Leinders, Marc VDS Part Ways

Breaking news!  This is shocking.  After winning the biggest GT race in the world, the Spa 24 Hours, just last weekend, Marc VDS Racing parts company with team boss, Bas Leinders.

http://sportscar365.com/gt/leinders-marc-vds-part-ways/

WATCH: Ford GT completes first shakedown test

A short video highlighting the first shakedown test for the new Ford GT that happened back in May, three weeks before the car was launched to the public.  Present at the test, were Ford Group Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for Ford Global Product Development, Raj Nair, and Ford Performance Director, Dave Pericak.

http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/video-ford-gt-racecar-test-073015

V8 Supercars confirms Bathurst 12 Hour Buyout

Some fans of GT racing, probably will not like this.  But, V8 Supercars, has confirmed a buyout of the Bathurst 12 Hours.  They still intend to keep the race, exclusively in a GT format.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/07/30/v8-supercars-confirms-bathurst-12-hour-buyout/

24 Hours of Spa race broadcast

The whole race broadcast (all five parts), have been posted to YouTube, folks.  Here are the links, to watch, and enjoy, the entire race, (including one, for Super Pole qualifying), as opposed to highlighted coverage that yours truly, wrote the race report from.

Super Pole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LWpHBMHKtw

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPph8_nIsks

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY5wQONgKwY

Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asbGU5Do9Yw

Part 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0yP-A01rGc

Part 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbx9NUZ7LTU

Northeast Grand Prix race broadcast

Check out the race broadcast, from the Tudor Championship Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, by following the link, HERE.

http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/2015-northeast-grand-prix-broadcast

Winner & highlights of the Tudor Championship Northeast Grand Prix

A "bull ring" is usually, a short oval, with high speeds and lots of contact.  In northwestern Connecticut, Lime Rock Park, in Connecticut, is the road racing equivalent of a short oval, and despite it's name, racing at Lime Rock Park, is by no means a "walk in the park" as they say.  In 1956, this track was mapped out along Salmon Creek in the Litchfield Hills.  More than 150 cars and drivers came to lap the new track, and it is one of the oldest, continually operated road racing venues.

Racing today at Lime Rock, are the Prototype Challenge, and GT Daytona cars.  We are ready for the Northeast Grand Prix, powered by BMW.  No grandstands at Lime Rock.  The grandstand, is the hillside next to the track.  Track owner, Skip Barber (a great racing driver, but no relation to yours truly, whatsoever), and his staff, are working on completing a $6 million upgrade, to the facilities at Lime Rock Park.  However, they have not changed the track, and it shouldn't be.  It's fast, and it's wild.  A roller coaster ride, for sure.

We've got a great range of driving talent in this race, from Indycar and sports car veteran, Bruno Junquiera, to a rookie in sports cars and Indycars, Connor Daly.  In GT Daytona, the cars are also the stars.  Lots of brands, and close competition.  Turner Motorsports had a wreck in practice in the #97 BMW Z4 GT, was very quick and over a second ahead of the rest of the field.  Four makes represented in the top five qualifying places in GT Daytona.  There are four teams, separated by four points, at the top of the standings table.

Paul Miller Racing's Audi leads WeatherTech Racing's Porsche, the Ferrari 458 Italia for Scuderia Corse, and the TRG/AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage.  So far this season, Alex Job Racing's Porsche and the Riley Motorsports SRT Viper, have combined, to win four races in 2015.  The Prototype Challenge machines are the fastest prototypes on the circuit.  All are identical, with their Oreca chassis' and Chevrolet V8 motors, with no traction control.  These guys are going to be dueling for the overall win today.

Jon Bennett and Colin Braun lead the championship, over Mike Guasch and Tom Kimber-Smith, after winning the most race TUSC round at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.  We also need to look out for the #85 JDC/Miller Motorsports car shared by Stephen Simpson and Mikhail Goikhberg.  Don't count out the #11 JDX machine of Chris Cumming and Bruno Junquiera, either.  Renger van der Zande for Starworks is not far behind either, and he is also, a two-time race winner this year.

The only real passing place on this course is into turn one, Big Bend.  That leads you to another left hander, and predominantly right hand corners, before the uphill, into and over the top of West Bend, down the downhill, and onto the Sam Posey straight, the front straight, named for legendary race driver and race broadcaster, Sam Posey.  In the old days, cars would have four wheels off the road in the corners.  When was the last time we saw two polesitters in a race, both from the country of South Africa?  We have them here, with Stephen Simpson in Prototype Challenge, and Dion von Moltke in GT Daytona.

We have lovely weather, and gorgeous New England vistas in every direction.  Enjoy the scenery, but watch the race, too.  As always, the start between the two classes, is split.  Here we go.  The Prototype Challenge cars, start first.  They are followed closely in formation, by the GTD machines.  It's go time at Lime Rock!  Stephen Simpson jumps into the lead over James French, and John Bennett gets hip checked by Chris Cumming.

Track position is a big deal at Lime Rock because of how small the track is.  We watch the GT Daytona cars, start.  Dion von Moltke leads from the class pole in the Audi R8 LMS.  Ben Keating tries battling back on the outside in the SRT Viper GTS-R-.  Two Porsche's are third and fourth (driven by Patrick Lindsey and Ian James, respectively), and Christina Nielsen in the Aston Martin, she is fifth in class.  This track is narrow, and has lots of direction changes.

They run through the chicane, going up the hill, one of the iconic places here at Lime Rock.  Lindsey wants by Keating.  Will the Porsche have the grunt to pass the big Viper?  No dice.  You cannot afford to stick your nose down the inside, through these high speed corners.  A dangerous maneuver, this early on in the race.  They plunge 52 feet down the downhill, and onto the Sam Posey straightaway, to complete lap one.  Posey has imprinted this track with his talents as a driver, and as an artist.

Dion von Moltke tries holding the lead.  It is not the best all around car.  It has it's strengths and weaknesses around the Lime Rock track.  Their problem will be starts and restarts, because the car has lower torque than they'd like.  They'll be better on long, green flag runs.  Ben Keating is intimidated by Lime Rock, having not driven here before.  But, the car (the SRT Viper) is running nicely.  Patrick Lindsey is trying his best to make a move on Keating.  He can't make it work a half a lap later.

Lindsey takes an interesting line, going wider into the corner, hitting the apex later.  Lindsey is really quick through the exit of the chicane on the uphill.  Keating has to be careful not to over drive the car into the corner, because it costs him track position and time.  Meanwhile, Christina Nielsen is going for it.  She wants to make a move on Ian James, in a battle between Aston Martin and Porsche.  It's really true here at Lime Rock, and is said all the time.  Catching is one thing.  Passing, is a totally different kettle of fish.

Remember, last year's GTLM champion, Kuno Wittmer, is Christina Nielsen's full-time team mate in the TRG Aston Martin.  James Davison will not drive for TRG AMR for the rest of the season.  James French is going for it, but he's considerably slower than our race leader, Stephen Simpson, at this moment.  We see these blokes running wide, but with no tire damage.  That's good and bad.  Good in the sense that the tires are holding up.  But, bad, because the debris could cause problems later on.

Oh, wow!  We have a pass in PC!  Mike Guasch makes an awesome move down the inside of Jon Bennett!  Guasch caught him by surprise.  Colin Braun told his team mate Jon Bennett, "sure, mate, you are a very clean driver.  But, in order for use to win this championship, I need you to take more risks with your driving."  We continue watching Dion von Moltke and Ben Keating, race each other.  Now, these boys, were separated by a mere nine thousandths of a second, during qualifying!  Yikes!  How close do you like it?  Right now, von Moltke leads the GT Daytona championship points, with team mate, Christopher Haase, who is also experienced, behind the wheel of these Audi R8's.

Don't run wide!  Someone put a wheel off.  The Armco barrier is very close to the track, here at Lime Rock, with little runoff room, except for a small patch of grass.  Just beyond that, is Salmon Creek, or as it is known in Dutch, as Salmon Kill.  A kill, (in Dutch), is a creek, water channel or riverbed.  Meanwhile, Patrick Lindsey is not in the thick of it with the Audi and the Viper for the GT Daytona lead.  Keep up with good, consistent performance, through the tire stint.  Also, these guys are getting good fuel mileage, this early in the race.

Drivers have to race for a full hour to obtain points in this race.  The Aston Martin is run with a compliant suspension system setup, to achieve good mechanical grip.  Whoops!  The #97 Turner Motorsports BMW Z4 GT has spun!  Michael Marsal is at the wheel, and he's looped the car.  Marsal took his turn on the whirlygig a number of times in qualifying, and crashed the car, leading the team to work overnight to repair it for the race.  Marsal has to keep the car on the lead lap, when he hands it over later, to Dane Cameron.  Here at Lime Rock, because the laps are so short, that's hard to do.

Marsal was bumped by the Prototype Challenge car of Jon Bennett.  What will the IMSA stewards have to say about that little dust up?  Marsal also got bonked by Chris Cumming going through a turn.  One car overshoots the chicane.  As long as they pull up to the top of the hill, gaining no advantage, they're fine.  No harm, no foul.  Again, the scenery around Lime Rock is very pretty, and there are many covered bridges, surrounding the area of Lakeville, Connecticut.  After the big wreck in practice, two crew members from Turner Motorsports, went to Auto Works body repair, and the staff at that shop, helped to fix the race car.

The car was hit in a bad place.  Is there a good place to hit in a race car?  In this fracas, the right rear corner, was the critical section.  The rear wing, has to be mounted, square, to the back of the car.  With a bent frame, this would have been impossible.  Get the car on a frame straightener, and make sure everything lines up, correctly.  Otherwise, there's no chance of the car being able to drive properly or safely.

The temperature is getting hotter, in northwestern Connecticut.  Meanwhile, Stephen Simpson, leading overall and in Prototype Challenge, is booking it.  His last lap average speed was at 105 miles an hour.  We have our first pit stop.  Full service for the #76 Compass 360 Racing Audi R8 LMS.  Pierre Kleinubing is getting in the car.  These guys will run four sprint races for the rest of the season.  They might race at Petit Le Mans.  But no word on that, yet.

Here's the breakdown of the drive time regulations in these Pro/Am classes.

• Each car must have a minimum of one Silver or Bronze rated driver.
• Silver/Bronze drivers are non professional.
• One Silver/Bronze driver must drive at least 60 minutes.

