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.
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