Endurance... the sports car racing blog: May 2018

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Grand PrixView - IMSA at Belle Isle

IMSA is back in action on the streets of Belle Isle Park in the Motor City, Detroit, Michigan. The GTLM class gets the weekend off as teams prepare for Le Mans later this month, so Prototype and GTD are the stars of the show. Belle Isle is a 2.35 mile, 14 turn circuit that saw the Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi and the #93 Michael Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 take class victories in 2017.

http://nasportscar.com/grand-prixview-imsa-at-belle-isle/

Chevrolet Sports Car Classic Thursday Notebook

News and notes from IMSA’s official website on Thursday at Belle Isle.

https://www.imsa.com/news/052018/chevrolet-sports-car-classic-thursday-notebook

FIA WEC news in preparation for the Le Mans test

This Sunday is the annual test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in addition to the Saturday IMSA action we will see in Detroit. So, many teams and drivers will be catching red eye flights to France for Sunday’s test at Circuit de la Sarthe. Here is some news to prepare for the test weekend and there is more to come.

Julian Confirms DragonSpeed’s LMP1 Entry
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/julian-confirms-dragonspeeds-le-mans-lmp1-entry/

Jan Lammers will hand over his seat to another driver after the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but says retirement from racing is out of the question.

Lammers: No Plams to Retire Amid Final LMP2 Start

http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lammers-no-plans-to-retire-amid-final-lmp2-start-with-racing-team-nederland/

First Photos from Le Mans as Teams Unload
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/check-out-the-first-photos-from-le-mans-as-teams-unload/

ACO’s Thierry Bouvet Explains EoT
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/acos-thierry-bouvet-explains-eot/

Mayer’s Notebook: Le Mans Test Day
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/mayers-notebook-le-mans-test-day/

Martin: Le Mans Return with Aston Martin “A Perfect Match”
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/martin-le-mans-return-with-aston-martin-a-perfect-match/

How Corvette Gets Ready to Race
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/how-corvette-gets-ready-to-race/

DragonSpeed Confident of Test Day Running with BR1
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dragonspeed-confident-of-test-day-running-with-br1/

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

12 Hours of Imola Part 2

Part two of the 12 Hours of Imola for the Creventic 24 Hour Series.

12 Hours of Imola Part 1

Part one of the recent 12 Hours of Imola at the Autodromo Enzo E Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy, for the Creventic 24 Hour Series. Part two, coming up.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Pirelli World Challenge Lime Rock race highlights & more

The race highlights from Pirelli World Challenge at Lime Rock Park, as well as this week's edition of the Double Stint Podcast.

Lime Rock GTS Race Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/lime-rock-gts-race-highlights/

Lime Rock GT Race Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/lime-rock-gt-race-highlights/

Double Stint: PWC Lime Rock Recap; Ryan Dalziel Interview (5-29-18)

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/double-stint-pwc-lime-rock-recap-ryan-dalziel-interview-5-29-18/

Weekly Racing Roundup (5-28-18)

Reports from British GT, PWC TCR and 24H GT Series action over the weekend...

http://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-5-28-18/

6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps race broadcast

The full race broadcast of the 6 Hours of Spa, the opening round of the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship "super season".

Monday, May 28, 2018

Pirelli World Challenge racing at Lime Rock On Memorial Day

In case you missed it, here is a summary of all the action from the traditional Memorial Day races at Lime Rock Park, on Memorial Day.

Elghanayan Scores First Win In GTS Race 1
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/elghanayan-scores-first-win-in-gts-race-1/

Christensen, Pumpelly Break Through for Race 1 Win
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/christensen-pumpelly-break-through-for-race-1-win/

Staveley Snatches Win In GTS Race 2
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/staveley-steals-win-in-gts-race-2/

Vilander, Molina Take Race 2 Win at Lime Rock
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/vilander-molina-take-race-2-win-at-lime-rock/

Porsche and Ferrari split the wins in the Memorial Day classic. Next up for Pirelli World Challenge, is another legendary and challenging circuit, as the GT and GTS teams and drivers tackle the four miles of Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The race happens in late June.

K-PAX: PWC "Changed Their Interpretation" on RPM Limit

K-PAX Racing claims Pirelli World Challenge officials "changed interpretation" of RPM rule...

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/k-pax-pwc-changed-their-interpretation-on-rpm-limit/

More coverage of Pirelli World Challenge from Lime Rock to come. Stay tuned for a breakdown of what happened in the races, to be posted, this evening.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

K-PAX Bentley’s Lose Poles; Pre-Race BoP Changes Revealed

Both K-PAX Bentley’s excluded from Lime Rock qualifying due to RPM non-compliance.

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/k-pax-bentleys-lose-poles-pre-race-bop-changes-confirmed/

Saturday, May 26, 2018

more Pirelli World Challenge news, headed to Lime Rock

Lots more news from Pirelli World Challenge in anticipation of the racing at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut on Memorial Day Monday. One or two of these stories will also relate to Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge in IMSA, running to GT4 regulations.

Panoz Considering Options for Avezzano GT4
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/ctscc/panoz-considering-options-for-avezzano-gt4/

Additional Entries in SprintX Return at Lime Rock
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/additional-entries-in-sprintx-return-at-lime-rock/

Toni Vilander’s latest column.

VILANDER: The Up’s And Down’s of Racing
http://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/vilander-the-ups-and-downs-of-racing/

Marciello Replaces Schiller at CRP for Lime Rock
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/marciello-replaces-schiller-at-crp-for-lime-rock/

Alegra Porsche Quickest on Friday at Lime Rock
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/alegra-porsche-quickest-on-friday-at-lime-rock/

Marcelli Tops Opening GTS Practice at Lime Rock
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/marcelli-tops-opening-gts-practice-at-lime-rock/

A story first announced on Friday. Stephane Ratel Organization is now a majority shareholder in Pirelli World Challenge.

SRO Becomes Majority Shareholder of PWC
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/sro-becomes-majority-shareholder-of-pwc/

Braun Tops GTS Practice 2 at Lime Rock Park
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/braun-tops-gts-practice-2-at-lime-rock-park/

Marciello Quickest In Practice 2
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/marciello-quickest-in-practice-2/

Elghanayan Takes GTS Pole
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/elghanayan-takes-gts-pole-at-lime-rock/

On the pole for Monday’s PWC SprintX action, it is K-PAX Bentley! Alvaro Parente starts in P1 in the Pro class and his team mate Rodrigo Baptista is on the Am class Pole.

Parente Storms to Lime Rock Pole
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/parente-storms-to-lime-rock-pole/

Lime Rock Weekend Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/lime-rock-weekend-notebook-2/

Friday, May 25, 2018

SRO Motorsports Becomes Majority Shareholder in WC Vision LLC.

SRO Motorsports Group is pleased to announce the incorporation of WC Vision LLC and the Pirelli World Challenge into their organization.

http://nasportscar.com/sro-motorsports-group-becomes-majority-shareholder-in-wc-vision-llc/

Here are the pros and cons of incorporating Pirelli World Challenge into the SRO.

http://nasportscar.com/quick-takes-on-sros-purchase-of-wc-vision/

Grand PrixView - PWC at Lime Rock Park

Just one week on from the trip to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Pirelli World Challege is back in action at Lime Rock Park, a 7-turn, 1.5 mile Bull Ring in Lakeville, Connecticut. As a PWC standalone weekend all classes will be racing with a slight pause in the action on Sunday as teams and fans prep for hours of SprintX action on Memorial Day.

http://nasportscar.com/grand-prixview-pwc-at-lime-rock-park/

2007 - "The Summer of Frustration" for Audi in ALMS

Revisiting "the summer of frustration" for Audi, in Detroit in 2007, in the lead up to next weekend's Chevrolet Sports Car Classic at the Belle Isle street circuit in Detroit, Michigan, "The Motor City".
It was the “Summer of Frustration” for Audi Sport in 2007 as Team Penske dominated the American Le Mans Series in the Porsche RS Spyder. Eleven years after the team won at Belle Isle Park, Team Penske returns to the Detroit Grand Prix with Acura looking for its second consecutive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win in the Prototype class.

For Speed Channel, Leigh Diffey, and Dorsey Schroeder call the action from the broadcast booth. In the pit lane, Calvin Fish, and Brian Till.

Spirit of Daytona Racing to return in Detroit

Spirit of Daytona Racing returns to IMSA competition next weekend in Detroit, after scrambling to repair their Cadillac DPi-V.R from a major shunt at Sebring back in March, and in doing so, missing the races at both Long Beach and Mid-Ohio.