The silver and bronze rated drivers, are not professional drivers.  They don't make their living, from driving a race car.  Again, drive time of 60 minutes maximum, is critical.  It happens sometimes, that a driver will drive too short a stint, or drive their stint for too long, and either way, they lose out on gaining points.  James French runs in second place right now, a full 28 seconds behind race leader, Stephen Simpson.  Connor Daly will take over the car, a bit later on.

The team ran well last time out at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.  But, the engine went sour after a refueling stop.  Why?  Well, strange as it may seem, a drum of fuel they were using for the race, was contaminated.  Even though this is a sprint race, be careful.  Don't take unnecessary risks, making kamikaze moves down the inside or outside of your competitors.  If there is a yellow, and the field has to be reset, there's no benefit to try to gain a position you'll ultimately lose.

The driver rankings are not based on experience, necessarily.  You have young drivers who could be gold or silver rated, and older drivers, who cannot go above a silver rating, because of their age.  Case in point, the great Swedish sports car and former Indycar and Formula One star, Stefan Johansson.  Mikhail Goikhberg is preparing to take over the leading car, from Stephen Simpson, soon.  Simpson is doing a wonderful job, so far.  Goikhberg, is used to winning.  He won in the L1 category of the IMSA Prototype Lights division, last year, with nine wins, and six poles.

CORE Autosport is doing well.  But they are not used to being in this spot.  They swept nearly everything last year, including the North American Endurance Cup.  They also won in the Prototype Challenge division in the old American Le Mans Series, before the merger to form the Tudor Championship.  These drivers are lapping this speedway in 51 seconds.  Cloud cover is diminishing the effect of hot temperatures on this summer Sunday in Connecticut.

In the GT Daytona class, Dion von Moltke continues to lead.  It seems that von Moltke has increased his lead, as it's up to four seconds.  Ben Keating and Christina Nielsen are 1-2 in GT Daytona.  You can gain time, in the second half of your stint, if you drive smart in the first half, in one of these big, powerful, front engined GT racers.  Christina Nielsen has not passed Ben Keating.  But, she's running at least a half a second quicker than he is, right now.

We are fast approaching the one hour mark in this race, and expecting pit stops for all the usual service, including fuel, tire changes, and driver changes.  Stephen Simpson is doing double duty, racing in Tudor Championship and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition, at Lime Rock Park.  He is one of two, making that decision.  The other is, Spencer Pumpelly.  You will see the broadcast not only of this race, but also, the CTSCC race, in a link from the IMSA webpage on this blog, when it becomes available.  So, stay tuned.

Spencer Pumpelly, is sharing the #73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT America, with Patrick Lindsey.  Everyone is getting into a rhythm, and also running clean laps.  The Children's Tumor Foundation, is a charity that many of the racers support in Tudor Championship competition.  Many of the kids who have received help from that foundation, are here, at the race, this weekend.  Mike Guasch and Tom Kimber-Smith, run fourth.  Guasch, is in the car, as Kimber-Smith, will take over, on the next pit stop, in a few laps.

Racing legend, commentator, and Fox Sports broadcast team colleague, Sam Posey, lives not far from Lime Rock Park, with his wife, Ellen.  Lime Rock has been a part of Sam's racing career, and his career as a visual artist.  He is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and has designed buildings for this track, and approves of the changes recently made to the track for sight lines and vantage points.

The race leader is in pit lane, car #85.  This team can do a driver change, if they choose as Mikhail Goikhberg, and Stephen Simpson, are both, silver rated.  Stephen Simpson will stay in the car, for a double stint.  Everyone else is in a fuel save mode.  They have to hit 60 minutes, three minutes from now.  So far, the race has gone smoothly.  But, of course, I should watch out, for the dreaded, commentators curse upon saying that.

The beauty of LRP is that incidents are smaller.  Handling seems to be going away on some of the PC cars.  Mike Guasch wanted to get out of the car, and so did Mirco Shultis.  But, they have to make an hour, because the Gold driver, who takes over, will have to have more pace.  James French has taken over the race lead.  But, moments ago, Ben Keating in the Viper dropped wheels off into the dirt on the front straight, and, zing!  Christina Nielsen goes right by.

Drivers have to get used to different cars, and if you adjust it too far, the car won't handle to your liking.  Patrick Lindsey wants to race Dion von Moltke. von Moltke has caught some of the other GT Daytona drivers who do not want to lose a lap.  Cooper MacNeil is also in the thick of this scrap in GT Daytona.  We've just passed the hour mark of this race.  If you pit, and then there's a yellow flag, you might be in good shape.  Prototype Challenge cars have already hit pit lane.

Pit lane is busy as we see the #38 and #11 cars in, from first and second in the overall.  Conor Daly takes over car #38 and Bruno Junquiera does likewise in #11.  These are the most important pit stops for a Prototype Challenge team, all season, because, again, the lap at Lime Rock is so short.  Everything must be perfect.  Fuel and tires for car #38.  Great pit work by the team.  Car #11 also has a decent stop, getting away a few seconds later.  The #54 car completed an extra lap, and is now pitting.

But Mirco Shultis in car #8 was slowing on the race course.  This was because he had to make sure he had driven the car, for a full hour before entering the lane.  Same for car #52.  More trouble for the #8.  Renger van der Zande got in the car.  But, left, with the fuel rig hooked to the car, separating the probe and the hose, causing a fuel spill.  Meanwhile, GT Daytona contenders now pit.  Andy Lally takes over driving the #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT America, from John Potter.  These guys have been more competitive at Lime Rock than they thought they would be, going into the weekend.

The #63 Ferrari 458 Italia also pitted, and Bill Sweedler handed the driving chores, to Townsend Bell.  The rules say you have to qualify with your starting driver.  Therefore, if you elect to start your silver rated driver, they qualify the car.  Now, the pro drivers get their shot behind the wheel.  This will be a great scrap between Townsend Bell and Andy Lally.  With the fuel spill, the #8 car will have to serve a drive through penalty.  More action in pit lane as the #007 Aston Martin comes in for routine service.

Christina Nielsen pits from the class lead.  There's a driver change and Kuno Wittmer, takes over.  The #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America is also pitting.  Busy, busy times on pit road here at Lime Rock Park.  New tires and fuel, as Ian James steps out of the car.  Mario Farnbacher will begin his driving stint, now.  We have problems for car #85 who has been leading this race!  Running slow on the track, is Stephen Simpson!  If anyone has not pitted, they need to now.  This could produce a full course yellow flag.

If the yellow flies, pit lane, is closed.  What a shame!  Simpson and Goikhberg were going for it and cruising, for the first third or so of this race!  Fox Sports' Bob Varsha asks, "how do you go from that kind of pace, to nothing?"  Good question.  The #97 Turner Motorsports BMW Z4 pits now.  Michael Marsal made it to pit lane and handed over to Dane Cameron.  We are officially under a full course caution, now.  The yellow has concluded.  Conor Daly will lead this field back to green.  We have our storyline for this race.  Youth and enthusiasm vs. age and experience.  It's Conor Daly vs. Bruno Junquiera.

It's close as the two cars sweep into Big Bend.  These evenly matched, identically prepared Prototype Challenge cars, make it all about driver skill.  Bruno Junquiera is the third car in line behind another lapped Prototype Challenge racer.  On the restart, a hairy moment in GTD.  Townsend Bell is slow to get away, and moves over on Andy Lally in the #44 Porsche.  Ker-runch!  Contact was made between the two.  Thus, the door comes off the car!  It's gone.  Major damage, to both of these automobiles as Lally limps into pit lane.

There's fender rub on the left front, and the door, is laying out in the grass next to the track.  They both went left at the same time, and of course, two into one corner, doesn't work.  This is the net result.  The stop for Lally was quicker than anticipated, to maybe just pull bodywork away from a tire.  The only damage to #44 was the right front tire.  Bruno Junquiera is second overall and third in line behind the lapped car of Renger van der Zande, who is trying to get his lap back.  Townsend Bell asks his pit crew to check the car, and is very cool about it.  He's OK driving the car, sans the door.  But what will the IMSA stewards have to say about that?

We've got a fair fight at the front.  Conor Daly, Renger van der Zande, and Bruno Junquiera.  van der Zande is pushing, and wants to get back on the lead lap.  Conor also has to defend, because we're coming up on silly season, and drivers want to keep their spots on their teams, for the 2016 season.  The #16 Prototype Challenge car is parked in pit lane, with Sean Rayhall at the controls.  Rayhall brought the car to the pits for a stop and hold penalty, for an improper wave by under the full course yellow.

If you are trapped, between your class leader, and the safety car, you can get a wave by.  But, the team took one when they weren't permitted to.  Therefore, Rayhall must visit, the sin bin.  A minute and forty second hold, may not seem like much.  But, at a small track like Lime Rock, it's big.  He'll lose loads of time.  Spencer Pumpelly in the #73 Porsche 911 GT America, chases Kuno Wittmer in the #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage.  Townsend Bell brings the #63 Ferrari back to pit lane, after losing the driver's side door.

IMSA marshals said, "guys, you need to replace the door."  But, are the hinges or the latch damaged?  Will the door, stay on the car?  The lower mounting hinge, is bent down, and away.  This could give the team trouble, trying to safely reattach that driver's door.  Time for the shipyard screwdriver to come out.  Remember what that is, from the Spa 24 highlights?  Simple.  It's a hammer.  Starworks team boss, Peter Baron, is unhappy with Connor Daly blocking Renger van der Zande, so, he says to van der Zande on the radio, "hit him, if you have to."

More issues for the #63.  The IMSA rules state a side view mirror needs to be bolted to the door.  If the car has lost the mirror, it could set them back farther down the order, having to fix it on the next regular pit stop.  It brings tears to the eyes of car fanatics like yours truly, to see a beautiful Ferrari, abused that way.  Don't forget that in GT Daytona, we are dealing with some of the best GT drivers in the world.  Real wheel men, and women, who know how to drive racing cars.  Audi factory driver Christopher Haase, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Kuno Wittmer, Spencer Pumpelly, Mario Farnbacher, Andy Lally, Dane Cameron, Leh Keen, Pierre Kleinubing, Townsend Bell.  There are some greats, in that group.

Even though there was also the 24 Hours of Spa, many drivers who could have gone to Europe to race, elected to stay at Lime Rock, and stay committed to the Tudor United Sports Car Championship.  It is nice to see the natural order of the GT Daytona machines, racing with the Prototype Challenge cars.  Dane Cameron has set the fastest lap of this race in GT Daytona, as Connor Daly, leads overall, at the halfway point in this event.  One hour, twenty minutes, into a two hour and forty minute race.

