Winward Racing Clinches Back-to-Back Sebring Victory After Thrilling Late-Race Battle
After an intense battle in the closing stages of the 12 Hours of Sebring, Winward Racing secured their second consecutive victory at the historic track, with Philip Ellis making a decisive pass on Jack Hawksworth's Lexus in the final 15 minutes.
Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Sebring circuit
The No. 57 Winward Mercedes-AMG GT3 team overcame a drive-through penalty in the second half of the race to claim victory, fighting off strong challenges from both the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 and the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3.
Ellis executed the winning move at turn five, making contact with Hawksworth's Lexus in a move that mirrored the aggressive racing style Hawksworth himself had demonstrated in previous encounters. "I just gave him back what he gave me a couple laps before in turn seven," Ellis explained.
This victory marks a continuation of Winward Racing's impressive comeback performances this season. At Daytona, they recovered from being seven laps down to finish fourth, and at Sebring, they bounced back from a pit work infraction penalty to secure the win.
The winning team consisted of Ellis, Russell Ward, and Indy Dontje, with Ellis taking the lead in the first hour and his co-drivers maintaining their competitive position throughout the race. Ward credited the team's success to their car's reliability and performance in Sebring's challenging conditions.
The victory puts Winward Racing in the lead of the IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship. The team will look to extend their advantage at the next round on the streets of Long Beach, California, where they'll compete alongside the GTP class prototypes.