Back in the 1950's, it was a golden age for sports car racing, and also, the creation, of some of America's most fantastic road racing circuits. Names like Sebring International Raceway, Lime Rock Park, Virginia International Raceway, and Watkins Glen International Raceway, come to mind. But, today, the Tudor Championship, races the most majestic course, of them all, to come from this era. Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. It is nestled in a region of the state of Wisconsin called the Kettle Moraine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kettle_Moraine
A moraine is defined as, accumulated glacial debris. A mass of earth and rock debris carried by an advancing glacier and left at its front and side edges as it retreats.
There's a good geography lesson, race fans. Road America combines fast straightaways, and treacherous, off speed corners. All four divisions of the Tudor Championship, will race today, in round nine of the 2015 season, as we near the end of the series' second season. Prototype, Prototype Challenge, GT Le Mans, and GT Daytona, will all race today. The championships are VERY close! A total of 17 points separates first and second in the standings, in the four divisions, combined! Who will emerge the big cheese in The Dairy State? Stay tuned, and find out, as the story of the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase is told... next!
Sports cars have been headliners at Road America for six decades. Lots of news has come out of the Tudor Championship. Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook lead the Prototype points, over Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi, with Dane Cameron and Eric Curran in third place. Barbosa and Fittipaldi, are not only the defending IMSA champs, but, they are also, defending champions, of this very race at Road America... the Road Race Showcase. Jordan and Ricky, the Taylor brothers, are also in contention for the title.
They need more wins to stay in the title fight. Prototype Challenge sees a mere three points, separating Colin Braun and Jon Bennett (for CORE Autosport), from PR1/Mathiasen Motorsport and their drivers, Mike Guasch, and Tom Kimber-Smith. Four races remain for both GT classes. This is the time to build a lead and/or gain back lost points. Corvette and BMW continue to slug it out in GT Le Mans. Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, are competing directly with Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen, for the title. The points leaders, are separated, by only two.
Porsche has won the last two GT Le Mans events, after their big win overall at Le Mans. Falken Tire won Watkins Glen, and Porsche Motorsport North America, won at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. The defending champs at Road America, looking to repeat, are the squad of the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia. In GT Daytona, it's just as competitive. Christopher Haase and Dion von Moltke, lead the points, for Audi, and Paul Miller Racing. Christina Nielsen for Aston Martin, is five points out of the lead, in second place. Recall PMR crashed their Audi, at Lime Rock Park, last time, after getting tangled with a Prototype Challenge racer.
Look out for the WeatherTech Porsche of Cooper MacNeil and Leh Keen, as well as the Scuderia Corse Ferrari of Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell. We still see a struggle for Ganassi Racing, who has been so dominant is season's past. They have no wins this year, and are 20 points behind the Prototype class points leaders. However, Joey Hand set a phenomenal lap in qualifying, and puts the #01 Riley Ford EcoBoost, on pole. Road America is a fast track, with sweeping corners, and loads of elevation change. That's the good point. The not so good point is, it's tough to pass on this track, despite it being such a speed palace.
Road America, was built, in 1955, over a span of only four months. Fourteen corners in a four mile loop, where a driver averages 44 gear changes a lap. The elevation change is 170 feet and the top speed is at least 175 miles an hour. As the cars come through Canada Corner, there used to be a bridge there, (the Billy Mitchell Bridge). But, the bridge, was taken out. Temperatures are warmer for the race than were seen on Friday and Saturday, during practice and qualifying sessions. Here we go. We are ready for a start, for the Prototype machines!
Joey Hand and Christian Fittipaldi lead the field to green. Up the hill, and it's go time at Road America! Chicago Fire soccer goalie Sean Johnson, waves the green flag. Joey Hand starts well, but Michael Valiante already is scrapping, diving inside Ricky Taylor, immediately! Fittipaldi has sunk to fourth place, already! The DeltaWing is already mixing it up early on, with Memo Rojas and Katherine Legge sharing the driving chores. We turn our attention back to the hill, to watch the GT cars start, in GT Le Mans and GT Daytona.
Earl Bamber takes the lead from the GTLM pole. Patrick Lindsey set pole time in GTD. Bamber grabbed pole in the wet, after seeing the track only a couple of times. John Edwards in the factory BMW Z4 GT is hounding him, right from the get go. Edwards is pushing, challenging Bamber on the outside, downhill! That's really tough to do at this sweeping, hilly, amazing circuit. Watch out for braking downhill into the next corner, with cold brakes and cold tires. This is going to be hairy! We have the lone Falken Tire Porsche. Everyone else in GTLM is on Michelin's. However, BMW are using a totally different compound, than the rest of the field in the category.