Dane Cameron is a lap down.  Everyone got a wave by.  Ben Keating stayed on course, and then pitted.  The new leader was Christopher Haase, and everyone in front of Haase, was trapped by the safety car other than car #97.  Dane Cameron, had to wait and has gone a lap down.  Meanwhile, the thrash continues to fix the door on car #63.  This is major surgery on the Ferrari, as bits of glass from having to take the window out, have to be pried away.

Now, we are under our second full course caution of this race, at the Northeast Grand Prix.  Both of our class leaders have been taken out of this race!  How about that?  Christopher Haase gets clipped by Conor Daly, who was still chasing down Renger van der Zande.  Daly bobbles, and Hasse runs into him, and off they go into the grass on the exit of the Downhill.  Renger van der Zande wanted to get back on the lead lap, saw an opening, went down the inside of Haase, and not enough room, before, ker-runch!  Daly noses it into the tire barriers.

Hasse and Daly are right together, can't separate before hitting the wall, and Haase has an equally solid impact with the tires, in the Audi R8 LMS.  From what Haase saw, you would not think two Prototype Challenge cars, would make the same move, so late into the apex of the corner.  Actually, beyond the apex, to the exit.  Connor Daly was 7/8ths of the way by when he was clipped by the Audi.  The good news is, both drivers are OK, after this incident.  Daly lifted, and then, hit the gas again, so there was not a good flow, going into the corner.

Let go of the steering wheel, when you crash, otherwise, you risk losing your hands, and forearms.  We look at some news and notes from IMSA.  First, the 2016 schedule, should be announced, by the next race, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Also, the $6 million upgrade to Lime Rock Park, where this race is of course, taking place, should be completed, by 2017.  Track owner Skip Barber (no relation to yours truly), explains what they will do.

The paddock for the race cars, has been fixed.  They have been paved, and enlarged.  The drainage issues have been solved.  The paddock used to flood in the rain.  The sight lines are improved.  No grandstands were built.  Hills, were modified.  New trees were planted.  Old ones, blocking the sight lines, were cut down.  In 2017, Lime Rock Park will celebrate it's 60th anniversary.  The track is the same, despite moving all the dirt to improve the hillsides for the spectators.  We're back to green, now, with less than an hour remaining in the race!

Bruno Junquiera leads Tom Kimber-Smith, and Colin Braun.  GT Daytona is led by the #33 SRT Viper of Jeroen Bleekemolen.  Colin Braun is third in the queue, but is a lap down.  He has to push, to get back on the lead lap, to have a chance at the win.  He makes a beautiful diving move inside of Tom Kimber-Smith.  But, Stephen Simpson in car #85, has other ideas, and wants to overtake Braun.  Simpson is several laps down, when a circuit breaker, stopped the Chevrolet V8 engine in the back of that car.

Bruno Junquiera is five laps up on Stephen Simpson.  You have to rely on race pace and as a driver you can't keep a driver behind forever, who is quick.  Kuno Wittmer pits the #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage for tires and fuel.  The #73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT America also pitted, only for left side tires.  Same story, for the #44 Porsche from Magnus Racing.  Drivers have been told on many race weekends by the stewards, the faster cars cannot abuse the slower cars and just muscle their way through to make a pass.

The #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche pits.  Dane Cameron in the #97 Turner Motorsports BMW Z4 GT is second on the road to the #33 SRT Viper of Jeroen Bleekemolen.  Most GT Daytona teams are inside their fuel window, even though the Viper, with it's V10 motor, is thirstier, than the BMW's Porsche's or Audi's.  All that will be needed for Bleekemolen, is a splash and dash.  Does Bleekemolen have clear race track?  Can he run fast, consistent laps?  Park Place has made their last pit stop.  They have to fight for it.

Tom Kimber-Smith is hounding Bruno Junquiera for position.  The Prototype Challenge battle is not down to strategy.  It's down to pure racing.  The #33 car is in the lane.  Only left side tires are going on the car.  The fuel is in, and Jeroen Bleekemolen stays in the car, taking it to the finish.  Two of the new tires, are still hot.  Bleekemolen left slowly, but had to rev the motor, otherwise, if he didn't the car would stall.  Two great battles for the overall are happening.  Bruno Junquiera and Tom Kimber-Smith, and, the duo of Renger van der Zande, and Colin Braun.

van der Zande is on the lead lap again, and is in a podium position right now.  Braun will have to do one more stop, to refine the balance, by adjusting air pressure on the tires.  Conor Daly says he was trying to keep the overall lead, and was blocked by the Audi into the corner before West Bend.  Renger van der Zande got a run, and that was fine.  Daly cleared the Audi of Haase, and turned the corner, before Haase ran into the left rear.  80% of the car had gone by.

Turner Motorsports team boss, Will Turner, says that they cannot make it on fuel, will be three to four laps short of the end, and that they are hoping for one more yellow flag.  That call is debatable, because there's time for Dane Cameron to come in, get serviced, and come out of pit lane in enough time, for him to take the fight to Jeroen Bleekemolen in the class leading Viper.  If you do a splash and dash, you will lose the advantage, that was built up.

Recall that both Bleekemolen, and Mario Farnbacher in the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche, have already pitted.  Mikhail Goikhberg has taken over the #85 car from Stephen Simpson, running sixth overall.  Simpson says he'll stay with the team, but he might not be back in the driver's seat of car #85 for the rest of this season.  Dane Cameron does not have enough fuel, and he might be overtaken by the Viper and/or the two Porsche's that are chasing him down.  If you keep your driver on track, and a yellow comes, and you don't need that splash of gas, then, the other blokes around you have fresher tires.  That will put the cat among the pigeons, and you'll still have to fight for it before the end.

The gap has stayed consistent between Cameron, Bleekemolen, and Farnbacher.  The true scrap, the true battle for position, is between Mario Farnbacher, and Spencer Pumpelly.  The two Porsche's behave the same on handling, and on tire wear.  Dane Cameron has gone by the #22 WeatherTech Porsche.  Pierre Kleinubing is still giving it a good ride, for the #76 Compass360 Racing Audi R8 LMS.  Team Technical Director, Ray Lee, is optimistic.  The #8 car for Starworks, pits.  Car #52 is also planning out a stop, a final one, for fuel and tires, when the pace begins to drop off on that car.

Match the fueling to the tire change.  A full fuel load, is unnecessary at this point in the race.  We see Tom Kimber-Smith take the lead away from Bruno Junquiera.  Colin Braun moves into third in the overall.  Turner Motorsports, according to their team manager, can go 67 minutes, on fuel.  Correction.  Colin Braun is fourth in the overall.  These laps go by so quickly!  It's been 50 ot 60 laps since the last pit stops.  So the engineer's brains are probably exploding, and smoke is coming from their ears as they try to calculate the fuel mileage!  Gah!

Fuel mileage affects every aspect of this event, whether it's pit lane delta, or anything else.  Bruno Junquiera will pit, this time by.  #11 is in the lane, getting a fresh drink bottle.  He will get three tires.  The rears and the left front.  Trouble on the left rear.  We have just over a half hour left in the Northeast Grand Prix, Powered By BMW.  Bruno Junquiera has done a good outlap to take advantage of Tom Kimber-Smith having two cold tires.  He's had three Le Mans class wins.  The #73 pitted, but the team was not ready.

They did not need fuel.  They had a cut tire.  Bruno Junquiera goes in deep in the uphill turn, climbing the hill, on the grass.  Renger van der Zande is still third, despite being a lap down.  A wheel locked up on the #11, and Junquiera had the presence of mind to just glide across the grass and minimize the possible damage.  Spencer Pumpelly had given his team notice he was pitting, literally five seconds before his stop occurred.

Ben Keating mentioned that ViperExchange.com Racing has their sister #93 car at the track.  But, they are only racing car #33, and not both.  You can set the car up at Lime Rock, almost like an oval, because there's just one left hand turn, and you'll give it up for the other 90% of the race track.  Stand the tires up on one side of the car and maximize the grip available in right hand turns, to improve lap times.  The #23 AJR Porsche continues to run well.  They are sponsored by the Seattle Children's Hospital, and Don and Donna Kitch, raising money for cardiac awareness for young kids.  That effort has been successful, for many, many years, in sports car racing now.

We are getting close to the finish.  Just about 22 minutes remain.  Dane Cameron continues to lead GT Daytona.  However, the question mark hanging over the team, is fuel.  The tires are also going to be long in the tooth, and absolutely knackered.  Dane Cameron has a 16 second advantage over Jeroen Bleekemolen who remains second in class.  Turnet Motorsports called Dane Cameron on the radio, having him switch to the reserve fuel pump in the car, just to test it.

Without another yellow flag, it's going to be close for the blokes at Turner Motorsports, on their fuel.  Kuno Wittmer is solidly third in GT Daytona with the #007 TRG AMR Aston Martin.  This car, has an awesome engine note.  Kuno Wittmer is a great fit for the team, and when this race ends, Christina Nielsen will very likely leapfrog Leh Keen and Cooper MacNeil, moving to second in the GT Daytona driver's standings.  There would be only a five point gap between her, and the leading duo of Dion von Moltke and Christopher Haase, who are out of this event, after the earlier wreck.

More possible fuel issues for car #97.  The team may be shy by four or five gallons of gas.  Jeroen Bleekemolen could be a tenth faster than Dane Cameron.  But, if the tires drop off a second a lap, that could change things in a more dramatic fashion.  Bruno Junquiera in the #11 PC car, makes contact with the GTD Alex Job Porsche #22.  That was a stout shot.  A fair thud.  Car #11 emerges unscathed.  As for the #22 Porsche, there are no issues from the incident.  But, the handling and brakes, have been a major issue around Lime Rock Park.

Dane Cameron is leaned out on fuel to try and save what petrol is left, which also costs lap time.  Unfortunately, it's a catch 22.  That's because you cannot drive great lap times, and try to save fuel, simultaneously.  It won't work.  Can Cameron run these last 20 laps?  That's about how many laps can be accomplished around Lime Rock, in the time remaining.  20 laps, 30 and a half miles.  Andy Lally, meanwhile, is giving Mario Farnbacher, all he can handle, and turning up the pressure.  Everyone is running very close to their fastest lap of the race.

