LMP1 cars set for 1000bhp power cap

BHP = Brake Horsepower.  The LMP1 land rockets in the FIA World Endurance Championship, from next year forward, will have to have engines, that adhere to a 1000bhp limit, for the sake of safety.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2015/10/01/lmp1-cars-set-for-1000bhp-power-cap-in-safety-review/

Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge: Circuit of the Americas

The race broadcast for the penultimate race of the 2015 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, at Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas.

http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/2015-circuit-americas-race-broadcast

One race remains in the championship, this weekend, at Road Atlanta, in support of the Petit Le Mans.

sports car racing news update

The latest headlines from the world of sports car racing.

News & Notes Roundup: 9-23
http://sportscar365.com/gt/news-notes-roundup-9-23/

Flying Lizard Confirms Petit Le Mans Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/flying-lizard-confirms-petit-le-mans-lineup/

37 Cars on Petit Le Mans Entry List
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/37-cars-on-petit-le-mans-entry-list/

IMSA Pushes Ahead with CTSC Changes, Cost Cuts for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/imsa-pushes-ahead-with-ctsc-changes-cost-cuts-for-2016/

18 Entries for Blancpain Sprint at Misano
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bss/18-entries-for-blancpain-sprint-at-misano/

Hooks (Sonic Tools): "We're Here to Support Teams and Race Fans"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/hooks-sonic-tools-were-here-to-support-teams-and-race-fans/

Jota Sport, Arden Form Partnership
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/jota-sport-arden-form-partnership/

VIDEO: Inside WEC, COTA
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-inside-wec-cota/

Report: Hackenberg, Hatz to Depart Amid VW Emissions Scandal
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/report-hackenberg-hatz-to-depart-amid-vw-emissions-scancal/

Mueller Named Volkswagen AG CEO
http://sportscar365.com/industry/mueller-named-volkswagen-ag-ceo/
 
Sylvest to Sub for Poulsen at Larbre for 6 Hours Fuji
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/sylvest-to-sub-for-poulsen-at-larbre-for-6h-fuj/

Porsche Rennsport Reunion V Kicks Off
http://sportscar365.com/history/porsche-rennsport-reunion-v-kicks-off/

Project Brabham Still Targeting 2016 FIA WEC Effort
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/project-brabham-still-targeting-2016-fia-wec-effort/

ARC Bratislava Confirms Audi R8 LMS Ultra for Asian LMS
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/asian-lms/arc-bratislava-confirms-audi-r8-lms-ultra-for-asian-lms/

Patron Endurance Cup Heads to Road Atlanta

Bonus.  A video preview of the finale of the Tudor Championship, and the final round of the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup... the Petit Le Mans, presented by Mazda.

http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/patron-endurance-cup-heads-road-atlanta

Throwback Thursday: Taylor Bookends History of Petit Le Mans

Wayne Taylor was the inaugural winner of the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, back in 1998.  Last year, he also watched his sons Ricky and Jordan win the race in his team's Corvette Daytona Prototype. 

http://www.imsa.com/articles/throwback-thursday-taylor-bookends-history-petit-le-mans

Blancpain Endurance Series Round 5: Nurburgring (season finale)

In the finale of the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series... the iRacing.com GT500, Von Ryan Racing became the first, and only, repeat race winners of the 2015 season, with Rob Bell, Shane van Gisbergen, and Kevin Estre, taking the #58 McLaren 650S GT3 to victory.  Pro Am honors went, for the first time to Emil Frey Racing and his custom Jaguar.  The #14 Emil Frey G3 Jaguar XK was driven to the class win by Frey, Freddy Barth, and Gabriele Gardel, (an all Swiss driving squad). 

In the Am class, victory went the way of another first-time race winner, in the form of the #16 AKKA ASP Ferrari 458 GT3 in the hands of Frenchmen Fabien Barthez and Anthony Pons.

Overall/PRO: #58 Bell/van Gisbergen/Estre     McLaren 650S GT3
            Pro Am: #14 Frey/Barth/Gardel            Emil Frey G3 Jaguar XK
            Am: #16 Barthez/Pons                          Ferrari 458 Italia

In the championship, Belgian Audi Club Team WRT/Audi Sport Team WRT have won the Pro Cup and the overall Blancpain Endurance Series championship, again, this year!  Stephane Ortelli and Frank Stippler are the champs!

Champions:

Pro Cup: #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT  Stephane Ortelli & Frank Stippler   Audi R8 LMS
Pro Am Cup: #51 AF Corse   Duncan Cameron & Matt Griffin  Ferrari 458 Italia GT3
Am Cup: #24 Team Parker Racing   Ian Loggie & Julian Westwood           Audi R8 LMS

Congratulations to the drivers, and their teams on their clinching of the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series crowns in their divisions!  We will see you, next year, in 2016, for more awesome action, from the world's top GT3 spec sports car racing championship.  So long, for now.

GT3-Spec Machinery to Debut at Daytona November Test

The GT Daytona class of the newly re-branded for 2016 WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, will switch to full GT3 spec machinery, beginning with the November test session at Daytona International Speedway.  Here are the details.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/gt3-spec-machinery-to-debut-at-daytona-november-test/

Track Limits - A Driver's Take

Writing for the nasportscar.com blog, founder of the blog, and it's editor, Matt Kistler, explains that IMSA's "no track limits" rule, from the Tudor Championship race at Circuit of the Americas, last Saturday, may ultimately have been, or will be, a bad idea.

http://nasportscar.com/track-limits-a-drivers-take/

more sports car racing news

Lots of news to cover from all corners of the sports car racing universe.

Change, O'Gara Confirm Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Programs for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/change-ogara-confirm-huracan-gt3-programs-for-2016/

Shank Exploring 2017 Options; Seeks Second Car in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/shank-exploring-next-car-for-2017-seeks-second-car-in-2016/

PC Upgrades Proposed for 2016; IMSA Working on Future Platform
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/pc-upgrades-proposed-for-2016-imsa-working-on-future-platform/

McMurry Completes Shank Lineup for Petit Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/mcmurry-completes-shank-lineup-for-petit-le-mans/

Pruett Notches 60th Career Win at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/pruett-notches-60th-career-win-at-cota/

O'Gara Motorsport on the Rise in Lamborghini ST

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/lamborghini-st/ogara-motorsport-on-the-rise-in-2015-lamborghini-st-season/

Neveu: "The Best Opportunity in Latin America is Mexico City"

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/neveu-the-best-opportunity-in-latin-america-is-definitely-mexico-city/

VIDEO: Inside Ford's 2016 Logistics
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-inside-fords-2016-logistics/

Wayne Taylor, Larbre Working on Possible Corvette GTE-Pro Effort

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/wayne-taylor-racing-larbre-working-on-corvette-gte-pro-effort-for-2016/

Attempto, McLaren Part Ways
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/attempto-and-mclaren-part-ways/

SRO to Establish GT3 Enduro at COTA
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/ratel-there-is-no-gt3-only-endurance-race-in-america/

SRO Launches Intercontinental GT Challenge
http://sportscar365.com/gt/sro-launches-intercontinental-gt-challenge/

2016 Blancpain GT Calendar Reduced to Ten Rounds
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/blancpain-gt-calendar-reduced-to-ten-rounds/

SRO Press Conference News & Notes
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/sro-press-conference-news-notes/

Gulf 12H to Aceept LMP3, Renault R.S.01 Cars
http://sportscar365.com/gt/gulf12h/gulf-12h-to-accept-lmp3-and-renault-r-s-01-cars/

Ratel Still Working on Asia-Pacific GT3 Championship
http://sportscar365.com/gt/ratel-still-working-on-asia-pacific-gt3-championship/

Lone Star Le Mans Race Broadcast

Here is the race broadcast from the Tudor Championship Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, this past Saturday.

http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/2015-lone-star-le-mans-race-broadcast

COTA Content Recap

In cased you missed any news from Circuit of the Americas last weekend, here is a content recap from Sportscar365.  More current news from the world of sports car racing, will be assessed and explained, tomorrow.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/cota-content-recap-2/

ADESS LMP3 Car Completes Shakedown

The ADESS LMP3 racer is set to debut in the Asian Le Mans Series, soon.  This story, was initially published, last Wednesday.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/adess-lmp3-car-completes-shakedown/

Winner & highlights of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas

The battle for the Tudor Championship has been waged on some of the most iconic tracks.  Two points covers the top three Prototype teams.  Porsche leads GT Le Mans.  We are at the newest road racing track... Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas.  This is round nine of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship, the Lone Star Le Mans.

Ozz Negri is doing a parade lap, celebrating Justin Wilson, their fallen friend and team mate.  COTA is a great race track.  But, the weather today, is a huge problem.  Temperatures in the low 90s with high humidity.  Porsche is on pole in GT Le Mans.  BMW and Corvette want to beat Porsche.  In Prototype Challenge, it's been speed vs. consistency. CORE Autosport, has had one win and some top fives.  There are other teams up there.  Christina Nielsen is looking to be the first woman to win an international sports car racing title.

Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell, and then, Dion von Moltke, and Christopher Haase, in the Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS, are also looking for glory.  Go!  The race is underway as we watch Scott Pruett take the lead.  Michael Valiante flies to the lead, from sixth spot!  Scott Pruett regains the lead.  In GT, three Porsche's get the jump, and the Corvette's and BMW's follow.  Michael Valiante is applying the pressure already.  Car #31 spun into turn three.

The stakes are high, becauseof the closeness of the championship.  But, these blokes are pushing like it's a 30 lap feature.  The field has been told that they cannot undercut the apex, but, also, they can take lines onto the paint on the outside of the track.  The track limits have been increased.  Eric Curran spins on his own, coming up behind team mate (#5), Christian Fittipaldi.  Meanwhile, in GT Le Mans, it's Porsche vs. BMW.  They are good on long runs.  Porsche has been on a roll in GTLM lately.

John Edwards is trying to pass the Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia as he is driving the sister BMW Z4 GT.  John Edwards is very excited about the new idea of going four off, to try and pass a rival.  Dion von Moltke is running well, and Bill Sweedler in the Ferrari won't give up.  Sweedler and Bell, won last time out, at Virginia International Raceway, about three weeks ago.  Ooh!  Patrick Lindsey almost spins through turn eleven.

There are great vantage points all over this 3.4 mile, 20 turn layout at Circuit of the Americas.  But, it's sweltering in the red hot Texas sun.  Polesitter Scott Pruett wants to get a first win of 2015.  The #01 car has not won in a solid year, even though their sister car #02 won the Rolex 24 at the beginning of the season, back in January.  Over the winter, bumps have emerged on this track.  There will be just one race left after this one... the ten hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, in a few weeks.

Michelin is no longer using the single stint tires for the GT Le Mans cars.  The #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT America has early troubles.  The gearbox is suspect.  There has also been a spin, somewhere.  It was the automobile shared by Jason Hart and Mike Vess.  Not sure what number it is.  This line calls for a different driving style than a driver is accustomed to.  Last year, we had astro turf.  Now they are saying you can go as far as you can as long as you don't go off with all four wheels.

Explore track limits, to a reasonable level, as we watch the Mazda SkyActive diesel prototype of Tristan Nunez, following Prototype Challenge leader Chris Cumming.  Jordan Taylor is starting to pressure Scott Pruett in the overall in Prototype competition.  Jordan Taylor will surely apply the blowtorch to Pruett.  #01 and #10, are long shots for the championship title as Scott Pruett passes Christina Nielsen in the TRG/AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage in GT Daytona.

Eighteen minutes into this race, we are lapping slower traffic.  This race is an all day sucker, daddy-o.  Aggression is the order of the day as you've probably intuited by now.  Scott Pruett continues to lead.  Chris Cumming, Patrick Pilet, and Dion von Moltke all lead their respective classes.  We watch Wolf Henzler, chasing Earl Bamber.  Ray Mason did not realize that the #61 Prototype Challenge car, was trying him on the inside.  Mason, drives the #76 Audi R8 LMS for Compass360 Racing, sharing with Pierre Kleinubing. 

Pit stop time for Prototype.  No minimum drive time.  But, multiple driver changes are planned because of the heat.  Dirk Werner has a flatspotted tire.  They need to fix it.  Pit stop time for Prototypes.  Four tires and fuel for Jordan Taylor.  Not much fuel is needed.  Split strategies as Scott Pruett and Oswaldo Negri Jr. pit.  Taylor is not happy about something.  Ooh.  The #90 of Michael Valiante, and the #5 of Christian Fittipaldi are having an issue.  Now, it is down to the driver's to decide who beat who off pit lane.

There's lots of turns, and very little passing on a 20 turn, 3.47 mile road course.  Oswaldo Negri Jr. has water pouring from the chin area on his helmet.  That's got to be some discomfort.  We watch pit stops for the #17 Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR.  Wolf Henzler stays in the car.  Both factory Porsche's are also in.  Same for the two Corvette's.  We are ready for another green flag, and, the race restart, here at the Lone Star Le Mans.

GT cars have pitted.  There's great variation in elevation change here at COTA.  Lights out on the safety car.  John Edwards got into the back of the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia.  Christian Fittipaldi was far off the road, ashe could not go up hill, after not gaining speed up the hill.  Valiante got ahead of Fittipaldi, because the #90 has the last pit box.  We are back to green,and we watch Jordan Taylor nearly slamming into the #31 car.  Katherine Legge in the Deltawing also would have been in that scrum.

Eric Curran, thankfully, saved the car!  Fittipaldi and Valiante are still playing dodge 'em cars!  These are the championship leaders!  Race control will have hawk eyes on these two blokes.  They wind around the Carousel, through the stadium section.  Fittipaldi forces the issue with Chris Cumming.  No etiquette among the Prototype and Prototype Challenge cars, it seems.  Whoa.  A spin mid pack.  That's the #38 Performance Tech Prototype Challenge car of James French.  We also watch the #33 SRT Viper and the #48 Audi, held for a minute, running the red light at the end of pit lane.

Being in the sin bin for a minute, feels like ten.  Ooh.  #10 did make contact with #31.  Eric Curran gets tapped by Jordan Taylor.  Dig deep with a championship on the line.  We watch the intra-team battle between the two Porsche's, but, BMW leads, with John Edwards at the controls, after not pitting.  Edwards will be short on fuel soon.  We are not seeing a large spread in GT Le Mans.  Normally, the spread between the factory Corvette's, the factory Porsche's and the Falken Tire Porsche, is closer.  Not now.

The Balance of Performance is changing again.  Antonio Garcia and Tommy Milner are battling.  #4 has won Le Mans a bunch of times.  But, they have not won in the United States, in a couple years.  #3 has been on a roll, winning the two enduros, and they only lost their points lead, after the Road America race.  Lots of tributes have gone on in honor of Justin Wilson, who won the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona with Justin Wilson, and his co-drivers.  There was a moment of silence, and there is a tribute decal on every car and every driver helmet in this race.

We are ten minutes from the hour mark.  The silver/bronze Pro Am drivers, have reached their drive time limit.  Pit stop time, for driver changes.  Kuno Wittmer will take over from Christina Nielsen.  Park Place Racing is staying on track.  Patrick Lindsey is in the car right now.  It took a while for Kuno Wittmer to start the V12 engine in that Aston Martin.  91 degrees with 65% humidity.  That's muggy!  Cooper MacNeil handed the #22 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America, to Leh Keen.  Cars are harder to restart in hot weather.  Maybe the engine had shut down, even though, in this series, you keep the engine running in pit lane.

Kuno Wittmer had a quicker stop, and did not need as much fuel.  He took longer getting the belts fastened.  We watch Mario Farnbacher battle another of the Porsche's.  That is the Park Place machine of Patrick Lindsey.  Wow!  These two chaps are definitely going at it hammer and tongs.  There's an ebb and flow to the track limits, or lack thereof.  The #07 Mazda Prototype, had a belt come off the motor.  This combination of Spencer Pumpelly and Patrick Lindsey, has gelled real well through the whole season.

There's more curbing (orange concrete speed bumps), that you don't want to hit.  They mark turns eleven through twenty.  Michael Marsal is getting out of the way, in the Turner Motorsports BMW Z4 to let the Prototypes go by.  Whoops.  Another spinfor James French in car #38.  Pit this lap, for a full service.  Co-driver Ian James says that  Mario Farnbacher might do most of the driving.  Eric Curran, meanwhile, is holding off Jordan Taylor, who is racing on fresher tires.

Is something not working with the #10?  Meanwhile, Scott Pruett pits the #01 Riley Ford EcoBoost.  Joey Hand will take over the car.  A lot of drivers use electrolyte drinks to stay hydrated.  Joey Hand is using just plain water.  The #07 Mazda's race could be run.  They are behind the wall as we've run for a good hour in this race already.  We have an hour and 37 minutes remaining, folks.  Keep in mind, Eric Curran was spun and facing backwards at the start.  But, he is now leading.  His team mate Dane Cameron will finish the race later on.

John Pew has taken over from Oswaldo Negri Jr.  The car stalled, on the pit stop.  Team boss Michael Shank had to say, "go!, go!, go!" several times.  Oh!  The #4 Corvette whacks John Pew!  That was a wallop!  Yikes!  The boys running this Ligier Honda do not have cool suits.  So, they are steaming, in the car.  Jordan Taylor is having a tough time getting past Eric Curran.  There are some surface blemishes coming to this track.  The surface is becoming like a washboard, because of the weather changes, and the winters, which are still existent, in Texas, despite the heat we always hear about.

Patrick Pilet leads GT Le Mans ahead of his Porsche team mate, Earl Bamber.  We now have less than an hour and a half to go in this race.  #31 pitted for a full service stop.  Eric Curran got out of the car, who needs to cool off.  Dane Cameron is into the car, as Patrick Pilet spins in turn one.  He tries to pass for the lead in GT Le Mans.  It's Falken Tires in the middle of a Michelin sandwich.  Car #90 is in the lane.  Richard Westbrook takes over for Michael Valiante.  Meanwhile, Wolf Henzler has passed the factory car!

