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

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Mazda DPi Heads Into Uncharted Waters in Search of First Win

A year ago at this time, much anticipation and excitement came forth with the announcement of a partnership between Mazda and Joest Racing. The team, though, is still looking for that elusive first win, a year on, going into this weekend’s racing at Road America.

https://www.imsa.com/news/072018/mazda-dpi-heads-uncharted-waters-search-first-win

post-race headlines after the 24 Hours of Spa

Post-race coverage after the 24 Hours of Spa, via Sportscar365.

Neville “Delighted” With Top-10 for New Nissan GT3 in 24H Debut

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/neville-delighted-with-performance-of-new-gen-nissan-gt3-in-24h-debut/

Spa Post-Race Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/spa-post-race-notebook-8/

Bentley Ramping Up Deliveries of New-Gen Continental GT3
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/bentley-ramping-up-deliveries-of-new-gen-continental-gt3/

The latest Double Stint Podcast, recapping the Spa 24 Hours. This is a big episode of Double Stint. Check it out, for all the post-race news you can use.

Double Stint: 24H Spa Recap; SRO News Analysis (7-31-18)
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/double-stint-total-24-hours-of-spa-recap-7-31-18/

Walliser: New GT2 Platform “Very Interesting”
https://sportscar365.com/sro/walliser-new-gt2-platform-very-interesting/

Monday, July 30, 2018

Winner & highlights of the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps

It is the blue riband, crown jewel event of the 2018 Blancpain GT Endurance Cup season. The 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, at the legendary Circuit de Spa Francorchamps in Spa Francorchamps, Belgium, a course that has been in it's current layout for almost 40 years, but was once some eight miles long, running through the small towns of this French speaking region of Belgium, and including one of the most fearsome turns in all of racing, the Masta kink. This race also marks the 70th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, a race that was once exclusively the domain of touring cars, but since 2001, and more recently, since the introduction of the Blancpain championship in 2011, GT sports cars. This race, is round two of the Intercontinental GT Challenge as well, a championship for GT3 endurance races that runs around the world, and began, back in February at Mount Panorama Bathurst in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.

It is the fourth round of the 2018 Blancpain GT Endurance Cup as well. 63 cars are set to start the motor race. On the pole is the #62 R-Motorsport Aston Martin V12 Vantage with Marvin Kirchhofer of Germany, Belgian Maxime Martin (now an Aston Martin factory driver), and Austrian Dominik Baumann sharing the driving chores. There are plenty of other competitive team, car, and driver combinations entered for the Spa 24. This is round four of five in the Endurance Cup. 24 hours. The ultimate endurance test, at one of the world's greatest race tracks.

Tension builds here at Spa. Half of Belgium must be on the starting grid, as we look forward to another fabulous race. Who will win? Coming in, Dries Vanthoor, Alex Riberas, and Christopher Mies lead the championships, including the aggregate championship of Sprint and Endurance. Maxime Martin has pole, as we've mentioned. Martin mentions this is the last 24 hour race of the current Aston Martin V12 Vantage before a new car comes in 2019. Martin inherited pole because Dries Vanthoor;'s time was disallowed due to a pipe in the air intake that was taped instead of clipped. So, the scrutineers reported it to the stewards, and there will be a three minute stop and go penalty for the #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 of Belgium's Dries Vanthoor, Germany's Christopher Mies, and Spaniard, Alex Riberas.

We look at an enormous grid. 24 hours on the clock. The field is aligned, two by two. The 70th 24 hours of spa is go! Rene Rast takes the lead into Eau Rouge with Maxime Martin second. Rast leads and everyone is cleanly out of Eau rouge as Bentley #7 starts from the pit lane. Kelvin van der Linde and Miguel Molina are next. All kinds of pressure from the traffic. Did Rene Rast jump the start? Romain Dumas incurred two penalties as the cars go towards Piff Paff. The pole sitter needs to control the field before the Belgian flag waved.

Get on with the program. The chase car is chasing, and bails for the pit lane. Very confusing. Audi #1 is serving it's three minute penalty with Christopher Mies at the wheel, going down a lap. Into Pouhon, are the two Mercedes. 21 minutes into the race. There's a long, long, long way to go. There's a battle for position and the #35 Mercedes AMG GT3 is quicker. That's the Pro Cup entry for SMP Racing shared by Russian drivers Denis Bulatov and ex-Formula 1 racer Vitaly Petrov, along with Michael Meadows from England.

Ooh! Some scary stuff with the Nissan making a pass. Alex Buncombe attempts to pass Raffaele Marciello. In doing so, the car gets squirrely. Meanwhile, Maxime Soulet is staring at Alexander Sims in the #99 Rowe Racing BMW M6 GT3. This is the second of the factory 2018 spec Bentley Continental GT3's with the Belgian driver wanting to make a move. Sims goes for it, using the torque of the BMW. Both of these cars are turbo V8 powered but have slightly different configurations. Soulet in the Bentley is far quicker, with superior traction coming to Eau Rouge, lifting wisely.

Sims rides the curbs. The Bentley is looking good right now. Earl Bamber in the #117 KUS Team 75 Bernhard Porsche 911 GT3 R passes Gary Paffett. Some good drivers, in top level cars. Paffett, the former DTM champion for Mercedes, is at the wheel of the #84 Mercedes AMG Team Mann Filter Mercedes AMG GT3, sharing with Switzerland's Edoardo Mortara, a longtime DTM campaigner, and Dutchman Renger van der Zande, from IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship fame, who also shared this team's car in the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Bamber passes Paffett through Eau Rouge! Holy smokes! That's brave!

Make the move early at La Source. Now, there's a problem, a punctured tire for Matt Griffin in Ferrari #51. The Irishman is sharing the car with Duncan Cameron, a Brit, Lorenzo Bontempelli from Italy, and another Brit, Aaron Scott. We move ahead in the race to 48 minutes in as Rene Rast makes an early pit stop. Maxime Martin will also pit, putting Miguel Molina and Ferrari into the lead. Molina, the rapid Spaniard is driving the #72 SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 along with regular co-drivers for SMP Racing, Mikhail Aleshin from Russian, and Davide Rigon from Italy.

The Audi flies through Eau Rouge and R Motorsports takes the lead, with the #62 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, which probably has the most glorious engine noise of any car out there. That howling 6.0 liter V12 is unmistakeable. This is the pole winning car, of Maxime Martin from Belgium who's dad and uncle have also competed and won at the 24 Hours of Spa before, back when it was a touring car race. He is sharing with Marvin Kirchhofer of Germany, sports car racing veteran Alex Brundle, son of former Le Mans winner, F1 driver, and current F1 commentator, Martin Brundle, and Austrian Dominik Baumann, who we have seen racing for Lexus in the comparable GT Daytona class in IMSA, which, like Blancpain, uses GT3 spec cars.

We're an hour and 12 minutes into the motor race as Romain Dumas in the #911 Porsche 911 GT3R has Christopher Haase all over him into Les Combes! It's the Porsche veteran, and fastest man up Pikes Peak in the electric Volkswagen this year, vs. the Audi veteran. Haase makes the pass. The picture tells the story that the battles around Spa are amazing. We're two and a half hours in. Now, we fast forward to three hours and 40 minutes into the race. Mikhail Aleshin spins the #72 Ferrari! The right rear Pirelli tire is flat. Aleshin was punted off the road. In replay, we see Christopher Haase, Phil Keen (at the wheel of the #82 GRT Grasser Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3), and Luca Stolz (driving the #4 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG GT3), getting all bunched up. The #117 Porsche also tries to pass the #30 Honda Acura NSX GT3, the only one of it's kind in the field. This is the Castrol Honda Racing car, listed in Pro Am.

The #30 car has a stellar lineup including former Formula 1 and Lancia factory FIA World Endurance Championship driver Riccardo Patrese of Italy (starting his first race as a driver in over two decades), Loic Depailler of France, (son of the late, great Formula 1 driver Patrick Depailler, who was killed in a fatal racing crash), IndyCar and sports car veteran Bertrand Baguette from Belgium, and rookie Argentinian driver, Esteban Guerrieri. Oh boy. The Oman Racing Aston Martin has had a clatter into the Armco, look. He runs wide, and Euan McKay crunches the wall! McKay is sharing that #97 Aston Martin V12 Vantage with other Silver rated drivers, Irishman Charlie Eastwood, team and car owner Ahmad Al Harthy of Oman, and fellow Brit, Ross Gunn.

Three hours done and dusted, and we have a full course yellow, obviously for the Aston Martin incident. Pit stop time for the #63 GRT Grasser Lamborghini Huracan GT3. It has it's regular driving trio of Italian's Mirko Bortolotti and Andrea Caldarelli, and Germany's Christian Engelhart, sharing the driving chores here, at Spa. The #29 Land Motorsports Audi R8 has also gotten snookered on this yellow, and so has the Lamborghini. Starting the fourth hour, Bentley #8 takes over thew lead as the #62 Aston Martin is falling down the order.

