We are still seing issues, for the #2 car and the fuel alarms. We're eight minutes away, from the final pit stop. We are under 58 minutes left, in the Rolex 24. The #10 car won't pass the #2 on speed. It will be in pit lane. The #28 Konrad Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 makes a pit stop, with Fabio Babini at the controls. A routine stop, for the Konrad team, jammed behind one of the othr cars. It's great to see Konrad Motorsports and team owner Franz Konrad, back in sports car racing in the United States. Fifty five minutes, now remaining.
The stress level in this last hour, is off the charts. There's focus. But nerves are frayed to the nth degree. Will this race come down to fuel mileage? Earl Bamber is in the pits, for his final stop. All thre drivers on this team have not won at the Rolex 24. Oliver Gavin has stretched his fuel mileage in the Corvette, more than the Porsche. Earl Bamber was told to save fuel. Where is the overall leader, relative to these chaps?
Oliver Gavin is now in the pits. Gavin, will finish this race. New tires, and fuel. Gavin did not have to hit the reserve fuel tank. Clean stop for the #4. The #3 sister car needs a splash and dash. Bamber has to attack the Corvgette, and there it is. Maintain track position, but hit the fuel target. Now, it will actually perhaps be a battle. But the sister Corvette of Antonio Garcia, will also need to pit one more time. Oh dear. #44 needs a splash and dash, as the team tells Rene Rast, he needs the tank topped off. Jordan Taylor has a vibration in the #10 car.
The Konrad Lamborghini is third in class in GT Daytona. It's ben a good, solid rac. Oh my! The #2 and #10 cars are both in th pits. Will thre b a driver cahng for car #10? Yes! Jordan Taylor, out. Max Angelelli, in. The vibration is still in the car. It's going to be close, as oh! The #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage of Richie Stanaway slides across the grass. The #540 Black Swan Porsche might be in the catbird seat for the front of GT Daytona. Max Angelelli has to attack the #2 Ligier Honda. They don't have the pace.
In the last half hour, if there is a yellow, the pits are closed. The #540 Black Swan Porsche is the cleanest car in the race, that has run virtually flawlessly. Antonio Garcia will be in the lane, in a lap or so, battling with the Porsche for GT Le Mans honors, with 38 minutes to go. Milner and Gavin won Le Mans last year. But they need to start winning and beating their sister car. The sister car #3 is in the lane. This will be close.
Garcia will have the hammer down. Tires and fuel for Garcia. Down and away. Very clean stop, and that's what they needed. Into the tri oval, it's close. The top two GTLM cars get by. But, Garcia has fresh tires, and it's going to be two Corvette's vs. one Porsche. We are headed for the final half hour, and the #4 Corvette of Oliver Gavin does the bump and run on Earl Bamber. Bamber is told, "the race is between you, and Gavin." Put down the hammer, cinch down those belts, and go for it. Maximum attack is the order of the day here.
Something could be wrong with the #10's exhaust with 40 minutes to go. Max Angelelli is finishing the race. The vibration is not slowing Max Angelelli down. We're into the last half hour of this race. Rene Rast leads GT Daytona with Fabio Babini second in class. Oliver Gavin is stretching his lead in GTLM over Bamber in the Porsche. Bamber's last lap was a 1:46.6 due to traffic. Gavin has more fuel, and track position.
Rene Rast is trying to bring it home for Magnus Racing. But, Fabio Babini is six seconds faster than Rast! If we get a yellow, the #540 Porsche could also take the class lead, with Nicky Catsburg at the controls. Earl Bamber is being hounded by Antonio Garcia. Garcia is told not to rough up the Porsche. No argy bargy. Garcia makrs a clean pass. Corvette, Corvette, and Porsche. This is the Balance of Performance, indeed. Garcia turns the fastest GTLM lap of the race. Just over 20 minutes to go.
No pit stops under yellow now that were within 30 minutes of the end of the race. Rene Rast can go for it. Fabio Babini in the Konrad Lamborghini is in fuel conservation mode. What will the lap times be? Rast has been in the 1:50-1:51 range. 1:50 flat is the target. He responds with a 1:49.6. Luis Felipe Derani, has a gap on the #10 car. Derani's target lap time is a 1:41. Will the car last for 19 more minutes? Left rear tire down on the #51 Spirit of Race Ferrari 458 Italia. 1.8 seconds between the two factory GTLM Corvette's.
The GTLM battle will be between the two Corvette's. Both drivers were told, "you are allowed to race". Wow. The #4 has not won on American soil since Mosport in 2013. Good for Townsend Bell in the #11 O'Gara Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3, moving out of the way. This is getting hot, between the two Corvette's. Oh boy! Don't drop below the yellow line. Gavin is not falling for Antonio Garcia's tricks. Garcia though, has more fuel,a nd fresher tires.
The #44 Magnus Audi is told to save fuel, and meanwhile, Gavin gets balked by a Prototype. Garcia swings high, and Gaving goes deep. No dice. Traffic in the way! No place to go. Gavin makes it stick. Magnus radios Rast and tells him to let the #28 go. Babini gets the run. A Lamborghini Huracan is leading the GTD class. Can Lamborghini win? Or, is this a game, between Konrad and Magnus? Corvette's battle, and Gavin protects the inside line. He was close to have Garcia duck inside.
Do Earl Bamber and Porsche have anything left in the locker to throw at the Corvette's? Garcia has a run. He needs traffic, though. The tire advantage will fade. But, on the inside, no. No passing under the yellow stripe. Gavin wants by Garcia. #28 and Babini are on fumes. Richie Stanaway and Nicky Catsburg fight for the final spot on the GT Daytona podium. Oliver Gavin gets a run. Six minutes left in the Rolex 24 for 2016.
Derani is 20 seconds to the good over Angelelli. JDC Miller Motorsports could win and will win Prototype Challenge. Richie Stanaway runs out of fuel, and has to go for a splash and dash. Garcia is going to try Gavin into the hairpin. No dice this time boys. Garcia is trying to get at Gavin out of turn six and back onto the banking. Gavin has to go low and stay low. That will make for a better run into the Bus Stop. Gavin defends.
Four minutes to go. #28 is out of fuel, and here comes Garcia! Garcia is passed back by Gavin! Yikes! E for effort. White flag next time by for the overall leader. Will Pippo Derani be in front of the GT's? Oh dear. Rast is slow! Garcia gets hung up behind a Prototype. It costs him a boatload of time. One lap left in the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Extreme Speed Motorsports, and Luis Felipe Derani, are going to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona for 2016.
Nicky Catsburg is now second in GT Daytona. Rast is managing fuel, but he'll need another lap and a half. Tequila Patron ESM will win this race, and also, it will be a first win for a P2 car. No Daytona Prototype victory swansong. ESM wins! Honda wins overall at Daytona for the first time! Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek, and Pippo Derani, win the Rolex 24!
Now, for the GTLM and GT Daytona battles. In GT Daytona, Magnus holds on for the Rolex 24 win! GT Le Mans, here it is! Gavin wins in #4, breaking the losing streak by 34 thousandths of a second after 24 hours! Yikes! Prototype Challenge goes to the #85 JDC Miller Motorsports car. For the winner, 736 laps completed, 2,620 miles.
So, here are your overall and class winners from the 54th Rolex 24. This is Scott Sharp's second Rolex 24 win, having also won this race, 20 years ago, in 1996.
Overall/Prototype: #2 Sharp/Brown/van Overbeek/Derani Ligier JS P2 Honda
Prototype
Challenge: #85 Miller/Simpson/Goikhberg/Koch Oreca FLM 09 Chevrolet
GT Le Mans: #4 Gavin/Milner/Fassler Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-
GT Daytona: #44 Potter/Lally/Seefried/Rast Audi R8
What a special thing, for all the winners. The Rolex 24 is an incredible race. It is always a test of man and machine. Andy Lally has now won five Rolex 24's. Wayne Taylor Racing will be disappointed, not getting to win the final Daytona Prototype race. Let's hope Max Angelelli will be OK after getting a few fumes. Kudos to WTR, even though Daytona Prototype didn't get the final victory for that class, before the regulations change, next year.
This is truly a team sport. Everyone won in different ways. The points are tied in GT Le Mans and Prototype Challenge, and the points have come for Prototype and GT Daytona, too. This series is getting bigger. It's getting better, as always. Tequila shots for everyone. We look forward to a great season, and we'll see you, at the 12 Hours of Sebring, in March. When Ford gets it right, GTLM will be great, but so will GT Daytona.
We'll see you on March 19th, for the 12 Hours of Sebring. So long for now, everyone.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 22
Taylor is still trying to pass Stroll. Go to another, more aggressive fuel mapping setting, and go for it. Derani is eating time out of Taylor's lead. Derani is a half second off his fastest race lap. Ricky Taylor puts two tenths back into the leader. 1:40.9 for Ricky Taylor. If we stay green and the #2 car has no troubles, those boys from ESM could be in the catbird seat. Fred Makowiecki is flying in his GTLM factory Porsche. These boys are really flying. Bruno Spengler in the #25 BMW M6 GT is also running well, second in GT Le Mans. Patrick Long brings the #540 Porsche into pit lane, and does a driver change. Don't trap the hose for the air gun, under the car, drop it off the air jacks, and go for it. Nicky Catsburg will take the car to the finish.
#23 has a dragging diffuser. They will have to fix that, if the marshals tell them to or not. A piece of debris flies off the car, and this could mean a full course yellow. Mario Farnbacher at the controls. That debris, is on the back straight, and it flew nesxt to the wall. They don't have to stop from a safety standpoint. Now, the diffuser is dragging. Maybe that piece will stay on top of the track, right up in the spot on the track where you don't want to be, where all the clag is. Clag, is colloquial, for tire debris.
Antonio Garcia is now third in GT Le Mans. Marcel Fassler in the sister car, is back on the lead lap. Fred Makowiecki in the Porsche and the sister Corvette of Marcel Fassler, both might need just one more pit stop. The next few minutes, will be critical. The #5 car was penalized for spinning the rear wheels, while on the air jacks. Ricky Taylor knows that Pippo Derani is really moving, and he's coming, fast. There's lots of traffic. Ricky Taylor has to open the door, and see if Derani si going to make a move. He wants to go for it. No rush. Pick your moment.
Meanwhile, some pit action as Oliver Gavin replaces Marcel Fassler in the #4 Corvette. Luis Felipe Derani is sweeping around slower traffic. Can Ricky Taylor stay with Derani? Derani adds a second to his lead. Ricky Taylor has to work through GT traffic. Derani passes the GT Daytona leader. It's still Shane van Gisbergen vs. Rene Rast in the Audi. The #3 Corvette of Antonio Garcia has cycled through.
Let's look at a recap. The Ford's did really well yesterday, even though they had the tire issues too, yesterday. There was a brake line issue, too. The #2 Ligier Honda ran well, and the Deltawing was flying early yesterday. John Pew crashed into Johannes van Overbeek. The Deltawing crashed last night. This was the fastest car on the track. Jamie McMuray spun the #02 car off the road. Ligier Honda vs. Mazda, and then, issues with right rear tire failures for the Ford GT.
The #02 Riley Ford went down, and Ozz Negri retired with engine issues. Two Lamborghini's crashed into each other. By morning, a drive line issue, for Porsche. The #73 Park Place car could not get back to the garage area. We saw the Corvette (#4) run the red light at the end of pit lane. More issues too, for Action Express, and the CV joint going bad. They are six laps in arrears. Game over for the #02 Ganassi car, too. We have an hour and a half or so left.
Could Honda win it's first Rolex 24? We'll find out. We have an hour and a half to go. 684 laps have been completed so far. 2,435 miles. The Scuderia Corsa Frrari 488 GT has been running really well. Earl Bamber, last year's Le Mans winner, is running very well. In GT Daytona, six cars are on the lead lap. Rene Rast still wheels the Magnus Racing Audi R8. Car #2 might pit top safeguard against a yellow flag. In third, in GTD, is the #540 Black Swan Porsche. We are now down to the last match of high speed chess. Derani drops to pit lane.
The pit stop needs to be mistake free. Fuel, and a cleaning of the air ducts, are all the car needs. They have to keep up the pressure. The 3.5 liter V6 motor, is a good thing for the car, as it is more powerful, and can keep up with the V8's and other turbo V6's in the Daytona Prototype cars. WTR is in the lane, and they are spot on with their pit work. Fuel and tires only, for this stop. Derani is close. Derani sweeps by into the road course section. Everything is working. The players in this chess match, are rising to the occasion.
Rene Rast is under pressure from Shane van Gisbergen, but, oh! van Gisbergen has a lurid spin outside the kink! Big wiggle, and sliding, sliding, sliding, but fortunately, he didn't hit anything. THAT was scary! Dirt tracking. The rear wing angle is askew. The wing has gone back further, even if it had been set back, to trim it out for top speed. The inter-class battle, is amazing. The rhythm of this race, has changed, from what it used to be.
Ryan Hunter-Reay has brought the #90 Corvette Prototype to pit lane. Hunter-Reay will finish the race, for the team. #2 is leading the #10 car by a good eleven seconds. But, this race is not over. van Gisbergen is in the lane, checking the wing, and the tires. The mounting supports have fallen backwards, and not just the wing itself. Oh dear. Pepe Derani, may have a gearbox alarm. Oil pressure, oil temperature, water pressure... the alarm goes off, for a reason.
Will Derani make it to the finish? The #3 Corvette pits, and Earl Bamber in the #912 Porsche 911 RSR takes over the GT Le Mans class lead. The #22 Porsche spun again. Shane van Gisbergen also has lots of grass in the radiator grille. The car is in the pit lane again, putting bear bond and a tie strap on the back. They have to ratchet the tie strap down. Another dash warning for Luis Felipe Derani. Something is wrong, with the car, perhaps.
The fuel mapping might be an issue, or, the engine needs to be cooled, and it could be running too lean. Wayne Taylor Racing is still spending the last amount of time, in th pits. Is the Ligier Honda daling with turbo issus? Pepe Derani needs to cool down and see what he can do. Is the power steering suspect? Could Derani be activating the traction control earlier than intended? We'll see what happens.
#23 has a dragging diffuser. They will have to fix that, if the marshals tell them to or not. A piece of debris flies off the car, and this could mean a full course yellow. Mario Farnbacher at the controls. That debris, is on the back straight, and it flew nesxt to the wall. They don't have to stop from a safety standpoint. Now, the diffuser is dragging. Maybe that piece will stay on top of the track, right up in the spot on the track where you don't want to be, where all the clag is. Clag, is colloquial, for tire debris.
Antonio Garcia is now third in GT Le Mans. Marcel Fassler in the sister car, is back on the lead lap. Fred Makowiecki in the Porsche and the sister Corvette of Marcel Fassler, both might need just one more pit stop. The next few minutes, will be critical. The #5 car was penalized for spinning the rear wheels, while on the air jacks. Ricky Taylor knows that Pippo Derani is really moving, and he's coming, fast. There's lots of traffic. Ricky Taylor has to open the door, and see if Derani si going to make a move. He wants to go for it. No rush. Pick your moment.
Meanwhile, some pit action as Oliver Gavin replaces Marcel Fassler in the #4 Corvette. Luis Felipe Derani is sweeping around slower traffic. Can Ricky Taylor stay with Derani? Derani adds a second to his lead. Ricky Taylor has to work through GT traffic. Derani passes the GT Daytona leader. It's still Shane van Gisbergen vs. Rene Rast in the Audi. The #3 Corvette of Antonio Garcia has cycled through.
Let's look at a recap. The Ford's did really well yesterday, even though they had the tire issues too, yesterday. There was a brake line issue, too. The #2 Ligier Honda ran well, and the Deltawing was flying early yesterday. John Pew crashed into Johannes van Overbeek. The Deltawing crashed last night. This was the fastest car on the track. Jamie McMuray spun the #02 car off the road. Ligier Honda vs. Mazda, and then, issues with right rear tire failures for the Ford GT.
The #02 Riley Ford went down, and Ozz Negri retired with engine issues. Two Lamborghini's crashed into each other. By morning, a drive line issue, for Porsche. The #73 Park Place car could not get back to the garage area. We saw the Corvette (#4) run the red light at the end of pit lane. More issues too, for Action Express, and the CV joint going bad. They are six laps in arrears. Game over for the #02 Ganassi car, too. We have an hour and a half or so left.
Could Honda win it's first Rolex 24? We'll find out. We have an hour and a half to go. 684 laps have been completed so far. 2,435 miles. The Scuderia Corsa Frrari 488 GT has been running really well. Earl Bamber, last year's Le Mans winner, is running very well. In GT Daytona, six cars are on the lead lap. Rene Rast still wheels the Magnus Racing Audi R8. Car #2 might pit top safeguard against a yellow flag. In third, in GTD, is the #540 Black Swan Porsche. We are now down to the last match of high speed chess. Derani drops to pit lane.
The pit stop needs to be mistake free. Fuel, and a cleaning of the air ducts, are all the car needs. They have to keep up the pressure. The 3.5 liter V6 motor, is a good thing for the car, as it is more powerful, and can keep up with the V8's and other turbo V6's in the Daytona Prototype cars. WTR is in the lane, and they are spot on with their pit work. Fuel and tires only, for this stop. Derani is close. Derani sweeps by into the road course section. Everything is working. The players in this chess match, are rising to the occasion.
Rene Rast is under pressure from Shane van Gisbergen, but, oh! van Gisbergen has a lurid spin outside the kink! Big wiggle, and sliding, sliding, sliding, but fortunately, he didn't hit anything. THAT was scary! Dirt tracking. The rear wing angle is askew. The wing has gone back further, even if it had been set back, to trim it out for top speed. The inter-class battle, is amazing. The rhythm of this race, has changed, from what it used to be.
Ryan Hunter-Reay has brought the #90 Corvette Prototype to pit lane. Hunter-Reay will finish the race, for the team. #2 is leading the #10 car by a good eleven seconds. But, this race is not over. van Gisbergen is in the lane, checking the wing, and the tires. The mounting supports have fallen backwards, and not just the wing itself. Oh dear. Pepe Derani, may have a gearbox alarm. Oil pressure, oil temperature, water pressure... the alarm goes off, for a reason.
