No action for one car that was off the road earlier, but there will be penalties incurred by both Lexus cars and the #2 ESM machine. The Whelen car will have to catch up. Ben Keating's team has also had trouble. Some debris has been on the road. We're back to green, though as Bruno Senna leads Filipe Albuquerque. Senna leads at The Glen. Wow. Never thought I'd be saying those words. There's a scrum for the GTLM lead. That's for sure. Porsche is pushing BMW and Chevrolet right now. Some slight argy bargy between Oliver Gavin and Bill Auberlen. Auberlen has pace in the BMW. They need to execute. It's hard to do after you've had a lean spell away from victory circle. Dirk Werner in the Porsche lifted, and let the $10 Cadillac go without fighting him. But, the #24 BMW of Martin Tomczyk had different ideas, slammed into him. Tomczyk is not an experienced endurance driver. He's a sprint driver, coming from the cutthroat competition of DTM touring cars in Germany which are true sprint races a lot like Formula 1.
Johnny Stevenson says that there were 40+ cars in GT racing in the old Grand Am championship in 2003. But now, there are fewer cars, but the technology is a lot higher. Problems for Porsche. One of their cars is slow. There might be a left rear tire issue. Ooh! He was on the curb, and thunk, he spins into the wall and theleft rear Michelin is chewing itself to pieces. This is Dirk Werner in car #911. When he turned right he couldn't turn the car and went straight across the road as the #86 Acura pits. The pit cycles have completed by now with Ozz Negri Jr. at the controls, maybe with scrubbed tires. It was a quick stop. Uncle Sam Wants You To Win!
Porsche has been quick, but today, one of their cars is just not having the best race today. They have speed, but need to win. Laurens Vanthoor and Gianmaria Bruni are second in class. We have a full course yellow to pick up debris. We are still under yellow. We are now within the time of a normal sprint race in IWSC. The full course yellow will allow teams to get laps back. There's a definite strategy as GTLM hits pit lane with Oliver Gavin's Corvette and Laurens Vanthoor's Porsche. Gianmaria Bruni, his new team mate is going for it. Fuel and tires and Vanthoor is at the wheel.
Ford and Corvette also have perfect pit stops as the cars exit pit lane down the hill. Bryan Sellers did not pit. Th Prototype race noff pit lane was intense because of the red light at the end of the lane. Tbe #63 Ferrari of Matteo Cressoni in GT Daytona was the first GT car out of the lane. Back time th race to the finish, as we always talk about in endurance races. If the flags change direction, pointing south earlier, now they are pointing east, might mean rain. We go back to green flag racing as the #90 Visit Florida Racing prototype leads this race. They could have an advantage in the wet. Renger van der Zande at the wheel of it.
Ryan Dalziel is chasing in the ESM Nissan. VFR is gambling on the weather as rain could come in 15 minutes, switching over to rain tires. There are patches from every branch of the military, and also signatures from veterans on the car. Spencer Pigot in the #55 Mazda is third with the Mazda of Spencer Pigot in the Mazda next up. Martin Tomczyk is enjoying racing here in the states. The European drivers love the American race tracks and if American drivers go to Europe, they love all the historic tracks there such as Spa, Le Mans, and Nurburgring. Patricio O'Ward is at the wheel of the #38 in Prototype Challenge. Well, O'Ward has not lost a race and has scored fast lap in every PC race this year.
Even though this race is six hours, the competition is a lot higher. Christina Nielsen says she's done driving for today. Matteo Cressoni and Alessandro Balzan will continue for the rest of the race. Negri Jr., Cressoni, and Legge are the top three in GTD. The Turner Motorsports BMW of Jens Klingman and Justin Marks has been very quick today. Don "The Ice Man" Salama, calling the strategies, is making things work for the teamk. Justin Marks is not a pro racer, but is a fine Pro Am. He won a NASCAR race a while back at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course
Gunnar Jeanette, racing driver, his dad Kevin Jeanette was a legendary Porsche crew chief who ran some oif the legendary 962s. Some sprinkles have begun to fall. Pit stop time for #90. Same for one of the ESM entries. Renger van der Zande and Marc Goossens are two drivers in the #90 car, are both rainmeisters. They know what to do when a track gets wet. Johannes van Overbeek and Jose Guttierez is going well, and Guttierez is being mentored by Olivier Pla. The first international sports car race after WW. II. was here, on the streets of Watkins Glen, New York, in 1948. This is a magical speed palace.
If the Ford's and BMW's get to two hours to go, they can probably stretch their fuel, on two more stops. The same is true of the #48 GT Daytona Lamborghini for Paul Miller Racing. The #33 Keating Motorsports Mercedes has not had the best race today. But, Patricio O'Ward in Prototype Challenge, the bloke is absolutely flying. Chris Miller in the #85 JDC Miller Motorsports entry is running well, and the #48 Lamborghini is now in the lane. Lars Giersing is the team's new engineer who comes over from Magnus Racing who used to run IMSA. Madison Snow is getting into the car. Fuel going in the car. No tires. Madison Snow is on his way back into the race.
A spin for one of the other Lamborghini's. That's the #27 Dream Racing Motorsports Lamborghini, and he was battling with the #28 Alegra Motorsports Porsche. But #27 went in deep, slid on the curb, and spun. Paolo Ruberti and Cedric Sbirazzuoli share the car. Whelen Cadillac is in the lane. Routine stop except for delay on the left rear tire. BMW heads for pit lane.; The sister car of Auberlen remains on the road as Martin Tomczyk hits the lane. New tires, fuel, and a driver change, as John Edwards takes over. Be reactionary. BMW is running that strategy. The rest of the field in GT Le Mans will need a couple more stops. Edwards will have to fuel save for the last hour or so of this race. Auberlen is still out on the road.
Bill Auberlen hits the lane. He gets one crucial extra lap. Auberlen is out, and into the car will go Alexander Sims. Can the driver's execute and bring a win home? We shall see. Ford GT #67 is within their fuel window for a stop. They could pit now.
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