Still under full course yellow, the Bentley is followed by the #114 Lexus and the #23 Nissan. Bentley #8 is Maxime Soulet, the Belgian, sharing with Vincent Abril of Monaco, and Andy Soucek of Spain. That car is being followed by the #114 Emil Frey Lexus RC F GT3, for Monagasque sports car veteran and former Le Mans winner Stephane Ortelli, Markus Palttala of Finland, and Norbert Siedler from Austria. This is the sister car to the most recent winner on the Blancpain Endurance Cup circuit.

Next up is the second of the two Bob Neville run Nissan GT-R's for GT Sport Motul Team RJN. Alex Buncombe and Matt Parry from England, share with another fast Spanish racer, Lucas Ordonez. Oh boy! Flat left rear tire for the #58 McLaren 650S. Ben Barnicoat at the controls, and we see some more argy bargy as the #63 Lamborghini slams into the back of the McLaren at the Bus Stop chicane! All kinds of damage needs to be fixed, going up on the dollies and into the garage. #63 was just mentioned not too long ago and was one of the favorites. Now, we are five hours and 20 minutes in, still in daylight as Phillip Eng challenges Jesse Krohn. Two BMW M6's fight each other. It's a battle of the two BMW teams, Rowe Racing vs. Walkenhorst Motorsports. Eng in car #34, Krohn in #99 for Rowe, the second of their two entries. Commentators David Addison, Bruce Jones, and Bob Varsha are putting us right in the middle of the action.

Press the fast forward on your DVR again, folks. We are six hours and fifteen minutes in now, and there's a full course yellow for fixing the track. A half hour later, we are back to green flag racing, six hours and 45 minutes in. Nissan #23 with Matt Parry is demoted by Jules Gounon. The Frenchman, son of former Formula 1 and sports car driver Jean Marc Gounon, shares the Bentley with Brit Steven Kane, and new factory Bentley Boy, South African hot shoe, Jordan Pepper, who replaces the legendary Guy Smith, Le Mans winner in 2003 with Bentley, now happily retired from driving a race car.

The #117 Porsche is trying to go for it through Eau Rouge, and Laurens Vanthoor makes the pass on his competitor, but he's getting squeezed! Six hours and 42 minutes gone, and Romain Dumas is side by side with Laurens Vanthoor! What did I say about the squeeze play? It happened, there. It's still happening! Dumas and Vanthoor are side by side up over the top of Raidillon! Yikes! This is intense battling, and Vanthoor did a sterling job of driving, but it seems Dumas has all but left him behind to pick up the scraps. We have completed 160 laps approaching hour nine. 161 laps with the #8 Bentley leading over BMW's #34 and #98. Four Nissan is fourth. Bentley #8 is stopping early and heading for the garage.

Full course yellow again, at nine hours and 32 minutes. In Eau Rouge, the #114 Lexus RC F GT3 has a major crash! Stephane Ortelli has clouted the barrier, hard! The winner of the 1998 24 Hours of Le mans, and also, the 2003 version of this race, won't win at Spa again this year. The wreckage is cleaned up, but it's game over for Ortelli and team mates Palttala and Siedler. Now, in hour eleven, we restart. Timo Bernhard almost gets turned around by Alexander Sims! It's more action between Porsche #117 and BMW #98. Oh, by the way, Sims is sharing the first Rowe BMW with Ricky Collard from England, son of British Touring Car Championship BMW racer Rob Collard, the aforementioned Jesse Krohn of Finland, and Germany's Marco Wittman, a veteran of BMW's DTM efforts.

We have another full course yellow at Raidillon! Boom! The #666 Lamborghini is off the road. Bernd Schneider isn't stopping. Schneider is the #175 SunEnergy1 HTP Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT3 of team owner Kenny Habul from Australia (racing in the Intercontinental GT Challenge after being in the GT Daytona class in IMSA for a number of years). Schneider and Habul are joined in this automobile, by German Mercedes ace Thomas Jager, and Austrian, Martin Konrad, who could very well be the son of former sports car racer, Franz Konrad.

Now, in hour eleven, we restart, and Timo Bernhard nearly gets turned around by Alexander Sims! We have another full course yellow at Raidillon. Boom! The #666 Lamborghini is off the road. Bernd Schneider in the #175 Mercedes, isn't stopping. Now, we are under a red flag. This is a massive incident. The car spins, drags it's nose around, and it's a green Ferrari or something that it's crashed into. it's hard to tell. After two hours of red flag conditions, we have passed the halfway mark in the 2018 24 Hours of Spa, and we're back under green. BMW #34 is in the lead, with the #4 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG GT3 of Yelmer Buurman in second.

It is hard to tell which of the green Rinaldi Racing Ferrari's were involved in the incident. #333 is shared by Alexander Matschull of Germany, Rinat Salikhov of Russia, Daniel Keilwitz of Germany, and South African gentleman driver, David Perel. The gap will remain roughly the same as Daniel Juncadella is third, Frederic Vervisch is fourth. So, it's a battle between Sainteloc Audi and one of the AKKA ASP Mercedes'. Juncadella is sharing with Raffaele Marciello of Italy, and the experienced Frenchman, Tristan Vautier.

Laurens Vandoor has lots of work to do, as Kelvin van der Linde runs fastest lap, and here comes Jules Gounon in the #7 Bentley with the #99 BMW M6 GT3 right on his deck lid! Matt Parry goes by Laurens Vanthoor and Vanthoor gets him back! Now, Daniel Juncadella has been passed by Vanthoor as well. He's on a charge. But, 15 minutes before halfway at the 11 hour and 45 minute mark, Vanthoor spins! He lost a dive plane off the nose in the downhill! That's Fangnes, also known as the Piff Paff. More carnage! Hour 13 and Jules Syzkoviac has been shunted, bang!, into the wall! He's banked up his ankles. We have damaged Armco barriers, so there's another red flag.

Let's hope Syzkoviac, the Dutchman, isn't hurt. He was sharing car #90 with Nico Bastian of Germany, Jack Manchester of England, and another German, Fabian Schiller. We've restarted inside the final ten hours, at fifteen hours and 18 minutes. BMW #34 for Walkenhorst Racing leads the #7 Bentley, the #23 Nissan, the #2 Belgian Audi Club WRT Audi, and the #29 Land Motorsports Audi. Audi #2 is shared by Robin Frijns from Holland, Nico Muller of Switzerland, and Germany's Rene Rast, a star factory driver for Audi. Behind them is the #29 Land Motorsports Audi. Christopher Haase passes Yelmer Buurman.

Fast forward and skip ahead on your DVR to eighteen hours and eleven minutes. Steve Kane has his hands full with the #34 BMW M6 GT3 of Phillip Eng. Kane lays rubber down, and is side by side with Eng on the front straight! Eng makes the pass into Eau Rouge! Good stuff! Whoops! Audi #17 is crunched, and so is the #8 Bentley with a left front puncture at 18 hours and 23 minutes. Also, Porsche #117 has made contact! There's a massive shunt with the Audi slamming into the Bentley, and the Porsche has to take evasive action! Ouch! That's a dramatic crash! Up, over, and down upon the bonnet! The pit crew is checking the radiator.

BMW #34, for Walkenhorst, is in the lane, in sixth place overall. The #99 BMW is now leading and we fast forward to 18 hours and 43 minutes. Phillip Eng forces the issue with Kelvin van der Linde for fourth in the overall. Eighteen hours and 55 minutes, and the Bernhard KUS Team 75 Porsche, is out. Game over for #117. Oh my! Speaking of game over, Bentley #8 grinds to a halt at Eau Rouge. Andy Soucek says that Vanthoor was trying to overtake a lapped car, and got wrecked by the lapped car, with Maxime Soulet driving, and he flew! He became the unintentional stunt pilot! No gearbox pressure after the shunt.

Jules Gounon is second overall right now, so Bentley has some good fortune. Bentley #7 is in the garage at 19 hours and 40 minutes. Now, we fast forward to just two hours, 39 minutes, and change, left. Plot your own pit strategy. One hour to go now. Land Motorsports pits, and they have little chance to be able to overhaul Audi #25. That's the Sainteloc entry of Christopher Haase, Markus Winkelhock, and Frederic Vervisch, the defending champions of this race. BMW is leading. Kelvin van der Linde will stay in the car to the end. No joker pit stops. It's a mandatory stop at 72 seconds duration from pit in to pit out. Frederic Vervisch tries to get by the BMW. Alexander Sims is trying to get by.

