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.
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