Spencer Pumpelly And Corey Lewis Join Change Racing for 2016 Season

Spencer Pumpelly and Corey Lewis will race for Change Racing in their #16 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 entry in the GT Daytona division of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, in 2016.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/spencer-pumpelly-and-corey-lewis-join-change-racing-2016-season

more sports car racing news

Driver lineups are coming together for the Rolex 24, and plenty of other news, to discuss, in this latest update.

SMP Racing Finalizes Rolex 24 Driver Lineups
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/smp-racing-finalizes-rolex-24-driver-lineups/

Ganassi Sets Riley-Ford DP Driver Lineup For Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/ganassi-sets-dp-lineup-for-daytona/

Wurz Set for One-Off Finale in Rolex 24 Debut
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/wurz-set-for-one-off-finale-in-rolex-24-debut/

This story has already been documented.  But, Flying Lizard, and Krohn Racing, will team up, for the Rolex 24.

Flying Lizard Partners with Krohn for Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/flying-lizard-partners-with-krohn-for-daytona/

C360R Returns to GS with Ford Mustang GT350R-C
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/c360r-returns-to-gs-with-ford-mustang-gt350r-c/

Cooper Confirmed at Cadillac Racing
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/cooper-confirmed-at-cadillac-racing/

Blancpain Sprint, Endurance, Set for Further Integration
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/blancpain-endurance-sprint-set-for-further-integration/

Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing Partner for the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Bonus news flash.  Flying Lizard and Krohn Racing, are teaming up, for the Rolex 24. 

http://www.endurance-info.com/en/flying-lizard-motorsports-and-krohn-racing-partner-for-the-rolex-24-at-daytona/

Reflections: Miami 1983, IMSA's first street race

Racer magazine's Marshall Pruett, and Top Gear's Tiff Needell, tell the story of the first ever IMSA race on a street circuit.  The very wet, 1983 Miami Grand Prix.

http://www.racer.com/more/historic/item/124772-reflections-miami-1983-imsa-s-first-street-race#!1983_IMSA_Miami_MarshallPruettArchives_136a

New Year, New Racin'

Matt Kistler, head writer for the blog NASPORTSCAR.com, has an entry, on some of the changes, for all the major North American sports car racing championships, that are coming, in 2016.  Read all about it, HERE.

http://nasportscar.com/new-year-new-racin/

more sports car racing news

More headlines from the sports car racing world, across the myriad of disciplines (both Prototype, and GT).

Tandy: "A Year Like This Doesn't Usually Happen"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/tandy-a-year-like-this-doesnt-usually-happen/

C360R Confirms CTSC Return With Two Audi S3 Cars
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/c360r-confirms-return-with-two-audi-s3-cars/

Lapierre Signs with DragonSpeed; Minassian Joins Lineup for Sebring

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/lapierre-signs-with-dragonspeed-minassian-completes-lineup-for-sebring/

Bamber: "I Learned a Huge Amount, and Grew as a Driver"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/bamber-i-learned-a-huge-amount-and-grew-as-a-driver/

Gentilozzi (F Performance): "What We're Doing in '16 is Learning Our Way"

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gentilozzi-f-performance-what-were-doing-in-16-is-learning-our-way/

Q&A with ACO Sporting Director Vincent Beaumesnil
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/qa-with-aco-sporting-director-vincent-beaumesnil/

Recall, this was breaking news, and posted, just a few days ago.  Nissan, has pulled the plug on their FIA WEC LMP1 effort.

Nissan Confirms LMP1 Withdrawal
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/nissan-confirms-lmp1-withdrawal/

A commentary, on Nissan's withdrawal by founding editor of Sportscar365, John Dagys.

DAGYS: Nissan's LMP1 Boom, Then Bust
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dagys-nissans-lmp1-boom-then-bust/

Petrov Signs with SMP Racing for WEC LMP2 Effort
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/petrov-signs-with-smp-racing-for-wec-lmp2-effort/

AKKA-ASP Switches to Mercedes-AMG GT3 for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/akka-asp-switches-to-mercedes-amg-gt3-for-2016/

Gunn Wins AMR Evolution Academy, Secures Factory Seat

http://sportscar365.com/gt/gunn-wins-aston-martin-racing-evolution-academy-secures-2016-factory-deal/

Bentley Team Absolute Confirms Two-Car PWC Program
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/bentley-team-absolute-confirms-two-car-pwc-program/

Davis: "I Consider Myself Pretty Versatile In GT Racing"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/davis-i-consider-myself-pretty-versatile-in-gt-racing/

News & Notes Roundup: 12-23
http://sportscar365.com/gt/news-notes-roundup-12-23/

2016 IMSA Silly Season Update 2: Prototype

Before delving into other sports car racing news, here is another Silly Season update on the IMSA Weathertech Sports Car Championship, in the Prototype division.  Sorry to burst everyone's bubble.  But, there will be some teams, who we thought, and predicted, would be on the grid, who sadly, won't be full season entries.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/2016-imsa-silly-season-update-2-prototype/

More IMSA news

More news from the IMSA official website, as we look forward to the test days for the Rolex 24, in a few weeks.

Pruett Teams With Ex-Rivals In Bid For Historic Sixth Rolex 24 Victory
http://www.imsa.com/articles/pruett-teams-ex-rivals-bid-historic-sixth-rolex-24-victory

O'Gara Taking Successful Lamborghini To GT Daytona
http://www.imsa.com/articles/ogara-taking-successful-lamborghini-gt-daytona

Ford GT Program Reunites Championship Winning Pairing of Hand, Muller
http://www.imsa.com/articles/ford-gt-program-reunites-championship-winning-pairing-hand-muller
 
Porsche North America Set for WeatherTech Championship Campaign
http://www.imsa.com/articles/porsche-north-america-set-weathertech-championship-campaign

Cameron Leads WeatherTech Championship with Seven Victories
http://www.imsa.com/articles/cameron-leads-weathertech-championship-seven-victories

PR1 Motorsports Driver Lineup Finalized to Defend Rolex 24 Title
http://www.imsa.com/articles/pr1-motorsports-driver-lineup-finalized-defend-rolex-24-title

Riley Motorsports Finalizes No. 93 Viper Lineup For Rolex 24
http://www.imsa.com/articles/riley-motorsports-finalizes-no-93-viper-lineup-rolex-24

F1 Driver Sergio Perez Partners With TRG-AMR For Daytona 24 Race Entry
http://www.imsa.com/articles/f1-driver-sergio-perez-partners-trg-amr-daytona-24-race-entry

IMSA Preview: The Roar Before The Rolex 24

A preview of the upcoming Roar Before The Rolex 24 test session for teams in IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, and IMSA Continental Tire Challenge competition, to take place in a couple weeks, during the second weekend in January.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/imsa-preview-the-roar-rolex-24

Nissan Fired Its Le Mans Team Over E-Mail

More news, on the demise of Nissan's FIA WEC LMP1 project.  The world of sports car racing clearly was not ready for their revolutionary racer.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a27710/nissan-fired-its-lmp1-employees-over-e-mail/

BREAKING NEWS: Nissan Decides To Not Participate in 2016 LMP1

Breaking news!  Nissan will not participate in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP1 category.

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/12/22/nissan-decides-to-not-participate-in-2016-wec-lmp1.html

IMSA & Le Mans news

Stories to watch, from IMSA, and from the 24 Hours of Le Mans/FIA World Endurance Championship, as the first automatic invitations for teams to compete at Le Mans, have been confirmed.  Plus, GT3 cars to race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, have had their performance dialed back, obviously, for safety reasons.

IMSA Prototype Lites Rebrands, Releases 2016 Schedule
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/dev/imsa-prototype-lites-rebrands-releases-2016-schedule/

Wilkins, Plowman Join CORE's Lineup for Enduros
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/wilkins-plowman-join-cores-lineup-for-enduros/

Second Riley Viper GT3-R Announced for Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/second-riley-viper-gt3-r-announced-for-rolex-24/

IMSA Sets First Balance of Performance for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-sets-pre-rolex-24-balance-of-performance/

Michael Shank, Scuderia Corsa Secure IMSA Entries for 24H Le Mans

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/michael-shank-scuderia-corsa-secure-imsa-entries-for-24h-le-mans/

Sweedler, Bell Confirmed in Scuderia Corsa Ferrari for 24H Le Mans

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/sweedler-bell-confirmed-in-scuderia-corsa-ferrari-for-24h-le-mans/

24H Le Mans Test Day to be Restricted to Race Entries Only
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/24h-le-mans-test-day-to-be-restricted-to-race-entries-only/

First 24H Le Mans Auto Invites Confirmed
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/first-24h-le-mans-auto-entries-confirmed/

IMSA Silly Season Update 2: GT Le Mans

Current rumblings, about how the GT Le Mans field, could look, in the 2016 WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/2016-imsa-silly-season-update-2-gt-le-mans/

Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge: Road Atlanta

The finale of the 2015 IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season, from Road Atlanta, in Braselton, Georgia.  We'll see you, in another month or so, to kick off the 2016 season from Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.  But, for now, enjoy the action from the finale of 2015 during the Petit Le Mans race weekend back in October.

http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/2015-road-atlanta-race-broadcast

more sports car racing news

More sports car racing headlines, from many competition spectrums, around the world.

Karam Poised to Join Pruett in F Performance Lexus
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/karam-poised-to-join-pruett-in-f-performance-lexus/

Riberas, Henzler Complete The Heart of Racing Rolex 24 Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/riberas-henzler-complete-the-heart-of-racing-rolex-24-lineup/

Chevrolet Champions Celebration Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/industry/chevrolet-champions-celebration-notebook/

Long, Heinemeier Hansson Join Abu Dhabi Proton Lineup for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/long-heinemeier-hansson-join-abu-dhabi-proton-lineup/

Kessel Planning Two-Car Ferrari 488 GT3 Program
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/kessel-racing-planning-two-car-ferrari-488-gt3-program/

MRS GT Racing Set for Two-Car McLaren Effort
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/mrs-gt-racing-confirms-two-car-mclaren-effort/

Aleshin Moves Back to IndyCar with SMP Racing
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/aleshin-moves-back-to-indycar-with-smp-racing/

ProSpeed Finalizing Corvette C7.R Entry for ELMS
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/prospeed-finalizing-corvette-c7-r-entry-for-elms/

Dyson Exploring Options, Targeting 2016 PWC Return
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/dyson-exploring-options-targeting-2016-pwc-return/

Mills Announces Partial PWC GTA Season with BMW Z4 GT3
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/mills-announces-partial-pwc-gta-season/

M1 GT Racing Confirms New Audi R8 LMS for PWC
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/m1-gt-racing-confirms-new-audi-r8-lms-for-pwc/

CPB Sport to Enter ADESS-03 In 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/cpb-sport-to-enter-adess-03-in-2016/

Mantella Autosport Announces Three KTM X-Bows for PWC

http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/mantella-autosport-announces-three-ktm-x-bows-for-pwc/

Updated Bathurst 12H Entry List Released

An updated entry list of world class cars from the GT3, GT3 Cup, GT4, and Invitational classes, has been released, for the Bathurst 12 Hours in February.

http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/updated-bathurst-12h-entry-list-released-2/

IMSA & FIA WEC news stories

Some major updates, from IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship, via Sportscar365.