Jules Gounon is second overall right now, so Bentley has some good fortune. Bentley #7 us ub tge garage at 19 houyrs and 40 minutes. Now, we fast foerward to just two hours and 39 minutes and change, left. Olot your own pit strategy. One hour to go now, Land motorsports pits, and they have little chance to be able to overhaul audi #25. BVMW is leading. Kelvin van der Linde will stay in the car to the end. No joker pit stops. It's a mandatory stop at 72 seconds from pit in to pit out.
Frederic Vervisch tries to get by the BMW. Alexander Sims is trying to overtake Frederic Vervisch. Race leader, car #34 is in the pit lane for it's final stop. Phillip Eng will stay in the car to the end of this motor race. The #29 Land Motorsports Audi with Kelvin van der Linde at the wheel of it, is fourth overall, with just 47 minutes left to go.

The #4 Black Falcon Mercedes pits for the final time, and was in the lead briefly before BMW #34 goes back into the lead. Alexander Sims in the #99 BMW M6 GT3 is trying to catch up. BMW has charged overnight. The race has been incredible. We are coming to the end of the race. Pro Am class honors are set to go the way of the #333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488 GT3. Alexander Matschull will be the driver to take the victory! The #77 Barwell Lamborghini will win in the Am class, with the winning drivers, Richard Abra from England, Adrian Amstutz of Switzerland, Patrick Kuala of Finland, and Russia's Leo Machitski. In the Silver Cup, the #12 Ombra Racing Lamborghini beats the similar car, #78, the sister Barwell Racing machine. Ombra's drivers are Italian Alex Frassineti, Kang Ling from China, Romain Monti from France, and Italian Andrea Rizzoli.

Five minutes to go. Walkenhorst is poised to celebrate! It's Walkenhorst Motorsport and BMW taking the win with Phillip Eng, Christian Krognes, and Tom Blomqvist! Rowe Racing and BMW score a second place finish, and Land Motorsport will finish third on the podium with the van der Linde brothers and Jeffrey Schmidt. Henry Walkenhorst is hugging his team, happier than he's probab ly ever been in his racing career! 511 laps completed by the winners. Tom Blomqvist, christian krognes, and Phiullip Eng are your winners. BMW was excellenet especially in the second half of the race. This is Phillip Eng's second Spa 24 Hours triumph. The winning drivers at Walkenhorst are being congratulated by their team mates. Phillip Eng wants a cold drink to celebrate.

The trophies are presented to Christian Krognes, Phillip Eng, and Tom Blomqvist, including the monster size trophy that is the Role of Honor. A 1-2 for BMW at Spa! BMW extends their streak as the winningest make at the 24 Hours of Spa! Once more, the winners.

Overall/Pro: #34 Blomqvist/Eng/Krognes BMW M6 GT3

Silver: #12 Frassineti/Ling/Monti/Rizzoli Lamborghini Huracan GT3

Pro Am: #333 Keilwitz/Mattschull/Perel/Salikhov Ferrari 488 GT3

Am: #77 Abra/Amstutz/Kujala/Machitski Lamborghini Huracan GT3

Another edition of the Spa 24 Hours comes to a close. The next event in the Intercontinental GT Challenge will happen soon, and that is the 10 Hours of Suzuka, a new race at the Suzuka circuit in Suzuka, Japan, scheduled for the end of August, while the Blancpain Endurance Cup has one final round to be run, a three hour race at Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, right at the end of September. So, we'll see you then, and look forward to covering both races. For now, so long from Spa Francorchamps, and the majestic backdrop of the Ardennes forest.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, abbreviated race highlights

This is the first of a couple of consecutive posts highlighting the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps. Yours truly, watched the entire race on Motor Trend on Demand this weekend. Catch highlights, tonight at 7PM Eastern Time, 6PM Central Time, on CBS Sports Network. Yours truly will do the same and build a race report from there, which should be posted, tomorrow.
In the meantime, here are the abbreviated storylines from the race in each hour via Sportscar365.

R-Motorsport Out Front After First Hour of 24H Spa
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/r-motorsport-leads-24h-spa-after-first-hour/

24H Spa Race Start Highlights
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/24h-spa-race-start-highlights/

Bentley Leads 24H Spa After Four Hours
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/bentley-leads-24h-spa-after-four-hours/

Land Audi Out Front as Darkness Falls
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/land-audi-out-front-as-darkness-falls/

No. 8 Bentley Hits Trouble in Hour 8
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/no-8-bentley-hits-trouble-in-hour-8/

Ortelli Crashes at Raidillon; Walkenhorst Leads
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/ortelli-crashes-at-raidillon-walkenhorst-leads/

24H Spa Red-Flagged in Hour 10
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/24h-spa-red-flagged-in-hour-10/

Race Restarted After Halfway, Walkenhorst Leads
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/race-restarted-after-halfway-walkenhorst-leads/

Sims Leads 24H Spa After Mandatory Technical Stops
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/sims-leads-24h-spa-after-mandatory-technical-stops/

Meyrick, Krebs Sustain Fractures in Overnight Accident
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/meyrick-krebs-suffer-fractures-in-24h-spa-crash/

Sainteloc Out Front With Six Hours to Go
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/sainteloc-out-front-with-six-hours-to-go/

BMW 1-2 With Three Hours to Go
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/bmw-1-2-with-three-hours-to-go/

BMW continues their record in the 24 Hours of Spa, and gets their third win in four years.

Walkenhorst Leads BMW 1-2 in 24H Spa
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/walkenhorst-leads-bmw-1-2-in-24h-spa/

Van der Linde: Land Played Catch Up to BMWs
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/van-der-linde-land-playing-catch-up-to-bmws/

Eng: Walkenhorst Able to “Show What They Can Do”
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/eng-walkenhorst-able-to-show-what-they-can-do/

Here are the abbreviated race highlights. More to come, in a full report.

24H Spa Race Highlights
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/24h-spa-race-highlights/

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Spa Pre-Race Notebook

Sportscar365’s pre-race Notebook before the 24 Hours of Spa

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/spa-pre-race-notebook-9/

Audi, Porsche Hit with Pre-Race Weight Increase

Audi, Porsche hit with weight increase in pre-race BoP change at 24H Spa,

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/audi-porsche-hit-with-pre-race-weight-increase/

WRT Penalized; R-Motorsport Inherits Pole

Dries Vanthoor’s Super Pole time deleted for illegal air intake modification.

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/wrt-penalized-r-motorsport-inherits-pole/

Excited for the race to start. Remember, there will be a report, but not until tomorrow evening. Enjoy the race, and if you have Motor Trend On Demand, tune in, in an hour and a half or so, to see the race for yourself.

Friday, July 27, 2018

Friday pre-race news from Spa

All of the pre-race news from Spa, before the 24 Hours tomorrow. You can follow the race if you have a Motor Trend On Demand subscription but I don’t think it is possible to follow it via the official SRO YouTube channel, as access to the channel is restricted in the United States. Nonetheless, here is the news you can use, from Spa on Friday.

Perera: “Perfect” Race Needed for GRT’s Second 24H Win

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/perera-perfect-race-needed-for-grts-second-24h-win/

Paddock Divided Over Introduction of Joker Pit Stops

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/paddock-divided-over-introduction-of-joker-pit-stops/

Red Bull Ring Replaces Zolder for 2019

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/red-bull-ring-replaces-zolder-for-2019/

Marciello Crashes In Warmup

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/marciello-crashes-in-warmup/

Dries Vanthoor and Audi are on Pole for the 24 Hours of Spa.

Vanthoor Puts WRT Audi on Pole for 24H Spa

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/dries-vanthoor-puts-wrt-on-pole-for-24h-spa/

Spa Friday Notebook

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/spa-friday-notebook-9/

You can catch highlights of the 24 Hours of Spa, this Sunday evening on CBS Sports Network at 7PM Eastern Time, 6PM Central Time.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Spa news on Thursday

24 Hours of Spa 2018 parade

Race cars on the public roads around Spa Francorchamps which used to make up the old circuit before the current layout was finalized in 1979 and has been revised frequently in the last 39 years.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Spa 24 Hours news

More headlines surrounding this weekend’s 24 Hours of Spa for the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup.

No racing for Adam Christodoulou in this weekend’s Spa 24. His place on the Black Falcon Mercedes team will be taken by fellow Brit, Tom Onslow-Cole.

Christodoulou Ruled Out of 24H Spa; Onslow-Cole to Replace

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/christodoulou-ruled-out-of-24h-spa-onslow-cole-to-replace/

Ram Leads Mercedes 1-2 in Bronze Test
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/ram-leads-mercedes-1-2-in-bronze-test/

Frey: Lexus to Challenge Larger Teams at Spa After Recent Win

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/frey-lexus-to-challenge-larger-teams-at-spa-after-recent-win/

Bentley, Lexus Hit with BoP Changes
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/bentley-lexus-hit-with-bop-changes/

Spa Wednesday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/spa-wednesday-notebook-8/

Northeast Grand Prix Race Broadcasr

The race broadcast of the Northeast Grand Prix from Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.

https://imsatv.imsa.com/video/072018/2018-northeast-grand-prix-race-broadcast

Northeast Grand Prix: Five Takeaways

Saturday’s action-packed two-Hour and 40-minute Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park was the first showcase of the season for IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship GT classes.

https://www.imsa.com/news/072018/northeast-grand-prix-five-takeaways

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

24 Hours of Spa headlines

A bonus post on Tuesday. More news as we get ready for the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps this weekend.

