Drewer wins in IMSA Lites Race debut.

Tom Drewer has dominated Race 1 in the IMSA Lites L2 category at the famous 56th Annual Mobil Twelve Hours of Sebring.


Drewer won the L2 category convincingly setting a new class race lap record, 6.5 seconds in front of the next L2 driver, and finished in 8th position overall.

‘Winning the first race and tasting the champagne on the podium is a fantastic way to start the season, and to be so competitive with the L1’s this early in the season, it really couldn’t be better.

I think I’m also the first non-American to ever win a race in IMSA Lites L2. So it’s been a real day of firsts.

It was particularly good after yesterday’s qualifying session where things didn’t quite go to plan. I was held up early in the session and then due to an incident it was red flagged leaving me in position 2 in class and 16th overall in the 35 car grid. I just didn’t get a clean lap but we certainly made up for it today and showed what we are really capable of’

The race was plagued by incidents and two safety car periods, but Drewer and his PVM Racing WEST WR1000 ‘tunnel car’ came away unscathed.

‘Everyone was driving extremely hard and the amount of dust and dirt brought onto the circuit from off-track excursions kept changing the track conditions. You didn’t really know just how much grip there was going to be heading into each corner.

The safety car was brought out twice as a result of incidents around the track which was a shame because my lead over the next L2 driver kept being diminished. But in the end I was able to keep with the top L1 drivers and extend my lead.’

The race was won overall by Jonathan Goring driving an L1 Elan DPO2, while the L2 podium was completed by Alain Nadal and Drewer’s team mate Eric Vassian.

Drewer now looks forward to Race 2, to be held tomorrow afternoon, Friday March 14.

‘Our fastest lap time in the race means we’ll start tomorrow’s race in position 10. We still have a bit of work to do in fine tuning the new WEST ‘tunnel floored’ chassis, it’s a brand new chassis in IMSA Lites this year, and I think we will be able to go even faster tomorrow and place even higher overall. But this is just Race 1 of a long Championship and we have to keep that in perspective. Anything can happen tomorrow in Race 2, and Sebring is a pretty unforgiving place. The main thing is to finish and keep collecting points for the championship.

I want to thank everyone at PVM Racing and from WEST Race Cars both in Australia and the USA for giving me this opportunity.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank my supporters back home in Australia. I couldn’t be doing this without you and I will continue to do you proud.’

Drewer’s Australian manager Terry Little said that after today’s result ‘it would be fitting for him to get some financial backing’.

‘He has sold up everything to race in the USA and that’s a big ask. He is a young Aussie that is having a real go and he certainly has the goods to deliver for a sponsor’, Little added.