Porsche Confirms IMSA Lineups; Two-Car Factory 24H Le Mans Effort

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/porsche-confirms-imsa-lineups-two-additional-gte-pro-cars-at-24h-le-mans/

Aston Martin Confirmed as IMSA Partner, TRG Reveals 2016 Plans
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/aston-martin-confirmed-as-imsa-partner-trg-reveals-plans/

Porsche Night of Champions Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-night-of-champions-notebook/

Park Place Extends Relationship with Porsche Into 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/park-place-extends-relationship-with-porsche-into-2016/

Nissan Withdraws from IMSA
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/nissan-withdraws-from-imsa-for-2016/

Mazda Retains Prototype Driver Lineup for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mazda-retains-prototype-driver-lineup-for-2016/

IMSA Porsche GT3 USA 2016 Calendar Released
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/dev/imsa-porsche-gt3-usa-2016-calendar-released/

Scuderia Corsa Confirms GTLM, GTD Programs
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/scuderia-corsa-confirms-gtlm-gtd-programs/

Dempsey Proton to Field GTE-Pro Porsche for Lietz, Christensen
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-confirms-gte-pro-gte-am-fia-wec-programs/

Dennis Joins Jota Sport for Spa, 24H Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dennis-joins-jota-sport-for-spa-24h-le-mans/

Estre Named New Porsche Factory Driver
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/estre-named-new-porsche-factory-driver/

Patrick Dempsey Unlikely to Drive in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/patrick-dempsey-unlikely-to-race-in-2016/

Dempsey Proton Set to Begin Latest Transition in 2016 WEC Season

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dempsey-proton-set-to-begin-latest-transition-in-2016-fia-wec-season/

LMP1 Teams Begin 2016 Pre-Season Testing
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lmp1-teams-begin-2016-pre-season-testing/

Larbre Rules Out GTE-Pro Corvette for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/larbre-rules-out-expansion-to-gte-pro/

LMP1 Performance Cuts Confirmed for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lmp1-performance-cuts-confirmed-for-2016/

Estre: "I'm Really Proud to Be Here for This Brand"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/estre-im-really-proud-to-be-here-for-this-brand/

News & Notes Roundup: 12-16
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/news-notes-roundup-12-16/

Fangio Ferrari sold for $28 million

Bonus post.  This is old news by now.  But, a 1956 Ferrari sports car driven by five-time Formula 1 World Champion, Juan Manuel Fangio, just sold at auction for $28 million!  The car has quite the pedigree of race victories.

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fangio-ferrari-sold-for-28-million/?s=1

2016 IMSA Silly Season Update 2: GT Daytona

Silly season updates within the GT Daytona class in WeatherTech Sports Car Championship competition.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/2016-imsa-silly-season-update-2-gt-daytona/

Petit Le Mans race broadcast

The race broadcast, from the Petit Le Mans, in all three segments.

Part 1
http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/part-1-petit-le-mans-race-broadcast

Part 2
http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/part-2-petit-le-mans-race-broadcast

Part 3
http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/part-3-petit-le-mans-race-broadcast

Petit Le Mans Hour 8 (the unexpected finish)

Car #22, pits.  Leh Keen is piloting the WeatherTech, Alex Job Racing Porsche.  Leh Keen, will give way, to co-driver, Andrew Davis.  Pit stop time as well, for the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia.  Giancarlo Fisichella, sharing with Pierre Kaffer, and Toni Vilander.  Risi Competizione just does not have the downforce on their Ferrari.  Eric Curran, continues to lead this motor race.  We understand that there will be one lap to go, until going back to green, and the track is able to be raced on, with the rain letting up a little bit.

It is getting darker.  Visibility, will be very difficult.  The water is still streaming across the road in the esses.  We've been saying that all day, and it's not any different right now.  The danger element will increase tenfold, going into the dusk hours.  We are ready, to go back to racing.  Nick Tandy will be chomping at the bit, to go for it.  He wants to pounce on those leading Corvettes in GT Le Mans.  The pace of the Porsche has been blinding in the wet.  These blokes have really been in their own zip code all weekend.

Eric Curran will lead the field.  He has GTLM cars separating him from his team mate, Joao Barbosa.  Tandy has cleared one Corvette, and now, he clears the other!  Nick Tandy is on a mission!  He's cleared both Corvette's.  Remember, he won, with team mates Nico Hulkenberg, and Earl Bamber, at Le Mans, overall, earlier in the year.  This is war now, Private.  This is no time to curl into a ball, and surrender.  Tandy is now slicing past two GT Daytona class Porsche's.  Nick Tandy is the blessing, for Porsche.  Go as fast as you like.

The #912 Porsche is also flying.  Frederic Makowiecki is two laps down.  But, he wants to pass.  He won't get past his team mate.  Makowiecki, the Frenchman, wants to go for it, too, even though he's behind.  The BMW's also need to get back to the Porsche's.  You are getting paid to win a championship, for the manufacturer, and not for yourself.  There's no point in streaming away from the competition, if he makes a mistake.  If he makes a mistake, it's over.  Augusto Farfus and Jens Klingman are nose to tail for BMW.  Oh nuts!  Makowiecki noses it into the tires!

Makowiecki has to back up, and does.  Oy!  Both Corvette C-7-R's are trying to pass Andy Lally.  But, the GT Daytona Porsche is just as good as the factory GT Le Mans spec machines.  Oliver Gavin and Antonio Garcia, both make a move, going by the Porsche.  Eric Curran continues to lead.  He increases his lead.  Augusto Farfus in the #25 car, is in contention, because of Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner, being in the championship hunt in GTLM.  Pratt & Miller have to go for it.  They don't have the pace, and don't have any magic bullets.  However, they are running nose to tail.

Eric Curran continues to lead in the overall.  Tom Kimber-Smith leads Prototype Challenge.  Frederic Makowiecki comes to pit lane, for a scheduled stop to clean the car, and there will be a driver change in the sister factory Porsche.  There's a boatload of red Georgia clay on the front of that automobile.  If that gets in the radiators, the engine, for all intents and purposes, is cooked.  Spencer Pumpelly has passed Andy Lally.  Joao Barbosa is applying the blowtorch to these two Porsche's up ahead.

Can Eric Curran and Dane Cameron take the race win, and the championship?  We'll see.  Pit stop time, for Corvette #3 as Jan Magnussen takes the car over, from Antonio Garcia.  There is a mechanical problem in the rear of the car.  The alternator belt is the culprit, perhaps.  The belt has come off, again.  They used the spare belt.  So, one has to wonder if the car will still drive.  Nick Tandy has been dealing with a brake issue.  There is conversation about it.  No vibration.  But, there is a problem with compressing the brake pedal.

At Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans, it is expected that brake pad changes, will be regular maintenance, on the cars.  But, not so, in the rain, nor here, at Road Atlanta.  Brake issues are bad in the dry.  But they are even worse, in the wet.  Tandy has just eaten three seconds out of Eric Curran's overall lead.  Bragging rights, would be great.  But, with mechanical issues, worry about the manufacturer's championship, and the driver's championship, will be earned, in GTLM for Patrick Pilet.

Nick Tandy continues closing the gap.  It wasn't long ago he wasn't a Porsche factory driver.  But, he's won Le Mans now.  Tandy looks to the inside, and hopes to get by Eric Curran.  Eric Curran gets held up in traffic, and says, "see ya!" to Eric Curran.  Can Tandy hold on?  Curran can carry speed on the straight.  He puts a couple cars between himself and Curran.  Eric Curran knows it's not important to him.  It is starting to get very wet again.  Curran is doing well.  The difficulty is into the braking zone for turn ten.

Tandy passes fellow and former Porsche factory driver, Patrick Long, trying to bring it home for Falken Tire in their final race.  Spencer Pumpelly is checking out on Andy Lally in GT Daytona.  Bill Auberlen, wants a driver's cup and a manufacturer's cup, for BMW, in GT Le Mans.  Tandy is cranking brake bias, to the rear.  The front brakes, are cold.  Try and go forward.  Get it back to where it was.  Tandy said it was manageable.  However, he's moved so much to the rear brake, the front brakes, are getting cold.  Move the bias back, to the front.  But, you don't want a ton of rear brake bias.

If you lock the rear brakes, you are in trouble.  It's like grabbing the emergency brake.  Oh my.  The Prototype Challenge cars, are dancing the wet track tango, again.  One is the #8 Starworks entry, which was leading in class.  Tom Kimber-Smith, also spun.  That was a lead battle in class.  Big damage, too, for the #11 Prototype Challenge car of Bruno Junquiera, too, as the #31 car, pits.  The #25 BMW is in for a driver change, too.  Same is true for the #10.  This is full service for all these cars.  The #90 needs to pit, after the pit lane opens.

Alex Popow spins on his own, and then, Tom Kimber-Smith, spins in avoidance.  We watched that huge impact for another Prototype Challenge machine, earlier, driven by John Falb.  Could PR1 win the hat trick of the three enduros?  Well, that is with the exception of the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen.  The skies have opened up again.  We are under another yellow flag.  You cannot count your ducks (or chickens), until they hatch.  It's not over 'til it's over.

These chaps have nerves of steel.  Max Angelelli has become a good driver coach for Jordan and Ricky Taylor.  He does not drive any longer.  Porsche has one bullet in the gun on the lead lap, and BMW has two.  Nick Tandy, appears, to be unstoppable here.  Can Joao Barbosa and Scott Dixon, make it on one last pit stop?  The fans have not left.  This is an event.  It's an amazing thing.  Wait.  What?  The checkered flag, waves!  The 18th running of the Petit Le Mans, is over!