Win, driving a Porsche.  I wonder if these chaps will be sharing bratwurst at Rennsport Reunion next weekend.  The hole shot is taking the wide, wide line, washing out rivals, between turns 19 and 20.  Wolf Henzler was in low earth orbit, and these blokes needed GPS devices to tell them where they were!  John Pew gets slapped with a drive through penalty from the stewards, for spinning the Porsche out.  The #5 Corvette pits.  The #4 Corvette is also pitting.  We are past halfway, and it looks to be a battle between Richard Westbrook and Joao Barbosa, before this race is over.

More contact and more spinners.  Renger van der Zande got spun, and now, Dane Cameron is hung up, and he spun, turning the other way.  He might have right hand damage.  Yup.  Right front is tattered.  He jumped the curb, forcing him into van der Zande.  Dane Cameron tells the team there is a vibration in the car. The damage is a long way from the wheel arch.  Ooh!  #61 spins.  That's Don Yount and Ryan Lewis.  #31 did not serve a penalty in time, as now the full course yellow is out.  Yount or Lewis (whoever is driving), could not re-fire the car.

Joey Hand leads, and has six laps less fuel than the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette Prototype.  The #60 Ligier Honda pits, and Oswaldo Negri Jr. gets back in the car, taking it to the checkers.  Pits are open for Prototypes.  The GT field finishes their pit stops, with just over an hour remaining in this event.  Lights out on the safety car.  We are ready for a restart.  We are back to green.  Hard to defend into turn one.  Joey Hand wants to give Ganassi Racing another win, and the first of the season for car #01.  Ricky Taylor is understeering.

We see #90 aheads of #5.  Westbrook third and Barbosa fourth.  Memo Rojas is in the Deltawing.  Colin Braun passes Tom Kimber-Smith for second in Prototype Challenge as Oswaldo Negri Jr. wants by.  Prototype Challenge cars are a half a second or so off the Prototype pace.  The #48 Audi spins, and loses a spot up at the top of the hill.  Christopher Haase at the wheel.  Paul Miller Racing's day has gone pear shaped.

Race Director Beaux Barfield said, "hey, if you are fighting for a championship, you don't have special privileges, because other drivers are fighting for a win."  Kuno Wittmer leads GT Daytona.  But, the final pit stops are coming, and fast.  There's fisticuffs going on for positions behind the Aston Martin in GT Daytona.  Dodge 'em cars, and off road excursions, ahoy.  But, the racing is still good.  Bad news, however, after Jon Bennett (the Prototype Challenge leader for CORE Autosport), loses power steering.  The car is smoking, too.

Correction.  Colin Braun is in the car.  They will leave him out there unless he gets too fatigued.  These cars are designed for power steering.  The geometry is not set up with the suspension, to drive the cars with manual steering.  Suspension geometry, tire grip, and aerodynamics all play a part.  #60 and #5 pit.  Action Express does fuel only for their final stop.  They needed a splash and dash.  It is great to see the Mazda diesel Prototype's back on track.  Take in every bit of the diesel four cylinder, before the new petrol motor comes next year.

Car #90 is pitting.  You have to respond to the leader.  #10 beats out the #90.  Ricky Taylor takes the car to the finish.  These blokes did not take tires.  Just fuel.  Under 45 minutes to go.  Joey Hand pitted, and they did a four tire change, due to having lots more fuel needed.  They needed a full fuel load at Ganassi Racing.  The Deltawing leads, with Memo Rojas at the controls.  Katherine Legge and Memo Rojas are continuing to run well under the guidance of former Ganassi team boss, Tim Keane.

We watch Nick Tandy leading GT Le Mans.  Nick Tandy signed a racing suit he wore at Le Mans for the win in that race, for the Justin Wilson memorial auction fund.  Porsche, BMW, and Ferrari, are running in the 2:06 range.  All of them, running those identical times, show how close GTLM racing is here, compared to earlier races this year.  Kuno Wittmer continues to lead GT Daytona, despite the team making just one pit stop.  We have only about 35 minutes to go in this race.

The #007 car pits for fresh tires and fuel.  They did not need a full fuel load at TRG AMR.  The top three has changed order.  Joey Hand is in P1.  #01 has been really quick, and they have not won in over a year.  Joey Hand has to push the car.  Car #5 was tapped by Townsend Bell, spinning the Corvette, and the #90 Corvette goes by.  #90 is fourth in the overall and #5 is sixth.  Scuderia Corsa is waiting for a penalty call by the marshals.  Barbosa retaliates on Townsend Bell.  He's not happy.  Whoa!  He gets slammed by the Turner Motorsports BMW Z4 GT in the hands of Markus Palttala.  Palttala is racing with Townsend Bell.

Palttala has not won, as he was at the Spa 24 Hours for Marc VDS when Turner won at Lime Rock Park.  Townsend Bell will have to do a drive through penalty for spinning the #5 car out.  People will have nightmares about the incidents from today's race, going into the finale at Petit Le Mans in a few weeks.  Scott Pruett is a veteran driver.  But, he is as tough as shoe leather.  Now, the DeltaWing has spun, and almost got in the gravel.  He's back in it.  Ooh!  What a lockup on the front tires.  He, or she.  Not sure if it's Memo Rojas, or, Katherine Legge.

Another championship twist, folks.  Townsend Bell got a drive through penalty for contact with Barbosa.  For retaliating, he will get a stop and hold penalty.  Tensions are high here.  In the Prototype Challenge battle, Colin Braun leads sans power steering, with his rivals all bunched up behind.  Conor Daly, Mikhail Goikhberg, Bruno Junquiera, Tom Kimber-Smith, and others.  Tom Kimber-Smith gets around Conor Daly.  Jeroen Bleekemolen is looking for victory in GT Daytona along with Ben Keating.

This is a home race for Ben Keating and ViperExchange.com, in Texas.  The #24 BMW Z4 GT of John Edwards and Lucas Luhr, has not had the best race today.  Fuel will be tight on the extreme ends of the fuel windows for GTLM and GTD cars, both.  TRG AMR has their Aston Martin back on top in class.  Joey Hand, with ten minutes left, will hear everything, as he is going to get his first sports car win, in a good three years.  He won the 2012 GT championship, and then, went to race in DTM touring cars in Germany, for a couple of years.

Richard Westbrook has to hold on to third spot, but, he is feeling the heat from Oswaldo Negri Jr. in the MSR Ligier Honda.  It would be awesome if their Justin Wilson tribute car, could get on the podium.  Juan Pablo Montoya wants to test the FIA WEC factory Porsche, that won the World Endurance Championship round at COTA, yesterday, which ran after this race being highlighted now.  Oh my.  Joao Barbosa just found out that he has to take a penalty and is told to pit.  Tough on the team, but justified.  Where is Memo Rojas in the Deltawing?  He could leapfrog the Action Express car.

Colin Braun continues to lead in Prototype Challenge, despite losing power steering.  Just about five minutes left in this race.  #5 is back on track.  But, this may have taken a chance to win, out.  He loses a minute and a half, which is 2/3rds of a lap around Circuit of the Americas.  Joey Hand still leads overall and in Prototype.  Some GTLM and GTD cars are running out of fuel.  A splash and dash will be needed, so these chaps won't be lugging it at the end.

#911 pits.  What do BMW have to do?  This is so close to the end, with a white flag coming next lap.  #911 and #912 both pit.  Ooh.  Connection missed on #911 and #912.  It has cost them the class lead.  Dirk Werner is now leading GTLM for BMW.  Werner and Bill Auberlen will close the points gap in GTLM if they win this, and go into the finale.  Save fuel, and be smart.  The #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia is right behind, with Giancarlo Fisichella at the controls, taking it to the flag.  One lap left here at COTA for Ganassi Racing.  They won this race a year ago.  They have only one race left with the Riley Ford EcoBoost prototype, before they go GT racing with the new Ford GT with the same EcoBoost V6 powerplant.

The #90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette Prototype will be the highest placed Chevrolet powered prototype, and also, the Ligier Honda is right there, with Oswaldo Negri Jr.  Negri needs to draft the Corvette down the straight.  Can he do it?  Thundering Chevrolet vs. turbocharged Honda V6.  Joey Hand and Scott Pruett have gone back-to-back at the Lone Star Le Mans, and not going winless in 2015!

Negri and Westbrook split a GTD Audi!  Westbrook gets third, over Negri Jr!  It is going to go down to the wire and Renger van der Zande has crashed right at the end.  Jeroen Bleekemolen and Ben Keating win GT Daytona with the #33 car.  In GT Le Mans, Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen win GT Le Mans, cutting into the lead held by Patrick Pilet and Porsche.  Colin Braun and Jon Bennett take the Prototype Challenge win, without power steering.  Yikes!

Overall/Prototype: #01 Pruett/Hand     Riley Ford EcoBoost
       
             Prototype
             Challenge: #05 Braun/Bennett    Oreca FLM Chevrolet

            GT Le Mans: #25 Werner/Auberlen     BMW Z4 GT

            GT Daytona: #33 Keating/Bleekemolen     SRT Viper GTS-R-

The finale of the 2015 Tudor Championship, will be the 10 hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, in the red clay hills of northern Georgia.  Braselton, Georgia, to be precise (just outside the capitol city of Atlanta), coming up in less than two weeks.