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/spirit-of-daytona-racing-to-return-in-detroit-1040896/?s=1

Thursday, May 24, 2018

IMSA Drivers Offer Predictions On Indianapolis 500 Winner

Heading into Sunday’s 102nd Indianapolis 500, we asked IMSA drivers to submit their predictions on who would drink the milk in victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

https://www.imsa.com/news/052018/imsa-drivers-offer-predictable-predictions-indianapolis-500-winner

Another week’s worth of FIA WEC news

More news to catch upon with the FIA World Endurance Championship. It won’t be long now before the test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, followed by the great race itself, which marks the second round of the 2018-2019 super season.

First, Patrick Lindsey’s post-race column after the 6 Hours of Spa.

Lindsey: Fuel Pressure, Mentos and Le Mans - Oh My
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lindsey-fuel-pressure-mentos-and-le-mans-oh-my/

Fittipaldi Returns to U.S., Begins Recovery
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/fittipaldi-returns-to-u-s-begins-recovery/

Alonso “Surprised” by Button’s Le Mans Drive
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/alonso-surprised-by-buttons-le-mans-drive/

Button’s Vlog: First Impressions of SMP Racing BR1
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/buttons-vlog-first-impressions-of-br1/

Pumpelly, Pappas Complete Proton's No. 99 Porsche Lineup
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/pumpelly-pappas-complete-protons-no-99-porsche-lineup/

Ricky Taylor Confirmed in DC Racing Ligier
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/ricky-taylor-confirmed-in-dc-racing-ligier/

Simpson Replaces Stoneman; Two Ginetta's Confirmed
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/simpson-replaces-stoneman-at-cefc-trsm-for-24h-le-mans/

Final 24H Le Mans Entry List Confirmed
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/final-24h-le-mans-entry-list-confirmed/

Multiple Changes in Le Mans GTE-Pro BoP
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/multiple-changes-in-le-mans-bop-for-gte-pro/

Non-Hybrids Pegged Back Further for Le Mans
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/non-hybrids-pegged-back-further-for-le-mans/

Campbell: Le Mans Debut a "Fantastic Opportunity"
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/campbell-le-mans-debut-a-fantastic-opportunity/

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

news from Blancpain GT and Pirelli World Challenge

Wrapping up action in Pirelli World Challenge from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and also, Blancpain GT Endurance from the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England.

R-Motorsport Aston Martin Dominates to Win atSilverstone
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/r-motorsport-aston-martin-dominates-to-win-at-silverstone/

Silverstone Race Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/silverstone-race-highlights/

Guy Smith has officially retired from active sports car racing competition.

Smith Looking to “Take a Step Back” After Factory Retirement
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/smith-looking-to-take-a-step-back-after-factory-retirement/

Ortelli Delighted With Lexus’ First Blancpain GT Podium
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/ortelli-delighted-with-lexus-first-blancpain-gt-podium/

Lawson Aschenbach’s latest commentary.

Aschenbach: Get Out The Broom
http://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/aschenbach-get-out-the-broom/

The latest episode of the Double Stint Podcast covers both Blancpain GT from Silverstone, and Pirelli World Challenge from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and includes an interview with Daniel Morad.

Double Stint: Weekend Recap; Daniel Morad Interview (5-22-18)

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/double-stint-weekend-recap-daniel-morad-interview-5-22-18/

Parente: An “Important” Win at CTMP After Tough Season Start

http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/parente-ctmp-win-was-important-to-k-pax-after-tough-season-start/

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

6 Hours of Spa Race Replay

The video highlights of the 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, the opening race of the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship "Super Season".

What Can Rebuild PWC's Feature Class?

2014 was the year PWC made GT3 cars the stars of GT, the feature class. Moving away from the shop and factory-built monsters from Cadillac, KPAX, CRP, and Blackdog to the completely factory-built and developed GT3 machines was an instant boost to the grid. The season finale at Houston in 2013 saw a mere 8 PWC-spec GT cars take the green flag compared to the 23 GT cars we saw at the 2014 season opener, 20 of which were GT3. It was an instant win.

What can the organizer's of PWC do, to bring back a large car-count to the Sprint races in PWC?

http://nasportscar.com/what-can-rebuild-pwcs-feature-class/

Monday, May 21, 2018

Blancpain Endurance Series Round 2: Silverstone

The legendary airfield circuit at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, England, plays host to round two of the 2018 Blancpain GT Endurance Cup. On the pole is the #76 Aston Martin V12 Vantage for R Motorsports from Switzerland. The team has entered two cars, but the pole sitting machine is being shared by Jake Dennis, Nicki Thiim, and Matthieu Vaxiviere, from England, Denmark, and France, respectively.

The track looks great in spring sunshine. 50 cars are going to start today's race. We saw quite the race in the opener at Monza in Italy. Now, it is time for more action, here in the English midlands at Silverstone. Dries Vanthoor, Alex Riberas, and Chrsistopher Mies are looking for another win. Silverstone has new pavement to contend with. It was repaved again for the first time since 1996. nThe new 2018 Bentley Continental is here. Jules Gounon, Steven Kane, and Guy Smith, in his last race with M Sport Bentley, after racing with Bentley for 17 years. The Nissan GT-4 NISMO is here. Matt Parry, Alex Buncombe, and Lucas Ordonez are ready to race.

Oliver Rowland, from Formula 2, and starting to test in F1, he is now racing in sports cars with the Mercedes AMG GT3, #44 for Strakka Racing. He is sharing with Adrien Tambay of France and German Mercedes GT3 veteran Thomas Jaeger. R Motorsport with Maxime Martin, Marvin Kirchhofer, and Alex Brundle, are a new team on the grid with the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. SMP Racing has confidence after sitting on pole in Italy. Mi9khail Aleshin, Davide Rigon, and Alessandro Pier Guidi, share the automobile. Grasser Racing Lamborghini has had a lot of fighting to do. Rolf Ineichen, and Franck Perera are joined by Brit Phil Keen, here in his home race at Silverstone. These three blokes are sharing the third GRT Grasser entry, car #82. Garage 59 has two McLaren 650S machines here, with TV presenter Chris Harris as one of the pilots.

So, the Garage 59 entries will be raced by Harris, Chris Goodwin, and Alexander West, in car #188. Two British drivers, and a Swede. Their team car, #59 is piloted by two more Brits, Andrew Watson and Ben Barnicoat, with Frenchman Come Ledogar. Manthey Racing has Romain Dumas, Fred Makowiecki, and Dirk Werner, here to race. This is Manthey's first appearance in Blancpain Endurance Series competition. They are running a full season, as car #911 also raced the opener at Monza. Sunshine, and clear skies. Great weather for the race. It's a late, yet fine sprint here in Buckinghamshire country. So many classic corners this track has to offer. The R Motorsport Aston Martin's on pole. But there was no data in the data logger on the piole winning car, and their time was threatened to be disallowed. So, they are racing under appeal today.

The cars are on track, getting ready to start this motor race. The #7 Bentley will start from pit lane and the #90 Mercedes AMG GT3 is down the grid after running over a curb and ripping an oil line off the car. They have swapped to a spare car instead of changing the motor. They will have to deal with a stop and go penalty. Lots of catching up for the trio of Nico Bastian of Germany, Jack Manchester from England, and Dutchman Jules Szymkowiak. OK, we're set to race, now! It is time to race. Wait for the lights. Red lights, green lights! Go! The cars fly down the front striaght and into the first turn.

Aston Martin in the lead with Matthieu Vaxiiviere in the car for the start. They've gone through Copse and Christopher Mies has been shuffled back, down Hangar Straight, and into Stowe for the first time. Maro Engel in the Mercedes is moving up. He's in the #4 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG GT3 with team mates Luca Stolz, his countryman, and rapid Dutchman, Yelmer Buurman, a veteran of GT3 racing. The Aston Martin is moving ahead as well. Marvin Kirchhofer has passed Christian Klien. Out of Club, the McLaren gets caught between one of the Ferrari's and the Emil Frey Lexus RC F GT3. Through into Village and The Loop. A stop go penalty has been issued to the AKKA ASP car #90. John Edwards in the #98 BMW M6 GT3 has had a great start while the sister car #99 of Jesse Krohn loses out in Vale to one of the Mercedes cars, and we have Jack Manchester's Mercedes in the wall at Copse.