Four Pro-Am Entries Withdrawn; Antonelli Joins 24H Spa Field

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/four-pro-am-entries-withdrawn-antonelli-joins-24h-spa-field/

Watson: McLaren GT3 Still Has the “Pace to Win”

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/watson-mclaren-gt3-still-has-the-pace-to-win/

The 24 Hours of Spa is round two of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Here is the preview.

IGTC Returns with 24H Spa
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/igtc-returns-with-24h-spa/

Strakka Aiming For Long-Term Relationship with Mercedes

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/strakka-aiming-for-long-term-relationship-with-mercedes-amg/

Monday, July 23, 2018

Weekly Racing Roundup (7-23-18)

Race reports from SRO Speed Week, Blancpain GT Asia, and Le Mans Cup.

https://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-7-23-18/

FIA WEC & 24 Hours of Le Mans news

Some headlines from the FIA WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Adam: Vantage Still Has “Massive Potential” After Le Mans Debut
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/adam-vantage-still-has-massive-potential-after-le-mans-debut/

LMP1 Non-Hybrids Given EoT Breaks in New Equalization Efforts
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/lmp1-non-hybrids-given-eot-breaks/

We mourn the loss of a legend, owner of Champion Racing, Dave Maraj, who won the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans with his Champion Racing Team, and Audi, died suddenly, in a boating accident.

Dave Maraj Passes Away
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/dave-maraj-passes-away/

Sunday, July 22, 2018

post-race from Lime Rock Park

All of the post-race headlines after a great race at Lime Rock Park yesterday.

Paul Miller Lamborghini Dominates GTD at Lime Rock
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/paul-miller-lamborghini-dominates-gtd-at-lime-rock/

Hand, Mueller Take Lime Rock Win as Corvette Fades Late
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/hand-mueller-take-lime-rock-win/

Lime Rock Final Lap & Post-Race Interviews
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/lime-rock-final-lap-post-race-interviews/

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Winner & highlights of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park

The race at Lime Rock, has started. We are 30 laps into the race. Yours truly, had the start time, confused. So, we pick up the action, 31 laps in, actually. A couple of the GT Daytona cars, have already hit trouble. The #93 Acura NSX GT3 of Lawson Aschenbach, and Bill Auberlen in the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3. Lime Rock is a legendary track. Antonio Garcia, is leading his team mate Tommy Milner, and then, in the third spot is the #66 Ford GT. The lapping has now begun in this race. Sorry, folks. We're a bit late in getting the race report up and running. There's some argy bargy between Patrick Pilet and Connor De Philippi.

The three cars battling for GT Daytona honors are the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3, the #33 Keating Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT3, and one of the Lexus cars. Antonio Garcia is stretching his lead over Laurens Vanthoor. The first eight laps of the race were run under the yellow flag. The GTLM cars are having to carve their way through the GT Daytona traffic. Plan ahead, and choose your spot. Ben Keating has Cooper MacNeil running ahead right now. The closing rates are enormous between the GT Le Mans and GT Daytona cars.

Garcia leads Laurens Vanthoor, Tommy Milner, and the two Fords. Jack Hawksworth is leading Bryan Sellers. The Lexus is struggling, and the Lamborghini is starting to come to life. This race has been turned on it's ear because of the early yellow. Sellers tries the Lexus into Big Bend, and the Diving Turn. #15 goes off strategy. New tires and fuel, for Jack Hawksworth. No debris in the radiators, and a top notch tire change for the Lexus boys. Each of Garcia's last five laps have been consistently in the 52 second range. Vanthoor is about three seconds in-arrears of the Corvette. Now, John Potter is really steaming right along in GT Daytona.

Dominik Baumann has had a great stint, and he will pit, and give way to Kyle Marcelli. Three wide out of Big Bend into the left hander! Are they mad? No. They're just racing really hard. 45 minutes is the minimum drive time in this race. Patrick Long now leads GT Daytona, and he has a half a lap on the field. The California road racing expert, is really, really going for it. Ah. Baumann, Cooper MacNeil, and Sellers, in the lane. All cars change tires. Fuel is in the tank. #63 is fastest out of the lane. Madison Snow will take over the #48 Lamborghini, and now, Alvaro Parente takes the wheel of the Acura #86 from Katherine Legge.

50 laps now done and dusted. #86 was having some trouble, but it is minimal. Lots of early driver changes as this is indeed, a true sprint race. The GTD boys have come in spot on on the drive time, which means they will take two stops. GT Le Mans contenders have not pitted as yet. We're only just getting started. An hour and 51 minutes left now. Richard Westbrook hits the lane in Ford #67. Fuel and a driver change to Ryan Briscoe. Patrick Long is in pit lane, and Christina Nielsen will now take over the car. She will go out for her first race at Lime Rock in a year. Jack Hawksworth is now back into the GTD lead. They are splitting the race into three parts.

Look after the tires. That is the key. Hawksworth has had his 45 minutes in the car. Hawksworth leads Nielsen, Snow, and Gunnar Jeanette. Jeanette has taken over the WeatherTech Ferrari. Laps 42 and 47 saw pit action from the GTD contenders. Madison Snow passes Christina Nielsen into Big Bend. Madison Snow's mom and dad are both race winning drivers themselves, Martin and Melanie Snow. Now, Ryan Briscoe has put the fastest lap for Ford GT #67 in the books. We lost a good 15 minutes from a crash between Lawson Aschenbach in the #93 Acura and Bill Auberlen in BMW #96. Briscoe's tactics for the Ford are now, drive it like you stole it.

Connor De Philippi locks up in the downhill chicane and Patrick Pilet gets a freebie. Now, Briscoe is trying to get a lap back from team mate Dirk Mueller in the sister Ford GT #66. Someone has to be on the phone to Mueller, "let him go. He is on a different strategy." John Edwards pits the #24 BMW M8 GTE. Jesse Krohn takes the car over, and gets new tires and fuel. Mueller is in the lane now. Fuel, tires, and a driver change for #66. Joey Hand is in the car. Now, he wants to race. He's going for his sixth win at Lime Rock Park.

Briscoe lowers his lap times to the low 52 second range. Antonio Garcia's lead has ballooned to seven seconds. Ah. He is into the pit lane, and will change over to Jan Magnussen. Sticker Michelin tires on the car, and fuel goes into the tank. No urgency until Magnussen accelerates, ready to go for it on the speedway. Pit stop time now, too for the #912 Porsche. Earl Bamber, the New Zealander, takes over from Laurens Vanthoor. Everything is under control. Tommy Milner, Patrick Pilet, and Connor De Philippi still need to pit, and all three of those chaps have run best lap times of 51 seconds and change.

Milner is now in the lane, from the lead. Patrick Pilet runs wide at the exit of the diving turn! Yikes! Milner in the lane. Two years ago, Milner and Oliver Gavin gave the Corvette program 100 wins here at Lime Rock. Now, they want 100 wins in the U.S. Gavin is a marathon runner in addition to being a racing driver. Now, the Porsche #911 pits. Patrick Pilet, out, and Nick Tandy, in. All the pit stops have been completed save for Connor De Philippi who is leading. 70 laps completed by the BMW, helped by some yellow. Tire wear is why we saw earlier pit callers than expected. This race has been very consistent.

It's slightly overcast at Lime Rock Park in the Berkshire hills of northwestern Connecticut. The tires are feeling the strain because of the abrasive track surface. The rear tires inparticular, are going to be pasted and pummeled today. Mechanical grip is what drivers will want today. The BMW lads are hoping for a caution flag. Now, Jan Magnussen sweeps right around Connor De Philippi. No fight. But, both these blokes are struggling for grip. Corvette retakes the lead. Earl Bamber resets fast lap at 51.129. We're a ways away from the 50.7 lap record set in 2017 by Antonio Garcia. Lexus has been struggling once again, here at LRP. Gunnar Jeanette has made a pass on Christina Nielsen. Andy Lally is coming fast as well. Nick Tandy, eighth overall, has reset fast lap. Recall that last year, Porsche ran away with this race and won, scoring a 1-2 finish.

Oh dear. The front bonnet on the #911 Porsche is about to fall off! The right hand side of what would be the trunk lid, the boot lid, is loose. Jack Hawksworth is headed for pit lane. Mario Farnbacher will pit. Now, the #911 pit crew will bear bond the lid down on the front of the 911 RSR. Under an hour and 25 minutes to go now, and Hawksworth pits for the second time. Hawksworth is in, and they are staggering the tires. Two tires done and dusted. Fuel goes into the car. Car is off the air jacks, and Hawksworth struggles for grip, but goes back on track. No driver change. Mario Farnbacher will get in on the next stop.

