CrowdStrike Racing by APR Driven to Win Sebring 12 Hours 14.03.2023: · Season’s second race for new CrowdStrike, APR partnership · No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA placed second in LMP2 at Rolex 24 · George Kurtz, Ben Hanley and Nolan Siegel to share driving duties for 12 Hours

· Season’s second race for new CrowdStrike, APR partnership


· No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA placed second in LMP2 at Rolex 24


· George Kurtz, Ben Hanley and Nolan Siegel to share driving duties for 12 Hours


· Winners of Daytona CrowdStrike Endurance, Teamwork, Speed award to be announced at Sebring 12 Hours


 · Kurtz, James Allen, Colin Braun to pilot APR ORECA LMP2 at 24 Hours of Le Mans
 



The new CrowdStrike Racing by APR (Algarve Pro Racing) program aims to continue its strong initial season in the LMP2 class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this weekend, competing in the 12 Hours of Sebring.
 


The CrowdStrike Racing by APR team of George Kurtz, Ben Hanley and newcomer Nolan Siegel will compete in the No. 04 CrowdStrike/Accel ORECA 07-Gibson prototype coupe. Sebring will be CrowdStrike Racing by APR’s second race towards the Michelin Endurance Cup, a unique four-race competition encompassing the marquee endurance races on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule.



The CrowdStrike/APR program is coming off a runner-up finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to start the IMSA season with Kurtz, Hanley, Matt McMurry and Esteban Gutiérrez teaming together. It was a strong debut for the CrowdStrike Racing/APR alliance, which led the race multiple times with each of the four drivers taking turns out front.
 


Turning the page to Sebring, there is ample reason for those who follow CrowdStrike Racing by APR to be excited by the prospect of success at the 12 Hours.



For starters, Kurtz was part of the LMP3-winning lineup in the 2021 Sebring 12 Hours, his first victory in IMSA competition. This will be his third start in IMSA at Sebring as he looks to continue his string of top-five class finishes.
 


This will be Hanley’s first IMSA at Sebring competition. Previously, he was part of the LMP1 battle at the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 1,000 Miles of Sebring in 2019. He also is a past winner of the Rolex 24 in P2.



Siegel will also be competing for the first time at Sebring, having recently finished second in the LMP3 class at January’s Rolex 24 to go along with a runner-up finish to close 2022 at Petit Le Mans.
 


The trio will also contest the final three long-distance races on the WeatherTech schedule: Sebring, the Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
 


In addition to winning the 12 Hours in the LMP2 class, the CrowdStrike Racing by APR team   is keen to take home the CrowdStrike Endurance, Teamwork, Speed award for the Sebring round. The honor is part of CrowdStrike’s official partnership with IMSA, now in its second year.



As presenting sponsor of the contest at Sebring and the other Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, CrowdStrike will honor the team in each of the five IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes that demonstrates the unique qualities needed to be successful – both on the racetrack in the pitlane:
 

•    Endurance: Running at the finish of the race;

•    Teamwork: The most efficient time on pitlane, putting a premium on efforts by the driver and crew;

•    Speed: A car’s best qualifying time and fastest race lap.
 


The philosophies within the Endurance, Teamwork and Speed Award match CrowdStrike’s approach as a global leader and provider of cybersecurity solutions. In racing, as in cybersecurity, success comes from delivering superior performance as a team, having a relentless focus on execution, and understanding that the clock doesn’t lie — speed matters.



CrowdStrike Racing by APR is also set to compete in the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Kurtz, APR regular James Allen and Colin Braun - Kurtz’s teammate in Fanatec GT World Challenge America - will compete in the race as part of the LMP2 field. It will mark the first Le Mans for Kurtz and the CrowdStrike Racing brand, which will be part of APR’s entry in the June 10-11 French classic.



The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 18. The race will air on USA Network from 4:30-10:30 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock at 10:05 a.m. ET.

IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning at IMSA.com along with Sirius 216, XM 207, SiriusXM Online 992 and 100.9 FM at the circuit.
 

Driver Quotes ahead of the 12 Hours of Sebring
 


GEORGE KURTZ – NO. 04 CROWDSTRIKE ORECA 07-GIBSON LMP2: “I’m excited about the upcoming challenge of the Sebring 12 Hours. This is a race that is famous for being one of the toughest and most physically demanding events in the world, and I’m fortunate to have won in class there before.


 CrowdStrike Racing by APR has great momentum after our result in Daytona. The team is ready and we look forward to advancing our position this time around.”
 


BEN HANLEY – NO. 04 CROWDSTRIKE ORECA 07-GIBSON LMP2: "I'm really looking forward to the 12 Hours of Sebring. There is a great atmosphere building within our team.


 We had a good, although brief, test day at Sebring recently so it feels like we have a good baseline when we return for the race. This is so important as there really isn't much track time once the event starts."
 


NOLAN SIEGEL – NO. 04 CROWDSTRIKE ORECA 07-GIBSON LMP2: “Getting to do the test at Sebring was a big help in getting to meet the whole team. I had met George before but very briefly so getting to know him better and getting to meet Ben was great. The test went really well, and I think we work well together. I think things will continue to progress quite quickly and go well at Sebring.


There are a lot of cars on a bumpy track, and a lot of people are going to make mistakes. If we can minimize our mistakes and have a clean race, we’re going to end up finishing well. Obviously it’s about having pace but having a smooth, clean race will be really important.”
 



For more information, visit CrowdStrikeRacing.com. Follow #CrowdStrikeRacing on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for updates.
 




- Danielle Crespo, photos  Fred Hardy, Brian Cleary, Chris Ortenburger