Edwards is booking it already. The sister factory Porsche had issues during qualifying, and is trying to carefully but potently scythe it's way through the field, being caught up with several GT Daytona class cars. They run through turn six, a left hand corner, into a section of track called "hurry downs". Onward through turn seven, and then, they reach The Carousel. We watch as Giancarlo Fisichella is trying his best to catch, and pass, Antonio Garcia. It's Corvette C-7-R vs. Ferrari 458 Italia. Fisichella and co-driver Pierre Kaffer are at least two and a half seconds faster with their lap times, than they were in qualifying, going back to last year. They are defending champions of the Road Race Showcase.
Bamber is flying! He's moving away from the rest of the GT Le Mans field as we speak! Car #911 had an engine misfire. The team had to change the motor, after using the engine mapping software in the car's computer, didn't work. The Corvette Antonio Garcia is racing, is the same car that had a heavy wreck at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, before the race even got underway, and had to miss two Tudor Championship events as well. But, today, it's back in the hunt. Tight racing in GTLM! Garcia wants by Edwards. Edwards says, "no way, sunshine." Now, Fisichella also wants to get a run on the bright yellow Corvette.
Edwards locks up the brakes! He runs wide, opening the door for Garcia! Garcia will inherit second place in class. The #60 Mike Shank Racing Ligier Honda, has served a penalty. MSR discovered a fuel leak in the car, this morning, prior to the morning warmup. Ozz Negri Jr. smelled fuel as he was towed out to run hot laps. They had to skip the warmup, and start from pit lane. We watch Wolf Henzler beginning to move up. The fuel cell on the #60 car, collapsed upon itself, bolting pieces of aluminum, to fix it. Will it hold through the end of the race? Not too sure.
Giancarlo Fisichella has passed the Corvette of Garcia, for second in GT Le Mans. The Porsche passes the BMW. Michelin has come up with a single stint tire, which has more grip, and less tire life, than a normal tire. It is a "gumball" tire, if you will. It has less grip and tire life than a standard endurance tire. Why? It is for pit strategy. But, will the tires hold up in the heat at Road America? We'll find out. You get data from testing or racing. There was a test session the Tuesday before the race. Patrick Lindsey currently leads GT Daytona from pole position.
Christina Nielsen in the Aston Martin and Ben Keating in the SRT Viper, are giving chase, to the Porsche driven by Lindsey. Ben Keating wants inside Christina Nielsen to make a pass, in this, a big, heavy race car. Nielsen tries shutting the door. Keating continues to fight. He won't surrender. He makes a pass stick into turn three. There is concern with drive time for Pro/Am classes like Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona. GT Daytona usually requires a 60 minute drive time per driver, to get points.
Because of discussing fuel mileage with the team manager's, now, IMSA has limited that drive time, for scoring points, to 50 minutes. If this did not happen, the Pro/Am drivers would have to do a second stint, under green flag conditions. In the Prototype Challenge class for identically prepped French Oreca built chassis' with Chevrolet small block V8 motors, and we watch James French, leading Chris Cumming. Car #38 leads car #11. Rain is in the forecast at Road America. Will it come? How heavily will it fall? Those questions, must be answered, but only if such a story, is told. We'll see.
Joey Hand leads this race at the moment, with the Ford twin turbo V6 motor in the Riley chassis. The cars make their way down through Canada Corner, the twelfth of fourteen turns on this track, and back uphill, to end another lap. Dion von Moltke and Christopher Haase, continue to lead the GT Daytona championship, despite their huge wreck last time out at Lime Rock Park. We watch the Audi, chasing the #63 Ferrari driven by Bill Sweedler, teaming with Townsend Bell. We now resume, the GTLM scrap. Corvette vs. Falken Porsche vs. BMW.
The GTLM class will get stronger. Ford, rolled out their new GT racer, and other makes, could be joining the party, in the years to come. Ganassi won their first pole (for this race), since Long Beach, in 2014. Right now, Joey Hand is being eaten up, by other Prototypes. He has run lap times in the 1:59 bracket. Michael Valiante is right on top of him. Car #01 may need to change tires, as the handling is suspect, just slightly. The crew flew into action, checking tire pressures. Hand has had understeer and traction issues. Although, Ganassi did test the car, earlier on, at Road Atlanta, in Braselton, Georgia, which hosts the Petit Le Mans, season finale, later in the year.