Nick Tandy in a GT Le Mans Porsche, has won Petit Le Mans!  When there are winners, there are losers.  We are amazed.  The weather won't get any better.  More intense weather is coming.  Officials are wary of restarting the race in full darkness, with more bad weather coming.  The race is done.  But, there will be a lot of head scratching in the pit lane right now. 

Overall/GTLM: #911 Tandy/Pilet/Lietz      Porsche 911 RSR

             Prototype: #5 Barbosa/Fittipaldi/Bourdais     Chevrolet Corvette Prototype

             Prototype
             Challenge: #52 Guasch/Kimber-Smith/Palmer    Oreca FLM Chevrolet


             GT Daytona: #73 Lindsey/Pumpelly/Snow         Porsche 911 GT America

We crown our champions, now, that the race is over.  Here is the championship winners list.

Prototype: Joao Barbosa & Christian Fittipaldi
Prototype Challenge: Jon Bennett & Colin Braun
GT Le Mans: Patrick Pilet
GT Daytona: Bill Sweedler & Townsend Bell

http://www.imsa.com/series/sportscar-championship/standings

The NAEC winners are:

Prototype: #5 Action Express Racing
Prototype Challenge: #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports
GT Le Mans: #3 Corvette Racing
GT Daytona: #93 Riley Motorsports

That's a wrap on the Petit Le Mans.  We'll see you, in a little over a month, to start the new season, for the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, at the 54th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, at Daytona International Speedway.  The twice-around-the-clock classic.  So long, for now, everyone.  See you, for more sports car racing, in 2016.

Petit Le Mans Hour 7

Just in case you forget how to drive your race car, they do come with instructions, printed on the roll bar/crash structure.  Rain continues to fall.  Drivers are getting set to get back into the cars.  But, the weather might get worse, within the hour.  We'd love to see more green flag racing.  We'll see what happens.  Drivers have been called back to their cars.  The track workers have tried their best to evacuate the water that has been collecting.  Again, Beau Barfield has been checking to see what has been done with track cleanup. 

Relieve puddling on the inside of the track, by the curbs. With the damp conditions, one wonders how the cars will behave, after being stopped, in the rain.  No driver changes were permitted, during the red flag.  Jordan Taylor will take the #10 car back into the race, and Sebastien Bourdais, will do so, for the #5 Action Express racer. Problems for the #90 machine.  They are two laps behind at the moment.  The cars are now circulating again, on a wet track, behind the safety car.  Pit lane was open for Prototypes, and now, the GT class cars are in the lane.

Patrick Pilet gets out of the #911 factory GTLM Porsche.  When you all come in together, under yellow, you can leapfrog your rivals.  The Prototype Challenge leader spun behind the safety car, with Michael Guasch currently at the wheel.  #31 will perhaps be the Prototype and overall leader.  That car, was the only one, to not pit, while the #5 and #10 did, keeping the #90 car, a lap down.  Mike Rockenfeller is in the #90, and he's going to be booking it to pass Eric Curran.  However, there's still a lot of risk with spinning out, in the rain.

Scott Pruett says that this is the worst rain he's seen, since the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans, which he competed in, with Corvette Racing.  Pruett says he also enjoys driving.  OK.  Green, green, green, green!  We are back underway, with the #44 Magnus Racing Porsche of Andy Lally, the first car in the queue.  Prototypes are going to begin the scythe through the field.  Andy Lally is in the catbird seat, because he's got clear track ahead of him.  The air is very heavy with moisture.  When night comes, the darkness blending with the rain, will be really bad, because it's a can of worms.  Driving in the rain, at night, is like driving on black ice.

Spencer Pumpelly is trying his best, to pass Andy Lally nearing the downhill.  Some guys might finish in the dark.  Seven hours maximum drive time, and someone can do no more than four straight hours, and no more than seven out of the scheduled ten hours.  One of the Corvette's cuts inside a GT Daytona spec Porsche.  Oh my.  Anthony Lazzaro, (drafted in as a third driver for Core Autosport), has crashed the car, making contact on the right front, knocking out one of the headlights on the Prototype Challenge machine.

One of the wheels is gone.  Three wheels on my wagon, brings out a full course yellow.  The team is out.  Thankfully, they already won the Prototype Challenge driver's championship.  Pardon.  The headlight, was just off, making that car, a padiddle.  A car, with one working headlight.  The esses have been very difficult to navigate in the wet here.  There is too much standing water.  The Prototype Challenge cars, have a wooden or metal legality plank under the chassis, and getting into deeper water, it pushes the car up a bit.  Thus, it takes weight off the tires, and makes the car like a skim board.

The rain is now starting to fall harder again, and the track will get wet.  How long does this yellow flag last?  The track marshals have done a stellar job of keeping the track safe, to channel the water away.  Sebastien Bourdais says that he started to get water in his shoes, driving.  That's distracting.  It's cold water, because it's 60 degrees outside.  Your feet will go numb if you aren't careful.  We can call Road Atlanta, "Road Atlantis" today, according to Fox Sports' Brian Till.  The field is collected behind the safety car, so that standing water, can be collected.

The drivers in the Prototype Challenge cars, when they go by the jet dryer, it's like getting hit with a fire hose, and with the Prototype's, the thing tries to suck the door open.  The #70 Mazda SkyActiv Diesel Prototype, retires.  Game over.  Meanwhile, Eric Curran, leads overall, with the #31 Action Express car.  The #5 sister car, is seventh overall.  

Petit Le Mans Hour 6

Sebastien Bourdais uses a good chunk of the road, trying not to hit the water.  Part of the issue with fogging, is, these cars are so aerodynamically efficient, that there's no room for air into the car.  Condensation can get trapped on the inside of the windscreen, even if it is heated.  Jordan Taylor wants by Bourdais.  You don't get races in the rain that often.  But, sometimes, you wish you'd done more to stop the water.  It would be interesting, if Mazda, could get back to Le Mans, where they are still the only Japanese make to win.  Also, the Mazda MX5 Cup, is a great amateur racing series, with turnkey cars.

We will see what Mazda can do in 2016.  The #52 car leads Prototype Challenge, with Andrew Palmer, currently at the wheel.  Colin Braun, meanwhile, runs fourth in class.  CORE Autosport, could defend their title, from last year.  This is their fifth team championship, and their second driver's championship.  So, they have clinched it.  A full course yellow has been thrown, for track maintenance.  We are now under our eighth full course yellow, to do something with all the water.

More trouble for the Risi Competizione Ferrari.  They are off the pace in the wet conditions.  The Ferrari 458 Italia does not have enough aerodynamic downforce compared to the Porsche, the Corvette, or the BMW.  Rick Mayer is the engineer, and don't forget Dave "Beaky" Sims.  He is a vastly experienced individual, who used to be the chief mechanic for the great Formula 1 driver, Jim Clark.  Could Giuseppe Risi, bring his team back to Le Mans?  We'll see.  Conditions are deteriorating.  We've gone red flag, and will park the field.  Hopefully the red flag will be short.  The clock, will continue to run.

Giuseppe Risi and Ian Dawson, ran their own car, back in the 1980s.  It was known as a Grid, and powered by a Cosworth motor, and was driven, by racing driver, turned commentator, David Hobbs.  The race has been stopped, but the clock, continues to run.  Race control, wants to get this race in, or at least try.  They don't want to determine the championships, by ending the race too early.  Race Control can do what it wants.  In 2009, the race was concluded after eight hours and 45 minutes.  Nearly four hours was spent under the red flag.

We are waiting, for a storm cell, to pass, before this race resumes.  Performance Tech Racing, was going to run their #38 Prototype Challenge car for Conor Daly, Jerome Mee, and James French, at PLM.  But, they crashed in practice, had severe damage, and had to withdraw the car.  More trenches are being dug up to help with water drainage according to Race Director, Beau Barfield.  The rivers that flow across the track, are the major problems.

The red flag, has unofficially been out, for a half an hour.  In GTLM, two BMW's are on the lead lap, vs. one Porsche.  The rain continues to fall.  This race has been a clinic in car control.  As things stand, the class leaders are:

Prototype: #5 Bourdais/Barbosa/Fittipaldi     Chevrolet Corvette Prototype

Prototype Challenge: #52 Guasch/Kimber-Smith/Palmer     Oreca FLM Chevrolet

GT Le Mans: #911 Pilet/Tandy/Lietz             Porsche 911 RSR

GT Daytona: #44 Lally/Potter/Renauer         Porsche 911 GT America

The rain continues to bucket down.  Engines will re-fire, though, and we'll be back underway.

     

Petit Le Mans Hour 5

A battle has ensued between the Corvette team mates, and Scott Dixon in the Ganassi Ford Prototype, will be caught up in this argy bargy, without a doubt.  Yikes!  Now, to thicken the plot, these blokes are being impeded by a slower Prototype Challenge car.  Dixon says, "forget this!" and heads for pit lane.  The Falken Tire Porsche with Wolf Henzler aboard also pits.  Both run third in their respective classes.  A routine stop, and a driver change, for Team Falken Tire.  More pit lane action, as both Jordan Taylor, and Sebastien Bourdais, make scheduled stops.  The driver gets the credit.  But, kudos as well, to the pit crews who are in the trenches, servicing these cars, for the whole race.

Oh boy.  Problem for the #10 Corvette Prototype.  The car will not restart.  Now it does, and #10 is back in the fight.  If a GT Le Mans car, comes to the lead of this motor race, it will be very hard, to unseat the GT Le Mans automobile, from the top of the running order.  At the moment, starting this fifth hour, we have the best conditions we've seen for the whole race.  Jan Magnussen is now the overall leader in Petit Le Mans.  Magnussen and his team mate, Tommy Milner, both just ran their fastest laps of this race.  Magnussen is at 1:30.9 while Milner is at 1:31 flat.

The Porsche's are very strong.  They are settled into the deep water, puddling on the road. The Corvette's are trying to cool their tires, should it begin to dry out.  Hot rain tires, don't work so well.  Just like last year, Action Express Racing, wins the Prototype championship in the North American Endurance Cup.  But, they still have to get the overall championship, unlike last year.  The #48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS heads to pit lane.  Meanwhile, the #97 Turner Motorsports BMW Z4 GT is off the road on the uphill out of turn one.  The right rear tire is flat.  Billy Johnson is at the controls.