6 Hours of COTA: Hour 6 (the finish)

As we go into the final hour of this race, there's no change in the top positions.  It could be game over for the #1 Toyota, according to timing and scoring.  #18 is a lap up, on #17.  It's Romain Dumas vs. Brendon Hartley.  G Drive Racing leads LMP2 with Sam Bird taking the car to the checkers.  We have Lucas di Grassi taking the #8 Audi to the flag, and in #7 it is Andre Lotterer who is the closer.  Kazuki Nakajima will take the #1 Toyota to the flag.  We're back to racing, now.

We have just under 40 minutes left in this race.  ESM runs fifth in LMP2 with Ryan Dalziel.  Can Patrick Dempsey, Patrick Long, and Marco Seefried run down the Ferrari's?  The #92 Porsche is the pits in LM GTE Pro.  Viktor Shaitar is leading LM GTE Am in SMP Racing Ferrari.  37 minutes to go.  Marco Seefried is catching Andrea Bertolini, and Earl Bamber, is catching both of them hand over fist in LM GTE Am.  Flashing lights on these cars, is not allowed. 

James Calado in one of the Ferrari's is closing on Patrick Pilet.  It is a battle between the second Manthey Porsche and the second AF Corse Ferrari.  Porsche #18 is in the lane.  Fuel?  No.  Sorry.  It is fuel.  Oh no!  Drama for Porsche!  #18 is in the garage!  There's no reason they are going to tactically put the Porsche in the garage.  The nose of the car is removed.  What has happened to Porsche?  Now, Audi #7 with Andre Lotterer, has taken the lead.  The nose is being replaced on the Porsche.

Correction.  Andre Lotterer is through to second place.  This is #18 in the garage.  Also, the final pit stop for KCMG car #47 is under investigation.  Marco Seefried and Earl Bamber are within a few seconds of Rui Aguas.  Major dramas for one Porsche.  Brendon Hartley is still leading.  That's why these boys have two bullets in the gun.  The top five (reviewing timing and scoring) shows as it was before.  Porsche, Audi, Porsche, Audi, Toyota. 

Romain Dumas gets out of car #18.  They will not win in Texas.  Game over.  Brendon Hartley still leads.  He needs a splash and dash to get to the finish.  Audi, is within striking distance.  Andre Lotterer had a quick stop and took only left side tires.  No action on the #47 car.  Ah.  Hartley is in the lane.  Fuel only.  Pit stop, done and dusted.  1:47.5 from Andre Lotterer, the fastest lap of the race for car #7.  The Audi is now leading.  Neither of these teams can make errors.  Did Lucas di Grassi get out ahead of Brendon Hartley?

Lucas di Grassi is in third.  Lucas di Grassi can block the leader.  Andre Lotterer is now back on the lead lap.  Where is Lucas di Grassi?  The Porsche is two cars back, with Kazuki Nakajima in the Toyota between them.  Brendon Hartley is on old tires.  Now, can Marco Seefried pass Rui Aguas in LM GTE Pro?  Over the next 22 minutes, Hartley has to pace himself.  The Porsche is stuck behind the Toyota.  Nakajima has to move over.

Marc Lieb says that there is an electrical problem with car #18.  The car had to come in, or it would have run out of electrical power.  The problem will not affect the #17 car.  It could have been either an alternator issue, or, a failure of the hybrid system.  Can car #17 help Porsche's team of Brendon Hartley, Mark Webber, and Timo Bernhard, win their second straight FIA World Endurance Championship race?  We have 20 minutes to go.

Brendon Hartley ups the fast lap over Andre Lotterer by a tenth of a second.  Sam Bird will hold on in LMP2.  Porsche has dominated LM GTE Pro.  In LM GTE Am, it looks like the #72 Ferrari could win it.  We will see, shortly.  Brendon Hartley runs fast lap on old tires (1:47.412), on stint and a half old Michelin tires.  Andre Lotterer is still chasing him down.  KCMG has a stop and go penalty.  Will the stewards dimly view a wheel spinning start by #47?  Less than fifteen minutes to go.

Brendon Hartley leads.  Could this be redemption?  Hartley led a Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series event at COTA and lost it in 2013, with eight laps left.  We watch a fantastic battle in LM GTE Am for the final podium place.  We have ten minutes left now.  Richie Stanaway in the Aston Martin has a penalty.  Romain Dumas is now back at the wheel of the #18 car.  He cannot get any more points.  But, he will get back on the track.  No risks for Brendon Hartley.  It looks like Hartley might be able to cruise.  He does not need to push.

Why is Dumas back in the #18?  He will have to cross the finish line.  This closes things up in the LMP1 driver's championship points.  Brendon Hartley is running in the 1:51 bracket now.  Audi is now on terms with Porsche.  They actually have to be perfect, in order to make gains on the cars from Stuttgart.  It's Stuttgart vs.Ingolstadt.  Less than five minutes to go in the Six Hours of Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Sam Bird moves to fifth in the overall.  You cannot jump start the car in the pits.  It has to be on the pit apron and start under it's own power.  A battle heats up between the Aston Martin's of Stuart Hall and Paul Dalla Lana.  #18 is back on track.  Dalla Lana takes the spot from Hall.  Meanwhile, there's no fire in the Porsche #18.  The batteries are discharged.  It should start on electric power.  No dice.  This will put the cat among the pigeons.  It's on electric power, and now, the internal combustion engine, turns over.  It was coughing and sputtering.

It's the final lap now.  Fifth place points for car =18.  But, car #17 looks to have it's second win in succession.  Lucas di Grassi tries to unlap  himself.  But, it's checkers!  #17 gets back-to-back wins!  Timo Bernhard, Mark Webber, and Brendon Hartley, (a German, an Aussie, and a Kiwi), win, in Texas!  185 laps.  629 miles.  Here are the class winners.

Overall/LMP1: #17 Webber/Hartley/Bernhard     Porsche 919 Hybrid
             LMP2: #26 Rusinov/Canal/Bird              Ligier JS P2 Nissan
             LM GTE Pro: #91 Christensen/Lietz       Porsche 911 RSR
             LM GTE Am: #72 Shaytar/Bertolini/Basov   Ferrari 458 Italia

That's a wrap, from COTA.  The next event for the FIA World Endurance Championship (in addition to the report from the May Spa race), will be the 6 Hours of Fuji, at Fuji Speedway in Fuji, Japan, in three weeks.  So long for now, everyone.

6 Hours of COTA: Hour 5

Porsche is very confused about this penalty they've received.  We watch (with two hours to go), as Audi pits for a routine stop for car #7.  Marcel Fassler stays in the car, and Timo Bernhard, retakes the place.  Great stop for Audi.  #8 has made a pass.  Loic Duval is slightly ahead of Marcel Fassler.  Neel Jani has now taken the race lead back.  KCMG have retakn the LMP2 lead.  The #26 car had to pit.  The #50 Corvette C-7-R- made contact with the GDrive LMP2 car.  Luis Felipe Derani, was nudged by Kristian Poulsen.  Check that.  It could have been Gianluca Roda in the Corvette.  The Strakka Gibson prototype pitted.  Jonny Kane takes over from Nick Leventis.

Sam Bird leads LMP2 with Luis Felipe Derani nearly a lap behind.  Sebastien Buemi pits the #1 Toyota TS040.  Audi cannot get close enough to Porsche to apply the blowtorch and put pressure on them.  The #7 Audi was not off sequence on pit stops.  But, unless there is another full course yellow, they will be short on fuel.  Will team orders come into play for Porsche and Audi?  Mike Conway has Tweeted that he apologizes for his accident, to the team.  The Dempsey Racing Porsche pits.  We watch the fireworks over the track right now.

Sam Bird takes over the LMP2 lead.  Matt Howson could have issues with the #47 KCMG automobile.  Drivers are again warned about track limits.  Krep it clean out there, boys.  Aston Martin has not had the pace they wanted.  Ferrari's and Porsche's are doing well.  The factory Porsche's are running basically, what is an endurance test.  They've been running in formation for most of the race.  A good chunk of it.  Richard Lietz is the leader in LM GTE Pro and in the driver's championship.

The last Austrian champion in racing of any kind, may have been Niki Lauda.  Don't look it up.  If you know it, put it in the comments section of this post, please.  ESM is having trouble with having to get the gearbox coolers cleaned.  There will be factory Porsche 911 RSR's in the FIA WEC next year.  Porsche 919's continue to lead.  It could be an omen if you are into numerology.  It's the nineteenth day of the ninth month of the year.

Porsche team mates and G Drive team mates lead in LMP1 and LMP2.  Ditto for Porsche in LM GTE Pro.  Francois Perrodo currently leads LM GTE Am.

LMP1: #18 Porsche Team
LMP2: #26 G-Drive Racing
LM GTE Pro: #91 Porsche Team Manthey
LM GTE Am: #83 AF Corse

In the gasoline powered Prototypes, Rebellion is doing better than CLM at the moment.  #28 is second in LMP2 and in the lane.  Luis Felipe Derani is out of the car.  Marcel Fassler has understeer issues with the Audi #7. We are going to step away, from the race, as there is a college football game going on.  We'll be back, shortly.   We have a top five of Porsche, Porsche, Audi, Audi, Toyota. 

