We are getting down to the last quarter of this race. Sebastien Bourdais still leads this event. Scuderia Corse is running well in GT Daytona. Townsend Bell has lots of racing coming, between Indycars, and racing with Scuderia Corsa at Le Mans. The #5 Action Express Corvette is still in the lead of this race, overall. Don't set yourself into a forced error. Time is of the essence, with less than four hours to go. The #22 WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America, is in pit lane. The Porsche's have been quick in GT Daytona. But, the cars have had engine issues.
The #49 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia pits, with Enzo Potolicchio at the controls. Ryan Briscoe is pushing, and so is Mike Rockenfller as Mike Guasch pits the #52 Prototype Challenge car. Andrew Palmer takes over. The track is starting to rubber in. There are huge wads of rubber that build up in the prototype wheel well. Loads of junk is out on the road. Nick Tandy still leads GT Le Mans in the factory Porsche 911 RSR. Tandy has the prototype ride for Le Mans, because he's such a good driver. Sebastien Bourdais still leads, with the Ganassi car in hot pursuit.
The sun is sinking lower in the sky, as we follow the GT Le Mans cars. Both Pro and Sportsman drivers, (whatever comes after Prototype Challenge disappears), has to be accessible to sportsman drivers. LMP3 could be that category. Bourdais is on lap 234. 866 miles in. Now, CORE Autosport pitted, and was going to make a driver change. But, they left James Gue in the car. The factory GT LM Porsche's are going to pit soon.
Nick Tandy is now, in the lane. Tandy, out. Driver change. They couldn't get the tear off, off the windshield. Richard Lietz is in the car. #54 in Prototype Challenge, is running well. Bennett said that drive time is a big deal. A lot of math was being done. Jon Bennett, will be fine. Ryan Briscoe, will make a stop, soon. Ben Keating and Brandon Davis, run 1-2 in GT Daytona, with Jan Heylen third, and Cameron Lawrence in the #93 Viper. Andrew Davis, and Dion von Moltke, giving chase.
#4 pits, and #3 does too. Quick pit stop. Down and away. Professional stop, from the Corvette boys. They have a tilt wheel and a tilt on the instrument binnacle, to be more efficient. The #24 BMW Z4 GTE pits, and also, has issues, with the grille on the front of the car. Former Corvette driver Ron Fellows is at the track. Corvette has one great driver lineup. A powerhouse. Corvette Racing is a family. Especially, Pratt & Miller, with Gary and Robin Pratt. Fellows, Johnny O'Connell, and others, are still connected. Johnny O'Connell is in the Cadillac Pirelli World Challenge program.
Cars of old, were not as computer operated as they are now. No fly-by-wire or anything. The drivers get to drive, because of the automated systems, taking care of temperatures, fluids, and so forth. It's fewer distractions. You don't have to monitor oil or water pressure gauges. Some of the feel of the old cars, is lost. Rumor is, Sebastien Bourdais, could have some issues with the #5 leading Corvette Prototype. There could be a broken anti-roll bar in the suspension. Christian Fittipaldi says the team is not sure about that.
We watch the #98 GT Le Mans Aston Martin. Darren Turner, is at the controls. In GT Daytona, the top eight cars, are all on the lead lap. Sunset at Sebring, and it's a beauty. Sebastien Bourdais is still on track. But, Action Express readies for a pit stop. He's coming in now. The #90 car pitted. Christian Fittipaldi will take over the car. Tires are changed. Fuel is done, and he's underway. The #01 Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost, is pitting. But, Pruett, is a lap and a half or so down. Check that. Joey Hand, is at the controls of the #01.
Action Express, played their strategy perfectly. This is becoming a match race in the last three hours, chaps. Joey Hand also has a minute in hand over Max Angelelli in the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing car. Andrew Palmer, is also a lap up on James Gue in Prototype Challenge. In GTLM and GTD, there are mere seconds, between the top seven and top eight cars, in both classes. Holy smokes! We're headed into the last quarter of this race, or even, well into it, now.
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