There's so much history at this track, and in this race. This is one of the great races in sports car racing. Racing it is. GT Daytona is a major war right now. Spencer Pumpelly, Marc Goossens, Christina Nielsen, and more. Christina Nielsen wanted inside Ian James, but had a Corvette in the way. Nielsen has passed Ian James for position, in class. Kuno Wittmer is a driver coach, in addition to being a driver himself. With the Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona classes, there are drivers at certain levels. Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The amateur drivers, are supposed to dat least 90 minutes.
Ben Keating gets loose, and thankfully, saved it. He's got junk on his tires. He ran at Le Mans and did well, a few weeks ago. There's damage on the front splitter of that Viper, clipping one of the signs on the infield sod. Scott Pruett is running well, and it's like old times, seeing Pruett racing Max Angelelli. Angelelli passes the GT Daytona Alex Job Racing cars. Ganassi Racing needs a result, badly.
The V6 engine in that car, will be racing at Le Mans, in the Ford GT, next year. Scott Pruett wants to be a part of it. He may not run full time much longer. But, he could do endurance racing. The #38 car spins again. James French now at the controls. Lap times are dipping down into the 1:39 range. Ben Keating pits, with overheating issues. Joey Hand tested the Ganassi car at Putnam Park, working on traction control. There's lots of grass, mud, silt, you name it, in the radiator.
There's flapping bodywork, and a burned out taillight on the #54 machine. It is military appreciation weekend, here, at Watkins Glen. James Gue is in the #54 car right now. Dirk Werner is now at the wheel of the #25 BMW Z4. They have the grip for both the dry and the wet. Lucas Luhr continues to drive the sister car. At the end of this hour, points will be awarded for the NAEC. The #16 team leads Prototype CHallenge for BAR1 Motorsports, with rookie Pro Mazda driver Daniel Burkett. This is a one off drive right now. But, he could continue in sports car racing.
Burkett is sharing with Matt McMurry. Are there problems for the #911 Porsche? Something is wrong with the steering. The car is getting tail happy, meaning, it wants to spin. Christina Nielsen has an engine miss in the Aston Martin. This is an endurance race. But, a smaller field started this one, than say at Daytona, or Sebring. 34 cars, took the green flag. An average of eight cars per class. At Watkins Glen, there are ten cars per every mile of race track.
Moments ago, another incident of contact. Nick Tandy tries holding the GTLM lead, and he tags James Gue in the Prototype Challenge car. Dirk Werner, in the BMW, goes to the front of the class. The pass is/was under review. John Pew turns fast lap at 1:41.6. IMSA COO Scott Atherton says that there is no contention with prototypes having their own bodies, but one engine. The GT LM class will be a subtle evolution, with new cars in GT Le Mans, as the GT Daytona class also goes to GT3 specification.
The cars will remain intact as they are. The 2016 schedule, will be the same as it was. With Prototype Challenge, it will continue for next year. But, what comes after that? LMP3? There will be a test session for the new Ginetta LMP3 machine, at Watkins Glen, tomorrow. No decision has been made yet. The new generation prototype and an LMP3 car, will be racing in 2017. We are at a point where worldwide sports car racing, is at a common spot, except for LMP1 in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Sports car racing has a level of relevance for hybrid technology, based on manufacturers technology, being linked to the road car. Race leader is in the lead. Tires and fuel for the car. No driver change. Scott Pruett stays in the car. Green flag pit stops continue. BMW will run the M6 in GT Daytona next year, and they may be able to race it, in GT Le Mans. But that remains to be seen. Alex Popow gets into the Starworks Prototype Challenge car. The Deltawing with Katherine Legge and Memo Rojas, is having their best race in some time, although, right now, is having some issues.
They may have a gearbox issue, as one of the BMW's is also in the lane. Dirk Werner stays in the car. CORE Autosport has as piece of the car hanging off of it. The #31 car also pits, with Eric Curran driving, and he will stay in the car. The toe in is knocked out, and the traction control isn't working. The #10 car pits and Jordan Taylor, takes over from Max Angelelli. John Edwards takes over from Lucas Luhr in the sister #24 BMW Z4 GT. Full service in the Corvette pit. Antonio Garcia takes over from Jan Magnussen.
The Deltawing was having issues with the gearbox actuator. The Deltawing is losing speed because it's a tad heavier. The #911 Porsche pits. Nick Tandy stays behind the wheel. Rusty Mitchell is now in the #85 Prototype Challenge car. This is a lengthy fuel stop, and maybe, the left front wheel was not bolted down properly. A lot more attention is being paid tow here tires are. John Edwards is off the road straight off, into the tire wall in The Boot.
That was strange. It was the chute, leading to The Boot. It's the fourth full course yellow, after Edwards spins and slams the Armco. The #60 car, pits. Ford will race two sets of GT race cars, next yeear, in America and Europe. Ford, Ganassi, and Michelin, will work together. The Ford GT's will test on the reference tire, and develop a tire, sepcifically, for the car. All of the podium finishers took a picture at the Michelin trailer.
We are under our fourth full course yellow, and fifteen minutes away, from the three hour mark. But, this is a short caution. We are back to green, as we're ten minutes away, from awarding the Patron Cup bonus points. Barbosa looks inside Jordan Taylor. Bryan Sellers makes up two spots in the Falken Tire Porsche in GTLM. The #25 is the sole remaining BMW RLL BMW Z4. Game over for #24. The #16 Prototype Challenge car still leads the class. Martin Plowman has taken over from Daniel Burkett, who was mentioned earlier.
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