Will Derani make it to the finish? The #3 Corvette pits, and Earl Bamber in the #912 Porsche 911 RSR takes over the GT Le Mans class lead. The #22 Porsche spun again. Shane van Gisbergen also has lots of grass in the radiator grille. The car is in the pit lane again, putting bear bond and a tie strap on the back. They have to ratchet the tie strap down. Another dash warning for Luis Felipe Derani. Something is wrong, with the car, perhaps.
The fuel mapping might be an issue, or, the engine needs to be cooled, and it could be running too lean. Wayne Taylor Racing is still spending the last amount of time, in th pits. Is the Ligier Honda daling with turbo issus? Pepe Derani needs to cool down and see what he can do. Is the power steering suspect? Could Derani be activating the traction control earlier than intended? We'll see what happens.
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 21
The #2 Ligier pits. #2 took over the lead. One of the vertical planes in the rear diffuser is damaged. Johannes van Overbeek stays in the car, and it's fuel only. No tires. It takes 2-3 laps to get the tires heated up. The P2 spec cars are gentler on tires, than the Daytona Prototype based cars, and can do 2-3 stints on a set of tires. Did van Overbeek cross the center pit exit line? No. Apparently not. Go fast, and avoid mistakes, to win the 24 Hours of Daytona. But... we have a penalty coming, for the leading #2 car. It was for speeding entering pit lane. That will hurt. But, they might still pick time back up. Marc Goossens said the power steering was a problem in the #90 car. Car owner/team boss Troy Flis, says the problem is fixed.
We are now 21 hours and six minutes into this race. The #90 car has lost just one lap. He lucked out, and is at the tail end of the lead lap. We're 640 laps into this race, with two hours, and fifty two minutes, left. Memo Rojas is running well in his first race in a GT car. He is racing for Scuderia Corsa in their #68 car. Another Ferrari 488 GTE. Rojas is getting used to driving a GT car. Ooh. Kyle Larson, has crashed, in the kink, slamming into the tire wall. The radiator is damaged. He is trying to back it out.
Larson is buried in the tires, and this, will bring out a full course yellow. GT cars have a lot of roll. If you come from an Indycar, a Formula 1 car, or a Prototype, there is a lot more roll in the car. GT cars move around a lot more. But, the cars are comfortable to drive. By the rules, the production based cars, have to have air conditioning. Pit stop time should be coming again, soon. We are under our 21st full course yellow. Ganassi will not repeat as winners, from last year. In replay, we see that Larson gets in too hot, carries too much speed, and ker-runch! He wallops the tires.
Late in the race, drivers and teams, start making mistakes. Even the blokes in the booth, joke about having too much time in their broadcasting shifts, just like drivers with their turns at the wheel. Hardy har har! GT class pit stops are underway as we have just over two and a half hours left in this contest. Whoa. Some squeezing in the pits. Go to the fast lane. Did Mario Farnbacher squeeze in too soon? Hmmm. Mistakes, mistakes. Be careful, not to make them. #4 goes in the fast lane. The Risi Ferrari, was in the right order, behind the Corvette.
It's a sprint race now. We would be nine minutes, into a typical 2 hour and 45 minute sprint race now. Run on adrenaline. Exhaustion means zippo. Let's go back to racing, boys. Watch for the #2. He's hung in traffic. The #25 BMW M6 GT flashes past a GT Daytona Viper. Hopes for the #90 are that the power steering issues are fixed. Johannes van Overbeek has to stay close, and get Luis Felipe Derani in for the finish, to let loose. Johannes van Overbeek is held up momentarily, behind the Corvette.
Lots of cars are still running. 20 years ago, when I started following this race, there would be slow cars, that were stragglers, everywhere. That's not the case today. Bruno Spengler is driving the #25 BMW M6 GT, and that car, is still in contention, as a new car in the series. The #911 Porsche is dropping wheels. Patrick Pilet is not in contention for the win. There will be a penalty for overboost on the #97 BMW M6 GT. There is a specific overboost limit that they cannot maximize. Ricky Taylor still leads this motor race.
Car #02 is back in the garage, and it is being worked on, even on the back of the flatbed. Ricky Taylor is in the #10 car, and the team might put Jordan Taylor in for the final shift. He is feeling better than he was at the beginning of this contest. Cooper MacNeil's dad David MacNeil, has not run a race since 1999. But, he has had a chance to race, with his son.
Kyle Larson says his Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost has had braking issues. If you have front brakes only in a GT car, it is OK. But in a Prototype, not so much. Frederic Makowiecki just turned the fastest lap of the race for the #912 Porsche 911 RSR. Not sure what the lap time was. Mike Rockenfeller is giving it a great ride in the Corvette C-7-R-. Antonio Garcia, will take the car to the finish. Daniel Serra is now at the wheel of the #68 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GTE. Memo Rojas, Daniel Serra, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Alex Premat, are a strong driver lineup. Serra is closing up on the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 that has just run it's fastest lap in class.
Richard Antinucci is at the controls. Daniel Serra is closing up on Mike Rockenfeller in the GT Le Mans battle right now. Rockenfeller is running 1:45 laps. Alex Job Racing is continuing to raise money for the Seattle Children's Hospital. The charity helps kids with heart conditions. So many wonderful charities, that are not related to racing, but, they are for the greater good of this world. Cars and crew members, are all tired, at this stage of the race.
Two hours and ten minutes left in this race. L.P. Derani has gotten into the #2 car. They have their ace, in the car, who will run down the WTR Corvette Prototype. MSR, Mazda, SMP Racing, and other notables, are well out of this race. Anyone who does not stop between now and the next yellow, will have to be on a different strategy. #10 is in the lane, for four tires and fuel. No driver change. Ricky Taylor, will be back at it. One lap is all it takes to heat the tires on a Daytona Prototype spec car.
Again, the LMP2 cars take longer to heat up[ their tires. Andy Lally in the Audi is closing on Richie Stanaway in the Aston Martin. Lally is closing. Stanaway, is hot shoe. The Audi's do not have the same straight line speed, as some of the othr GTD cars. Lance Stroll pits the #01 Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost, and needs to get back on the lead lap. They are fourth overall, three laps down. Ganassi will come up short this year. These cars will be retired and re-branded in the old Rolex 24 winning liveries, for a museum.
Ooh. This is close between the #10, the #85 Prototype Challenge car, and the Ganassi car. This is going to be a big fight between the #10 and #2 cars to the finish. In GT Daytona, for second in class, Andy Lally seems to handle well in the infield in the Audi, but, of course, the Aston Martin, has a lot of grunt with the big V8 in the front of the car. Ricky Taylor is being held up, by Lance Stroll right now.
Luis Felipe "Pippo" Derani, wants a win in the Rolex 24, and is booking it.
We are now 21 hours and six minutes into this race. The #90 car has lost just one lap. He lucked out, and is at the tail end of the lead lap. We're 640 laps into this race, with two hours, and fifty two minutes, left. Memo Rojas is running well in his first race in a GT car. He is racing for Scuderia Corsa in their #68 car. Another Ferrari 488 GTE. Rojas is getting used to driving a GT car. Ooh. Kyle Larson, has crashed, in the kink, slamming into the tire wall. The radiator is damaged. He is trying to back it out.
Larson is buried in the tires, and this, will bring out a full course yellow. GT cars have a lot of roll. If you come from an Indycar, a Formula 1 car, or a Prototype, there is a lot more roll in the car. GT cars move around a lot more. But, the cars are comfortable to drive. By the rules, the production based cars, have to have air conditioning. Pit stop time should be coming again, soon. We are under our 21st full course yellow. Ganassi will not repeat as winners, from last year. In replay, we see that Larson gets in too hot, carries too much speed, and ker-runch! He wallops the tires.
Late in the race, drivers and teams, start making mistakes. Even the blokes in the booth, joke about having too much time in their broadcasting shifts, just like drivers with their turns at the wheel. Hardy har har! GT class pit stops are underway as we have just over two and a half hours left in this contest. Whoa. Some squeezing in the pits. Go to the fast lane. Did Mario Farnbacher squeeze in too soon? Hmmm. Mistakes, mistakes. Be careful, not to make them. #4 goes in the fast lane. The Risi Ferrari, was in the right order, behind the Corvette.
It's a sprint race now. We would be nine minutes, into a typical 2 hour and 45 minute sprint race now. Run on adrenaline. Exhaustion means zippo. Let's go back to racing, boys. Watch for the #2. He's hung in traffic. The #25 BMW M6 GT flashes past a GT Daytona Viper. Hopes for the #90 are that the power steering issues are fixed. Johannes van Overbeek has to stay close, and get Luis Felipe Derani in for the finish, to let loose. Johannes van Overbeek is held up momentarily, behind the Corvette.
Lots of cars are still running. 20 years ago, when I started following this race, there would be slow cars, that were stragglers, everywhere. That's not the case today. Bruno Spengler is driving the #25 BMW M6 GT, and that car, is still in contention, as a new car in the series. The #911 Porsche is dropping wheels. Patrick Pilet is not in contention for the win. There will be a penalty for overboost on the #97 BMW M6 GT. There is a specific overboost limit that they cannot maximize. Ricky Taylor still leads this motor race.
Car #02 is back in the garage, and it is being worked on, even on the back of the flatbed. Ricky Taylor is in the #10 car, and the team might put Jordan Taylor in for the final shift. He is feeling better than he was at the beginning of this contest. Cooper MacNeil's dad David MacNeil, has not run a race since 1999. But, he has had a chance to race, with his son.
Kyle Larson says his Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost has had braking issues. If you have front brakes only in a GT car, it is OK. But in a Prototype, not so much. Frederic Makowiecki just turned the fastest lap of the race for the #912 Porsche 911 RSR. Not sure what the lap time was. Mike Rockenfeller is giving it a great ride in the Corvette C-7-R-. Antonio Garcia, will take the car to the finish. Daniel Serra is now at the wheel of the #68 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GTE. Memo Rojas, Daniel Serra, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Alex Premat, are a strong driver lineup. Serra is closing up on the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 that has just run it's fastest lap in class.
Richard Antinucci is at the controls. Daniel Serra is closing up on Mike Rockenfeller in the GT Le Mans battle right now. Rockenfeller is running 1:45 laps. Alex Job Racing is continuing to raise money for the Seattle Children's Hospital. The charity helps kids with heart conditions. So many wonderful charities, that are not related to racing, but, they are for the greater good of this world. Cars and crew members, are all tired, at this stage of the race.
Two hours and ten minutes left in this race. L.P. Derani has gotten into the #2 car. They have their ace, in the car, who will run down the WTR Corvette Prototype. MSR, Mazda, SMP Racing, and other notables, are well out of this race. Anyone who does not stop between now and the next yellow, will have to be on a different strategy. #10 is in the lane, for four tires and fuel. No driver change. Ricky Taylor, will be back at it. One lap is all it takes to heat the tires on a Daytona Prototype spec car.
Again, the LMP2 cars take longer to heat up[ their tires. Andy Lally in the Audi is closing on Richie Stanaway in the Aston Martin. Lally is closing. Stanaway, is hot shoe. The Audi's do not have the same straight line speed, as some of the othr GTD cars. Lance Stroll pits the #01 Ganassi Riley Ford EcoBoost, and needs to get back on the lead lap. They are fourth overall, three laps down. Ganassi will come up short this year. These cars will be retired and re-branded in the old Rolex 24 winning liveries, for a museum.
Ooh. This is close between the #10, the #85 Prototype Challenge car, and the Ganassi car. This is going to be a big fight between the #10 and #2 cars to the finish. In GT Daytona, for second in class, Andy Lally seems to handle well in the infield in the Audi, but, of course, the Aston Martin, has a lot of grunt with the big V8 in the front of the car. Ricky Taylor is being held up, by Lance Stroll right now.
Luis Felipe "Pippo" Derani, wants a win in the Rolex 24, and is booking it.
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 20
Problems for the #28 Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini, with debris on the road, from that car, bringing out a yellow. Also, more issues for the Ford GT. We are setting up, for quite the finish here. Pit stop time, for Prototypes, during the full course yellow. The strategy will start to change. Marc Goossens will stay in the VisitFlorida Racing Corvette Prototype. Johannes van Overbeek, and Max Angelelli, will not change over, and it looks like #10 will keep the race lead. Magnus Racing is running second in the GT Daytona class right now.
Magnus Racing left Porsche for Audi in GT Daytona. But they are running really well. In GTD, pit stop cycles, determine the lead in class. GT cars make their way into the lane. When team cars come in, they are stacked up, making stops more difficult. Ferrari also pits, as does the Magnus Racing Audi. Rene Rast, Marco Seefried, John Potter, and Robert Growth, are at the wheel. The #66 Ford GT pits, and we are getting ready, to go back to green flag action, very soon.
We watch the #23 AJR Porsche, and he will have to make more repairs. The diffusers are very effective, but also exposed. Cars are stacked up on this restart. One Corvette gets in too hot on cold tires. The #50 Riley BMW of David Hinton, locks the brakes. One of the new Ford GT's is still out there, pounding around. Every full course yellow, changes your race strategy. The back timing methods are for track position in shorter races, and in longer races, well, at least stay green to the end. The #4 Corvette will be penalized for running the red light at the end of pit lane.
This is a stop and hold + 60 seconds penalty. Corvette Racing will not argue. Tak your medicine now, and keep going. The #23 AJR Porsche will get a three minute penalty for an improper wave by. It is a one lap penalty. Mario Farnbacher is in the car. We have reached the point, where this race is now a sprint race. Filipe Albuquerque is now the race leader, having gotten around both Johannes van Overbeek, and Max Angelelli.
Max Angelelli is now going to be battling with Filipe Albuquerque. At the 18 hour mark, the Corvette's drafted into the lead. Oh deary me. Filipe Albuquerque has turned straight into the garage! It's not over yet, chaps. The #85 Prototype Challenge class leader, is also dealing with a fluid leak. The #5 will hopefully come back out of the garage. Is it the engine? Is it smoke in the cockpit? The rear axle is the culprit. Either the axle, or the CV joint.
Othr than having a penalty in one race, Action Express has completed every last of the previous two seasons. There is no reall issue according to JDC Miller Racing for the #85 car. Stephen Simpson has run some consistent laps. Leh Keen is now at the wheel of the #22 car. Keen is running with Cooper and David MacNeil. David MacNeil, (Cooper's dad), has not run a race professionally, in over a decade.
Toni Vilander, and Patrick Long are pushing each other quite a bit. But, Toni Vilander, pushes Long aside. The drama is not over by any means. Three cars, are on the same lap. 623 laps completed. 2,217 miles. Now, the #5 car is coming back out on the track. However, they have tumbled down the order, and lost five or six laps. They are fifth overall. We also see another problem for the #4 car. The #4 got caught at the end of pit lane. Maybe the light was difficult to see.
In Prototype, Marc Goossens and Lance Stroll, are battling. Chevrolet vs. Ford power. Stroll is doing racing in Europe, and wants to get to Formula 1. He is 17 years old. Stroll is looking good through the twisty bits, while Goossens has an advantage on the straights. The size, weight, aerodynamics, horsepower, and amount of time you spend in the car, are all different, between single seaters and sports cars.
Andy Lally and Magnus Racing, is now fourth in class in GT Daytona. The 20th hour, is nearly at a close. Stevenson Motorsports are going to be lapped, by the #22 WeatherTech Alex Job Porsche in the GT Daytona class. The #90 Corvette Prototype pits. The team is looking at the right front of the car. This is not a routine stop. It could be the car has a steering issue. Max Angelelli remains in the lead, but the boys at Wayne Taylor Racing, will be looking for the #2 Extreme Speed Motorsports car. Power steering takes a real thrashing around Daytona, because of the banking.
The leader is in the lane. Max Angelelli, out. Into the car, well, not sure who will be in the car. Lance Stroll is now pitting the #01 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost.
Magnus Racing left Porsche for Audi in GT Daytona. But they are running really well. In GTD, pit stop cycles, determine the lead in class. GT cars make their way into the lane. When team cars come in, they are stacked up, making stops more difficult. Ferrari also pits, as does the Magnus Racing Audi. Rene Rast, Marco Seefried, John Potter, and Robert Growth, are at the wheel. The #66 Ford GT pits, and we are getting ready, to go back to green flag action, very soon.
We watch the #23 AJR Porsche, and he will have to make more repairs. The diffusers are very effective, but also exposed. Cars are stacked up on this restart. One Corvette gets in too hot on cold tires. The #50 Riley BMW of David Hinton, locks the brakes. One of the new Ford GT's is still out there, pounding around. Every full course yellow, changes your race strategy. The back timing methods are for track position in shorter races, and in longer races, well, at least stay green to the end. The #4 Corvette will be penalized for running the red light at the end of pit lane.
This is a stop and hold + 60 seconds penalty. Corvette Racing will not argue. Tak your medicine now, and keep going. The #23 AJR Porsche will get a three minute penalty for an improper wave by. It is a one lap penalty. Mario Farnbacher is in the car. We have reached the point, where this race is now a sprint race. Filipe Albuquerque is now the race leader, having gotten around both Johannes van Overbeek, and Max Angelelli.
Max Angelelli is now going to be battling with Filipe Albuquerque. At the 18 hour mark, the Corvette's drafted into the lead. Oh deary me. Filipe Albuquerque has turned straight into the garage! It's not over yet, chaps. The #85 Prototype Challenge class leader, is also dealing with a fluid leak. The #5 will hopefully come back out of the garage. Is it the engine? Is it smoke in the cockpit? The rear axle is the culprit. Either the axle, or the CV joint.
Othr than having a penalty in one race, Action Express has completed every last of the previous two seasons. There is no reall issue according to JDC Miller Racing for the #85 car. Stephen Simpson has run some consistent laps. Leh Keen is now at the wheel of the #22 car. Keen is running with Cooper and David MacNeil. David MacNeil, (Cooper's dad), has not run a race professionally, in over a decade.
Toni Vilander, and Patrick Long are pushing each other quite a bit. But, Toni Vilander, pushes Long aside. The drama is not over by any means. Three cars, are on the same lap. 623 laps completed. 2,217 miles. Now, the #5 car is coming back out on the track. However, they have tumbled down the order, and lost five or six laps. They are fifth overall. We also see another problem for the #4 car. The #4 got caught at the end of pit lane. Maybe the light was difficult to see.