The tire performance (with all cars in all classes using Continental Tires), is remarkable, because of all the lap times being so consistent, and so close.  Dion von Moltke ran a pole winning qualifying lap of 54 seconds flat.  54.004, in the Audi.  Dane Cameron is running faster in the BMW, with a 53 second lap.  He could be lifting slightly.  Cameron lets one of the Prototype Challenge machines by. 

In the end, Tom Kimber-Smith has won the Northeast Grand Prix in the overall and the Prototype Challenge class!  Kimber-Smith, and Mike Guasch, are victorious!  In GT Daytona, Dane Cameron and Michael Marsal, hold on for the class victory!

Overall/Prototype Challenge: #52 Kimber-Smith/Guasch     Oreca FLM Chevrolet

             GT Daytona: #97 Cameron/Marsal                           BMW Z4 GT

With his victory, Dane Cameron ties Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia for the most wins in Tudor Championship competition, with six.  We have a mere four races left to go in the 2015 Tudor United Sports Car Championship season.  The next one, is in less than two weeks, at the great, four mile Road America circuit, another legendary, historic track, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  It's the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase, featuring all four classes in Tudor Championship competition.  That race is slated to be run in just over a week's time.

So long for now, from Lime Rock, Connecticut.
   

Post race from Spa

Here are a couple of post race articles from the Spa 24 Hours, via Sportscar365.

Spa Post-Race Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/spa-post-race-notebook-2/

...and

24H Spa Content Recap
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/24h-spa-content-recap/

Winner & highlights of the Spa 24 Hours

The Blancpain Endurance Series, has reached, their crown jewel event.  It's the Spa 24 Hours, and all the action, is coming your way, next, in a condensed, highlights essay.  Check it out.

A highlight of the season is the 24 Hours of Spa.  This promises to be an awesome race.  Over 200 drivers are here, to battle.

Welcome to a soggy Spa.  We're ready to race, but, in the rain.  It's going to begin in very challenging conditions.  A regular feature is the driver's parade into Spa itself.  Drivers and mechanics can drive their GT3 machines, on the road.  The cars rumbled into town for the driver's briefing.  The fans in Belgium, love these cars and the drivers.  Maxime Martin is one of the heroes, and so is Alex Zanardi.  He has also demonstrated his hand bike.

This is the ultimate race for GT cars.  It's the ultimate challenge.  It's a special thing.  The kids really love the cars and drivers, too.  How many series are there where you see all thse great cars, and amazing racing action?  Through Blanchimont, am I lifting, or am I not?  Push, but don't make any mistakes.  Every lap is a challenge in this race.  In the bright of day, or dark of night.  There's entertainment, and food, for the fans, too, in addition to the racing.

We're ready for a start.  Six car brands were within a few seconds of each other in qualifying.  The rain is getting heavier.  The circuit is wet!  Go!  McLaren's run 1-2.  Kevin Estre ahead of Alvaro Parente, as we power uphill to Eau Rouge, in the wet!  Frank Stippler got caught out at the start.  Can Frank Stippler move to the front?  Look for visibility, too.  Whoa!  Frederic Vervisch in the #75 Audi R8 LMS is off the road!  He will continue.  But, talk about exasperation.

He may get a penalty for that collision.  Some of the bodywork, came off.  Vervisch, the native Belgian, is sharing the #75 ISR Audi R8 LMS Ultra with Czech driver Filip Salaquarda and Italian Audi factory driver, Marco Bonanomi.  One car, the Nissan GT-R of Olivier Pla, is in pit lane, as we complete a lap.  This is the #22 Pro Am Cup Nissan GT Academy Team RJN Nissan GT-R shared by Pla, the endurance racing veteran, Germany's Florian Strauss, and rookie drivers, Gaetan Paletou of France, and Ricardo Sanchez, of Mexico, both graduates of the Nissan GT Academy where racers who are good on video games, get to drive the real race car.

The timing line is on a different side of the track, and not on the front straight.  Maxime Martin is going for it, but he slides wide in La Source.  Lucas Luhr is trying against the Bentley of Guy Smith.  They fly to Les Combes, as Kevin Estre leads.  Rene Rast is the starting driver in the #1 Audi R8 LMS, passing team mate, Frank Stippler in car #2.  He passes Rast back, into Brussels corner.  Stippler goes back ahead.  Stippler shares the #2 Belgian Audi Club WRT entry with Nico Muller, and the veteran, and former winner of this race, and Le Mans, Stephane Ortelli.

Rast is sharing the lead WRT Audi, meanwhile, with Laurens Vanthoor and Markus Winkelhock.   
 Don't take your team mate out, as the two Von Ryan McLaren's lead.  Kevin Estre ahead of Alvaro Parente.  Von Ryan's lineups in their McLaren's look like this.  Estre is sharing car #58 with Rob Bell, from England (a veteran GT driver), and the rapid, former V8 Supercar racer, Kiwi, Shane van Gisbergen.  Kiwi, is in reference to his homeland, of New Zealand.   

Rene Rast passes Frank Stippler.  Rast can take a normal line, even in the rain.  We see Lucas Luhr being hounded by Mike Parisy in the #84 Bentley Continental GT3.  Lucas Luhr might lose another spot.  Yes, he does.  Has he got an issue?  Now, Lucas Luhr, is the leading driver in the sister Marc VDS BMW Z4 GT (#46) with Dutchman Nick Catsburg, and the rapid Finn, Markus Palttala, who we've also seen in Tudor Championship competition.   

Luhr lost two spots in a lap, as the Gilles Duqueine driven Ferrari, has crashed.  Gilles, is a driver, with a disability, who needs help out of the car, like Alex Zanardi does.  It's good to see race car driving, becoming an accessible sport.  Big impact into Les Combes, and ker-runch!  Right into the wall.  Duqueine, of France, and co-drivers (countrymen), Romain Brandela and Eric Clement, along with Belgium's Bernhard Delhez, are out of it.  Game over, very early on, which you never want to see in a 24 hour race.  It'll be an early dinner and hitting the sack, for these blokes, tonight.  

We resume this race in the middle of the first hour.  Rene Rast, is trying his best, as Kevin Estre and Alvaro Parente battle.  Estre runs wide!  He's leading, and Parente wants it.  The top three are up the road.  Rene Rast is trying Alvaro Parente, and makes a clean pass into the Bus Stop.  One thing you don't want, is to take out your team mate.  So, the Von Ryan Racing McLaren's are both at the sharp end.  It's Estre in the #58 driving with Shane van Gisbergen and Rob Bell.  Joining Parente in car #59 are British rookie Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, and nephew of the late Ayrton Senna, Bruno Senna, who has run F1, and sports cars, but seems to have found a home in endurance sports cars.

Ooh!  The Boutsen Ginion BMW Z4 GT of Karim Ojjeh, has crashed, in Les Combes, just where Gilles Duquesne crashed a half an hour ago!  This is car #15 in Pro Am Cup.  Ojjeh, from Saudi Arabia, is sharing this car, with Dutchman Olivier Grotz, Jordan Grogor from South Africa (a regular Blancpain Endurance Series competitor), and German, Werner Hamprecht.  Pit stop time towards the end of the first hour.  Kevin Estre and Rene Rast are being held at the end of pit lane.  They are going to lose the advantage under the first safety car.

This is the second one, and they will lose half a lap.  The regulations say you have to be in the queue before you can be released back onto the track.  When the light turns green, floor it, and exit the pit lane.  Timo Glock comes into the pits, as darkness falls.  The #9 BMW Z4 GT will see Alex Zanardi coming into the car.  He is being helped into the car.  He has a special steering wheel, with hand controls.  He is doing up the belts, and is going to race his stint.  More than likely, his co-drivers have already taken their first shifts.  Formula One and DTM veteran, Timo Glock, of Germany, and Canada's Bruno Spengler.  Spengler and Glock, both race for BMW Team MTEK in DTM. 

It's twilight at Spa.  He is on a wet road, at twilight, and it's getting dark.  So, Alex Zanardi needs to be careful.  He's a veteran, and will drive a clean stint.  Ooh.  Two cars have come to grief at La Source.  The #29 Mercedes of Adam Christodoulou, spins, and the #11 Ferrari 458 Italia, spins in avoidance.  Christodoulou is driving this car, for Black Falcon... a Mercedes SLS AMG GT3, in the Pro Cup.  He is sharing with Nico Verdonck of Belgium, and Sweden's Andreas Simonsen.  The #11 is the first of two Kessel Racing Ferrari 458's, and entered in Pro Am Cup, for Michael Broniszewski, of Monaco, Brit, Michael Lyons, and Italian's Andrea Piccini, and Alessandro Bonacini.

The safety car is deployed, on the road.  This is our sixth safety car, as the #21 Mercedes SLS GT3 is in the pits, without the door.  So, it's kind of a double whammy, for Black Falcon.  This is their second Pro Cup entry, shared by sports car racing veteran, Hubert Haupt, of Germany, along with other GT veterans... Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al Faisal, from Saudi Arabia, and rapid Dutchman, Yelmer Buurman.   

The car has to be refueled before they can work.  The #1 Audi R8 LMS has spun at Stavelot.  This is five and a half hours into the race at around 9:30 P.M.  Did Laurens Vanthoor wreck in the Paul Frere corner?  This car has led the race for a good while.  The concert, with a dance artist called Pasha, is in full swing.  Edward Sandstrom pits the #35 Audi to hand over to Marc Basseng.  This is the Sainteloc entry in the Pro Cup division, with Sandstrom, Basseng, and Frenchman, Gregory Guilvert, at the controls.  Sandstrom has been competitive in GT racing for a few years, while Basseng, is a real veteran, hailing from Germany. 

The fireworks sparkle in the night.  Now, Andy Meyrick has crashed the #7 Bentley Continental in the seventh hour.  Is it game over for Meyrick and the Bentley?  Ooh!  He got off trying to pass the Emil Frey Jaguar, and he couldn't turn the car.  Terrible luck for Bentley.  The trio of Britons (Andy Meyrick, Guy Smith, and Stephen Kane), call it a night.  No triumph, for Bentley, at Spa, this year.  Game over.   