Michael Valiante wants to make an inside move, now. Valiante takes the lead after Hand makes the one move you are allowed, to let his rival by. Hand falls to third, behind Valiante, and Ricky Taylor. Hand's lap times, have slowed, by two seconds. They went from 1:59 to 2:01, in short order. Ooh! Some contact, somewhere, coming up on lapped traffic. The #90 and #10 touched going into the braking zone for turn eight. Taylor went around the outside, and Valiante comes back, to re-pass. No harm, no foul, for the #10 car.
Ooh! We've had a wreck. The #97 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 GT has suffered a big shunt, at one of the fastest parts of this track. Michael Marsal of New York, was the listed driver, at the time of the crash. There was contact with a Prototype Challenge car. It's game over for car #97. This is very disappointing, especially since Marsal and Dane Cameron, won at the previous race, at Lime Rock Park. Michael Marsal is OK. But, his team mate, Markus Palttala, won't even get to race. Sorry for being hasty about it being game over for the car. The team will have a look and see if it is fixable, once it gets towed back on the flatbed truck.
We watch the championship contending #52 Prototype Challenge entry circulating, with Mike Guasch at the controls. Guasch's car is reported to have made contact, with the Will Turner entered BMW driven by Marsal. Both these cars won in class at Lime Rock. Last year, on this same part of the course, recall a big accident with James Davison being hit by a Mazda prototype, damaging the car, hugely, in a practice session.
There are no small wrecks at Road America. It is time, now, under full course yellow, for Prototypes, to pit. Can the #01 car get fixed? Joey Hand has been sinking like a stone, due to a power problem. The team is doing routine service on the car, and might be able to diagnose the problem, under this full course yellow. Car #90 is also, in the lane, as are the #10, #31, and #5 Corvette Prototype's. #10 beats #90 out of pit lane. Strategy call for the VisitFlorida.com Racing squad, with a driver change. Richard Westbrook, takes over, from Michael Valiante. Car #10 goes to the race lead under this yellow.
Joey Hand is now back on track. Turbo boost, was the issue, for the Riley Ford EcoBoost, from Ganassi Racing. Now, the GT cars pit. Giancarlo Fisichella pits the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari. The factory #911 Porsche is also pitting. Ditto for the sister car, #912. #912 has a faster stop. Nick Tandy takes over from Earl Bamber. Great stops for the #17 Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR and the #62 Ferrari. Corvette and BMW had problems getting away from pit lane. Michelin is making this new single stint tire, as in the Tudor Championship (unlike the old American Le Mans Series, or, the FIA World Endurance Championship), you are allowed to change tires and fuel the car, at the same time.
Whereas, in the old days, in North America, and still, in Europe and other places around the world, in sports car racing, you have to add fuel, and then, after doing so, change tires, and service the car. Car #01 is back on the road. They had to work on a hose from the turbo or the waste gate. It was a clamp, or a small piece. For the #25 BMW, it was caught on an air hose either for a tire air hammer, or, the air jack to lift the car so the crew can work on it. Our GT Daytona leader, leads us back to the green flag, on the restart.
Going uphill, some drivers cannot see the green flag. So, they have to hear over the radio from their spotters, "green, green, green", before they can accelerate. Ooh! Dane Cameron makes a move and runs wide in the #31 Whelen Corvette Prototype, as the #90 car, is sent spinning! This might be big, as Westbrook and Valiante are only seven points clear in the championship from their nearest rivals. It's ironic, as Westbrook's engineer is Dane Cameron's dad, Ricky Cameron. Richard Westbrook claimed his was punted, and so, he's not a happy camper at all.
In multi class racing, you as a driver have to be aware of the performance capabilities oof the other cars around you. This is critical. Car #31 has not been damaged. Christian Fittipaldi is quickly gaining on Ricky Taylor. Taylor defends and passes Fittipaldi, while he cuts to the inside for the turn six braking zone. In 1999, Christian Fittipaldi won his first Champ Car race here. The Indycar Series will also return to Road America, next year. The DeltaWing was reported smoking, earlier. But, the car is fourth in class, with Memo Rojas at the wheel. Fourth in Prototype, fifth in the overall.
Oh wow! More slice and dice from Fittipaldi! Ricky Taylor tries to defend the line, runs wide, and gets in the gray dust on the outside of the track! Dane Cameron is now on the tails of both of these boys! A three way fight ensues for the lead! Remember now, the #5 and #31 are team mates at Action Express Racing. Cameron, has a run! He is alongside Fittipaldi! These blokes are squeezing each other down the back straightaway. These boys are playing dodge 'em cars! No pit maneuvers between Cameron and Fittipaldi.