Johnson was tagged, from behind, by the #85 Prototype Challenge car, Mikhail Goikhberg at the controls.  Four tires and fuel, + a driver change, for Turner Motorsports.  If a line emerges that is too dry, the pace will pick up, and that could cause trouble.  Memo Rojas is currently at the wheel of the Deltawing, which has a loose piece of bodywork at the right front.  Patrick Pilet is now third in GTLM and third overall.  The #4 Corvette pits, and so does the #93 SRT Viper.  Oliver Gavin will take over #4 from Tommy Milner.

Will Jan Magnussen pit next?  Yes.  #3 hits pit lane.  Antonio Garcia will take over the car.  Dan Binks, who works with Corvette Racing, retires, after this race.  Binks started out, on a crew with John Morton and Bob Lobenberg.  Binks was Tommy Kendall's crew chief in Trans Am, and crew chief, at Roush Fenway Racing, when they ran Greg Biffle in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, believe it or not.  These cars are third and fourth in the overall.

The GTLM machines have dominated the top five, as a Mazda spins.  Ooh.  It's on the uphill and Sebastien Bourdais takes evasive action.  This is the #07 car, with Joel Miller at the wheel.  Oh no!  More drama, in the uphill, as the Deltawing spins!  Memo Rojas is currently at the wheel of car #0.  It spun on it's own axis and has a lot of damage.  Another full course yellow.  Our seventh one.  Eric Curran pits the #31 car.  Rainfall is heavier.  We don't expect a green flag, for a few more minutes.  Pit stop time for the Falken Tire #17 Porsche, and also for the sister factory Porsche 911 RSR, (#912). 

We are getting close, to the halfway mark in this race.  GTLM cars occupy four of the top six places.  Tommy Milner has been running well, for Corvette Racing, and will be back for this coming season in 2016.  His father, Tom Milner, ran a team called Prototype Technology Group, and fielded BMW's for drivers like Bill Auberlen, and Boris Said.  This is our seventh full course yellow flag.  It is a short one.  Green flag, is back out.  We are ready, to resume racing.  Lots of standing water through the final turn.

Remember, the GT Le Mans cars, are quicker and more compliant, in the corners, while Prototype's are quicker, down the straightaways.  Jordan Taylor tries to pass Antonio Garcia.  He makes a pass through turn ten, that used to be known as "the gulch".  Taylor and Garcia know each other well, and drive together, for Corvette Racing, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  A big cloud of spray, goes into the air, and that is a sure bet the weather has gone even more pear shaped.  Giancarlo Fisichella in the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia, races through turn ten, followed by the second factory Porsche.

Fisichella will go a lap down to the #912.  Frederic Makowiecki is at the controls of the sister factory Porsche.  Check that.  It is battle for position, between Makowiecki and Fisichella.  Water has been pooling in turn one, and in the esses.  Car #912 is two laps down.  Fisichella will pit, and he has no visibility due to condensation on the windshield.  Halfway is three minutes away.  Will the race continue?  Will it be called, due to weather?  For the first time this year, a GT car has been the halfway leader in any Tudor Championship race.  An overall win, by a GT car, would be something special.

Sebastien Bourdais, has now taken the overall leader.  Car #90 is still recovering from their earlier troubles. 

Petit Le Mans Hour 4

Race Director Beaux Barfield, is still looking into track conditions, but doing so, in a pretty fun way, in a road legal Porsche 911.  Katherine Legge says that DeltaWing was hoping for a dry race.  That car, does not have the weight, downforce, or tire width, to be competitive, in the wet.  The small front tires on the Deltawing, dissipate the water well.  There's not enough weight, to get into the aquaplaning situation, because of the smaller contact patch.  But, the car holds the road pretty well, it appears.

One of the biggest problems, is visibility on the car, for a fogging windshield.  It is hard to get air into the cockpit of the Deltawing, for defrosting.  Lights out on the safety car, and we are ready to restart this race.  The #8 Starworks Martini liveried Prototype Challenge car is pitting.  This car, is one of the few, with a four driver line up.  It is being shared by Renger van der Zande, Alex Popow, Mike Hedlund, and Mirco Shultis.  The restart is going to be a tricky situation.  Track position will be critical at this stage, especially if the race is called early.

There's still a lot of water on the front straightaway.  We are back to green.  Can everyone get through on this restart?  Yes.  But, the visibility, is rubbish.  Wolf Henzler is up to third in class in the Falken Tires Porsche in GT Le Mans.  As a driver, with the bad visibility, it is difficult to tell what kind of other car, or class of car, your competitor, is driving.  Prototype Challenge cars, are about a second slower than the GTLM machines.  John Edwards, slides his BMW Z4 GT, in the wet!  Yikes!  Nice car control!

With BMW in front in GTLM this will play into the manufacturer's championship.  This is outstanding driving, in the rain.  Don't touch the paint.  Patrick Pilet has passed Wolf Henzler and wants by John Edwards.  Let's talk physics.  The grooves in the tires, have a volume to them.  If the amount that it's hitting at any point in it's rotation, is greater than the volume in those grooves, the tire will come off the ground.  That's aquaplaning.  Stakes are high in GTLM, because of the possibility of this race,ending, at any time, due to weather.

It's still a battle, in the championship hunt, between Porsche AG and Bavarian Motorworks.  Oh boy!  Pilet is down the inside of Edwards!  This is good stuff!  Hang on to your hollyhocks here, boys!  Spectacular motor racing!  The Porsche made that pass, because the weight of the car, is predominantly over the rear wheels.  So, it will have, a better power to weight ratio, compared to front engine cars like the Corvette or the BMW.

Incidentally, Porsche also leads GT Daytona, as Magnus Racing and the #44 have taken the lead in that category.  Patrick Pilet has found the sweet spot in handling on the Porsche 911 RSR.  Meanwhile, Dane Cameron is 1.8 seconds clear of Sebastien Bourdais, and he is running very well.
We now see, a big accident.  The Mike Shank Racing Ligier JS P2 Honda, is totally destroyed!  This team has fought valiantly.  But, John Pew, has crashed, and utterly torn this motorcar, to pieces.  Game over.  This is heartbreaking for Mike Shank Racing.  This brings out the safety car, and a full course yellow.  John Pew goes off the road at the bottom of the esses.  This is a spot, on the road, where you are guaranteed to hit the wall, no matter what.  Simultaneously, the #85 Prototype Challenge car, takes a spin, down through turn ten.  John Pew is out of the car and should be fine.  But, one of the guardrails may have been moved, in the impact.

He was moving at a fairly low speed.  But, John Pew lost control, and absolutely clobbered the retaining wall!  These cars have traction control.  But, traction control can't help you beat the laws of physics.  MSR exhausted all their bodywork, and all their emotions. Dane Cameron is back in the race lead, as we look for another restart.  Rediscover the race track.  Visibility is still compromised.  Four prototypes, and then, the top seven GT Le Mans contenders, are all on the same lap.

Patrick Pilet nearly takes a position from Scott Dixon in the Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost Prototype.  Jorg Bergmeister passes John Edwards, and Tommy Milner, is right behind in the Corvette.  Milner wants by Edwards.  Edwards has to get by the Corvette's in order to keep up with the Porsche's.  The sister BMW (#25) comes to pit lane.  Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner, and Augusto Farfus, are on the driver's strength in that car.  Farfus is now at the wheel.

Pit stop time as well, for car #31.  Oh boy!  A spin for John Edwards in the #24 BMW!  Sebastien Bourdais, will take over the race lead.  #31 has a flawless pit stop.  A brief problem, for one of the Mazda Prototype's.  Sebastien Bourdais, continues to lead this race.  Car #31 made a driver change on their pit stop, and Eric Curran is now at the controls.  Robert Renauer, at the wheel of the #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT America, does some agricultural racing.

Bill Sweedler tells his co-driver Townsend Bell, to run his own race, and not worry, yet, about the Aston Martin team of Christina Nielsen and Kuno Wittmer.  The regular racing line is so slick, you can't touch the throttle.  Pinch the corner, to gain traction.  As this fourth hour of Petit Le Mans comes to a close, let's look at the leaders in the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, which rewards and awards points and finishes, in the big four endurance races of the season.  The Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, and here, at Petit Le Mans.

These cars, and their driving teams, are current leaders, in the NAEC, for this race.

Prototype: #5 Action Express Racing Chevrolet Corvette Prototype   
Prototype Challenge: #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsport Oreca FLM Chevrolet
GT Le Mans; #3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-
GT Daytona: #93 Riley Motorsports SRT Viper GTS-R-

The #911 Porsche is in pit lane, as we come to the end of the fourth hour of racing.  Pilet is very comfortable in the car, even with the rain.  The Corvette's are currently 1-2 in GT Le Mans.  Tommy Milner leads Jan Magnussen, and Wolf Henzler in third.  Scott Dixon runs third overall, and he has Corvette's chasing him down.  

Petit Le Mans Hour 3

Lots of good drivers, get to race, in the endurance races, even though they are not in it, for the full season.  We are going to go around under the safety car, because of all this rain.  The factory Porsche GT teams have had radio problems, with the rain, and the nature of Road Atlanta, being in a valley.  The yellow flag is a blessing and a curse.  When the yellows come, the water can't be dissipated at low speed, even though the drivers get to race.  Race Director Beaux Barfield, and his assistant, (former driver, Johnny Unser), are out on the road, checking the conditions.  Road Atlanta drains well.  But, with a high water table, there's nowhere for the rain to go.

We see the #22 Alex Job Racing WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America, in GT Daytona, pitting.  Andrew Davis is getting into the car, and we will be set to go back to green on this lap.  Driving slowly, visibility gets worse.  There's not enough airflow through the car, to defog the windscreen. We are ready, to go back to green flag racing!  Dane Cameron is your race leader at this moment.  Where are the puddles? Where are the rivulets of water?  Oh dear!  The #17 Porsche, spins!  Whoa!  He almost gets T boned by another car flying by on the straightaway!  Wolf Henzler is a very lucky chap indeed, to escape that mess.

His crew chief comes on the radio saying, "good job, Wolf!  You missed everyone!"  You can open your eyes now.  When you go to racing school, your instructor will always say, "look where you want the car to go."  Well, that's good advice, especially if you spin a car, in the same fashion as Henzler did.  Oh dear me!  Another spin.  It's the #90 car! Michael Valiante has buried the front splitter of his Corvette Prototype in the red Georgia clay.  Valiante faces the same problem, as Wolf Henzler.  He can't back up, because there are race cars, booking it, at full speed, down that straightaway.