In Prototype, Marc Goossens and Lance Stroll, are battling. Chevrolet vs. Ford power. Stroll is doing racing in Europe, and wants to get to Formula 1. He is 17 years old. Stroll is looking good through the twisty bits, while Goossens has an advantage on the straights. The size, weight, aerodynamics, horsepower, and amount of time you spend in the car, are all different, between single seaters and sports cars.
Andy Lally and Magnus Racing, is now fourth in class in GT Daytona. The 20th hour, is nearly at a close. Stevenson Motorsports are going to be lapped, by the #22 WeatherTech Alex Job Porsche in the GT Daytona class. The #90 Corvette Prototype pits. The team is looking at the right front of the car. This is not a routine stop. It could be the car has a steering issue. Max Angelelli remains in the lead, but the boys at Wayne Taylor Racing, will be looking for the #2 Extreme Speed Motorsports car. Power steering takes a real thrashing around Daytona, because of the banking.
The leader is in the lane. Max Angelelli, out. Into the car, well, not sure who will be in the car. Lance Stroll is now pitting the #01 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost.
Rolex 24 at Dayona: Hour 19
We are into the final five hours of the Rolex 24. The racing has been superb as we continue to look at the #23 Alex Job Racing Team Seattle Porsche 911 GT3 of Ian James, being hounded by Matthias Lauda in the #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. The #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE has lost some laps. The diffuser broke off the front of the car. They don't have any spare parts, and had to raise the rear wing, up. Pierre Kaffer is now racing with Audi, and not with Ferrari. Toni Vilander is Risi Competizione's new driver. Team manager Rick Mayer says you have to run with higher spring rates on the car, because of the banking here at Daytona. The Corvette is still running pretty well, too. This is the #3 of Mike Rockenfeller, ahead of team mate, Tommy Milner.
Pit stop time for the #5 Action Express Corvette Prototype. Scott Pruett, if he wins, will break the tie with Hurley Haywood, for most wins at the Rolex 24. Both, have five. Scott, is going for number six. We resume watching the Ian James and Matthias Lauda battle. Matthias Lauda wants by. It was around 50 degrees overnight last night. Alex Job says that the competition in GT Daytona, is absolutely amazing. Both his cars are running well. WeatherTech company President, David MacNeil, was in the #22 machine, earlier on.
AJR has won at Daytona, and Le Mans, as well as five championships. They have won ten races in class at Sebring. We wish Alex Job's wife Holly, the best, as she has gone through health issues. We are now inside five hours remaining, watching fans play a huge Jenga game collapsing. Let's hope the teams don't collapse. Luis Felipe Derani, has opened a margin. He has a 25 second lead, leading overall. "Pippo" he is nicknamed, and Pippo, is really going for it. He's been running well.
If ESM hangs on, it would be the first overall win for Honda in the Rolex 24. Chris Miller in the #85 JDC Miller Motorsports car, leads Prototype Challenge, now only by seven laps, from yours truly's home state of Minnesota. The #52 PR1 Mattthiasen car, is second in class. In GT Le Mans, Tommy Milner leads in the second factory Corvette, while the #22 WeatherTech Porsche pits, and so does Luis Felipe Derani, who has run a 27 lap stint.
He will do another stint. No. Johannes van Overbeek will get in the car, and Derani will finish. They have four clean tear offs still on thwe windshield. The #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette pits, too. ESM needs to be on top of the driver time rules. You can't run more than four hours in any six hour stretch, as a driver. The #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8 is now leading GT Daytona with Marco Seefried at the controls.
Jesse Krohn is running very well with Turner Motorsports in their new BMW M6. Corvette #4 is back in pit lane. The Krohn Racing Audi is one of the cars that is now out of the race. They retired, about six hours ago. The #55 Mazda that was so strong, yesterday, went out, in the middle of the night, with a fire. Filipe Albuquerque has been racing the #5 Action Express Corvette. Scott Pruett, is about to get in the car.
Jordan Taylor is feeling much better than he was earlier in the race, and he might run in the #10 car, before this race is over. Michael Shank Racing, ended their race, in the tenth hour, when the 3.5 liter Honda V6 in the back of the car, went ka-blammo. Chris Miller still leads Prototype Challenge, up by six laps. Oh dear! #02 has spun., and so has the #6 Stevenson Motortsports Audi R8. Matt Bell is at the controls of the Audi, and in the #02 is Tony Kanaan.
We also see a lead change. Max Angelelli has passed Johannes van Overbeek. Johannes was being patient in traffic, and Angelelli goes by. Four hours and ten minutes, remain, in this race. Max Angelelli has taken the lead. Some of the strategists are now starting to pull their hair out, trying to see how they will approach the final hours of this contest. Johannes van Overbeek, wanted to set Max Angelelli up, but, Angelelli ended up making the pass. A turbocharged Honda V6, vs. a normally aspirated Chevrolet V8.
Luis Felipe Derani will finish the race for ESM. Wayne Taylor Racing lost this race last year, because of exceeding driving time for one of their drivers. We also watch the GT Daytona battle. BMW M6 vs. Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Wayne Taylor Racing, has spent the least amount of time in the pits, of anyone. Johannes van Overbeek is trying his best to get around the #10 car. When the #3 Corvette won GT Le Mans last year, they had seven minutes less time in pit lane than anyone else.
Pit stop time for the #5 Action Express Corvette Prototype. Scott Pruett, if he wins, will break the tie with Hurley Haywood, for most wins at the Rolex 24. Both, have five. Scott, is going for number six. We resume watching the Ian James and Matthias Lauda battle. Matthias Lauda wants by. It was around 50 degrees overnight last night. Alex Job says that the competition in GT Daytona, is absolutely amazing. Both his cars are running well. WeatherTech company President, David MacNeil, was in the #22 machine, earlier on.
AJR has won at Daytona, and Le Mans, as well as five championships. They have won ten races in class at Sebring. We wish Alex Job's wife Holly, the best, as she has gone through health issues. We are now inside five hours remaining, watching fans play a huge Jenga game collapsing. Let's hope the teams don't collapse. Luis Felipe Derani, has opened a margin. He has a 25 second lead, leading overall. "Pippo" he is nicknamed, and Pippo, is really going for it. He's been running well.
If ESM hangs on, it would be the first overall win for Honda in the Rolex 24. Chris Miller in the #85 JDC Miller Motorsports car, leads Prototype Challenge, now only by seven laps, from yours truly's home state of Minnesota. The #52 PR1 Mattthiasen car, is second in class. In GT Le Mans, Tommy Milner leads in the second factory Corvette, while the #22 WeatherTech Porsche pits, and so does Luis Felipe Derani, who has run a 27 lap stint.
He will do another stint. No. Johannes van Overbeek will get in the car, and Derani will finish. They have four clean tear offs still on thwe windshield. The #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette pits, too. ESM needs to be on top of the driver time rules. You can't run more than four hours in any six hour stretch, as a driver. The #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8 is now leading GT Daytona with Marco Seefried at the controls.
Jesse Krohn is running very well with Turner Motorsports in their new BMW M6. Corvette #4 is back in pit lane. The Krohn Racing Audi is one of the cars that is now out of the race. They retired, about six hours ago. The #55 Mazda that was so strong, yesterday, went out, in the middle of the night, with a fire. Filipe Albuquerque has been racing the #5 Action Express Corvette. Scott Pruett, is about to get in the car.
Jordan Taylor is feeling much better than he was earlier in the race, and he might run in the #10 car, before this race is over. Michael Shank Racing, ended their race, in the tenth hour, when the 3.5 liter Honda V6 in the back of the car, went ka-blammo. Chris Miller still leads Prototype Challenge, up by six laps. Oh dear! #02 has spun., and so has the #6 Stevenson Motortsports Audi R8. Matt Bell is at the controls of the Audi, and in the #02 is Tony Kanaan.
We also see a lead change. Max Angelelli has passed Johannes van Overbeek. Johannes was being patient in traffic, and Angelelli goes by. Four hours and ten minutes, remain, in this race. Max Angelelli has taken the lead. Some of the strategists are now starting to pull their hair out, trying to see how they will approach the final hours of this contest. Johannes van Overbeek, wanted to set Max Angelelli up, but, Angelelli ended up making the pass. A turbocharged Honda V6, vs. a normally aspirated Chevrolet V8.
Luis Felipe Derani will finish the race for ESM. Wayne Taylor Racing lost this race last year, because of exceeding driving time for one of their drivers. We also watch the GT Daytona battle. BMW M6 vs. Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Wayne Taylor Racing, has spent the least amount of time in the pits, of anyone. Johannes van Overbeek is trying his best to get around the #10 car. When the #3 Corvette won GT Le Mans last year, they had seven minutes less time in pit lane than anyone else.
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 18
Five and a half hours remaining in the Rolex 24. Yours truly, missed a couple of hours from the 6AM to the 8AM hour. Right now, the #2 ESM car is ahead with Luis Felipe Derani at the controls. We see the #2 machine coming to pit lane. The #2 car has just run a 27 lap stint. The #02 Ganassi car is sixth overall. Here too, is the #10 Corvette for Wayne Taylor Racing. Jordan Taylor has come in and Max Angelelli is now getting strapped into the car. Angelelli is able to save fuel.
Chris Miller leads Prototype Challenge right now. For Roger Penske, he created a team and in 1966, they earned their first ever win of any kind, 50 years ago. The Indycar boys love this race. We watch the #44 Magnus Racing Audi that has led GT Daytona for a long while, and the #97 Turner BMW M6 GT3. The factory Porsche's and the #4 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R- have pitted. In the #3 'Vette, Mike Rockenfeller is driving, with Tommy Milner in the sister car. Work out your strategy, back time your fuel.
With the Michelin tires, for GTLM, they have several tire types they can use. But, they have to also work with their allocated tires. Now, Kevin Estre ran wide and locked a brake in turn six. He's probably got a flat tire here. Estre is an amazing driver, moving from McLaren to Porsche. HHe could not turn into turn six. So, he does not reallyhave a tire problem. The rear left, is being examined. The brake caliper is sitting wrong on the disc and also, there could be a problem with the driveshaft.
Dirk Werner in the BMW M6 battles Michael Christensen in the sister Porsche 911. The #85 JDC Miller Racing Prototype Challenge car, was 20 laps up, earlier, and is now, ten laps ahead of their competition. They are going to have to go back into the garage to get this Porsche fixed. You cannot reverse the car into the pits. That is against the rules. The engine is stalling. It does not have enough power.
Something is internally wrong, with the car. 565 laps have been completed. 2,011 miles. We watch GT Le Mans and GT Daytona Porsche's running together. Marco Seefried is leading GT Daytona in the #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8. Jesse Krohn in the #96 BMW M6, gets passed by Australian V8 Supercars veteran Shane van Gisbergen. The #73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT3 has had to go to the garage. Patrick Lindsey at the wheel.
Fourth in GT Daytona is the #23 Porsche. In the pit is the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GTE. These boys arehaving some trouble. There was smoke out of the car. AF Corse is pitting this car. They have to go back tothe garage. Lots of oil on the rear undeertray for the Porsche. We see a change for the GT Daytona lead. Shane van Gisbergen takes the lead from Marco Seefried. van Gisbergen is a real shoe. He can drive a V8 Supercar, or a GT3 car.
Chris Miller leads Prototype Challenge right now. For Roger Penske, he created a team and in 1966, they earned their first ever win of any kind, 50 years ago. The Indycar boys love this race. We watch the #44 Magnus Racing Audi that has led GT Daytona for a long while, and the #97 Turner BMW M6 GT3. The factory Porsche's and the #4 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R- have pitted. In the #3 'Vette, Mike Rockenfeller is driving, with Tommy Milner in the sister car. Work out your strategy, back time your fuel.
With the Michelin tires, for GTLM, they have several tire types they can use. But, they have to also work with their allocated tires. Now, Kevin Estre ran wide and locked a brake in turn six. He's probably got a flat tire here. Estre is an amazing driver, moving from McLaren to Porsche. HHe could not turn into turn six. So, he does not reallyhave a tire problem. The rear left, is being examined. The brake caliper is sitting wrong on the disc and also, there could be a problem with the driveshaft.
Dirk Werner in the BMW M6 battles Michael Christensen in the sister Porsche 911. The #85 JDC Miller Racing Prototype Challenge car, was 20 laps up, earlier, and is now, ten laps ahead of their competition. They are going to have to go back into the garage to get this Porsche fixed. You cannot reverse the car into the pits. That is against the rules. The engine is stalling. It does not have enough power.
Something is internally wrong, with the car. 565 laps have been completed. 2,011 miles. We watch GT Le Mans and GT Daytona Porsche's running together. Marco Seefried is leading GT Daytona in the #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8. Jesse Krohn in the #96 BMW M6, gets passed by Australian V8 Supercars veteran Shane van Gisbergen. The #73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT3 has had to go to the garage. Patrick Lindsey at the wheel.
Fourth in GT Daytona is the #23 Porsche. In the pit is the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GTE. These boys arehaving some trouble. There was smoke out of the car. AF Corse is pitting this car. They have to go back tothe garage. Lots of oil on the rear undeertray for the Porsche. We see a change for the GT Daytona lead. Shane van Gisbergen takes the lead from Marco Seefried. van Gisbergen is a real shoe. He can drive a V8 Supercar, or a GT3 car.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 7
We are now under our sixth full course yellow as Mark Kvamme, spins out, due to either brake lockup, or a mismatched downshift, not getting the car out of third gear. The Prototype Challenge cars are "simple" in quotes. They have paddle shift, with no super technologies. 6.2 liter GM V8's are the motors. But, you have to go through certain procedures to restart the car. It can be difficult and frustrating, to get the car sorted out. Both Action Express cars are in pit lane. Deltawing, was having radio issues. One has to wonder if that is partly why the car crashed, in the hands of Andy Meyrick.
Mike Shank Racing pits, and they say the driveability, and so forth, of these cars, is getting better. Formula 1 driver, Sergio Perez, is at Daytona, supporting his brother, racing for TRG Aston Martin and team boss, Kevin Buckler, who is a Rolex 24 winner. Ricardo and Antonio Perez, are in this event. Sergio Perez, of course, drives Formula One, for Force India. Antonio Perez, Sergio's dad, is a sports car racer. We will be back to green, shortly.
A,J. Allmendinger hands the Ligier Honda over to Oswaldo Negri Jr. We are getting ready to go back to green. Tony Kanaan, Andy Priaulx, Johannes van Overbeek, and others, are getting their fastest laps in now. The Prototypes sweep around the GT cars. Cars are sliding in turn one. There's obvious tire smoke. They clear the west horseshoe, and now, run through turn six, and back up0 onto the banking. The attrition at this point in time, even a decade ago, would have been pretty high. Now, there are just three cars out of the race, currently, of the 54 starters. 51 cars are still circulating. Tony Kanaan still leads this race, as the fireworks explode overhead.
Felipe Albuquerque is running behind another of the Prototypes. Kuno Wittmer, is now, racing with the RLL BMW factory team in the BMW M6 GT. Wittmer has passed the Prototype Challenge car, but he has to distance himself from the PC car, as we see a close moment, with the Corvette. After we are done with this update, go to IMSA.com, and watch the streaming, overnight. Then, join us, at 6AM Sunday for the finish of the race. 10PM-6AM Central Time, dig this race, on IMSA.com.
Now, we watch Tony Kanaan pulling a lead on one of the P2 cars. This is Kanaan vs. Johannes van Overbeek. We'll see you tomorrow, for the finish, folks. Enjoy the race, on IMSA.com, and we'll see you at 6AM sharp, for the finish. So long, and goodnight, for now.
Mike Shank Racing pits, and they say the driveability, and so forth, of these cars, is getting better. Formula 1 driver, Sergio Perez, is at Daytona, supporting his brother, racing for TRG Aston Martin and team boss, Kevin Buckler, who is a Rolex 24 winner. Ricardo and Antonio Perez, are in this event. Sergio Perez, of course, drives Formula One, for Force India. Antonio Perez, Sergio's dad, is a sports car racer. We will be back to green, shortly.
A,J. Allmendinger hands the Ligier Honda over to Oswaldo Negri Jr. We are getting ready to go back to green. Tony Kanaan, Andy Priaulx, Johannes van Overbeek, and others, are getting their fastest laps in now. The Prototypes sweep around the GT cars. Cars are sliding in turn one. There's obvious tire smoke. They clear the west horseshoe, and now, run through turn six, and back up0 onto the banking. The attrition at this point in time, even a decade ago, would have been pretty high. Now, there are just three cars out of the race, currently, of the 54 starters. 51 cars are still circulating. Tony Kanaan still leads this race, as the fireworks explode overhead.
Felipe Albuquerque is running behind another of the Prototypes. Kuno Wittmer, is now, racing with the RLL BMW factory team in the BMW M6 GT. Wittmer has passed the Prototype Challenge car, but he has to distance himself from the PC car, as we see a close moment, with the Corvette. After we are done with this update, go to IMSA.com, and watch the streaming, overnight. Then, join us, at 6AM Sunday for the finish of the race. 10PM-6AM Central Time, dig this race, on IMSA.com.
Now, we watch Tony Kanaan pulling a lead on one of the P2 cars. This is Kanaan vs. Johannes van Overbeek. We'll see you tomorrow, for the finish, folks. Enjoy the race, on IMSA.com, and we'll see you at 6AM sharp, for the finish. So long, and goodnight, for now.
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 6
MSR, PR1, Porsche North America, and Aston Martin Racing, score points for the North American Endurance Cup.
The #55 Mazda is back on track. The #90 Corvette Prototype, is also in pit lane. We are now, back to green. This gets hairy, as someone locks up. It was actually Olivier Beretta, pressing Fred Makowiecki. Every restart is like Russian roulette. Santiago Creel is now driving, replacing James Davison. The #28 Konrad Lamborghini goes off th road, and back on. Johnny Adam, Brendon Hartley, and Filipe Albuquerque are going for it. These two know each other from Europe. Tony Kanaan is in the #02 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost. Rubens Barrichello is still driving the #10 as Ricardo Vera, goes off the road in the #20 Prototype Challenge car. #20 is just behind David Hinton in the #50 50+ Racing Riley BMW Prototype.
