Rigon forces the Porsche into a defensive move, and then, the Porsche goes wide, and Rigon gets put out on the curb, and Davide Rigon could have closed the door. That was like a short track stock car race! The two G-Drive LMP2 cars are battling. In GTE Pro, four different drivers, are dealing with argy bargy at the moment. Timo Bernhard leads Andre Lotterer by 54 seconds. Car #71 is back in pit lane, with the team repairing the wheel rub on the left rear. Davide Rigon is coming under attack from the #99 Aston Martin V8 Vantage with Fernando Rees at the controls.
Also, there's a scrum in LMP2. It's Alpine Nissan, vs. Gibson. Paul Loup Chatin vs. Danny Watts. Gianluca Roda drops a wheel in the Larbre Competition Corvette C-7-R- but continues to race. That car, was busy, during the FIA WEC break, doing two Tudor Championship races. It was a stand-in for one of the factory cars, that had to be repaired, after crashing in practice for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This is a big race because Porsche and Audi are both German makes. Toyota also has a base in Germany. Uh oh. What is happening to the #18 Porsche? It seems OK. Aston Martin is in the lane with cars #95 and #98. Pedro Lamy takes over from Matthias Lauda in car #98. Matt Howson is trying to fend off the challenge from the #26. KCMG vs. G-Drive. These boys are the championship leaders in LMP2, but, in opposite positions in the points table, vs. the racetrack.
There's not much difference between LMP1 and LMP2 cars in terms of lap time. If you have the opportunity, the next race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, is something you should see in person, or on TV. Matt Howson gives up the lead to Gustavo Yacaman, as he pits. Richard Bradley will do his stint, and then, Nick Tandy will take a single stop, to finish the race off. Richard Bradley is now in the seat. New Dunlop tires have been fitted to the car. LMP2 cars run on Dunlop tires, and Michelin's are for the rest of the field in the other classes.
When a full course yellow is called, a "virtual safety car" comes out. No green flag to restart. They restart the race wherever the cars are on the road. One of the ESM Ligier Honda's went off and back on. David Heinemeier-Hanson has a nearly identical off, to Ed Brown, in the sister car. Car #77 is in need of a new door. Gustavo Yacaman pits and hands the car to Romain Rusinov. It is not an issue with the door at Dempsey. It's the window. There has to be some strategy adjustments. Signatech Alpine pits. Paul Loup Chatin is taking over the car.
Archie Hamilton is running for the first time with the SARD-Morand Morgan entry in LMP2. Danny Watts takes over the LMP2 lead in the Gibson chassis with Nissan power. Pit stop time for the #17 Porsche. The car will continue to lead this motor race. The #7 car is pitting now, too. #8 does likewise. #18 goes to second in the overall, for the moment. There are a minimum of two pit stops remaining in this race. Nick Leventis in the Strakka machine, has been caught for speeding in the pit lane and the gendarmes will give him a drive through penalty.
Sebastien Buemi is trying to pass Matthias Beche. It's factory Toyota #8 vs. Rebellion #12. Porsche 1-2, Audi 3-4, Toyota 5-6. Privateer LMP1 cars could come soon. That's because, the FIA WEC might outlaw the LMP2 division, in the not too distant future. There's a problem for the #96 Aston Martin V8 Vantage in LM GTE Am, piloted by Francesco Castellaci. Toyota, Porsche, and Audi, have re-upped for the next few years. Audi for one more year. Two more for Toyota. Three more, for Porsche.
The #1 Toyota, and both Porsche's have pitted. We watch another LMP2 battle with Nick Leventis and Vincent Capillaire. Ooh. There was a touch, as someone touched the back of the Gibson chassis, passing the #97 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, in the hands of Stefan Mucke. The #12 Rebellion has gotten around both of the aforementioned LMP2 cars. With CLM and one of the Rebellion's out, the main Rebellion might lead the gasoline powered LMP1 racer's contingent, (i.e., the cars, that are not the hybrid spaceship lightning bolts).
These factory cars, are beyond the level of a privateer squad.
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