We are two hours, and 17 minutes, into this race.  Don't panic.  But, it's still precarious.  Keep it on the asphalt, and watch out for other cars around you.  Valiante is having a hard time, finding reverse.  We are under another full course yellow flag, and the pits are closed.  Phew!  Valiante has it started again.  This will be a short full course yellow.  Don't get mud in your radiator.  If it heats up, it will gum up the radiators and causing major overheating problems.  Valiante will have to catch up to the pack.

The rain is falling a little more.  It's moderate rain, and not a thunderstorm.  However, there is no wind to evaporate the water, which hangs in the air, as mist in the valley.  Oswaldo Negri Jr. thinks the race should be put under full course yellow, behind the safety car, or, under a red flag.  The drainage of the water, is what is being looked at as it runs down the edge of the race track.  IMSA Race Director, Beaux Barfield, and other marshals, are looking at the track conditions, very seriously right now.

The marshals are trying to dig a ditch, to get the water to run through the grass, and off the racing surface.  You've got people, who have driven race cars, before, doing this kind of work.  Beaux Barfield, Johnny Unser, and up in race control, the decorated veteran driver, Elliott Forbes-Robinson.  We're going to go racing again.  There is zero control, with all the water.  Aerodynamic vents on the Prototype cars, are to keep them from blowing over.  But, the spray comes out of the top of those vents, and it's just like running an open wheel car, like a Formula 1 car or an Indycar.

Car #90 continues to run.  So, he could be OK.  VisitFlorida.com Racing has to finish third or better, in order to win the championship.  The temperatures are looking good.  Maybe they dodged a bullet.  The conditions are cool as well.  Dane Cameron and Eric Curran lead the points, and if the race ended now, they'd be champs.  The safety crews are digging a trench to try and get the water out.  But, it is like a bathtub, because if you sweep water from one side of a bathtub to another, it will still get there.  There's no chance for it to drain away.

We watch a pit stop, for the ViperExchange.com SRT Viper, which we saw off the road, earlier.  Check that.  This is the team car, #93.  Sharing the driving chores are Cameron Lawrence, Marc Goossens, and Al Carter.  Goossens leads GT Daytona and gets fuel.  He came in during a closed pit period.  They may be fixing the car.  There could be a problem with the electronics in the paddle shifter.  Everything seems to be OK.  The team did replace a part.

The cleanup crews are back to work, cleaning up the standing water, and putting the jet dryers out.  The cars don't move as much water off the road, when they are moving slowly.  Mike Rockenfeller has taken over the #90 car.  The #007 GT Daytona Aston Martin V12 Vantage pits, with Kuno Wittmer at the wheel.  The #93 car has had emergency service, which was explained earlier.  Sebastien Bourdais has taken over the #5 Action Express Corvette Prototype.

We are back to green.  There is a puddle on driver's left.  Watch out for it.  That is the normal line.  So, it's scary.  In the rain, you want to run a higher line.  Another dangerous spot is in the downhill, in the esses.  Water runs downhill.  Oh no!  Speaking of downhill, the #90 car has another spin!  Same corner as the one we saw before.  Mike Rockenfeller has gotten caught out at turn 12.  At the same time, the Deltawing, has also looped it, in turn 11, down towards the start/finish line.  Mike Rockenfeller, (because he does not normally drive a Corvette Prototype), is having problems, getting the car, into reverse.

He has found reverse, and creeps the car out of the grass.  He should be OK as long as no cars are coming.  Ooh!  The #31 Corvette Prototype, speeds by!  Rockenfeller goes down a lap, tries to recover, and spins backwards, back into the grass!  Ugh!  One of the best sports car drivers in the business, Mike Rockenfeller has his hands full, right now.  He's stuck.  Meanwhile, problems for the #88 Prototype Challenge racer in the hands of John Falb.  Falb has solidly hit the wall, and the left front of the car, is definitely askew.  When the cars begin to fly off the road, sometimes you just can't go slow enough.

When you hit a puddle at high speed, you have no chance to catch it, and then, the car goes through the series of rivers, and cannot be brought back.  The #88 car, slides off, at a dip in the road, and hits the wall, a ton!  Prototype Challenge cars, don't have traction control.  So, if he mashes the gas, he's got 400+ horsepower from a small block Chevrolet V8 under his right foot, and if he lights the tires up, the rear end is gone, and ker-rash!  He's into the wall.  Mike Rockenfeller, is gesturing with his hands, howling in agony over the radio, because he can't get anyplace!

Dane Cameron continues to lead overall.  Rockenfeller is back up and running, with no damage.  Car setup plays into this.  Why is one bloke flying off the road, while another isn't?  Subtleties in suspension setup, can make a huge difference.  Pit lane is closed.  Car #90 is dealing with a vibration, which could be a clump of mud inside a wheel. This yellow flag is going to take a long time.

The Deltawing had to have a tire replaced.  These cars, can't deal with the amount of water, coming through the downhill at turn twelve.  In defense of the race marshals, they are doing what they can, to get this race in.  In hindsight, going back to green, was likely, the wrong move.  If we stopped now, it would be tough, too.  So, race control, is going to have to mull over a very difficult decision.  There is no sun to dry the track, and the ambient temperature is cold, so, the rain won't evaporate.  Pit lane is open, for Prototypes.

When you race in the rain, it's better to look for grip, around the outside.  But, the outside of turn 12, has standing water, in it.  The marshals have put sandbags down to direct the water flow in turn five.  The pits are open, for service, for the Prototypes.  Mike Rockenfeller was hearing a noise, in the car, on some of the corners.  The turf and mud is also being cleaned out of the car.  It is odd, that the team would not pull the front wheels off the car, not so much to change tires, but to see about debris, causing a vibration, and clean it out.

The right front tire bounced over a metal grate during the spin.  The #3 Corvette, is in the pit lane.  The rain is tapering off.  But, the track itself, is still wet.  It's a high risk situation, bringing heavy equipment, like the jet dryers, onto the track.  The #3 Corvette has a flat tire, and has to come back to pit lane, for repairs.  Jan Magnussen is at the wheel, seventh in class in GT Le Mans.  He needs to stay on the same lap as the GTLM class leader.



 

Petit Le Mans Hour 2

Some of the Michelin shod GTLM machines, have been lapping four to six seconds quicker, than the #17 Porsche 911 RSR running on Falken tires.  The factory cars are using the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship LM GTE Pro rain tire.  The first time they have been on that tire, this year.  Pit action begins, as the Prototype cars enter.  Everyone will top up with fuel.  What about tire strategy?  Richard Westbrook, pitting from the lead, will get a fresh set of Continental rain tires.  It looks too, as if both Richard Westbrook and Christian Fittipaldi, will do double stints.  No other drivers are up on the pit wall to switch over.

Ricky Taylor is mentally frustrated, that he cannot attack the race track in the wet, like he could in dry conditions for practice and qualifying.  So the WTR team lowered the tire pressures, to make driving the car, easier.  This is also demanding on the mechanics.  They are drenched, and have to still execute the pit stops, accurately.  As we cycle through this yellow flag, the Cameron/Curran/Papis #31 Corvette Prototype takes tires.  Richard Westbrook and Christian Fittipaldi also pit, and no driver changes.

Ricky Taylor is having a hard time attacking the track.  He needs more car.  Standard pit stops here, blokes.  This race is demanding on cars and drivers.  But, it is also demanding on mechanics, who are standing in the lane, soaked, having to accurately execute a pit stop.  All your equipment, (air impact guns, tires, fueling rig appliances), is wet.  You can slip and fall if you are not careful.  It's a treacherous environment.  These kinds of mistakes, will be exaggerated today.  Car #912 enters a closed pit lane.  #31 will move to the lead.  Max Papis, is celebrating a birthday.

The rule is you can come into the pit lane when it's closed, only to do emergency service, and not a full stop.  The GTLM and GTD cars are in the lane, now, including routine service for car #911.  Giancarlo Fisichella brings the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia to the pits.  Pierre Kaffer takes over.  The car needed new tires.  #912 stops at pit out, because the field is passing by, behind the safety car right now.  Don't run the red light at the end of pit lane, or, you will be penalized.  Many fans, who attend this race year in and year out, due to it's popularity, camped through the rain, to be here.

A big shout out to the SCCA track workers at this race.  We couldn't race, without you guys.  Kudos to the camera operators for the Fox Sports TV broadcast, too!  They are in the wars, standing at their posts, through the rain, to deliver great pictures and onboard cameras.  The #17 Falken Tire Porsche pits.  If anyone is looking for a turnkey race team to buy into, buy this one.  Derrick Walker (team owner), and team manager, Phil Howard, have done a great job with this team over the years.  Everyone, including their competitors, want to see them do well, as they close the curtain on their racing operations in TUSC.

The Deltawing pulls in behind the #17, and they were bullish about getting a good result in this race, with wet conditions, and also, in our previous race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.  Green, green, green.  This race is underway, once more.  Spencer Pumpelly in GT Daytona leads the field to green.  A class leader, can lead the field.  The overall leader of the race, does not have to be at the head of the queue.  Dane Cameron now leads over Richard Westbrook.  Joey Hand is using his aggressive style to carve through the field in the Ganassi Racing #01 Riley Ford EcoBoost.

Nick Tandy, is also scything through traffic.  Joey Hand shares the Ford turbo V6 powered Ganassi car with Scott Pruett, and a real heavy hitter... Scott Dixon.  Dixon is a four-time Indycar champion, the winner of the 2008 Indianapolis 500, and, a part of the driving team, in a second Ganassi car, that won the Rolex 24 at Daytona back in January, this year.  Readers of this blog, will recall that race.  Click backwards to the January archive.

The #01 team is a long shot for the championship.  They'd need to win this race, and have the #90 car finish outside the top six spots.  If they can mirror Dixon's win in the Indycar finale at Sonoma Raceway where his rival Juan Pablo Montoya got sixth place, they could snatch this championship, at the end of the event.  Joey Hand aggressively pursues the #10 WTR Corvette Prototype through the esses, coming downhill to turn ten.  Ricky Taylor says, "no way, sunshine!" and holds him off.

Oh man!  The Porsche is right inside of Joey Hand!  Nick Tandy was knocking on the door, and almost had the password to unlock it!  Joey Hand sets up Tandy in the equally fast GTLM Porsche 911 RSR, and passes Ricky Taylor on the downhill, under the bridge!  How close do you like it?  Sometimes, when you are on the racing scene, watching, or covering them, like I do, you get blase about driver's skill... to paraphrase Fox Sport's Calvin Fish.  But, clearly, (and Fish has a point when he says this), Nick Tandy, is one of those great drivers.

