Antonio Garcia has dropped to seventh in GTLM. James Calado pressures Stefan Mucke for second in class. Dirk Werner and Richard Lietz are bringing Porsche back into the picture. Richard Antinucci in the Grasser entry is effectively a factory works Lamborghini driver. He's developed the Huracan GT3 and also ran in the one make Lamborghini Super Trofeo series. The Super Trofeo spec Lamborghini could be even quicker than the GT3 version, with 620 horsepower. It is quicker in a straight line than the GT3/GTD spec car. GT3 has a lot more downforce. Lamborghini competed at the 12 Hours of Mugello recently. Yours truly, posted video of that race a while ago. So, check it out if you wish. It is in a two part blog entry with the video broadcast.
Joao Barbosa and Ricky Taylor have both just now turned their best laps of the entire race to this point. Whoa! Mike Conway set his best back on lap 100 (374 miles). It is now lap 175. We are at a distance of 654 and a half miles. 1:50.4 for Barbosa. 1:50 dead, for Ricky Taylor. The #57 Stevenson Audi has a stop and four minute hold penalty for improper wave by. Porsche #912 in the lane. Could Porsche be going for a brake change? It's past halfway into this race. Maybe they need new brakes, both rotors and pads. They bedded a set of brakes into the car in night practice. No brake disc change. There's something else wrong. This has zero to do with brakes. There's a suspension issue on this car.
They are having hub issues. Recall a few hours ago, when Cooper MacNeil had his problems with a broken wheel, it was the hub dislodging itself from the upper A arm on the Mercedes. The Porsche issue is similar, at the top where the hub attaches to the frame. Turn 17 gives the suspension a true thrashing. There's a shocks issue with the #912. We still have Richard Antinucci and Connor De Philippi battling, as well as Jeroen Bleekemolen and Matteo Cressoni. The #14 Lexus is now back on track, pounding around and putting in laps. It is ahead of the #57 Stevenson Motorsports Audi that has a penalty in it's future. Dion von Moltke in the #48 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 will pull ahead.
When the wave by happens, Race Direction does not read a list of numbers. Those cars that need the wave by have to pull to the right. Porsche #912 pits. The shock is changed, and the car is back in the race. Richard Lietz at the wheel, and he drops a few laps off the lead lap in GTLM. Patricio O'Ward has set his fastest lap in Prototype Challenge. Richard Antinucci now leads GTD under huge pressure as Jeroen Bleekemolen is applying the blowtorch. But Antinucci has run a 2:02.136. Bleekemolen had a 2:02.135 earlier. The Turner Motorsports BMW M6 pitted and took the hood off, re-seated it, and didn't have to use the 200 mile per hour tape.
Pit stop time for the #5 Cadillac. Fuel, new tires, and a driver change as Christian Fittipaldi gets into the car. Eric Curran was quicker than Fittipaldi. This time, Fittipaldi will race car #10 with Ricky Taylor driving. One of the marshals is busy in the penalty box at the end of pit lane. The #14 Lexus RC F GT3 had a stop and go. The #57 Audi is stuck in the box for another four minutes. The team argued it with the marshals. But, the marshals won out. Porsche #912 runs off the road at turn ten. Did it run out of brakes? Normally you get three laps before having to pit for a penalty. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Cadillac #10 is stretching it's fuel load. They've done two more laps compared to the #5 Cadillac.
The top two Cadillac's are the only two Prototypes on the lead lap. The gap has closed up in Prototype Challenge as Richard Anitnucci pits from the GT Daytona class lead in the Grasser Lamborghini. Jeroen Bleekemolen takes over the class lead. Ford 1-2 in GTLM over Ferrari and Porsche. The #66 Ford with Joey Hand will pit and get a whole new left side door. Cadillac #10 is now the leader, and are pitting. Ricky Taylor is in the lane now. They will be out on full tanks now. Fuel and tires done and dusted at the same time. WTR hopes they can leapfrog the #5.
Stefan Mucke does not have the rear light on the #68 Ford GT. Dirk Werner chases James Calado through turns 10, 11, 12, and 13, the Tower Turn. Is Calado dragging the Porsche with him? Or is the Porsche pushing the Ferrari towards the Fords? One of the Mazda's has made another pit stop. It may have been the #70. It is. Tom Long is now at the controls. The cars are looking race worn, on cars we saw immaculately prepared six or so hours ago. Calado and Werner are catching the two Ford's of Dixon and Mucke. Werner is catching up to Calado. Werner has Calado to aim at, Calado has aim at Mucke, and Mucke, has aim at Dixon.
Katherine Legge brings the #93 Michael Shank Racing Acura into pit lane for regular service as opposed to trying to fix damage or a problem. Four GTLM cars run right together. This is not about saving the car. It's about going full tilt during your stint before you are back to pitting for fuel. No full course yellow flags. So, green flag pit stops are the order of things at this moment, with Dane Cameron hitting the lane followed by the #85 JDC Miller Motorsports entry. Fuel and tires only. Lamborghini passes Lexus for fourth in GT Daytona. Dion von Moltke puts a pass on Austin Cindric. The Ford's and other leading GTLM cars are split by the #18 DAC Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 in GTD.