Oh! He locks up, and the right front tire deflates, before, zonk! Right into the wall. We have more action as Guy Smith is trying to force his way past the #51 Ferrari. Smith is harrying Duncan Cameron, who will hand over to team mate, Irishman Matt Griffin later on in this motor race. They are one of the few two driver teams here at Silverstone today. Into Abbey curve, the Bentley is quicker than the Ferrari. Through Aintree, as Marvin Kirchhofer and Adam Christodoulou are going for it. Stuart Leonard is there in one of the Audi's, and so is one of the Jaguar's. The #63 Lamborghini is trying to get ahead. Chris Harris is also trying his best, and Stuart Leonard has moved his way past. This is quite the scrap. In replay, through Luffield, Jaguar passes McLaren. Into Vale, and the #44 Mercedes has spun around, and tries to continue. There was smoke from someplace on the car.

The #25 Audi hit the #44 and he has a cut tire. Oliver Rowland has been tagged by the Sainteloc car Christopher Haase is presumably at the wheel of it. The German shares with two French drivers, Simon Gachet, and Antoine Jung. Contact between the Lamborghini and the BMW as well. The Bentley Continental Evo version is the biggest car in GT3. Bentley passes Lamborghini, and Vincent Abril is in the car. So, this is clearly the #8 entry in Abril, the Monegasque is driving. He is of course teamed with Maxime Soulet of Belgium and Spain's Andy Soucek.

Pit stops for Adam Christodoulou and the Aston Martin's dive in from first and second. This will be an interesting strategy. Not ideal, because the pit crews can only work on one car at a time. It's the flying circus for Aston Martin. Not an ideal situation. Mercedes #88 is passing the Aston Martin and Tristan Vautier is trying to defend from Jake Dennis into Brooklands. Dennis wants by and there's some argy bargy! He has the spot ahead of the Mercedes into Woodcote, going for the lead with an hour gone on the clock.

Jake Dennis has stuck the move. He went through Woodcote and made the pass just as he was supposed to do. We have an hour and 40 minutes to go in this race now. So, we've pressed the fast forward button just a little bit. BMW is moving up through the field, but #98 has tried to pass one of the rival Walkenhorst BMW's and he goes off the road and onto the grass, with clag all over the tires. Oh dear. #98 should have American BMW factory ace John Edwards at the wheel of it, sharing with Brit Ricky Collard and another Englishman, Nicky Yelloly. #98 tried to pass one of the rival M6 BMW's in this field for Walkenhorst Racing, and in the process, he came a cropper and that's how his tires got gummed up.

Oh dear. Team Manager for the #88 team has been called to the stewards office for a pit stop infringement. This was an unsafe release in the pit lane. The Jaguar had to wait, but then, the Mercedes' release from the lane would have been compromised. Race Director Alain Adam says there is no problem with the #88's pit stop. Alex Brundle is doing his best to get past the McLaren. Through Vale, he has some breathing space. Luca Stolz in the Mercedes is being blocked. Alex Riberas has also made a move, and he's gaining on this group of cars. He's gaining on the Lexus. Maximilian Buhk has made his way past Marco Seefried in the Lexus. That's the Swiss Emil Frey Lexus Racing entry, #14 with Spaniard Albert Costa and Austrian ex-Formula 1 driver Christian Klien, sharing the driving chores with Seefried, of Germany.

Ooh! Alex Brundle has lost two places and tries to get them back through Stowe corner. No dice. Side by side stuff here. Wow! Alex Brundle is now losing ground, in the Aston Martin to Alex Riberas and Brundle runs wide! The Porsche can't pass the Nissan. Christian Engelhart in the Lamborghini is chasing, and wants a look in on this scrum as well. Let the Porsche go through. Roll off the throttle into the corner. Dirk Werner cannot get by the Nissan Through Village and The Loop. This is getting intense. Pit stop time for Audi #1. Early pit stops for a whole group of the leaders. Actually, these are probably going to be the final pit stops. The #88 Mercedes did not earn a penalty. No malice intended. Now, with an hour to go, the Lexus is ahead of the Mercedes and we have the Bentley coming in as well. 50 cars here, and a tight pit lane to deal with.

Jake Dennis hands the Aston Martin to Nicki Thiim. Lots of steam coming off the car for some reason. That came in with a 16 second lead. #88 was caught behind five cars. Tristan Vautier is at the wheel and he will be battling Dennis and company, to the finish of this one. Less than an hour to go now, and the Aston Martin is still dominant with Nikki Thiim at the controls. Mercedes #35 gets pushed off the road at Club corner and was almost run into by another car! That's the ARC Bratislava entry shared by Denis Bulatov of Russia, former Formula 1 driver (also of Russia), Vitaly Petrov, and Michael Meadows in his home race, right here in Great Britain. Whoever is driving, they were nearly run into by another car! Mirko Bortolotti has passed, getting around Duncan Cameron's Ferrari, and there is a spin! It's the Ferrari #53, with a flat left rear tire, and Andrea Bertolini was lucky to hold onto that car.

That car is the Pro Am entry for AF Corse, and the Italian, Bertolini, is sharing with regular co-drivers, Niek Hommerson of the Netherlands and Louis Machiels of Belgium, a couple drivers who have been in the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup since it's inception. Niki Thiim from Denmark is still in the lead of this motor race and Mikael Grenier, the Canadian, spins, losing it under braking! Ooh! He loses the wheel nut on the right rear tire! Mercedes #4 passes one of the Barwell Lamborghini's and Dries Vanthoor in the Audi will have to pass the Lamborghini into Abbey corner. Distract the rival, and pull up on the inside to make the pass. Norbert Siedler in the #114 Lexus. Siedler, is sharing with fellow endurance racing veterans Markus Palttala of Finland (better known for racing BMW's), and Monaco's Stephane Ortelli, a veteran of endurance sports car racing who has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Porsche (doing so 20 years ago), and also driving successfully at Le Mans, for Audi.

Niki Thiim from Denmark, is still in the lead of this motor race, and Mikael Grenier, the Canadian, spins, losing it under braking! Oh! He loses the wheel nut on the right rear tire! Yikes! You've picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel. Mercedes #4 passes one of the Barwell Lamborghini's, and Dries Vanthoor in the Audi will have to pass the Lamborghini into Abbey corner. Distract the rival, and pull up on the inside to make the pass. Norbert Siedler in the #114 Lexus. Yelmer Buurman has made contact with the Bentley! Oh boy! Meanwhile, Dries Vanthoor has made a pass. Was this a viable overtake? Not really. That was avoidable contact. Yelmer Buurman has lost position. That was contact between two professional drivers, and it would have been a penalty if it was an Am driver.

Mikael Grenier is now out of the race, after the wheel nut came off the Jaguar. Maybe the wheel hub assembly was broken. Now, more dramas. The #19 Lamborghini has gone ka-blammo! Oil is spewing out of the Lamborghini. That car, is smoking! It's a fraught race for Raffaele Giammaria and Giovanni Venturini of Italy, sharing with Argentina's Ezequiel Perez Companc. The #14 Lexus goes on it's way. Now, the #19 Lamborghini we saw earlier is being repaired, and there was suspension damage. So, no engine dramas and no ka-blammo as thought earlier. The bodywork is flimsy. We have ten or so minutes to go in this race, time is running short at Silverstone.

Now, press the fast forward button again, chaps, because there's two minutes to the checkers meaning two laps left. Mirko Bortolotti will get the last points, and Dries Vanthoor kicks up dust through Aintree. Aston Martin could win and they are still being investigated by the stewards. Negotiate the final corners, and through Woodcote, Aston Martin wins in England! In second place, the #88 Mercedes, followed by the #114 Lexus and the #1 Audi. Davide Rigon finishes seventh. Jake Dennis was the one to overtake the Mercedes on the Wellington straight.

What a crazy finish and for the second time in as many races in Blancpain Endurance 2018, we have a different set of winners. Jake Dennis, Nicki Thiim, and Matthieu Vaxiviere do Aston Martin proud at Silverstone, at home! We have new winners in the Silver Cup trophy as well, with Black Falcon and their #6 Mercedes taking the honors, in the hands of Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Hubert Haupt, and Gabriele Piana. Pro Am victory goes to another new team for the win, the #49 Ram Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 shared by Euan Hankey of England, Turkey's Salih Yoluc, and Darren Burke, also from the United Kingdom.

One final class to talk about. The Am class is won by Garage 59 with their #188 McLaren 650S GT3 shared by Chris Goodwin from England, Chris Harris (TV show host, car racer, and car nut), also from England, and Sweden's Alexander West.

Overall/Pro: #76 Dennis/Thiim/Vaxiviere Aston Martin V12 Vantage

   Silver: #6 Al Faisal/Haupt/Piana    Mercedes AMG GT3

             Pro Am: #49 Hankey/Yoluc/Burke   Mercedes AMG GT3

   Am: #188 Goodwin/Harris/West McLaren 650S GT3

The Blancpain GT Endurance Cup season, reaches it's halfway mark, in just less than two weeks, with the next round of the championship, and the first of two consecutive endurance events on the calendar. Next up, is the 1,000 Kilometers of Paul Ricard, at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track in Le Castellet, in the south of France, in about three weeks. Join us then, for more Blancpain Endurance action. So long, for now, from Jolly Old England.