Ricky Taylor is trying to find his footing with new tire pressures, adding pressure to the tires and going from 24 PSI to 30 PSI.  The tire footprint changes, and so does the feel, like adjusting a spring in the suspension.  GTLM is right up there with the Prototypes.  Dane Cameron runs a lap at 1:30.3, while Nick Tandy runs a 1:30.2.  That could seesaw for the whole race.  GTLM will be a battle between Porsche and BMW, with Corvette maybe getting an occasional look in.  They are not worried about overall success.  But, it would be great if either BMW or Porsche, could stand on an overall podium, and not just one in class.

The #912 factory Porsche team will get a stop and 60 second hold penalty, for working on the car, in  a closed pit.  They did more work than what was allowed to fix a punctured tire.  That gives a team too much of an advantage, and thus, the penalty.  John Edwards and Bill Auberlen are driving the two Team RLL BMW's right now, sandwiched between the two yellow factory Corvette's.  BMW is also a factory operation, and the #25 is in the mix for the driver's championship in GTLM.  John Edwards in the sister car, has just taken over from Lucas Luhr.  Bill Auberlen has been in the #25 since the green flag waved.

The lap times have closed up greatly in these wet conditions, compared to the dry conditions last time out at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.  The GTLM cars, for instance, close up more, on the Prototype Challenge machines, and so on.  The discrepancies in performance between the classes of cars, is a balancing act, because, the performance level cannot be too close between the four.  The multi-class racing relies on data of how the cars perform.  It's driver skill in the wet, and how the car is feeling.  A Prototype won't overtake GT cars' too often.

Let's look at the differences in lap times between the four classes, for comparison.  Overtaking has to be decisive.  In Prototype, Richard Westbrook runs fast lap at 1:28.8.  Nick Tandy has fastest lap in GT Le Mans, at 1:30.2.  Prototype Challenge fast time belongs to Tom Kimber-Smith at 1:34.3.  In GT Daytona, those guys and gals are running in the 1:37 bracket.  That's the spread.  These guys are getting paid to push the envelope and not to just ride around on a Sunday cruise.  Think of the big picture, first.  What is required of me, as a driver, to satisfy the team and manufacturer employing me?

Finish on a high note, going into the off season, to build momentum, for next year.  If you are out of a job, impress.  #912 pits to serve it's penalty.  At COTA, it was hot, humid, and super fast.  Here, at Road Atlanta, in the wet, you are driving slower.  What effect does that have on driver durability?  It is physically easier in the wet.  But, it is harder, and more fatiguing, mentally.  Driving in the wet, gives you a headache, and your eyes look like saucers.  You never relax.  The headlights guide you along a narrow ribbon of racetrack.

You are spinning off the road, in the wet, at a much lower speed, (40, 50, 60 miles per hour), compared to 80, 90, 100 miles an hour, in the dry.  Speaking of spins, someone has looped it out of turn five.  Oh dear.  It's the #54 CORE Autosport Prototype Challenge car!  You're clear.  No, you're not.  Stay there.  Don't move.  Count to three.  1, 2, 3.  OK.  Track's clear.  Back it up, daddy-o.  Ugh!  Bennett has high sided the car.  Wait.  Watch out.  More traffic coming.  Be gentle.  Don't back up too far.  Other cars have to take evasive action.

Phew!  He's pointed it in the right direction.  That could have been a bad one.  Bennett will be flustered after that little mishap.  White headlights on the Prototype cars.  Yellow headlights on the GT cars.  There is almost a nonexistent speed differential, whereas, 20, 30, 40 years ago, in sports car racing, Prototypes were at least 50-70 miles an hour faster, than the fastest GT machines.  The key is, if a driver gets caught out, but can't understand why he got caught out.  He has to adjust and compensate, for the rest of the race course.

There are Pro's Pro/Am's, and amateurs like me, who just watch and write about this stuff.  It's horrifying, looking through the spray on the TV screen, and then thinking a driver will suddenly see brake lights flashing on, and you'd best pray you have tire grip!  Speaking of no tire grip, the #4 Corvette has just clobbered a tire wall!  Oliver Gavin at the controls.  Gavin apologizes on the radio, saying he got wide going into corner number one.  Gavin is trying to use the downhill to back up.  #4 has done well as #64 at Le Mans.  But they have not had good years, for the last few, in U.S. sports car racing.

Gavin, driving backwards, has no visibility.  The rear view camera, does not work in reverse, like it does on your road car, folks.  Gavin is back on track, but out of the top 30 in the running order.  The wet grass, sucked him in, just like how you take a sip of a drink.  We watch a battle for the GT Daytona class lead between Spencer Pumpelly and Cameron Lawrence.  Porsche 911 GT America vs. SRT Viper GTS-R-.  No matter what tire you are on, the trick is, if the track dries, the tires get hot.  Hot rain tires, don't work.

They have to be cool, to work effectively.  Look for deeper water on the road, and place the tires in that deeper water, so they don't start to chunk, and wear out.  Drivers get better grip on that outside line where race cars don't normally go.  That's because they haven't worn down the aggregate on the asphalt.  The jagged surface, makes better contact with the tire tread, and voila!  You have, extra grip.  Spencer Pumpelly has not yet made it to pit lane.  The team is off strategy, slightly.  Richard Westbrook, has now taken the lead of this motor race.

Coming to heavy traffic, Westbrook, into turn ten, sets up Dane Cameron for a pass.  He threads the needle and makes it stick.  Ooh.  Thread the needle indeed.  There was a slight touch between those two Corvette Prototypes.  Action Express Racing has had a good year this year, for both of their cars, and they look to go into next year, with momentum.  Both of the Mazda SkyActiv diesel prototypes are running well out there in the rain.  But, this is the final race with these cars, in the diesel engine configuration.  Next year, they will run a conventional petrol powered motor.

The diesel has been a great feat of engineering, and the cars have been there all year.  But, Mazda has tested the gas motor, and they are quick, with it.  The #3 Corvette C-7-R- pits from fourth in class in GT Le Mans.  The rear bodywork, needs to be repaired.  Antonio Garcia also says the windshield wiper is not working properly.  Jan Magnussen takes over the car.  Whoops!  We have, another spin.  It's the #97 Turner Motorsports BMW Z4 GT.

Michael Marsal is at the controls, and runs 11th in GT Daytona.  Andy Priaulx and Billy Johnson are also in the car, as the Starworks Martini Prototype Challenge car, pits.  Wolf Henzler has a quick off/on in the Falken Tires Porsche.  Too much speed, and he couldn't turn, getting on the grass.  Henzler is matching Nick Tandy's pace right now.  When the tires are in a good window, the Falken Tires do really well.  Although, Michelin, has really come on strong.  The #54 pits.  Jon Bennett continues in the car, and there will be fuel added to the car.

Jon Bennett is trying to stay out of the way of the leaders.  You get to a point where you want to turn the car more.  But, if you turn the steering wheel too much, it won't respond.  The #73 Park Place Porsche is in the lane.  First pit stop of the day for the team, with Spencer Pumpelly, Patrick Lindsey, and Madison Snow, on the driver's strength.  With the rain, and a different fuel map, sometimes teams in GT Daytona, can stretch to an hour and a half or an hour and 45 minutes between fuel stops.  Err on the side of caution.

Patrick Lindsey is now at the controls.  The car gets sideways onto turn seven leading onto the back straight.  Former driver Lyn St. James, has created a scholarship award for women in racing, and she put together a leadership award.  Well, she awarded it, this year, to Dr. Don Panoz.  Marc Goossens will be the next driver to race in the #93 SRT Viper GTS-R-.  The #3 Corvette, apparently, has been dealing with electrical problems.

Rain continues to fall, and now, Nick Tandy, through running some blindingly quick lap times, is third in the overall, in among the Prototype contenders.  Richard Westbrook, the race leader, and Christian Fittipaldi, are the only cars to be ahead of Tandy, at the moment.  The GT Le Mans cars, are quite fast, and handle very well.  Uh oh.  Christian Fittipaldi was thought to have beached it in the gravel, spinning off the road.  The caution flag comes out, prematurely, signaling, a full-course yellow.

The yellow flag is because of treacherous conditions.  As a driver, if you see a fellow competitor off the road in the rain, you will instinctively go to the brake pedal, harder, and spear off the road, in the same direction.  Conditions are starting to deteriorate.  Richard Westbrook especially, has been saying there's zero visibility.  The visibility is only getting worse.  Nick Tandy has moved to second overall.  He is sharing with GT Le Mans championship points leader, Patrick Pilet.  Pilet's nearest points rivals, (Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner), driving the BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GT, run second in class.

The winner takes all.  Whoever finishes in front, takes the GT Le Mans drivers' crown.  Porsche and BMW are also in it for the manufacturer's cup.  Cameron Lawrence in the SRT Viper continues leading GT Daytona.  Johnny Mowlem leads Prototype Challenge, ahead of fellow Briton, Tom Kimber-Smith.  The jet dryers are out, blowing water off the track.  Still under full course yellow.  Everyone is also hitting pit lane.  The #90 car is one of those teams, and Richard Westbrook climbs out, handing over to team mate, Michael Valiante.

Sebastien Bourdais, has also taken over the #5 Action Express Racing Corvette Prototype from Christian Fittipaldi.  Dane Cameron in the #31 car, makes a valid complaint on the radio to his team saying, "when I drive by the jet dryer cleaning the track, the force of the jet engine, almost blows my door open!"  The Mazda's could run well in these conditions, with their diesel engines.  We see the #48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS pitting.  There will be a driver change.  Dion von Moltke will give way to one of his co-drivers.

The GTLM and GTD cars, can now pit.  The #17 Falken Tires Porsche blasts its way out of pit lane, after a scheduled stop. Michelin, supplying tires for GT Le Mans, compared to Continental, supplying tires for the other three classes, can work harder on developing a tire, that is suited, to meet the demands, of all kinds of different race tracks.  Corvette, Porsche, and BMW have won.  Ferrari has been close.  The tire battle is also intense.  The biggest spread in the championships, is Prototype Challenge, because it's a spec class.

