We remain optimistic that the rain won't return before this race is done and dusted. This race has been a wild one in terms of attrition. The #69 HART Racing Acura NSX GT3 has made a pit stop. Ricky Taylor is at the controls of the #7 Acura DPi, trying to muster as many points out of this race as possible, even though Penske is not in contention to win the Rolex 24 this year. With Scott Pruett's legendary and prolific career, it is hard to believe he is retiring, and of course, he has become very well known for greeting his family at home, from the race track. Pruett was very successful in IMSA, and also in Trans Am. When you look at hiring drivers, yes, they can be fast and win. But, drivers have to give to their team mates and not be selfish. They also need to work well together.
Again, Ganassi is looking for his 200th win. These drivers in the Ford GT, along with their competition, are going for a championship, and you have fans who want to see a race, too. Scott Dixon runs second to Sebastien Bourdais in GT Le Mans. They've been within inches of each other to wreck. Last year, almost half the race was run under yellow. The distance record, actually, was in 1982 with John Paul Sr., John Paul Jr., and Rolf Stommelen, in a Porsche 935, which was a monster of a car that has been profiled on this blog before. It was not the 1992 race with the Nissan mentioned earlier, that holds the distance record at 2,712 miles. It was the 1982 team, just mentioned in the 935, completing 2,761 miles.
Porsche #912 is off the road and back on again. Porsche first won here in 1968 as mentioned, and has 22 overall wins, and 78 class wins. Racing is embedded in Porsche's soul. They won 11 overall events from 1977-1987 with the 935 and 962. Problems for the #99 Red Dragon. Gustavo Menezes is at the wheel of it. Vic Elford, who was won of the driver's in Porsche's first Daytona win, mentioned earlier, is here, watching the race. A true legend of sports car racing. Continental Tire's Travis Roffler says this is the most competitive Rolex 24 the tire company has been involved with in eight years.
Wayne Taylor Racing has had more issues than anyone. The team tested their tires, and are within the specifications. Two of the tire issues they had, were punctures. There are a couple other issues that Continental has to identify and iron out. There's a seven week gap between Daytona and the next race, the equallylegendary 12 Hours of Sebring, in March, that you will hear about right here on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog. With racing, you are pushing the limit. Always pushing the limit. Franck Perera and Andrea Caldarelli have been having a real ding dong battle. A.J. Allmendinger in the #86 Acura NSX GT3, is the meat in the sandwich.
The #23 United Autosport Ligier is still out there, pounding around. Fernando Alonso just wants to finish this race. Alonso wants to see the checkered flag. The race becomes a learning process if there is a problem with the car. Alonso wants to do another 24 hour race, it seems. Kudos to HART Racing (Honda America Racing Team), that builds street going Honda's in Ohio for a day job, and it is an all volunteer crew. Ryan Eversley is the lead driver.
Check out Eversley's podcast called Dinner With Racer's. Chad "The Gunslinger" Gilsinger is driving the HART car right now. They will be doing the full North American Endurance Cup, so, three more races yet this year. Acura #86 of A.J. Allmendinger pitted and is now back on track. Bryan Sellers has taken over the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamhborghini. David Heinemeier-Hanson has a problem with the #15 Lexus RC F GT3, sliding off the roadc in the kink, getting into the turn a little too hot, settling the car down and recovering.
Heinemeier-Hanson is known as a prototype racer, but is now in GT Daytona, in GT3 car. A good run for DHH, originally from Denmark. He fell in love with racing when he came to the United States. He is a "Special Silver" driver, dojng a very good job, even if he does not fully make a living as a racing driver. A reminder, the next race is the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring, on St. Patrick's Day, Saturday March 17th. Christian Fittipaldi, Action Express team manager, says that there could be a solution to what has been happening to the engine. United Autosport still wants to get a good finish. There is a clutch problem on the car according to Bruno Senna.
The pace of this motor race has been absolutely astonishing. Oliver Gavin in the #4 Corvette C-7-R- says Corvette needs a yellow, but they will not give up. Never give up as a racer. If you don't get through a whole sleep cycle, your brain shrinks, as the toxins release, while you sleep. So, if you don't get enough, you wake up, feeling disoriented. Imagine that as an endurance racing driver. Yikes! Fernando Alonso is really enjoying his first endurance sports car race. Cadillac #5 of Joao Barbosa leads by three laps.
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