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Pirelli World Challenge Sunday race actuon from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Highlighting all the action from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Sunday for Pirelli World Challenge.

Highlights of a wild race one for GT cars.

CTMP GT Race 1 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/ctmp-gt-race-1-highlights/

GTS Race 1 highlights.

CTMP GTS Race 1 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/ctmp-gts-race-1-highlights/

Aschenbach Holds Off James for GTS Race 2 Win
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/aschenbach-holds-off-james-for-gts-race-2-win/

James Excluded from Race 2
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/james-excluded-from-gts-race-2/

Parente Leads K-PAX Sweep In Race 2
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/parente-leads-k-pax-sweep-in-race-2/

CTMP GTS Race 2 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/ctmp-gts-race-2-highlights/

CTMP GT Race 2 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/ctmp-gt-race-2-highlights/

Congratulations to K-PAX on a hard fought and well earned win. Next for Pirelli World Challenge is next weekend on Memorial Day at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Sunday pre-race stories from Silverstone

A couple stories from Silverstone before round two of the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup. A full race report will follow.

R-Motorsports Storms to Silverstone Pole
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/r-motorsport-storms-to-silverstone-pole/

Despite setting Pole time, the R-Motorsports Aston Martin V12 Vantage will race under appeal. The stewards found no data within the data acquisition system installed on the car.

Pole-Sitting Aston Martin Set to Race Under Appeal
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/pole-sitting-aston-martin-set-to-race-under-appeal/

Again, stay tuned for a race report which will appear very soon.

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Saturday Pirelli World Challenge @ Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Part 2

More highlights of Pirelli World Challenge in Canada on Saturday, as Daniel Morad wins, from pole, at home.

Morad Takes Dominant Race 1 Win
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/morad-takes-dominant-race-1-win/

Aschenbach Wins GTS Race 1 at CTMP
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/aschenbach-claims-flag-to-flag-win-in-gts-race-1/

GTS race two is scheduled to take place Sunday morning, before the finale of the weekend for GT class cars.

Saturday Blancpain Endurance Series action from Silverstone

What happened on Saturday in pre-race action for Blancpain GT Endurance at Silverstone? Read on to find out.

Rigon Fastest in Free Practice at Silverstone
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/rigon-fastest-in-free-practice-at-silverstone/

Hankey Puts Ram Racing on Top in Pre-Qualifying
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/hankey-puts-ram-racing-on-top-in-pre-qualifying/

Qualifying will take place on Sunday before the race happens.

Silverstone Weekend Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/silverstone-weekend-notebook-2/

Saturday Pirelli World Challenge @ Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Part 1

Pre-race Pirelli World Challenge news from Canada, as the start of race one has been delayed due to fog.

Morad Storms to Pole in Rain-Soaked Qualifying
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/morad-storms-to-pole-in-rain-soaked-qualifying/

Road America Set for Combined GT/GTS Races
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/road-america-set-for-combined-gt-gts-races/

James Snatches GTS Pole at CTMP
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/james-snatches-gts-pole-at-ctmp/

CTMP Weekend Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/ctmp-weekend-notebook/

GT Race 1 Delayed Due to Fog
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/gt-race-1-delayed-due-to-fog/

Due to a schedule change GTS will soon begin their race. Then the GT race will occur. Stay tuned for a forthcoming update later this evening on what happened. Also, look for a Saturday news update on Blancpain GT Endurance from Silverstone as well.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Pirelli World Challenge news before Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport)

Pirelli World Challenge Sprint action is set to take place this weekend, north of the border in Canada, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport Park), in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. But, unlike previous years, this round is not a SprintX event. It is just a Sprint race, meaning there will be two 50 minute races, with just one driver in each car. Stay tuned. This is the news leading up to the race and from the opening practices. Qualifying and race one highlights will come, tomorrow, as will coverage of Pirelli World Challenge’s sister Series, Blancpain GT Endurance Cup, from Silverstone, England.

PWC Heads to CTMP With 10-Car GT Entry
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/pwc-heads-to-ctmp-with-10-car-gt-entry/

Chase in "Learning Year" with With TruSpeed Audi, Studies
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/chase-in-learning-year-with-truspeed-audi/

Takuya Shirasaka Enters SprintX For Utah With Turner BMW M6
http://nasportscar.com/takuya-shirasaka-enters-sprintx-for-utah-with-turner-bmw-m6/

K-PAX Sources Spare Bentley Chassis for CTMP
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/k-pax-sources-second-spare-bentley-chassis-for-ctmp/

Mancinelli Quickest In Opening Practice at CTMP
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/mancinelli-quickest-in-opening-practice-at-ctmp/

Buford Tops GTS Practice 1 at CTMP
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/buford-tops-gts-practice-1-at-ctmp/

Parente Tops Practice 2; Mancinelli Quickest on Friday
http://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/parente-tops-practice-2-mancinelli-quickest-on-friday/

Blancpain GT stories headed for Silverstone

the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup resumes this weekend at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. Here are some pre-race stories being followed, as a Friday bonus post. Stay tuned for news through the weekend and a full race report as well.

Ratel Pleased with Blancpain GT Format Changes
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/ratel-pleased-with-blancpain-gt-format-changes/

As there is a clash between Blancpain GT Endurance at Silverstone, and the next races in DTM, this weekend, many high profile substitute drivers have been called in for the English GT contest.

Christodoulou, Fassler Among Subs for Silverstone
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/christodoulou-fassler-among-subs-for-silverstone/

A bit of a shock announcement trecrntly, as Bentley veteran Guy Smith has decided to step back and reduce his racing career commitments.

Smith to Step Down from Factory Bentley Role
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/smith-steps-down-bentley-racing-role/

South African driver Jordan Pepper will replace Smith on the factory Bentley squad beginning with next month’s Blancpain Endurance round in southern France at Paul Ricard.

Racing TV show Mobil 1 The Grid, looks at Porsche’s GT driver development program.

Inside Porsche’s Talent Factory
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/inside-porsches-talent-factory/

Audi R8 LMS Cup Drivers Vying for 24H Spa Entry
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/audi-r8-lms-cup-drivers-vying-for-24h-spa-entry/

Factory Honda NSX GT3 Confirmed for 24H Spa
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/factory-honda-nsx-gt3-confirmed-for-24h-spa/

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Grand PrixView: PWC Heads North to CTMP

Pirelli World Challenge moves North to visit our friends at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, a 10-turn, 2.4 mile circuit, for rounds 4 and 5 of GT Sprint and rounds 3 and 4 of GTS Sprint competition.

http://nasportscar.com/grand-prixview-pwc-heads-north-to-ctmp/

Wright: Porsche Has ‘Responded’ With New 911 GT3R

Wright Motorsports’ John Wright pleased with Porsche’s new generation 911 GT3 R...

http://sportscar365.com/industry/wright-porsche-has-responded-with-new-911-gt3-r/

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

IMSA news update

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Double Stint: N24 Recap; Mako, Pilet Interview (5-15-18)

The latest Double Stint Podcast recapping the Nurburgring 24 Hours, and more, including interviews with Fred Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet, who drove the Manthey Porsche to victory for the first time, for Porsche, since 2011.

http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/double-stint-nurburgring-24-recap-porsche-drivers-interview-5-15-18/

FIA WEC news over the last week

Monday, May 14, 2018

Aston Martin aims for factory IMSA effort in 2019

Aston Martin is aiming to return to front-line sports car racing in North America with it's new second generation Vantage GTE.

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/aston-martin-aims-for-factory-gtlm-return-2019-1035132/?s=1

Weekly Racing Roundup (5-14-18)

Reports from the Blancpain GT Series Asia at Buriram and Le Mans Cup at Monza...

http://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-5-14-18/

Re-live the 90-Minute Shootout for Nurburgring 24 Win

The final 90 minutes of the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring, and the incredible battle for the win, with commentary from Johnny Palmer, Joe Bradley, and Paul Truswell.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

24 Hours of the Nurburgring, race highlights stories, Chapter 2

Night falls at the Nurburgring, and the long, hard grind of the race, continues. Here's the second set of highlights from the race.

With eight hours remaining, and nearly 100 laps, 1,600 miles, completed, Adam Christodoulou has the No. 4 Black Falcon Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 out front.