6 Hours of COTA: Hour 4

We are at half distance, and now, under full course yellow.  This may be the first time we've had a full course yellow in darkness in a six hour event.  It's expected, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  But, not in a six hour event.  The good news is that a good chunk of the damaged Toyota, has been cleared up.  Mike Conway is OK.  But, there's been a lot of debris around after the crash.  Audi hits the pit lane.  It is car #7, with Marcel Fassler at the controls.  Mark Webber did overshoot his pit box.  The World Endurance Championship, might be a great place for Formula One refugees.

No radio countdown before the latest full course yellow.  Hmmm.  Edoardo Freitas usually gives the countdown.  Stand by, for green flag racing.  Green.  Go!  We watched the battle between David Heinemeier-Hanson and one of the other LMP2 contenders.  Stop/go penalty for the #1 Toyota.  Anthony Davidson, gets a penalty for dangerous driving entering pit lane.  He got slightly off the road.  Sebastien Buemi, don't get out of the car.  The #77 Porsche puts a lap on the #50 Corvette and the #88 Porsche.  It's a stop/go penalty, for the #1 Toyota.

The #8 Audi has also had a pit stop infraction.  It is for a dropped tire in pit lane... losing control of the tire.  Loic Duval is in the #8 Audi.  We now have a little over the same time distance of an IMSA race, left, in this one.  We are awaiting word on Mike Conway's condition after his wreck.  Track temperature, has dropped somewhat.  Porsche's continue to lead, as Loic Duval, pits for a penalty, in the Audi.  Loic Duval drops to fourth and has had the sting taken out of his tail as it were.  Timo Bernhard leads by a good margin.

Class leaders at this juncture are:

LMP1: #17 Porsche Team
LMP2: #26 G-Drive Racing
LM GTE Pro: #92 Porsche Team Manthey
LM GTE Am: #77 Dempsey - Proton Racing

Make no mistake.  These two Porsche teams are going to want to beat each other.  Jonny Kane spins the Strakka Prototype and continues.  Someone is going to get pinged for an infraction, pretty soon, it seems.  Marcel Fassler runs a 1:53 flat.  So, he is slower than the Porsche's.  The Rebellion's run nose to tail.  Both factory Porsche's are running the quickest laps in LM GTE Pro, in the 2:05 bracket.  This is now the stage of the race, where teams begin to back time it.

You want your best driver at the wheel, in the final stages.  It's Timo Bernhard vs. Neel Jani in the Porsche fight.  The #30 ESM LMP2 racer is pitting, for a routine stop.  The #47 KCMG car also pits.  LMP2 pit stops continue.  Porsche is the only team that uses two different systems for electricity harvesting for their hybrid design.  Could BMW run a fully electric race car?  The A.C.O. are resisting the idea.

Loic Duval made another scheduled pit stop, for two tires.  The #17 Porsche has been penalized.  The bloke assisting the driver and cleaning the windshield, caused the team to be under investigation, via video, of the pit stop.  The Ferrari's do not have lights that flash.  To "flash" them, you have to turn them on and off.  The lighting regulations have to conform to road car regulations, and that wouldn't.  Pit stop time for Porsche again.  The leader is in, (#17).  They will incur a short penalty for working on the car while refueling.  That's a no no.

Neel Jani leads the race in the sister #18 Porsche, and he now pits.  Timo Bernhard still remains second.  But, he needs to make a scheduled stop.  More new tires for car #18.  Have they gone through all their sets?  Not sure.  Timo Bernhard retakes the overall lead.  Well, maybe.  Marcel Fassler is now only 26 seconds behind.  Now, Pedro Lamy has been nicked for a pit lane infrigement in the #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

Porsche has to go back to scrubbed tires.  Timo Bernhard will pit soon as Loic Duval runs fastest lap of that car's race at 1:47.215.  1:47.436 for Porsche.  Alexey Basov pits the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari.  A drive through penalty for the #1 Toyota.  Pierre Kaffer has spun the #4 CLM prototype.  Kaffer has to be drained, after also running the Tudor Championship race, and this race.  Again, Timo Bernhard, now leads this race, overall.

 

6 Hours of COTA: Hour 3

We begin hour three, and thus, will soon be halfway through the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas.  Remember, there is no real safety car.  Ed Brown got turn 20 totally wrong, hitting the curb and almost flipping.  Team mate Scott Sharp is in for service.  But, it's game over for Ed Brown and company.  Maybe Ed Brown had trouble seeing the braking zone for the corner, in the setting sun here in Austin, Texas.  The damage on that car, is massive, on the right rear corner.  Yikes!  Was there a right rear suspension issue?

Ride the brake, and get the car on boost, to charge the flywheel.  We've seen this from a Toyota, and a Porsche.  We have not had a full lap under full course yellow yet.  Ed Brown lost the brakes on his Ligier Honda.  The #2 Toyota is in the pits.  Green flag.  10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.  Green flag.  Go back to racing speed.  We watch the #88 Porsche of Earl Bamber, pass one of the Ferrari's piloted by Andrea Bertolini.  Big news from FIA WEC.  There will be a second North American race.  FIA World Endurance Championship could not get a date in South America.  They will have a race at the Nurburgring in Germany, next year.  It was thought, that wouldn't happen.  Now, they will also race, in Mexico, next year.

Mark Webber's most recent pit stop is under investigation.  Oliver Jarvis is pushing to catch Romain Dumas.  Car #42 is in the pit lane.  It is the Strakka Racing car, with Nick Leventis at the controls.  In LMP2, the #47 KCMG car leads.  We know there are new 2017 LMP2 regulations.  Teams will have a similar motor, and similar chassis, to control costs.  In LMP1, the FIA endurance commission is still working on how the three main makes can remain competitive.  Ed Brown has been checked and released from the track medical center.

Good news.  Three more races to go in this season, within a six week span.  You will see updates on those races, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog.  Romain Dumas wonders why Oliver Jarvis was so close to him during the virtual safery car.  Fred Makowiecki leads LM GTE Pro, with Richard Lietz at the wheel.  Marco Seefried leads LM GTE Am in the #77 car.  Oliver Jarvis runs a lap at 1:48.1.  We see Porsche and Ferrari leading in LM GTE Pro.  Richard Bradley still leads the Ligier, now driven, by Nelson Panciatici.

At COTA, there is no on-track lighting.  So, drivers will have to use their headlights, and rely on them, much like at Le Mans.  Porsche continues to dominate.  The skies are darkening a little bit.  Andrea Bertolini is catching Benny Simonsen.  #47 pits from the LMP2 class lead.  Matt Howson will take over the wheel.  Three Porsche's lead and so does an Alpine, in the respective categories.

LMP1: #17 Porsche Team
LMP2: #47 KCMG
LM GTE Pro: #92 Porsche Team Manthey
LM GTE Am: #77 Dempsey - Proton Racing

We wonder when the last time a factory works Alpine raced in the U.S.  Benny Simonsen is driving the #96 Aston Martin, and Andrea Bertolini, has passed.  Benoit Treluyer pits the #7 Audi.  Now, the #8 car is in.  Oliver Jarvis is out, after a double stint.  The Audi gets new tires.  Have to check on the rotation of the pit stops, and who is now driving what car.  We are now 84 laps (286 miles), into this race.  It is now dark, and the headlights are on.  Mark Webber still leads Romain Dumas.  Porsche, Audi, Toyota.  G Drive runs 1-2 in LMP2.

Ed Brown is fine, after his crash.  He lost the brakes.  They think it was a brake master cylinder that went down.  A clean pass in LM GTE.  Ricardo Gonzalez pits from second in LMP2.  Oh!  The #17 Porsche overshoots the pit.  Mark Webber overshoots the pit, and if he were to reverse, he would be disqualified.  They waved, and he missed it.  Wow.  Mark Webber is out of the car.  Who taks over?  It could be Timo Bernhard.  It is.

#72 and #26 are being warned about abusing track limits.  Nelson Panciatici has passed Scott Sharp.  Bernhard takes the Porsche to the lead.  On Webber's pit stop, his mistake came, as he could have been loosening his seat belts or disconnecting his radio. Major drama!  Mike Conway has crashed the $2 Toyota!  He tried pinching the steering, and when the 1,000 horsepower of the hybrid system kicked in, he lost control, and, ker-runch!  Game over for Toyota.

6 Hours of COTA: Hour 2

We continue watching pit stop action right now for the LM GTE cars.  The stops have to be timed perfectly.  Watch if you can see how you save a second or half a second on a pit stop.  Teams videotape the stops.  The late John Wickham, who ran the factory Bentley squad, started that.  Ooh.  Car #92 pits, and there's been a wide slide moment for another car.  Pit stop time for one of the Aston Martin's.  This is car #95.  #92 exits the pits, and #95 goes through the pit stop procedure.  Pedro Lamy is second in LM GTE Am.  Parick Long pits the #77 Porsche 911 RSR, and Patrick Demspey takes over the car.

Ryan Dalziel leads LMP2 over Julien Canal.  ESM is leading their home race.  It's Ligier Honda, Ligier Nissan, and Oreca Nissan.  Fernando Rees has made a mistake and come in short to his pit.  KCMG tries G Drive!  Ooh.  Done deal.  Ryan Dalziel runs wide.  These LMP2 machines, are very quick little cars.  The Aston Martin thunders through.  Richard Bradley wants by Ryan Dalziel.  KCMG  and Richard Bradley are in the LMP2 lead.  But, the factory Porsche flies by the LMP2 car like Bradley is standing still.