Ryan Briscoe, on worn tires, is gaining on his team mate, and his rivals from Corvette. So, the top eight in each class:

GTLM

1. #3 Magnussen Corvette
2. #912 Bamber Porsche
3. #66 Hand Ford GT
4. #4 Gavin Corvette
5. #24 Krohn BMW
6. #911 Tandy Porsche
7. #25 De Philippi BMW

GTD

1. #48 Snow Lamborghini
2. #63 Jeanette Ferrari
3. #58 Nielsen Porsche
4. #44 Lally Audi
5. #33 Bleekemolen Mercedes
6. #86 Parente Acura
7. #15 Hawksworth Lexus
8. #14 Marcelli Lexus

De Philippi in the lane, handing over to Alexander Sims. Tires and fuel. So, now, we have a situation where De Philippi is losing time. We have heard Sergio Marchionne has been demoted as head of Fiat Chrysler, and Mike Manley will head the company. More about that will come, maybe on a news update and in another blog of yours truly. Now, Alexander Sims is pressing hard to stay on the lead lap, trying to stay ahead of Jan Magnussen who leads Earl Bamber. Jeroen Bleekemolen has his hands full with Alvaro Parente.

Gunnar Jeanette is trying to eke out a gap. Fuel will decide the strategy, not tires. Mercedes and Ferrari will use scrubbed tires. Sticker tires for Porsche. Earl Bamber and Joey Hand are beginning to reel in Jan Magnussen. The leaders have now run 100 laps, 153 miles. Alvaro Parente and Jack Hawksworth battle for sixth in GTD. Kyle Marcelli pits for the first time since lap 47. New tires and fuel. Acura #86, and Corvette #4 are set to pit. It's going to be tight on fuel for the GTD cars. Parente into the lane. Four lightly scrubbed Continental tires go onto the Acura.

How far do you go before making your last pit stop? Track position will be an advantage. You don't have to jump as soon as everyone else does, but Madison Snow now pits the #48 Lamborghini. Bryan Sellers has completed his driving duties, and now, Madison Snow, will keep going. A perfect stop for PMR. Gunnar Jeanette leads GT Daytona, and now, Jan Magnussen pits. He does a 40 lap stint. New Michelin tires, four of them, onto the car. Fuel into the car, just enough for the end. Wow. Just an hour or so of racing remains. Oh dear! Gunnar Jeanette is off the road at turn one, from the lead!

Christina Nielsen brings the #58 Porsche into pit lane. Gunnar Jeanette hits the curb! Oh boy! This is very uncharacteristic for him to lose concentration. He's into pit lane for repairs. He spun 'round on the exit of the corner. No grass in the radiator of the Ferrari. Now, Andy Lally has pitted the #44 Magnus Audi. Fuel, tires, and a driver change to Patrick Long, for the #58 Porsche 911 GT3R. BMW M8 #24 pits. Four tires and fuel for Jesse Krohn. Earl Bamber leads the motor race, and is balked by Andy Lally in the downhill. Bamber is nowhere near passing the Audi, which is very slippery and aerodynamic. 53.6 for Bamber. He's half a second off the leaders. Now, Bamber goeds to the right and passes Lally into West Bend.

Ryan Briscoe pits the #67 Ford, staying in the car. Four sticker Michelin tires. Mario Farnbacher is ready to get into the #15 Lexus RC F GT3. Earl Bamber has understeered off the road! This is just before the No Name straight! Four seconds has evaporated for Earl Bamber! He understeers off at Big Bend. Both the Porsche and the Ford have made just one pit stop and are due a second visit to the lane, soon. Ah. Ford jumps, and is in the lane with 54 minutes to go. Left side tires, fuel, then right side tires. All four tires are changed. Hand does a burnout to the end of the lane, and goes back on track.

Earl Bamber is into pit lane now, too. Nick Tandy is just 32 seconds behind. Left side and right side tires, changed. Some trouble with the right front wheel gun! Oh no! Bamber may have lost this race! They've lost loads of time! He will play catch up. Track position. Tire strategy. Get the pit stops right. Well, the pit stop was botched there. Bamber has dropped down the order. Jan Magnussen is still in the lead of this motor race, and Earl Bamber has now lost nearly a full lap. Bamber's Porsche 911 RSR is understeering into Big Bend with 50 minutes left. Earl Bamber has dropped down a full minute on the leader. Joey Hand turns his fastest lap in the #66 Ford GT.

Bamber, after losing time in the lane, will be steaming. 47 minutes now remain. This race should finish around ten minutes to 6PM Eastern Time, 5PM Central Time. Joey Hand passes, and Nick Tandy is losing time hand over fist with 45 minutes remaining. 45 minutes now remain. Commanding leads for the leaders in both classes. Madison Snow leads GTD. The gap has stabilized between Patrick Long and Andy Lally. Mario Farnbacher wants by Alvaro Parente. Now, the #24 BMW M8 GTE has hit something, with Jesse Krohn at the wheel of it, with damage to the bonnet on the lefthand side. Nick Tandy pits for fuel and tires, his final stop.

The hood pops up on #24 down the Sam Posey straight. Jesse Krohn is giving the BMW some welly, but Joey Hand wants to chase down Jan Magnussen here. Madison Snow has a lead still, over Patrick Long, who is leading Andy Lally, who has some damage to the Audi R8 as well. The bonnet is not staying down on the BMW. GTD leaders have run 127 laps. Nick Tandy resets fast lap at 50.83. Meantime, the #66 Ford GT is screaming around the track, and he's gaining on the Porsche. Ford has ten laps fresher tires, than does the Corvette. Jan Magnussen will be struggling on fuel. Speaking of struggling, Patrick Long is beginning to have some grip and handling issues on turn in and on throttle application. Andy Lally will see the Porsche, as a wounded bird.

Madison Snow leads GT Daytona by 26 seconds. #33 is trying to stay ahead of #48. Lally is coming, and fast. Could there be a slow puncture on the #58 Porsche? Long clobbers the curb into West Bend. Tire strategy. Have something left in the locker at the end of the motor race. Patrick Long is fighting for grip. Long is pushed offline, and Lally is trying, but decides discretion is the better part of valor. Madison Snow ekes out a 27 second lead in GTD, look. Nick Tandy is steaming ahead, trying to get back on the lead lap. He's going for it, trying to catch the Corvette. Joey Hand is second in the race.

Andy Lally goes side by side with the Ford and some argy bargy! The two hit! This is the battle for second in GTD. But, now, Hand is in this fight, too. Will Race Control deem that avoidable contact? Hand has made the inside pass on Lally. Lally can't fight back. Patrick Long will have to try Lally and he makes it stick. Onto No Name Straight, the #58 Porsche is going to struggle a bit. Long can't hold on to Andy Lally through Big Bend. That was an amazing move on Lally's part. There's major tire clag offline. Rubber buildup exists at the chicane and in the esses after Big Bend. Jeroen Bleekemolen wants to stay on the lead lap in the #33 Mercedes AMG GT3. Patrick Long's tires may well be knackered by now.

This is bonkers, and there's still 25 minutes of racing time to go. Nick Tandy is now within four car lengths of getting his lap back from Jan Magnussen. Will Magnussen fight him? Tandy is right with the Corvette. Corvette vs. Porsche. Traffic ahead. Tandy is slower. Joey Hand is four seconds away from the leaders. He has them in his sites. Tandy wants his lap back. Jan Magnussen won't want to fight too hard because he has Joey Hand to be worried about. Tandy shows a nose. He says to Magnussen, "let me go and get me lap back here." Three wide into turn one! Magnussen has to go inside Jeroen Bleekemolen! This racing is amazing!

Joey Hand has moved up, and Joey Hand could be in the pound seats to make a move! Into Big Bend, Alvaro Parente is trying to stay ahead of Gunnar Jeanette, but no. Jeanette takes fifth from Alvaro Parente. Now, Patrick Long goes wide, and his tires are toasted. The Porsche cannot manage it's tires. A slight touch, some argy bargy between Patrick Long and Ryan Briscoe. Pit and put a new set of skins on it, but he'll lose gobs of time. Madison Snow has caught Jeroen Bleekemolen, and Bleekemolen, with less grip, is going to be lapped. How hard does Madison Snow want to try, to lap the Mercedes? Joey Hand has closed up by 1.6 seconds to Magnussen, and Nick Tandy has unlapped himself.

Tandy wants by Ryan Briscoe in the #67 Ford GT. Alvaro Parente has his hands full with Gunnar Jeannette. The gap in GTD is coming down by a second a lap. Patrick Long has to pit before he completely bins the car. No plans for the team to pit. Joey Hand is now within striking distance of Jan Magnussen. What does Magnussen have left in the locker? 15 laps to go. The gap is nothing. 4/10ths of a second. Oh no! At the bottom of the downhill, Jan Magnussen understeers off the road! Joey Hand is gifted the lead! Wow! Coming down the hill, traffic ahead at West Bend, under the bridge, and went off the road at the exit on the marbles, the clag on the outside. Magnussen will be kicking himself.

