Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring - Live reporting from the VICI Racing pits

12:25 AM The team is now packing up the truck. It's a long process, a professional team carries a lot of equipment, which will stretch long into the night. It's then straight back to the workshops and immediately the preparations for the second ALMS round in St. Petersburg in two and a half week's time begins.

10:03 PM Just 37 minutes after going behind the pit wall, the #5 car returned to the track with Craig back in the car for the final half hour. Then after 12 hours 3 minutes and 46 seconds the chequered flag waved and the #5 VICI Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR crossed the finish line of the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring having overcome all the dramas that were thrown at it during the closing hours of the race. Everyone is very tired but pleased with the performance.

9:05 PM After 10 hours and 46 minutes and 272 laps of what has been pretty trouble free race the right hand rear half shaft failed and Nathan brought the car back to the VICI Racing paddock where the well drilled crew have immediately swung into action.

8:20 PM Kumho tire technician Jason Myers has been working closely with the VICI team throughout the week. He gets feedback from each driver when they climb out of the car, and he’s happy with the progress the team is making. “It’s going quite well, all things considered,” he says. “Each lap we’re learning more and more. We’re really doing testing during the race and we’re learning about each compound, the drivers and the car at the same time. The tires are lasting the stint very well. We’re working well with the VICI guys. For coming together so late in the off-season, I think we’re doing very well. Porsche builds a great car. Considering the experience VICI had on our tire coming in, it’s going very well so far.”

8:05 PM The heat hasn’t bothered Craig thanks to his triathlon training. “I don’t know how anybody else can do this race without training,” said Stanton. “It’s the hottest part of the day and you’re out there fighting the whole time. It’s more like motocross than it is like car racing because you’re hanging on to a bucking bronco. You’ve got a short wheelbase car, a track with lots of big dips and high g-loads, and it’s like hanging onto a big, old bull. My chiropractor will have a heyday with me on Monday because my head rattles around between the seat about six times a lap.”

7:20 PM As the shadows lengthen at Sebring and the sun drops lower by the minute, the #5 VICI Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR continues to run impressively, and after holding third position for over three hours, Craig Stanton is currently at the wheel in a very strong fourth place.

6:37 PM After over eight and a half hours of racing, Kumho and VICI Racing continue their solid run, holding third place in class. The #5 car has had a trouble-free run, with the only glitch being a stop-and-go penalty for a pit lane speed violation. The team has made just 9 pit stops and spent less than 13 minutes on pit lane. At each stop, the team fuels the car, changes drivers and puts on a fresh set of Kumho tires.

6:00 PM Following his third stint Craig had good things to say about the team’s progress in the race, and the Kumho tires. “We’ve been hunting around with compounds and construction and pressures, and that last set of tires was by far the best one I’ve felt so far. You could put the Porsche anywhere you wanted. There’s a lot of fighting going on in traffic, and the other classes demand a lot of the car because you’ve often got to change your arc on exit. You’ve got to do things that put a whole lot of stress on the tires because you have an arc and all of a sudden another car comes down and pinches you off. You’re on the gas and the tire is fully loaded, so it’s hard on the tire. That last set of tires was brilliant for the first 18 laps or so and then fell off just slightly.”

4:05 PM At four o'clock the race reached the half distance mark, and with the GT2 class leaders sensationally tripping over each other, the order was shaking up dramatically. With the #5 VICI Racing Porsche running smoothly and consistently to its race plan, the team has been able to take advantage of the mistakes by the leaders to move up to third position. At 6 hours, and with 147 laps having been completed by the #5 car, Nathan is running in a very impressive third position. It's smiles all round in the VICI Racing hot pit.

1:20 PM “I’m pleased with how the race is progressing so far. The set up is good and all three drivers are able to run a consistent pace, setting lap times within the window that we targeted before the start," says Roland, who never moves from the hotpit timing screens. "The Kumho Tires have been running very well through the opening three stints and bearing in mind just how much work we have had to do this week it means we are making real progress. To run a top-5 pace is excellent, and a great for the guys, who have put in so much hard work here. Every lap is a learning lap for us, and that’s why we are here, there is no substitute for development in a racing situation. Now we hope to continue to run solidly.”

1:00 PM At quarter distance the #5 VICI Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is running very strongly with no problems being reported. The race is currently running under a full course yellow flag situation with began at 12:45 PM when the GT2 Aston Martin DBRS9 went into the barriers, the first incident in an otherwise smooth open 3 hours. Uwe Alzen is now behind the wheel and the team is happy with the performance so far.

11:12 AM Craig blasts into the VICI Racing hot pit after 29 laps and hour hour and 7 minutes of running. He hands over the #5 car over to Nathan who races back onto track once the tires and fuel have been changed. Craig reports," the start was good and clean and went without any incident, the track's looking pretty good, the set up is fine, and the tires are working well; meaning we can turn in consistent lap times. We seem to be in good shape for the race."

11.05 AM 11.05 AM After one hour of racing the #5 VICI Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is in a strong fifth place in GT2, having covered 27 laps in the hands of Craig. His best lap is a 2:05.687. The car is running without problems and the tires are performing well, reports Roland.

9:58 AM Motor racing gets in the blood, all our team members are experienced professionals who are motivated by the desire and passion to win. The racing passion often oozes right through families too and no more so than with crew members René and Hari who are father and son. Originally from Austria they are now based in Oregon, and are key personnel in the team over the pitwall. Both are smooth, calm and very well drilled in their jobs, more new and accomplished faces in this team.

9:55 AM American motor racing is all about the show; big, brash and bold, its extravaganzas are the best in the world. The spectacle of the 56th edition of the Twelve Hours of Sebring brings in a huge crowd and an equally huge TV audience. And the show is the best. On the grid the teams line up in rows while the national anthem is played, this year led by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.

9:35 AM Holding the flag for the #5 VICI Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR on the grid, and providing a real big helping of glamor, is 25-year-old Jaycelle; who is kicking off her second year in the colours of Kumo Tire. Just like every other member of our team she is very professional, focused and of course with a perfect figure. She's extremely popular with the fans who line up to have their photo taken with her. Just half an hour to go to the start now.

9:20 AM The cars are lined up on the grid Le Mans-style and the fans are streaming in to see the cars. The VICI Racing crew are making final checks. We have a clear blue sky, it's really starting to heat up now, and the green light is approaching rapidly.

8:10 AM Warm up is over. Craig is on track for 8 laps with his best being a lap of 2:06.746 (105.092 mph) set the sixth time around. The #5 car is now back in the paddock for final checks ahead of moving up to the grid, scheduled for just after 9 AM.

7:22 AM "The morning session will give us the opportunity to bed new parts in for the race, such as the brakes," says Technical Director & Chief Engineer, Roland Wall. "We made a lot of changes to the car yesterday so we want to check everything out. We will also be able to get udseful feedback with on the car on full tanks."

7:18 AM Just over 10 minutes to warm up and the #5 car is in the hot pit waiting for the session to get underway. Craig will drive this morning. The equipment is all moved over now and a daylight is breaking. By the minute now its getting lighter as we remorslessly move toward the start of the 56 th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring.

6:55 AM It's still dark over the Sebring International Raceway but it's a buzz of activity as we hit the big day. Vehicles are streaming into the circuit and as we drive down the local radio stations are building up to the 'big race'. There is a hectic schedule to get through before the race goes green at 10:05 AM, waved off by honorary starter Arturo Sandoval. First up we have a 20 minute warm up starting at 7:30 AM.