Christian Fittipaldi would have tried to fit in one more flying lap to try for pole position at the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship’s 12 Hours of Sebring on Friday, but he ran out of gas. Fittipaldi lost out to Neel Jani’s record-breaking fast lap by a mere 0.095 of a second, so he punched the first punchable surface he saw: C360R’s pit box.
Losing not only the ability to claim pole position, but a new qualifying record for one of the most infamous endurance races on earth over something as simple as a lack of fuel has to be maddening. Fittipaldi’s No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R had to roll in using his pit speed limiter so as to make it all the way back into the pits.
C360R races in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge support series, which raced right after the 12 Hour’s qualifying on Frida. Fortunately, these pit boxes usually have a hammer or a baseball bat inside or nearby for putting crunched bodywork back in place.