More pre-race news, from Fuji, before the 6 hour race. Toyota took pole in qualifying, only to lose it, based on a technical infringement.
Toyota, Aston Martin Take 6H Fuji Poles
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/toyota-aston-martin-6hfuji-poles/
No. 7 Toyota Loses 6H Fuji Pole
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/no-7-toyota-loses-6h-fuji-pole/
Fuji Weekend Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/fuji-weekend-notebook-2/
Vasselon: Toyota “On Board” with EoT Changes
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/vasselon-toyota-on-board-with-eot-changes/
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Petit Le Mans: Hour 10 (the finish)
Daniel Serra is chasing Bryan Sellers. Now, Colin Braun has passed Felipe Nasr, but he needs two more spots to clinch the title. He is not close enough yet, to Felipe Nasr as we are in the last hour of the motor race. The #54 CORE Autosport Oreca, the car has never been developed on a shaker rig. Colin's father, Jeff Braun is the team manager. We have everyone on the team at Fox Sports back on for the finish including Brian Till, Calvin Fish, Gregg Creamer, Tommy Kendall, Jamie Howe, Matt Yocum, and Andrew Marriott. Alvaro Parente is still chasing Bryan Sellers. Sellers is in the pit lane. Terrific stop. Now, Milner is pressing Briscoe and the Corvette is stronger!
Ryan Briscoe needs fresh tires. #86 has the lead, Alvaro Parente, in the Acura. He does not want to give up anything. Parente is in pit lane. He will have a clear exit. Push, push, push, like no tomorrow. Parente is hungry. He has the track position. Sellers has hot tires. Parente and Bryan Sellers ran as team mates for K-PAX in Pirelli World Challenge last year. One of the Lexus cars is stopped on track. Ford #67 has to pit now. They can't afford a yellow. Jack Hawksworth is stopped on the road with the #15 Lexus. The marshals will not put a yellow flag out arbitrarily. Hawksworth makes a mistake, spinning into the grass. Now, #67 had to come to the pit lane. He just had to.
Ryan Briscoe stays in the car. Did they change tire compounds? The #4 Corvette gets out in front of the BMW and the Ford. It is far from over, and wow! Ford makes a move on BMW! It's go time for the championship! Did Corvette Racing just perform a masterstroke? Good stop for Pippo Derani in the #22 ESM Nissan. Argy bargy for the Nissan #22. Oliver Jarvis pits. We have had six yellows, 35 lead changes, and just two cars out of the race. Pit stop time for the leading #10 Cadillac. These boys could win for the first time in a long time.
Colin Braun and Felipe Nasr might not be able to make it on fuel. Mazda #77 locks up and goes off the road. The Mazda has been passed by the CORE Autosport car. #77 is between #54 and #31. Overheating could be a problem for the computers and calculators. Pit stop time as well, for Corvette. Everything routine for the #3 car. The championship may still swing towards Corvette. Ryan Briscoe is third in class. Tommy Milner just ran Corvette's fastest lap. Things are unraveling for the #31. They are having fuel issues and Colin Braun is moving up.
Alvaro Parente is still battling with Bryan Sellers and there are a couple of permutations, still. We have a new distance record at Petit Le Mans. We have completed 414 laps, the old record, 412 laps that was set two years ago in 2016. Who has the fuel to make it to the end? CORE Autosport is looking to save fuel for the next 20 minutes. Fuel save early in the stint. You can't tell a driver to save fuel with 20 minutes left. Ryan Briscoe has been passed by the BMW's. If we get a yellow, the scrum in GT Le Mans is going to go bonkers!
Filipe Albuquerque has gone around the ESM car and Ryan Briscoe has fallen like falling down a mine shaft. He's sunk like a stone. Hasr has dropped to ninth. The #54 team might still win the title. Cadillac #31 has a power loss and can't do the fuel save. Daniel Serra leads GTD. Bryan Sellers is third behind Alvaro Parente. 22 minutes left in the race, and the season. The clock dwindles to less than 20 minutes. Alvaro Parente closes in again on Daniel Serra. If Milner and Tandy wrestle, then Briscoe has to find his way around Sims. Curiouser and curiouser. The championship, the race win, are on the line. We have no idea who is going to win.
Right now, the #54 car is in good shape, but if Mazda's pass, the #31 Cadillac might get back in this thing. Ten and a half minutes to go in IMSA 2018. We are mostly in the dark. Ryan Briscoe is in big trouble for GTLM. #54 will pit this lap. #54 is in the lane. He needs seven seconds of fuel and gets it. We might be slightly crispy but we're not actually toast. Electrical issues do not fix themselves. The #5 and #22 are just up the road. Oh boy. #22 runs wide and is passed by #10! Renger van der Zande dives under the #22 Nissan. Could Pipo Derani be out of fuel? Maybe. But, the #54 has more laps on his fuel other than Derani. Could the #7 Acura move ahead? Less than four and a half minutes to go, so that means four laps.
Cadillac #5 is set for a splash and dash. #10 has not won since Detroit last year, their fifth win in a row in 2017. They have been winless ever since. Nissan #22 in the lane. We keep an eye on #22. #54 is down the front straight but can't pass Derani. Two minutes on the board. Does Braun have anything left in the locker? Does Renger van der Zande have fuel? Can Ricky Taylor make it? Filipe Albuquerque is leading. Less than a minute and a half to go. Ryan Briscoe in fifth. Antonio Garcia in position to take the GTLM championship.
van der Sande will not pit. White flag. One lap to go for Renger van der Zande. This is a nail biter! Who will make it? #54 has to save fuel. How can #5 and #7 make it? Simon Trummer is out of fuel and so is #5! Renger van der Zande is there. Both cars out of fuel! The #10 wins it! Renger van der Zande wins! Nick Tandy and Porsche win GTLM! Daniel Serra wins GTD at PLM! Now, who wins the championship? Colin Braun is seventh. Nasr is eighth. Ricky Taylor made it home. Sellers and Snow are GTD champions!
Overall/Prototype: #10 Van der Zande/Taylor/Hunter-Reay Cadillac DPi-V.R
GT Le Mans: #911 Pilet/Tandy/Makowiecki Porsche 911 RSR
GT Daytona: #63 MacNeil/Serra/Jeanette Ferrari 488 GT3
That finish was mega! The Corvette crew repairing their car in four minutes, scoring points, winning the championship was amazing. They didn't win the race, but they made it home. We crown the champions, too.
Prototype: #31 Eric Curran & Felipe Nasr (with Gabby Chaves) Cadillac DPi-V.R
A lot of credit to Mike Conway, too, their other co-driver.
