Sunday, January 31, 2016

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.   

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