Ooh.  The #50 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R- tangles with an Audi.  Benoit Treluyer in the Audi.  Gianluca Roda, in the Corvette.  A fierce battle rages between Ryan Dalziel and Julien Canal.  Porsche runs 1-2 overall.  Brendon Hartley is pulling a gap on Marc Lieb.  Richard Bradley leads Ryan Dalziel.  In LM GTE Am, it's Patrick Dempsey leads Alexey Basov.  Ryan Dalziel's tires, are "beyond toast" according to a Tweet from team mate David Heinemeier-Hanson.  Busted tires.  Oh dear.  Reigning LMP2 WEC champ, Sergey Zlobin is here.  But, he's not racing.

Brendon Hartley is whistling off into the distance.  He's got nearly twenty and a half seconds on the sister Porsche 919 Hybrid.  One car, is out, and that's the Rebellion, obviously.  Brendon Hartley continues leading Marc Lieb.  Jim Hall, waved the green flag, to move the cars onto the warm up lap before the race started.  Hall, is a true racing legend.  You've seen an article on him, on this blog, earlier this week.

The #42 Gibson prototype, spun, and continued.  Nick Leventis at the controls.  Two Aston Martins have been warned for track limits.  Patrick Dempsey leads LM GTE Am in his team's Porsche.  Patrick Dempsey is stretching his lead.  Ryan Dalziel pits in LMP2 from second in class.  Brendon Hartley stretches his race lead.  Marc Lieb has fast lap at 1:47.6.  Last year's fastest laps were in the 1:50-1:51 bracket.  Alexey Basov is right behind Patrick Dempsey right now.

Marc Lieb continues running second.  Watch the burst of speed.  Engaging warp drive.  Push the button, and go, daddy-o.  Porsche was the first team to move up to the eight mega joule category, for the energy they can deploy and harvest, from their ERS systems.  Audi runs a four mega joule system.  Rumor is, Audi will move to a battery system.  Porsche has the battery pack and the small gasoline four cylinder motor.  Toyota has a super capacitor and a 3.7 liter V8 normally aspirated engine.  Audi has a 4.0 liter diesel six cylinder, with a flywheel.

We're within a few minutes of the LMP1 cars hitting pit lane.  Patrick Dempsey has been passed by Alexey Basov.  The LMP1 Hybrid cars should pit soon.  We have seen an out of sequence stop for the #4 CLM Prototype.  Simon Trummer, is driving, right now.  Pierre Kaffer, has done his stint.  Kaffer ran in the Tudor Championship race, too.  Stay tuned for coverage of that race, tomorrow.  Benoit Treluyer pits, and we watch Patrick Pilet pass Michael Christensen in a scrap between the GT Porsche's.  The lead changed twice in LM GTE Pro, twice, in the same lap.

Audi #7 is in the lane.  Box, box, box.  Not a smooth tire change.  Oliver Jarvis pits from third overall.  This is Audi #8.  We have yet to see a hybrid racer double stint tires.  Four tires, for Jarvis.  New tires, on tap.  Oh boy.  The second Aston Martin (#95), has been given a stewards flag.  Christoffer Nygaard at the controls.  Benoit Treluyer has gone fastest in sector three.  The #31 machine has made it's stop.  Johannes van Overbeek, at the controls.

Audi will stay at COTA tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday.  They will be rebuilt, and tested, before the next race.  They will not return to the home base in Germany, until the end of the year.  Toyota has improved their lap times by a second and a half, to two seconds.  But it is not enough to keep up with Audi or Porsche.  A pattern is going to start emerging in the next stint.  Pit stop time for Porsche.  Romain Dumas takes over car #18.  The #4 CLM ByKolles car, is under investigation for a pit stop infraction.

Brendon Hartley pits the #17 Porsche.  Mark Webber gets back in the car.  Will Timo Bernhard drive?  These boyus are changing to the qualifying tires.  They are scrubbed Michelin tires.  Oliver Jarvis is going for it.  Is Timo Bernhard Porsche's secret weapon for night driving?  We'll find out later on.  Mark  Webber runs a new fast lap at 1:47.4.  The new Energy Recovery Systems are working well.  Porsche uses their 2.0 liter V4 with a battery.  Audi has their 4.0 liter diesel with a flywheel, and Toyota has a 3.7 liter V8 with a super capacitor.  Toyota could run a battery hybrid system, for next year.

Uh oh.  Anthony Davidson locks the brakes, and misses the pit in.  Ooh!  Maybe he ran out of petrol.  Save fuel, at Toyota.  He is on slow mode.  Davidson is in the box now.  Driver change, fuel, and tires.  Kazuki Nakajima is now in the car.  The Toyota's season has been horrendous.  The car, needed more go juice.  Pit when you're told by your chief mechanic or your team manager.  Is Mark Webber concerned about driving at night?  Hmmm.  We'll follow this story, if needed.  Yikes.  Maybe Webber wants to watch football.  Football, being soccer, not American football.

Patrick Dempsey is being pressured by Francesco Castellaci (a.k.a. Frankie C.).  We also monitor the race between Alexey Basov and Patrick Dempsey.  Penalties now, for three of the four Aston Martin's.  Mark Webber leads Romain Dumas by 37 seconds.  Oliver Jarvis is catching Romain Dumas, as there is a local yellow flag.  Someone is off the road, and we have a snatch tractor, fetching the stopped car.  The green flag is at the start/finish line.  Who went off the road?  Ricardo Gonzalez passes Ed Brown.  Oh!  A broken rear wing, for Brown, who has crashed.

Full course yellow.  The field is neutralized.  Full course yellow is indeed being called by the stewards.  The field slows to 80 kilometers an hour (50 miles an hour).   

6 Hours of COTA: Hour 1

The FIA World Endurance Championship, has reached the United States, and, the Lone Star State's capital.  Austin, Texas, and Circuit of the Americas, will host the latest round of the world championship.  We last saw the gladiators and their space age racers, in Germany, at the Nurburgring.  I digress, but, yours truly, has yet to be able to blog the full race, from Spa Francorchamps, in Belgium, back in May.  Will get around to that one, soon, hopefully.  For now, all eyes, are on the drivers and teams, for the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas.

Audi and Porsche have split the wins, this year.  Two for each brand.  This track, is a spectacular venue.  In qualifying, in GTE Am, Patrick Long did a last lap flyer, and he is polesitter along with team mate, Patrick Dempsey.  In LM GTE Pro, Richie Stanaway and Fernando Rees have pole for Aston Martin.  Nicolas Lapierre and Matthew Howson have pole in LMP2.  Neel Jani, Marc Lieb, and Romain Dumas, get pole position.  But, in LMP2 action, car #47 was disqualified.  Therefore, the #26 G Drive Racing car is on pole.  Romain Rusinov is lead driver, sharing with Julien Canal, and Sam Bird.

The cars are on the warm up lap.  This is the only North American race this year.  But, next year, the series will race in Mexico City, Mexico.  We're set to race.  Porsche, Audi, Toyota, and Rebellion make up the first four rows.  Go!  We are green!  Neel Jani gets the inside line and holds the lead.  No, wait.  Mark Webber heads into the lead.  Webber is in the zone.  Mark Webber knows this track well.  He's booking it already as we watch Audi's going for it, too.  Pedro Lamy spins and heads to the pits in the GTE Pro Aston Martin.

Sebastien Buemi is going for it in the Toyota now, too.  #26 of Sam Bird goes off the road.  We've got the Ligier Honda, the Gibson Nissan, and the Ligier Nissan battling in LMP2.  This race is fully timed at six hours.  One of the Rebellion cars is also having issues.  The #36 SignaTech Alpine and the KCMG machine are also running well.  We also watch Darren Turner leading the other Aston Martin's of Fred Makowiecki and Fernando Rees.  The start is under investigation, by the stewards.

Sebastien Buemi and Andre Lotterer are battling for fourth.  It's Toyota vs. Audi.  Incident involving the Ligier and the Rebellion, under investigation, by the stewards.  Patrick Long passes the #51 and #71 AF Corse Ferrari's.  Lotterer holds station, but, there's a definite battle between he, and the Toyota of Buemi.  Sebastien Buemi did not want to give up that spot.  Ferrari has had an ugly weekend this weekend, and they don't have good balance with their cars.  We also see Fred Makowiecki and Richard Lietz in the factory Porsche's pass the Aston Martin's.

Patrick Long is pushing, hard.  He's got Gianmaria Bruni all over him, like a rash.  Already 1.3 seconds between the two factory Porsche's in front.  Mark Webber is one driver who has donated a race suit, to the Justin Wilson memorial fund.  Many F1 drivers, have also donated worn race suits.  The whole motorsport community has pitched in to help Justin Wilson's family.  Sam Bird is leading LMP2 by a long way right now.  The LMP2 machines are liner stern right now.  Mark Webber is running quicker in sector two right now.

