The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and the legendary, Watkins Glen International Raceway, plays host, to the Tudor United Sports Car Championship, and the third of four rounds in the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup. Today, it is the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen. This race, has a fabulous history, as it used to be conducted on the public roads through the town of Watkins Glen, in it's early years, until this great race track itself, was built, in 1957.
Rain is in the forecast for today's race. That could really put the cat among the pigeons. The Tudor Championship, has something for everyone. Seventeen race wins, by fourteen teams. Nearly half of the competitors who raced at Le Mans, were members of the Tudor Championship. Watkins Glen has hosted so many races. This is also, the halfway point in the 2015 Tudor Championship season. We are at the foot of Seneca Lake, and at the birthplace of postwar American road racing. The first six hours was run in 1968. Qualifying was a total washout.
Cash bonuses will be given at halfway and at the end. Audi was beaten by Porsche, at Le Mans, two weeks ago. Earl Bamber ran the fastest race lap at Le Mans. They need that today to get Porsche on top at Watkins Glen. Is the Le Mans win, enough for the #4 Corvette to maintain momentum? Prototypes have been amazing this year. No repeat winners yet, and no repeat polesitters. The cars are on their warmup laps now. Max Papis will be the third driver for the #5 Corvette DP. The #90 car will have two drivers, with Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante.
Valiante is a little ill. Larbre Competition, from France, has loaned the factory team, a chassis. CORE Autosport is on top of the Prototype Challenge championship standings. They haven't won. But, they want to stay focused and be consistent. In GT Daytona, four different manufacturers are in the top five and the #48 Audi R8 LMS, as well as Aston Martin, Porsche, and Ferrari. It's going to be a wild race indeed.
The natural terrain, The Boot, and the esses are major sections on this course. We are green! Christian Fittipaldi leads. Here comes the GTLM field and the GTD cars. The weather here is really iffy. The blokes on slicks will be very difficult. Patrick Pilet leads GTLM. It's raining hard coming through the inner loop. Some guys are gambling, as we see Mario Farnbacher passing, down into The Boot. A spin for Bill Auberlen in the #25 BMW Z4 GT. Did Patrick Pilet also spin?
It's very slick in the grass off the racing surface. Auberlen lost it on his own. Christian Fittipaldi leads Dane Cameron, Richard Westbrook, and others. Memo Rojas is racing the Deltawing. They have a lighter chassis, but more durable parts in the motor. Auberlen's spin, in replay, as he's tiptoeing, he spins,a nd crash! The #912 Porsche, slams him. The #17 Falken Tires Porsche 911 RSR pits. Are you betting for dry and go stiff on suspension? Or, do you hope for rain, and soften the suspension?
Some of these boys are still on slicks. Kuno Wittmer is in the TRG Aston Martin, and we watch Madison Snow in the Porsche and Christopher Haase in the Audi, also in this fight. It's in the mid 60s, with humidity, and virtually no breeze. One of the Corvette's has spun. It's the #4 car of Oliver Gavin. These boys have had a two year dry spell, except for winning Le Mans two weeks ago. Gavin barely touches the throttle, in a straight line, on a wet patch between asphalt and concrete, and... thump. He hits the Armco.
Madison Snow has the GT Daytona lead currently. Snow, Haase, Wittmer. Kuno Wittmer, and Christina Nielsen, are teamed up. James Davison is racing for TRG in Pirelli World Challenge. Yours truly will update more PWC action, when possible. Racing began on the streets of the village of Watkins Glen in 1948. Watkins Glen is the only track to host every major form of motorsport. We see the rain growing heavier. But, the tires are beginning to get heat in the tires.
Dane Camron and Richard Westbrook are closing up. It's a six hour race, with tricky weather. Don't push too hard. But, there's lots of energy. No action yesterday. It's almost like being a dog. If the dog doesn't get a walk, he'll be antsy. Try and run the fuel out, and then check in when your scheduled pit stops come. Madison Snow and Mario Farnbacher in two Porsche 911 GT America's battle for the GT Daytona lead. There was a half hour dry warmup session this morning. The drivers haven't seen rain, all weekend.
One of the factory Corvette's is holding up this GT Daytona scrum. The GT LM car is faster on the straightaways. The #912 Porsche has a drive through penalty for passing under a local yellow. Earl Bamber is at the controls. Now, this is a mess! Race leader, in traffic, between Prototype Challenge and GTD cars. Everyone drives a different line, and then, another car comes up behind you and you have to check up. Madison Snow has dropped from first to third place. Christian Fittipaldi is clear on the road. But, some of these blokes, are not looking at their mirrors.
Fittipaldi, in traffic is running 1:57 laps. Joey Hand, with clear track in the #01 Ganassi Riley Ford, is running in the 1:51 range. Ganassi will run the new Ford GT effort, with four cars at Le Mans as well as two cars for the U.S. in Tudor Championship competition, and two more, racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia, pitted, for intermediate tires, with Pierre Kaffer at the controls. All classes bar GTLM, have Continental Tires. Continental, does not have anj intermediate tire, whereas, GT LM does because they have an open tire rule.
The #97 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 and the #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT America, have both pitted. We approach the half hour mark,. and the track is beginning to dry. The #5 car is sponsored by Hazlett Cider Tree Farm. It's made from apples, and cider yeast. Fittipaldi, has run a fast lap at 1:45.7. Patrick Pilet has put in a 1:52 in GT Le Mans. Ooh. Bruno Junquiera has spun in the #11 JDX Prototype Challenge machine. Ozz Negri Jr. makes a move into The Boot, and taps the PC car.
We have a full course yellow. Junquiera started from pit lane and was up to second in class. Junquiera is OK. But, he's stuck. They lost radio communication, in this wreck. This is a long race. We remain under yellow here at Watkins Glen. No action taken on this recent incident. We see pit stops. Westbrook and Cameron stay out. At the three hour mark, there will be bonus points for the North American Endurance Cup. Joey Hand pits for fuel only as does Christian Fittipaldi. Ricky Taylor picks up a place over Ozz Negri as well.
Prorotypes are on allowed to pit now. The GT cars will pit next time around. The GT class cars pitted. Fuel only for Corvette and BMW factory teams, as well as for the factory Porsche's. Action Express has split their strategies. We're back to green as Cameron looks inside Westbrook, with Connor Daly, headed to pit lane. Last year, the #90 car won this race over Alex Brundle, in dry conditions. The two leaders did not pit for fuel.
Everyone in the lead positions are on the same tires. The #22 Alex Job Racing Porsche has to take a drive through penalty. Conor Daly had taken the Prototype Challenge car to the lead. He's going for it, and he must have a chip on his shoulder. A great talent. A young jedi indeed. Ooh. Cameron wants by Westbrook, trying to commit to the inside line without getting squeezed, into The Boot. Oh no. The #85 Prototype Challenge car is spinning again. Mikhail Goikhberg, at the wheel, stepping up from IMSA Prototype Lights.
Bryce Miller is now at the wheel of the #48 car. Oh boy. The #38 Prototype Challenge car, spins, after the driver, was startled. This is the car Conor Daly is sharing, and the #31 Corvette got a piece of it. They can get the wheel changed if there's no damage. Cameron wass unseen by the #38. They've just closed pit lane, under full course yellow. This is an emergency stop, and you can only fix damage and the tire, and you cannot put fuel in the car.
That was a quick repair, fixing the bodywork, and replacing the tire and the broken wheel. Jerome Mee is Conor Daly's co-driver in the #38 that crashed.
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