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SRT Viper GT3-R Catches Fire at Sebring

This weekend’s 12 Hours of Sebring marked yet another successful race for SRT, who clinched a second place finish in the GTLM class with the No.93 Viper GTS-R. The V10-powered vehicle crossed the line behind a 911 RSR, but defeated several other Porsches, BMW, Ferraris and Corvettes.
SRT Viper in flames 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
The No.91 Viper only managed a seventh position in the same class, but we bet drivers Farnbacher, Goossens and Hunter-Reay weren’t too upset. At least not after they found out what happened to the third Viper that raced at Sebring, the GT3-R driven by the Bleekemolen brothers and Ben Keating.

Fielded in the GTD class, the GT3-R began lapping the Sebring with Keating behind the wheel, but the Texas-born driver never made it past the 13th lap, as his car caught fire out of the blue.

There’s no actual info as to what caused the vehicle to burst into flames, but the video below shows that Keaton stopped on the track and got out of the vehicle only seconds before the fire engulfed the cockpit.

The incident placed the race under caution flag, but the dash resumed under green after nearly an hour. The 12 Hours of Sebring was eventually won by Chip Ganassi’s Ford EcoBoost-powered Riley prototype.

Click past the jump to watch the video.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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