MAZDA MOTORSPORTS, SPONSORED BY IDEMITSU, FINISH AN IMPRESSIVE SECOND AT SEBRING

SEBRING, Fla., March 23, 2021 – The defending race champion No. 55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda RT24-P DPi, sponsored by Idemitsu Lubricants America (ILA), took a hard-fought second-place overall finish at the 69th Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday. Drivers Harry Tincknell, Oliver Jarvis and Jonathan Bomarito earned valuable points in this race, the second event of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Series, on the iconic 3.74-mile Sebring International Raceway.

During the waning laps of the grueling 12-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race, Tincknell drove nose-to-tail, within one second of the leader, while holding off a last-lap charge from the third-place finisher. At the finish, the Mazda was a mere 1.435 seconds off the pace.

“Another great race at Sebring for the 55 coming home P2,” said Tincknell after the race. “I believe we lead the championship (Michelin Endurance Cup Series). Fantastic, consistent start to the year after 36 hours of racing. We didn’t have the fastest car today, but we sure maximized everything we had and we’re very happy.”

“It’s tough to finish less than two seconds behind at the checkers, but we’re incredibly proud of the team for a great race today,” said Jonathan Applegate, Program Manager, Mazda Motorsports. “No complaints though. We led 93 laps and were good enough to win. We’re excited to get to the next race and keep the momentum.”

The excitement of the second-place finish was shared by the team from Idemitsu at trackside. “Idemitsu is behind this Mazda team day and night and we are thrilled to be here to strengthen our racing partnership for the long haul,” said Mike Park, Director OES and Automotive Aftermarket, Idemitsu Lubricants America.