The two Cadillacs had the pace, but the Acura driver took advantage of late cautions to snatch victory for the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti squad
JOEY BARNES
Louis Deletraz provided the fireworks in a dramatic and memorable finish that put Acura in Victory Lane after the 72nd edition of the Sebring 12 Hours. Cadillac Racing was the dominant force from the start last weekend – both the Action Express and Chip Ganassi Racing-run V-Series.Rs looked like potential winners of the second round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship – but Deletraz, in combination with his Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti co-drivers Colton Herta and Jordan Taylor, denied the General Motors marque in the closing stages of the 333-lap race.
A caution with 80 minutes to go put the majority of the leading Grand Touring Prototype class on level terms and proved to be a significant turning point as Sebastien Bourdais, driving the Ganassi-prepared Cadillac, took the lead and briefly turned the strategy into a contest of fuel conservation. Bourdais, who shared the car with Renger van der Zande and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, along with the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 of Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron and Matt Campbell, had stopped moments before the yellow flag and were able to leapfrog the other contenders by needing less energy during another pitstop sequence under caution.
Both Bourdais and Nasr opted for only energy replenishment, while Deletraz received the same in addition to a fresh set of tyres in an effort to fully attack. A pair of cautions for debris followed the restart, which tossed the fuel-saving concept out the window and into a sprint to the finish.
The fresh rubber helped Deletraz, who lined up third behind Bourdais and Nasr for the restart, to push the pace. After making quick work of Nasr, Deletraz applied the pressure on Bourdais in an intense 23-minute sprint to the chequered flag.
The 26-year-old Swiss attempted a move in the final corner of the 17-turn, 3.74-mile circuit, but Bourdais was able to fend him off. Having drawn away from the rest of the GTP contenders, Bourdais and Deletraz continued to orchestrate a high-speed chess match while moving through traffic. Then, with just under six minutes remaining and a couple of laps after making his previous attempt, Deletraz dived under Bourdais in Turn 7 and the two tangled through the next few corners, leaning on each other and making co