Maximilian Buhk in the sister #8 Bentley might soldier on.  He shares the sister Bentley Continental GT3 with Belgian Maxime Soulet, and Spaniard, Andy Soucek.  All three of these drivers, have been very rapid competitors in the Blancpain championship, and have become an all-star team, for the Bentley Boys.  Stef Dusseldorp currently leads.  Dusseldorp, the Dutchman, is at the wheel of the #99 Rowe Racing Mercedes Benz SLS AMG in Pro Cup, he shares with Mercedes DTM driver Daniel Juncadella, from Spain, and Germany's Nico Bastian.  Just before dawn breaks, Alex Buncombe crashes the #23 Nissan GT-R he shares with Wolfgang Reip of Germany, and Japan's Katsumasa Chiyo.

Now, we go to Sunday morning action.  The light has returned to Spa.  There's no rain, but fog blankets the Ardennes forest.  The teams get to daylight and think it's almost over.  No.  It's still going.  The Bentley's are both out.  #8 joins #7 on the list of retirements, and it's a fraught race for Bentley.  Better luck next year, chaps.  Maxime Martin leads in the #45 Marc VDS BMW Z4 GT, having taken over from Augusto Farfus.  The #99 Mercedes is fourth overall, while the #50 Am Cup AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia, spins, with Gary Kondakov at the wheel.

Kondakov is sharing that car, with fellow Russian driver Alexander Moiseev, Italian driver, Riccardo Ragazzi, and Ferrari GT racing veteran, Rui Aguas, from Portugal.  Eventually though, this car, would retire from the race.  Also, Mike Rockenfeller spun his Audi R8 LMS through Eau Rouge, losing the engine cover off the back of car #6.  This is the second Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS Ultra, Rockenfeller shares with Le Mans team members of the past, Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer.

The team has a sister car entered, (#5), in the hands of German's Christian Mamerow and Christopher Mies, along with the Dane, Nicki Thiim.  Audi is second with the #1 entry from Belgian Audi Club Team WRT.  Nico Bastian and company head the Pro Cup class.  Daniel Juncadella is sixth overall.  
In dry conditions, how long are stints going?  Who will be in the pound seats? 

Then, problems for Marc VDS!  Lucas Luhr is penalized with a drive through penalty for passing under a yellow flag.  But, where is the yellow flag?  It was at 7:45 A.M. which was an hour ago as we are at 8:45 local time in Spa Francorchamps.   We are nearing the 17th hour of this race.  The #2 WRT Audi is in the lane, but with wheel issues.  They've been able to fix it.  That was frustrating.  A good whack with a shipyard screwdriver (a hammer), fixes it.  Frank Stippler still at the wheel.

Nicky Catsburg pits the second Marc VDS BMW #45 and Dirk Werner takes over the car.  The BMW is coming off pit lane, but, the Rowe Racing Mercedes SLS amg has made the pass.  Ooh!  Stef Dusseldorp has nearly made the pass stick on Nico Bastian.  Pardon me.  Nico Basitan is well into his stint, as they try passing the Frank Schmickler driven Porsche.  Schmickler, at the wheel of the #56 Attempto Racing car, in Am Cup.  A Porsche 997 GT-3-R- he shares with fellow Germans Jurgen Haring, and Philipp Wlazik, alongside Dimitrios Konstantinou, from Greece. 

While all this happened, another retirement.  It's the new, and wild looking, Lamborghini Huracan GT3.  Grasser Racing Team, entered two of the green monsters, but one, was out.  It's the Pro Cup entry #63 for South Africa's Adrian Zaugg, and Italian's Giovanni Venturini, and Mirko Bortolotti.  
Nicky Catsburg is a go to driver in a GT3 car.  Catsburg, and Nico Bastian, have been having a great, see saw battle.  But, oh no!  Dirk Werner has spun off the road!  He is in Bruxelles, with a blown motor!  Catsburg, along with Markus Palttala and Lucas Luhr, take the lead.

Werner had a differential or a transmission lock up, and caused the car to spin!  Clunk, clunk, clunk, and game over!  We are back to green in nthe 19th hour, with the #2 Audi taking the lead back.  Marc VDS has been denied again!  BMW has been knocking on the door year after year.  But, they are a bridesmaid and a DNF again at the Spa 24, 2015.  The #9 BMW Z4 has a puncture.  That's actually an enigne problem for Timo Glock, Alex Zanardi, and Bruno Spengler, with just an hour to go.  How cruel!

Stephane Ortelli in the #2 Team WRT Audi took over the lead.  Shortly, thereafter, the team Marc VDS BMW springs hope for the team, as he passes Ortelli back.  The Rowe Racing Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 is also in the box, with a radiator issue.  The #99 Mercedes seems to be out of this race.  Now, we fast forward to the last part of this one.  Game over for Rowe Racing.  The alternator is out, and so is the radiator. 

Phoenix Racing's Audi #6 for Mike Rockenfeller, Andre Lotterer, and Marcel Fassler, is set to take third overall.  The #46 BMW Z4 GT3 is in pit lane, with Nick Catsburg bringing the car in for the final stop, with less than 20 minutes to go.  Nicky Catsburg, serviced and sent.   Nick Catsburg leads this race.  Will he win the Spa 24 Hours outright?  Yes!  Marc VDS and BMW will finally win the Spa 24 Hours!  Yes!  Nick Catsburg, Markus Palttala, and Lucas Luhr, win the Spa 24 Hours!

Audi gets second and third.  In Pro Am, it's Ferrari!  But, BMW has won their first GT Spa 24 Hours, after winning it many, many times previously, when it was a touring car race.  This is BMW's 21st overall victory at Spa, since first winning in 1965, and their first since 1998 in the touring car days.  In '65, it was a BMW 1800 Ti/SA of Belgian's Pascal Ickx and Gerard Langois van Ophem, taking the honors.  In 1998, they won with a BMW 318I in the hands of Eric van de Poele, Marc Duez, and Alain Cudini.

During the 1970s, and '80s came BMW's greatest Spa triumphs, winning with models like the CSL,530i, 635CSI, and M3.  Plus, wins came in the 1990s with the 320I and 318I.  But, Marc VDS sends the Z4 GT3 into retirement, with a win.  Next year, they will likely race the all new M6 GT3 coupe.  Can they win again?  We'll see.  For now, they've won overall and the Pro Cup.  In the Pro Am Cup, it was AF Corse with their #47 Ferrari 458 Italia, winning the class, with drivers Pasin Lathouras of Thailand, Belgian Stephane Lemeret, and Italian Ferrari GT veterans, Gianmaria Bruni, and Alessandro Pier Guidi.

The win in the Am division, goes to the #24 Team Parker Racing Audi R8 LMS Ultra of Ian Loggie, Julian Westwood, Callum Macleod, and Benny Simonsen.

So, the winners list, looks like this.

Overall/Pro Cup: #46 Catsburg/Luhr/Palttala     BMW Z4 GT

             Pro Am Cup: #47 Lathouras/Lemeret/Bruni/Pier Guidi     Ferrari 458 Italia

            Am Cup: #24 Loggie/MacLeod/Simonsen                          Audi R8 LMS Ultra

That's a wrap from the 24 Hours of Spa, 2015, folks!  Au revoir, for now.  We'll see you at Spa, next year.    

Spa 24 race broadcast

To watch the Spa 24 Hours on NISMO TV, click, HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/user/nismotv2013?sub_confirmation=1

Late breaking news (24 Hours of Spa)

Some last minute headlines before the 24 Hours of Spa.  Remember now, yours truly, will cover the race, perhaps, next week.  Stay tuned, for a full update.

ROAL BMW Quickest in Warmup at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/roal-bmw-quickest-in-24h-spa-warm-up/

Vanthoor: "It's Extremely Close at The Front of The Field"
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/vanthoor-its-extremely-close-at-the-front-of-the-field/

Spa Pre-Race Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/spa-pre-race-notebook-4/

Stippler secures Spa 24 Hours pole for Audi

Frank Stippler gives Audi the pole for the Spa 24 Hours tomorrow.  He is sharing the #2 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 LMS Ultra, in the race tomorrow, with Nico Muller and Stephane Ortelli.  Again, when time permits, there will be a full report, and video recap of the race, posted here, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog.  Stay tuned.

http://www.motorsport.com/bes/news/stippler-secures-spa-24-hours-pole-for-audi

24 Hours of Spa, preview

Once again, it might take time for yours truly to catch up to be able to blog about the full race for this weekend's 24 Hours of Spa.  But, here's the race preview, with lead commentator, David Addison, who will be anchoring the online coverage.

Happy Birthday, Jim Hall!

Bonus post.  Happy Birthday, Jim Hall!

http://thisdayinmotorsporthistory.blogspot.com/2015/07/jim-hall-born-in-abilene-texas-usa-july.html?spref=fb

more developments from Spa before the 24 Hours

More news from Spa Francorchamps, as we eagerly await the 24 Hours, this weekend, for the Blancpain Endurance Series.

Behind The Title: Stephane Ratel, Part 1
http://sportscar365.com/industry/behind-the-title-stephane-ratel/

Behind The Title: Stephane Ratel, Part 2
http://sportscar365.com/industry/behind-the-title-stephane-ratel-pt-2/

Grasser: "The Goal is to Bring Both Lamborghini's To The Finish Line"

http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/grasser-the-goal-is-to-bring-both-lamborghinis-to-the-finish-line/

Ferrari Quickest in Free Practice at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/ferrari-quickest-in-24h-spa-free-practice/

Nissan Team RJN Gunning for 24H Spa Podium
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/nissan-team-rjn-gunning-for-24h-spa-podium/

Spa 24 Hours news

This weekend it's the annual Spa 24 Hours for the Blancpain Endurance Series at Circuit de Spa Francorchamps.  Yours truly, is very busy, with blogging, and life, at the moment.  So, there won't be an immediate update on the Spa race, when it is completed.  But, look for an update, on all the happenings, maybe, in a few weeks time.  For now, there is plenty of pre race news to be discussed, as anticipation builds, for one of the world's great sports car and GT races.

24H Spa Driver Lineup Update, 7-20
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/24h-spa-driver-lineup-update-7-20/

Special Liveries for 24H Spa Unveiled
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/teams-unveil-special-liveries-for-24h-spa/

Ratel: "24H Spa is Our Biggest Success"
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/ratel-24h-spa-is-our-biggest-success/

Oman Racing Aston Tops 24H Spa Bronze Test
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/oman-racing-aston-tops-24h-spa-bronze-test/

Spa Tuesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/spa-tuesday-notebook/

Zanardi: "I Can Attack Even More Now with the Car"
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/zanardi-i-can-attack-even-more-now-with-the-car/

24H Spa Sporting Regulations 101
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/24h-spa-sporting-regulations-101/

Spa Wednesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/spa-wednesday-notebook-3/

PRUETT: Who should Ford hire to race its GT's?