Christodoulou Out Front With Eight Hours to Go
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/christodoulou-out-front-with-eight-hours-to-go/

We saw an onboard lap with Kelvin van der Linde in Chapter 1. But now, from third place, it could be game over for van der Linde and Land Motorsports, the defending champions of this motor race. He has crashed from third, limping the Audi R8 to pit lane, with merely five hours to go.

Van der Linde Crashes in Hour 19
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/drama-for-land-audi-with-six-hours-to-go/

The race leading Manthey Porsche, #912, has been dinged by the marshals, for speeding in a Code 60 slow zone.

Leading Porsche Hit with Penalty
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/leading-porsche-hit-with-penalty/

As the #4 Black Falcon Mercedes continues to lead, the Nurburgring 24 Hours has been red flagged in the closing hours, for fog at the Nordschleife.

Nurburgring 24 Red-Flagged for Fog
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/nurburgring-24-red-flagged-for-fog/

The fog lifts, and now, it's crunch time at the Nurburgring. 24 hour races can sometimes come down to a major scrap in the last minutes, and that is what we have here, in the 48th renewal of the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Let the battle begin, between two titans of German motoring, Mercedes Benz AMG, and Porsche.

Race Resumes; Mercedes-AMG, Porsche Battle for Win
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/race-resumes-mercedes-amg-porsche-battle-for-win/

Porsche wins at The Green Hell! Manthey Porsche, and their all-star driver lineup of Fred Makowiecki, Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet, and Richard Lietz, are triumphant in the 48th Nurburgring 24 Hours!

Manthey Wins Wet, Wild Nurburgring 24
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/manthey-porsche-wins-wet-wild-n24/

Makowiecki: It Was "Win or Nothing"
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/makowiecki-it-was-win-or-nothing/

This is the first overall win for Porsche at the Nurburgring in seven years, since they last won in 2011. Here's video of the race highlights. Hope to have a written highlight report as well. Stay tuned for that.

Auf wiedersehen from the Nurburgring, everyone. Stay tuned. Trust me, there will be a full race report on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog, very soon.

A Lap at Night with Kelvin van der Linde

Go for a lap of the Nurburgring at night with Audi's Kelvin van der Linde...

24 Hours of the Nurburgring, race highlights stories, Chapter 1

Once again, we will have a race report, printed, in full, on the Nurburgring 24 Hours, very soon. But, for now, here are the major chapters of the story, told one by one. This will be the first chapter, with the second chapter, to follow.

Pre-race

You have seen the Top 30 shootout, and Laurens Vanthoor's pole winning lap. Audi gets a break in Balance of Performance, before the race begins.

Audi Gets Pre-Race BoP Break
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/audi-gets-pre-race-bop-break/

The race is now underway. You saw Laurens Vanthoor's amazing pole winning lap. Vanthoor's fellow Porsche factory driver Kevin Estre leads the opening hour.

Estre Leads Opening Hour at Nurburgring
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/estre-leads-opening-hour-at-nurburgring/

Only three hours into the race, and some of the top contenders are already in trouble, as Porsche leads.

Porsche Out Front in Hour 3 as Contenders Hit Trouble
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/porsche-out-front-as-contenders-hit-trouble/

A crash for WRT in the race's sixth hour. Dries Vanthoor, Laurens Vanthoor's brother, was at the wheel of the Audi R8, when the incident occurred.

WRT Crashes Out in Hour 6; Manthey Leads
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/wrt-crashes-out-in-hour-6-manthey-leads/

After eight hours at "The Green Hell", it is a 1-2 for the bright day glow yellow Manthey Porsche's.

Bamber Leads Manthey 1-2 After Eight Hours
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/bamber-leads-manthey-1-2-after-eight-hours/

Drama overnight, as the pole winning Manthey Porsche, with Romain Dumas at the wheel, crashes out. Game over for one of the Manthey cars. Mercedes takes the lead with the AMG GT3 of Black Falcon, with Manuel Metzger at the controls. Rain has come, to the Eiffel Mountains and the Nordschleife.

Black Falcon Leads as Rain Arrives, Dumas Crashes Out
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/black-falcon-leads-as-rain-arrives-dumas-crashes-out/

Stay tuned for a drive at night with Kelvin van der Linde, plus, chapter two.

Laurens Vanthoor's pole winning lap at the Nurburgring

Go on board with Laurens Vanthoor during his pole winning qualifying lap for the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring.

Porsche 919 Evo & 956 at the Nurburgring with Timo Bernhard & Hans Stuck

Check this out. A parade lap around the Nurburgring Nordschleife with two of the best Porsche race cars to ever compete. Hans Stuck drives the Porsche 956C and Timo Bernhard is at the wheel of the awesome Porsche 919 hybrid Evo.

Nurburgring Top 30 Qualifying Replay

Watch the full-length replay from Friday's Top 30 Qualifying at the Nurburgring...

Saturday, May 12, 2018

stay tuned

Very busy lately, with other things outside motorsports. But, stay tuned for a wrap-up of the Nurburgring 24 Hours when it ends tomorrow, and maybe, even a highlighted, abbreviated race report.

PRUETT: Time To Untether IMSA's DPi's and P2's

Marshall Pruett, from Racer magazine, says it is time for IMSA to separate the Daytona Prototype International, and LMP2 cars, into two separate prototype classes.

http://racer.com/2018/05/08/pruett-time-to-untether-imsas-dpis-and-p2s/

Friday, May 11, 2018

pre-race headlines from the Nurburgring on Friday

All of the pre-race headlines from the Nurburgring, on Friday, before the race happens, tomorrow.

Rast on Triple Duty: "It's My Busiest Weekend Ever"
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/rast-on-triple-duty-its-my-busiest-weekend-ever/

Vanthoor Storms to the Top in Q2
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/vanthoor-storms-to-the-top-in-q2/

Vanthoor Takes N24 Pole in Porsche Sweep
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/vanthoor-takes-n24-pole-in-porsche-sweep/

Nurburgring Friday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/nurburgring-friday-notebook-7/

The race begins it's round the clock odyssey at the Nordschleife, tomorrow, at 3:30 P.M. local time, which should be around 7:30-9:30 A.M. U.S. Time, depending on where you are.

Le Mans: Jacky Ickx named Grand Marshal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Six-time winner of the great race, Jacky Ickx, has been named Grand Marshal for the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans.

http://clubarnage.blogspot.be/2018/05/le-mans-jacky-ickx-named-grand-marshall.html

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Blancpain GT Sprint: Brands Hatch

All the news of what happened in the second race of the Blancpain GT Sprint series at Brands Hatch in Kent, England.

Pre-race news.

Sprint Cup Grid Remains at 22 Cars for Brands Hatch
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/sprint-cup-grid-remains-at-22-cars-for-brands-hatch/

FRAMES: A Look into the Life of a Motorsports Photographer
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/frames-a-look-into-the-life-of-a-motorsports-photographer/

Perez Companc Tops FP1 at Brands Hatch
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/perez-companc-tops-fp1-at-brands-hatch/

Van der Linde, Attempto Fastest in FP2
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/van-der-linde-attempto-fastest-in-fp2/

Qualifying

Vanthoor, Vervisch Sweep Qualifying fort WRT
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/vanthoor-vervisch-sweep-qualifying-for-wrt/

Brands Hatch Weekend Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/brands-hatch-weekend-notebook-3/

Race

Stevens Holds on for Brands Hatch Race 1 Win
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/stevens-holds-on-for-brands-hatch-race-1-win/

Brands Hatch Race 1 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/features/videos/brands-hatch-race-1-highlights/

Break out the broom! It's a sweep of the Brands Hatch weekend, by Stuart Leonard and Frederic Vervisch!

Leonard, Vervisch Win Race 2 as WRT Sweeps Weekend
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/leonard-vervisch-win-race-2-as-wrt-sweeps-weekend/

Brands Hatch Race 2 Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/brands-hatch-race-2-highlights/

There will be two endurance races coming up for the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup, while the next race for the Sprint Cup will happen in Italy at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in late June, so, in a little less than two months.

As a postscript to the race, SRO boss Stephane Ratel is optimistic about the format changes for the Blancpain GT Series.

Ratel Pleased with Blancpain GT Format Changes
http://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/ratel-pleased-with-blancpain-gt-format-changes/

Wednesday & Thursday Nurburgring 24 Hours news

Race time approaches at the Nurburgring, for the 24 Hours, this Saturday and Sunday. Let us have a look at the news of the week, leading up to the race.

