It's the last hour of the 2015 Rolex 24. Jordan Taylor has just pitted. Scott Dixon has one more lap on this fuel load. The #10 car has finished runner-up in this race for the last two years. Jordan Taylor needs to get the tire temperatures up. Mike Hull on the radio, tells Dixon to pit. He does. They take the pit entry diagonally so the car can stop on a dime in the pit box. There will be tires on this pit stop. He's on a long run, and will complete just shy of four hours. Jordan Taylor, meanwhile, is caught in traffic.
Just two cars are on the lead lap. 707 laps completed. 2,517 miles. Jordan Taylor is going try and close up. Here's the acceleration on the back straight, onto the front, and through the tri oval. One hour now remaining, boys and girls. 87 degrees track temperature. Scott Dixon has a slight advantage on fuel. Run it out 'til 20 minutes to go. One way to play it right, because of new IMSA rules.
If it's a short yellow, the pits are closed. It's going to be wild. The top speed of the Ganassi car has not been apparent. If they want it, with the turbocharged Ford V6, they'll have to turn up the wick. Dixon slightly wobbles in the chicane. The #22 WeatherTech Porsche gets a splash and a dash. Less than 50 minutes remain now. When will the leaders pit for the crucial splash and dash before the end?
If a yellow comes out, BMW has made a move on Corvette. How bad does Wayne Taylor want a win? Ganassi will have to pit before 30 minutes to go. Taylor will also have to roll the dice. It's going to be a barn burner of a finish! The #3 Corvette will pit. It's too risky not to. The windshield is cleaned. The tires are changed. Good stop. If Dixon stays out a lap or two longer than the window, it's going to be real close between these top two.
The #10 team will have to take a gamble, maybe. The #5 car is the defending race champion, series champion, and North American Endurance Cup, champions. Whoever wins this one, will earn it, without a doubt. Sebastien Bourdais is 29 seconds behind. This is now a two horse race. Who gets to pit lane first? Traffic ahead... a GT Daytona car. #5 hits the pit lane. If a yellow comes out, these chaps are in the catbird seat.
Now, will the leaders pit? Partial fuel load for the #5. If the #10 came in, they would not get the win. They'd still finish, but be out of contention for the victory. Forty minutes to go now. Colin Braun and Tom Kimber-Smith are on the same lap in Prototype Challenge. The #10 pits. These chaps are praying for a yellow. Pit now, pit now, pit now! Fuel only. The #02 car will need a stop. Dixon locks up through turn six! Fortunately, he continues.
Here comes Dixon. Dixon is taking lots less fuel. Timed stop. 18 seconds of fuel for the #10. 15 seconds for the #02. Jordan Taylor slices to the outside to avoid traffic. Dixon also has traffic ahead. We still have 37 minutes. Of 53 teams that started, a number of them, added a fourth driver. The Taylor brothers, are running only three drivers. It's all to play for, folks. We're coming down to the wire!
The WTR Corvette has been good in cooler conditions. Ganassi is still pushing. Antonion Garcia is a lap up on Dirk Werner's BMW in GT Le Mans. Colin Braun continues to lead Prototype Challenge. These guys have done very well, winning Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Le Mans, last year. In GT Daytona, it's the SRT Riley Motorsports Viper. Jonathan Bomarito was the only driver from the old factory Viper program, that had a plan, after Chrysler axed their factory Viper program.
Kuno Wittmer has done very well, though. Philipp Eng will finish out the race in the #58 Dempsey/Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT America. Twenty eight minutes to go in this race. Chip Ganassi, Tony Kanaan, and Kyle Larson, looking on. 727 laps in the books. Things can still happen. Don't count your chickens until they hatch. Team manager at Ganassi, Mike Hull, says, good drivers make the difference.