Alessandro Balzan and Madison Snow, battle for the GT Daytona lead. The GTLM cars and GTD cars are almost equal. GT Daytona cars have ABS. Bruno Spengler chases Gianmaria Bruni. One of the Ford's runs wide. Madison Snow closes up on Alessandro Balzan. The Lamborghini has a good horsepower rating. Snow, is a Porsche veteran. But, now, he's clicked with a Lamborghini. The #62 Ferrari 488 GTE is third in class in GTLM. This is a test of the new 488 GTE as they only had 100 kilometers of testing in Italy, and they will test, at the IMSA sanctioned February Sebring test.
The #90 Corvette is running well. Troy Flis, will also go to Le Mans, to see what it is about, with his eight year old son, Carson. A.J. Allmendinger still leads. Ozz Negri Jr. had the fastest lap for the car, right at the start of the race. A,J. Allmendinger has been racing for Mike Shank Racing for the lasst eleven years. Olivier Beretta, and Graham Rahal, continue their battle. There's a gap now, between the Porsche's and the Ferrari, as well as the BMW.
These new cars, have gotten very good. The game has changed. It used to be, if you finished, without trouble, you were up by five laps. The competition has gotten a lot closer. Mazda is using LED headlights, just like the factory Porsche's do in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Nick Tandy turns fastest lap in GTLM. Cool, dense air, will be better for horsepower, and aerodynamics. Rahal continues to hound Beretta. These blokes are about to deal with Mikhail Goikhberg, in the #85 Prototype Challenge car.
The #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8, has Rene Rast, at the controls. Alessandro Balzan is beginning to fade a bit in GT Daytona. Jose Guttierez is still leading Prototype Challenge, and more pit stops, are imminent. Eric Curran, is now at the controls of the #31 Action Express Corvette Prototype. The restarts stack things together. At Le Mans, you never really get big gaggles of cars. Olivier Beretta has passed Gianmaria Bruni. Mike Rockenfeller wants to make a move around Olivier Beretta. The aerodynamic devices, channel air to create downforce, and you cannot get a five mile an hour tow, like in a stock car.
Marcel Fassler picks up a mile an hour or so on speed, and then, he loses ground. Last time, he had a tremendous run out of the Bus Stop chicane. Beeretta comes back to them both. The new GT Le Mans aero package, is running well. The organizers do a great job of equalizing the Balance of Performance. Pit stop time for Brendon Hartley and the #01 Riley Ford EcoBoost Prototype. There will be a driver change. The GT Le Mans scrum, is for fifth spot in the overal, actually, in class. Is Fassler close enough to do it?
Is he far enough away from Gianmaria Bruni? Fassler grts a good run out opf the Bus Stop. Beretta is going to pit. Pit stop time for the #100. Andy Priaulx is now driving the #01 Prototype. The #62 Ferrari is also making a driver change for the Ferrari 488 GTE. Clean the windshield, but save the tear off's. Don't run out of tear off's. Marcel Fassler, is pushing. Olivier Beretta also used to drive for Corvette.
The #90 Corvette Prototype will get a penalty for spinning the rear tires while up on the air jacks, selecting first gear, if the clutch is slipping. Right now, Luis Felipe Derani, has taken the overall lead. The Chip Ganassi Racing Team is runnng well, with the Prototypes, defending their title, as well as running the Ford GT's. Chip Ganassi just won the Bob Snodgrass Award. Snodgrass, ran Brumos Porsche. Chip Ganassi will also be a part of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. The #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, makes a scheduled pit stop.
The #67 Ford GT pits. In the news, Scott Pruett won the Phil Hill Award for the Road Racing Drivers Club. Judy Stropes also won award. She is a PR person, and she used to hand score 24 hour races, timing 30 cars with a stopwatch and a scorers sheet. The #6 Stevenson Racing Audi is fifth in GT Daytona. Lawson Aschenbach hands the Audi over to Andrew Davis. Mike Shank Racing, is doing just what they need to, running very consistently.
The #55 Mazda is back on track. The #90 Corvette Prototype, is also in pit lane. We are now, back to green. This gets hairy, as someone locks up. It was actually Olivier Beretta, pressing Fred Makowiecki. Every restart is like Russian roulette. Santiago Creel is now driving, replacing James Davison. The #28 Konrad Lamborghini goes off th road, and back on. Johnny Adam, Brendon Hartley, and Filipe Albuquerque are going for it. These two know each other from Europe. Tony Kanaan is in the #02 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost. Rubens Barrichello is still driving the #10 as Ricardo Vera, goes off the road in the #20 Prototype Challenge car. #20 is just behind David Hinton in the #50 50+ Racing Riley BMW Prototype.
Alessandro Balzan and Madison Snow, battle for the GT Daytona lead. The GTLM cars and GTD cars are almost equal. GT Daytona cars have ABS. Bruno Spengler chases Gianmaria Bruni. One of the Ford's runs wide. Madison Snow closes up on Alessandro Balzan. The Lamborghini has a good horsepower rating. Snow, is a Porsche veteran. But, now, he's clicked with a Lamborghini. The #62 Ferrari 488 GTE is third in class in GTLM. This is a test of the new 488 GTE as they only had 100 kilometers of testing in Italy, and they will test, at the IMSA sanctioned February Sebring test.
The #90 Corvette is running well. Troy Flis, will also go to Le Mans, to see what it is about, with his eight year old son, Carson. A.J. Allmendinger still leads. Ozz Negri Jr. had the fastest lap for the car, right at the start of the race. A,J. Allmendinger has been racing for Mike Shank Racing for the lasst eleven years. Olivier Beretta, and Graham Rahal, continue their battle. There's a gap now, between the Porsche's and the Ferrari, as well as the BMW.
These new cars, have gotten very good. The game has changed. It used to be, if you finished, without trouble, you were up by five laps. The competition has gotten a lot closer. Mazda is using LED headlights, just like the factory Porsche's do in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Nick Tandy turns fastest lap in GTLM. Cool, dense air, will be better for horsepower, and aerodynamics. Rahal continues to hound Beretta. These blokes are about to deal with Mikhail Goikhberg, in the #85 Prototype Challenge car.
The #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8, has Rene Rast, at the controls. Alessandro Balzan is beginning to fade a bit in GT Daytona. Jose Guttierez is still leading Prototype Challenge, and more pit stops, are imminent. Eric Curran, is now at the controls of the #31 Action Express Corvette Prototype. The restarts stack things together. At Le Mans, you never really get big gaggles of cars. Olivier Beretta has passed Gianmaria Bruni. Mike Rockenfeller wants to make a move around Olivier Beretta. The aerodynamic devices, channel air to create downforce, and you cannot get a five mile an hour tow, like in a stock car.
Marcel Fassler picks up a mile an hour or so on speed, and then, he loses ground. Last time, he had a tremendous run out of the Bus Stop chicane. Beeretta comes back to them both. The new GT Le Mans aero package, is running well. The organizers do a great job of equalizing the Balance of Performance. Pit stop time for Brendon Hartley and the #01 Riley Ford EcoBoost Prototype. There will be a driver change. The GT Le Mans scrum, is for fifth spot in the overal, actually, in class. Is Fassler close enough to do it?
Is he far enough away from Gianmaria Bruni? Fassler grts a good run out opf the Bus Stop. Beretta is going to pit. Pit stop time for the #100. Andy Priaulx is now driving the #01 Prototype. The #62 Ferrari is also making a driver change for the Ferrari 488 GTE. Clean the windshield, but save the tear off's. Don't run out of tear off's. Marcel Fassler, is pushing. Olivier Beretta also used to drive for Corvette.
The #90 Corvette Prototype will get a penalty for spinning the rear tires while up on the air jacks, selecting first gear, if the clutch is slipping. Right now, Luis Felipe Derani, has taken the overall lead. The Chip Ganassi Racing Team is runnng well, with the Prototypes, defending their title, as well as running the Ford GT's. Chip Ganassi just won the Bob Snodgrass Award. Snodgrass, ran Brumos Porsche. Chip Ganassi will also be a part of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. The #007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, makes a scheduled pit stop.
The #67 Ford GT pits. In the news, Scott Pruett won the Phil Hill Award for the Road Racing Drivers Club. Judy Stropes also won award. She is a PR person, and she used to hand score 24 hour races, timing 30 cars with a stopwatch and a scorers sheet. The #6 Stevenson Racing Audi is fifth in GT Daytona. Lawson Aschenbach hands the Audi over to Andrew Davis. Mike Shank Racing, is doing just what they need to, running very consistently.
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 5
Some debris on the road in the Bus Stop. So, that will be cleaned up as we continue under yellow. Mike Rockenfeller has taken over the wheel of the #3 Corvette C-7-R-. GTD cars pitted, and we are back to green, going into the International horseshoe. Olivier Pla, is going for it. Sad news, though, folks. The Deltawing, is officially, retired, from this year's Rolex 24. Bummer. We watch Jonathan Bomarito, working his way, through traffic. The #33 Viper of Dominik Farnbacher, gets penalized, for running the red light at the end of pit lane.
Jonathan Bomarito runs really wide Farnbacher serves his penalty as we speak. It's a 30 second delta pit in to pit out. It's more dropping onto the apron and then, accelerating out. Nike Rockenfeller is now fourth in class. The Porsche's are leading, and the BMW's are out there, and #100 is celebrating the 100th anniversary of BMW. Graham Rahal is at the controls right now. A good run is going, for the #52 Prototype Challenge car. The turbocharged cars will start to really perform, now that the air has cooled in the evening.
CORE Autosport, has a problem, with the transmission, and the engine. Mark Wilkins, says that there could be a terminal engine issue. These boys won the title, last year. In this race, they crashed, and had a fire. But, this year, their hopes are dashed. Problems again, for the #67 Ford GT. He has another Michelin right rear tire, gone. Two tires problems for the Ford's and one, for the new BMW M6 GT's. It looks like there's been damage to the diffuser. Porsche's run 1-2 in GTLM. Fred Makowiecki leads, with Nick Tandy, pursuing.
These lights are to identify the cars. In the 1980s, the Interscope team with Ted Field, team owner, ran a green indicator light on their cars, especially Porsche 935's. Brendon Hartley is chased by Johnny Adam and Christian Fittipaldi. The #54 car might have seriosu drivetrain problems. It's endurance racing. They'll be back, for Sebring. In the GT Le Mans battle, for third, it's Corvette vs. BMW. Graham Rahal vs. Mike Rockenfeller.
Drivers who have long off-season's, in other championships, often get offers, to race in the Rolex 24, which keeps them sharp, before the rest of the racing season, begins. Christian Fittipaldi has Brendon Hartley all over him, and the battle in GTLM continues to rage, between Corvette and BMW. Christian Fittipaldi pits the #5 Corvette for Action Express. Filipe Albuquerque will take over the car. Albuquerque is a factory DTM driver, for Audi.
Olivier Pla brings th Mike Shank Racing Ligier Honda into the pits, from the overall lead. A.J. Allmendinger is now at the wheel. Allmendinger, won the 2011 Rolex 24, with Mike Shank Racing. The #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Chevrolet Corvette Prototype, pits. Rubens Barrichello, continues, going for his second straight driving stint. The Paul Miller Racing Lamborghii, pits. Tony Kanaan is now driving the overall leading #02 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost. A spin, for one of the Prototypes. This is Don Yount, in the Prototype Challenge machine, mentioned earlier, and his spin, forces a full course yellow. Did the #911 Porsche get caught in a wreck. The #007 TRG AMR Aston Martin, with James Davison at the wheel, is now leading the GT Daytona division. The #02 car has a routine pit stop. Some cars are running the red light at pit out. Not a good idea.
The #55 Mazda is on pit lane, for a steering wheel change. So much of the electronics goes through the steering column. We are under full course yellow, obviously. The Lamborghini Huracan GT3 had a massive wreck, for Change Racing, ripping the suspension pieces right out of the car. They are running very well. Buddy Rice, who has won the Indianapolis 500 and the Rolex 24, is on the box. Six hours into the race, and points for the North American Endurance Cup. A.J. Allmendinger, Jose Guttierez, Nick Tandy, and Pedro Lamy, all score points.
Problems for the #55 Mazda, and the steering wheel change, did not work.
Jonathan Bomarito runs really wide Farnbacher serves his penalty as we speak. It's a 30 second delta pit in to pit out. It's more dropping onto the apron and then, accelerating out. Nike Rockenfeller is now fourth in class. The Porsche's are leading, and the BMW's are out there, and #100 is celebrating the 100th anniversary of BMW. Graham Rahal is at the controls right now. A good run is going, for the #52 Prototype Challenge car. The turbocharged cars will start to really perform, now that the air has cooled in the evening.
CORE Autosport, has a problem, with the transmission, and the engine. Mark Wilkins, says that there could be a terminal engine issue. These boys won the title, last year. In this race, they crashed, and had a fire. But, this year, their hopes are dashed. Problems again, for the #67 Ford GT. He has another Michelin right rear tire, gone. Two tires problems for the Ford's and one, for the new BMW M6 GT's. It looks like there's been damage to the diffuser. Porsche's run 1-2 in GTLM. Fred Makowiecki leads, with Nick Tandy, pursuing.
These lights are to identify the cars. In the 1980s, the Interscope team with Ted Field, team owner, ran a green indicator light on their cars, especially Porsche 935's. Brendon Hartley is chased by Johnny Adam and Christian Fittipaldi. The #54 car might have seriosu drivetrain problems. It's endurance racing. They'll be back, for Sebring. In the GT Le Mans battle, for third, it's Corvette vs. BMW. Graham Rahal vs. Mike Rockenfeller.
Drivers who have long off-season's, in other championships, often get offers, to race in the Rolex 24, which keeps them sharp, before the rest of the racing season, begins. Christian Fittipaldi has Brendon Hartley all over him, and the battle in GTLM continues to rage, between Corvette and BMW. Christian Fittipaldi pits the #5 Corvette for Action Express. Filipe Albuquerque will take over the car. Albuquerque is a factory DTM driver, for Audi.
Olivier Pla brings th Mike Shank Racing Ligier Honda into the pits, from the overall lead. A.J. Allmendinger is now at the wheel. Allmendinger, won the 2011 Rolex 24, with Mike Shank Racing. The #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Chevrolet Corvette Prototype, pits. Rubens Barrichello, continues, going for his second straight driving stint. The Paul Miller Racing Lamborghii, pits. Tony Kanaan is now driving the overall leading #02 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost. A spin, for one of the Prototypes. This is Don Yount, in the Prototype Challenge machine, mentioned earlier, and his spin, forces a full course yellow. Did the #911 Porsche get caught in a wreck. The #007 TRG AMR Aston Martin, with James Davison at the wheel, is now leading the GT Daytona division. The #02 car has a routine pit stop. Some cars are running the red light at pit out. Not a good idea.
The #55 Mazda is on pit lane, for a steering wheel change. So much of the electronics goes through the steering column. We are under full course yellow, obviously. The Lamborghini Huracan GT3 had a massive wreck, for Change Racing, ripping the suspension pieces right out of the car. They are running very well. Buddy Rice, who has won the Indianapolis 500 and the Rolex 24, is on the box. Six hours into the race, and points for the North American Endurance Cup. A.J. Allmendinger, Jose Guttierez, Nick Tandy, and Pedro Lamy, all score points.
Problems for the #55 Mazda, and the steering wheel change, did not work.
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 4
A big stack up as we go back to green, and Jamie McMurray goes to the lead of this motor race. Max Angelell avoids Jamie McMurray, spinning on cold tires. Did McMurray damage the Riley Ford Prototype? Andrea Bertolini, has taken over the #72 Ferraru 488 GTE. Olivier Pla, is running well, with the #60 MSR Ligier Honda. Pla, will race for the Ford GT team, but, in the FIA World Endurance Championship. It is awesome to see the mechanical grip of these new GTLM cars. The traffic into the turn six braking zone, is heavy.
CORE Autosport is running their strategy for using their silver rated drivers. #10 will be penalized. So will the #28 Konrad Motorsport Lambroghini Huracan GT3 of Lance Willsey. Jonathan Bomarito is leading overall and in Prototype. Sharing the driving chores in the #54 CORE Autosport car, are Jon Bennett, Colin Braun, Mark Wilkins, and Martin Plowman. At night, drivers can go faster, because they have less fear, and don't have the same reference points, as in daylight. Olivier Pla and Jonathan Bomarito, are running identical lap times. It's Honda vs. Mazda. The new 3.5 liter Honda V6 is a stout motor, as mentioned earlier on.
Antonio Garcia continues to drive the Corvette, for this duration. Let's enjoy the sound, of this V8 monster. The Corvettes run 1-2 in GT Le Mans, currently. Corvette has come to the fore. Right now, Corvette and Porsche continue to dominate GTLM. Davide Rigon, is in the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE. Michael Christensen, is running the #912 Porsche. Lucas Luhr, has taken over the #100 BMW M6.
Patrick Pilet and Andrea Bertolini, are also in contention. A few gremlins, with the Ford's. It's a surprise, because in testing, there were no issues. But then again, testing, is not the same as racing. They did a long test at Sebring, which is the ultimate endurance track. Bruno Spengler was buying lottery tickets, during the test session earlier in the month, when the jackpot was up. The talent line up in terms of road racing, this is the best we've seen.
Maurizio Mediani, is driving the SMP Racing BR01 Nissan prototype right now. With Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona, you should have Silver and Bronze drivers, meaning Pro/Am's who don't earn their living, driving race cars. But, there is a gray area there. A lot of drivers, are pro's, and some, are semi-professional. The DeltaWing, crew is thrashing, to get the car together. The car, being a Prototype, is modular. As long as they don't damage the tub, they should be OK. They are very motivated.
Pit stop time for the #11 Lamborghini Huracan GT3. They are in the lane, pitting. They have a wiring harness issue. Bill Sweedler cannot change gears if he is not going in a straight line. New wiring, and a new steering wheel, are in order. The #67 Ford GT, pits. They are running quickly, with Ryan Briscoe at the wheel. The #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage has a drive through penalty, for spinning it's wheels, on the jacks. Matthias Lauda got out of the car, and Pedro Lamy is now at the controls.