Three-Pronged Approach for Audi at Nurburgring
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/three-pronged-approach-for-audi-at-nurburgring/

Nurburgring Wednesday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/nurburgring-wednesday-notebook/

Winkelhock Aiming for N24 Repeat Win
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/winkelhock-n24-target-to-win-again/

Porsche Teases New 991 GT3 R Ahead of Friday Unveil
http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/porsche-teases-new-911-gt3-r-ahead-of-friday-unveil/

New Aston Martins Poised for End-of-Year VLN Debut

http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/new-aston-martin-gt3-gt4-cars-poised-for-end-of-year-vln-debuts/

Renault RS01 Quickest in Mixed-Condition Free Practice
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/renault-rs01-quickest-in-mixed-condition-free-practice/

The final entry list has been released for Saturday's race. Click into the link for the story, and you will find a download link to check it out.

Nurburgring Thursday Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/nurburgring-thursday-notebook-4/

Kelvin Van der Linde is quickest in Qualifying 1.

Van der Linde, Land Audi Quickest in Qualifying 1
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/van-der-linde-land-audi-quickest-in-qualifying-1/

Stay tuned, as tomorrow will feature Q2, and the Top 20 Shootout, to determine the final starting grid for the race on Saturday.

2018 WeatherTech Analysis - Mid-Ohio

Data analysis from the IMSA race at Mid-Ohio from last Sunday.

http://nasportscar.com/2018-weather-tech-analysis-mid-ohio/

Porsche's 919 Evo modified LMP1 car to Nurburgring Nordschleife

This coming weekend, Porsche will run it's Evo version of it's 919 Hybrid in a demo lap on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in support of the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

https://www.autosport.com/wec/news/135847/porsche-evo-lmp1-car-to-tackle-nordschleife

Here is another story about the 919 Evo, and it's cousin from days of endurance sports car racing gone by, the 956C, appearing at the Nurburgring 24 Hours for demo laps, this weekend before the race.

Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, 956 C Set for N24 Demo Lap
http://sportscar365.com/other-series/n24/porsche-919-hybrid-evo-956-c-set-for-n24-demo-lap/

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

race recap & post race stories from Spa Francorchamps

Let us now have another look at a recap of the racing from Spa Francorchamps for the FIA World Endurance Championship, plus, a gander a post-race news, including a shocking development for Rebellion Racing. Details, below.

Fittipaldi Undergoes Successful Surgery after Spa Crash
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/fittipaldi-undergoes-successful-surgery-to-legs/

BMW, Aston Martin Hopeful of Auto BoP Reset
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/bmw-aston-martin-hopeful-of-auto-bop-reset/

Tincknell Crashes Out; Toyota Leads Opening Hour at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/tincknell-crashes-out-as-toyota-leads-hour-1/

Toyota 1-2 at Halfway
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/toyota-1-2-after-three-hours/

Isaakyan OK After Heavy Race-Ending Accident
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/isaakyan-crashes-from-fourth/

Ford Takes GTE-Pro Honors at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/no-66-ford-claims-gte-pro-honors/

Alonso Holds Off Conway for Toyota 1-2 at Spa
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/alonso-holds-off-conway-for-toyota-1-2-at-spa/

Spa Race Highlights
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/spa-race-highlights/

Alonso: "Fantastic Debut" Win in WEC
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/alonso-fantastic-debut-win-in-wec/

For their failure to deliver tires ahead of the super season beginning, Michelin, is in the doghouse with the FIA World Endurance Championship, and will have to pay mucho dinero.

Michelin Acknowledges 250,000 Euro Fine from WEC
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/michelin-acknowledges-e250000-fine-from-fia/

Pla: "Good Vibe" After Long-Awaited First Ford Win
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/pla-good-vibe-after-long-awaited-first-ford-win/

Now for the news mentioned in the race report. The #1 Rebellion was excluded from the race results at Spa, speaking of being in the doghouse. Why is this so? Wear on the legality plank underneath the race car. Shades of Michael Schumacher's troubles in 1994 in Formula 1 before he won his first World Championship.

No. 1 Rebellion Excluded from 6H Spa
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/no-1-rebellion-excluded-from-6h-spa/

There's even more post race news, as well.

Jani: Non-Hybrids Faced With "Difficult" Fuel Saving Tactics
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/jani-lmp1-privateers-faced-with-difficult-fuel-saving-tactics/

Spa Post-Race Notebook
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/spa-post-race-notebook-7/

Hankey Hails "Fantastic" Debut Result for TF Sport
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/hankey-hails-fantastic-debut-result-for-tf-sport/

DragonSpeed Waiting for Answers on Fittipaldi Crash
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dragonspeed-waiting-for-answers-after-fittipaldi-crash/

VAN DER ZANDE: Thrilling Tracks And Concerning Moments
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/van-der-zande-thrilling-tracks-and-concerning-moments/

Todt Predicts "Five to Seven" Manufacturers in Top Class
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/todt-predicts-five-to-seven-manufacturers-in-new-prototype-regs/

G-Drive Eyeing Additional WEC Rounds
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/g-drive-eying-additional-wec-rounds/

The latest Double Stint Podcast, featuring an interview with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Europe driver, Billy Johnson. Not only that, but a review of the Spa 6 Hours, and, the IMSA race from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Double Stint: Weekend Recap; Billy Johnson Interview (5-8-18)
http://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/double-stint-weekend-recap-billy-johnson-interview-5-8-18/

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

IMSA Mid-Ohio post-race news

Monday, May 7, 2018

Winner & Highlights of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio

For more than 60 years, history has been made on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship visits, for the first time, today. We are ready for the Acura Sports Car Challenge. After three rounds, we haven’t seen Acura or Mazda get a podium or a win. The Acura’s will start on the front row with Dane Cameron and Helio Castroneves. The Mazda’s are on row two. To rookies, there are challenges on this track, unless you are someone like Helio Castroneves, who has won here in Champ Cars/IndyCar before.

We have a two hour and 40 minute race ahead. In GT Le Mans, all three big makes have won. Ford, Porsche, and Chevrolet. BMW wants to win. Every driver in this class Is a factory driver. John Edwards is on pole for his home race in the BMW M8 GTE. In GT Daytona, Lamborghini won twice with two different teams. Lamborghini has won two GTD races this year. BMW wants to win, as Biill Auberlen is entered in the Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT along with Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge racer, Dylan Machavern. The ESM Nissan’s are having trouble. Lexus swept the front row in GT Daytona, with Jack Hawksworth the pole sitter. Green! Go! The Mazda’s are side by side into turns four, five, and six. Acura, Acura, Mazda, Mazda. Renger van der Zande in the #10 Cadillac is trying to rebound. They have not won a race yet this year. Long green flag runs are the big deal. Nick Tandy has hit John Edwards in the BMW. Edwards is behind Antonio Garcia in the factory Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-. Dane Cameron is starting to push hard.

He has the pace over Helio Castroneves as they run 1-2 at this moment. The cars slide through turn 11. Penske wants to win. But the drivers are aware not to do anything silly and throw the cars off the road. The #22 Nissan of Johannes van Overbeek will be penalized after hitting Robert Alon in the #85 JDC Miller Motorsports “Banana Boat” Prototype. Ford in GT Le Mans, has struggled here at Mid—Ohio. Nick Tandy in the Porsche had to check up, and Edwards went off the road all by himself. That was after the earlier kerfuffle with the Prototypes. A long way to go as IMSA makes its return to Mid-Ohio for the first time since 2012. Grand Am, the series that was merged with the old American Le Mans Series, to create what is now the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, last ran at Mid-Ohuo, in the final year of the separate sanctioning bodies, back in 2013. Acura’s continue to lead in the Acura Sports Car Challenge. This track is a major challenge, and old school. 2.25 miles with 13 corners. Watch for the Keyhole and The Carousel. Don’t hit your team mate. You have to be patient. You can have a run, but don’t try to pass too soon.

Part of the battle is battling the race track, and that happens every place these chaps go to race. How much grip will they have? More sun, and warmer temperatures than were seen in qualifying on Saturday. Dane Cameron is trying hard to make a move on the team car of Helio Castroneves. The battle heats up in the GT classes as well. Again, it’s been five years since sports cars have raced here. Oliver Jarvis learned this track fast, on the simulator. The simulator cannot teach track changes. But, it’s nice to learn and understand a track you have never been to before. The Lexus cars swept the front row in GT Daytona. Jack Hawksworth has moved ahead of his team mate, Kyle Marcelli. Madison Snow is chasing Katherine Legge. Acura vs. Lamborghini. Snow is a young bloke and alsoi ran in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo race earlier in the day, so, he may be a bit tired as this race starts. The grip on the road has been changing. The racing line gets wider as racing goes on. The line is much wider. If someone runs wide, it is possible for the competing cars to make a pass. The track is rubbering in, and gaining grip.