GT Le Mans: #3 Jan Magnussen & Antonio Garcia Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-
GT Daytona: #48 Bryan Sellers & Madison Snow (with Cory Lewis) Lamborghini Huracan GT3
Its the cars and the people who have led the commentators into their careers. It's the people who call the races who are just as important as the drivers and the teams. This is the end of an era as NBC Sports will be a new home for IMSA. This isn't a goodbye to our friends at Fox Sports, but it is more like, we'll see you down the road. We'll see you next year, for more IMSA racing action and a bonus coverage post, later on. See you with more IMSA racing in 2019. So long, for now. This isn't an end, a farewell. It's 'til we meet again.
Ryan Briscoe needs fresh tires. #86 has the lead, Alvaro Parente, in the Acura. He does not want to give up anything. Parente is in pit lane. He will have a clear exit. Push, push, push, like no tomorrow. Parente is hungry. He has the track position. Sellers has hot tires. Parente and Bryan Sellers ran as team mates for K-PAX in Pirelli World Challenge last year. One of the Lexus cars is stopped on track. Ford #67 has to pit now. They can't afford a yellow. Jack Hawksworth is stopped on the road with the #15 Lexus. The marshals will not put a yellow flag out arbitrarily. Hawksworth makes a mistake, spinning into the grass. Now, #67 had to come to the pit lane. He just had to.
Ryan Briscoe stays in the car. Did they change tire compounds? The #4 Corvette gets out in front of the BMW and the Ford. It is far from over, and wow! Ford makes a move on BMW! It's go time for the championship! Did Corvette Racing just perform a masterstroke? Good stop for Pippo Derani in the #22 ESM Nissan. Argy bargy for the Nissan #22. Oliver Jarvis pits. We have had six yellows, 35 lead changes, and just two cars out of the race. Pit stop time for the leading #10 Cadillac. These boys could win for the first time in a long time.
Colin Braun and Felipe Nasr might not be able to make it on fuel. Mazda #77 locks up and goes off the road. The Mazda has been passed by the CORE Autosport car. #77 is between #54 and #31. Overheating could be a problem for the computers and calculators. Pit stop time as well, for Corvette. Everything routine for the #3 car. The championship may still swing towards Corvette. Ryan Briscoe is third in class. Tommy Milner just ran Corvette's fastest lap. Things are unraveling for the #31. They are having fuel issues and Colin Braun is moving up.
Alvaro Parente is still battling with Bryan Sellers and there are a couple of permutations, still. We have a new distance record at Petit Le Mans. We have completed 414 laps, the old record, 412 laps that was set two years ago in 2016. Who has the fuel to make it to the end? CORE Autosport is looking to save fuel for the next 20 minutes. Fuel save early in the stint. You can't tell a driver to save fuel with 20 minutes left. Ryan Briscoe has been passed by the BMW's. If we get a yellow, the scrum in GT Le Mans is going to go bonkers!
Filipe Albuquerque has gone around the ESM car and Ryan Briscoe has fallen like falling down a mine shaft. He's sunk like a stone. Hasr has dropped to ninth. The #54 team might still win the title. Cadillac #31 has a power loss and can't do the fuel save. Daniel Serra leads GTD. Bryan Sellers is third behind Alvaro Parente. 22 minutes left in the race, and the season. The clock dwindles to less than 20 minutes. Alvaro Parente closes in again on Daniel Serra. If Milner and Tandy wrestle, then Briscoe has to find his way around Sims. Curiouser and curiouser. The championship, the race win, are on the line. We have no idea who is going to win.
Right now, the #54 car is in good shape, but if Mazda's pass, the #31 Cadillac might get back in this thing. Ten and a half minutes to go in IMSA 2018. We are mostly in the dark. Ryan Briscoe is in big trouble for GTLM. #54 will pit this lap. #54 is in the lane. He needs seven seconds of fuel and gets it. We might be slightly crispy but we're not actually toast. Electrical issues do not fix themselves. The #5 and #22 are just up the road. Oh boy. #22 runs wide and is passed by #10! Renger van der Zande dives under the #22 Nissan. Could Pipo Derani be out of fuel? Maybe. But, the #54 has more laps on his fuel other than Derani. Could the #7 Acura move ahead? Less than four and a half minutes to go, so that means four laps.
Cadillac #5 is set for a splash and dash. #10 has not won since Detroit last year, their fifth win in a row in 2017. They have been winless ever since. Nissan #22 in the lane. We keep an eye on #22. #54 is down the front straight but can't pass Derani. Two minutes on the board. Does Braun have anything left in the locker? Does Renger van der Zande have fuel? Can Ricky Taylor make it? Filipe Albuquerque is leading. Less than a minute and a half to go. Ryan Briscoe in fifth. Antonio Garcia in position to take the GTLM championship.
van der Sande will not pit. White flag. One lap to go for Renger van der Zande. This is a nail biter! Who will make it? #54 has to save fuel. How can #5 and #7 make it? Simon Trummer is out of fuel and so is #5! Renger van der Zande is there. Both cars out of fuel! The #10 wins it! Renger van der Zande wins! Nick Tandy and Porsche win GTLM! Daniel Serra wins GTD at PLM! Now, who wins the championship? Colin Braun is seventh. Nasr is eighth. Ricky Taylor made it home. Sellers and Snow are GTD champions!
Overall/Prototype: #10 Van der Zande/Taylor/Hunter-Reay Cadillac DPi-V.R
GT Le Mans: #911 Pilet/Tandy/Makowiecki Porsche 911 RSR
GT Daytona: #63 MacNeil/Serra/Jeanette Ferrari 488 GT3
That finish was mega! The Corvette crew repairing their car in four minutes, scoring points, winning the championship was amazing. They didn't win the race, but they made it home. We crown the champions, too.
Prototype: #31 Eric Curran & Felipe Nasr (with Gabby Chaves) Cadillac DPi-V.R
A lot of credit to Mike Conway, too, their other co-driver.
GT Le Mans: #3 Jan Magnussen & Antonio Garcia Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-
GT Daytona: #48 Bryan Sellers & Madison Snow (with Cory Lewis) Lamborghini Huracan GT3
Its the cars and the people who have led the commentators into their careers. It's the people who call the races who are just as important as the drivers and the teams. This is the end of an era as NBC Sports will be a new home for IMSA. This isn't a goodbye to our friends at Fox Sports, but it is more like, we'll see you down the road. We'll see you next year, for more IMSA racing action and a bonus coverage post, later on. See you with more IMSA racing in 2019. So long, for now. This isn't an end, a farewell. It's 'til we meet again.
Petit Le Mans: Hour 9
Oliver Jarvis has pitted the Mazda and he is back in it. Now, the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, has won four TPNAEC championships, but Action Express wins again, for a fifth time, with the #31 Cadillac. Can these boys win a second overall championship? Can they win the race? Jordan Taylor leads the motor race overall in the #10 Cadillac DPi-V.R. Side by side stuff between Taylor and Albuquerque. It's go time now as the Rolex 24 winners from earlier this year, pounce. No love lost between WTR and Action Express. They want to beat each other, badly. Jordan Taylor continues to chase Filipe Albuquerque, and Taylor gets snookered. I have this. i have this. Whoops! I don't have this!