The traffic intensity here, is much more intense, than at Le Mans, even though the number of starters, in this year's race, is similar, to Le Mans. You will lose 30 seconds coming down pit lane at 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles an hour). You have to be cool, and you cannot affordto have penalties. Second in GT Daytona, is Mario Farnbacher in the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche. His brother, Dominik Farnbacher, driving for Viper, is right behind him. James Davison is driving the #007 TRG Aston Martin, the V12 version.
Jonathan Bomarito and Olivier Pla, both pitted. The Mazda, had an open door to deal with, and Bomarito went off the road on cold tires, too. Johnny Adam pits the #31 Whelen Engineering Action Express Chevroletr Corvette Prototype. Paul Miller Racing is pitting the Lamborghini. Madison Snow, will take over, from Bryan Sellers. These boys have had to practice their driver changes. The #10 Corvette Prototype also pitted, and Rubens Barrichello takes over from Max Angelelli. The #01 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford Prototype, is in.
Brendon Hartley brings it in, sharing with Andy Priaulx, Alexander Wurz, and Lance Stroll. No driver change. Lance Stroll is doing a great job, as Christian Fittipaldi passes the #01 in the #5 Corvette Prototype. The #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE is in. Olivier Beretta, will start his stint. The Lamborghini Huracan is doing well at Daytona. How will it perform, for the rest of the season? The next race, is the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring, in March, of course.
#62 is back on track, and as mentioned, Olivier Beretta is back at the wheel, replacing Davide Rigon. Olivier Pla, is now in the overall lead of this motor race. The #67 Ford GT has a cut right rear tire. Stefan Mucke is driving right now. Mucke is in for one race. In FIA GT competition, these two crashed, when both, were in different cars (Aston Martin, and Nissan, respectively). Now, they are more agreeable. #38, in Prototype Challenge, spins out. He either got tapped or got in hot. He lost it by himself. Brandon Gdovic at the wheel.
He started in stock cars, and has become a road racer, sharing with James French, and father/son drivers, Jim and Josh Norman.
CORE Autosport is running their strategy for using their silver rated drivers. #10 will be penalized. So will the #28 Konrad Motorsport Lambroghini Huracan GT3 of Lance Willsey. Jonathan Bomarito is leading overall and in Prototype. Sharing the driving chores in the #54 CORE Autosport car, are Jon Bennett, Colin Braun, Mark Wilkins, and Martin Plowman. At night, drivers can go faster, because they have less fear, and don't have the same reference points, as in daylight. Olivier Pla and Jonathan Bomarito, are running identical lap times. It's Honda vs. Mazda. The new 3.5 liter Honda V6 is a stout motor, as mentioned earlier on.
Antonio Garcia continues to drive the Corvette, for this duration. Let's enjoy the sound, of this V8 monster. The Corvettes run 1-2 in GT Le Mans, currently. Corvette has come to the fore. Right now, Corvette and Porsche continue to dominate GTLM. Davide Rigon, is in the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE. Michael Christensen, is running the #912 Porsche. Lucas Luhr, has taken over the #100 BMW M6.
Patrick Pilet and Andrea Bertolini, are also in contention. A few gremlins, with the Ford's. It's a surprise, because in testing, there were no issues. But then again, testing, is not the same as racing. They did a long test at Sebring, which is the ultimate endurance track. Bruno Spengler was buying lottery tickets, during the test session earlier in the month, when the jackpot was up. The talent line up in terms of road racing, this is the best we've seen.
Maurizio Mediani, is driving the SMP Racing BR01 Nissan prototype right now. With Prototype Challenge and GT Daytona, you should have Silver and Bronze drivers, meaning Pro/Am's who don't earn their living, driving race cars. But, there is a gray area there. A lot of drivers, are pro's, and some, are semi-professional. The DeltaWing, crew is thrashing, to get the car together. The car, being a Prototype, is modular. As long as they don't damage the tub, they should be OK. They are very motivated.
Pit stop time for the #11 Lamborghini Huracan GT3. They are in the lane, pitting. They have a wiring harness issue. Bill Sweedler cannot change gears if he is not going in a straight line. New wiring, and a new steering wheel, are in order. The #67 Ford GT, pits. They are running quickly, with Ryan Briscoe at the wheel. The #98 Aston Martin V8 Vantage has a drive through penalty, for spinning it's wheels, on the jacks. Matthias Lauda got out of the car, and Pedro Lamy is now at the controls.
The traffic intensity here, is much more intense, than at Le Mans, even though the number of starters, in this year's race, is similar, to Le Mans. You will lose 30 seconds coming down pit lane at 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles an hour). You have to be cool, and you cannot affordto have penalties. Second in GT Daytona, is Mario Farnbacher in the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche. His brother, Dominik Farnbacher, driving for Viper, is right behind him. James Davison is driving the #007 TRG Aston Martin, the V12 version.
Jonathan Bomarito and Olivier Pla, both pitted. The Mazda, had an open door to deal with, and Bomarito went off the road on cold tires, too. Johnny Adam pits the #31 Whelen Engineering Action Express Chevroletr Corvette Prototype. Paul Miller Racing is pitting the Lamborghini. Madison Snow, will take over, from Bryan Sellers. These boys have had to practice their driver changes. The #10 Corvette Prototype also pitted, and Rubens Barrichello takes over from Max Angelelli. The #01 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford Prototype, is in.
Brendon Hartley brings it in, sharing with Andy Priaulx, Alexander Wurz, and Lance Stroll. No driver change. Lance Stroll is doing a great job, as Christian Fittipaldi passes the #01 in the #5 Corvette Prototype. The #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE is in. Olivier Beretta, will start his stint. The Lamborghini Huracan is doing well at Daytona. How will it perform, for the rest of the season? The next race, is the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring, in March, of course.
#62 is back on track, and as mentioned, Olivier Beretta is back at the wheel, replacing Davide Rigon. Olivier Pla, is now in the overall lead of this motor race. The #67 Ford GT has a cut right rear tire. Stefan Mucke is driving right now. Mucke is in for one race. In FIA GT competition, these two crashed, when both, were in different cars (Aston Martin, and Nissan, respectively). Now, they are more agreeable. #38, in Prototype Challenge, spins out. He either got tapped or got in hot. He lost it by himself. Brandon Gdovic at the wheel.
He started in stock cars, and has become a road racer, sharing with James French, and father/son drivers, Jim and Josh Norman.
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 3
The #33 Gas Monkey SRT Viper GT3-R is in touch with Ferrari's and Porsche's as well as a Lamborghini. All these teams, put in amazingly talented drivers. The variety, and quality, of the driving field, and the cars, is top notch. The new GT3 cars are putting the cat among the pigeons in GTD. Katherine Legge tries Dane Cameron in the Bus Stop. No dice, sunshine. Don't risk the car. Be patient. Stay away from the curbs, if you are driving the DeltaWing. Legge's team mate, Sean Rayhall, has learned this. Mazda has been a great story. Tristan Nunez is at the wheel of the car right now. Mazda has decided, that the gasoline motor, was necessary, because their diesels from last year, were not competitive at all.
A Corvette passes a GTD Ferrari, and we also watch Giancarlo Fisichella in the #62 Ferrari 488 GTE. No issues with the car, and after the rain on Thursday in practice, this track is very green. The issue with the turbo motor, is that it is hard to fix. They have a ways to go. If they have a turbo issue, it could be game over. This is the first turbocharged Ferrari sports car. We also watch the two SRT Viper's in GT Daytona, as Scott Dixon in P1, flashes by. He is the race leader in the overall right now.
The Aston Martin, is right behind the Viper's. This is the #98 factory Aston Martin of Paul Dalla Lana, sharing with Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda, and Richie Stanaway. Problms for one of the BMW's. This is a flat tire, on the right side, (right rear, actually), on one of the factory BMW's. Not sure which one. He has to get through the Bus Stop. He is now, on the apron. If you go off in the Bus Stop, a full stop if you go off, is not required. It is safer to go straight through. The Z4 that won races last year, it looked like a dinosaur, though. It's a five year old car.
This new M6 is bigger, and more workable. It's a twin turbo, 4.4 liter V8, with turbos on top of the motor, in the cylinder V. The Ferrari F40 was also, turbocharged. So, to correct the stat from earlier, Ferrari has built a turbocharged car before the 488. Stephen Simpson is pitting the #85 car. Meanwhile, Katherine Legge, in the DeltaWing, continues to lead. The #73 GTD Park Place Motorsports Porsche, spun. Norbert Siedler qualified the car. Matt McMurry, is now at the controls. A Porsche is a very different car, compared to a Prototype.
Jordan Taylor is second, two seconds behind Katherine Legge at the moment. Jordan Taylor, came down with mononucleosis. He has a Formula 1 doctor here, and someone, from the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. Tristan Nunez has moved to fourth and Marc Goossens is fifth in the #90 VisitFloridaRacing.com Corvette. On the next pit stop, Katherine Legge, will hand over to one of her team mates, (Andy Meyrick, Sean Rayhall, or Andreas Wirth. Legge, is a great driver, and knows how to wheel a race car.
Scott Dixon pitgted the #02 Ganassi car. Jamie McMurray has taken over the driving chores. Corvette in the lane. The #3 is in. Jan Magnussen hands over to Antonio Garcia. Fuel, tires, and a driver change. The gap is closing between Legge and Jordan Taylor. Katherine Legge, clipped the inside of the corner in turn one, and locks a front brake. The back of the Deltawing does almost all the braking as the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3R, pits. This car, is shared by Mario Farnbacher, Ian James, Alex Riberas, and Wolf Henzler.
James Calado has taken over the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GTE, chases the #4 Corvette of Tommy Milner. SMP had a big wreck, in qualifying, with Viktor Shaytar at the controls. The bodywork looks OK. But, the transmission could have gotten rammed by the rear axle. Katherine Legge, is about ready to pit for fuel, as the fuel light is on, on the dashboard. The #10 Corvette Prototype is in. Max Angelelli takes over the car, from Jordan Taylor, and four tires and fuel are part of the stop.
Pit stop tim too, for the ESM car. #55 has also pitted. Spencer Pigot, will also race with Bobby Rahal in Indycars, for three races. The bodywork might be suspect on the #2, but the piece is not affecting the aerodynamics. Thre is a driver change for Deltawing. They will have to restart the engine. The car has stalled again. Get the jump battery. Not sure who is in the car now. The #4 Corvette makes a quick pit stop, and so does the #62 Ferrari 488 GTE. These cars have nw aerodynamics on the undertray.
Did #72 run over an air hose, in pit lane? Jamie McMurray continues to lead this race, right now. The sun is sinking on the horizon a bit. Joao Barbosa has gotten out of the #5 Action Express Corvette Prototype and Christian Fittipaldi is now driving. Barbosa says there was no damage after his little off track excursion. Jamie McMurry is running 1:41 lap times. Tje second BAR1 Motorsports Prototype Challenge car, is in the pits, with issues. Ryan Eversley, at the controls. They need to serve a penalty, after the stop.
On the driving squad, for #26, are Ryan Lewis, John Falb, Adam Merzon, Don Yount, and, Eversley. Prototype Challenge cars have no traction control, on cold tires. So, they will help rubber in the speedway. PR1 Mathiasen is running well, and they had a great season last year, winning three of four endurance races. Driving on that team, are Robert Alon, Tom Kimber-Smith (a former Le Mans class winner), Nicholas Boulle, and Juan Guttierez. More concerns for the Ford GT. Sebastien Bourdais is having gearbox problems on the #66 car. He will have to limp the car to pit lane for repairs.
They have the speed, and the interest of the fans and the racing community. But, the car is not bulletproof. They are going straight to the garage. The factory Porsche's are running great. Kevin Estre is in the lead factory Porsche in GT Le Mans. He is teamed with Le Mans winner (for Porsche), Nick Tandy, and Patrick Pilet. The sister car is shared by Earl Bamber (also part of last year's Le Mans winning squad), Fredric Makowiecki, and Michael Christensen. Porsche team boss, Morgan Brady, said they have forgotten the issue from last year, where both cars crashed into each other.
Porsche ditched their video of that wreck from last year, especially after winning Le Mans, overall, last summer. If you don't have more horsepower with more downforce, it's not an advantage. IMSA is watching like hawks, for people sandbagging. The lap times, were being manipulated. We watch Bryan Sellers in the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3, AGAINST THE #30 Frikadelli Racing Porsche 911 GT3. #02 pits for Ganasdsi Racing. Four tires and fuel. McMurray will stay in the car, for a double stint.
Dane Cameron in the #31 car, takes over the overall race lead. Cameron needs to have a factory ride, according to his team mate, Simon Pagenaud. Max Angelelli is following in the #10 car. Many people thought the P2 cars would dominate over the Daytona Prototypes. But, that is not the case. This is the last year, for the Daytona Prototype era. More pro drivers are in the DP cars. More gentleman drivers are in the LMP2 machines. The #25 BMW pitted. Bill Auberlen is at the wheel. He shares with Dirk Werner, Augusto Farfus, and Bruno Spengler.
The #66 car is in the garage. It is stuck in reverse, and they could not fix the pneumatic actuator, like they could, with car #67. Dane Cameron is holding off Max Angelelli. We have two cars, that have already gone by the wayside. The #70 Mazda Prototype, and the #21 Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3. Another car, that may or may not be out, is the #45 Flying Lizard Audi R8. Problems for the #88 Prototype Challenge car. The wheel is broken and the suspension is damaged. This is one of the Starworks cars, slamming the far left wall, after he began to fishtail, and slam the wall on the left hand side.
This is Sean Johnston at the wheel, who has run VLN and Blancpain Endurance, as well as IMSA GT3 Cup, sharing with Maro Engel, Mark Kvamme, and Fred Rosenqvist. We watch Max Angelelli dicing with Dane Cameron. Angelelli drives the endurance races, for Wayne Taylor Racing. Wayne and Max have been greatr friends and business associates, for years. The road is cambered away on the outside, while there are transitions on the road. Traffic in the kink. No worries.
Jonathan Bomarito and Andy Meyrick, battle. Meyrick, wants a run, on the new Mazda. Meyrick, takes over the lead. We are just past the 100 lap mark. 106 laps, 377 miles. The sun is setting. Now, Andy Meyrick will have a pit stop, coming soon, for fuel. The team will change all four tires, including the skinny ones, on the front end. Little tiny things, on the pit stop, can hang up a driver. Ooh. Look out, for pit out. Work your way through, onto the road.
As the nighttime closes in, and the temperature cools, it will get even slicker down there. Andy Meyrick is fighting that car. Maybe the clutch on the car, is not disengaging properly. No gradual lead into it. Working past the #9 Stevenson Motorsports Audi. When you are on the jacks, you cannot spin the tires. It's a safety issue. The #16 Change Racing Lamborghini Huracan also is running well. Justin Marks is driving. Marks has driven sports cars, and stock cars in his career. Can Dane Cameron and Eric Curran raise their game to a level to win the championship?
Time will tell. Back to the #16 briefly. Marks is sharing with Spencer Pumpelly, Corey Lewis, and Kaz Grala. The transitions into driving at night are tough. But, you can go fast, without much effort. Watch the brakes glow cherry red, and the flames shoot and spit out the exhaust. It's mesmerizing to see. This will now be an enduro. It's the longest night, of any 24 hour sports car race, throughout the year. Daytona, Nurburgring, Le Mans, Spa, Dubai... you name it. This is the longest run of darkness.
In the #31 car, Johnny Adam, is now at the controls, and he is also an Aston Martin factory driver. In pit lane, the #33 Viper for Riley Motorsports. Marc Miller is at the controls. Tommy Milner is running well, in the factory Corvette. Again, they swept the big enduros last year, winning Le Mans. But, they could possibly do well, in this race yet. Both Taylor brothers will race for Corvette at Le Mans, this year.
The Deltawing, is flying. They are running well, with the reliability they've needed. We are close to total darkness, here at Daytona. Night brings a special beauty, as the cars become pinpricks of bright light. Inescapable noise, like a rising tide. Sam Posey, can capture that image, in his narration. We see the #8 Prototype Challenge machine, of Chris Cumming, stopped in the middle of the road in turn one. Cumming shares with Alex Popow, Renger van der Zande, and Jack Hawksworth. This is really iffy. Oh no! He has caused the Eltawing, to run off the road! That's big damage, and a huge hit!
Ouch! That, was big. Ker-runch! The track rods at the front, are like pens. They are that thin. Pit action for Prototypes, for both Ganassi Prototypes. Routine stops, for both carss. Will the #10 car pass? #02 was almost out of fuel. Johnny Adam and Max Angelelli had a position swap, and a close moment. Read the situation, and decide what will happen. Mazda is nowleading. Mazda and their diesel motor, led overall, last year, here at Daytona.
Mazda has maximized what they can do. Going back to the pass earlier, Max Angelelli was a position ahead, when he, and Johnny Adam, split a lapped car. GT cars, in the lane, now. The #3 Corvette is in, with Antonio Garcia at the wheel. The #912 Porsche pits, and the M6 BMW's got somewhat crossed up on pit stops for both #25 and #100. John Edwards clipped some pit equipment on his last stop, because of the bigger size of that car. The tension on their fueling rig hose is also suspect, with the gravity fed refueling system.
The campfires and barbecues are beginning to burn, and we will be back to green,
A Corvette passes a GTD Ferrari, and we also watch Giancarlo Fisichella in the #62 Ferrari 488 GTE. No issues with the car, and after the rain on Thursday in practice, this track is very green. The issue with the turbo motor, is that it is hard to fix. They have a ways to go. If they have a turbo issue, it could be game over. This is the first turbocharged Ferrari sports car. We also watch the two SRT Viper's in GT Daytona, as Scott Dixon in P1, flashes by. He is the race leader in the overall right now.
The Aston Martin, is right behind the Viper's. This is the #98 factory Aston Martin of Paul Dalla Lana, sharing with Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda, and Richie Stanaway. Problms for one of the BMW's. This is a flat tire, on the right side, (right rear, actually), on one of the factory BMW's. Not sure which one. He has to get through the Bus Stop. He is now, on the apron. If you go off in the Bus Stop, a full stop if you go off, is not required. It is safer to go straight through. The Z4 that won races last year, it looked like a dinosaur, though. It's a five year old car.
