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

3:30 PM With the practice over the car is back in the paddock and the engineers are now analysing the session, Uwe and Craig have a lot to say, Roland seems content with progress, and the red-and-black shirts of the Kumho guys are very much in evidence. A lot of work to be done before everyone goes home...

1:55 PM Uwe hands the car over to Craig. This will be Craig's first time behind the wheel of the RSR and he's keen to get onto the track and put some laps in. Super fit and always very mentally well prepared, he is the consummate professional. And experienced. Another component in the overall package.

1:30 PM We're a third of the way into the session and Uwe is behind the wheel. The team are working well together despite many not knowing each other before this week. Put all are seasoned professionals and it's second nature to pull together. The car has been in once to make some adjustments and swap tires, there is a lot to work through before we get to qualifying.

1:05 PM The 90 minute track session will allow the technicians from Kumho Tire to evaluate compounds for this unique track, as the tire development program starts to wind up a gear. Rudy Consolacion, Kumho Tire Motorsports Manager is in discussion with Roland Wall, the team's Technical Director & Chief Engineer. The two parties seem to be working well together and pulling in the right direction which is a good sign.

1:00 PM The session goes green and the #5 VICI Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR takes to the track along with 15 other GT2 cars which will provide tough competition for honours come race day. Even in a first test session, still days away from the qualifying runs, and in a circuit almost devoid of spectators, the atmosphere in still there. Sebring is the stuff of legend, history oozes out of every inch of its 3.7-mile length and 17-turns. Its bumpy, concrete surface has made - and broken - many reputations, one pays it the utmost respect. It takes no prisoners. To achieve here is to prove oneself in unquestionable terms.

12:40 PM We're less than half an hour away from the first track session of the week for the #5 car and everything is about reading to go; setup for the session is complete, and the team is now making the smooth switch of equipment and personnel from the paddock to the pitwall.

11:15 AM New to the team this year is highly experienced racer Craig Stanton. While he is a new face at VICI Racing, he isn't to Porsche - he has been racing the brand's cars ever since 1996 - and he has what it takes, having previously climbed onto the top step of the podium in the highly competitive ALMS GT2 class. "Sebring is one of my favourite tracks," he says, looked mentally prepared and professional, "there are a whole lot of elements here, its bumpy, has smooth, fast sections, as well as tight technical parts, a bit of everything really, apart from elevation changes. The 911 is traditionally very good here, and it's one of my favourite tracks. The race is really the show, its the big one."

10:30 AM At the heart of the new 2008-spec 911 GT3 RSR beats its 3.8-litre boxer engine, which sees improvements made to its details. It delivers 465 hp (342 kW) at 8,000 revs per minute and delivers a maximum torque of 430 Nm at 7,250 revs. The rev limiter of the efficient six-cylinder kicks in at 9,400 rpm. Meanwhile much of the know-how in the GT3 RSR’s totally new gearbox has come from the RS Spyder sports prototype. The sequential six-speed unit, developed by Porsche engineers, is considerably lighter than its predecessor. Internal friction was substantially reduced. The flat angle of the drive shafts allows teams a wider range of suspension set-ups.

10.05 AM The ALMS track action gets underway this afternoon at 1:00 PM with a 30 minute free session for the GT1 and GT2 classes, followed by a hour (1:30 to 2:30 PM) open to all classes (P1, P2, GT1 and GT2). For VICI Racing it will be an opportunity to work on the set up, see that the team is heading in the right direction with set up and give all the drivers a chance to try the 911 GT3 RSR - and in the case of Nathan and Craig - a first taste of the #5 machine.

9:55 AM The man charged with leading the team's strategy to unlock the best from the new Porsche 911 is Technical Director & Chief Engineer Roland Wall, who knows both Porsche and the RSR very well. Roland was happy with the way the recent two day test as Sebring went and is looking forward to getting on track this afternoon for the one-and-a-half hour test session. "There's huge capability in the RSR," he says, "Sebring - with its concrete surfaces - means we will learn a lot about the Kumho tires, though the bumps are tough on the car's suspension."

9:50 AM The team will run the new 2008-specification Porsche GT3 RSR which has been launched into the new model year with extensive modifications. The most powerful race car based on the Porsche 911, which last year scored wins at the 24 hour races of Le Mans and Spa as well as overall victory at the Nürburgring 24 hours, competes in the GT2 class at international long distance races. The most distinguishing feature of the new GT3 RSR is the front end which received major improvements to the aerodynamics. The majority of innovations however are hidden under the weight-optimised body. Porsche have an unrivalled sportscar racing pedigree, and don't disappoint; everyone at VICI Racing is quite excited by the potential of this new car.

9:40 AM VICI Racing has a long history as a sportscar racing development team; taking on demanding new challenges is the ultimate motivation and this year the team will be managing a brand new tire development program with Kumho Tire, with the aim of producing winning compounds for the ALMS GT2 class. It's a tall order to challenge the established class benchmark brands, but Kumho Tire is a highly motivated company which has been making serious waves in other motorsport disciplines and they are focused on the task ahead.

9:30 AM The team has been at the track since before 8.00 AM as they prepare for the car's first running on the Sebring circuit and a long, busy build up to the 56th running of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday. The jewel in the crown of the American Le Mans Series, it is one of the world's most important motorsport events, and one the everyone wants to shine in.