Petit Le Mans Hour 1

The Tudor Championship began on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway.  Today, it ends, in the red clay hills of north Georgia.  The points battles, are close, and none of them, have been decided.  In Prototype, Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook hold a lead over Action Express Racing.  Patrick Pilet and Porsche, along with BMW's Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner, will fight for GT Le Mans honors.  Colin Braun and Jon Bennett, look to defend their championship in Prototype Challenge, from a year ago.  Christina Nielsen, also looks to become the first woman, ever, to win a professional sports car racing championship, in GT Daytona.  But, she will need to hold off at least ten challengers, to do it.  Also at stake, the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup, going to the team that wins the four endurance rounds of the championship.  The Petit Le Mans, is next!

Road racers take pride in racing in the rain.  But, today, at Road Atlanta, that pride, will be tested to the extreme.  Keeping the car on the road, is just as important today, as looking for rivals you are contending with for a championship.  There are interesting championship scenarios in Prototype competition.  Since May, Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante, have held the points lead.  If they finish on the podium today, the championship, is theirs.  Action Express Racing and their two cars (#5 and #31), are the closest pursuers.  But, don't discount Ganassi Racing either.  They have had a quiet season.  They won last time out at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.  If they win Road Atlanta and PLM, they could steal the whole show.

We really have to watch.  What will the wet weather do in terms of strategy?  How will yellow flags play out?  What will happen, with fuel consumption?  Don't run off the road.  In GT Le Mans, Porsche has an advantage in the manufacturer's cup.  Porsche qualified 1-2 in class.  But, car #911 will be caboose on the field, because, they failed post qualifying scrutinizing checks, and the stewards slapped them, with a ride height infraction.  Porsche has a mere three points over BMW, with a tie for third, between Chevrolet and Ferrari, both 16 points adrift.  Porsche crashed the cars in qualifying, and had to rebuild them overnight.

The GT Daytona story unfolds this way.  Porsche, Ferrari, SRT Viper, and BMW have all won.  Seven drivers are in contention.  Christina Nielsen could be the first woman to win a sports car racing title.  The engines have fired.  We're ready to go green.  Road Atlanta was opened in 1970.  It is another of these classic tracks that the Tudor Championship visits.  At 2.54 miles, it's a roller coaster.  It's worse, in the rain.  The water will grab you, if you go off the road, you'll be mired in the red clay.

There will be so many stories to tell in this one, folks.  It is wet and humid, with a breeze.  Hard to predict what the weather will actually do.  There are huge storm systems up and down the East Coast and out over the Atlantic.  Standing water will be a factor and so will visibility.  Ten hours of racing to come, as Richard Westbrook gets away first.  We are green in the Petit Le Mans!  Watch out for the conditions, as Johnny Mowlem passes the polesitting Prototype Challenge car with Tom Kimber-Smith at the wheel.  Now, for the GT start.  GT Le Mans and GT Daytona.

Oliver Gavin in the leading #4 Corvette C-7-R- leaps right to the front of the field!  Lucas Luhr brings his BMW Z4 GT to second.  Watch GT Le Mans.  These cars are quick, even in the wet.  Watch for the Porsche's as mentioned earlier.  Those blokes are at the back of the grid.  But, they'll move forward, to be sure, and be right up there with their rivals.  Stable, consistent water, in one place, is no worry.  But, it's water that is funneling across the road, that causes loss of traction in wet conditions.

Johnny Mowlem had spun the #16 Prototype Challenge car, and we see it again, in replay.  He was jolly lucky not to be hit by passing cars including Tom Kimber-Smith, and our current class leader, Chris Cumming.  Westbrook sped up and got faster and faster with each passing lap, during the wet qualifying session.  So, undoubtedly, he is a threat for the win in this one, today, folks.  Everyone wants to run to a game plan in endurance contests like this.  Well, sorry chaps, you'll have to toss your game plan out the window, with this rain.  We see cars skating off the road already!  #11 in Prototype Challenge, and, one of the ViperExchange.com SRT Viper's also spins.  Don't hit the wall!  Ker-runch!  He tags the wall and smashes the tail of the car!

Don't visit Florida, if you are in a Viper, as the driver knocks out a VisitFlorida.com ad billboard at the side of the track.  The grip level is so different.  At 140 miles an hour on dry pavement, you're fine.  In the wet, at 60 miles an hour... one wrong move, and you are in deep sleet, daddy-o.  North of Hot 'Lanta, things aren't so hot, because it's been raining for a good week, so the grass is just as saturated with water, as the track.  We have a full course yellow.  No chance for Viper to win GT Daytona.  The red clay here in Georgia, is mostly just that.  A high clay content, means, the soil won't soak up too much water.

Driving in these conditions is like if you have just taken a shower, and try stepping onto a tile floor.  You might lose your balance if you are not careful.  Ben Keating has made it to pit lane and did get some repairs on the car.  The #912 Porsche had a new tub rebuilt.  They rebuilt it, got a couple hours sleep, and then, came back to the track.  Right now though, Earl Bamber at the wheel... has no telemetry.  Mike Shank Racing had the same issue, crashing their Ligier Honda in night practice.  They took the car to Elan Technologies in Atlanta, and got the thing repaired.  Oswaldo Negri Jr. spun the car in the morning warm up.  They repaired the suspension, but, they are out of bodywork.  They had to fix the damage from the morning wreck.

They have also had to replace much of the suspension on the rear of the car.  Oswaldo Negri Jr. is currently at the wheel of the car.  Many signatures are on the car, in honor of the late Justin Wilson who raced and won with MSR at the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona and in other events.  Elan Technologies is donating half the fee to fix the car, to the Justin Wilson Children's Fund.  We are back to green, and Richard Westbrook is being hounded by Christian Fittipaldi.  Track position is a hug deal in the wet.  The top three cars in the championship run in order in the top three of the race.  Richard Westbrook (#90), Christian Fittipaldi (#5), and Dane Cameron (#31).  The #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette Prototype is fourth.  They have a habit of winning the season finale races.

They did so at the final ever Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series event at Lime Rock Park in 2013, and, in this race, a year ago.  Max Angelelli is third driver with Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor.  They have mathematical chances, at the championship crown.  ViperExchange.com Racing is still in the pit lane, fixing the car, and they've lost two, almost three laps.  The rear bumper is OK.  The diffuser, is not.  So, they have to add more angle to the rear wing, and are patching the bodywork with bear bond.  Will bear bond stick, in the wet?  Also in the lane is Chris Cumming in car #11 in Prototype Challenge.

The front end is OK.  The back half of the car seems to be in order.  But, they do have suspension damage.  Cars #88 and #01 are serving drive through penalties after starting from pit lane.  They did not make the pre-grid, and that's why they are serving a penalty right now.  Porsche has been on quite the streak this season.  We see the #17 Falken Tires Porsche 911 RSR.  It is the final appearance for this car and team, in the blue and green Falken colors.  Meanwhile, the #33 has run into the kitty litter, again.  Team boss Bill Riley talks Ben Keating through the situation.  "Shake the car", to get the gravel out.  Keating is told to run one more lap, as Antonio Garcia in the #3 Corvette and two of the factory GTLM Porsche's go by.

Oh wow!  Four wide!  Viper, Porsche, Corvette, Porsche!  Look out!  Keating is still having trouble as the windshield has steamed up.  If you are idle in the wet, with these cars with hot engines in the front (like the Viper or the Corvette), the windshields will fog up immediately.  Keating couldn't see the corner, and digs up even more gravel.  Today, Pro/Am drivers have to do a minimum drive time of two and a half hours, to score points in the race.  Get the drive time out of the way, get into a points paying spot, and go race.  There are a lot of moving targets.  Some teams are better placed, depending on what drivers they use.  For instance, if this race, is called off, due to the weather, later on, that's an opportunity to score points, should it end early.

A battle for the lead in GTLM ensues between the Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R- with Oliver Gavin at the controls, and Lucas Luhr, in the factory BMW Z4 GT.  The Porsche's are a couple tenths of a second behind.  BMW can clinch the GTLM manufacturer's cup if they win.  Two bullets in the gun, including Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner.  If they haven't got the speed, John Edwards, Lucas Luhr, and Jens Klingman.  They are going for a championship at BMW, too.  Lucas Luhr was the winningest driver in the old American Le Mans Series.

The pace of the GTLM class is staggering.  Richard Westbrook still leads, and he's got some oversteer.  Action Express is piling on the pressure on car #90.  But, keep in mind, if the #90 car finishes on the podium, they are champions.  Ford's new GT car is coming online well, and of course, it will have the same 3.5 liter EcoBoost twin turbo V6 motor being run in the Ganassi Racing Prototype, for the final time in this race.  The Riley Ford had alternator and electrical issues, early on in it's development.  Water streams through the cracks in the bodywork and also the wheel wells.  It's amazing these cars actually run, in wet conditions.

Through tighter corners, the GTLM cars are a lot quicker than the Prototypes are.  Nick Tandy has now taken over the lead in GT Le Mans.  Nick Tandy is a former winner of the Petit Le Mans, driving for the Falken Tire Porsche team, making their last start in today's race.  Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook also share the car with Mike Rockenfeller.  The #10 WTR/Konica Minolta Corvette Prototype is fourth in the overall.  Ricky Taylor remains at the controls.  At this point, survival is the deal.

Jordan Taylor mentions one thing that might help with misting and fogging in the Corvette, is a heated windscreen.  One of the funniest ways to clean a windshield is keeping a bar of soap, rubbing it on the inside of the windshield.  Now, if it doesn't work, you get bubbles inside your race car.  But, you still smell good.  Free bath in a race car? Hmmm.  Hahaha.  Drivers learn a lot from observing in these kinds of conditions, in how to drive the car, and how to stay competitive and ahead of the competition.  Make note of cars that go off the road in qualifying, so you do not make the same mistake yourself.

How will fuel mileage play out?  No gas gauge in these cars.  They do not run as fast in the wet as in the dry.  Thus, less fuel is used.  We are just over 40 minutes into this race.  Don't stretch fuel too far.  But at the same time, each driver, and their style, dictates fuel usage.  Cameron Lawrence in the sister #93 ViperExchange.com SRT Viper, is running well.  He stole class pole from Spencer Pumpelly and Leh Keen.  Lawrence has also been very successful this year, in the Trans Am Series.  Lawrence is not pushing too hard.  He's running consistently.  Lawrence leads the race.  But, he's not running on the ragged edge.