Madison Snow has gone past Jeroen Bleekemolen in GT Daytona. Push the go button. Just ten minutes remain. Jan Magnussen is not giving up. He is back behind Gunnar Jeanette as Joey Hand has pushed the bye bye button. Into West Bend another time, Magnussen is closing on the Ferrari, making the pass inside. Hand has rocketed away. Jan Magnussen is slowing in lap time. Earl Bamber is coming, fast, because of the lower grip and the clag on the tires of the Corvette. Corvette's chances of winning might be fading. 52.6 for Magnussen, 51.9 for Bamber. Ryan Briscoe is the target for #911, as #912 is passing GT Daytona machines. Bamber is speeding along right now. Bamber makes his move and loses some time trying to get past Alvaro Parente. Another day of what if's for Porsche. 11.1 seconds between Madison Snow and Jeroen Bleekemolen.

Five minutes to go. Tandy is right up on Briscoe's gearbox. Nick Tandy is in full attack mode in the scrum for second spot. Third place battle in GTD. The Ferrari tries to cut back on Alvaro Parente, and he slides through the turn with a dab of opposite lock! Yikes! Alvaro Parente got snookered. Nick Tandy is running right with Ryan Briscoe. Tandy gets a great run off turn seven. He's not close enough. Stop flashing your lights in my face! Tandy pressurizing Briscoe! Earl Bamber is coming! We have had two and a half hours of green flag racing, and three wide through the left hander! Tandy is inside! He's on the right spot for the uphill and he's made the pass!

Our championship leader is down to sixth! Magnussen is losing time to Bamber. There was a touch between Tandy and Briscoe. Joey Hand in the #66 Ford leads the Corvette. White flag is out. One to go. Joey Hand is cruising. He should be fine on fuel. Bamber isn't close enough. Nor is Corvette. Ford wins! Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller win! In GTD, it's Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers, win.

Overall/GT Le Mans: #66 Hand/Mueller Ford GT

GT Daytona: #48 Snow/Sellers Lamborghini Huracan GT3

The next event is at the great, 4 mile speed palace at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for all three classes in the WeatherTech Championship, coming up in two weeks.

Corvette scores pole for Lime Rock

Qualifying highlights before battle commences for GT class honors at Lime Rock Park this afternoon.

Lime Rock IMSA: Garcia takes sub-50sec pole for Corvette

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/lime-rock-imsa-garcia-takes-sub-50sec-pole-for-corvette-1062328/?s=1

Another headline about Garcia’s record pole time.

Garcia Storms to Lime Rock Pole in New Track Record
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/garcia-storms-to-lime-rock-pole-in-new-track-record/

More pre-race headlines.

Lime Rock Qualifying Replay
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/lime-rock-qualifying-replay/

A Lap of Lime Rock with Connor De Philippi
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/a-lap-of-lime-rock-with-connor-de-phillippi/

Friday, July 20, 2018

pre-race news from Lime Rock

All the Friday pre-race news, building up to the first all GT race of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship season.

Continental Tire Keys To The Race: Lime Rock
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/continental-tire-keys-to-the-race-lime-rock-2/

No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche Withdrawn from Lime Rock
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/no-16-wright-porsche-withdrawn-from-lime-rock/

Mueller Tops Opening Practice at Lime Rock
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mueller-tops-opening-practice-at-lime-rock/

Garcia, Corvette Quickest in Practice 2
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/garcia-corvette-quickest-in-practice-2/

Porsche Paces Friday at Lime Rock
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/porsche-paces-friday-at-lime-rock/

Lime Rock Friday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/lime-rock-friday-notebook-3/

In a first for the IMSA WeatherTech Championship, tomorrow sees qualifying and the race taking place on the same day. This did happen a few times during the Grand Am era. So, look for a qualifying update in the morning, and hopefully, a race report, in the afternoon. Lots of action still to come at Lime Rock Park. See you tomorrow.

IMSA stories

Reviewing and revisiting stories from IMSA via motorsport.com.

Tequila Patron to end team and IMSA series sponsorship

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/tequila-patron-to-pull-out-of-team-and-imsa-series-sponsorship-1060681/?s=1

ESM “working on a number of scenarios to replace Patron”

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/esm-working-on-a-number-of-scenarios-to-replace-patron-1060981/?s=1

Jan Magnussen: Right in the mix of a fierce title battle
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/chevrolet-corvette-magnussen-title-battle-1061290/?s=1

Lime Rock IMSA: Corvette and Audi lead second practice

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/lime-rock-imsa-corvette-and-audi-lead-second-practice-1062061/?s=1

Lime Rock IMSA: Porsche’s dominate both GT Classes in FP3

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/lime-rock-imsa-porsches-dominate-both-gt-classes-in-fp3-1062081/?s=1

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix Race Broadcast

The race broadcast of the most recent IMSA event that you read about, right here on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog, the Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Will Lime Rock Park Continue to Be “Great Turf” for Porsche In 2018 Northeast Grand Prix?

Lime Rock Park, which hosts Saturday’s two-hour and 40-minute Northeast Grand Prix for the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, occupies a special place in the lore of Porsche’s mid-engined 911 RSR race car.

https://www.imsa.com/news/072018/will-lime-rock-park-continue-be-great-turf-porsche-2018-northeast-grand-prix

2000 Throwback: Grand Am at Lime Rock

Looking ahead to this weekend’s Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park, we take a look back at the 2000 Grand Am race at the Lakeville, Connecticut circuit on Memorial Day Weekend. Calling the action for Speedvision are, in the booth Gregg Creamer, David Hobbs, and Dorsey Schroeder, and in the pits, Calvin Fish and John Bisignano.

IMSA stories headed for Lime Rock

Stories worth delving into before an all GT field takes to the track for the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park on Saturday, via Sportscar365.

CTMP Sights & Sounds
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/ctmp-sights-sounds/

Kyle Marcelli’s latest column.

MARCELLI: A Winning Weekend
https://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/marcelli-a-winning-weekend/

In Case You Missed It, Tequila Patron will end their involvement in IMSA and in motorsports, at the end of 2018.

Tequila Patron to End IMSA, Motorsports Involvement
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/tequila-patron-brand-to-leave-weathertech-championship/

ESM Aiming to Continue with Nissan DPi Despite Patron Exit
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/esm-aiming-to-continue-in-prototype-with-nissan-dpi/

The latest Michelin IMSA Insider.

Michelin IMSA Insider: GTLM Teams Savoring Tire ‘Menu’
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/imsa-insider/michelin-imsa-insider-gtlm-teams-savoring-tire-menu/

Paul Miller Riding GTD Points Lead Into Home Race
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/paul-miller-riding-gtd-championship-lead-into-home-race/

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Inside Porsche’s Record-Breaking Nordschleife Run

A deeper look into the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo’s record-breaking Nordschleife run.

Battle at the Bull Ring: IMSA Returns to Lime Rock Park

It’s time to buckle up for the first GT-only race of the year, the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

More Than Just A Race: 24H Spa Official Trailer

The preview, of the upcoming 24 Hours of Spa.

Black Falcon to Support Mental Health Charity at 24H Spa

Black Falcon to support mental health charity honoring Chester Bennington at 24H Spa.

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/black-falcon-to-support-mental-health-charity-at-24h-spa/

Pirelli World Challenge from Portland (continued)

Finishing the highlights of Pirelli World Challenge at Portland, and delving into the review of the race on the latest Double Stint Podcast, which will also preview the all GT IMSA event on Saturday at Lime Rock Park.

Portland Sunday Race Highlights
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/portland-sunday-race-highlights/

Teams Express Cautious Optimism on PWC Format Changes
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/teams-express-cautious-optimism-on-pwc-format-changes/

Toni Vilander’s latest column.

VILANDER: Heading in the Right Direction
https://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/vilander-heading-in-the-right-direction/

Wrapping up the weekend, we have the latest Double Stint Podcast. PWC, IMSA, IGTC, and more, are discussed.

Double Stint: Portland Recap; Preston Calvert Interview (7-17-18)

https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/double-stint-portland-recap-preston-calvert-interview-7-17-18/

SRO & Pirelli World Challenge Partnership in 2019

Examining the overall plan, and the format changes that will take place, as Pirelli World Challenge becomes integrated into the SRO GT3 and GT4 global platform for the 2019 season.