Sam Bird is booking it, and is gapping his rival by five seconds.  Neel Jani is responding to Mark Webber, and is making up time.  The gap is 1.4 seconds at the moment.  The Porsche's are whistling off into the distance.  Patrick Long dives inside the Aston Martin through the endless right hander.  Extreme Speed Motorsports runs third in LMP2.  Ryan Dalziel has passed Gustavo Yacaman in LMP2.  We have a neat class by class formation now.  We've run for 15 minutes so far.  Ryan Dalziel passes for second in LMP2 and Nicolas Lapierre passes Danny Watts.

Viktor Shaitar and Emmanuelle Collard, are running well, too, in the LM GTE Pro class if I am right.  Paul Loup Chatin and Oliver Webb also run well in LMP2.  Viktor Shaitar and others are racing well in LM GTE Am.  We watch in replay, of some slight contact, someplace.  Gianmaria Bruni is closing on the Aston Martin's of Darren Turner and Fernando Rees.  Aston Martin hav started the race on harder tires.  Correction, it was AF Corse with the Ferrari's.  Gianmaria Bruni is trying to pass Fernando Rees.  With all the rubber down from other races, there's been littl grip on the road here at COTA.

Patrick Long and Christian Ried have both been warned to obey track limits.  There's nowhere to hide from this track limit violation.  There's a display on the dashboard, to let them know when tye've been warned about track limits.  It is extraordinary how quick these prototype cars are.  Car #83 of Emmanuel Collard, gets a penalty for jumping the start.  Collard shares with Francois Perrodo and another driver.  We see Allan McNish, looking on.  Collard has indeed jumped the start.  Mark Webber is still leading.  You haven't missed much, as we're halfway through hour one.

Traffic is playing a factor.  It's a different deal with track limits here in the FIA WEC than it is, in the Tudor Championship, which, we'll highlight, tomorrow.  Fastest lap has gone to Neel Jani at 1:47.684.  Three wide for a minute, and, ooh!  Some dodge 'em cars between Darren Turner and Fernando Rees.  There are more and more warnings for disobeying track limits.  Keep it clean out there, boys.  Nicolas Lapierre is the latest.  Lots of warnings being pickd up in turn twelve.  Sam Bird leads LMP2 over Nico Lapierre, by some 13 seconds.  Lapierre has no traffice.  He has to catch up.

Pit stop strategies are being planned.  Neel Jani still leads.  Gustavo Yacaman has been warned, in the #28 machine.  This is the second G-Drive car.  The deal is, the warning is for the car, and not the driver.  You have to serve the penalty, no matter which driver you are.  Stay in the boundaries, blokes.  Stay in the boundaries.  Dominik Kraihamer makes a pit stop, coming in off-strategy.  Mathias Beche is the first privateer team LMP1 driver.  Game over for Rebellion #13.  Meanwhile, no further action, to the earlier penalty.  #13 is in it's box, with engine issues.  The #4 CLM is now second in class.  This is the car for ByKolles Racing.  No urgency in the Rebellion garage.  Again, it could be game over.

This race will go into full darkness in another hour and a half.  Mark Webber leads by 12 seconds.  Lucas di Grassi at the controls of Audi #8 is catching Neel Jani.  The LMP1 cars are pitting.  Benoit Treluyer takes over the #7 Audi R18 eTron Quattro.  Things are beginning to shuffle now.  LMP2 teams are running on Dunlop's "medium plus" compound.  We watch the sister Audi #8, pit.  The diesel cars, don't have the same fuel capacity as the petrol hybrids like the Porsche and the Toyota.  As fuel is going in, you cannot change tires.  Oliver Jarvis is at the controls of Audi #8.  Benoit Treluyer ran the fastest third sector time, before pitting.  Lap tims are heating up.

Neel Jani runs a 1:48.5.  Richard Bradley and Paul Loup Chatin are battling in LMP2.  The cloud cover and shadows, will be a blessing for the blokes in closed cockpit racers.  Richard Bradley took over Paul Loup Chatin on his outlap, as Neel Jani hands the #18 Porsche to Marc Lieb.  The tires are starting to grain, from heat degradation.  The Porsche's are abusing their tires.  They've had real trouble in the second stint on their tires.  Not the first, but the second.  Gianmaria Bruni is making inroads in LM GTE Pro on the two factory Porsche GT cars.  Porsche #17 is in from the lead.  Mark Webber gets out.

There will be new tires for the car.  Brendon Hartley is now driving the Porsche, as both Toyota's come in.  Hartley will be the race leader.  Toyota might be improving.  Anthony Davidson takes over the #1 Toyota and Stephane Sarrazin will drive #2.  The first round of pit stops is completed, for the Prototypes.  The GTE production cars, are next, to pit.  The GT cars have now pitted.  It's hot.  90 degrees Fahrenheit, ambient temperature.  Single stints by the drivers, are the norm, so far.  In LMP1, they have six sets of tires.  They will have to try and double stint their tires.

VIDEO: COTA WEC Thursday Highlights

Video highlights of practices one and two for the FIA World Endurance Championship at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-cota-wec-thursday-highlights/

ISC Declines to Submit Proposal to Manage Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, will stay under local operation and management as International Speedway Corp. declines to submit their management proposal.

http://sportscar365.com/industry/isc-declines-to-submit-proposal-to-manage-mazda-raceway-laguna-seca/

FIA World Endurance Championship & Tudor Championship headlines, headed into COTA

News articles headed into this weekend's action at Circuit of the Americas for the Tudor Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Jani: "We Need to Win Two Races to Compete"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/jani-we-need-to-win-two-race-to-compete/

COTA WEC Wednesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/cota-fia-wec-wednesday-notebook-2/

Van Overbeek: "Challenges Always Make You Stronger"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/van-overbeek-challenges-always-make-you-stronger/

VIDEO: Porsche Garage Tour with Timo Bernhard
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-porsche-garage-tour-with-timo-bernhard/

OAK Unlikely to Return: Onroak to Focus on Customer Support

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/oak-racing-unlikely-to-return-onroak-to-focus-on-customer-support/

PR1/Mathiasen Targeting Move to P2 in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/pr1mathiasen-targeting-p2-program-in-2016/

COTA TUSC Thursday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/cota-tusc-thursday-notebook/

Details Emerge from FIA Balance of Performance Test at Ladoux
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/details-emerge-from-fia-balance-of-peformance-test-at-ladoux/

PHOTOS: BMW M6 GT3 Frankfurt Unveil

Pictures from the official unveiling of the new BMW M6 GT3 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany.  A bonus post, for today.

http://sportscar365.com/features/photography/photos-bmw-m6-gt3-frankfurt-unveil/

GT Le Mans Heads to Circuit of the Americas with New Points Leader

We look ahead to the GT Le Mans action as part of the Lone Star Le Mans race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, this Saturday, as well as focusing on GT Daytona points leader, Christina Nielsen.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/gt-le-mans-heads-circuit-americas-new-points-leader

P.S. Yours truly, will blog the race report for the Tudor Championship event.  But... that will come, after the blog entries encompassing the 6 Hours of COTA FIA World Endurance Championship race, scheduled for Saturday evening. 

more sports car racing news

The latest news from the world of sports car racing.

Snow: "The rest of Lamborghini ST season, I'm going for race wins"

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/lamborghini-st/snow-the-rest-of-the-lamborghini-st-season-im-going-for-race-wins/

Gibson Selected as 2017 LMP2 Spec Engine Provider
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/gibson-selected-as-2017-lmp2-spec-engine-provider/

2016 PWC schedule released
http://sportscar365.com/gt/world-challenge/2016-pwc-schedule-released/

The new BMW M6 has officially been unveiled.  Here are stories about it.

BMW M6 GT3 Unveiled
http://sportscar365.com/industry/bmw-presents-2016-m6-gt3/

...and

VIDEO: Making of the BMW M6 GT3
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-the-making-of-the-bmw-m6-gt3/

Mazda Returns to Two-Car Diesel Prototype Effort for COTA
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/mazda-returns-to-two-car-diesel-prototype-effort-for-cota/

Benny Simonsen Lands Drive With AMR for 6H COTA
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/benny-simonsen-lands-last-minute-drive-with-amr-for-cota/

IMSA Announces CTSC Cost Cut Measures, Car List for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/imsa-announces-ctsc-cost-cut-measures-car-list-for-2016/

Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R to be Unveiled Next Month
http://sportscar365.com/gt/callaway-corvette-c7-r-gt3-r-to-be-unveiled-on-october-10/

Finally, stories, headed into the finale for the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series.

AKKA-ASP Ferrari Returns to Blancpain Pro Cup at Nurburgring
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/akka-asp-ferrari-returns-to-blancpain-pro-cup-at-nurburgring/

56 Entries for Blancpain Endurance Finale at Nurburgring
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/56-entries-for-blancpain-endurance-finale-at-nurburgring/

...And, the top story out of the Blancpain Endurance Series, will be the battle for the 2015 championship crown.

