We are underway at Circuit of the Americas, joining in with the race, after a Bundesliga soccer match. Let's get you caught up on the highlights. Toyota, leads hour one of the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas.
Toyota Leads 6H COTA After Opening Hour
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/toyota-leads-6h-cota-after-opening-hour/
So, we will see where we go from here, as you join us for live coverage. Again, we are an hour and an half in. At the start, Porsche team dominated in qualifying to start 1-2. Porsche #1 took the lead ahead of the sister car and here come the Toyota's as it was a four wide battle in LMP2 with Matthieu Vaxiviere and Oliver Jarvis. In GTE Pro, Porsche ended up passing the pole sitting Ford GT's. Aston Martin led for a while as well as Toyota's scrapped with each other with the Porsche #2 getting a look in. Paul Dalla Lana got spun by Keita Sawa. Jams Calado passed Niki Thiim and Davide Rigon wanted by but no.
Porsche #1 pitted for new tires and the Toyota's didn't need tires. So they came to the lead. At the end of the hour, Ford and Andy Priaulx lead GTE Pro. Toyota #8 leads. We're an hour and a half in with Toyota leading Porsche. Let's go live to the circuit with four hours and 25 minutes to go. Porsche $2 is really pushing. Ooh! This is wild. Toyota #8 runs over debris. Andre Lotterer vs. Jose Maria Lopez! Yikes! Rubbing is racing!
Brendon Hartley is catching these chaps hand over fist! Nakajima can't override his cruise and coast. The #7 car can. Lopez is blocking Hartley for third place. Hartley is flying right now. But Jose Maria Lopez is struggling with tire grip in the Toyota. We've run 52 laps (177 miles). Lotterer is pulling ahead by 2.5 seconds. David Heinemeier Hanson and Alex Lhynn pushing each other in LMP2 now, is another good battle on the track.
Alex Lynn continues to give pressure to Heinemier Hanson. Lynn is by and now, he will set his sights on Alex Lynn. Don't cut short your second stint. Alessandro Pier Guidi and Sam Bird are scrapping in the two AF Corse Ferrari's leading in LM GTE Pro. Sam Bird might just try to pull off a pass. James Caldo, Bird's co-driver looks on. Kazuki Nakajima is at the wheel of the Toyota. We have four hours still remaining, well, just over four hours.
Brendon Hartley runs a 1:48.012, and Andre Lotterer, a 1:49.000. Cooling is a huge deal because it is so hot here in Texas. The gentleman drivers are going to struggle with this. Pit stops begin. Vitaly Petrov has problems with his telemetry in the Manor LMP2 car. He ran slowly into the lane. The car had a wiring change and now, has more electrical problems. Petrov is still in the car. They are working on the underside of the nose of the car, and also, the rear. Game over. Aston Martin and Porsche race in LM GTE Am. Manor spent all night last night, taking the iwiring loom apart.
The telemetry packed up. Kazuki Nakajima leads by six seconds over Andre Lotterer. Brendon Hartley is a second and a half adrift, but has just set thefastest time in sector one on the course. On the inside of the curbs, you have sleeping policemen that could damage the car. Hartley is in the lane for a pit stop. Earl Bamber will take overnth car, and there will be no tire change. n They have to try and take the lead. They have to double stint extra hard tires.
Porsche split their strategy while Toyota pitted both cars a little earlier on. Toyota is in from P1. Kazuki Nakajima has been out for 30 laps. Jos Maria Lopez will actually come in as well. Driver change for both cars. Fuel going in. Will both cars have tires? There will be tires for #7 and #8 as the mechanic wiggles through the tiny window/door to help thedriver. Stephane Sarrazin is now in the #8 Toyota. Practicing driver changes is very important. Porsche #1 pitted. Nick Tandy takes over the car. No tires changes. Just a driver change and refueling. Porsche #1 leads it's sister car, and the two Toyota's.
Now is the time for Toyota to push, push, push. Nico Prost in the Rebellion is doing his best to keep Alex Lynn at bay in LMP2. Prost passes the G-Drive car. No response by Prost to Lynn. Thankfully, no argy bargy. How ironic a Prost and a Senna are team mates. Not the way it was with their fathers, who were deeply seeded rivals in Formula 1. Alex Burndle is being harried by Andre Negrao. Negrao on the outside. These two are pressing hard as well. Brundle's tires are toasted. He does not have the grip. It's warm in Austin, Texas, with tires in the mid to upper 80s. First two hours done and dusted. Stay tuned for more.
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