This track is a very hard one to get a hold of. It’s like a slalom skier going through gates on the course. Ben Keating is working on passing Michael Schein in the second Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3. The time difference between GTLM and GTD is very small. Corvette Racing has won here at Mid-Ohio, nine times, starting in 2001. So, they’ve been very successful at this track, for the better part of 17 years. If they win today, it will be the 100th win in North America and the 108th win for Corvette worldwide. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the #3 car want a win. Ford, Porsche, and Corvette have been the three winners so far this year. Ryan Briscoe is last in class, with Richard Westbrook, in the #67 Ford GT. Ben Keating hits Michael Schein, and Schein, in the #16 Porsche gets shoved off the road. He’s shown n no respect by his adversary and is simply nudged out of the way. Christina Nielsen is proving she can drive different cars. She’s raced for Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Porsche. Jonathan Bomarito has the fastest race lap and he’s pressing hard as the two Acura’s are working traffic. Acura has a hard time managing their tires.

Traffic management is a big deal. The Mazda is following the two GT Daytona cars, and he has to really be careful passing on this track because it is so narrow. Watch out for traffic. Watch out for argy bargy. It’s the nature of the game. Don’t let your frustration with traffic get the better of you. Be patient. Dylan Machavern is running well with the Turner BMW M6 GT3 even though he has BMW veteran Bill Auberlen as his team mate. Auberlen has been a lifer with BMW. He has to earn three more wins to have the most sports car racing wins in IMSA history.

Dane Cameron had a pass made on Helio Castroneves. Don’t hit your team mate. Jon Bennett is holding up the faster Acura’s right now. The Mazda’s are still there. Wow! There’s some really tight action in the braking zone. Yikes! Cameron has more pace than Castroneves at this time. With the ebb and flow of Mid-Ohio, it seems the Mazda boys are coming back into this. The GTLM battle continues to intensify. Dirk Mueller in the Ford GT, is pressing John Edwards. You cannot afford argy bargy here with these cars. In the pit lane, the #75 Mercedes AMG GT3 of Kenny Habul. He hops over the grass, and is off the road. The GTLM cars run 160 miles an hour down the back straightaway. Helio Castroneves continues to lead and Dane Cameron is still in hot pursuit. Pit stop time, for the #5 Cadillac. Filipe Albuquerque and Joao Barbosa share the car. Filipe Albuquerque may take the car to the finish now that Joao Barbosa has started the race. They will do a couple more pit stops. Albuquerque needs to learn this track. But, it’s a very physical track, with warm temperatures in the 80s.

Maybe Mustang Sampling Cadillac is playing the strategy right now. The tire pressures are still low. In the old days, you could be more careful on your out lap. Not the case these days. The pressures are just as critical as the temperatures. Pressure = temperature. Dane Cameron, talk about pressure… he’s trying to pass Castroneves. Don’t open the door! Bomarito in the Mazda will walk right through. Oliver Jarvis in the sister Mazda is in this fight, too. Gently, boys. The #7 Acura has been the stronger car for Penske Acura so far this season. #6 wants to prove themselves, too, with Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya. Mazda Team Joest seems comfortable at Mid-Ohio. Penske and Joest have great history, and both teams have been trying to find their feet with the manufacturer partners, Acura, and Mazda. The Cadillac’s have not had pace here so far this weekend. Mazda splits the strategy, as the #55 is in the lane for a scheduled pit stop. Four tires and fuel. No driver change.

30 seconds is the mandated fuel fill time for the Prototypes, set by the IMSA rules makers. James French for Performance Tech Motorsports also pits the #38 car. Oliver Jarvis is in the pit lane. Check out the newly improved IMSA App. You must log in so you can use it. Meanwhile, Oliver Jarvis is back out on hot tires, as both Penske cars are in the lane. Ricky Taylor replaces Helio Castroneves. It’s a drag race off pit lane, but this is against the rules, and the inside car has to yield. The two Mazda’s are pushing. Dane Cameron and Ricky Taylor, are being hounded by the Mazda’s. Here comes the Mazda of Jarvis, and Jonathan Bomarito is also pushing! Both of them have passed. Taylor has to give it up. If he hits a bump, he goes flying off the road. Cold tires are very, very dodgy. Dane Cameron is pushing, and I don’t have to tell you, hard. The GT cars can go an hour on fuel. GT cars need two stops, and Prototypes need three. Ricky Taylor has foundn his way at Acura. Both cars have sets of drivers who want the car to handle a certain way. John Edwards is in the lane for BMW and Jesse Krohn is now behind the wheel of the M8 GTE. In GT Le Mans, the factory drivers are quick, and some of them are plug and play. But, in GT Daytona, it’s a gold driver and a silver driver. Jack Hawksworth will hand over to David Heinemier Hanson, and then, Hawksworth will finish the race in car #15.

Hawksworth makes his way through the Carousel. The Lexus program has really improved over the last year. Joest has been here before with Audi. The last time they were here, they won, with Frank Biela and Emmanuelle Pirro. In baseball, you have half a second to make a decision. In racing, especially in sports car racing, you have just tenths of a second. There was a scheduled test at Mid-Ohio, but it snowed. So, the data had to be gathered in order to set up the Michelin tires for the GT Le Mans cars. Porsche is in the pit lane with the #912 car pitting from the lead. The sister car has already pitted. Do not touch the curbs, because you will damage the tires. Porsche #911 stopped and had something, but then, #912 came in. Now, Bill Auberlen just ran through the grass. He has grass in the radiators. Jonathanh Bomarito is also off the road. He made contact with another car. Meyer Shank Racing in the lane with the #86 shared by Katherine Legge and Alvaro Parente. This is their home race. Bill Auberlen is in the pits, and there’s smoke off the tires. The #15 Lexus RC F GT3 is in the pit lane. Jack Hawksworth is out of the car and the co-driver, David Heinemeier Hanson is into the car.

Oliver Gavin is into the #4 Corvette C-7-R-, replacing Tommy Milner. We still have an hour and 39 minutes to race. We’ve raced now, for a good hour. BMW #25 pits from the lead. Alexander Sims started the car. Dane Cameron continues to lead at Mid-Ohio so far. Dane Cameron still has his hands full with Jonathan Bomarito. The Mazda is just a shade stronger at this point. Get into a rhythm. That’s the crucial part. Mazda has a great balance for their cars on long runs. Acura is trying to conserve their rear tires. This is Nick Tandy’s first time driving at Mid-Ohiio. He compares it to Oulton Park in England. There are gray skies, but no rain in the forecast during the race. Ford, Corvette, and BMW, continue to scrap in GT Le Mans. Richard Westbrook has replaced Ryan Briscoe in Ford #67 while Joey Hand is in the #66 car. Teams need notebooks on certain tracks, but even with those, you cannot tell, and you change variables based on the track. But, don’t mislead yourself. The track continually evolves.

Oliver Jarvis is pressing Colin Braun, who is two laps down. Dane Cameron pushes his way by. Prototypes can now do the rest of this race on one more pit stop it appears. Don’t let the dominoes fall with a closed pit under yellow. The Dpi cars have had power taken out with the Balance of Performance. It’s tough to equate performance of the Dpi and LMP2 cars. Bomarito has just posted fast race lap. Richard Westbrook is trying to catch Patrick Pilet. He has a GT Daytona car in the way. Dominoes begin to fall. Ricky Taylor is in the lane for a scheduled pit stop. In, and back out. Only one more stop is necessary.

Ricky Taylor is settled into the car. Juan Pablo Montoya will replace Dane Cameron forn the second half of the race. Dominik Baumann leads GT Daytona and David Heinemeier Hanson has his hands full with Alvaro Parente. David Heinemeier Hanson is really going for it. Tristan Nunez will get set to replace Oliver Jarvis in the #77 Mazda RT24P. #55 is in the lane as well. Spencer Pigot is into the car. They put scrubbed tires on the car. Harry Tincknell, who normally races for Mazda, ran the opener for the FIA World Endurance Championship yesterday at Spa Francorchamps, and had a massive incident. By keeping Dane Cameron on track, this isn’t a good move on Penske’s part. He is behind his former team mate, the Cadillac for Action Express Racing. Cameron stays out. He will have to pit soon. Ricky Taylor on fresh tires ran a 1:14 lap, and Cameron is two seconds slower at 1:16. Argy bargy and up onto the curbs! Wow. Oliver Jarvis is in trouble, as he has the #5 Cadillac and the #54 ORECA scrapping. Dane Cameron continues to stay out. He has five or so minutes to stay out before he pits. This gamble isn’t good.