Lots and lots of good candidates from inside and outside of sports car racing, could be in line to race for Ford in their factory Ford GT effort, next year, both here in the U.S. and in Europe.  Racer magazine's Marshall Pruett, takes a look at a large list of these drivers, and their strengths, and weaknesses.

http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/119389-pruett-who-would-ford-hire-to-race-its-gts?showall=&limitstart=3

Turn Up Your Speakers and Watch This Mazda RX-7 Racer

OK, folks.  Couldn't resist.  This car, is amazing! The Tom Walkinshaw Mazda RX7, that won the 1981 Spa 24 Hours at Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, shared by Tom Walkinshaw, himself, and Pierre Dieudonne. Win Percy and Pete Lovett drove a second one, that was a DNF after a broken wheel. But, this little car, was the giant killer, besting the big cars (Ford Capri 3.0 liter's, BMW 528 I's, and Chevrolet Camaro's), and small cars (VW Scirocco's, Audi 80's and 4000's, Ford Escort's, and VW Golf's).

This is a sports car, a GT car, that beat a field of what were essentially, touring cars, as the Spa 24 was, for many years, exclusively a touring car event, before switching over to GT class racing, in 2001.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/videos/a26127/turn-up-your-speakers-and-watch-this-mazda-rx-7-racer/

All GT for TUSC?

North American Sportscar has revised their blog, and one of their writers asks, is it possible for the Tudor Championship to race in an all GT format?

http://nasportscar.com/all-gt-for-tusc/

In memoriam: John Greenwood

Rest In Peace, John Greenwood.  Greenwood was a legendary driver and team owner who was the standard bearer for the Chevrolet Corvette in IMSA competition for many years.  He passed away, two weeks ago, on July 7th, at the age of 71.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/john-greenwood-sports-car-world-loses-legend

Farfus: "We're Definitely Better Prepared Than Last Year"

An interview, with BMW's main man in the GT racing ranks, Augusto Farfus, ahead of the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, the crown jewel race, for the Blancpain Endurance Series, in the Ardennes forest of Belgium, next weekend.

http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/farfus-were-definitely-better-prepared-than-last-year/

HPD Evaluating 2017 TUSC Prototype Involvement

HPD was not one of the constructor's chosen, or that even filed a bid, for the new 2017 Tudor Championship Prototype regulations and constructors.  But, that does not mean that their involvement in the series when the new rules take effect, will cease.

http://sportscar365.com/industry/hpd-evaluating-2017-tusc-prototype-involvement/

FIA WEC Teams Set for Open Test at Nurburgring

The FIA World Endurance Championship won't return to racing action until the end of next month, at The Nurburgring, (for their first visit there).  But, there will be teams, doing an open test session, before the race.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/fia-wec-teams-set-for-open-test-at-nurburgring/

P.S. Hoping to blog the Spa 6 Hours from back in May, still.  Have been very, very busy lately.  But, will get around to it, eventually.

Hackett seeks trio of Mercedes AMG GT3's

Two-time Australian GT3 Series champion, Peter Hackett, will purchase a trio of the new Mercedes Benz AMG GT3's.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/07/17/hackett-seeks-trio-of-mercedes-amg-gt3s/

Throwback Thursday: P.J. Jones Still Holds Lime Rock Track Record

Let's rewind the time machine back to 1993, and the last year of the awesome, mighty, IMSA GTP prototype monsters.  P.J. Jones sets the track record at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, in Dan Gurney's Toyota Eagle Mk. III racer, and to this day, the record has never been broken.  It is one of those records, that could stand, for all time.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/throwback-thursday-pj-jones-still-holds-lime-rock-track-record

Tudor Championship news

Stories from the Tudor Championship, to keep an eye on, going into next weekend's action at Lime Rock Park featuring the Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona classes.

Bomarito: "We're Competitive With This Package Right Away"

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/bomarito-we-know-were-competitive-with-this-package-right-away/

IMSA News & Notes 7-15
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/imsa-news-notes-7-15/

40 Cars on CTSC Lime Rock Entry List
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/40-cars-on-ctsc-lime-rock-entry-list/

Cameron Set for GTD Return at Lime Rock
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/cameron-set-for-gtd-return-at-lime-rock/

18 Cars on Lime Rock Entry List
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/18-cars-on-lime-rock-entry-list/

24H Spa Reduced to 58-Car Entry

Some cars have dropped out of this weekend's 24 Hours of Spa for the Blancpain Endurance Series.  However, that does not mean that the race will have a less stellar entry.  It should be a great event.  Look for a video, and full race highlights, not immediately following the race, but, shortly after it is posted through YouTube.  Spa, is definitely a favorite sports car race of yours truly.

http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/24h-spa-reduced-to-58-car-entry/

A Look at The New Ford GT

Check out this preview of the new Ford GT, with Chip Ganassi Racing, and their sports car racing drivers, who are of course, Ford factory drivers... Scott Pruett, and Joey Hand.  Short and sweet.  But, also, very cool.

http://www.imsa.com/video/look-new-ford-gt

This Day in Motorsport History: Tom Klausler

Bonus post.  Happy Birthday to former sports car racer, Tom Klausler.  Klausler hails from St. Paul, Minnesota.  Here's his bio on his racing career.

http://thisdayinmotorsporthistory.blogspot.com/2015/07/tom-klausler-born-in-st-paul-minnesota.html?spref=fb

Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix race broadcast

The race broadcast of the Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, from last Sunday.  Check it out.

http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/2015-mobil-1-sportscar-grand-prix-broadcast

Blancpain GT Series news

Some headlines from the Blancpain GT Series to take note of.

Salaquarda (ISR): "We knew our first year wouldn't be perfect"
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/salaquarda-isr-we-knew-our-first-year-wouldnt-be-perfect/

SRO Targeting Return To Russia In 2016
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/sro-targeting-return-to-russia-in-2016/

Marc VDS to Field Third BMW at 24H Spa in Cancer Fight
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/marc-vds-to-fight-cancer-at-24-hours-of-spa/

Ratel Examining American GT Landscape
http://sportscar365.com/gt/ratel-examining-american-gt3-landscape/

SRO Targeting Launch of Asia-Pacific Endurance Championship
http://sportscar365.com/gt/sro-targeting-launch-of-asia-pacific-endurance-championship/

Winner & highlights of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix presented by Hawk Performance

Canada has had many sporting events lately.  Well, the Tudor Championship is visiting the most well known race track in Canada.  Prototype Challenge makes their inaugural appearance at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.  The land of the Maple Leaf has produced many great drivers.  Mosport has hosted everything from stock cars to Formula One.  Canadian Michael Valiante is headlining his home race for the #90 VisitFlorida.com Chevrolet Corvette Prototype.  After today's event, there will only be three races left in the Tudor Championship.

VisitFlorida.com Racing is the only team to win two races this yar.  Corvette and BMW are tied at the top of the GT Le Mans class.  There will be no GT Daytona cars in today's race.  In Prototype Challenge, Colin Braun and Jon Bennett, lead the points, even though they have not won any races yet.  CTMP is fast, and on a knife edge.  The driver's love it.  Fast, dangerous, and demanding.  2.54 miles around.  Corner exit for the Andretti straight, is a big deal.  We're ready to race.

It is a tight field in terms of lap times.  The preliminaries are over.  This race is ready to start!  Rick Taylor and Christian Fittipaldi lead to the line, and Taylor takes the lad immediately.  Scott Pruett wants by Fittipaldi.  Here come the GT Le Mans cars.  Porsche and BMW are at it already.  Nick Tandy is in the leading Porsche.  The starts are clean.  But, the #11 JDX Prototype Challenge car, of Chris Cumming, who qualified second in class, is in the pit lane already.  They have damage to the front of the car.

On the warumup lap, Cumming spun, trying to generate tire temperature.  Cumming shares with former Indycar star, Bruno Junquiera.  This track is hard toovertake on.  The field is spread by six seconds over all three divisions.  Ricky Taylor leads, after the wreck at the Six Hours of Watkins Glen, last time out, two weeks ago.  As a driver, anyone can do that, spearing off the road, in the rain.  Sometimes you have to admit your error.

Nick Tandy is the first repeat pole winner in Tudor Championship GTLM history.  Tandy, of course, is also the overall winner at Le Mans.  Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, in the #3 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R- are down the GTLM order at the moment.  The whole GTLM field was separated by 7/10ths of a second.  Pit stops will be critical.  James French in the #38 Performance Tech Racing car, leads Prototype Challenge.  He had never seen CTMP until this weekend.  His team mate, Conor Daly, will help out.  Mike Guasch and John Bennett are ahead in Prototype Challenge.  Mirco Shultis is racing in the #8 Prototype Challenge car.  Mirco is sick, with a stomach bug.

Renger van der Zande is ready to go, if need be.  The battle at the front is heating up.  Scott Pruett is chasing Michael Valiante.  New Zealand's Bruce McLaren had a great career at Mosport, and they did well in Can Am and Formula One, with many drivers.  The weather is overcast.  85 degrees ambient temperature.  The pressue is mounting on Ricky Taylor.  Christian Fittipaldi will be applying the blowtorch, soon.  Overtaking happens in a tight corner.  There's only one tight turn at Mosport.

Race Director Beaux Barfield said, "boys, you can't lean on GTLM cars, if you are driving a Prototype."  Ricky Taylor has no risk.  They will attack, because they can't win the championship.  Christian Fittipaldi, has to be more careful, because, they are indeed going for a championship.  The sun starts burning through the cloud cover now.  Eric Curran makes a move on the BMW Z4 in GTLM.  Pierre Kaffer in the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia, he's going for it.  The #17 Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR runs behind, with Bryan Sellers at the controls.

Three cars switched tires.  Oliver Gavin, Bryan Sellers, and one other.  Overcast conditions will be good for Porsche so they maintain the grip in their rear tires.  There are four fifth gear and sixth gear corners at Mosport.  We are 20 minutes into this race, that is scheduled to run for two hours and forty minutes.  Ricky Taylor is being pushed hard by Christian Fittipaldi.  On Friday, teams ran and found the apex section of one of the corners, had the pavement coming up out of the road.  So, a new section of asphalt, was patched in.