The #86 Acura is in the lane. Katherine Legge out, and possibly, Alvaro Parente, in. Ooh! They are balked by the Corvette! Parente is in the car now. Madison Snow has assumed the GTD lead. But, they need fuel. They should stop now and then do one more. Now, these boys need to really make up their minds on strategy. Pit stop time as well for #911. Madison Snow gets out of the #48 Lamborghini. Bryan Sellers will take the car to the finish. These boys have been single stinting all day. The #86 and #4 car fracas, everyone was in the right spot, and they did what they were supposed to, so there will be no penalties for the time being.
The #29 Land Motorsports Audi is in the lane. They are repairing the rear splitter/ The rear splitter is hanging under the car, look. The #52 PR1/Mathiasen car is off the road and also the #63 Ferrari is off. Now, #52 is back on the road with rear damage, and the #63 is on track again. It is so hard to see in the darkness here at Road atlanta. Not dusk. Total darkness. Ford has the GTLM manufacturer's title, sealed up. Can #67 win the driver's championship? There will be continuity across the board for the Ford GT program for 2019.
The pit crew members are real heroes of the team. We also have to give credit to the marshals, the referees for our sports car cage fights. Look at the cars on track, and spare a thought for the marshals. They are there to make sure the game is played fairly, and safely. We are back to green. Pipo Derani leads Oliver Jarvis. Can Mazda claim their maiden win? Derani has been going hard at it to get back to the front for the last eight hours. One more pit stop will be needed before the checkers fly. Robert Renauer will receive a drive through penalty for his contact with Daniel Serra. Bryan Sellers moves to the class lead in GT Daytona.
#58 and #63 were side by side, and both of those chaps could have gone cleanly through that corner. We remember Dan Gurney, Dave Maraj, and Dr. Don Panoz. Dave Price and Don Panoz were having a glass of wine one night, and they were having a glass of wine, and Don said, "I'll bet I can't make a glass of wine in Georgia", and Price replied, sarcastically, "you're right!" This is the first race at Road atlanta for Oliver Jarvis, and he is hanging tough with Pipo Derani. Colin Braun and company may still have a shot here. Felipe Nasr is being told to save all the fuel he can. For Colin Braun, no fuel saving.
#54 needs a yellow. The BoP metric is percentage of fuel in the thank used per lap. Colin Braun is on a charge. Who will win the championship? There are a few permutations. Corvette is eighth, and if the #67 finishes second, Corvette can win. But, Ford is in the catbird seat at the moment. Jesse Krohn and John Edwards, they are both hungry for a win. But, Nick Tandy is coming. Tandy won this race in 2013 with Bryan Sellers and Wolf Henzler. BMW Team RLL has a gone on a split strategy for the last few races. Do you want to find out how the race at VIR came out? Stay tuned.
Briscoe, Edwaerds, and Tandy are covered by a blanket in GTLM, and Tommy Milner is also right there in the #4 Corvette. Felipe Nasr has been let off the leash to go for it and try to beat the #54. There have been minimal yellows in the second half of the race. Briscoe is held up, and Edwards is coming. Here comes Tandy! Tommy Milner goes by Tandy as the Porsche spins the tires. Tandy goes back past the Corvette. One hour to go, and the racing is hot and heavy.
The #86 Acura is in the lane. Katherine Legge out, and possibly, Alvaro Parente, in. Ooh! They are balked by the Corvette! Parente is in the car now. Madison Snow has assumed the GTD lead. But, they need fuel. They should stop now and then do one more. Now, these boys need to really make up their minds on strategy. Pit stop time as well for #911. Madison Snow gets out of the #48 Lamborghini. Bryan Sellers will take the car to the finish. These boys have been single stinting all day. The #86 and #4 car fracas, everyone was in the right spot, and they did what they were supposed to, so there will be no penalties for the time being.
The #29 Land Motorsports Audi is in the lane. They are repairing the rear splitter/ The rear splitter is hanging under the car, look. The #52 PR1/Mathiasen car is off the road and also the #63 Ferrari is off. Now, #52 is back on the road with rear damage, and the #63 is on track again. It is so hard to see in the darkness here at Road atlanta. Not dusk. Total darkness. Ford has the GTLM manufacturer's title, sealed up. Can #67 win the driver's championship? There will be continuity across the board for the Ford GT program for 2019.
The pit crew members are real heroes of the team. We also have to give credit to the marshals, the referees for our sports car cage fights. Look at the cars on track, and spare a thought for the marshals. They are there to make sure the game is played fairly, and safely. We are back to green. Pipo Derani leads Oliver Jarvis. Can Mazda claim their maiden win? Derani has been going hard at it to get back to the front for the last eight hours. One more pit stop will be needed before the checkers fly. Robert Renauer will receive a drive through penalty for his contact with Daniel Serra. Bryan Sellers moves to the class lead in GT Daytona.
#58 and #63 were side by side, and both of those chaps could have gone cleanly through that corner. We remember Dan Gurney, Dave Maraj, and Dr. Don Panoz. Dave Price and Don Panoz were having a glass of wine one night, and they were having a glass of wine, and Don said, "I'll bet I can't make a glass of wine in Georgia", and Price replied, sarcastically, "you're right!" This is the first race at Road atlanta for Oliver Jarvis, and he is hanging tough with Pipo Derani. Colin Braun and company may still have a shot here. Felipe Nasr is being told to save all the fuel he can. For Colin Braun, no fuel saving.
#54 needs a yellow. The BoP metric is percentage of fuel in the thank used per lap. Colin Braun is on a charge. Who will win the championship? There are a few permutations. Corvette is eighth, and if the #67 finishes second, Corvette can win. But, Ford is in the catbird seat at the moment. Jesse Krohn and John Edwards, they are both hungry for a win. But, Nick Tandy is coming. Tandy won this race in 2013 with Bryan Sellers and Wolf Henzler. BMW Team RLL has a gone on a split strategy for the last few races. Do you want to find out how the race at VIR came out? Stay tuned.
Briscoe, Edwaerds, and Tandy are covered by a blanket in GTLM, and Tommy Milner is also right there in the #4 Corvette. Felipe Nasr has been let off the leash to go for it and try to beat the #54. There have been minimal yellows in the second half of the race. Briscoe is held up, and Edwards is coming. Here comes Tandy! Tommy Milner goes by Tandy as the Porsche spins the tires. Tandy goes back past the Corvette. One hour to go, and the racing is hot and heavy.
