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CORE, Kurtz, Braun and Bennett Win Twelve Hours of Sebring
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CrowdStrike Racing | March 22, 2021


It’s not common to achieve success in a major challenge on the first try – and even more rare to do so with the world watching, live. At the 69th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, an endurance race that’s known as one of the most difficult in North America, that’s exactly what CrowdStrike’s CEO and racing driver George Kurtz did as part of the best racing team and driver lineup in the class. CORE autosport, team owner and co-driver Jon Bennett, co-driver Colin Braun and amateur driver Kurtz shared driving duties in the 12-hour race in Sebring, Florida on March 20. The trio raced the No. 54 Composite Resources/CrowdStrike Ligier JS P320 in a field of over 30 other sportscars and prototypes to win the “Sebring 12,” one of the four marquee races in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Bennett started the race from 3rd on the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) grid, a class sandwiched between much faster and much slower car classes that create an added challenge over the half-day race. Over the course of the first ten hours, Bennett, Braun and Kurtz shuffled between 5th, 4th, and 3rd in class, dealing with full-course cautions, car damage, a drive-through penalty and even a full stop and restart for the No. 54. At one point, the Ligier prototype was in 7th place in class and two laps down – a difficult position to recover from unless the drivers, pit crew, and the race strategy coming from pit wall are working at least a slim margin better than all other competitors.

The team was determined to seize every opportunity to climb through the field. Perfect pit stops during caution periods, smart strategy and a true masterclass in racing by Braun in his last stint sent the No. 54 to the lead in the final hour. Braun led by a sizeable margin at the finish, securing a hard-fought victory for CORE autosport. The win wasn’t earned only by Braun – the engineers, strategists, crew, and all three drivers were focused on a singular goal, and achieved it together… as one. Teamwork amongst the best people in racing and the best people at CrowdStrike are the true drivers of our shared success.

The win is the fourth 12 Hours of Sebring victory for CORE autosport, the third for Bennett and Braun as co-drivers, and the first for Kurtz. CORE now leads the LMP3 Championship by 32 points. The next endurance race for Kurtz is Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, June 24-27 at Watkins Glen, New York.

CrowdStrike: We Win as One

Read the press release from CORE autosport

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