The #16 Prototype Challenge car, is off the road.  Christian Fittipaldi is hounding Ricky Taylor at this point.  Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa are firing on all cylinders and have great chemistry.  Katherine Legge is driving the DeltaWing, on her birthday.  But, she's not having a good race.  Something is bent on the car.  Is it a bent wheel?  Is it the alignment?  The DeltaWing does not have an anti roll bar on the suspension.  They have less pace because of a new transmission and suspension.

Eric Curran pits the #31 Whelen Corvette Prototype.  He hands the car over to Dane Cameron.  Get in front of the GTLM cars and get temperature into the tires.  Watch the yellow line at the end of pit lane, and stay off of it whether you are on the track, or, on the pit lane side.  If it stays green, it's going to be a three pit stop race.  BMW did not send their cars out in the morning warmup, because of the track conditions.  Tire degradation is beginning to happen.  Michael Valiante is in the thick of the battle for the sharp end of the field.

There has been a lead change.  Christian Fittipaldi is out front.  His uncle, Emerson Fittipaldi, won a Formula One race, a Canadian Grand Prix, here, at CTMP, in 1974.  The #60 Ligier Honda is in the lane.  Scheduled pit stop time.  Oswaldo Negri Jr. into the car, and John Pew, out.  Negri Jr. has speed.  But he has to just race.  Ooh.  The #85 Prototype Challenge car has spun with Mikhail Goikhberg at the controls.  Goikhberg had a bump with Jon Bennett.  Jorg Bergmeister had to get out of the way.

Another Prototype Challenge car has an issue on the Andretti straight.  It's James French, the class leader.  Full course yellow.  Last year, this race, went without a yellow.  Not this year.  We're still nder yellow.  The #01 Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost tried to pit under yellow, but while the pit lane was closed.  They will need to come in and serve the penalty.  Pit stop time for WTR and Action Express.  Jordan Taylor takes over car #10.  A full service stop for the #5, and Joao Barbosa takes the wheel.  You are busy, after pit stops, resetting your fuel and other systems on the car, or cinching up the safety belts.

Michael Valiante has stayed in the #90 car.  In GTLM, Patrick Pilet takes over from Nick Tandy.  BMW is also in the lane.  Both #24 and #25 are.  No driver change for #25.  There is one, for #24.  Wolf Henzler has taken over the #17 Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR.  We expect a green flag this time around.  Scott Pruett has to take his stop and hold penalty, under green.  It's a stop + 60 penalty as Mirco Shultis goes off the road.  He's won the last two races in class.  But, as mentioned, Shultis has had gastrointestinal issues, and is not feeling well.

Ooh!  The DeltaWing cuts the Mazda off.  Pruett was literally 30 feet away from making the pit lane entrance before the red light came on to say, do not enter.  It's down to the driver.  Did I beat the light?  Or, did I not beat the light?  Pruett will be a lap down.  Patrick Pilet battles Dirk Werner.  The #01 car is now a lap down.  Mike O'Gara, the team manager, takes the blame for the issue.  Go through, and then, pit the next lap.  Ganassi is rolling the dice more.  They have not won yet this year, and the season is almost over.

Corvette Racing has repaired their car that was crashed at Le Mans, work on it, and have it ready for the next race at Road America, sending the borrowed chassis they are using, back to Larbre Competition in France, who race in the FIA World Endurance Championship.  Porsche is synonymous with endurance racing.  They won Le Mans, and they got first and second at the Six Hours of Watkins Glen.  Can they win three in a row (two straight in class), here in Canada?  We'll find out as this race rolls on.

The #16 Prototype Challenge leader, sees Sean Rayhall taking over the car from his co-driver.  Mike Guasch has been having issues, and there's something broken in the power steering unit.  He is feeling fluid under his feet, from the steering box.  Jon Bennett, will pit the Core Autosport car and hand it over to Colin Braun.  Hats off to the Pro/Am drivers who are businessmen during the week, and racers on the weekends.  

Mirco Shultis has made it to pit lane, as he hands over to Renger "The Flying Dutchman", van der Zande.  The mirror on the car must be broken.  But, Mirco, has tgo be knackered, and needs to get some rest.  In GTLM, Formula One veteran Giancarlo Fisichella battles with Wolf Henzler.  It's Ferrari vs. Porsche.  Risi Competizione has done really well.  But, Giancarlo Fisichella has run wide.  Dane Cameron in the lead of this motor race, may also hav a tgire going down.  He's pitting now.  Box, box, box.

We have just an hour and a half to go in this event.  Punctures have been an issue at CTMP as the cars fly through Moss corner.  Oswaldo Negri Jr. leads Joao Barbosa, and has set fast lap at 1:10.6.  Dirk Werner has been in the #25 BMW since the start of the race, and Bill Auberlen is the second driver of course.  The #52 Prototype Challenge car serves a penalty for too many men over the wall to fix the steering issue earlier on.

The #10 CorvettePrototype is fourth overall.  A new crewman is helping with the driver changes for the team.  The heavily loaded corners here at CTMP are starting to affect the power steering units, and the systems overload, and eventually fail.  Maybe Negri Jr. can adjust the system.  Negri Jr. is the halfway leader.  Negri Jr. is looking for a way by the factory Corvette's.  The last time MSR won was in the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona, with a Daytona Prototype machine in the old Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Joao Barbosa wants to pass Oswaldo Negri Jr.  Tread carefully.  Be patient.  Barbosa goes off the road slightly.  That's wild!  Barbosa has to think championship.  Don't throw it away, going for P1.  Oswaldo Negri Jr. says the power steering problem is getting worse.  Barbosa and Fittpaldi have completed every racing mile of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship, since it began, last year, in 2014.  The #5 car pits from second place.  It is an unscheduled stop, replacing a deflating tire.  They will also add fuel, for the second half of this race.

Jordan Taylor runs third in Prototype, and third overall.  Oswaldo Negri Jr. is running low on fuel, and he'll have to hit pit lane ASAP.  Meanwhile, he has.  He is in the lane.  He'll sray in the car.  Four tires and fuel.  The sharp edges on this course, are hurting the tires, as they also remove debris from the radiators.  The #01 car is in the lane.  These guys may have to make one more fuel stop.  Joey Hand takes over the car, and new tires are on the car, too.  Wayne Taylor Racing, pits.

Jordan Taylor will stay in the car, taking the car to the finish.  They lost a wheel nut, and had an extra, thankfully.  A smooth, clean stop.  There's a piece on the front nose of these cars, that keeps the downforce together.  It is a thin piece of plastic trim that is no thicker than an iPhone.  The #90 Corvette Prototype is pitting.  Richard Westbrook takes over the car from Michael Valiante.  When the #10 car pitted, Jordan Taylor had to get to the speed limit, and he had to lock the brakes, and smoke the tires, in order to do it.

We are nearly to the one hour remaining mark in this race, folks.  Joel Miller is giving the Mazda diesel prototype a good run.  But, Mazda might just switch to their gasoline motor.  They tested the car.  Jonathan Bomarito and Tristan Nunez were testing the new car.  John Edwards brings the #24 BMW Z4 GTE in for the last pit stop of the day.  The factory Porsche #911 does, too.  Nick Tandy, will finish the race.

Similar idea for the #25 BMW.  Bill Auberlen is going to finish.  The #31 Action Express Whelen Corvette Prototype still has tire issues.  Both the #5 and #31 cars are good on fuel.  This had to be an unscheduled pit stop.  Go into fuel save mode.  The #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia pits.  Pierre Kaffer takes over to finish the race.  In the #17 Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR, Bryan Sellers, will finish the race.

Tommy Milner stays behind the wheel for the #4.  Continental Tires, is celebrating a dual anniversary of a sports car and Formula One World Championship with Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.  The W196 was the Formula One championship winner, and the 300 SLR, the sports car championship winner, both using Continental tires.  Dane Cameron is told on the radio, to pit.  He is going to need a splash and dash for fuel.  Porsche North America wants their first win of 2015 in Tudor Championship competition.

Jan Magnussen says the Corvette is good, but they can't catch the BMW and the Porsche.  #60 is in the lane.  Ozz Negri was just in, for a fuel only stop.  Negri Jr. had an issue getting the car in gear, and keep in mind, he has no power steering.  So, the physical strain in the car, is difficult.  Renger van der Zande pits the #8 Prototype Challenge car.  The #90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette Prototype gts new tires, and fuel.  Two tires only. Match the tires, to a smaller fuel load.  The #60 car did not take fuel.

The #10 Corvette Prototype also pits.  Are there issues in the #60 with the gearbox?  Left side tires only for the #10, and fuel.  Jordan Taylor is on his way.  Ozz Negri has to dig deep in the last 40 minutes of this event.  Colin Braun is taking four tires.  They were not here with prototype Challenge, last year.  Joao Barbosa pits the #5 Corvette Prototype.  The #54 Core Autosport team has not won in a whole year.

Dane Cameron still leads.  They need a yellow.  Will they be in a clear fuel window?  What about tires?  We'll see.  You can't conserve fuel too much here at CTMP.  What is the deal with the tire issue?  These blokes need to be more concerned about thei fuel strategy.  The Prototypes have a tad more straightaway speed and a little more mechanical grip, and the GT Le Mans machines, are still really fast.  Turn one is a stunning, heart stopping corner, here at CTMP.  The big announcement (as discussed), is, IMSA, the ACO, the FIA, has announced the four constructors for Prototypes in 2017.

The tech regs have been defined and will be able to be raced in the U.S. and Europe.  There will be opportunities for multiple engine manufacturers.  Big changes in GT Daytona, too, with more GT3 spec cars.  Jordan Taylor really threads the needle between a Prototype and a GTLM car.  Antonio Garcia has laid down the fastest lap in GTLM in the race, with a 1:15.3.  He is chasing John Edwards right now.

Corvette can muster third.  They don't have the oomph to run for the top two, according to chief mechanic, Dan Binks.  Pierre Kaffer is definitely pushing the Ferrari.  The new pavement in Moss corner, unsettles the cars a little bit.  Dane Cameron continues to lead by 18 seconds over Joao Barbosa, with Ozz Negri still third, in the Ligier Honda.  The #8 Starworks Oreca Chevrolet, is in pit lane, and it could be, game over.

The #17 Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR is in the pit lane.  There's damage to the bumper and the exhaust system.  The crew is in no hurry.  They are dpwnloading data, from the car.  Could it be game over for the #17?  This is the only Porsche to win in GTLM in 2015.  The #38 Prototype Challenge car pits.  Conor Daly is in the car.  Dane Cameron is still questionable on fuel.  They need a splash and a dash.  If he does pit, Joao Barbosa, his team mate, would clear him.  Where are the other competitors?

