Sebring International Raceway hosted an action-packed third round of the 2025 VSCA SportsCar Championship on Saturday, as teams and drivers battled through 12 grueling hours in the Engine59 12 Hours of Sebring. A dramatic finish saw Vulture Motorsports secure their first LMP2 class victory, with Thomas E Fisher taking the checkered flag by just 2.426 seconds in one of the closest finishes in event history.
A Race Defined by Strategy and Caution Periods
The race featured three full-course yellow periods, with nearly two hours spent under caution. The first yellow was deployed one hour and 57 minutes into the race, with racing resuming after a lengthy break at two hours and 43 minutes. The second caution, triggered seven and a half hours into the race, saw the field restart at the eight-hour, 11-minute mark. The final full-course caution came with just over two hours remaining and set the stage for an intense closing battle when the race resumed with 90 minutes left.
Polesitter Marvin Le Flohic of Valkyrie Exype set the pace early with a blistering 1:48.209 lap time in qualifying. However, the race quickly evolved into a battle of endurance and strategy, as 43 lead changes unfolded throughout the LMP2 field. Keystone Simsport’s #89 Dallara P217 led the most laps (94) but ultimately finished in fifth place.
Hard-Fought Victory for Vulture Motorsports
Vulture Motorsports’ #216 Dallara P217, piloted by Eric and Michael Kulaga, Steven Martinez, and Thomas E Fisher, executed a near-flawless strategy to secure their maiden LMP2 class victory. The win marked Fisher’s first since Road America in August 2023 and was an impressive turnaround for the team following a disqualification at Daytona earlier in the season.
Despite a setback that cost them 18 seconds in the final pit stop, Fisher made a decisive move in the closing minutes, overtaking the #11 Vision 1 Motorsports car in Turn 1 and holding off the competition through the final laps.
"Absolute elation," Fisher said after the race. "Once I took the lead off the last restart, we knew we were in the fight, but we didn’t want to count our chickens. Every lap was about managing fuel, traffic, and keeping mistakes to a minimum. That final pass was all about getting the timing just right."
Twin Turn Simracing’s Strong Start to the Season
Twin Turn Simracing continued to impress in their debut season, securing a third-place finish at Sebring after a second-place result at Daytona. The #23 entry, driven by William Alcala, Dominik and Sebastian Isenberg, and Ryan Suralik, gained six positions throughout the race, starting ninth and finishing third.
Despite their strong performance, Alcala lamented late-race electrical issues that hindered their chances of fighting for the win. "Heartbroken, really heartbroken about our problems at the end there," he admitted. "The team did an amazing job fighting back from three laps down, and I truly believe we had the pace to win."
Suralik, who will be leaving Twin Turn Simracing due to license classification changes, expressed confidence in his former team’s ability to fight for victories. "I 100% think we will win a race, if not more, this season if we keep up our performance. We’ve proven we belong at the front."
Championship Standings
With their fifth-place finish, Keystone Simsport’s #89 car maintains its lead in the LMP2 championship with 810 points. However, Twin Turn Simracing has moved up to second place, just nine points behind. Vision 1 Motorsports follows closely in third, trailing by 19 points.
In the LMP2 Endurance Cup standings, Keystone Simsport retains first place with 25 points, while Vision 1 Motorsports and Twin Turn Simracing hold second and third, respectively.
Erik Terry-Haag of Keystone Simsport reflected on a race that slipped from their grasp due to an incident involving a GTP car. "We were in a really good position leading into the final hours, but unfortunately, we got caught up in something we couldn’t control. It’s frustrating, but we’ve already shifted our focus to Laguna Seca."
Looking Ahead to Laguna Seca
The VSCA SportsCar Championship heads to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the fourth round of the season on April 5, 2025. As the first Sprint Cup race of the year for their class, LMP2 teams will need to adjust their strategies for a shorter but equally demanding contest.
Lukas Santos of Keystone Simsport is eager for the challenge. "Laguna Seca will be a different beast compared to endurance racing. Strategy has to be on point, and there’s no room for mistakes. It’s going to be an exciting one."
With an intensely competitive field and championship battles heating up, all eyes will be on Monterey as the VSCA season continues its thrilling journey.
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