This new M6 is bigger, and more workable. It's a twin turbo, 4.4 liter V8, with turbos on top of the motor, in the cylinder V. The Ferrari F40 was also, turbocharged. So, to correct the stat from earlier, Ferrari has built a turbocharged car before the 488. Stephen Simpson is pitting the #85 car. Meanwhile, Katherine Legge, in the DeltaWing, continues to lead. The #73 GTD Park Place Motorsports Porsche, spun. Norbert Siedler qualified the car. Matt McMurry, is now at the controls. A Porsche is a very different car, compared to a Prototype.
Jordan Taylor is second, two seconds behind Katherine Legge at the moment. Jordan Taylor, came down with mononucleosis. He has a Formula 1 doctor here, and someone, from the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. Tristan Nunez has moved to fourth and Marc Goossens is fifth in the #90 VisitFloridaRacing.com Corvette. On the next pit stop, Katherine Legge, will hand over to one of her team mates, (Andy Meyrick, Sean Rayhall, or Andreas Wirth. Legge, is a great driver, and knows how to wheel a race car.
Scott Dixon pitgted the #02 Ganassi car. Jamie McMurray has taken over the driving chores. Corvette in the lane. The #3 is in. Jan Magnussen hands over to Antonio Garcia. Fuel, tires, and a driver change. The gap is closing between Legge and Jordan Taylor. Katherine Legge, clipped the inside of the corner in turn one, and locks a front brake. The back of the Deltawing does almost all the braking as the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3R, pits. This car, is shared by Mario Farnbacher, Ian James, Alex Riberas, and Wolf Henzler.
James Calado has taken over the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GTE, chases the #4 Corvette of Tommy Milner. SMP had a big wreck, in qualifying, with Viktor Shaytar at the controls. The bodywork looks OK. But, the transmission could have gotten rammed by the rear axle. Katherine Legge, is about ready to pit for fuel, as the fuel light is on, on the dashboard. The #10 Corvette Prototype is in. Max Angelelli takes over the car, from Jordan Taylor, and four tires and fuel are part of the stop.
Pit stop tim too, for the ESM car. #55 has also pitted. Spencer Pigot, will also race with Bobby Rahal in Indycars, for three races. The bodywork might be suspect on the #2, but the piece is not affecting the aerodynamics. Thre is a driver change for Deltawing. They will have to restart the engine. The car has stalled again. Get the jump battery. Not sure who is in the car now. The #4 Corvette makes a quick pit stop, and so does the #62 Ferrari 488 GTE. These cars have nw aerodynamics on the undertray.
Did #72 run over an air hose, in pit lane? Jamie McMurray continues to lead this race, right now. The sun is sinking on the horizon a bit. Joao Barbosa has gotten out of the #5 Action Express Corvette Prototype and Christian Fittipaldi is now driving. Barbosa says there was no damage after his little off track excursion. Jamie McMurry is running 1:41 lap times. Tje second BAR1 Motorsports Prototype Challenge car, is in the pits, with issues. Ryan Eversley, at the controls. They need to serve a penalty, after the stop.
On the driving squad, for #26, are Ryan Lewis, John Falb, Adam Merzon, Don Yount, and, Eversley. Prototype Challenge cars have no traction control, on cold tires. So, they will help rubber in the speedway. PR1 Mathiasen is running well, and they had a great season last year, winning three of four endurance races. Driving on that team, are Robert Alon, Tom Kimber-Smith (a former Le Mans class winner), Nicholas Boulle, and Juan Guttierez. More concerns for the Ford GT. Sebastien Bourdais is having gearbox problems on the #66 car. He will have to limp the car to pit lane for repairs.
They have the speed, and the interest of the fans and the racing community. But, the car is not bulletproof. They are going straight to the garage. The factory Porsche's are running great. Kevin Estre is in the lead factory Porsche in GT Le Mans. He is teamed with Le Mans winner (for Porsche), Nick Tandy, and Patrick Pilet. The sister car is shared by Earl Bamber (also part of last year's Le Mans winning squad), Fredric Makowiecki, and Michael Christensen. Porsche team boss, Morgan Brady, said they have forgotten the issue from last year, where both cars crashed into each other.
Porsche ditched their video of that wreck from last year, especially after winning Le Mans, overall, last summer. If you don't have more horsepower with more downforce, it's not an advantage. IMSA is watching like hawks, for people sandbagging. The lap times, were being manipulated. We watch Bryan Sellers in the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3, AGAINST THE #30 Frikadelli Racing Porsche 911 GT3. #02 pits for Ganasdsi Racing. Four tires and fuel. McMurray will stay in the car, for a double stint.
Dane Cameron in the #31 car, takes over the overall race lead. Cameron needs to have a factory ride, according to his team mate, Simon Pagenaud. Max Angelelli is following in the #10 car. Many people thought the P2 cars would dominate over the Daytona Prototypes. But, that is not the case. This is the last year, for the Daytona Prototype era. More pro drivers are in the DP cars. More gentleman drivers are in the LMP2 machines. The #25 BMW pitted. Bill Auberlen is at the wheel. He shares with Dirk Werner, Augusto Farfus, and Bruno Spengler.
The #66 car is in the garage. It is stuck in reverse, and they could not fix the pneumatic actuator, like they could, with car #67. Dane Cameron is holding off Max Angelelli. We have two cars, that have already gone by the wayside. The #70 Mazda Prototype, and the #21 Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3. Another car, that may or may not be out, is the #45 Flying Lizard Audi R8. Problems for the #88 Prototype Challenge car. The wheel is broken and the suspension is damaged. This is one of the Starworks cars, slamming the far left wall, after he began to fishtail, and slam the wall on the left hand side.
This is Sean Johnston at the wheel, who has run VLN and Blancpain Endurance, as well as IMSA GT3 Cup, sharing with Maro Engel, Mark Kvamme, and Fred Rosenqvist. We watch Max Angelelli dicing with Dane Cameron. Angelelli drives the endurance races, for Wayne Taylor Racing. Wayne and Max have been greatr friends and business associates, for years. The road is cambered away on the outside, while there are transitions on the road. Traffic in the kink. No worries.
Jonathan Bomarito and Andy Meyrick, battle. Meyrick, wants a run, on the new Mazda. Meyrick, takes over the lead. We are just past the 100 lap mark. 106 laps, 377 miles. The sun is setting. Now, Andy Meyrick will have a pit stop, coming soon, for fuel. The team will change all four tires, including the skinny ones, on the front end. Little tiny things, on the pit stop, can hang up a driver. Ooh. Look out, for pit out. Work your way through, onto the road.
As the nighttime closes in, and the temperature cools, it will get even slicker down there. Andy Meyrick is fighting that car. Maybe the clutch on the car, is not disengaging properly. No gradual lead into it. Working past the #9 Stevenson Motorsports Audi. When you are on the jacks, you cannot spin the tires. It's a safety issue. The #16 Change Racing Lamborghini Huracan also is running well. Justin Marks is driving. Marks has driven sports cars, and stock cars in his career. Can Dane Cameron and Eric Curran raise their game to a level to win the championship?
Time will tell. Back to the #16 briefly. Marks is sharing with Spencer Pumpelly, Corey Lewis, and Kaz Grala. The transitions into driving at night are tough. But, you can go fast, without much effort. Watch the brakes glow cherry red, and the flames shoot and spit out the exhaust. It's mesmerizing to see. This will now be an enduro. It's the longest night, of any 24 hour sports car race, throughout the year. Daytona, Nurburgring, Le Mans, Spa, Dubai... you name it. This is the longest run of darkness.
In the #31 car, Johnny Adam, is now at the controls, and he is also an Aston Martin factory driver. In pit lane, the #33 Viper for Riley Motorsports. Marc Miller is at the controls. Tommy Milner is running well, in the factory Corvette. Again, they swept the big enduros last year, winning Le Mans. But, they could possibly do well, in this race yet. Both Taylor brothers will race for Corvette at Le Mans, this year.
The Deltawing, is flying. They are running well, with the reliability they've needed. We are close to total darkness, here at Daytona. Night brings a special beauty, as the cars become pinpricks of bright light. Inescapable noise, like a rising tide. Sam Posey, can capture that image, in his narration. We see the #8 Prototype Challenge machine, of Chris Cumming, stopped in the middle of the road in turn one. Cumming shares with Alex Popow, Renger van der Zande, and Jack Hawksworth. This is really iffy. Oh no! He has caused the Eltawing, to run off the road! That's big damage, and a huge hit!
Ouch! That, was big. Ker-runch! The track rods at the front, are like pens. They are that thin. Pit action for Prototypes, for both Ganassi Prototypes. Routine stops, for both carss. Will the #10 car pass? #02 was almost out of fuel. Johnny Adam and Max Angelelli had a position swap, and a close moment. Read the situation, and decide what will happen. Mazda is nowleading. Mazda and their diesel motor, led overall, last year, here at Daytona.
Mazda has maximized what they can do. Going back to the pass earlier, Max Angelelli was a position ahead, when he, and Johnny Adam, split a lapped car. GT cars, in the lane, now. The #3 Corvette is in, with Antonio Garcia at the wheel. The #912 Porsche pits, and the M6 BMW's got somewhat crossed up on pit stops for both #25 and #100. John Edwards clipped some pit equipment on his last stop, because of the bigger size of that car. The tension on their fueling rig hose is also suspect, with the gravity fed refueling system.
The campfires and barbecues are beginning to burn, and we will be back to green,
Rolex 24 At Daytona: Hour 2
The Lamborghini's are fantastically quick, as we watch the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3, leading GT Daytona. Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow, and Bryce Miller, are among th drivers in this car. Sellers and Snow, are doing the full season. Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan are going to team up with Scuderia Corsa, in the Ferrari 488 GTE with a 458 Italia, here. Now, Stevenson Motorsports, is back, with the #6 Audi R8. Jeroen Bleekemolen is running the #33 SRT Viper GTS-R-. They have more downforce and the electronic gizmos of the GT3 cars. Stephen Simpson, is still going for it, in Prototype Challenge, and we still watch Katherine Legge, in traffic.
Oliver Gavin is now third in GT Le Mans. Joey Hand in the Ford GT is going for it, too. He gets stuck, behind a Porsche. Be patient. Don't knock a dive plane off the car, to foul up the handling. Don't go for a ride into the grass, flying off the road. The chess game continues, between the Prototype machines and the GT Le Mans cars. Ozz Negri floats the car through the Bus Stop. Set up terminal speed, crossing the stripe on the high banks at Daytona. This race, is a sizzler!
Katherine Legge extends her leads to ten seconds over Oswaldo Negri Jr. Tom Kristensen, is a guest, of the Fox Sports commentary team, as Grand Marshal, here at Daytona. Kristensen says that he wants to be remembered after his career, and, he does not want to come back into racing. But, he is a six time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring, and a nine time Le Mans winner. Pit stop time, for the MSR Ligier Honda. Also, for the #10 Chevrolet Corvette Prototype, for Wayne Taylor Racing. Now, the Deltawing is also pitting.
The grip on the car, has dropped off. Shuffle air pressure on the Continent al tires. In the Ganassi pits, Scott Dixon is in the lane, for fuel and tires. Ricky Taylor has now handed over to Jordan Taylor. Jordan Taylor was ill earlier in the week, but feels great now. Rubens Barrichello is also in that car this weekend. Back into the lead now, is Luis Felipe Derani, will the fastest lap time of 1:39.1. Katherine Legge is second. The Deltawing, and the Ligier Honda's are the fastest cars on track at this point.
But, there's a long, long way to go. Tweak and tune on the car. Get a wave by to get a lap back. We see issues for the #01 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost Prototype. Lance Stroll, is at the controls, currently. Jan Magnussen makes a pit stop in the #3 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-. Pit out is the most dangerous corner on this track. That has been a spot where the best of the best have lost control, exiting pit lane. Joey Hand completes a lap in the race lead, and now, pits the Ford GT, which is showing good pace.
Joey Hand stays in the car. The balance of the car has been great. There is a problem at the left rear corner,with a loose brake line. Did a wheel hit the line? They need to fix one of the calipers. The #33 Garage Monkey Riley Dodge Viper GTS-R- is in the lane. Jeroen Bleekemolen, hands it over to one of his co-drivers. Bleekemolen shares with Ben Keating, Dominik Farnbacher, and Marc Miller. Work continues, on the Ford GT. A new car, and you can expect teething problems, in the first race, for a new car, especially in a 24 hour marathon like the Rolex 24.
Pipo Derani leasds overall over Katherine Legge. ESM will race in Europe, but, with Nissan power, instead of Honda power. MSR will run a Ligier chassis at Le Mans. Laurens Vanthoor will be the third driver along with John Pew and Oswaldo Negri Jr. The #93 Viper, will have a penalty, for hitting pit equipment. Katherine Legge is still flying, and there was no need for them, to go out and qualify, because they can come from the back, which they have done.
In GT Le Mans, we now see the #4 Corvette and the BMW M6 GT #100, going for it. John Edwards is driving the #100 car at the moment. They have a new Michelin tire, and the turbo engine, is stout. The BMW M6 is a new design. We have more concerns for the #66 Ford GT. Joey Hand is still at the wheel. But, there's a concern, either with the brakes, or, with power in the motor. He pulls off the banking and has lost drive. It will not fire up. The car does re-fire. But, still, problems.
The leaders come to pit lane. Derani and Legge are in. We see a driver change for the #2, and issues for Katherine Legge. Issues for the #01 of Lance Stroll as well, asking his crew where he needs to be, behind the safety car. Be careful with car placement, for the DeltaWing. Don Panoz ran his coupes and roadsters, many years ago. Prototype cars have been to pit lane, and now, the GT cars, pit. Joey Hand is in the pits. The team is trying to figure out what happened. The engine is missing, and the traction control is engaging all over the race track.
Ryan Briscoe, was having transmission issues, with the upshift, on the car. Scott Dixon continues to lead. Joey Hand has a clutch issue with the Ford GT. The power plant, in the GT is the same, as in the Prototype. But, the wiring is different. The Ferrari 488 GTE is also a brand new race car. We look for the green flag again, and Prototype Challenge machines are ahead of the leaders. Jordan Taylor swings wide around the outside. He's going for it.
Action Express is off the road with Joao Barbosa, sliding on the wet grass, and ker-rash, into the tires! Cold tires, wet grass, no grip, sand, and... off the road you go. But, more worries. Problems for the #60 and #2. Johannes van Overbeek is in the #2 and John Pew, is now in car #60. John Pew slams into Van Overbeek. Ker-runch. Lock the brakes, cut to the outside, and you have no place to go, with no tire pressure, and a stac up of the field. The #16 Change Racing Lamborghini Huracan, gets a penalty for improper wave by under the safety car, because they gained too many spots. Two minutes, in the sin bin.
They split cars eligible for as wave by on the right, and not those on the left. You have to know if you are eligible. Carbon fiber is stout stuff, but, it is breakable, and very sharp. The right rear brake might have locked on the #5 Corvette Prototype. The new Audi R8's are running well, for Stevenson Motorsport, and also Magnus Racing. The #66 car is back up to speed, finally. They'll keep going. Keep on truckin'. In a 24 hour race, that is what you have to do.
Oliver Gavin is now third in GT Le Mans. Joey Hand in the Ford GT is going for it, too. He gets stuck, behind a Porsche. Be patient. Don't knock a dive plane off the car, to foul up the handling. Don't go for a ride into the grass, flying off the road. The chess game continues, between the Prototype machines and the GT Le Mans cars. Ozz Negri floats the car through the Bus Stop. Set up terminal speed, crossing the stripe on the high banks at Daytona. This race, is a sizzler!
Katherine Legge extends her leads to ten seconds over Oswaldo Negri Jr. Tom Kristensen, is a guest, of the Fox Sports commentary team, as Grand Marshal, here at Daytona. Kristensen says that he wants to be remembered after his career, and, he does not want to come back into racing. But, he is a six time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring, and a nine time Le Mans winner. Pit stop time, for the MSR Ligier Honda. Also, for the #10 Chevrolet Corvette Prototype, for Wayne Taylor Racing. Now, the Deltawing is also pitting.
The grip on the car, has dropped off. Shuffle air pressure on the Continent al tires. In the Ganassi pits, Scott Dixon is in the lane, for fuel and tires. Ricky Taylor has now handed over to Jordan Taylor. Jordan Taylor was ill earlier in the week, but feels great now. Rubens Barrichello is also in that car this weekend. Back into the lead now, is Luis Felipe Derani, will the fastest lap time of 1:39.1. Katherine Legge is second. The Deltawing, and the Ligier Honda's are the fastest cars on track at this point.
But, there's a long, long way to go. Tweak and tune on the car. Get a wave by to get a lap back. We see issues for the #01 Ganassi Racing Riley Ford EcoBoost Prototype. Lance Stroll, is at the controls, currently. Jan Magnussen makes a pit stop in the #3 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-. Pit out is the most dangerous corner on this track. That has been a spot where the best of the best have lost control, exiting pit lane. Joey Hand completes a lap in the race lead, and now, pits the Ford GT, which is showing good pace.
Joey Hand stays in the car. The balance of the car has been great. There is a problem at the left rear corner,with a loose brake line. Did a wheel hit the line? They need to fix one of the calipers. The #33 Garage Monkey Riley Dodge Viper GTS-R- is in the lane. Jeroen Bleekemolen, hands it over to one of his co-drivers. Bleekemolen shares with Ben Keating, Dominik Farnbacher, and Marc Miller. Work continues, on the Ford GT. A new car, and you can expect teething problems, in the first race, for a new car, especially in a 24 hour marathon like the Rolex 24.
Pipo Derani leasds overall over Katherine Legge. ESM will race in Europe, but, with Nissan power, instead of Honda power. MSR will run a Ligier chassis at Le Mans. Laurens Vanthoor will be the third driver along with John Pew and Oswaldo Negri Jr. The #93 Viper, will have a penalty, for hitting pit equipment. Katherine Legge is still flying, and there was no need for them, to go out and qualify, because they can come from the back, which they have done.
