Sunday, January 25, 2015

Rolex 24: Hour 18

Oh boy.  The #4 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-, (no, both Corvette's), get passed.  Oliver Gavin has a tire issue.  It's a tight pack, and Gavin locks up the right front brake, allowing the #25 BMW passed.  The crew is diagnosing the issue, and fix the bodywork.  They jumped on it right away.  The front left corner, and inner fender, need some work.  Bruno Spengler leads in the #25 BMW Z4 GTE.  Marc Goossens has the Viper back on track, but tenth, in GT Daytona.

Work continues on the Corvette.  They have to monitor engine temperature, and now, with the new bodywork, they'll have to watch the engine temperature.  Ryan Briscoe almost has contact with a Prototype Challenge car.  Briscoe is trying to keep pace with Spengler.  Oh no!  Spengler is off the road in a big way!  That grass is damp.  Let's see what happens.  He dives beside the PC car, late on the brakes, can't get it turned, and has a wild, wild ride.  Ugh!

Spengler went for the shortest way through the wet grass.  But, that didn't work out too well.  Spengler will come in, and hand over to Augusto Farfus.  He wants to get by a Prototype Challenge car.  A year ago, a GT LM car would just blow a PC car into the weeds.  Not this year.  The Prototype Challenge cars are much quicker than they were.

Oliver Gavin passes, putting Corvette back to 1-2 in GT Le Mans, as Augusto Farfus will indeed take over the BMW.  It used to be, err on the side of caution.  Not now.  Six hours from the end of the race, you still have to execute.  You have to push.  You cannot sandbag anymore.  Watch out for the fine, silty sand underneath the grass, which could overheat your radiator.  Action Express is going for a championship.  They are still fighting in this motor race.

Madison Snow has a slight mishap in one of the corners.  A monstrous chunk of grass came out of the BMW.  Bruno Spengler made a GT LM car, the most expensive riding lawn mower, ever.  The strength of the front splitter is amazing.  But, the under tray in the back of the car, has been compromised quite a bit.  Brian Alder has spun his Prototype Challenge car, and is somewhat stuck in the wet grass.

Jordan Taylor wants to take the lead away from Joao Barbosa.  He is on the attack at the moment.  Jan Magnussen will be the next driver in the #3 Corvette C-7-R-.  The car has been much more reliable this year than it was last year.  Bruno Spengler passes Ryan Briscoe and gets back on the lead lap.  The BMW still has pace.  After eighteen hours, it's WTR, Core Autosport, Corvette, and Riley Motorsports, leading points for the North American Endurance Cup.

The #31 Whelen Corvette Prototype is running well, with Phil Keen at the controls.  Phil Keen has been around for a while, winning a Radical SR3 championship.  He was also a British GT racer at one time.  Phil Keen was fourth in last year's British GT Championship.  The top speed of the BMW Z4 GTE has been improved.  If Bruno Spengler can stay in front, he'll pick up another lap and be on the same lap as the Corvette, should a yellow appear.

Scott Pruett is still going for it.  He is a wine maker off the track.  Joao Barbosa is expected to pit, and the #10 car will also dive for pit lane, soon.  The cars that go a lap longer... they can leapfrog their competitor.  Monitor the fuel mileage.  Jordan Taylor got hung up behind a Prototype Challenge car, entering the Bus Stop chicane.  Pit stop time for the top three Prototypes.  Full service stops with no driver changes.  Tires for the #10.  Fuel only for the #5.

Warm tires on the #5.  Cold rear tires on the #10.  Barbosa begins to open a gap.  Track temperature will begin to warm up.  The #01 Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost pits for four tires.  With the Corvette prototypes, sometimes the traction control has continued to play up.  There are sensors for pitch and yaw.  The #44 Magnus Racing Porsche is smoking.  There's no oil on the road.  But, the motor or the gearbox, must be cooked.  It's a RUD.  A rapid, unintended disassembly.

Once again, Joao Barbosa continues to lead.  The #60 Mike Shank Racing Ligier JS P2 Honda is still running.  But, they are losing time.  They are trying to  make up laps.  Scott Pruett brings the #01 Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost in, for a new nose.  The #64 GT Daytona Ferrari 458 Italia has crashed.  Francisco, "Chico" Longo, was at the wheel.  But, it's game over, for "Chico", and that car.  Goodnight.

A.J. Allmendinger is currently at the wheel of the  new Ligier JS P2 Honda.  Mike Shank wants to win with this car.  Oswaldo Negri Jr., John Pew, A.J. Allmendinger, and Mike Shank, love it.  Scott Pruett brought the #01 car into pit lane, and the nose was changed. 


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