Sunday, August 30, 2015

6 Hours of the Nurburgring: Hour 3

The order at the front, has not really changed.  Right now, G-Drive is leading LMP2.  We are now under our second full course yellow, and we've had one slow zone.  The corners are being swept, for debris, which is mostly gravel, and grass.  Pit stop time for the GT class machines.  Scott Sharp pits, and so does most of the LM GTE Pro field.  We are now back to racing, three hours, and eight minutes, elapsed in this race, so far.

Lucas di Grassi has not pitted yet.  He missed the opportunity to make a pit stop.  The gap between the two leading Porsche's is 6.7 seconds.  As mentioned, Toyota, is developing a new race car, with a new engine.  More details will be divulged on that, next week, in the sports car racing news update.  For now, we have a race to keep enjoying, fans.  We now have three hours and 46 minutes to go.  The top six cars are all LMP1 hybrid racers from Porsche, Audi, and Toyota.  Romain Rusinov leading LMP2 is seventh.  Michael Christensen leads LM GTE Pro in 16th overall for Porsche.  In LM GTE Am, it's the #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage of Matthias Lauda.

Porsche is having an issue with the electronics for their calculation on fuel.  Second time for Porsche being penalized.  It's a 30 second stop/go penalty for the #18 Porsche due to excessive fuel consumption.  Rui Aguas was stopped briefly in LM GTE Am in a Ferrari.  He went off, then, rejoined, and stopped again.  We watch a battle in LM GTE Am, between Christian Ried, and Andrea Bertolini. Brendon Hartley leads Romain Dumas, at the moment.  Ooh.  One of the ESM cars has spun.

Stop and go penalty for the #18 Porsche, again, for excessive energy consumption.  Too much energy goes through the car, between the petrol motor, and the ERS (Energy Recovery System).  There are many battles in the GT classes.  It looks like Frederic Makowiecki is catching James Calado.  They drop downhill, through a kink, and to the Dunlop hairpin.  Romain Dumas tried twice to get into th wrong pit!  Porsche is having real issues.  The wheels might be falling off the wagon here.

He has to serve a penalty.  Where is the Toyota?  Toyota is coming out of the final corner.  Anthony Davidson is at the wheel of the #1 Toyota.  James Calado and Frederic Makowiecki continue their scrap.  ESM pits their LMP2 Ligier Honda.  Matt Howson is in the #47 and Romain Rusinov is in the #26.  This scrap is still taking place.  The #4 ByKolles CLM AER is still on the road, in the hands of Brit Simon Trummer.  We are two hours, 31 minutes, into this race now.

The #7 and #8 Audi's were trying to weave their way through GT traffic.  Andre Lotterer is feverishly trying to catch up to Brendon Hartley in the Porsche.  Keep in mind that Lotterer, Marcel Fassler, and, Benoit Treluyer, won't lose points, because their rival drivers, are racing in other classes, in this race.  Romain Rusinov pits one of the G-Drive cars.  Brendon Hartley pits from the race lead.  Hartley out.  Timo Bernhard, in.  One of the Audi's pits.  Now, with respect to fuel, we don't know what parameter the Porsche #18 was in breach of.

KCMG and Matt Howson make a pit stop.  They are quicker than their rivals.  Lucas di Grassi has taken the race lead.  #18 and #8 are side-by-side.  But, these cars, are not on the same lap.  Lucas di Grassi pits, giving the lead back to the #17 Porsche of Timo Bernhard.  James Calado continues wheeling Ferrari #71.  Timo Bernhard is really pushing.  James Calado continues to defend from Frederic Makowiecki.  We have a full course yellow.  The #88 Porsche 911 RSR has spun in the Schumacher esses.

Khaled al-Qubaisi, Christian Ried, and Earl Bamber, share that car.  Pierre Kaffer has stopped his CLM, and Christian Ried, ran into him!  That wreck could have been a lot worse!  The whole wing is on the track.  We will go under full-course yellow.  Amazing.  Trouble for the #71 Ferrari.  He was hit up the back by another car.  At the yellow, the Ferrari was hit by the Porsche GT car!  The rear bumper, has been hit.  Things are getting a little sloppy here at the Nurburgring, as we are approaching the end of the third hour of racing.  So, we are almost halfway home, fans.

Pit lane action is happening, including the #18 Porsche and the Dempsey Proton car with Marco Seefried at the wheel.  Patrick Long, who started the car, will take over.  We remember, the late, great racing driver, Eric Thompson, who ran at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951.  Rest In Peace, Eric Thompson.  We are about set to go racing again, and start the second half of this event.  We are ten seconds away.  Green!  The track, is back to green.

The Porsche has position on the smoking Ferrari through the Veedol chicane.  Davide Rigon tries to pass the Porsche.  Rigon is behind now.  Porsche is making a massive move, and here comes Rigon!  There's a touch!  Wow.  Flash the lights.  Rigon is in no mood to give up the spot.  

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