We are into the closing minutes.  Once again, check out a website if you want to become a race car driver.  That site is called www.safeisfast.com.

Lime Rock Park, is the next venue for the Tudor Championship.  More on that race, after this one, is done, in about fifteen minutes.  Jon Bennett and Colin Braun, have been pushing hard this whole race.  Nick Tandy leads Bill Auberlen by eleven seconds or so.  For Team Falken Tire, there is a knock in one of the cylinders.  Maybe there was back pressure from a damaged exhaust.  Action Express pits.  They have had to replace another tire on the #5 car.  Richard Westbrook has made a pass.

Dane Cameron could very well win this motor race as we get closer to the end.  This one will change in the last eleven minutes of the event.  Westbrook is booking it for sure.  Dane Cameron is told by his team to complete one more lap, and then, he'll be on reserve fuel.  That was a live radio transmission.  They are rolling the dice.  Cameron can't afford to lose time by running short on fuel.  The gap between Cameron and Jordan Taylor is 33.5 seconds.  The team needs eight seconds or so on service for their final stop.

Maybe, they've miscalculated the fuel mileage.  Cameron tries to hit pit lane, locking the brakes.  Dane Cameron is in the lane, picking up a second on Jordan Taylor.  They will add fuel and change the tire.  A delay on fuel, and they took too much fuel!  Jordan Taylor is now in the lead.  Is it enough fuel?  They may have just lost this motor race at CTMP.  Dane Cameron is quicker, but, it's going to be close.  Eight minutes remain on the clock.

Two great young drivers in evenly matched cars, going for the victory.  The fueler couldn't get the probe into the fuel filler on the tank.  They never got the probe connected soon enough.  This is a huge break for the Konica Minolta team.  Six minutes and forty seconds to go.  They can get four or five laps run in that time.  2.1 seconds last time by.  Cameron is half a second quicker than Jordan Taylor.  Yikes!  This is fun!

One mishap, and there could be a change.  Jordan Taylor does not easily succumb to pressure.  These guys have a clear road.  1.6 seconds the gap.  Jordan Taylor responds.  1:11.127 for Taylor.  1:11.068 for Cameron.  Colin Braun leads Prototype Challenge.  Nick Tandy leads GTLM.  Sean Rayhall jumps up to second in the #16 car.  Taylor locks up and runs wide!  Cameron is gaining with three minutes to go.  There will be three or four laps left.  Traffic for Jordan Taylor with the #85 PC car.  Cameron can catch him.  Focus.  Keep pushing.

Two more laps left.  Can Cameron catch Taylor?  Traffic is clear.  White flag next time by.  There is some traffic ahead, actually.  Look ahead.  Am I going to catch these guys in the worst possible place?  Dane Cameron was balked, but then, came through on the inside.  Keep pushing.  What will he do into Moss corner?  He runs wide again.  He's lost grip.  Keep pushing to the end.  More traffic.  One more corner to go.  Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park!

In Prototype Challenge, it's Colin Braun and Jon Bennet, winning for Core Autosport.  Porsche wins GT Le Mans, with 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winner, Nick Tandy, and Patrick Pilet, driving.

Overall/Prototype: #10 Taylor/Taylor    Chevrolet Corvette Prototype

             Prototype
             Challenge: #54 Braun/Bennett   Oreca FLM Chevrolet

             GT Le Mans: #911 Tandy/Pilet  Porsche 911 RSR

The number of events in the 2015 Tudor Championship, is dwindling.  The third to last race on the calendar is at another legendary speedway.  Lime Rock Park, in Lakeville, Connecticut.  The road racing equivalent, of a short track, being only a mile and a half long.  The Northeast Grand Prix, is the race, and it's coming up, in two weeks.  A note about that race.  Only Prototype Challenge, and GT Daytona, will compete, in the race, at Lime Rock.  No Prototype or GT Le Mans cars, will run.

IMSA news from CTMP

IMSA news and notes from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, before tomorrow's Tudor Championship race.  The race report, will be, here, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog.

CTMP Thursday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/ctmp-thursday-notebook/

IMSA Undecided on LMP3 Future
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/imsa-undecided-on-lmp3-future/

Negri Paces Friday Practice at CTMP
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/negri-paces-friday-practice-at-ctmp/

CTMP Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/ctmp-friday-notebook-2/

Gibson Poised for LMP2 Engine Bid, Future LMP1 Options
http://sportscar365.com/industry/gibson-poised-for-lmp2-engine-bid-future-lmp1-options/

Negri Leads Practice 3 at CTMP
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/negri-leads-practice-3-at-ctmp/

Is Now The Time For IMSA to run from the ACO?

Will IMSA and the ACO part ways?  There is even a poll, asking fans.  With these new regulations, things seem to be getting a little shaky.

http://nasportscar.com/is-now-the-time-for-the-imsa-to-run-from-the-aco/

The Problem With P: And The Ball Starts To Roll

Insights, and analysis from nasportscar.com on the new 2017 Prototype Regulations.

http://nasportscar.com/the-problem-with-p-and-the-ball-starts-to-roll/

Ben's Analysis - 2015 Watkins Glen

North American Sportscar's Ben Wedge, analyzes the Six Hours of Watkins Glen.

http://nasportscar.com/bens-analysis-2015-watkins-glen/

Four LMP2 Constructors Confirmed for 2017

Quite a few more constructors, lost out on their bid for running LMP2 in 2017, which will make some fans, very disappointed.  The four that were given the go ahead after signing up were Onroak Automotive, Oreca, Dallara, and Riley Technologies/Multimatic.

http://sportscar365.com/industry/aco-announces-four-constructors-for-lmp2-in-2017/

Tudor Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship news

Some major news from both the Tudor Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Taylor: "2017 is Best Chance To Have Some Real Good Manufacturers"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/taylor-2017-is-best-chance-to-have-some-real-good-manufacturers/

Prototype Teams Voice Concerns Over 2016 Car Count
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/prototype-teams-voice-concerns-over-2016-car-count/

Second Oreca 05 Expected to Debut at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/second-oreca-05-expected-to-debut-at-cota/

WEC Discussing COTA Extension Talks, Further North American Races

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/wec-discussing-cota-extension-talks-further-north-american-races/

Audi Penalized for Engine Seal Violation at 24H Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/audi-penalized-for-engine-seal-violation-at-24h-le-mans/

Erebus assessing options for GT expansion

Betty Klimenko who owns Erebus Racing in Australia, is likely to stay with Mercedes Benz for their V8 Supercar effort.  However, the team is looking to replace it's Mercedes SLS AMG GT3's which will be obsolete, next year, when Mercedes introduces their new GT racer.  They are even looking at running in GT with another manufacturer.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/07/08/erebus-assessing-options-for-gt-expansion/

Corvette DP Drivers Valiante, Westbrook Take Momentum, Points Lead To Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Sort of a preview of this weekend's Tudor Championship action from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, (formerly known as Mosport Park), looking at the current Prototype class points leaders... Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook for VisitFlorida.com Racing.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/corvette-dp-drivers-valiante-westbrook-take-momentum-points-lead-canadian-tire-motorsport

more sports car racing news

The latest news, from several sports car racing categories, via Sportscar365.

Wittmer Replaces Davison at TRG-AMR for Remainder of Season
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/wittmer-replaces-davison-at-trg-amr-for-remainder-of-season/

Wittmer: "Kevin and Christina Made This Happen"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/wittmer-kevin-and-christina-made-this-happen/

BMW Leaving New Potential CTSC Cars in Customer Hands
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/bmw-leaving-new-potential-ctsc-cars-in-customer-hands/

SRO Targeting Return to Russia in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/sro-targeting-return-to-russia-in-2016/

Ave: "I'll Do Whatever it Takes to Get LMP3 to Race in the U.S."
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/ave-ill-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-lmp3-to-race-in-the-u-s/

LMP3 to Be Limited to Five Constructors
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/lmp3-to-be-limited-to-five-constructors/

Algarve Pro Racing Set for Red Bull Ring Debut
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/algarve-pro-racing-set-for-red-bull-ring-debut/

Teams Maintain Lead In NAEC after 6H Watkins Glen

An update on the standings in the North American Endurance Cup for the Tudor United Sports Car Championship, as one round, remains, in this championship within a championship, after last weekend's Watkins Glen Six Hours.  The sole remaining event in the NAEC is the ten hour or 1,000 mile, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in the rolling red clay hills of north Georgia, at Road Atlanta, in the Atlanta suburb of Braselton, Georgia, in October.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/teams-main-leads-in-naec-after-6h-watkins-glen/

Why Spec Miata is America's most popular club series

Not endurance racing, but still sports car related.  This is a story from Road & Track magazine on how the spec Mazda Miata series has become the fastest growing form of club racing on the sports car racing scene.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/features/a25615/why-spec-miata-is-the-most-popular-race-series-in-america/

IMSA: Turner Motorsport prepping for BMW M6 GT3 assault

Upon the car's debut, (already mentioned), the first team to announce it will indeed campaign the new BMW M6 GT3 in the 2016 Tudor Championship is... Turner Motorsports.

http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/118815-imsa-turner-motorsport-prepping-for-bmw-m6-gt3-assault

First Look: 2016 BMW M6 GT3

The first car, eligible for the new GT3 specifications for GT Daytona in the Tudor United Sports Car Championship, starting next year in 2016, has been unveiled.  This is the 2016 BMW M6 GT3.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/first-look-2016-bmw-m6-gt3

Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen Race Broadcast Parts 1-3

All three parts of the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen race broadcast.

Part 1
http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/part-1-2015-sahlens-six-hours-glen-race-broadcast

Part 2
http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/part-2-2015-sahlens-six-hours-glen-race-broadcast

Part 3
http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/part-3-2015-sahlens-six-hours-glen-race-broadcast

LMP3 testing

Some news bits and pieces from LMP3 testing at Watkins Glen.

PHOTOS: Watkins Glen Ginetta LMP3 Test Gallery
http://sportscar365.com/features/photography/photos-watkins-glen-ginetta-lmp3-test-gallery/

...and, some not so good developments, from the same test.

IMSA LMP3 Exploratory Test Cut Short after Accident
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/imsa-lmp3-exploritory-test-cut-short-after-accident/