SEBRING IS CERTAINLY living up to its reputation as the toughest race in the sportscar calendar. In baking heat and on a savagely bumpy track, the TVRs have had a rough ride over the last ten hours.

The Number 91 car has had two crashes, one with Chris Stockton at the wheel and one with Amanda Stretton driving. Both times, the drivers were fine but both times the car had to be taken back to the awning for serious repair work to be done. On the first occasion the radiator had to be replaced and on the second, a whole suspension and brakes assembly had to be taken off and changed. However, I suppose that we should count ourselves lucky that the car could be limped back to the pits so that our superb crew could get the car back out on track.

It has been worse for the Number 92 car which has suffered internal damage to the engine, which might have been caused by it ingesting a stone or something. We?ll know more when we?ve stripped it down. However, the damage done has been sufficient to see it a long time back in the awning.

However, we shouldn?t forget the Number 91 car, which is valiantly holding onto 12th place and 25th overall out of 44 starters, currently being driven by team owner Gareth Evans.