By alley - Mar 15, 2014, 7:17 AM ET

IMSA: Sebring raceday notebook

SEBRING RESOURCE GUIDE

If you plan on following today's race, be sure to

use RACER.com's Sebring Resource Guide

for all of the links needed to keep up with the race, the change in television broadcast platforms, etc.

ARC DE TRIOMPHE?

The lines being taken through Sebring's most notoriously bumpy corner, the Turn 17 complex, by some of the competitors at the 12 Hour have been rather surprising—and effective. The normal line, if there is such a thing, has been used for years by prototypes and GT driver alike, and involves a somewhat tight arc that includes bounding over the potholes and seams in the pavement.

The pole-sitting No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP was the first car I noticed on Thursday that made an effort to swing wide through the corner—a wider arc that adds to the length of a normal lap—but the tradeoff was clearly worth it. The sister No. 9 AXR Corvette DP followed suit, as did a few other DPs and a couple of GT Daytona cars.

It took a change in organizations and many of the cars/teams that usually contest the 12 Hour for a marked change in approaches to a key corner, and based on the lap times in qualifying, it paid dividends as many of the cars taking the wide arc were able to carry more speed into Turn 17, spent less time modulating the throttle over the bumps, and were then able to go back to full power sooner.

The penalty of extending the corner radius was more than overcome by the aggressive entry and exit treatments that came from it. The race is now celebrating its 62nd running, but it's great to see there are some new tricks to be found by the most recent additions to the event.

STARTING GRID - WITH STARTING DRIVERS

There are the usual bevy of runners with a bit of race day bad news - The #91 Viper suffered some damage in warm up after being hit by another car on pit lane.

The Mike Shank Racing Riley Ford will start from the back of the grid after Ozz Negri filed to complete the required minimum night laps

5 Barbosa
42 Pla
10 Taylor
1 Sharp
6 Luhr
02 Dixon
90 Westbrook
2 van Overbeek
01 Pruett
09 Junqueira
0 Meyrick
31 TBD
25 Kimber Smith
38 Matos
54 Gue
8 van der Zande
08 Tagliani
88 Plowman
52 Jeannette
50 Pace
85 Miller
912 Long
56 Mueller
55 Auberlen
4 Gavin
3 Garcia
911 Tandy
62 Bruni
93 Wittmer
17 Henzler
91 Goossens
57 Jonsson
94 Cameron
22 Keen
33 Keating
007 Davison
63 Balzan
23 James
13 Heylen
555 Mediani
28 Ineichen
44 Potter
30 Giermaziak
73 Estre
27 Davis
49 Ruberti
71 Norman
32 Basseng
19 Bamber
48 Haase
009 Davis
46 Mies
45 Canache Jr
35 Nieman
51 Gerber
07 Miller
70 Tremblay
81 Faulkner
87 Kasemets
60 Negri Jr
78 Popow