Petit Le Mans: Hour 8
Cadillac #10 has taken over the race lead with Jordan Taylor now at the wheel of it. We are going to be in the high 40s and low 50s when darkness falls, for the brief period of darkness here at Road atlanta. In GT Daytona, Luca Stolz is being eaten up by Trent Hindman and others. The Mercedes is very compliant on the circuit. Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers still have four points in hand for the championship. Trent Hindman is going like the clappers at the moment, and he gets a huge draft on Stolz and here comes Corey lewis! Stolz slams the door in Hindman's face, and here comes Corey Lewis, but no dice. Felipe Fraga in the P1 Racing Mercedes, we've seen him in Blancpain GT, and he too, is quick.
One of the Prototypes goes off the road. Oh! He runs out wide and, bang! He hits one of the Michelin sign boards. Chris Miller is driving the Michelin shod Dpi we've seen, which isn't supposed to happen until tomorrow! Hardy har har. Corey Lewis uses a Prototype as a pick. Felipe Fraga has now taken a lap back from one of his rivals. He has to get around Corey Lewis. Felipe Nasr dives inside Luca Stolz. Nasr is in the championship leading Cadillac DPi. Hindman, once again, slams the door in Stolz's face to regain second place. We still see the #99 car trying to change it's sponsorship.
There was definitely some nose damage, and the #99 was the fastest snowplow in Georgia, at least briefly. Both headlights are still on. We are under a safety car. The GT Daytona cars will be waved around. Luca Stolz came to pit lane before the yellow appeared. Everyone, will dive into the lane. It will be like Grand Central Station in mere minutes. We are just about at the point of having the regular amount of time for a WeatherTech Championship sprint race. Pit stop time for Prototype and GT Le Mans. it's a massive stack up. "The Banana Boat" stayed out.
Antonio Garcia will take the #3 Corvette to the finish. Corvette #3 spins and whacks the wall coming out pit lane! We will update on this breaking story! The shadows grow long. The temperature is going down. The speeds are going up. Something else happened when yours truly wasn't looking, as the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE spun into the gravel trap. The #67 Ford has to finish second or third to win the GT Le Mans title. If the #67 finishes second or third, Corvette can still win the championship title. If #67 moves up one, #3 could still win the championship. It's going to be a squeaker in GT Le Mans.
Helio Castroneves made a pass under a local yellow. This is a no no. Castroneves will have his hand slapped by the schoolmaster for this one. A drive through penalty will have to be served by Castroneves. Porsche and BMW will have to step up to help Corvette. Meanwhile, we say goodbye to Alexander Sims. He will be off to race in Formula E for BMW. Sims' next race will be in Formula E in Saudi Arabia. Jordan Taylor just set his personal best lap time, but Jonathan Bomarito, too, is cooking at the moment.
Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr have a 12 point cushion over Colin Braun and Jon Bennett. Earl Bamber and Fred Makowiecki are leading GT Le Mans with the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans winning Porsche 911 GT1. Racing into the sunset here, at Road Atlanta. It has been a tale of two seasons for Wright Motorsports. Nothing worked for them in the first half of the year. But, in the second half, they had two poles, and a win. Now, yours truly needs to check and see, because there is one race from IMSA that still needs to be blogged, the all GT event from Virginia International Raceway. So, stay tuned for that.
It looks like Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers are in the driver's seat for winning the championship. A battle begins now, between Katherine Legge and Daniel Serra. The second Scuderia Corsa Ferrari is up at the sharp end, Townsend Bell at the wheel of it. Jordan Taylor continues to lead overall. It is indeed a glorious evening in the north Georgia foothills. The #912 Porsche just dinged the #71 Mercedes. The #67 Ford goes to second, and Corvette has to be on their toes. Is this our old pal Andrew Marriott's last time interviewing a driver in the pit lane? It could be. So, he has just interviewed the great Scott Sharp, a legend in Trans Am, IndyCar, and IMSA. Will ESM be back? Let's hope.
Gregg Creamer has done announcing in Trans Am and World Challenge. So, you can bet the announcers are in a bit of a bittersweet situation. So, the #31 Cadillac is in pit lane with just over two hours to go. It was a quick stop for the #31 car. Next year, Curran is going to do only the endurance events, and so, Pipo Derani will be in that Cadillac, next year. The #67 Ford GT is being hounded by both the Corvette and the BMW M8 GT. Risk management is a big deal. The Cadillac stops faster than the GTLM car does. Townsend Bell is now in full on attack mode. Lucas di Grassi and Timo Bernhard are both in the mix here. The Nissan engine is better in longer ratio corners for the aero and the Nissan engine power.
The Mazda boys are also up there. Now, watch the #31 car ease ahead of the Porsche, and that was a close, close shave.
One of the Prototypes goes off the road. Oh! He runs out wide and, bang! He hits one of the Michelin sign boards. Chris Miller is driving the Michelin shod Dpi we've seen, which isn't supposed to happen until tomorrow! Hardy har har. Corey Lewis uses a Prototype as a pick. Felipe Fraga has now taken a lap back from one of his rivals. He has to get around Corey Lewis. Felipe Nasr dives inside Luca Stolz. Nasr is in the championship leading Cadillac DPi. Hindman, once again, slams the door in Stolz's face to regain second place. We still see the #99 car trying to change it's sponsorship.
There was definitely some nose damage, and the #99 was the fastest snowplow in Georgia, at least briefly. Both headlights are still on. We are under a safety car. The GT Daytona cars will be waved around. Luca Stolz came to pit lane before the yellow appeared. Everyone, will dive into the lane. It will be like Grand Central Station in mere minutes. We are just about at the point of having the regular amount of time for a WeatherTech Championship sprint race. Pit stop time for Prototype and GT Le Mans. it's a massive stack up. "The Banana Boat" stayed out.
Antonio Garcia will take the #3 Corvette to the finish. Corvette #3 spins and whacks the wall coming out pit lane! We will update on this breaking story! The shadows grow long. The temperature is going down. The speeds are going up. Something else happened when yours truly wasn't looking, as the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE spun into the gravel trap. The #67 Ford has to finish second or third to win the GT Le Mans title. If the #67 finishes second or third, Corvette can still win the championship title. If #67 moves up one, #3 could still win the championship. It's going to be a squeaker in GT Le Mans.
Helio Castroneves made a pass under a local yellow. This is a no no. Castroneves will have his hand slapped by the schoolmaster for this one. A drive through penalty will have to be served by Castroneves. Porsche and BMW will have to step up to help Corvette. Meanwhile, we say goodbye to Alexander Sims. He will be off to race in Formula E for BMW. Sims' next race will be in Formula E in Saudi Arabia. Jordan Taylor just set his personal best lap time, but Jonathan Bomarito, too, is cooking at the moment.
Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr have a 12 point cushion over Colin Braun and Jon Bennett. Earl Bamber and Fred Makowiecki are leading GT Le Mans with the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans winning Porsche 911 GT1. Racing into the sunset here, at Road Atlanta. It has been a tale of two seasons for Wright Motorsports. Nothing worked for them in the first half of the year. But, in the second half, they had two poles, and a win. Now, yours truly needs to check and see, because there is one race from IMSA that still needs to be blogged, the all GT event from Virginia International Raceway. So, stay tuned for that.
It looks like Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers are in the driver's seat for winning the championship. A battle begins now, between Katherine Legge and Daniel Serra. The second Scuderia Corsa Ferrari is up at the sharp end, Townsend Bell at the wheel of it. Jordan Taylor continues to lead overall. It is indeed a glorious evening in the north Georgia foothills. The #912 Porsche just dinged the #71 Mercedes. The #67 Ford goes to second, and Corvette has to be on their toes. Is this our old pal Andrew Marriott's last time interviewing a driver in the pit lane? It could be. So, he has just interviewed the great Scott Sharp, a legend in Trans Am, IndyCar, and IMSA. Will ESM be back? Let's hope.
Gregg Creamer has done announcing in Trans Am and World Challenge. So, you can bet the announcers are in a bit of a bittersweet situation. So, the #31 Cadillac is in pit lane with just over two hours to go. It was a quick stop for the #31 car. Next year, Curran is going to do only the endurance events, and so, Pipo Derani will be in that Cadillac, next year. The #67 Ford GT is being hounded by both the Corvette and the BMW M8 GT. Risk management is a big deal. The Cadillac stops faster than the GTLM car does. Townsend Bell is now in full on attack mode. Lucas di Grassi and Timo Bernhard are both in the mix here. The Nissan engine is better in longer ratio corners for the aero and the Nissan engine power.
The Mazda boys are also up there. Now, watch the #31 car ease ahead of the Porsche, and that was a close, close shave.
Petit Le Mans: Hour 7
Some decent lighting exists at this track. But it varies depending on the turns, as some areas are very light, and others, are very dark. Simon Pagenaud is holding up both of the Mazda's. Nunez squeezes by Pagenaud! Yikes! Correction, that's Spencer Pigot, and Pigot is a hot shoe. The #77 Mazda has set sail for the time being. Luca Stolz's lead in GT Daytona has evaporated. Trent Hindman has closed up in a massive way. Laurens Vanthoor, meanwhile, is working on going past Luca Stolz, and here comes Oliver Gavin as well! Don't throw it away. We are way past the halfway mark in the motor race. Hindman is in full attack mode.
What will happen in turn ten? Hindman slides past Stolz. Stolz does not have the grip on his Mercedes AMG GT3. Mazda #77 pitted for fuel and tires and a driver change to Tristan Nunez, and assuming the overall lead, is Robert Alon in the #85 Hi Tide Boat Lifts JDC-Miller Oreca Gibson, "the banana boat". Johannes van Overbeek has made what is likely his last drive in a sports car for the foreseeable future. He has won at Daytona and Sebring in his career, and is hoping still, to win Petit Le Mans. Thank you, Johannes. He really stepped up in his quest, transitioning from GT cars to Prototypes. He'll be missed as a nice guy and a great driver. Timo Bernhard makes a great move, and Daniel Morad. The Magnus Racing Audi is having another issue with a flat left rear tire. Is there some suspension geometry setup that has gone wrong?
Connor de Philippi and Ryan Dalziel make scheduled pit stops. Dalziel is back on track, and De Philippi follows him out. The Magnus Racing Audi is now back into pit lane. The tire is shredded without a doubt, and the Gainsco "Red Dragon" is also back in the pits. Graham Rahal has run a very good stint. Acura's are unstable through turn three, totally committed in that section of the circuit. You have to finesse that curve. Patrick Pilet goes inside in turn five, and overshoots the corner. He didn't see Andrew davis, who was coming out of the pit lane on cold tires.
The GT Le Mans scrap is intense. #4 vs. #912. Now, the #48 Lamborghini makes an early visit to the pit lane. Hopefully nothing was wrong with the tires. Cory Lewis has caught up to Trent Hindman who took off like a scalded cat earlier. Roger Penske started his career in sports cars, and he had the 917/10 and 917/30 Porsche's in Can Am, and he won at Nassau in the Bahamas. He has his IndyCar, NASCAR, and sports car programs today. Of course, he has won so so many Indianapolis 500s. Meanwhile, Graham Rahal has a one second lead on Tristan Nunez, and Renger van der Zande is chasing. This scrap is getting very tasty.
Mazda wants their first win. The #10 Cadillac, they have not won since dominating the opening five races of 2017. Now, Tristan Nunez gets snookered, and van der Zande goes by, passing Chaz Mostert in the #25 BMW M8 GT. The driver lineups, some of which will be new, next year, should be incredible. There will be more Cadillac's in the championship next year. Now, Robert Renauer has the lead in the #58 Wright Motorsports Porsche Consulting Porsche 911 GT3R in GTD as well. This has been a great one so far, and there's still, oh, three and a half hours to go.
It is a dead even tie in the Prototype points championship. The CORE Autosport team could win the championship. They would be able to go for the Le Mans invite, or, the championship, but they can't have both. Corvette and Ford still battle in GT Le Mans. Snow and Sellers in GTD, would win by four points if the race ended now. But, there's a long way to go yet. What will the pit strategy be? Will any more yellow flags fall? We have had a lot of green flag racing. There are other cars that just want to win.
Wayne Taylor says the Cadillac needs five miles an hour more to be in it with Nissan and Acura. It has been a strange year this year for WTR. But, they will be back. WTR has gotten better as Jordan Taylor has been in the simulator as well as in the car, and give credit to the pit crew, too, members who have come from all walks of motorsports life from drag racing, IndyCar, and sports cars. Pit stop time for the #10 and Jordan Taylor replaces Renger van der Zande for this stint. Spencer Pigot wants to have a career where he can still do IndyCar and the endurance races in IMSA.
Pit stop time for the #5 Cadillac. Jonathan Bomarito has gone into the race lead with the #55 Mazda. Tristan Nunez just got out of the Mazda. Can these guys be in contention for a win in this race? Nunez had no drink bottle for a while, in the #77 machine, as Lucas di Grassi is now in that car. Colin Braun has a John Deere Skid Steer bulldozer that he uses to make motorcycle jumps in his spare time. Marino Franchitti is in a sports car now, for the first time in about a year and a half. The last car he raced, was an Austin 835 at Goodwood.
What will happen in turn ten? Hindman slides past Stolz. Stolz does not have the grip on his Mercedes AMG GT3. Mazda #77 pitted for fuel and tires and a driver change to Tristan Nunez, and assuming the overall lead, is Robert Alon in the #85 Hi Tide Boat Lifts JDC-Miller Oreca Gibson, "the banana boat". Johannes van Overbeek has made what is likely his last drive in a sports car for the foreseeable future. He has won at Daytona and Sebring in his career, and is hoping still, to win Petit Le Mans. Thank you, Johannes. He really stepped up in his quest, transitioning from GT cars to Prototypes. He'll be missed as a nice guy and a great driver. Timo Bernhard makes a great move, and Daniel Morad. The Magnus Racing Audi is having another issue with a flat left rear tire. Is there some suspension geometry setup that has gone wrong?
