Rolex 24: Hour 21

Here we go!  Action Express locks the brakes.  That's Christian Fittipaldi in the #5 Corvette Prototype, with the new C7 bodywork.  Two Chevrolet V8's vs. two Ford EcoBoost V6's.  Look at this monster gaggle of cars.  Oh no.  The Corvette #4 hits the PC car.  There's damage to the right front of one of the Corvette's!  That's the #4 machine!  It will need to be fixed.  Can they peel off the hood and right front corner?  Likely.

Tommy Milner was taken by surprise, not by a Prototype Challenge machine, but by the slower #66 RG Racing prototype.  They need to wait a few laps, to get into a fuel window, and will fix the damage, so they don't have to do an extra stop.  They've got the nose, and a lot of damage to the fenders.  Don't damage the bodywork fasteners either.  The Corvette's and one of the BMW's are 24 laps ahead of fourth place GT Le Mans runner, John Edwards, in the sister BMW.

Corvette Racing goes to work.  Shane van Gisbergen (Australian V8 Supercar star), is pushing, pressuring the Viper in GT Daytona.  We;ve got just three hours to go now.  Besides the other endurance races, the other races 2 hours and 45 minutes.  Well, we have fifteen minutes more, than a standard Tudor Championship sprint race, to go.  So, anything can happen here, folks.  It's going to be a close one.

Sage Karam is leading.  Now, we have Corvette still in pit lane.  Ooh.  Debris from the Corvette wreck!  Watch out!  The debris, is the headlight assembly.  Now, the #4 Corvette is four laps down.  So, they need a full course yellow, to catch up, and make up their lost laps.  Oh wow.  Sage Karam forces the issue on Christian Fittipaldi, and goes for second.  Go ahead, sunshine.  Use up the car.  Team manager Mike O'Gara is cheering Sage Karam on, saying, "go man, go!"

O'Gara took over, when Tim Keene left to join the Deltawing team.  In Prototype Challenge, the #54 car continues to dominate the class.  They are a lap ahead of the #16 car, with Martin Plowman at the controls.  Plowman has run sports cars, and Indycars.  Mark Wilkins is driving the #54 and will hand over to Colin Braun.  The #52 PR1/Mathiasen machine is third in class.  Andrew Palmer is driving.  So, three talented drivers are racing for Prototype Challenge honors, here, in the Rolex 24.  In fourth, it's Stephen Simpson.  But he's well behind.

Kuno Wittmer leads GT Daytona, after winning for the factory Viper team in GT Le Mans, last year.  He ran really well at Le Mans a couple years ago.  Kuno Wittmer is doing his best, looking to the future.  In third in GT Daytona, it's the #63 Ferrari 458 Italia, piloted by Jeff Segal.  Close battles in nearly every class, as we watch the last two hours and 49 minutes of this great race, unfold.  Dorsey Schroeder is running well in his first sports car race in some years.

His broadcast colleagues at Fox Sports, continue to cheer him on.  Racing drivers are able to focus, and they never blink.  We are now just under the length of a standard Tudor Championship event.  Meanwhile, Scott Dixon can't get by car #5, with Christian Fittipaldi at the controls.  Ooh.  Scott Dixon wiggles, and goes deep into turn six.  Now, they're back onto the straightaway.  The top four cars are covered by seven seconds or so.  Wow!  It's shaping up to be another very close Rolex 24.

Race leaders are going to pit soon.  Allan McNish is an ambassador for Audi, and a British television F1 commentator.  He waved the green flag for this race.  Car #10 pitted.  Can BMW hang on and win this race?  We'll see, as Fox Sports' Andrew Marriott interviews BMW'S Jens Marquardt.  The #02 is pitting, and Scott Dixon stays in the car.  Fuel, tires, and a fresh drink bottle for Dixon.  He's going for a monster stint, right to the end of the race.

Sage Karam is worrid that the clutch is slipping in the #01 car.  Hitting the curbs, can affect the drivelines in the cars.  Can Scott Dixon and company, win another Rolex?  Dixon has one, after winning nine years ago, in 2006.  Max Angelelli retakes the lead now.  We're working 656 laps (2,335 miles).  Sage Karam's issues continue.  Maybe the gearshift isn't working.  We've seen lots of transmission and traction control issues in this race.

Are the lower gears afecting the performance of the car?  Joey Hand is going to take over the car, as a pit stop is imminent.  Was Karam dabbing the clutch?  We'll see what happens.  The crew was ready, and they will do a service first.  Joey Hand is set to take over.  Lots of quick work for the Ganassi team.  There was a real miscue on the communication here.  These boys are going to lose time.  This will hurt Scott Pruett's chances of eclipsing the tie he has with Hurley Haywood, for Rolex 24 wins.

It is nice to see Hurley Haywood back at the track.  Now, Joey Hand takes the #01 car back on track.  Hurley Haywood has five overall wins, his first, for Nissan, in 1994.  Rumors are that Ganassi could change categories, and if they win, this yar, could be their last running at the Rolex 24.  Kevin Buckler and the #007 Aston Martin team are still running strong, carrying an onboard camera, for Fox Sports.

The #01 car continues to deal with a slipping clutch.  Joey Hand has to be very gentle with the throttle, treating it like there is an egg between his foot, and the pedal.  Kuno Wittmer pits, and is in the leading GT Daytona SRT Viper.  Dominik Farnbacher will take over the car, for the final stint.  Ditto for the #22 WeatherTech AJR Porsche.  Leh Keen hands the car over to Andrew Davis for the finish.  Keen and Davis, have shared cars in sports car racing before.

Second gear is becoming an issue for Joey Hand's car.  Max Angelelli is still in the race lead.  We are nearing the end of the 21st hour.  In five more laps, the #10 car will pit.  Jordan Taylor, will take it to the end of the race.