In GT Le Mans, we now see the #4 Corvette and the BMW M6 GT #100, going for it. John Edwards is driving the #100 car at the moment. They have a new Michelin tire, and the turbo engine, is stout. The BMW M6 is a new design. We have more concerns for the #66 Ford GT. Joey Hand is still at the wheel. But, there's a concern, either with the brakes, or, with power in the motor. He pulls off the banking and has lost drive. It will not fire up. The car does re-fire. But, still, problems.
The leaders come to pit lane. Derani and Legge are in. We see a driver change for the #2, and issues for Katherine Legge. Issues for the #01 of Lance Stroll as well, asking his crew where he needs to be, behind the safety car. Be careful with car placement, for the DeltaWing. Don Panoz ran his coupes and roadsters, many years ago. Prototype cars have been to pit lane, and now, the GT cars, pit. Joey Hand is in the pits. The team is trying to figure out what happened. The engine is missing, and the traction control is engaging all over the race track.
Ryan Briscoe, was having transmission issues, with the upshift, on the car. Scott Dixon continues to lead. Joey Hand has a clutch issue with the Ford GT. The power plant, in the GT is the same, as in the Prototype. But, the wiring is different. The Ferrari 488 GTE is also a brand new race car. We look for the green flag again, and Prototype Challenge machines are ahead of the leaders. Jordan Taylor swings wide around the outside. He's going for it.
Action Express is off the road with Joao Barbosa, sliding on the wet grass, and ker-rash, into the tires! Cold tires, wet grass, no grip, sand, and... off the road you go. But, more worries. Problems for the #60 and #2. Johannes van Overbeek is in the #2 and John Pew, is now in car #60. John Pew slams into Van Overbeek. Ker-runch. Lock the brakes, cut to the outside, and you have no place to go, with no tire pressure, and a stac up of the field. The #16 Change Racing Lamborghini Huracan, gets a penalty for improper wave by under the safety car, because they gained too many spots. Two minutes, in the sin bin.
They split cars eligible for as wave by on the right, and not those on the left. You have to know if you are eligible. Carbon fiber is stout stuff, but, it is breakable, and very sharp. The right rear brake might have locked on the #5 Corvette Prototype. The new Audi R8's are running well, for Stevenson Motorsport, and also Magnus Racing. The #66 car is back up to speed, finally. They'll keep going. Keep on truckin'. In a 24 hour race, that is what you have to do.
Rolex 24 at Daytona: Hour 1
It's a new era, in IMSA racing. This is the final year, of the current Daytona Prototype regulations, before the new DPi (Daytona Prototype, International) regs, come into play, next year, along with new LMP2 cars. The GT Daytona class, has also gone to full on European GT3 spec cars. You want numerology, you've got it, fans. 54 cars, will start, the 54th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the 24 Hour odyssey, begins, now.
We aspire to be better, in a new year. For racing drivers, that is no different. Daytona International Speedway,has been re-imagined, into the world's first motorsports stadium. An array of stars have come, to race sports cars, for 24 hours. This is the ultimate test. Those who have met the challenge, are legends. This is one of the world's greatest races. Who will win the Rolex watch, this year? We'll find out together... next!
They come from every disipline of racing, like sports cars, Indycars, NASCAR, and others. 215 drivers, in 54 cars, for 24 hours. $400 million has been put into renovating Daytona International Speedway. Watch thenew Ford GT's, and the new GT Daytona GT3 spec cars. WeatherTech is now the series' title sponsor. Cool January breezes blow, as we prepare, for this legendary race. You never know what will happen.
SMP Racing, has pole, with Patron ESM. Rubens Barrichello will be a part of Wayne Taylor Racing. Ganassi Racing has their Prototype duo at the top of the grid. There's a theme of change and uncertainty. There are lots of unknowns with the weather, because of rain earlier. Nissan, Mazda, and Honda, will be the major players here. The wild card, is the Deltawing. The Deltawing, was fastest in class.
In GT Le Mans, Porsche and Corvette are the tried and true cars. Ferrari has their new Ford GT, the new BMW M6 GT, and the new Ferrari 488 GTE. The new GT Daytona cars, are all GT3 spec. Look at the Lamborghini. That is one of the new cars. People are going for records, including Scott Pruett. The polesitting car, is the new, #37 SMP Racing BR01 Nissan, shared by Russian drivers Mikhail Aleshin, and Kiril Ladygin, along with Italian Maurizio Mediani, and French veteran, Nicolas Minassian.
Our Grand Marshal, is nine-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Tom Kristensen. The engines, have fired. 54 race cars, come to life, to race the Rolex 24. 26,000-27,000 gear shifts, throughout this race. We are ready, to get this show, underway, ladies and gentlemen. The field is on their second pace lap. Find a new rhythm, with the new cars. Deal with the unknown. Focus, for 24 hours, and you always need luck at a 24 hour race.
We're ready for a start. Mikhail Aleshin is alongside Pepe Derani. Two rookies. Here we go. Go! We are green at Daytona! Aleshin stays low, and Dane Cameron moves back. Pepe Derani takes the race lead and here comes Ozz Negri in the Ligier Honda. The GTLM field gets a race start along with the GT Daytona cars. John Edwards in the #100 BMW M6 leads the way. The Ganassi Riley Ford's are going for it, and we watch both of the Ganassi cars going for it. Scott Dixon, vs. two-time Le Mans winner, Alex Wurz.
Dane Cameron is drafting Alex Wurz. #31 got faster and faster, winning races, last year. Nick Tandy and Frederic Makowiecki are 1-2 in GT Le Mans with the factory Porsche's. BMW runs third and fourth with the new M6 cars. The Ford GT's are also going for it. An SMP Ferrari 488 GTE is also in contention. Joey Hand, and Ryan Briscoe, start the two Ford GT's. Gianmaria Bruni drives the Ferrari. We watch Ricky Taylor going after Mikhail Aleshin.
Conditions were like a monsoon, during qualifying. Ricky Taylor, is second, in the Wayne Taylor Racing Chevrolet Corvette Prototype, car #10. The P2 spec cars, have more downforce. In GT Daytona, the two Riley Technologies SRT Viper's are going for it. Damien Faulkner, and Jeroean Bleekemolen, are going for it. The Lamborghini Huracan GT3 is leading GTD, with Marc Basseng, at the wheel.
Great to have Franz Konrad's teams, back in the U.S. We see Porsche's also coming to the fore. Frikadelli Racing has Sven Muller at the wheel. Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler, are back this year, in a Lamborghini. Richard Antinucci, and Edoardo Piscopo, share the car, and won the Lamborghinio Super Trofeo series, last year. This is O'Gara Motorsports. Pepe Derani still leads, while Oswaldo Negri Jr., is chasing him. The LMP2 spec cars, are into the 1:41 range. The LMP2's are quicker, this time, than the Daytona Prototype spec cars.
Ozz Negri moves into traffic, and tries the inside. Derani shuts the door. These two cars, are Honda powered, with new engines. 3.5 liter V6's this year, compared to 2.8 liter engines last year. Six laps have been completed. Follow the race on TV on Fox Sports 1 & 2, and timing and scoring, on scoring.imsa.com. Nick Tandy leads GTLM over team mate Fred Makowiecki. On the move, is Joey Hand in the #66 Ford GT. Corvette, BMW, and Ford. Cover these boys, with a blanket.
The test, three weeks ago, does not show the true hands of the drivers, teams, and cars. Now, we see a real race. In GTLM, there is a trick new Bosch scrutineer log system. Toni Vilander is feeling the heat, and so is Ryan Briscoe over Jan Magnussen. These blokes were team mates last year, but, now, they are competitors. Ooh! Problem with the Ford for Ryan Briscoe! The cars has been really reliable. Did he lose a lower gear in the transmission? Oooh. Jan Magnussen expects Briscoe to get up to speed. But, that was a close call!
Because the car is so reliable in testing, if something goes wrong, how do you fix it? Pit this lap. Has the rest button been pushed? Luis Felipe Derani is still leading. His nickname, is "Pipo". Ford GT, is in the lane, chaps. The car is stuck in sixth gear. The last thing you want, is electrical issues, in a 24 hour race. This is the #67 car. This is luck, pure and simple. The Deltawing, is flying, with Katherine Legge at the wheel. They chose not to qualify and started last in Prototype. But, she is running consistent laps at 1:39 and change, just like the Honda powered cars.
It does everyything that stays on the tin, and that describes, the Deltawing, passing one of the GTD Viper's. The #90 and #55 cars have changed things, and the sister Mazda with a petrol engine, has oil pressure problems, with Tom Long, at the wheel. He got off the corner, and lost traction, and the motor, almost collecting Joao Barbosa. Ah. The transmission has packed up on the Mazda #70. Oil pressure, in the gearbox. We are 20 minutes into the race, and under our first full course yellow.
No pit stops yet. Stephen Simpson, leads Prototype Challenge now. Oliver Gavin is third in GT Le Mans, as both Riley Ford EcoBoost Prototype's are pitting. Prototype Challenge, sees Stephen Simpson, leadin in class, in the #85 car he shares with Chris Miller, Mikhail Goikhberg, and Kenton Koch. Pits have opened now, for GT cars. #911 and #912 are both in the pits and so is the #63 Ferrari 488 GTE. These are somefast, busy stops. Major issues for the #67 Ford GT. Someone had a wheel come off.
It was from the #100 BMW M6 GT. The driver could have clipped the tire as a Lamborghini goes back on track. Are these blokes throwing caution to the wind? It could be. #67 is in the garage, while Joey Hand in the #66 is going well. Pepe Derani still leads. Once he gets a wave around, he's going to be able to go ahead and go for it. He is lighter, and if the tires are in good shape, he's going to fly. Here we go. We're back to green!
Prototypes are bearing down on Ricky Taylor, and Katherine Legge is pushing hard! Jordan Taylor is not feeling well. How much driving will he do? Car #85 of JDC Miller Racing, might have a problem, with Stephen Simpson at the controls. Tom Kimber-Smith, and Johnny Mowlem, are right behind. Mowlem scored pole in Prototype Challenge. Oswaldo Negri Jr. is now second. Two LMP2 spec cars, are ahead of the Daytona Prototype spec cars. Nick Tandy vs. Joey Hand, in the GT Le Mans class.
The #72 SMP Ferrari 488 GTE has Gianmaria Bruni at the controls. Bruni, is a monster of a driver, and can go for it. Hand and Bruni, have some bad blood, going back to the 2012 Sebring 12 Hours in the old American le Mans Series days. Joey Hand is pushing Tandy. Jan Magnussen is also in this fight. Porsche, Ford, Ferrari, Corvette. Awesome! Hand pops out high, and he leads GT Le Mans! They go by the GT Daytona Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3. Frederic Makowiecki is also getting on with it.
The driver lineups in these cars, are amazing. It's a dozen cars, in GTLM, that can win. The rules package is working great. Get into a rhythm. The GT Daytona cars, have ABS. So, they can brake super late into the braking zones. The aerodynamics are also much better. The GT classes this year, blokes, are spot on. Hand gets boxed in, and Tandy goes back to the front. Tandy goes outside the #007 Aston Martin. No dice. Tandy is back in the GTLM lead. It's cooking right now, folks.
We continue to watch Pepe Dernai, who has yet to pit. Now, Oswaldo Negri Jr. and Katherine Legge, are tussling with each other, and that Deltawing, is flying! It has less downforce, but cuts through th field like a hot knife through butter. Legge, is booking it, because of the low downforce on the front. Gianmaria Brunni, Joey Hand, and Jan Magnussen, are all going for it. Magnussen realizes discretion is the better part of valor. Joey Hand has to check up! Amazing.
Multi-class sports car racing, is high speed chess. Oliver Gavin tries Jan Magnussen, and is going for it. In GT Le Mans, everyone said the competition would be hot, and it is. Townsend Bell passes his fellow Lamborghini Huracan driven by Marc Basseng. Giammaria Bruni, is pushing. Toni Vilander, the Flying Finn, will be a full-time driver for Risi Competizione. The #67 Ford GT had an issue with the gar shifting mechanism, in the transmission. But, they'll be back out soon, for an extended test session.
Knowledge is golden. Toni Vilander sweeps inside Fred Makowiecki. #67 is back on track now, and, into the pit lane, is Pepe Derani. Fuel and tires only, for Derani. Refuel and change tires at the same time. This is not allowed in Europe. Meanwhile, Katherine Legge and the Deltawing, are leading! Mazda is trying to sort out teething issues with their new petrol powered cars. #70 is in the pits right now, while #55 is on track. #55 is shared by Jonathan Bomarito, Tristan Nunez, and Spencer Pigot. This day, 96 years ago, is when Mazda came into existence, back in 1920.
Dane Cameron and Scott Dixon are hounding each other. Dix tries, but Dane Cameron is fending him off. It's GM vs. Ford, as we also have Ricky Taylor and Joao Barbosa, running well. Scott Dixon is one of the world's best drivers, and Dane Cameron, is a future superstar. Joao Barbosa is no slouch either. Scott Pruett, is now, in the Action Express car. Pruett is not with CGR. But, he is with a top notch team that has won the Rolex 24 a couple times before. The #100 BMW M6 GT was held in pit lane, but is back in the race.
We aspire to be better, in a new year. For racing drivers, that is no different. Daytona International Speedway,has been re-imagined, into the world's first motorsports stadium. An array of stars have come, to race sports cars, for 24 hours. This is the ultimate test. Those who have met the challenge, are legends. This is one of the world's greatest races. Who will win the Rolex watch, this year? We'll find out together... next!
They come from every disipline of racing, like sports cars, Indycars, NASCAR, and others. 215 drivers, in 54 cars, for 24 hours. $400 million has been put into renovating Daytona International Speedway. Watch thenew Ford GT's, and the new GT Daytona GT3 spec cars. WeatherTech is now the series' title sponsor. Cool January breezes blow, as we prepare, for this legendary race. You never know what will happen.
SMP Racing, has pole, with Patron ESM. Rubens Barrichello will be a part of Wayne Taylor Racing. Ganassi Racing has their Prototype duo at the top of the grid. There's a theme of change and uncertainty. There are lots of unknowns with the weather, because of rain earlier. Nissan, Mazda, and Honda, will be the major players here. The wild card, is the Deltawing. The Deltawing, was fastest in class.
In GT Le Mans, Porsche and Corvette are the tried and true cars. Ferrari has their new Ford GT, the new BMW M6 GT, and the new Ferrari 488 GTE. The new GT Daytona cars, are all GT3 spec. Look at the Lamborghini. That is one of the new cars. People are going for records, including Scott Pruett. The polesitting car, is the new, #37 SMP Racing BR01 Nissan, shared by Russian drivers Mikhail Aleshin, and Kiril Ladygin, along with Italian Maurizio Mediani, and French veteran, Nicolas Minassian.
Our Grand Marshal, is nine-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Tom Kristensen. The engines, have fired. 54 race cars, come to life, to race the Rolex 24. 26,000-27,000 gear shifts, throughout this race. We are ready, to get this show, underway, ladies and gentlemen. The field is on their second pace lap. Find a new rhythm, with the new cars. Deal with the unknown. Focus, for 24 hours, and you always need luck at a 24 hour race.
We're ready for a start. Mikhail Aleshin is alongside Pepe Derani. Two rookies. Here we go. Go! We are green at Daytona! Aleshin stays low, and Dane Cameron moves back. Pepe Derani takes the race lead and here comes Ozz Negri in the Ligier Honda. The GTLM field gets a race start along with the GT Daytona cars. John Edwards in the #100 BMW M6 leads the way. The Ganassi Riley Ford's are going for it, and we watch both of the Ganassi cars going for it. Scott Dixon, vs. two-time Le Mans winner, Alex Wurz.
Dane Cameron is drafting Alex Wurz. #31 got faster and faster, winning races, last year. Nick Tandy and Frederic Makowiecki are 1-2 in GT Le Mans with the factory Porsche's. BMW runs third and fourth with the new M6 cars. The Ford GT's are also going for it. An SMP Ferrari 488 GTE is also in contention. Joey Hand, and Ryan Briscoe, start the two Ford GT's. Gianmaria Bruni drives the Ferrari. We watch Ricky Taylor going after Mikhail Aleshin.
Conditions were like a monsoon, during qualifying. Ricky Taylor, is second, in the Wayne Taylor Racing Chevrolet Corvette Prototype, car #10. The P2 spec cars, have more downforce. In GT Daytona, the two Riley Technologies SRT Viper's are going for it. Damien Faulkner, and Jeroean Bleekemolen, are going for it. The Lamborghini Huracan GT3 is leading GTD, with Marc Basseng, at the wheel.
Great to have Franz Konrad's teams, back in the U.S. We see Porsche's also coming to the fore. Frikadelli Racing has Sven Muller at the wheel. Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler, are back this year, in a Lamborghini. Richard Antinucci, and Edoardo Piscopo, share the car, and won the Lamborghinio Super Trofeo series, last year. This is O'Gara Motorsports. Pepe Derani still leads, while Oswaldo Negri Jr., is chasing him. The LMP2 spec cars, are into the 1:41 range. The LMP2's are quicker, this time, than the Daytona Prototype spec cars.
Ozz Negri moves into traffic, and tries the inside. Derani shuts the door. These two cars, are Honda powered, with new engines. 3.5 liter V6's this year, compared to 2.8 liter engines last year. Six laps have been completed. Follow the race on TV on Fox Sports 1 & 2, and timing and scoring, on scoring.imsa.com. Nick Tandy leads GTLM over team mate Fred Makowiecki. On the move, is Joey Hand in the #66 Ford GT. Corvette, BMW, and Ford. Cover these boys, with a blanket.
The test, three weeks ago, does not show the true hands of the drivers, teams, and cars. Now, we see a real race. In GTLM, there is a trick new Bosch scrutineer log system. Toni Vilander is feeling the heat, and so is Ryan Briscoe over Jan Magnussen. These blokes were team mates last year, but, now, they are competitors. Ooh! Problem with the Ford for Ryan Briscoe! The cars has been really reliable. Did he lose a lower gear in the transmission? Oooh. Jan Magnussen expects Briscoe to get up to speed. But, that was a close call!