Renger van der Zande brings the #10 Cadillac DPi-V.R to the lane. Jordan Taylor will take over. Richard Westbrook and Joey Hand are pressuring the Porsche’s. They had zero grip and were undrivable in qualifying. Patrick Pilet is dealing with understeer right now. Oliver Jarvis and Mazda lead this motor race. Juan Pablo Montoya is now right behind Ricky Taylor. Penske has reversed positions. This is a real puzzler, with just over an hour remaining. Both Mazda’s were in pit lane as well. You go through a stint and can still keep the lead coming to pit lane. Wow. You just don’t know as a driver what the big picture is. But, you know things are going pear shaped if you must to build a gap and can’t get anywhere. Meanwhile, there’s some argy bargy between the Lexus RC F GT3 of David Heinemeier-Hanson, and the Acura NSX GT3 of Alvaro Parente. Porsche #911 has just made their pit stop. Porsche has won 18 races at Mid –Ohio. Hurley Haywood turns 70, and Porsche finished well Saturday, at Spa Francorchamps.

Something has gone wrong with the #55 Mazda and they are behind the wall with suspension trouble. The Corvette team has just pitted with an hour go, for the #3 car. Frontrunners in GT Daytona are in. Bryan Sellers and Lawson Aschenbach both pit. Poirsche #912 is in the lane, Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor. The #63 Ferrari has pitted as well. Alessandro Balzan is now driving, replacing Cooper MacNeil. Ford #67 is pit lane. Richard Westbrook is running very well. They should be good to go to the checkers. Richard Westbrook on cold tires, while Jan Magnussen and Joey Hand are trying to close up. Ricky Taylor resets fastest lap at 1:13. Joey Hand is all over Jan Magnussen. #66 has to beat #67. You have to beat your team mates. GT Le Mans has factory drivers. You have to be on the mark, and the pressure is always there, no matter what. Through Madness, and into the esses. Fans are on the hill. This track is like an amphitheater. No grandstands. Grassy hills to watch from. Jack Hawksworth and Dominik Baumann will take the #14 and #15 Lexus cars to the finish of this race with less than an hour to go. They have had poles, but have not had any podiums or wins yet.

Could they win today? We’ll see. Both Lexus's are running very well. Alvaro Parente and Meyer Shank Racing are going to push, push, push. There is an art to driving Prototypes and GT cars. You used to be able to go easy, but these days, you can’t do that. Don’t ease up. The #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8 is in the pit lane. Andy Lally is in the car now. Connor De Philippi is leading GT Le Mans in the #25 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GT. Ricky Taylor just made his final pit stop. The #10 Cadillac also pitted. Juan Pablo Montoya has to chase down Ricky Taylor now. 1:13.85 for Ricky Taylor, new fast lap in this race. Tristan Nunez is in the thick of a scrum with GTLM and GTD cars. Juan Pablo Montoya is now in pit lane. The pressure is on, now. Montoya still has cold tires while Taylor’s tires are totally up to temperature. Richard Westbrook drops wheels. Connor De Philippi leads, and we have Joey Hand and Antonio Garcia going for it behind Richard EWestbrook, with Pippo Derani in the ESM Nissan Prototype there as well.

This is some real scrapping for position! Richard Westbrook does not have the balance he had in that Ford GT in the first half of this race. He is under intense pressure. Joey Hand got touched and corkscrewed through the air in 2006 in a BMW M3, in GT. He tumbled end over end but survived the crash. Hand almost went off the road, and then, went back on the road. With the grass getting into the front grille, watch out for the engine and brake cooling. Maybe medium temperature tires as far as compounds will work better than harder or softer, as we get closer to the end of this motor race. Connor De Philippi is in the #25 BMW M8 GT. Laurens Vanthoor is 37 seconds in-arrears of Connor De Philippi. Acura’s continue to run 1-2, just as they did when this race began. We now have just half an hour to go. Connor De Philippi has stayed in front of his competition in GT Le Mans. It was a short fill on the fuel. Dominik Baumann is looking for the first win for Lexus.

Alvaro Parente is trying to chase him down in the Acura. GT Daytona cars don’t have to move and go offline like a Prototype does, and they let the Prototypes. Dominik Baumann and Kyle Marcelli lead GT Daytona in the #14 Lexus RC F GT3. Lawson Aschenbach and Justin Marks are giving the full-time Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3, car #93, a good run today. Paul Miller Racing and the #48 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers are having a great season. Acura wants to win the race they are sponsoring, and they need points well into the season. Patience in traffic means confidence as well. Juan Pablo Montoya gets held up by a GTD Audi. Whoa! Ricky Taylor has to carve his way past the Nissan and one of the Meyer Shank Acura NSX’s. Ricky Taylor is now passing the BMW M8 GT. There’s more GT Daytona traffic. The sector times through the lap are pretty similar. Montoya has to push like no tomorrow. Montoya wants to win for Acura for the first time.

Cue the “Jaws” music. Montoya had to go really wide, going off the road, almost. Ooh! This is ugly. Pippo Derani has to give it up in the #22 Nissan DPi. 20 minutes on the board. But, time is of the essence here. Derani was focusing on the WeatherTech #63 Ferrari 488 GT3. Ricky Taylor has a clear road ahead of him. Acura really wants this win at Mid-Ohio. Can they pull it off? Back in 1962, this track was built, and they used to run this track in the opposite direction, after they ran it in its proper configuration. So, now, we have less than 15 minutes left, and Pippo Derani does not want to give it up. The marshals need to decide what to do with Derani. Stephen Simpson has just run the fastest lap of the race in the #99 GAINSCO Red Dragon. He is chasing the other Prototype for PR1/Mathiasen, with Sebastian Saavedra at the wheel of it. This is Saavedra’s first IMSA start at Mid-Ohio. He also ran here in IndyCar.

Ricky Taylor has to pass one of the BMW’ M8’s. Now, Pippo Derani wants to catch Ricky Taylor, and here comes Juan Pablo Montoya! Acura wants a 1-2. This is the closest the gap has been since the drop of the green flag. The #22 car is the only obstruction to a battle for victory. Montoya is going to make a move it seems. Ricky Taylor has run away from everyone else right now. Taylor is back in go mode as Montoya has had a mess made of trying to catch Derani. It is an eternity to claw a second back from someone you are racing. Be patient. Manage the traffic. Montoya has Felipe Nasr in the #31 Whelen Cadillac to contend with. They had a great race going last time out on the streets of Long Beach. Laurens Vanthoor is being caught by Connor De Philippi who has fresher tires on the BMW than the ones the Porsche has. Less than eight minutes to go. Time is running out. More traffic ahead. This could be the race. Ricky Taylor and Juan Pablo Montoya have all sorts of traffic to deal with.

Filipe Albuquerque is up to fourth, on a weekend where they need points. Helio Castroneves has a busy month of May, as he will race at the Indianapolis 500 at the end of this month. Ricky Taylor has picked up time on Montoya. A battle for the loed is simmering in GTLM. The gap is closing with five minutes remaining. Another three minutes to run. RLL is based in Columbus, Ohio. They want it. BMW wants it. Porsche has 55 minutes on their tires for the stint. Connor De Philippi is reeling in Laurens Vanthoor. Corvette #4 pits for a splash and dash on fuel. Ricky Taylor has ten seconds over Montoya. Montoya has used up his tires. Nothing to gain, and nothing to lose. First, second, and third, are running the way they qualified. But, Ricky Taylor was shuffled to fourth for a while. There are races, and there are championships. The #5 Cadillac will score more points and stay in the championship lead with the #5 car. Team Penske has stepped up. One lap to go.

Take your time. No pressure. No challenges from your team mate, or the ESM Nissan. Through Madness one more time. Now, in GT Daytona, can Lexus hang on and get their first win? Baumann is sliding and Parente wants it. Now, Ricky Taylor and Acura Team Penske win at Mid-Ohio. Alvaro Parent e all over Bumann. Here they come. Parente is going for it. Porsche wins GTLM. This is it. Dominik Baumann, Kyle Marcelli, and 3GT Lexus win at Mid-Ohio! Porsche and Laurens Vanthoor along with Earl Bamber, win GT Le Mans! What a race!

Overall/Prototype: #7 Taylor/Castroneves Acura ARX-05

GT Le Mans: #912 Vanthoor/Bamber Porsche 911 RSR

GT Daytona : #14 Baumann/Marcelli Lexus RC F GT3

This race ran caution free. We are definitely back at Mid-Ohio, and back, at a wonderful track. No yellows, and just one retirement. GTLM has a break until after Le Mans. Next up, for Prototype and GT Daytona, is a race on the streets of Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan, coming up in less than a month.