SRO Motorsports Group & Pirelli World Challenge Present 2019 Season Plans

http://nasportscar.com/sro-motorsports-group-and-pirelli-world-challenge-present-2019-season-plans/

...and

First Takes on the 2019 Pirelli World Challenge Format Changes
http://nasportscar.com/first-takes-on-the-2019-pirelli-world-challenge-format-changes/

Monday, July 16, 2018

Weekly Racing Roundup (7-16-18)

Race reports from the weekend’s DTM and Pirelli World Challenge TCR races.

https://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-7-16-18/

Tequila Patron Brand to End IMSA, Motorsports Involvement

Tequila Patron brand to leave WeatherTech Championship at the end of the season...

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/tequila-patron-brand-to-leave-weathertech-championship/

Dalziel, Chase Inherit Overall Win as Pfaff Penalized

Breaking news regarding race two at Portland in Pirelli World Challenge yesterday. Pfaff Motorsports has been penalized for cutting a chicane on the race track. Scott Hargrove and Wolf Henzler, lose the win, while the #19 TruSpeed Audi R8 of Ryan Dalziel and Parker Chase, gain it.

https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/dalziel-chase-inherit-overall-win-as-pfaff-r-ferri-penalized/

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Pirelli World Challenge from Portland

All the news and highlights from Pirelli World Challenge at Portland International Raceway.

Saturday news and highlights

Christensen Claims Portland Pole
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/christensen-claims-portland-pole/

Gottsacker Leads SIN Front Row Sweep in Portland Qualifying
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/gottsacker-tops-gts-qualifying-at-portland/

R. Ferri Beats Alegra to Race 1 Win at Portland
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/r-ferri-beats-alegra-to-race-1-win-at-portland/

Q&A With Portland International Raceway Operator E.C. Mueller

https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/qa-with-portland-international-raceway-operator-e-c-mueller/

Panoz Wins GTS Race 1 With Late-Race Pass
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/panoz-wins-gts-race-1-with-late-race-pass/

Portland Saturday Race Highlights
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/portland-saturday-race-highlights/

Sunday news and highlights

PWC Confirms 90-Minute GT Races; GT4 America for 2019

https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/sro-motorsports-group-and-pirelli-world-challenge-present-2019-season-plans/

K-PAX Withdraws Parente, Soucek Car from Race 2
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/k-pax-withdraws-parente-soucek-car-from-race-2/

Gottsacker Takes First PWC Win in GTS Race 2
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/gottsacker-takes-first-pwc-win-in-gts-race-2/

Pfaff Victorious in Hectic Race 2 at Portland
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/pfaff-victorious-in-hectic-race-2-at-portland/

More post-race coverage from Portland to come. Two more races remain in the 2018 PWC season. The penultimate races are at Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, Utah, in less than a month, and it will be the finale of the SprintX championships.

Saturday, July 14, 2018

still more to discuss after the CTMP IMSA race

Friday, July 13, 2018

Pirelli World Challenge headlines from Portland

Headlines for this weekend's Rose Cup Races to be run by Pirelli World Challenge, as major league auto racing, and sports car racing, returns to Portland International Raceway, in Portland, Oregon, for the first time in 13 years. The last time World Challenge raced at Portland, was in 2005, with Dino Crescentini taking victory in a Chevrolet Corvette C6. Leighton Reese and Wolf Henzler rounded out the podium that day.

Matt Brabham, is set to make his Pirelli World Challenge debut, at Portland International Raceway, this weekend.

Brabham to Make GT3 Debut in CRP Mercedes-AMG
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/brabham-to-make-gt3-debut-with-crp/

Portland Thursday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/portland-thursday-notebook/

Brabham "Hopeful" CRP Call Up Leads to Future Sports Car Drives

https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/brabham-hopeful-crp-call-up-leads-to-future-sports-car-drives/

Christensen Leads Opening Practice at Portland
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/pumpelly-leads-practice-1-at-portland/

Stavely Paces GTS Practice 1 at Portland
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/stavely-paces-portland-gts-practice-1/

Hargrove Leads Close GT3 Field in Portland Practice 2
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/hargrove-leads-close-gt3-field-in-portland-practice-2/

McAleer Quickest in GTS Practice 2
https://sportscar365.com/world-challenge/mcaleer-quickest-in-gts-practice-2-at-portland/

post-race headlines after IMSA at CTMP

Now that the smoke has cleared and the dust has settled from the IMSA race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, we can get to the post-race news and recaps.

Westbrook Takes Ford to Strategic Victory in GTLM
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/westbrook-takes-ford-to-strategic-victory-in-gtlm/

CORE Breaks Through for First Overall Win at CTMP
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/core-breaks-through-for-first-overall-win-at-ctmp/

Continental Tire CTMP Post-Race Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/continental-tire-ctmp-post-race-notebook-2/

Michelin CTMP GTLM Recap
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/michelin-ctmp-gtlm-recap/

HPD Trackside: CTMP Race
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/hpd-trackside-ctmp-race/

The latest Double Stint Podcast, featuring an interview with race winner, Colin Braun.

Double Stint: IMSA CTMP Recap; Colin Braun Interview (7-10-18)
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/double-stint-imsa-ctmp-recap-colin-braun-interview-7-10-18/

More news, about upcoming IMSA races.

Park Place Adds Road America to GTD Program
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/park-place-adds-road-america-to-gtd-schedule/

Braun: After-Hours Sim Project Leading to Setup Gains
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/braun-after-hours-sim-project-leading-to-setup-gains/

We also look ahead, to the next race on the schedule, at Lime Rock Park, which will be for GT class automobiles, only.

18 Entries for Lime Rock
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/18-entries-for-northeast-grand-prix/

Lexus, Mercedes-AMG Hit With Weight Increases for Lime Rock
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/lexus-mercedes-amg-hit-with-weight-increases-for-lime-rock/

Katherine Legge, can rest easy, now that she has been confirmed to drive for MSR and Acura in GT Daytona for the rest of the 2018 IWSC season.

Meyer Shank Confirms No. 86 Acura, Legge for Rest of Season
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/meyer-shank-confirms-no-86-acura-legge-for-rest-of-season/

Thursday, July 12, 2018

WEC, 24H Le Mans Stars Line Up for Goodwood FoS

Drivers, cars from FIA WEC and beyond to appear at Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/wec-24h-le-mans-stars-line-up-for-goodwood-fos/

Winner & highlights of the IMSA Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

We are into the second half of the 2018, making the pilgrimage to Canada, which has been a part of IMSA since the series' inception in 1969. The weather has been fantastic for the most part. We are an hour or so up from Toronto, on this 2.4 mile, ten turn course. We are an hour north, of Toronto. Formula 1, motorcycles, and sports cars, have all raced here. The name is now Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, but this track will always be known to fans as Mosport Park or simply, Mosport. Acura's Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya are both making their first starts on this track, today.

We are set to go for two hours and 40 minutes of racing. 32 cars will start this race. As we are on the first of two pace laps, passing spots will be a big deal. Choose your passing points. Don't make a banzai move, with the speed differentials between the Prototypes and GT cars. The lap only lasts 66 seconds. You can just about make this race work on a three pit stop strategy, but it is going to be very, very close. Towards the end, the GT class cars will need a splash and dash, perhaps. Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya have put the #6 Acura ARX-05 on pole. The longest, most demanding corners are right hand turns here at CTMP. The competition is as hot as the weather. No margin for error today.

Nick Tandy for Porsche and Jack Hawksworth for Lexus, are your GT class polesitters in GT Le Mans and GT Daytona, respectively. A couple of cars were in the pit lane, but they got going reasonably well, so there are no worries with cars missing the start of this race. We will have a full grid. Race Director Beaux Barfield wants the cars to be lined up properly before the start of the race and not just slotting into position before the green flag drops. Robert Alon is alongside Dane Cameron in the #85 JDC-Miller Motorsports, Hi-Tide Boat Lifts, Oreca LMP2 car, "the banana boat" as it is known to fans.

The safety car is in pit lane, and we are ready to race! It's time to bring the action, at Mosport! We're green and underway! Dane Cameron is followed through by Renger van der Zande who is starting the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R he shares with Jordan Taylor. Jonathan Bomarito also makes his way past Robert Alon, for third place. Bomarito sharing Mazda #55 with Tristan Nunez of course. Nunez has his hands full with Misha Goikhberg in the #99 JDC-Miller Motorsports Gainsco "Red Dragon". You'll recall this is the car that won the previous race, the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen.

Cameron and van der Zande are in the pound seats at the moment, having made wonderful starts to this motor race. Robert Alon has much less experience in these Prototype race cars, but he's really started well, look. He's going to be a factor throughout the race today, perhaps. Nick Tandy leads GT Le Mans for Porsche in car #911, and he is in hot pursuit, not by outside polesitter Ryan Briscoe in the Ford GT, but rather from one of the Corvette C-7-R's. Jan Magnussen is at the wheel of it right now, and he has shown very well in 2018 so far as we entered the season's second half. Oliver Gavin in the sister Corvette is running really well, and so is Jesse Krohn in one of the factory BMW M8 GT's for BMW Team RLL, (Rahal Letterman Lanigan).