Because the car is so reliable in testing, if something goes wrong, how do you fix it? Pit this lap. Has the rest button been pushed? Luis Felipe Derani is still leading. His nickname, is "Pipo". Ford GT, is in the lane, chaps. The car is stuck in sixth gear. The last thing you want, is electrical issues, in a 24 hour race. This is the #67 car. This is luck, pure and simple. The Deltawing, is flying, with Katherine Legge at the wheel. They chose not to qualify and started last in Prototype. But, she is running consistent laps at 1:39 and change, just like the Honda powered cars.
It does everyything that stays on the tin, and that describes, the Deltawing, passing one of the GTD Viper's. The #90 and #55 cars have changed things, and the sister Mazda with a petrol engine, has oil pressure problems, with Tom Long, at the wheel. He got off the corner, and lost traction, and the motor, almost collecting Joao Barbosa. Ah. The transmission has packed up on the Mazda #70. Oil pressure, in the gearbox. We are 20 minutes into the race, and under our first full course yellow.
No pit stops yet. Stephen Simpson, leads Prototype Challenge now. Oliver Gavin is third in GT Le Mans, as both Riley Ford EcoBoost Prototype's are pitting. Prototype Challenge, sees Stephen Simpson, leadin in class, in the #85 car he shares with Chris Miller, Mikhail Goikhberg, and Kenton Koch. Pits have opened now, for GT cars. #911 and #912 are both in the pits and so is the #63 Ferrari 488 GTE. These are somefast, busy stops. Major issues for the #67 Ford GT. Someone had a wheel come off.
It was from the #100 BMW M6 GT. The driver could have clipped the tire as a Lamborghini goes back on track. Are these blokes throwing caution to the wind? It could be. #67 is in the garage, while Joey Hand in the #66 is going well. Pepe Derani still leads. Once he gets a wave around, he's going to be able to go ahead and go for it. He is lighter, and if the tires are in good shape, he's going to fly. Here we go. We're back to green!
Prototypes are bearing down on Ricky Taylor, and Katherine Legge is pushing hard! Jordan Taylor is not feeling well. How much driving will he do? Car #85 of JDC Miller Racing, might have a problem, with Stephen Simpson at the controls. Tom Kimber-Smith, and Johnny Mowlem, are right behind. Mowlem scored pole in Prototype Challenge. Oswaldo Negri Jr. is now second. Two LMP2 spec cars, are ahead of the Daytona Prototype spec cars. Nick Tandy vs. Joey Hand, in the GT Le Mans class.
The #72 SMP Ferrari 488 GTE has Gianmaria Bruni at the controls. Bruni, is a monster of a driver, and can go for it. Hand and Bruni, have some bad blood, going back to the 2012 Sebring 12 Hours in the old American le Mans Series days. Joey Hand is pushing Tandy. Jan Magnussen is also in this fight. Porsche, Ford, Ferrari, Corvette. Awesome! Hand pops out high, and he leads GT Le Mans! They go by the GT Daytona Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3. Frederic Makowiecki is also getting on with it.
The driver lineups in these cars, are amazing. It's a dozen cars, in GTLM, that can win. The rules package is working great. Get into a rhythm. The GT Daytona cars, have ABS. So, they can brake super late into the braking zones. The aerodynamics are also much better. The GT classes this year, blokes, are spot on. Hand gets boxed in, and Tandy goes back to the front. Tandy goes outside the #007 Aston Martin. No dice. Tandy is back in the GTLM lead. It's cooking right now, folks.
We continue to watch Pepe Dernai, who has yet to pit. Now, Oswaldo Negri Jr. and Katherine Legge, are tussling with each other, and that Deltawing, is flying! It has less downforce, but cuts through th field like a hot knife through butter. Legge, is booking it, because of the low downforce on the front. Gianmaria Brunni, Joey Hand, and Jan Magnussen, are all going for it. Magnussen realizes discretion is the better part of valor. Joey Hand has to check up! Amazing.
Multi-class sports car racing, is high speed chess. Oliver Gavin tries Jan Magnussen, and is going for it. In GT Le Mans, everyone said the competition would be hot, and it is. Townsend Bell passes his fellow Lamborghini Huracan driven by Marc Basseng. Giammaria Bruni, is pushing. Toni Vilander, the Flying Finn, will be a full-time driver for Risi Competizione. The #67 Ford GT had an issue with the gar shifting mechanism, in the transmission. But, they'll be back out soon, for an extended test session.
Knowledge is golden. Toni Vilander sweeps inside Fred Makowiecki. #67 is back on track now, and, into the pit lane, is Pepe Derani. Fuel and tires only, for Derani. Refuel and change tires at the same time. This is not allowed in Europe. Meanwhile, Katherine Legge and the Deltawing, are leading! Mazda is trying to sort out teething issues with their new petrol powered cars. #70 is in the pits right now, while #55 is on track. #55 is shared by Jonathan Bomarito, Tristan Nunez, and Spencer Pigot. This day, 96 years ago, is when Mazda came into existence, back in 1920.
Dane Cameron and Scott Dixon are hounding each other. Dix tries, but Dane Cameron is fending him off. It's GM vs. Ford, as we also have Ricky Taylor and Joao Barbosa, running well. Scott Dixon is one of the world's best drivers, and Dane Cameron, is a future superstar. Joao Barbosa is no slouch either. Scott Pruett, is now, in the Action Express car. Pruett is not with CGR. But, he is with a top notch team that has won the Rolex 24 a couple times before. The #100 BMW M6 GT was held in pit lane, but is back in the race.
Every Single GT Team Was Busted For 'Underperforming' Before The 24 Hours of Daytona
Step it up, for the race in a half hour, everyone. Deary me!
http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/every-single-gt-team-was-busted-for-underperforming-bef-1755891222
http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/every-single-gt-team-was-busted-for-underperforming-bef-1755891222
Rolex 24 pre-race news
Let's get caught up, before the race starts, in just a few hours, on the pre-race Rolex 24 headlines.
Karam Confirmed in F Performance Racing Lexus GTD Effort
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/karam-confirms-lexus-drive-with-f-performance-racing/
AUDIO: Daytona Pre-Race Soundbytes
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/audio-daytona-pre-race-soundbites-2/
Daytona Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/daytona-friday-notebook-3/
Report: Bentley Set To Begin Testing for Possible DPi Program
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/report-bentley-set-to-begin-testing-for-dpi-program/
GTLM's New Era Kicks Off at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gtlms-new-era-kicks-off-at-daytona/
Drivers, Teams Reflect on the End of the DP Era at Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/drivers-teams-reflect-on-the-end-of-the-dp-era-at-rolex-24/
VIDEO: Change Racing Rebuild Time-Lapse
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-change-racing-rebuild-time-lapse/
Karam Confirmed in F Performance Racing Lexus GTD Effort
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/karam-confirms-lexus-drive-with-f-performance-racing/
AUDIO: Daytona Pre-Race Soundbytes
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/audio-daytona-pre-race-soundbites-2/
Daytona Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/daytona-friday-notebook-3/
Report: Bentley Set To Begin Testing for Possible DPi Program
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/report-bentley-set-to-begin-testing-for-dpi-program/
GTLM's New Era Kicks Off at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gtlms-new-era-kicks-off-at-daytona/
Drivers, Teams Reflect on the End of the DP Era at Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/drivers-teams-reflect-on-the-end-of-the-dp-era-at-rolex-24/
VIDEO: Change Racing Rebuild Time-Lapse
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-change-racing-rebuild-time-lapse/
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Aleshin Puts SMP Racing BR01 on Prototype Pole at Daytona
Another surprise. SMP Racing, is on the Prototype pole, for the Rolex 24.
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/aleshin-puts-smp-racing-br01-on-prototype-pole-at-daytona/
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/aleshin-puts-smp-racing-br01-on-prototype-pole-at-daytona/
Bourdais, Ford GT Lead Wet Second Practice Overall at Daytona
Sebastien Bourdais, and the factory Ford GT team, led second practice for the Rolex 24.
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/bourdais-ford-gt-lead-wet-second-practice-at-daytona/
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/bourdais-ford-gt-lead-wet-second-practice-at-daytona/
Tandy Sets Rolex 24 Qualifying Pace as Prototypes Struggle
Whoa! GTLM cars are outpacing Prototypes, in Rolex 24 qualifying.
http://worldsportscar.co.uk/2016/01/tandy-sets-rolex-24-qualifying-pace-as-prototypes-struggle/
...and
Porsche Quickest Overall in Qualifying at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/porsche-quickest-in-gtlm-gtd-qualifying-at-daytona/
http://worldsportscar.co.uk/2016/01/tandy-sets-rolex-24-qualifying-pace-as-prototypes-struggle/
...and
Porsche Quickest Overall in Qualifying at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/porsche-quickest-in-gtlm-gtd-qualifying-at-daytona/
More IMSA news headed into the Rolex 24
More IMSA news, with the Rolex 24 looming, in a couple days. First practice, has just gotten underway.
Daytona Wednesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/daytona-wednesday-notebook-3/
Daytona Spotter Guide Now Available
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/daytona-spotter-guide-now-available/
IMSA Introduces New Balance of Performance Process
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-debuts-new-balance-of-performance-process/
Q&A With WeatherTech Championship Manager, Geoff Carter
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/qa-with-weathertech-championship-manager-geoff-carter/
Negri Leads Wet First Practice at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/negri-leads-wet-first-practice-at-daytona/
Marquardt (BMW): "Everything is Always On Our Radar"
http://sportscar365.com/gt/marquardt-bmw-everything-is-always-on-our-radar/
Daytona Wednesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/daytona-wednesday-notebook-3/
Daytona Spotter Guide Now Available
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/daytona-spotter-guide-now-available/
IMSA Introduces New Balance of Performance Process
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-debuts-new-balance-of-performance-process/
Q&A With WeatherTech Championship Manager, Geoff Carter
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/qa-with-weathertech-championship-manager-geoff-carter/
Negri Leads Wet First Practice at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/negri-leads-wet-first-practice-at-daytona/
Marquardt (BMW): "Everything is Always On Our Radar"
http://sportscar365.com/gt/marquardt-bmw-everything-is-always-on-our-radar/
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
PRUETT: Building The Ford GT Team
Racer magazine's Marshall Pruett, looks at how the new factory Ford GT team, was formed, in yet another post on this blog, for today.
http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/125561-pruett-building-the-ford-gt-team?showall
http://www.racer.com/more/viewpoints/item/125561-pruett-building-the-ford-gt-team?showall
Rubens Barrichello joins a top team for Rolex 24
Formula 1 veteran Rubens Barrichello, will be part of a top flight squad for the Rolex 24, joining Wayne Taylor Racing and their Corvette Prototype team.
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/rolex-24-daytona-rubens-barrichello-wayne-taylor-racing-012616
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/rolex-24-daytona-rubens-barrichello-wayne-taylor-racing-012616
Daytona 'comeback' just a one-off, says Wurz
Bonus post for this Wednesday. Alexander Wurz, insists, that his "comeback" at this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona, driving for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing in one of their two Prototype racers, is only a one-off appearance.
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/daytona-comeback-just-a-one-off-says-wurz-012716
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/daytona-comeback-just-a-one-off-says-wurz-012716
More IMSA news headed into the Rolex 24
More news from the world of sports car racing, looking ahead to the 24 Hours of Daytona, this weekend.
Abbelen (Frikadelli): "Daytona Was a Dream I Had 15 Years Ago"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/abbelen-frikadelli-daytona-was-a-dream-i-had-15-years-ago/
PHOTOS: Gas Monkey Garage Dodge Viper GT3-R
http://sportscar365.com/features/photography/photos-gas-monkey-garage-viper-gt3-r-gallery/
Inside the BMW M6 GTLM
http://sportscar365.com/industry/inside-the-bmw-m6-gtlm/
Adam: "To Do Daytona with the Championship Team is Mega"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/adam-to-do-this-with-the-championship-winning-team-is-mega/
VIDEO: Ford GT Set for Global Debut at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-ford-gt-set-for-competition-debut-at-daytona/
Michelin GTLM Insider: Ford GT Ready to Dance
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/michelin-gtlm-insider-ford-gt-ready-to-dance/
Mazda's New Hopes Channel Some Old Friends
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mazdas-new-hopes-channel-some-old-friends/
VIDEO: Audi R8 V10 Plus at Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-audi-r8-v10-plus-at-rolex-24/
Scuderia Corsa Set for Several Pronged Ferrari Attack in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/scuderia-corsa-set-for-several-pronged-ferrari-attack-in-2016/
Barrichello Added to Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP for Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/barrichello-added-to-wayne-taylor-racing-corvette-dp-for-rolex-24/
Alkamel Systems Joins IMSA as Timing & Scoring Partner
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/alkamel-systems-joins-imsa-as-timing-scoring-partner/
Daytona Tuesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/daytona-tuesday-notebook-2/
VIDEO: Magnus Racing "Pieces It Together" for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-magnus-racing-pieces-it-together-for-2016/
Abbelen (Frikadelli): "Daytona Was a Dream I Had 15 Years Ago"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/abbelen-frikadelli-daytona-was-a-dream-i-had-15-years-ago/
PHOTOS: Gas Monkey Garage Dodge Viper GT3-R
http://sportscar365.com/features/photography/photos-gas-monkey-garage-viper-gt3-r-gallery/
Inside the BMW M6 GTLM
http://sportscar365.com/industry/inside-the-bmw-m6-gtlm/
Adam: "To Do Daytona with the Championship Team is Mega"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/adam-to-do-this-with-the-championship-winning-team-is-mega/
VIDEO: Ford GT Set for Global Debut at Daytona
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-ford-gt-set-for-competition-debut-at-daytona/
Michelin GTLM Insider: Ford GT Ready to Dance
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/michelin-gtlm-insider-ford-gt-ready-to-dance/
Mazda's New Hopes Channel Some Old Friends
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mazdas-new-hopes-channel-some-old-friends/
VIDEO: Audi R8 V10 Plus at Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-audi-r8-v10-plus-at-rolex-24/
Scuderia Corsa Set for Several Pronged Ferrari Attack in 2016
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/scuderia-corsa-set-for-several-pronged-ferrari-attack-in-2016/
Barrichello Added to Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP for Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/barrichello-added-to-wayne-taylor-racing-corvette-dp-for-rolex-24/
Alkamel Systems Joins IMSA as Timing & Scoring Partner
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/alkamel-systems-joins-imsa-as-timing-scoring-partner/
Daytona Tuesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/daytona-tuesday-notebook-2/
VIDEO: Magnus Racing "Pieces It Together" for 2016
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-magnus-racing-pieces-it-together-for-2016/
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Film: 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans
Great film, from brakes manufacturer, Ferodo, documenting the awesome Ford GT40's at the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Monday, January 25, 2016
1991 24 Hours of Daytona
A feature, from Top Gear, in England, on the 1991 24 Hours of Daytona, following the factory Jaguar team. Check this out.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Rolex 24: 'Meatball' team gears up for first race outside of the 'Ring
A team profile of Frikadelli Racing, competing in their first sports car race in the United States, at the Rolex 24 at Daytona next weekend, and who have been competing in races at the legendary Nurburgring, for a long time.
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/rolex-daytona-24-sabine-schmitz-frikadelli-team-012316
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/rolex-daytona-24-sabine-schmitz-frikadelli-team-012316
Saturday, January 23, 2016
more sports car racing news
Here are the latest headlines, from IMSA, as well as other forms of sports car racing, as we continue to look forward to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, next weekend.
Risi Ferrari 488 GTE Completes Shakedown
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/risi-ferrari-488-gte-completes-shakedown/
Updated Porsche 911 RSR Set for Daytona Debut
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsches-updated-911-rsr-set-for-daytona-debut/
37 Cars on Initial Daytona CTSC Entry List
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/37-cars-on-initial-daytona-ctsc-entry-list/
Roger Penske celebrates 50 years in auto racing.
VIDEO: The Team Penske Story
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-the-team-penske-story/
Stroll: "It's a Matter of Getting Time in the Car and Experience"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/stroll-its-a-matter-of-getting-time-in-the-car-and-experience/
FOX Sports IWSC, CTSC Season Broadcast Schedules Released
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/fox-sports-iwsc-ctsc-broadcast-schedules-released/
IMSA Makes Significant BoP Changes for Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-releases-rolex-24-bop/
Gas Monkey Garage Joins Riley Motorsports at Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gas-monkey-garage-joins-riley-motorsports-at-rolex-24/
VIDEO: Mucke on Switch to Ford Chip Ganassi Racing
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gas-monkey-garage-joins-riley-motorsports-at-rolex-24/
Coletti to Test SMP Racing BR01
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gas-monkey-garage-joins-riley-motorsports-at-rolex-24/
Risi Ferrari 488 GTE Completes Shakedown
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/risi-ferrari-488-gte-completes-shakedown/
Updated Porsche 911 RSR Set for Daytona Debut
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/porsches-updated-911-rsr-set-for-daytona-debut/
37 Cars on Initial Daytona CTSC Entry List
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/37-cars-on-initial-daytona-ctsc-entry-list/
Roger Penske celebrates 50 years in auto racing.
VIDEO: The Team Penske Story
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-the-team-penske-story/
Stroll: "It's a Matter of Getting Time in the Car and Experience"
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/stroll-its-a-matter-of-getting-time-in-the-car-and-experience/
FOX Sports IWSC, CTSC Season Broadcast Schedules Released
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/fox-sports-iwsc-ctsc-broadcast-schedules-released/
IMSA Makes Significant BoP Changes for Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-releases-rolex-24-bop/
Gas Monkey Garage Joins Riley Motorsports at Rolex 24
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gas-monkey-garage-joins-riley-motorsports-at-rolex-24/
VIDEO: Mucke on Switch to Ford Chip Ganassi Racing
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gas-monkey-garage-joins-riley-motorsports-at-rolex-24/
Coletti to Test SMP Racing BR01
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/gas-monkey-garage-joins-riley-motorsports-at-rolex-24/
Friday, January 22, 2016
1996 Rolex 24 at Daytona Part 3
The third, and final segment of the 1996 Rolex 24 at Daytona ESPN2 race broadcast.
1996 Rolex 24 at Daytona Part 2
Part two of the 1996 running, (the 34th edition), of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
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