Connor de Philippi and Ryan Dalziel make scheduled pit stops. Dalziel is back on track, and De Philippi follows him out. The Magnus Racing Audi is now back into pit lane. The tire is shredded without a doubt, and the Gainsco "Red Dragon" is also back in the pits. Graham Rahal has run a very good stint. Acura's are unstable through turn three, totally committed in that section of the circuit. You have to finesse that curve. Patrick Pilet goes inside in turn five, and overshoots the corner. He didn't see Andrew davis, who was coming out of the pit lane on cold tires.
The GT Le Mans scrap is intense. #4 vs. #912. Now, the #48 Lamborghini makes an early visit to the pit lane. Hopefully nothing was wrong with the tires. Cory Lewis has caught up to Trent Hindman who took off like a scalded cat earlier. Roger Penske started his career in sports cars, and he had the 917/10 and 917/30 Porsche's in Can Am, and he won at Nassau in the Bahamas. He has his IndyCar, NASCAR, and sports car programs today. Of course, he has won so so many Indianapolis 500s. Meanwhile, Graham Rahal has a one second lead on Tristan Nunez, and Renger van der Zande is chasing. This scrap is getting very tasty.
Mazda wants their first win. The #10 Cadillac, they have not won since dominating the opening five races of 2017. Now, Tristan Nunez gets snookered, and van der Zande goes by, passing Chaz Mostert in the #25 BMW M8 GT. The driver lineups, some of which will be new, next year, should be incredible. There will be more Cadillac's in the championship next year. Now, Robert Renauer has the lead in the #58 Wright Motorsports Porsche Consulting Porsche 911 GT3R in GTD as well. This has been a great one so far, and there's still, oh, three and a half hours to go.
It is a dead even tie in the Prototype points championship. The CORE Autosport team could win the championship. They would be able to go for the Le Mans invite, or, the championship, but they can't have both. Corvette and Ford still battle in GT Le Mans. Snow and Sellers in GTD, would win by four points if the race ended now. But, there's a long way to go yet. What will the pit strategy be? Will any more yellow flags fall? We have had a lot of green flag racing. There are other cars that just want to win.
Wayne Taylor says the Cadillac needs five miles an hour more to be in it with Nissan and Acura. It has been a strange year this year for WTR. But, they will be back. WTR has gotten better as Jordan Taylor has been in the simulator as well as in the car, and give credit to the pit crew, too, members who have come from all walks of motorsports life from drag racing, IndyCar, and sports cars. Pit stop time for the #10 and Jordan Taylor replaces Renger van der Zande for this stint. Spencer Pigot wants to have a career where he can still do IndyCar and the endurance races in IMSA.
Pit stop time for the #5 Cadillac. Jonathan Bomarito has gone into the race lead with the #55 Mazda. Tristan Nunez just got out of the Mazda. Can these guys be in contention for a win in this race? Nunez had no drink bottle for a while, in the #77 machine, as Lucas di Grassi is now in that car. Colin Braun has a John Deere Skid Steer bulldozer that he uses to make motorcycle jumps in his spare time. Marino Franchitti is in a sports car now, for the first time in about a year and a half. The last car he raced, was an Austin 835 at Goodwood.
Petit Le Mans: Hour 6
The Acura's got more turbo boost and fuel in the Balance of Performance adjustments. Acura's have a hard time passing if they are mired into a pack of cars. They deal with more tire degradation as well. The Prototype cars move through turns five and six. Scott Dixon is running very well. Again, he's a five-time IndyCar champion. Daniel Serra is confident after his most recent stint, and he brings up how much the weather conditions can change in the darkness, and in this race, the hours of darkness are still to come, two or three hours worth of it. Alessandro Balzan will come back to the team in 2019. Daniel Serra scored poles in GT Daytona at Daytona and Sebring. Daniel Serra's father, Chico, he ran with Fox Sports' Calvin Fish in Formula 3 out of the same race shop at the Snetterton circuit in England. Then, Chico Serra went on to drive in Formula 1.
Antonio Garcia does the over/under and passes John Edwards as Oliver Gavin passes, and Edwards has to block Earl Bamber, but he can't quite do it. Bamber ran in Australian Supercars at the Bathurst 1,000 last weekend. Sebastien Bourdais is trying to get past Edwards. He can't quite get the run. John Edwards has the power down the straightaway. Edwards has some clag on his tires, but the chap was attacked on all sides. Graham Rahal passes in the Acura ARX-05a as well. Oliver Jarvis is also going for it in the Mazda. he looks inside Rahal. Rahal is in the middle of the road, and Jarvis can't make the pass.
Christina Nielsen says this race has been really hard, and it doesn't feel like an endurance race. Katherine Legge is still going for a championship. Nielsen has had a hard season this year, but there is a lot of growth despite results that haven't been desired. The GT Daytona championship battle unfolds right before our eyes as Madison Snow is now doing a stint, running ahead of Alvaro Parente. Four hours and 37 minutes remain in the race. It seems MSR might put Parente back into the car, towards the end of the motor race.
Trent Hindman is the third driver for MSR in the #86 car this weekend. This team was not intended to race all year, but they've built everything up and put the pieces together for the #86 to stay on track. Success breeds success. MSR has won Petit Le Mans, and the Rolex 24, and they are part-time runners in IndyCar as well. Graham Rahal continues to lead for Acura. Simon Pagenaud has had a down season in IndyCar, but, he is having lots and lots of fun running endurance races, especially here at Petit Le Mans.
Pagenaud says there is more grip in the sports car, and less downforce than there is on an IndyCar. Lamborghini is still doing really well, leading the GT Daytona championship. Can they win another endurance race? Grasser won at the Rolex 24, and PMR won at Sebring. Can they win again? Daniel Morad has a flat left rear tire, almost to pit lane. But the carcass of the tire is gone and he has to back it down 20 clicks at least. The cars is off line, steaming away. Oliver Jarvis has made a pit stop, and there is a little damage to the Mazda. There is a loose piece of bodywork cantilevering back and forth.
The #6 Penske Acura is back on track, albeit laps down. One of the front end stabilizers on the Mazda is broken. Now, the #3 Corvette pits, and Jan Magnussen gets behind the wheel. In the championship in GTLM, Corvette has to finish fourth or better, while Westbrook has to finish fifth and the Corvette has to finish lower. Andy Lally now has a tire puncture, just the same as Daniel Morad did a few minutes ago. This is a damaged left front tire. Don't hit the curbs on starting pressures, before the pressure begins to build up.
