The Toyota crew looks on from the garage as their cars continue to lead Le Mans? Can they last for the next 21 hours and change? We have more slow zones. Not sure what incident has happened, but the field is definitely within the slow zones all around the track. The GTE Pro contenders still run, pretty much together, liner stern. In LMP1, you haven't missed much either, as Toyota runs 1-2, but there's a long, long, long way to go. DragonSpeed makes a pit stop for fuel and tires, and of course, you cannot change tires until fuel is added to the car. Henrik Hedman of Sweden, Dutchman Renger van der Zande (who drives for Wayne Taylor in IMSA), and Ben Hanley from England are sharing the #10 DragonSpeed BR01. Ford, Porsche, and Ford are shown as the top three in LM GTE Pro.
It's a scrap between Ford #66 and Porsche #93. CEFC TRSM Racing are playing catch up with their Ginetta LMP1 machines. Richard Westbrook and Nick Tandy continue the Ford/Porsche GTE Pro duel. Olivier Pla and Richard Westbrook now battle each other in the #66 and #69 Ford GT's respectively. The emphasis is, it's still early days in this race. It's Le Mans, and things can change as the race goes on, especially into the night. Night at Le Mans is short, because we are so close to the longest day of the year, but it is still grueling. This race has been pretty well managed with few incidents so far, but again, that could all change.
One of the prototypes completes a pit stop. Not sure which one it was that just hit the lane. The world feed cameras have really been zoned in on GTE Pro. This has to be the best scrum on the road right now. Adrian Newey's son Harrison is making his debut at Le Mans, and his dad, one of the most renown race car designers in the world, seems to be a very proud papa today. A scheduled pit stop for Toyota #8. It looks like Fernando Alonso will go out for his first stint in the 24 Hours. Yes. Alonso is into the car, and he cruises down pit lane, back into the motor race. Two and a half hours elapsed on the clock. Alonso is already working traffic. Both retro livery Porsche 911 RSR's are running together, Rothman's followed by The Pink Pig. Meantime, Toyota #7 is in the lane for service and a driver change.
Jose Maria Lopez takes over the car. Porsche #92 also makes a scheduled pit stop for full service but no driver change. The #17 SMP Racing BR01 is pitting right now. Stephane Sarrazin has handed the car over to Matevos Isaakyan. Sebastien Buemi dealt with a fuel cut in the Toyota before the end of his stint. The #81 BMW M8 GTE is gaining on one of the Ford GT's in GTE Pro at the moment. The two BMW's of Phillip Eng and Augusto Farfus are actually leading in class. Fred Makowiecki and Laurens Vanthoor continue their battle in the retro liveried factory Porsche 911 RSR's as well.
The #63 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R- has caught the Ford GT. #63 is driven by Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, and Mike Rockenfeller. GTE Pro continues to witness this see saw battle, between BMW and Ford. The #64 Corvette has lost bodywork on the track that needs to be retrieved, according to a transmission from FIA WEC Race Director, Edoardo Freitas. We have not followed LMP2 much in this race. But right now, the #26 G-Drive Racing car is leading in class, the Oreca Gibson of Jean Eric Vergne of France, rookie Andrea Pizzitola of France, and Russia's Romain Rusinov.
The Dutch LMP2 car, for Racing Team Nederland splits the two Porsche's right now, and they pass that car. It's the #29 Dallara Gibson for an all Dutch team. Giedo van der Garde, Frits van Eerd, and making his final Le Mans start, 1988 winner, for Jaguar, Jan Lammers. Lammers is a true veteran of sports car racing, and Jan, we will miss you in your retirement. The two retro livery Porsche 911 RSR's continue to run right together.
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