Paul Loup Chatin pits the #48 IDEC Sport Oreca Gibson. Tim Buret is running well along with Julien Canal. Dallara is 11th in LMP2. Halfway home, chaps. We will have a new set of manufacturer's on the podium at the end of the race. We are trying to work out if there will be any first-time winners at Le Mans. Some of the Toyota drivers have finished on the podium, but none have won, and there are class victories to consider, too. Corvette seems to be setting up for a pit stop. Matthias Beche has another pit stop for the #3 Rebellion R-One. We're just over half distance. It's a full service for the #3. A new driver gets into the car. Gustavo Menezes is the driver heading out for his stint.
There was an 84 hour rally time trial at the Nurburgring in the late 1960s. There had to be some time for sleep in that race. Of course, there is also the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The #82 BMW M8 GTE is doing a brake change, as Alexander Sims is at the wheel of it. The dry brake system is being used, so there is no need to bleed the braking system on the car. The #92 Porsche is in the lane as well in GTE Pro. Hello again, Pink Pig. Toni Vilander pits the AF Corse Ferrari, and he will chase Ryan Briscoe and Antonio Garcia. Michael Christensen remains at the wheel of the #92 machine. Scheduled stop as well with the #91 Porsche. Manthey is not in the clear as we've already seen trouble for the two CORE Autosport American prepped Porsche 911 RSR's. This is the mid engine Porsche 911 RSR of course, moving the engine forward, and mounting the diffuser behind it.
Fernando Alonso has pitted from second in the overall. No driver change. Alonso is into the fourth segment of his quadruple stint. The gap is down to 1:20. Jose Maria Lopez is also going for it. "Pechito" is giving Fernando a proper race. Toyota would want to win, but they really want the car with Alonso at the keyboard, because Alonso is a household name in Formula 1, and a World Champion. There could be a problem with the #3 Rebellion. All the mechanics are awake, ready for a service stop. What might happen?
Jose Maria Lopez pits for fuel and then gets back into the race. Car #3 is in the garage. The car will raise itself like a magic carpet with the pneumatic jacks. The car is steaming, and there is a new piece of legality plank that will be put onto the car. Maybe there is a handling problem, a lack of downforce on the car. Ah. The rear mounting for the flat bottom, has come off. It runs down the lower spine of the car, reducing ground effects on the car. These cars do not have the venturi tunnels under the car like the might Group C machines of the 1980s and '90s, more foreshadowing for future posts.
The rear third of the plank took away downforce. It's half past three in the morning at Le Mans, half past 8PM in the Midwestern United States. Bruno Senna in the sister Rebellion R-One, is third in the overall and in LMP1. Porsche leads Ferrari, Ford, Corvette, and Aston Martin in GTE Pro. GTE Am sees Julien Andlauer leading in the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR. News, if you want to check all the results, use the FIA WEC app. It will allow you to see the stats, and as yours truly is doing, listening to the radio broadcast. The TV broadcast has been nothing but unreliable for me to see, although both radio and TV have some great commentary.
Tires and the compounds for them could be an issue for the Ford GT's. As it got dark, the Ford's were a tad off the pace. LM GTE Pro is very close and very competitive this year in 2018. Alonso is just 56 seconds behind Jose Maria Lopez, as we go towards 4AM French time, 9PM U.S. Central time. The sun will be up, in a couple hours. Loic Duval has pitted the #28 TDS Racing car. The #48 IDEC Sport car is doing just nine laps while others are doing ten. 75 liters of fuel are allowed. There could be a fuel pickup issue on the #28.
Aston Martin understands they have work to do on their new Vantage GTE. They are in it for the long haul, in the rest of the "super season" and Le Mans 2019, next year, which is the final race. Stefan Mucke is 11th in LM GTE Pro. But. Mucke sets fastest lap for the Ford GT. Fernando Alonso has closed to 51 seconds on Jose Maria Lopez. Alonso will finish his stint and Jose Maria Lopez will stay in the car. Debris in the Porsche Curves at marshal post 30. Patrick Long is running well with the #99 Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR with the all American lineup of Patrick Long, Tim Pappas, and Spencer Pumpelly.
There is an exhaust fire for the #29 Racing Team Nederland Dallara Gibson, with the car being burned by hot exhaust.
Jose Guttierez has flown off the road at Porsche curves! He's slammed into the #40 G-Drive Oreca Gibson (not the leader, though). Ker-runch! We will have a slow zone after this crackup. There will need to be damage repair for the Armco barrier if that's what indeed was hit. Jose Guttierez of Mexico was driving and he is out of the car, so he should be fine, as the doctors will still look him over. This car is a G-Drive entry but prepared by Graff Racing. Also, we see the #61 Clearwater Ferrari 488 GTE, sliding around, with Keita Sawa at the wheel of it, along with Matt Griffin of Ireland and Weng Sun Mok. Sawa was running behind the Ebimotors Porsche 911 RSR #80. Fabio Babini of Italy, Christina Nielsen from Denmark (from IMSA), and Erik Maris of France, driving. It is 4AM French time, 9PM U.S. Central time.
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