Until the tire pressures are built up, stay off the curbs. CORE Autosport wants to get the Trueman Akin Award. But, they need to also focus on the championship. Cadillac #5 pits and there are new tires and a driver change, as Christian Fittipaldi hands over to Tristan Vautier. GTD pit stops, and the race and championship leading cars were in the lane. Trent Hindman vs. Corey Lewis. Hindman has taken off like a scalded cat on cold tires! The tires will come up to pressure. Trent Hindman won the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship in 2014, but slipped through the net with BMW after he and John Edwards were driving for them.
Colin Braun is trying to pass Johannes van Overbeek, who is in his final race. He has won twice at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the 2016 Rolex 24. van Overbeek would also consider driving in endurance races. The #86 Acura is on scrubbed tires. Colin Braun gets trapped in GT Daytona traffic. Porsche #911 in the lane. Patrick Pilet does so, from the GT Le Mans lead. Miguel Molina and Toni Vilander ran together and scored six wins in Pirelli World Challenge GT. Magical moments as we say to Continental Tire, 'til we meet again. Ooh. Graham Rahal dodges a major bullet, going down through the motorcycle chicane.
Tristan Nunez leads the motor race. Oliver Jarvis had a great run earlier and Lucas di Grassi is running well, too.
Antonio Garcia does the over/under and passes John Edwards as Oliver Gavin passes, and Edwards has to block Earl Bamber, but he can't quite do it. Bamber ran in Australian Supercars at the Bathurst 1,000 last weekend. Sebastien Bourdais is trying to get past Edwards. He can't quite get the run. John Edwards has the power down the straightaway. Edwards has some clag on his tires, but the chap was attacked on all sides. Graham Rahal passes in the Acura ARX-05a as well. Oliver Jarvis is also going for it in the Mazda. he looks inside Rahal. Rahal is in the middle of the road, and Jarvis can't make the pass.
Christina Nielsen says this race has been really hard, and it doesn't feel like an endurance race. Katherine Legge is still going for a championship. Nielsen has had a hard season this year, but there is a lot of growth despite results that haven't been desired. The GT Daytona championship battle unfolds right before our eyes as Madison Snow is now doing a stint, running ahead of Alvaro Parente. Four hours and 37 minutes remain in the race. It seems MSR might put Parente back into the car, towards the end of the motor race.
Trent Hindman is the third driver for MSR in the #86 car this weekend. This team was not intended to race all year, but they've built everything up and put the pieces together for the #86 to stay on track. Success breeds success. MSR has won Petit Le Mans, and the Rolex 24, and they are part-time runners in IndyCar as well. Graham Rahal continues to lead for Acura. Simon Pagenaud has had a down season in IndyCar, but, he is having lots and lots of fun running endurance races, especially here at Petit Le Mans.
Pagenaud says there is more grip in the sports car, and less downforce than there is on an IndyCar. Lamborghini is still doing really well, leading the GT Daytona championship. Can they win another endurance race? Grasser won at the Rolex 24, and PMR won at Sebring. Can they win again? Daniel Morad has a flat left rear tire, almost to pit lane. But the carcass of the tire is gone and he has to back it down 20 clicks at least. The cars is off line, steaming away. Oliver Jarvis has made a pit stop, and there is a little damage to the Mazda. There is a loose piece of bodywork cantilevering back and forth.
The #6 Penske Acura is back on track, albeit laps down. One of the front end stabilizers on the Mazda is broken. Now, the #3 Corvette pits, and Jan Magnussen gets behind the wheel. In the championship in GTLM, Corvette has to finish fourth or better, while Westbrook has to finish fifth and the Corvette has to finish lower. Andy Lally now has a tire puncture, just the same as Daniel Morad did a few minutes ago. This is a damaged left front tire. Don't hit the curbs on starting pressures, before the pressure begins to build up.
Until the tire pressures are built up, stay off the curbs. CORE Autosport wants to get the Trueman Akin Award. But, they need to also focus on the championship. Cadillac #5 pits and there are new tires and a driver change, as Christian Fittipaldi hands over to Tristan Vautier. GTD pit stops, and the race and championship leading cars were in the lane. Trent Hindman vs. Corey Lewis. Hindman has taken off like a scalded cat on cold tires! The tires will come up to pressure. Trent Hindman won the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship in 2014, but slipped through the net with BMW after he and John Edwards were driving for them.
Colin Braun is trying to pass Johannes van Overbeek, who is in his final race. He has won twice at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the 2016 Rolex 24. van Overbeek would also consider driving in endurance races. The #86 Acura is on scrubbed tires. Colin Braun gets trapped in GT Daytona traffic. Porsche #911 in the lane. Patrick Pilet does so, from the GT Le Mans lead. Miguel Molina and Toni Vilander ran together and scored six wins in Pirelli World Challenge GT. Magical moments as we say to Continental Tire, 'til we meet again. Ooh. Graham Rahal dodges a major bullet, going down through the motorcycle chicane.
Tristan Nunez leads the motor race. Oliver Jarvis had a great run earlier and Lucas di Grassi is running well, too.
Petit Le Mans: Hour 5
Matthieu Jaminet, Jesse Krohn, and Tommy Milner battle for fourth in class in GT Le Mans. Jaminet is behind the top runners. Jaminet was trying to defend. This is his first race in a GTLM Porsche. He is fast, but needs more experience at the top level of sports car races. Felipe Nasr leads overall with the Ford GT's leading GTLM, and the Riley Motorsports Mercedes leading GT Daytona. We are at the halfway mark of this race. The same cars that are leading the race now, collecting the points for the NAEC at the four hour mark, these are the blokes who have been leading the championship all year in the endurance races. Another diabolical pass between the Acura and the Ford, as Gabby Chaves gets set to take over the #31 Cadillac. Gabby Chaves has done very well.
Tristan Vautier put Chaves in jeopardy. It was a pass, but Vautier needs to have better judgment. Felipe Nasr heads for pit lane, and Gabby Chaves is now at the wheel of #31. Gabby Chaves is an IndyCar driver, so he is used to the big horsepower of Prototype sports cars, but, the tires are so different on the sports cars compared to an IndyCar. Mercedes #33 and Lexus #15 have been in the pit lane for scheduled stops. The Cadillac is having issues with the dashboard, as it is showing the wrong data on the screen. Analog gauges are so different, in the older generation sports cars. Graham Rahal leads the motor race, but eleven seconds in-arrears is Pipo Derani.
