Olivier Pla drove the Honda-powered No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ligier JS P2 with AERO™ Advanced Paint Technology livery to pole Friday ahead of Saturday’s 64th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida.
“It was tough for many ways,” Pla told Autoweek. “First, because yesterday the crew had to repair the car overnight. Things were a little bit crazy." The Ligier had crashed the night before in practice, causing a hectic and fast paced repair effort by the team.
“I think I love this track. I know this one is difficult but the team gave me a great car, " Pla further remarked. "We changed the setup because yesterday we were a little bit struggling and today it paid off, so I have to give them a huge thanks.”
In the GTLM class, the two AERO-painted BMW Team RLL BMW M6 GTLMs showed fantastic pace. Bill Auberlen in the No. 25 car edged out the the No. 100 car, driven by John Edwards – Auberlen’s best lap was 113.714 mph, compared to Edwards’ 113.532.
“We went out and did the practice before qualifying and came upon a setup that was quite good,” Auberlen said. "I didn’t do anything crazy it was just enough out of control and it was enough for first.”
The No. 68 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GTE of Daniel Serra rounded out the GTLM qualifying 113.489 mph. Scuderia Corsa cars also benefit from the lightweight, ultra-durable paint system provided by AERO™ Advanced Paint Technology. The No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3, driven by Jeff Segal, made the best lap of the GTD class at 110.045 mph.
AERO-painted cars have a competitive advantage over other car, not just in on-track performance, but also in aesthetic value and ease of install. Unlike other substitute decorative coating systems, AERO™ film-based paints offer users the ability to perform trackside installs without the need to dry or cure. As such, the look of a high end paint finish is achieved in minutes rather than hours, while increasing durability and protecting the car.
Catch all the AERO-painted IMSA cars at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and throughout the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
All MSR photos courtesy of Sunday Management Group.
All Scuderia Corsa photos courtesy of Bob Chapment, Autosport Image.