In eight attempts, Ganassi has won the Rolex 24, five times. Jamie McMurray is going to win, and be in rarified company, with a Rolex 24 victory, and a Daytona 500 victory. Colin Braun, was leading the Protoype Challenge class, but, is now on fire. He crashed, hitting the wall on the back straight. This iis an oil fire, clearly. He had a 40 second lead over Tom Kimber-Smith in second place. Wow. Problems for the #60 Ligier Honda with Matt McMurry at the controls.
The #54 car had contact with another car. They needed a splash of fuel and were going to make a final pit stop. But, it didn't work too well. No second straight win for Core Autosport, as team owner Jon Bennett, just described. Bennett is eloquent in his statement. But, there's clearly a quiver in his voice. You just wanjt to cry when you are this close in a 24 hour race, and it all slips away. This is a "short" yellow, and the pits are closed.
Lots of tension in the Ganassi pit. More drama, as there is more cleanup. The green flag may come out soon. Ricky Taylor is suited up and ready. But, he should not have to get back in th car. They are going to make a driver change. He's committed to the pit-in. This is bizarre. There will be a driver change. Is Jordan Taylor up against the 14 hour limit? Sebastien Bourdais is now up to second.
Jordan Taylor will be all over Scott Dixon. But, Taylor will need to serve a penalty, for pitting while the pits are closed. There was resignation in the exchange. Jordan Taylor was actually on the time limit. Jordan Taylor was also confused. Can you believe it? Lights are out atop the safety car. There are lapped cars between Dixon, and the #5 Corvette in the hands of Sebastien Bourdais (for the defending champs from Action Express Racing).
Green flag! Here we go. This is a sprint to the finish. Can Sebastien Bourdais run down Scott Dixon. Both these guys are Indycar regulars. Dixon has been the class of the field since sunrise this morning. Bourdais has been in the car a long time, too. We have just six minutes left in this 24 hour contest. GT Le Mans is going to be close between Corvette and BMW, with their factory cars. A mistake by a driver in other classes, can really put the cat among the pigeons.
The #10 is back in the pit for their penalty. It's no longer their race. They are out of the picture. Houston, we have a problem. Now, this battle in GT Le Mans continues. Bourdais makes his way by car #31. Three minutes left. This is getting tight for GT Le Mans. Two laps to go. Check this out. The GT Le Mans battle is not over. A lap and a half remains. White flag, this time by. Tom Kimber-Smith leads Prototype Challenge.
White flag. One lap to go. Ganassi Racing is goiong to win, and complete 739 laps, 2,631 miles. Jamie McMurray, Tony Kanaan, Kyle Larson, and Scott Dixon, are going to win the Rolex 24! Final time through the chicane. Ganassi Racing is going to win, with Ford, at the Rolex 24! Antonio Garcia brings Corvette a win in the Rolex 24, in GT Le Mans. In GT Daytona, SRT Viper, wins with Dominik Farnbacher and company! That lineup of winners is Farnbacher, Ben Keating, Al Carter, Kuno Wittmer, and Cameron Lawrence.
Then, in Prototype Challenge, it is the #52 team with Tom Kimber-Smith takes it, for his team, along with Mike Guasch, Andrew Novich, and Andrew Palmer. Sixteen winners. But, many of them, all receive Rolex Chronograph watches, for the first time.
Overall/Prototype: #02 Dixon/McMurray/Larson/Kanaan Riley Ford EcoBoost
Prototype
Challenge: #52 Kimber-Smith/Guasch/Novich/Palmer
Oreca FLM 09 Chevrolet
GT Le Mans: #3 Garcia/Magnussen/Briscoe Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-
GT Daytona: #93 Keating/Farnbacher/Wittmer/Carter/Lawrence SRT Viper GTS-R-
Jordan Taylor is disappointed after not winning the race. They will have to try again, next year. We'll do this again, on March 21st at Sebring International Raceway, for the 12 Hours of Sebring. That's in seven weeks time, ladies and gentlemen, in mid-March. Yours truly, can't wait! So long for now, everyone.
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