Jesse Krohn continues to give Tommy Milner fits in GTLM. The cars turn similar lap times, but they do so in different sections of the track. It isn't the weight. It is how the power comes in from the engine, and also, how the tire makes contact with the road. John Edwards is fifth in GTLM as Ryan Briscoe leads the division. Corvette Racing are in the pound seats at the moment, for the class title. Speaking of Corvette, they are in the pit lane for routine service for #3. No driver change. Fuel and tires, and a swap of the drink bottle, and the Corvette burbles back onto the track. Check the fuel flow rate with the car, off of the air jacks. Some argy bargy as Pipo Derani gets trapped on the outside with Oliver Jarvis and Marino Franchitti, in both Mazda's sandwiched in that melee as well!
The fuel is being audited and sealed. It is restricted in it's flow into the tank. Romain Dumas in pit lane. Dumas is doing everything he needs to. Four fresh tires, fuel, and a fresh drink bottle for Dumas. Ford #67 now in the lane as well. They pit from the class lead. Scott Dixon is in the car for a stint now. Petrol in the tank, and the car is back on track. Scott Dixon just won his fifth IndyCar title. Now, the BMW team was in the pit lane as well. Bill Auberlen has taken over the car from Alexander Sims. You exit from pit lane, straight into the esses with cold tires. That's tricky.
#85, "the banana boat", has just pitted. They have a lot of clag on the front of the automobile. John Edwards has renewed the scrap with Tommy Milner. Filipe Albuquerque pitted the #5 Cadillac. Team manager Ian Watt told him to stay in the car, and gave him a fresh drink bottle, even though Christian Fittipaldi was first scheduled to take over for a stint. Oliver Jarvis has taken over the lead. There are issues for the #93 MSR Acura NSX GT3. Oil is spewing out the rear of the car, with Lawson Aschenbach at the wheel of it. Aschenbach sharing with Justin Marks and Mario Farnbacher.
Alvaro Parente and company have to get in front of the #48 PMR Lamborghini. Sellers, Snow and company, (Corey Lewis is the third driver), are running very consistently. With the #93, there is an oil leak, that still needs to be diagnosed. Oil is all over everything. Does the #54 have their drive time in for Jon Bennett? Maybe. He does his job, and keeps the car safe for Colin Braun and Romain Dumas. Some trouble for the #38 Performance Tech Motorsports car, Kyle Masson at the wheel of it, with a collapsed upper suspension mounting. Masson shares with James French and Nicholas Boulle. He needs to stay out of the way of traffic, and be able to get to the right side of the road so he can enter the lane, and he does.
Jon Bennett has earned enough drive time to be classified for PLM. But he needs two hours more for the Trueman Akin sportsman award. In doing so, his team could be invited to Le Mans as we have a rear tire on the right side, down, on the "Banana Boat", Simon Trummer at the controls. We are under yellow, and pit stop time for Prototype and GT cars. The Tequila Patron ESM crew has signed the back of the race car. There is sadness in the ESM pit. The team is not done yet. They will hopefully be back if they can get sponsorship for next year.
The full course yellow is extended as something has come off the #14 Lexus RC F GT3, the car of Dominik Baumann from Austria, American Kyle Marcelli,and Swiss driver Philipp Frommenweiler.
Tristan Vautier put Chaves in jeopardy. It was a pass, but Vautier needs to have better judgment. Felipe Nasr heads for pit lane, and Gabby Chaves is now at the wheel of #31. Gabby Chaves is an IndyCar driver, so he is used to the big horsepower of Prototype sports cars, but, the tires are so different on the sports cars compared to an IndyCar. Mercedes #33 and Lexus #15 have been in the pit lane for scheduled stops. The Cadillac is having issues with the dashboard, as it is showing the wrong data on the screen. Analog gauges are so different, in the older generation sports cars. Graham Rahal leads the motor race, but eleven seconds in-arrears is Pipo Derani.
Jesse Krohn continues to give Tommy Milner fits in GTLM. The cars turn similar lap times, but they do so in different sections of the track. It isn't the weight. It is how the power comes in from the engine, and also, how the tire makes contact with the road. John Edwards is fifth in GTLM as Ryan Briscoe leads the division. Corvette Racing are in the pound seats at the moment, for the class title. Speaking of Corvette, they are in the pit lane for routine service for #3. No driver change. Fuel and tires, and a swap of the drink bottle, and the Corvette burbles back onto the track. Check the fuel flow rate with the car, off of the air jacks. Some argy bargy as Pipo Derani gets trapped on the outside with Oliver Jarvis and Marino Franchitti, in both Mazda's sandwiched in that melee as well!
The fuel is being audited and sealed. It is restricted in it's flow into the tank. Romain Dumas in pit lane. Dumas is doing everything he needs to. Four fresh tires, fuel, and a fresh drink bottle for Dumas. Ford #67 now in the lane as well. They pit from the class lead. Scott Dixon is in the car for a stint now. Petrol in the tank, and the car is back on track. Scott Dixon just won his fifth IndyCar title. Now, the BMW team was in the pit lane as well. Bill Auberlen has taken over the car from Alexander Sims. You exit from pit lane, straight into the esses with cold tires. That's tricky.
#85, "the banana boat", has just pitted. They have a lot of clag on the front of the automobile. John Edwards has renewed the scrap with Tommy Milner. Filipe Albuquerque pitted the #5 Cadillac. Team manager Ian Watt told him to stay in the car, and gave him a fresh drink bottle, even though Christian Fittipaldi was first scheduled to take over for a stint. Oliver Jarvis has taken over the lead. There are issues for the #93 MSR Acura NSX GT3. Oil is spewing out the rear of the car, with Lawson Aschenbach at the wheel of it. Aschenbach sharing with Justin Marks and Mario Farnbacher.
Alvaro Parente and company have to get in front of the #48 PMR Lamborghini. Sellers, Snow and company, (Corey Lewis is the third driver), are running very consistently. With the #93, there is an oil leak, that still needs to be diagnosed. Oil is all over everything. Does the #54 have their drive time in for Jon Bennett? Maybe. He does his job, and keeps the car safe for Colin Braun and Romain Dumas. Some trouble for the #38 Performance Tech Motorsports car, Kyle Masson at the wheel of it, with a collapsed upper suspension mounting. Masson shares with James French and Nicholas Boulle. He needs to stay out of the way of traffic, and be able to get to the right side of the road so he can enter the lane, and he does.
Jon Bennett has earned enough drive time to be classified for PLM. But he needs two hours more for the Trueman Akin sportsman award. In doing so, his team could be invited to Le Mans as we have a rear tire on the right side, down, on the "Banana Boat", Simon Trummer at the controls. We are under yellow, and pit stop time for Prototype and GT cars. The Tequila Patron ESM crew has signed the back of the race car. There is sadness in the ESM pit. The team is not done yet. They will hopefully be back if they can get sponsorship for next year.
The full course yellow is extended as something has come off the #14 Lexus RC F GT3, the car of Dominik Baumann from Austria, American Kyle Marcelli,and Swiss driver Philipp Frommenweiler.
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