This is great racing. But, team boss Gary Nelson must be nervous, watching this! Cameron gets on the radio, saying, "Gary, I'm not OK with that", meaning, Christian Fittipaldi's defensive driving. Ricky Taylor says, "cheerio, boys. I'm getting away!" Action Express will be back with both of their cars, next year. It is time to make your move, with races running out in the 2015 Tudor Championship season. Whoa. We have a spin. Mirco Schultis loops the #8 Prototype Challenge car, with team manager for Starworks, Peter Baron, on the radio, saying, "turn it around! Turn it around! Let's go!"
Schultis came into contact with one of the factory Corvette GTLM cars, (the #3). Correction. Jan Magnussen is now in the #3. Schultis says, "the car isn't running." Baron replies, "turn off all the power, and restart. Come on!" Baron gives another suggestion. "Roll down the hill." This might give him enough momentum for the motor to turn over. He tells Schultis, "go man, go! Come on!" Meanwhile, in the pit, is the #63 Ferrari for Scuderia Corse in GT Daytona. Bill Sweedler hands the car over to Townsend Bell.
They are pitting as a strategy call. They are good to go for minimum drive time. Chris Cumming leads Prototype Challenge, making a pass on James French. The braking zones for some of these turns, are bumpy. So, it is easy to lock up a front wheel unintentionally. The #07 Mazda Skyactiv Diesel prototype runs eighth in class, in the hands of Tom Long, from North Carolina. More strife for a Prototype Challenge car. This is the #85 machine. The driver has hit the Continental signage on the side of the track. Chris Miller is at the controls.
Henzler and Edwards continue the BMW and Porsche scrap in GT Le Mans. How did Miller run off the road? Was he hip checked? He was running slowly, wanted to pull over, started to spin, and... bonk. Right into the sign. The grass is slick, as there was heavy rain, 48 hours before the race. The #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT America has pitted. John Potter, handed the car over to co-driver, Andy Lally. Oswaldo Negri Jr. is trying to make up for lost time, with the MSR Ligier Honda, #60, who had an iffy start to this race, to say the least.
Negri Jr. has turned the fastest lap of this race, overall, so far, with a 1:58.2. At the sharp end of the field, the lap times are fast. Run the lap times (for the cars chasing Ricky Taylor), and stay close. But, save fuel. Can you leapfrog your competition? The Konica Minolta team have done well over the last few races. The #38 Prototype Challenge car pits. It was thought we'd see rain in this race. It has not come yet, as bright sunshine envelops the track at Road America, currently. Connor Daly takes over the car.
#38 has a damaged rear wing end plate on the left hand side. One the bolts has come loose. That will affect the handling of the car, on this track. The #85 Prototype Challenge racer that crashed into the sign, is still at that corner, but, it is covered by a local yellow. So, no need for a full course yellow that would slow the field. The car will need a new battery, and the pit crew will get it out there so the car can continue.
Ricky Taylor is not concerned about Christian Fittipaldi, unless they get caught in traffic. GTLM is in traffic, passing the leading GTD car. Tommy Milner in the #4 Corvette jumps ahead of John Edwards in the #24 BMW. Wolf Henzler has gapped them. Edwards tries Milner into the braking zone. No dice. But, the Corvette stepped out, on a downshift. The #73 Park Place Racing GTD Porsche of Patrick Lindsey is in this scrap. Check that. Lindsey, pitted the car, and handed the driving chores over to co-driver, Spencer Pumpelly. Jeroen Bleekemolen has taken over the wheel of the #33 SRT Viper in GTD, from Ben Keating.
The Carousel at Road America is an awesome corner, because it is a test of a car's performance, when it comes to the chassis, and mechanical balance. A great battle ensues between Corvette and BMW. It's #3 and #25. Christina Nielsen continues to drive the #007 TRG GTD Aston Martin V12 Vantage. Kevin Buckler, the team owner, has lots of confidence in Nielsen's ability. If you have two drivers who can run identical lap times, it does not matter which one is in the car, because it gives you strategic flexibility, more than anything else.
Back in 1955, Cliff Tufte, built Road America, to replace racing on the public roads in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and is a true meaning of what is said in the baseball movie "Field of Dreams"... "if you build it, they will come." Tufte, passed away, at the age of 84, on January 8th, 1981.
