Matt Campbell’s strong start to the 2024 season has continued over the weekend after the Queenslander picked up a podium in the 72nd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
 
Driving alongside regular IMSA SportsCar Championship teammates, Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr, Campbell helped steer the Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 to third place in what was a challenging race.  
 
Heading into the second round of the season in top spot after winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, the trio had a sluggish start to the event at Sebring International Raceway, never going above seventh place in any of the three practice sessions. 
 
However, they managed to make up ground in a solid qualifying run as Nasr qualified in fifth place. The trio were then later bumped up to third place ahead of the race, giving them a major boost for the race. 
 
Unfortunately, it was a forgettable opening stint to the race as they dropped back down to P11 during the first round of pit stops after the team was forced to do a full power cycle due to a transponder issue. 
 
Smart strategy and clean driving saw them work their way back to the top of the field, where they took the lead around the four-hour mark.
 
For the rest of the dramatic race, they battled hard for the lead, which included a massive crash involving polesitter and long-time race leader Pipo Derani, but in the end, they had to settle for where they started the race - third place - despite a frantic end that saw just eight seconds separating the three crews. 


With Louis Deletraz, Colton Herta and Jordan Taylor steering the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06 to the victory, Campbell, Nasr and Cameron now share the lead with the Sebring winners on the overall standings after two completed rounds.
 
There were a handful of other Australians contesting the popular endurance round, including Josh Burdon, who finished the event 14th overall and fifth in the LMP2 class alongside teammates Felipe Fraga and Gar Robinson, while Matthew Brabham and his AO Racing teammates Paul-Loup Chatin and P.J. Hyett were classified as 44th overall - 20 laps off the lead lap.
 
The final remaining Aussie in Scott Andrews had a forgettable weekend as his Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo suffered suspension damage and had to retire 218 laps into the race.  
 
The next round of the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship will be the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in California on 20 April.