#5 makes a pit stop for slick tires. Joao Barbosa takes over the driving chores. How will Barbosa feel? How much flexibility will he have in his wrist that just came out of a cast? There was a problem on the #9 Audi. The #4 Corvette is also in the pits. They are going to slick tires. The steam coming off the tires, in standing water, means the wet tires are very hot. The tires are burning up. Ricky Taylor tries going off line, and gets past Joao Barbosa. He has to open a gap on Barbosa before Barbosa's tires bed in.
Joao Barbosa is now in the lead. But, for Barbosa, now that the track is dry, it will be harder for him to drive. Drama! The #2 HPD Prototype spins. Problems for the #24, too. But, here, on the wet concrete, the Porsche and the Corvette, both spin into turn one, and, crunch! The two cars pirouette and smash the tire wall in turn one. The front end is definitely askew, and Estre moved a 4,000 pound concrete block at least a few feet. One more look, and these boys have a GTD Audi between them, and Jan Magnussen didn't even know Estre was there. The GTD car had more speed, clearly. It looks like it's game over for two of the top GT Le Mans contenders.
This wreck will take a while to clean up. The wall moved, and the tires were scattered. So, we are under full course yellow. Estre was trying to stop, and couldn't. He was focused on the wet part of road. Scott Dixon in the Ford GT is now leading in class. Ford, BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari, are the top four in GTLM. That's what makes sports car racing great. Four automakers in the top four places. The accident is being cleared up. John Edwards is fifth in the second BMW RLL BMW M6 GT. Scott Pruett is currently leading. He has speed, and fire left in him, and will race with Lexus, in GT Daytona, later in the year.
The banded tires against the wall do a good job of dissipating energy, and minimizing damage. We won't go back to racing until the track is safe. It is now, and we are back to green. We are nearly to the end of the seventh hour. Pippo Derani is inching closer to Scott Pruett. Derani has passed Joao Barbosa and has his sites set on Scott Pruett. Scott Dixon leads GT Le Mans over Bruno Spengler and Michael Christensen. Brtuno Spengler in the #25 BMW Team RLL BMW M6 GT. Spengler cannot catch the Ford of Scott Dixon, who is whistling off into the distance.
The two Prototype Challenge leaders are blocking the BMW. Don Yount and Jose Guttierez. The intensity ratchets up on the back straight with tons of traffic. Patrick Lindsey leads GT Daytona in the #73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT3, sharing with Matthew McMurry, and Jorg Bergmeister. There a lots of GTD cars in a straight fight in-class. Scott Pruett, leads Pippo Derani. Pruett wants another Sebring win. Derani, wants to put his money where his mouth is, and back up his win at the Rolex 24.
This is a great battle. But other drivers need to cycle through both of the top two cars right now. Dominik Farnbacher goes off the road in turn ten in the #24 Alegra Riley BMW. Lots of sand in the radiator, and Pippo Derani tags the #28 Konrad Lamborghini. Did Derani run the #28 off the road? Beaux Barfield said if a Prototype crashes into a slower car, there will be a penalty for Pippo Derani. Derani stays on track. Joao Barbosa's crew needs to tell Barbosa, "he's not there." ESM will have to tell Derani to settle down.
Barbosa is now behind Derani. Barbosa has eleven seconds in hand over his closest pursuer, Ryan Dalziel. Scott Pruett still leads. 137 laps done. 506.9 miles.
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