Rolex 24: Hour 3

Jim Michaelian spins in one of the Porsche's as he almost clips the #33 SRT Viper of Sebastiaan Bleekemolen.  Corvette pits.  This is another standard stop for #3, with Antonio Garcia at the wheel.  Clean the windshield, with the glare, and also, with the darkness coming, in a few hours.  We are 45 minutes away from sunset, and, another full course yellow.  Jim Michaelian has stopped, losing drive in his Muehlner Motorsports America Porsche 911 GT America.

Michaelian, is the promoter of the Long Beach Grand Prix. Both the Ganassi cars are pitting.  But, #02 has a slow stop.  Lead change in the pit lane.  These two are going to battle all day.  The GT cars will pit next lap... followed by the wave by, and the green flag.  Lucas Luhr, the winningest driver in the old American Le Mans Series, is doing well in the BMW Z4 GTE.  Patron Honda knows they need to get more miles under their belt.  They are also going to do the FIA World Endurance Championship.

These boys are also doing the North American Endurance Cup (this race, Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Petit Le Mans).  The #1 HPD Honda Turbo pits.  David Heinemeier-Hanson is at the controls.  A year sgo, we saw a monster wreck between Memo Gidley and Ferrari.  Memo Gidley continues rehab, a year after that wreck.  Memo is feeling lots better, and he is not in as much pain.  It's still shocking to see the video of that crash.  Memo Gidley, does not remember the wreck.  It reminds him of the pain.

Time heals all wounds.  Memo Gidley had surgeries, and is still under rehabilitation, physical therapy etc.  We go back to green.  Many cars run wide.  Memo Gidley wants to be back in a race car.  He knows the risk, wants to get back, but, also, wants to be at full strength.  Gidley had his accident right at this point in the race, with the low sun in the sky.  The glare is a big deal.  Maybe the sun affected that accident.

Racer's enjoy speed, but also, camaraderie with fans, teams, drivers, and announcers.  Great battle on the high banks between Corvette and Falken Porsche.  Sage Karam in the #01 makes some amazing moves around GT cars.  Karam finished ninth at the Indianapolis 500 last year.  He is leading the Rolex 24 right now.  Patrick Pilet takes over the GT Le Mans lead in the #911 factory Porsche 911 RSR.

The Ferrari went wide, and, Giancarlo Fisichella, was passed.  Bruno Spengler is behind the wheel of the #25 BMW Z4 GTE.  Dirk Werner will take over.  Christina Nielsen has taken over from James Davison in the #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage.  Problems for the #11 RSR Racing Prototype Challenge car, which will go into the garage.  They've broken a valve in the motor.  Among the drivers, Bruno Junquiera, Jack Hawksworth, and Gustavo Menezez.  

GT Le Mans is hotly contested between Porsche, Corvette, and Ferrari.  The top seven in GT LM are from four makes, covered by a seven second blanket.  The night is long at Daytona.  It's a huge curveball thrown to the teams, and there's also thick fog that can come in.  The west end of Daytona International Speedway is being revamped.  There will be new views, and new concession stands, as well as new TV and radio media booths.

Next year, for the Rolex 24, it's going to be massive.  Oh!  Giancarlo Fisichella loops it in turn one in the Ferrari!  He is being chased by the Corvette, gets loose, fights it, goes off camber, and spins all the way around, into a runoff spot.  Many drivers wee added to the driver's strengths on some of the cars.  Guy Cosmo did not have a ride until this morning.  He is a free agent.  So, he is helping out VisitFlorida.com Racing, sharing with Mike Rockenfeller, Michael Valiante, and Richard Westbrook.

There has been another off track excursion.  It is easy to set tire pressures too low for cold air.  So, the first time on the tire, the sidewall and the carcass can be damaged.  In Thursday night practice, it was still warm, and early in the evening.  The #66 RG Racing Riley BMW has had some issues.  Shane Lewis, Mark Wilkins, David Cheng, and Robert Gewirtz, racing a car that was in the old Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, campaigned by Steve Southard.  The team, is housed in Southard's old shop. 

The #17 Falken Tire Porsche pits.  Wolf Henzler is back at the wheel.  Sage Karam and Jordan Taylor run 1-2.  WTR is second overall after their early problems.  The sun has gone down.  The track temperature has cooled from 90 degrees to 64 degrees.  The traction control systems are critical on cold tires.  Lots of teams have new cold tire throttle and traction maps, as Sage Karam almost didn't commit to the pit lane, and he has to slow down to 37 miles an hour by the cone on pit lane.

Time for fresh tires and fuel.  Karam will do a double stint, and will stay in the car as his eyes are adjusting to the light.  Risi pits and Giancarlo Fisichella exits the car, making way for one of his team mates.