Al Carter was busy in Sebring

Al Carter was really pleased to go back to racing after the long break following the January Daytona race weekend. Entered in three different racing series with three different competitive race cars, Al Carter's busy Sebring weekend was exciting, successful and rewarding.

Practice started early in the week and Al Carter was one of 14 drivers entered to race in round 1 of the 2014 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America, the world's fastest one-make series. Carter was racing for Mitchum Motorsports who was fielding a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 for Lamborghini Palm Beach. Last year, Al Carter had his first experience with the Super Trofeo. He raced in Kansas and Virginia and collected silverware at all four of the races scoring four podium finishes including his first 2013 race win at Kansas Speedway. Thursday for his first 2014 race in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America, Al ended in victory lane after a smart race and good pit stop timing. He received his first winner's trophy of the season and scored his fifth podium finish in a row in five races in the Super Trofeo. For race two, Al had great expectations to continue his winning streak but was not too lucky. While battling for the lead and a potential sixth podium finish in a row in that series, the No. 80 Jetset Magazine /Lamborghini Palm Beach suffered a mechanical issue and stalled on track preventing Carter from finishing the race and continuing his winning streak.

On Friday, Carter competed in round 2 of the 2014 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge with Rebel Rock Racing. Al Carter and Brett Sandberg and the crew worked hard after Daytona to prepare their No. 7 Eagle Tech / B+ Foundation / Sideskinz/ Stinkerz Porsche 997 for the Sebring event with Rebel Rock Racing engineer Ron Mathis. Despite their desire to shine in Rebel Rock Racing's home race, Al and Brett had to settle with a top-12 finish in an event where the first Porsche crossed the finish line in 10th place. One of the most important facts of the race is that the two Rebel Rock Racing drivers scored a good amount of points for the 2014 drivers and team championships.

On Saturday, Al Carter was entered in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled By Fresh From Florida with his TRG-Aston Martin Racing team. Al's racing program with TRG-AMR is his number one priority of the season. The No. 007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage was fast immediately and Al Carter's co-driver James Davison scored the fastest time of the first practice. Al knows that Sebring is maybe the toughest racetrack of the year and that he would have to race hard to achieve his top five goal. In qualifying, James Davison put the 007 on row two with the fourth fastest time. Following this great qualifying showing, Carter, Davison and Block were enthusiastic and excited about the race.

At the start of the race, the No. 007 Residences at the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach/B+ Foundation/Jetset Magazine/Eagle Tech/Sideskinz Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 sped to the lead in the GT Daytona class during the first hour of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship endurance classic with James Davison behind the wheel, but several on-track incidents dropped the team to 19th at the finish.

"There are a couple of different ways to look at it," said Carter after the race. "Sebring is Sebring, and today you could see how tough it was. There was a lot of carnage out there, a lot of incidents, a lot of stuff going on. We had some slight contact that put us back behind the wall for a little bit. But when you see the car get out there, the crew digs in and makes it happen. We finished running. We get our points. We go to Laguna Seca for the first sprint race of the season, and we know James and I will be competitive there, and that's what we take away from this event."

Al Carter talked about his TRG-AMR crew. "It's such a team sport, and everybody has to be on top of their game. That's what wins races. As we go on in the season, you see that type of effort and desire, and you're proud to be a part of it and share in it. We've got a good team here, and we're ready to rock and roll."

The two-hour Sebring broadcast of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge from Sebring will air March 19 on FOX Sports 1 at 1 p.m. ET and will re-air March 23 on FOX Sports 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

After two races the season is taking another long break and the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Challenge will return at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California on May 1-3 for the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix.

Al Carter Racing