That car, is surely a pick. A moving chicane. Emmanuel Anassis, Brandon Gdovic, and Anthony Massari on the driver's strength. The PC leader is in the lane. Patricio O'Ward brings the #38 car in and should be handing over to either Kyle Masson or James French. No. O'Ward stays in the car. The #85 Oreca is also pitting. Misha Goikhberg will hand over the wheel to Chris Miller for this next stint. GTLM is still hot. Ford's are negotiating traffic, and momentarily down Ulmann straight, the Ferrari is the meat in a Porsche sandwich! James Calado holds off Dirk Werner. Scott Dixon dives for pit lane. There will be a driver change in Ford #67 as Dixon hands over to Ryan Briscoe.
We have just less than five and a half hours to go. Christian Fittipaldi still leads Ricky Taylor in the overall. The GTD battle is getting heavier as Jeroen Bleekemolen is cutting time out of Connor De Philippi's lead. When Ford #66 hits the lane, there will be a driver change. James Calado in the Ferrari is now second in GTLM. News from the lane is not good for ESM. Both of their Nissan DPi racers (#2 and #22), have been retired from the race. Game over. They join the #4 Corvette and the #52 PR1/Mathiasen Ligier is now back on track after being in the garage for a long time. Cars #13 and #90 are still behind the wall being worked on.
Quick pit stop for the #8 Starworks Prototype Challenge car. No driver change. They run second in class, sixth overall. Chapman Ducote pits the #26 Prototype Challenge entry that is coming back through the order. Ducote shares with Marc Drumwright, the very quick Gustavo Yacaman, and Colin Thompson. Ricky Taylor is not moving forward towards the Action Express car. These two teams both race for Cadillac. But they are not the best of friends. James Calado will take the lead of GTLM with Ford hitting the lane. But, at the same time Risi Competizione will also pit soon. The fourth place in class Ford GT #66 pits, and will have the door changed. Rule 22.3.4 says that the mirrors are required in tech, but you don't have to put it back on. Still, the driver must be aware of other cars.
The #68 Ford GT is in for fuel, tires, and a driver change. Billy Johnson gets into Ford #68 and goes back on track. #66 now leads. A race for position in the lane, and Porsche passes Ferrari for another spot in GTLM! Yikes! Ryan Briscoe flies through and takes a position away in GTLM. Billy Johnson is in #68. Dirk Werner stayed in #911 and Giancarlo Fisichella is now at the controls of #62. The last three hours of this race will be run in darkness as always. Pit stop time for GT Daytona entries. Audi #29 for Land Motorsports does a driver change and Jules Gounon is now at the wheel of it. Matteo Cressoni will stay in car #63 for Scuderia Corsa. Four lightly used, or scrubbed tires are going on the car.
1:53.1 for Christian Fittipaldi. 1:53.8 for Ricky Taylor. Fittipaldi is slightly faster. In GTD, Jeroen Bleekemolen pits the #33 Mercedes. Joey Hand brings the #66 Ford GT in for service, and Corvette has cycled to the lead of GTLM with the #3 car. Dirk Mueller takes over the #66. No work was done to the left side of the car. The door is ready if need be. Mueller has raced in America now for many years. He was a long-time BMW driver before moving to Ford. BMW will have a new GTLM car in 2018 which will be compliant with the GTLM class and for the GTE class in FIA WEC. BMW will provide safety vehicles for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
Corvette #3 pits. Christian Fittipaldi pits from the lead in the #5 Cadillac. Ricky Taylor has gone through. Tires and fuel. No driver change. Ryan Briscoe, Dirk Werner, and Giancarlo Fisichella still scrap for position in GT Le Mans. The GTLM and GTD battle has been switched on since the green flag. The #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Ligier is back into the race with Tom Kimber-Smith at the controls. 101 laps for the #52. The leaders have just done 201 laps. 100 laps means you are 374 miles behind the leaders. Currently, 752 miles is the distance covered to this point in the race.
The #31 Cadillac is on pace, but is laps behind. Ricky Taylor is being slowed up by the #70 Mazda RT24P in the hands of Tom Long. There were lots of other cars in the way. As the leader you can't let that phase you. Make good decisions as a racing driver. Minimum drive time in PC and GTD is three hours for the drivers not categorized as gold or platinum level. It's a quarter of the race. Ricky Taylor continues to struggle with traffic. He is losing time to Christian Fittipaldi. The traffic density has not changed much since the start. Very few retirements. 46 starters, and we still have 40 cars running. Nick Heidfeld and Rebellion have come back into the race. Mike Guasch has also returned in the PR1 Mathiasen car. So, 41 of 46 are still running.
Something far more than an alternator was holding up the Rebellion squad, because you shouldn't be in the garage for as long as they were. Just as we reach five hours to go in the race, Ricky Taylor hits the pit lane for service. Taylor will receive new sticker Continental tires. A new drinks bottle is put in, with fresh Gatorade or electrolyte drink in it. Fuel still goes into the car. Taylor is down and away and back into the fight as we are coming to the end of the seventh hour here at Sebring. Christian Fittipaldi goes through and takes the race lead. Taylor will be chasing him down on the fresh tires.
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