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/10/obituaries/cliff-tufte-84-chief-developer-of-road-america-auto-racing.html
Ricky Taylor and Christian Fittipaldi still lead. It's easy to make a mistake, braking through the downhill corners. The straightaways are fast at around 170 miles an hour. Pit stop time for the #31 Whelen/Action Express Corvette Prototype. Fuel and tires for the car. There's a 50 second delta for a full service stop for getting down pit lane. Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell work together well, and are trying to do well with having a chance to battle for the championship.
Bill Sweedler is upping his game as a driver. Earl Bamber has had a meteoric career arc. He winsthe Porsche Carrera Cup championship, becomes a Porsche factory driver in GT racing, gets the opportunity to race for Porsche's World Endurance Championship factory prototype program, and, wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans! If you haven't followed sports car racing, check this guy out in an internet search. Giancarlo Fisichella is going well, too, with the #62 Ferrari 458 Italia. They don't have to play a strategy game with a team mate.
Don't be confused, between that car, and the #63 Scuderia Corsa GT Daytona Ferrari piloted by Bell and Sweedler. Two entirely different classes, and two entirely different teams. The Deltawing is passing the Ferrari as the #5 Action Express Corvette, pits. How will Dane Cameron in the sister car #31, do, on his outlap? Joao Barbosa will take over the #5 car, and Dane Cameron will finish in car #31, after Eric Curran, started the race. Dane Cameron has hot tires. Joao Barbosa, has cold tires. This is the difference. Cameron, may have the upper hand.
Barbosa has not moved yet in the #5 Mustang Sampling Corvette Prototype. One of the factory Corvette's pits. #31 looks to go by the #5. Brake dust spews out from the wheels of the #31. You can only do that with the brakes for so long, before the braking degrades, and... gasp, you find yourself without any brakes. That's the last thing you want at a track as fast as Road America. Jan Magnussen has taken over the #3 Corvette. This is the car that was crashed at Le Mans. They had some wiring issues. But, they were fixed. The sister car (#4) in the hands of Tommy Milner, had a bump and run with John Edwards in the #24 BMW.
In the meantime, Ricky Taylor pits the #10 Corvette Prototype, from the race lead. How will the stop work? #31 is coming through the kink right now. Jordan Taylor will take over the wheel. There will be a tire change on the car. The team is getting good longevity from the car and the tires. Oswaldo Negri Jr. and the #60 Mike Shank Racing Ligier JS P2 Honda, pits. The patch on the fuel tank, is staying together, as the car, is in the lane, for routine service. The team has a slight delay on the fuel.
In the meantime, the #01 pits. Scott Pruett takes over from Joey Hand, on the scheduled driver change. Also in the lane, it's the #90 Corvette Prototype. Pit action is hot and heavy at this stage. Richard Westbrook, will stay in the car, and finish the race. #01 beats #90 out of the pits. Now, the #31 of Dane Cameron, leads the motor race. Bruno Junquiera is fifth overall in his Prototype Challenge car, as we have reached halfway. Dane Cameron, has also run the fastest lap of the motor race, to this point, at a 1:57.7.
Joao Barbosa runs second, and has trimmed the lead down to 8.7 seconds. Whoa! A pirouette for the #911 factory GTLM Porsche! He is second in class, in close proximity to his team mate in car #912. Giancarlo Fisichella in the Ferrari, is closing. The #62 car, has a flat tire. Tandy locks up the brakes. Fisichella passes Tandy. This is not a meaningful pass, though. #911 will hit pit lane, soon. It does pit, and exits, back into the fray. The #17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR is also in the lane. Bryan Sellers is taking over from Wolf Henzler, to finish out the race.
We watch a pair of class leaders. Bruno Junquiera in Prototype Challenge, and, Christina Nielsen in GT Daytona. Kuno Wittmer, will take over, from Christina Nielsen, in short order. She pitted under yellow and will do a stint and a half. The sister factory Porsche GTLM car, is now, in the lane, pitting from the class lead. Jorg Bergmeister takes over the car from Earl Bamber. Bergmeister has many championships and wins in sports cars.
It's beautiful at Road America. But, rain is in the forecast. Members of the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer team, are on hand, to watch the race here at Road America, and they took a ride around Road America, with Audi Customer Racing driver, Christopher Haase. The driver's championship is very close as we've reached and passed halfway here at Road America. The two Corvette teams from Spirit of Daytona and Action Express, are tied, at the top, 247 points apiece. Eric Curran and Dane Cameron, in the second Action Express entry, are a single point behind. Then, there's just an eighteen point spread, to fifth place.
