress after they achieved a fourth-place finish in the LMP2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring. SCM is known for fielding the only Ligier JS P217 in the 13-car LMP2 category in the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. At the second round of the championship, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the #33 Ligier finished in an impressive fourth position after facing major reliability issues at the 24 Hours of Daytona opener. Creech expressed his pride in the team’s performance and their determination to never back down despite being two laps down. He also mentioned that they have gathered valuable information from the weekend and are moving in the right direction.
The #33 Ligier faced a challenging start as bronze-rated driver Lance Willsey qualified in last position behind all 12 other Oreca 07 machines. Throughout the race, there were 12 caution periods which allowed the LMP2 contenders to stay on the leader’s lap. SCM’s only setback came when Willsey spun to avoid an incident with another LMP2 car, causing him to stall the #33 Ligier and lose two laps after conducting a power cycle reset. Despite this, Willsey expressed his satisfaction with the fourth-place finish considering the limited testing and challenges they faced at Daytona. He credited the hard work and dedication of the team and drivers for their success.
During the race, Jonny Edgar set the quickest lap time for the #33, closely followed by teammate Joao Barbosa. However, it was their strategy call during the final hour, particularly during the final pit stop, that played a crucial role in their impressive fourth-place finish. Edgar highlighted the improved performance of the car compared to Thursday’s practice and Daytona, attributing it to the team’s strategy and their ability to regain lost laps when necessary.
SCM’s timely pit stop call during the 12th and final caution period elevated them to fifth position, which later became fourth after a competitor fell back. Edgar mentioned that the car performed exceptionally well at night and emphasized the importance of understanding why in order to consistently achieve good results.
Overall, Sean Creech Motorsport is pleased with their progress and the positive outcome at the 12 Hours of Sebring. They are determined to continue moving forward and improving their performance in future races.