Race 1 of 11 this year will be at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. This year, Sebring will feature the year’s ONLY head-to-head-to-head confrontation where LMP 1 newcomer, Acura, takes on Audi and Peugeot. After departing from ALMS for after a decade of domination, Audi s focused solely on the growing Peugeot threat at Le Mans. Peugeot likewise is focusing on Sebring and Le Mans and ignoring ALMS, and Honda Acura is going to get a season under its belt in ALMS before tackling Audi and Peugeot at Le Mans in 2010.

All three teams have extremely skilled drivers behind the wheels for Sebring, with the Gil de Ferran and Highcroft Acura teams bolstered respectively by Indy car aces Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti.

Audi’s new DieselWunderPanzer, the vicious-looking R-15, was unveiled today yesterday (3.09.2009), and it retains its open cockpit while diesel rival Peugeot is sticking with its closed cockpit. The Acuras also are open-cockpit.