Brake dust still appears from the front wheels of the #31 Corvette Prototype. With carbon rotors, they work great. But, when you wear them down, they wear down, REALLY quickly! Will there be rain in the forecast with an hour left in the race? It does not seem likely. After their steering problems last year, once again, the Konica Minolta Corvette Prototype team for Wayne Taylor Racing, runs into more gremlins. Another steering issue. This one, seems to be focused, on the right rear suspension. It is a camber issue. Camber is the slant of a vehicle's steerable wheels, that makes them slightly closer together at the bottom than at the top.
Some shims in the steering came loose, and were adjusted by the pit crew. The shims are installed on the ends of the suspension wishbones to create camber. If you run over curbs consistently, the rear tires, will be pinched into position and won't be able to be adjusted. If you run over the bumps, the bolts will drop out, and thus, the rear suspension will feel loose, and like it's about to come out from underneath the car. The #73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche, pits. To quote lead race broadcaster Bob Varsha, (with a term yours truly would use), this track has been nothing less than a bugaboo for WTR.
#10 currently sits eighth in Prototype, 16th in the overall. Jeroen Bleekemolen, meanwhile, has the #33 SRT Viper in the GT Daytona class lead. We thought they'd contend for the GT Daytona championship. Viper has won two races this year, but, with the sister #93 machine. They won two of the three endurance races run this year so far. The Rolex 24 at Daytona, and, the Six Hours of Watkins Glen. They hit pit lane in #33 as the #0 DeltaWing, exits. Car #11 with Bruno Junquiera driving, still leads Prototype Challenge.
Second in Prototype Challenge is the #38 car, piloted right now, by second generation driver, Conor Daly. The PC cars are getting right to their 50 minute fuel window, before they make their final pit stops of the race. Third in class is the #54 CORE Autosport special, in the hands of Colin Braun, whose team mate, Jon Bennett, qualified, and started the car. Braun, will take it to the checkers. The scrum for third in the overall and in Prototype, the final step on the podium, is heating up, and fast. It's the #60 MSR Ligier Honda driven by Ozz Negri... playing the rabbit, and the #01 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost of Scott Pruett, playing the hound.
Pruett has run a fastest lap of 1:57.4 and these blokes at Ganassi just have not been able to get back to the sharp end, after their earlier issues with a hose clamp on the Ford twin turbo V6 engine in the back of the Riley Prototype chassis. Dane Cameron, running in the lead, is 3/10ths slower, at a 1:57.7. Because of their issues, Ganassi Racing is 25 seconds behind the leaders at this stage. It's been an odyssey for MSR at this race, and during the 2015 Tudor Championship season.
Every time MSR has run at Road America, they have completed laps. Meanwhile, the #912 factory GTLM Porsche pitted from the class lead, for an entirely unscheduled stop. Jorg Bergmeister thought the hood would fly off. They took fuel, and left side tires. Bergmeister wants his fifth win at Road America. Dane Cameron, will pit, at the end of this lap, while Conor Daly takes to pit lane for the #38 Performance Tech Prototype Challenge car. Conor Daly has not raced here, since 2010, back when he was competing in the Star Mazda open wheeled feeder series.
Pruett is chasing Negri Jr. Watch the giant bump at the end of pit lane. That one, will rattle a driver's teeth. Pruett passes both factory BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GT's in GTLM as the #911 factory Porsche now hits pit lane. Fuel and left side tires only for car #911. The right side tires wear better. The #31 car pits, too. New tires and fuel. The tire pressures have been adjusted. The team is putting on scrubbed Continental tires. Bryan Sellers pits the #17 Porsche and gets new Falken tires. There is a speed differential, between the Falken and Michelin tires, though.
Use the curbs, in order to go fast, and achieve lap times. The issue there is, it beats the race car, to pieces. Joao Barbosa in the overall race lead, should have clear track ahead. Barbosa is racing to Canada Corner right now. Barbosa brings the car into the pits, for fuel and tires. Dane Cameron has clear road, with a little bit of traffic, and he might still get one, clear, flying lap. Action Express, has completed every racing lap in the history of the Tudor Championship, to this point. There was a delay on the left rear tire on car #5 as #31 comes down the front straightaway.