Lawrence gets loose in turn six, but recovers.  Pardon me.  Turn seven is the corner.  Current GT Daytona cars do not have traction control.  But, remember, in 2016, we get the full on GT3 spec race cars, with traction control.  It's going to be quite a sight seeing those cars, with all the manufacturer interest also coming online.  Jon Bennett is a lap down.  But, he will likely be champion in Prototype Challenge.  No traction control.  No roof.  But, Bennett will win the championship, along with Colin Braun.  Braun just needs to race one lap.  The PC class is not a gimme.  These guys run inside the curbs.

That's the unloaded section of the corner.  If you get off on exit, and slide, you will be sent for a wild ride.  This race used to be ten hours or 1,000 miles.  But last year, it purely became a ten hour event.  The #911 factory Porsche 911 RSR which is prepped out of Core Autosport's shops, owned by Jon Bennett in South Carolina, takes the lead in GT Le Mans.  Westbrook continues to lead over Christian Fittipaldi by about ten seconds.  In these conditions, normally aspirated motors, tend to run better.  The Ford V6 with the turbo has some lag, like the old days, with many of the turbo cars by makes like Porsche and Audi.  With the Chevrolet V8, you have, instant power, when you need it.

These cars are very, very close.  Heavier rain is in the area.  The #64 GT Daytona Scuderia Corsa Ferrari has a wicked slide in the wet, trying to make the apex of the corner, and avoid the Prototypes!  Phew!  That was close!  Daniel Serra of Brazil, is at the wheel.  You may recall (from the other endurance races in the NAEC), Daniel Serra is the son of Chico Serra, who ran Formula 1 back in the early 1980s.  Jeff Segal in the sister car (#63) is a contender for the GT Daytona championship.  Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell have done a great job all year.

Oops.  Now we see the #912 Porsche off the road and in the gravel trap.  Le Mans winner Earl Bamber is at the wheel.  He may not have nicked the tire wall.  He's beached it in the gravel.  He can't reverse, and with that, our second full course yellow of this race, folks.  The team has no telemetry at this point.  The car was overheating a bit, and the pit crew took tape off the radiators.  This is our second full course yellow.  Car #31 is pitting.  Did they beat the commitment line before the "pit closed" light illuminated?

It will be fuel only for Dane Cameron.  Incidentally, Cameron and Eric Curran, are sharing the car, for this race, with Max Papis.  No tires taken.  Fuel only on this stop for the second Action Express Racing entry.  If you can get to pit lane before it closes under yellow, go for it.  There is no rule against that.  Bamber might have cut a tire.  The Porsche was crabbing into turn one, really badly.  Bamber was correcting it, and there was no driver error involved whatsoever.

We are in for more rain, as the first hour of this race, comes to a close.  As we approach pit stop time, some classes will have teams that elect to change drivers, while others, will keep drivers that started the race, in the car.  If you like motorsports, the area around Atlanta, Georgia, is a neat place to live in, because there are road courses, superspeedways, short tracks, and a drag strip, nearby.  Despite the torrid rain, there's only been a handful of off course excursions, so far.  There's been tons of rain, all week.

Nick Tandy, leading GT Le Mans, is legitimately in the top five by now.  The mechanical grip of a GTLM car is good, and the Michelin wet tire, is also very stout.      

IMSA: Brumos dealerships sold, name and racing fleet retained

An iconic motorsports, name, will only exist, in it's museum.  Brumos Porsche, has sold it's Jacksonville, Florida based dealer, to Field Automotive.

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/124430-imsa-brumos-dealerships-sold-name-and-racing-fleet-retained

Kessel Ferrari wins Gulf 12 Hours

Congratulations, to Kessel Racing, and the driving squad of Davide Rigon, Andrea Piccini, and Michael Broniszewski, on taking the win in the fifth running of the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina circuit, in Abu Dhabi.

http://www.racer.com/international-racing/item/124485-kessel-ferrari-wins-gulf-12-hours

more sports car racing news

Let us take a look at some of the latest headlines, from IMSA, as well as the FIA World Endurance Championship, news from the GT circuit, and, some previews, before the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi, this weekend.  Still hoping to get to blog some of the races from this past season, that were missed, for one reason or another.

News & Notes Roundup: 12-9
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/news-notes-roundup-12-9/

VIDEO: Hand on Ford GT Full Factory Effort
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-hand-on-ford-gt-full-factory-effort/

No Immediate Plans for Mercedes in IMSA
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/no-immediate-plans-for-mercedes-in-imsa/

Kessel Tops Free Practice 1 in Abu Dhabi
http://sportscar365.com/gt/gulf12h/kessel-tops-free-practice-1-in-abu-dhabi/

Renault RS01 Set for Endurance Debut in Gulf 12H
http://sportscar365.com/gt/gulf12h/renault-rs01-set-for-endurance-debut-in-gulf-12h/

Maserati Confirms Arrival to PWC GTS, Other GT4 Championships
http://sportscar365.com/industry/maserati-confirms-arrival-to-pwc-gts-other-gt4-championships/

Kessel Quickest on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi
http://sportscar365.com/gt/gulf12h/kessel-quickest-on-wednesday-in-abu-dhabi/

Abu Dhabi Wednesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/gt/gulf12h/abu-dhabi-wednesday-notebook/

HTP Parts Ways with Bentley: Team Parker to Run Continental GT3s

http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/htp-parts-ways-with-bentley-team-parker-to-run-continental-gt3s/

GT Academy Winner Simmons to Race in Blancpain Endurance
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/gt-academy-winner-simmons-to-race-in-blancpain-endurance/

Rowe Racing Set for Switch To BMW
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/rowe-set-for-switch-to-bmw-for-2016/

BMW Confirms Rowe as Works-Supported Team
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bmw-motorsport-confirms-rowe-racing-as-works-supported-team/

Attempto Switches to Lamborghini Huracan GT3s
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/attempto-racing-switches-to-lamborghini-huracan-gt3s/

Ortelli Parts Ways with Audi
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/ortelli-parts-ways-with-audi/

DAGYS: Driver Ratings Need To Go

A commentary by founder and editor-in-chief of Sportscar365, John Dagys, on why the driver rating system in sports car racing, instituted by the FIA, doesn't work and needs to be scrapped.

http://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/dagys-driver-ratings-needs-to-go/

Christina Nielsen to make 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in 2016

Another headline.  Christina Nielsen, who has shown great performance in her racing career here in the United States, will make her debut in the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans.

http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/christina-nielsen-le-mans-24-hours-2016-120715

More IMSA news

More news from the IMSA Weathertech Sports Car Championship.

VIDEO: Dirk Mueller on Joining Ford Performance
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-dirk-mueller-on-ford-gt-program/

Hunter-Reay Confirmed as Visit Florida Racing Third Driver
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/hunter-reay-confirmed-as-visit-florida-racing-third-driver/

Freiberg Completes Turner BMW Lineup at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/freiberg-completes-turner-bmw-lineup-at-rolex-24/

Stevenson Retains Full-Season Lineup for Two-Car Audi Program
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/stevenson-retains-full-season-lineup-for-two-car-audi-program/

Thiriet by TDS Racing Targeting Selected IMSA Races in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/thiriet-by-tds-targeting-selected-imsa-races-in-2016/

Trans Am: Mid Ohio

Another Trans Am event, from the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, for the TA2 division.  The First Energy Muscle Car Challenge. 

more IMSA news

Taking a glance at more news and notes from IMSA.

News & Notes Roundup: 12.2
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/news-notes-roundup-12-2/

2016 IMSA Sporting Regulations Released
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/2016-imsa-sporting-regulations-released/

Carter (IMSA): "A Major Focus for Me Was to Integrate into the Paddock"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/qa-with-weathertech-championship-series-manager-geoff-carter/

VIDEO: IMSA Daytona Test Sights & Sounds
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-imsa-daytona-test-sights-and-sounds/

Dalla Lana Confirms WEC Return, AMR GTD Effort for Daytona, Sebring

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dalla-lana-confirms-wec-return-amr-gtd-effort-for-daytona-sebring/

BMW Confirms 2016 IMSA Driver Lineups
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/bmw-confirms-2016-imsa-driver-lineups/

Turner Takes Delivery of BMW M6 GT3 Cars
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/turner-takes-delivery-of-bmw-m6-gt3-cars/

2016 WEC Silly Season Update: GTE Am

A look into the drivers and teams that will compete in the LM GTE Am class in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2016.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/2016-wec-silly-season-update-gte-am/

IMSA Announces Four-Day Sebring Test for February

Among lots of other news to catch up on, (in a future post... so, stay tuned for more), IMSA has announced there will be a major four day test session at Sebring International Raceway, between the Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring, for teams in the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/imsa-announces-four-day-sebring-test-for-february/

2016 WEC Silly Season Update: GTE Pro

Here are the confirmed, and possible entries for the LM GTE Pro division in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/2016-wec-silly-season-update-gte-pro/

Behind the glamor: Ford designers explain aero features of the new GT

The designers of the new Ford GT, explain the aerodynamic features of the car, in this video and article.  Read all about it, and watch the video, HERE:

http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/video-ford-gt-aero-design-features-120115

VIDEO: Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final Highlights

A montage video of the highlights of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final, held at Sebring International Raceway, last weekend.

http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-lamborghini-st-world-final-highlights/

Audi, Porsche to Have Reduced Two-Car Efforts at 24H Le Mans

Next year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will see both Porsche, and Audi, scale back, to two-car teams, as opposed to three, like both squads ran in 2015.  Defending champions from Le Mans, Nick Tandy, Nico Hulkenberg, and Earl Bamber, will not be back to defend their crown (there is a Formula 1 race, conflicting with Le Mans, for next year, which ruled Hulkenberg, out, a while ago).  Also, because of Audi's decision to scale back, this leaves drivers such as Rene Rast, Marco Bonanomi, and Filipe Albuquerque, without a ride, unless they go GT racing, with Audi in the R8 LMS in Blancpain Sprint or Blancpain Endurance Series competition.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/audi-porsche-to-have-reduced-two-car-entries-at-24h-le-mans/

2016 WEC Silly Season Update: LMP2

Here's how the LMP2 class in the FIA World Endurance Championship shapes up for 2016.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/2016-silly-season-update-lmp2/

WEC: Audi launches 2016 R18 LMP1 Racer

Bonus story for today, and, breaking news.  Audi has unveiled it's 2016 contender for the FIA World Endurance Championship.

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/124102-audi-launches-2016-r18-lmp1-racer

2016 WEC Silly Season Update: LMP1

What does the driver/team situation for 2016 look like in the LMP1 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship?  Here's a first glance.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/2016-silly-season-update-lmp1/