Five-Way Battle for Blancpain Endurance Crown at Nurburgring

http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/five-way-battle-for-blancpain-endurance-crown-at-nurburgring/

In memoriam: Dick Guldstrand

Rest In Peace, Corvette racing legend, Dick Guldstrand. 

http://www.racer.com/more/historic/item/121049-corvette-performance-legend-dick-guldstrand-dies-at-88

Two Points Separate Top Three Prototype Teams Heading Into Circuit of The Americas

The points situation in the Prototype class of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship, headed into this weekend's action at Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas, is extremely close.  Keep in mind, there are just two races left in 2015, including this one.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/two-points-separate-top-three-prototype-teams-heading-circuit-americas-lone-star-le-mans

Jim Hall Named Grand Marshal for Lone Star Le Mans

Bonus story, for this Sunday morning.  The legendary Jim Hall, will be Grand Marshal for the Lone Star Le Mans weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, this coming weekend.

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/jim-hall-named-grand-marshal-for-lone-star-le-mans/

LMP1 Non-Hybrids Get Performance Break for 6H COTA

The biggest news out of the FIA World Endurance Championship, going into next weekend's action here in the United States, at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.  That is, a performance break, for the non-hybrid powered LMP1 racers.  A performance increase, will be given, to the privateer teams. 

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lmp1-non-hybrids-get-performance-break-for-cota/

Tudor Championship news stories

Some of the latest news from the Tudor Championship, via Sportscar365.

38 Cars on COTA TUSC Entry List
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/38-cars-on-cota-tusc-entry-list/

Lone Star Viper to Debut at COTA: Goossens Named Driver
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/goossens-knox-to-drive-lone-star-viper-at-cota/

News & Notes Roundup, 9-10
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/news-and-notes-roundup-910/

IMSA Adds Weight to Porsche 911 RSR in Final Round of BoP
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/imsa-adds-weight-to-porsche-911-rsr-for-cota/

2016 Aston Martin Vantage GTE Car Breaks Cover
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/2016-aston-martin-vantage-gte-car-breaks-cover/

All 6 Shelby Daytona Coupes Ever Made, race at Goodwood Revival

Historic racing fans, dig this trip down memory lane.  This is just phenomenal.  God Bless Carroll Shelby.

IMSA Sets Course For Future of Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

IMSA has set a blueprint, for the future of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.  Read more about it, HERE:

http://www.imsa.com/articles/imsa-sets-course-future-continental-tire-sportscar-challenge

Q&A With FOX Sports' Bob Varsha

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a significant, and cool story.  Bob Varsha, is THE motorsports broadcasting personality, who, inspired me, to write these blogs about the races, the way I do.  I have listened to his commentary on races for many, many years, and he is definitely the biggest influence, on my writing style, for the race reports.  Check out the interview HERE:

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/qa-with-fox-sports-bob-varsha/

Corvette Racing Working on "Tweaks" for 2016 C7.R

Corvette Racing, (even with two races remaining in the 2015 Tudor United Sports Car Championship), is already hard at work, on developing next year's car.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/corvette-racing-working-tweaks-2016-c7r

Throwback Thursday: Jim Hall Changed The Face of Racing With Aerodynamic Innovations

Mentioned this gentleman one or two other times.  But, Jim Hall, was a revolutionary designer and race driver, in the sports car racing world, with his legendary Chaparral race cars.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/throwback-thursday-jim-hall-changed-face-racing-aerodynamic-innovations

Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Virginia International Raceway

The race broadcast for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge from Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Virginia.

http://www.imsa.com/imsa-tv/episode/2015-virginia-international-raceway-race-broadcast

The next event on the calendar (the penultimate race of the 2015 season), is at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, coming up, next weekend.

Also, more news is to come, about the future of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.  Stay tuned, for that report.

Historic - BMW of North America 40th anniversary special: flying start

The story of one of the greatest GT racing cars of all time.  The fabulous, "Batmobile"... the BMW 3.0 CSL.

http://www.racer.com/bmw-of-north-america-40th-anniversary-special-flying-start

Nurburgring 6 Hours highlights

No real chance to post the whole race, after writing a race report on the 6 Hours of the Nurburgring, when it happened a few weekends ago.  But, here, are the abbreviated race highlights.

more sports car racing news

Some interesting off-track news headlines to catch up on.  Check these out, including the possibility of up to a dozen manufacturers racing in the all GT3 spec GT Daytona class in the Tudor Championship, next year.

Jonsson, Wilkins Among Latest Driver Rating Reclassifications
http://sportscar365.com/industry/jonsson-wilkins-among-latest-driver-rating-reclassifications/

Up to 12 GT3 Manufacturers Vying for GTD Entries in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/2016-imsa-gtd-grid-taking-shape/

Barwell to Run Lamborghini Huracan GT3s in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/gt/barwell-to-run-lamborghini-huracan-gt3s-in-2016/

31 Entries for 6H COTA
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/31-entries-for-6h-cota-2/

BR Engineering Evaluating Rolex 24, WEC Programs for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/br-engineering-evaluating-rolex-24-wec-program-for-2016/

Pegasus to Enter 6H Shanghai with Ligier JS P2
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/pegasus-to-enter-6h-shanghai-with-ligier-js-p2/

Lapierre to sub for Tandy at 6H COTA
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lapierre-to-sub-for-tandy-at-6h-cota/

ELMS Le Castellet

In a recent race for the European Le Mans Series at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track, in the south of France, it was thought one team had the race in the bag.  Not true.  Here are the stories, pertaining to that event.  Lots more sports car racing news items to discuss.  Stay tuned for further details.

Jota Sport Wins 4H Le Castellet
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/jota-sport-wins-4h-le-castellet/

Wait... stop the presses!  Not so fast.

Jota Given Time Penalty: Greaves Declared Paul Ricard Winners

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/elms/jota-receives-post-race-penalty-greaves-declared-paul-ricard-winners/

24 Hours of Barcelona

Here's what happened in the latest round of the 24 Hour Series, in Barcelona, Spain at the fifth round of the 24H International Series.  Might have to update a few of these races, since there hasn't been any real discussion, since the Nurburgring 24, back in May.

Qualifying report

Van der Zande Puts Car Collection Merceds on Pole for 24H Barcelona
http://sportscar365.com/gt/24hseries/van-der-zande-on-pole-for-24h-barcelona/

...and, the race result, at the end of 24 hours.

HP Racing Leads Mercedes 1-2-3 Sweep at 24H Barcelona
http://sportscar365.com/gt/24hseries/hp-racing-leads-mercedes-1-2-3-sweep-at-24h-barcelona/

Congratulations to the driving team of Bernd Schneider, Reinhold Renger, Hari Proczyk, Reinhard Kofler, and America, Sean Johnston, who won, even with a damaged car.

The last race of the championship is the Brno 12 Hour Epilog, at Brno in the Czech Republic in October.

Trans Am: Mid Ohio

The latest round of the Trans Am Series from Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.  The race is the Next Dimension 100.

The most recent round of the championship was run at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and the next event, will be at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. 

New Surface at Watkins Glen to Greet IMSA Competitors in 2016

The legendary Watkins Glen International Raceway, is being repaved.  This is among a bevy of stories, on IMSA's webpage.  More will be covered, in the coming days.  Stay tuned.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/new-surface-watkins-glen-greet-imsa-competitors-2016

sports car racing news update

More news from the world of sports car racing.

Dumas (Onroak): "We'll Have an Entirely New LMP2 Car in 2017"
http://sportscar365.com/industry/dumas-onroak-well-have-an-entirely-new-lmp2-car-in-2017/

Lexus RC F GT3 Making Strides; IMSA Factory Effort Being Finalized
http://sportscar365.com/gt/lexus-rc-f-gt3-making-strides-imsa-program-being-finalized/

Record Number of Early Entries for Bathurst 12H
http://sportscar365.com/gt/bathurst-12h/record-number-of-early-entries-for-bathurst-12h/

Longtime Rebellion Chief Mechanic Dies in Car Accident
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/longtime-rebellion-chief-mechanic-dies-in-car-accident/

Tequila Patron ESM Planning WEC Return in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/tequila-patron-esm-planning-wec-return-in-2016/

PALMER: My Summer Break
http://sportscar365.com/blancpain/bes/palmer-my-summer-break/

Entry Process Begins for 2016 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship

The process of selecting entries for the 2016 newly renamed IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, has begun.

http://www.imsa.com/articles/entry-process-begins-2016-imsa-weathertech-sportscar-championship

sports car racing news update

Tudor Championship, Blancpain GT, and FIA WEC news, including new cars coming to their respective championships.

VIDEO: Ford GT Testing at Sebring
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-ford-gt-testing-at-sebring/

Ferrari 488 GTB breaks cover
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/video-ford-gt-testing-at-sebring/

Porsche to Build Updated 911 RSR for 2016; Exploring 2017 Options
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsche-to-run-updated-911-rsr-in-2016-exploring-2017-options/

Konrad Planning Multi-Car Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Effort
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/konrad-planning-return-to-endurance-with-lamborghini/

Turner Confirms Two BMW M6 GT3 Cars for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/turner-confirms-two-bmw-m6-gt3-for-2016/

Dixon: "It's Obviously a Dream of Mine to Race at Le Mans"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/lemans24/dixon-its-obviously-a-dream-of-mine-to-race-at-le-mans/

Signatch-Alpine Evaluating Future Prototype Options
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/signatech-alpine-evaluating-future-prototype-options/

Audi Working on 2016 LMP1 Car
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/signatech-alpine-evaluating-future-prototype-options/