This is going to be close! #31 stays ahead, and in the race lead. With hot tires, #31 should open a gap over #5. Cameron is stuck behind a Prototype Challenge machine, overtaking a GT Daytona car. This is going to be tight. Pierre Kaffer is at the controls of the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia, and, is leading GTLM right now. GT Daytona is still lead by the #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, now in the hands of Kuno Wittmer. Pierre Kaffer makes a quick stop, for a splash of fuel.
The GTLM lead changes hands, as the #911 Porsche, sweeps by. Patrick Pilet is currently driving th Porsche. This race has gone by quickly. Porsche goes for three wins in a row. Ferrari wants their second straight Road America win. The top three in GTLM will be good on fuel. Lucas Luhr in fourth in the factory BMW will need a splash and dash. Giancarlo Fisichella is quite the entrepreneur. He has his own line of coffee, and, is a professional DJ. The #3 Corvette C-7-R- runs seventh in the overall, and he needs to pass the #17 Porsche of Bryan Sellers. The next man up the road is Dirk Werner in the BMW.
In the last 25 minutes of this race, the Prototype Challenge battle between Conor Daly and Bruno Junquiera, will intensify. Now, it's down to the drivers. This event, is scheduled, for two hours, and 40 minutes. The #007 Aston Martin, could be about ten minutes short on fuel. They are ten minutes shy. They should roll the dice, or hope for a yellow. The Viper SRT has the same concern. Looking at points in GTLM and GTD, both classes, are very close. In the GT Daytona points, there's a tie between Christina Nielsen and the team of Haase/Von Moltke on 202 points. The nearest competition, is 14 points in arrears.
This is a separate tie, between the #22 WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America squad of Cooper MacNeil and Leh Keen, and the #63, Bell/Sweedler duo for Scuderia Corsa in the Ferrari, while the sister Alex Job Racing #23 Porsche of Mario Farnbacher and Ian James, is five more points behind. GTLM is also close. There may be a tie in GTLM after this race, headed into the next race, coming up. Details on that, at the end of this post.
The #007 Aston Martin needs more fuel. TRG AMR will roll the dice, and pit on the next lap, according to radio chatter between Kuno Wittmer in the driving seat, and team boss/owner Kevin Buckler. SRT Viper is good on fuel. We watch a great battle in GT Le Mans, that could affect the championship, between BMW RLL, Corvette Racing, and Falken Porsche. These blokes are fifth, sixth, and seventh, in class. More great battles. Townsend Bell passes Christopher Haase. This could affect the outcome of the GT Daytona championship, too.
Spencer Pumpelly also clears Haase. So, he's lost two places. Werner, Garcia, and Sellers, also continue their scrap. It's every man for himself. Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen in the #25 BMW are two points behind the #3 Corvette of Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen. Pit stop time for TRG AMR. This will be a quickie. Left side tires only on the front and rear. #33 goes by. #007 may keep second in GTD. Wittmer used to drive for SRT Viper. So, Bill Riley and the rest of that team, waved to Wittmer as he exited down pit lane.
Garcia is pushing Werner. He wants by! Go wide. Brake early. Mash the throttle and get on the power. He's trying every trick in the book. Garcia tries to pass Werner, and they may need to use the Park Place GTD Porsche, as a pick! Werner can't react. He is ahead of Garcia, and has to move first. Werner locks up! Opportunity for Garcia? No dice, in the Carousel. The Mustang Sampling #5 Action Express Corvette Prototype spun briefly, but is now, back on the road.
Joao Barbosa works his way through turn three. Could the spin have happened in turn one? Barbosa tried to dive inside the #48 Audi in GT Daytona, and paid the price, taking a turn on the whirligig. No action will be taken, by the IMSA stewards. Three cars might be within two points for the overall championship. Pierre Kaffer is being hounded by Jorg Bergmeister, as we see Conor Daly and Bruno Junquiera battling in Prototype Challenge. Kaffer is trying to bust up the hopes of a Porsche 1-2 in GTLM.
We're coming up on ten minutes to go. More fracas in GTLM as the #25 BMW is caught behind the DeltaWing, allowing the Corvette #3 to make a move. Thank goodness that was not an accident! What a piece of driving by Antonio Garcia! Dane Cameron leads this race, by 15 seconds. It's a balance between risk and reward. Risk everything with just a few races remaining in the season. The #60 Ligier Honda of Ozz Negri, went off the road, trying to pass the Ferrari. He got in the marbles, went off in the gravel trap, and Scott Pruett made the pass.
