The #45 Flying Lizard Audi R8 LMS is running very well in GT Daytona at this point. Unlike the Porsche, the Audi gets the power down in a more challenging way for a driver, but comes off the corner very well. We're ready for more pit stops. The #4 Corvette is coming in. Many teams have measured their pit stops against Corvette Racing. Tommy Milner takes over from Oliver Gavin. Four tires and fuel are added to the car. They are fourth in GT Le Mans and eighth overall.
Paul Miller Racing is pitting their Audi R8 LMS. Christopher Haase put the car on pole in GT Daytona. Matt Bell takes over the car, finishing second last year in British GT, with an Audi R8 LMS. Lights out on the safety car. Let's go racing! Jordan Taylor drops the hammer. Now, Tony Kanaan wants to move on John Martin. The twin turbo Ford V6 doesn't match the oomph of the Chevrolet V8. Jordan Taylor is allowed to rocket away like a scalded cat on restarts.
The crews tell their drivers, "go as fast as you like, but don't burn fuel." That's not very possible, folks. These restarts are wild. The GT Daytona Ferrari's fly away from the Corvette's on the straights, but, then, it's Corvette into the corners, with Tommy Milner at the controls. The top two have clear track ahead. That is what you want to see on a restart. Clear sailing. The quickest lap times match the early evening times from yesterday at 1:41.1. We are now out of the window of being able to come back from a mistake. If you make a mistake now, and want a good finish, you could be out of luck.
No time for mistakes. Go, now! It is exactly the amount of time for a sprint race... two hours and 45 minutes. The Ferrari flies past the Aston Martin. But now, it's a battle for the GT Daytona lead between Audi and Ferrari. It's Townsend Bell vs. Spencer Pumpelly. Can Audi win two years in a row in the GT division at the Rolex 24? Audi has taken the lead in class. The fight to the finish isn't over by any stretch. Tommy Milner continues chasing Richard Lietz.
Pumpelly is a mild mannered chap, but he's a wheel man in a production sports car. Bell and Pumpelly are both pro drivers. Pumpelly's team driver Markus Winkelhock thinks highly of him Winkelhock will take the Flying Lizard Audi to the finish. The motor for the Audi R8 is built in Hungary, not at the Audi headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany. But, there's trouble. Smoke spewing from the Corvette #4. Go to the garage.
It could be game over. Now, the smoke could be coming out of the wheel, not the motor. The banking puts on a lot of extra load for these cars. Richard Lietz will increase his lead. But, Bill Auberlen is still in the hunt in the BMW Team RLL machine #55. They will inherit second in GT LM should the Corvette have issues as Richard Lietz leads in the factory Porsche. The #4 Corvette is in the garage. There was a vibration that got progressively worse. It could be a transmission or an axle. Transmission is more likely. Two and a half hours to go.
Sebastien Bourdais and John Martin both have transmission concerns with their Action Express Corvette's. Max Angelelli will likely finish out the race for Velocity Worldwide/Wayne Taylor Racing. The #911 Porsche heads back on track, holding the GT LM lead. The #10 car makes a pit stop, slowing right down to 37 miles an hour. There will be only two tires on this car. Their sponsor... Velocity Worldwide, is an Irish company. The stop is very effective.
Taylor is now third. Bourdais and Martin still run 1-2. Max Angelelli will close it out for the #10 car as Jordan Taylor will have otherwise done too much time in the car. Daytona International Speedway is going to be revamped. Sebastien Bourdais pits from the lead. There is an odd rule... you are allowed to push it to start it. But, it's an oddly written rule. Scott Pruett pits routinely but has a mirror that is askew. Pruett is running ninth overall. One of the Prototype Challeng cars is on fire. This is an intense fire.
The driver stops. This is the #7 Starworks car of Isaac Tutumlu, Martin Fuentes, Kyle Marcelli, Pierre Kaffer, and Alex Popow. The fire is still burning. The resin compounds in the bodywork will want to continue to burn. These guys were running really well so close to the end. We are under our fifteenth full course yellow in this race. We;ve had five hours and 41 minutes of either caution, or red flag conditions, in this year's Rolex 24.
Pit road is closed. Spencer Pumpelly needed a splash and dash for fuel. They will lose time because they still have to do regular service as we are still under yellow. The #6 Muscle Milk Oreca Nissan has an issue with an electrical fire that has been extinguished. They've had a good race, but not what they wanted. They'll do well in the next race at Sebring... another enduro.
The #10 car pits and just barely gets out in front of the Ganassi car. One of the Action Express cars is still in this, too. Scott Dixon and Bill Auberlen will both get back on the lead lap. Awesome! Alex Gurney visited with Memo Gidley after yesterday's wreck. He'll pull through. That's fabulous news to hear.
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