The track is really dirty. No grip for Negri Jr., who is relegated to fourth spot overall. The battle in GTLM continues between Ferrari and Porsche. Kaffer knows where Bergmeister will try to make a move. Thanks to Giuseppe Risi, Ferrari really has a presence in North American sports car racing. The team's plans are not set in stone for next year, yet. Ferrari has the twin turbocharged V8 powered 488 GTB coming online. They could be in the wars, with one car, next year. They would battle, certainly, with Corvette, Porsche, and Ford, with their new GT. Don't count out the BMW M6 either.
GT3 rules will come to the fore in GT Daytona. Ooh! Bergmeister tries going around Kaffer. But, no dice! You can challenge into turn 14 at Road America. But, you have to hit the brakes, and be set up to exit the corner correctly, in order to get a decent run. If you're trying to dive down the inside, late, you can brake deep, without many issues. In Prototype Challenge, Conor Daly leads by six seconds. Performance Tech may win Prototype Challenge. TI Automotive Viper, will likely win GT Daytona.
Bergmeister has his hands full with the Prototype Challenge machine from CORE Autosport. Three laps to go, with just under four minutes on the clock. Kaffer makes the right move, letting Colin Braun go, and still being able to fend off the challenge, from Bergmeister. Sometimes, in sports car racing, to overtake, you need to know when to lift off the throttle. The Ferrari is solid under brakes at turn five, while the Porsche is not as stable. If you have the overall leader behind you, your class battle could run for another lap.
Kaffer wants to get inside the #48 GTD Audi. This is tight. No worries. Where can Bergmeister make the move, without incurring a penalty? Turn five could be the place. He can't pull into the slipstream of the Ferrari. Bergmeister has to be right on Kaffer's gearbox. The Ferrari has good off corner torque. White flag for Dane Cameron. He will likely win the second race for Action Express, this year. GTLM will be a battle to the bitter end. Kaffer's got a lap and a half. Bergmeister is trying to let off the throttle and feed back into the power, so he can stay with the Ferrari. 100th of a second to blip the throttle, is a major margin.
The aero wash off the Ferrari, affects Bergmeister's front downforce, too. Pierre makes a move to the right. Jorg wants the spot. Bergmeister can't get it. He runs wide. The Porsche, is faster, than the Ferrari. The chap in front can make one move. No weaving and darting is allowed. One more full lap, they are told. GTLM will go one more lap, while Dane Cameron, will bring the leading Prototype to the checkers. Check that. This GTLM battle, is for second. Not the win. Patrick Pilet in the sister factory Porsche will win in class.
It's the last corner of the last lap. Whoa! Hold on a minute, folks. We've got contact. The #11 and #38, the leaders in Prototype Challenge, got together. Meanwhile, Dane Cameron and Eric Curran will win the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase! Victory for Action Express! In Prototype Challenge, there was argy bargy. No. That's not the case. Conor Daly will finish second. Bruno Junquiera wins Prototype Challenge in car #11!
We've got a problem in GTLM! The Ferrari is off the road! Has Risi thrown it away? Bergmeister in the factory Porsche, continues. There was a touch. Porsche 1-2? Yes! For now. What will the stewards say? For now, it's a factory Porsche 1-2. No argy bargy in Prototype Challenge. Conor Daly took the car deep into the corner, and paid the price. He spun out. Back to GTLM. #62 had the position. #912 moves inside, and makes contact. Thud, thud. It's just hard racing. Nothing intentional.
That win will stand. 1-2 for Action Express in Prototype. 1-2 for Porsche in GT Le Mans. Dane Cameron becomes the all-time class wins leader in Tudor Championship competition with seven. Bruno Junquiera and Chris Cumming win Prototype Challenge. Factory Porsche #911 wins GTLM with Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy. GT Daytona honors go to the #33 ViperExchange.com SRT Viper of Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen.
Overall/Prototype: #31 Cameron/Curran Chevrolet Corvette Prototype
Prototype
Challenge: #11 Junquiera/Cumming Oreca FLM Chevrolet
GT Le Mans: #911 Tandy/Pilet Porsche 911 RSR
GT Daytona: #33 Keating/Bleekemolen SRT Viper GTS-R-
Only four races remain in the season for 2015. The next event on the Tudor Championship schedule (as they are winding down), is next weekend. It is the Oak Tree Grand Prix set to be held at Virginia International Raceway, in Alton, Virginia. No Prototypes at VIR. It will be exclusively for the GT classes. GT Le Mans, and, GT Daytona. Don't miss it! There will be a full race report, right here, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog. Until then, so long, everyone.
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