Krohn has his team mate Alexander Sims in car #25 for company. Lexus leads GT Daytona after a front row sweep in the category, with Jack Hawksworth currently leading his team mate Dominik Baumann. Then comes championship leader, Bryan Sellers, at the wheel of the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3. After that, is the first of the Mercedes AMG GT3's, the #33 car of Ben Keating. Porsche and Corvette both run very well here at Mosport, and there is a GM manufacturing plant not too far from this track, in Oshwa, Ontario. Dane Cameron leads Renger van der Zande by 1.4 seconds.

In GT Daytona, Jack Hawksworth and Dominik Baumann are opening a gap on their competition, too. Lap two, and already, Dane Cameron sets a new lap record at Mosport. 1:08.624. Stephen Simpson set last year's lap record at 1:08.9. Jon Bennett, sharing with Colin Braun in the #54 CORE Autosport LMP2 spec car, is hanging right in there. This is what the blokes at CORE Autosport have to do, as Bennett's team mate, Colin Braun has been fabulously quick, and so, they are putting their heads down and getting with the program right away. That's the plan if they want to win this motor race. We continue to watch the scrap for third in GT Daytona. Bryan Sellers has it, and Ben Keating, wants it.

Ben Keating, who is a gentleman driver, not a full on professional, actually ran quicker than his professional co-driver, Jeroen Bleekemolen during Saturday qualifying. 1:08 flat, 1:08.08 for Dane Cameron, as he and Renger van der Zande, they've been volleying that lap record around these last couple of laps. Dane Cameron has been the only bloke out there, who can give Colin Braun a tough run for his money, and right now, Cameron is right at the sharp end in the #6 Penske Acura. You haven't missed a thing in GT Daytona. Lexus leads, as Cooper MacNeil in the #63 WeatherTech Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3, chases the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3. That car won last week in class at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, and has Robbie Foley at the wheel of it, sharing this weekend, with Bill Auberlen.

Nick Tandy is still up there in GT Le Mans as Jan Magnussen has his hands full with the sister factory Porsche 911 RSR of Laurens Vanthoor. #912 is a brand new chassis. This is a second brand new chassis, because it replaced the one written off during the practice and qualifying sessions for the 24 Hours of Le Mans three weeks ago. Speaking of Le Mans, stay tuned, because though all the race was covered here last month, if you missed anything, we will do another highlighted race report on Le Mans. When yours truly, has time for that, it will be posted. So, don't miss it... highlighted coverage of the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours. Dane Cameron's lead has now ballooned to 3.1 seconds. Renger van der Zande in the Cadillac is second still.

Cadillac is not having it all their own way in the Prototype class as they have in the past, as there were many changes to the rules before the 2018 season, and the motor was of course, downsized. We're just nine laps into the motor race, ladies and gentlemen, and Dane Cameron is lapping the slower GTD cars already. The leader has to wake up some of the slower drivers. The blue flag is for the leader. Get on the phone, the radio, to your driver, and say, "the leader is coming." Ryan Dalziel has gone past Helio Castroneves. That's the #22 Nissan DPi for Tequila Patron ESM. Dalziel sharing this weekend, with Pipo Derani. The #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsport Ligier is closing up, with the Colombian duo of Sebastian Saavedra and Gustavo Yacaman sharing the car, and Saavedra is at the controls at the present time.

Helio Castroneves loves Mosport, and he is also very amazed by the job his Penske Acura team mates are doing. Dane Cameron, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Ricky Taylor. Penske is using a different team strategist, as Tim Cindric is supervising their IndyCar effort at Iowa Speedway. 15 minutes have passed on the clock. There's a good ways to go yet. Misha Goikhberg makes his way through the GT Le Mans traffic. Jesse Krohn is following Oliver Gavin. It is BMW M8 GT vs. Corvette C-7-R. This car has not yet had six months of competitive racing, having only made it's debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, at the end of January. Joey Hand is up there in the Ford GT as well, but there was a front suspension issue on #66 in qualifying.

Renger van der Zande has chopped Dane Cameron's lead back to 3.5 seconds as traffic plays its part as it always does in endurance sports car racing, here at Mosport. Jonathan Bomarito is catching van der Zande as well. Action Express has both of their Cadillac's running well, but remember, they are two different teams. Christian Fittipaldi at the wheel of the #5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, and Eric Curran in the #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac. Fittipaldi sharing with Filipe Albuquerque, and Curran, sharing with Felipe Nasr. Christian Fittipaldi is still substituting for Joao Barbosa who has had an arm and wrist injury. Barbosa is here to support his team this weekend. Tristan Nunez driving the #77 Mazda RT24P Prototype, sharing with Oliver Jarvis, has worked his way past Sebastian Saavedra.

Pit stop time for Acura #7. Helio Castroneves brings the car to the lane, and Ricky Taylor will take over. The #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac will also pit for service, as we have a car off the road. That is the #16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3-R in the hands of Wolf Henzler from Germany, and American driver, Michael Schein. #16 is off in turn five, Moss corner. Ford #66 is in the lane as well, for fuel and tires. We do have a full course yellow on the circuit, so there will be a flurry of activity in the lane, momentarily. React to circumstances, as the leaders come to the Mario Andretti straightaway, which is not too straight, and does have a curve or two in it. Pit lane is closed. Dane Cameron's lead will evaporate. The #99 Gainsco Red Dragon has pitted for fuel. Remember, Stephen Simpson and Misha Goikhberg won, last time out, at Watkins Glen.

Goikhberg at the wheel of it, fuel only. Cadillac #5 was waved back out of the lane and will pit next lap around. #99 did not make it in before the yellow. That will be a penalty handed to the team by the marshals. Jon Bennett and CORE Autosport will close up on the leaders. The #99 disputed with race control about the pit call, and the team was correct. They entered an open pit lane. The #10 Cadillac will take fuel and tires, but Renger van der Zande will stay behind the wheel. #85 is in the lane as well, but for fuel only. No tires, and Robert Alon stays in the car. Fuel and tires for both Corvette's with no driver changes. Cadillac #10 is now in the lane as well. Corvette and Ford pit, and a splash and dash for the #7 Acura.

Filipe Albuquerque is the last car out of pit lane on this cycle of pit stops. There was a wave around for any trapped GT cars before the pit lane opened. Pits are now open for GT Daytona. Penske has split the strategy. #7 pitted, while #6 stays on the track. However, the #7 machine had been into the lane before the yellow. So, why did they pit again? That's confusing. It is a mystery why #6 would have also pitted. They didn't, nor did the #54 CORE Autosport car. We are now 3/4 of the way through a fuel stint. Jon Bennett also has to fulfill his minimum drive time. The two Lexus RC F GT3's have not pitted, but Bryan Sellers in Lamborghini #48 does take the opportunity. Bryan Sellers is in for service. So are the #93 Acura for MSR, and the #63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari with WeatherTech sponsorship.

Additionally, the #58 Wright Motorsports Porsche is also in the lane. That is being shared by Christina Nielsen and Patrick Long. Tires and fuel. No driver changes. As far as the #93 Acura, Justin Marks is at the wheel of it, sharing with Lawson Aschenbach. Jon Bennett will be into the lane on the next lap, as the crew is ready to service him. #54 is now in the lane as we have one lap of full course yellow before the green flag waves again. Colin Braun has gotten into the #54 car. Bennett drove for 30 minutes. Perfect strategy for CORE Autosport and Colin Braun's dad Jeff, who is the team manager. Bennett is doing a respectable job, but he will get a wave by. He will be right on top of Filipe Albuquerque.

The class split can happen all the way until the green flag waves again. That happens, now! Take a deep breath, again, and hold on for a wild ride, as we are back underway, here, at Mosport! Misha Goikhberg gets some wheel spin, and Felipe Nasr is now right on his gearbox. Renger van der Zande dives around Felipe Nasr. There is a touch between the #10 and #31 Cadillac's. Goikhberg's car has as much downforce on it as possible, as he is the rabbit, and the #10 Cadillac is the hound at the moment. The #99 team tried to trim the car out on Saturday in qualifying, but it was diabolically sketchy through the turns. Goikhberg makes an error, and opens the door for the Cadillac to walk through.

There is debris on the front straightaway as Dane Cameron is eking out more of a lead. Colin Braun is now up to tenth place in the overall. Jesse Krohn leads GT Le Mans in BMW #24 after not making a pit stop. Bryan Sellers in seventh, was the first GTD car to stop for pit work, and is the leader in the class championship. Now, we have on track problems once again. The #58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R has gone off the road. It's beached in the dirt, right off of turn five, Moss corner. Christina Nielsen is at the controls of the #58. This will be a short yellow flag, and it seems Nielsen was tipped into that spin by her team mate. The sister car, #16 driven by Michael Schein and Wolf Henzler was right behind Nielsen.

It is hard to tell, but there was a slight touch between the two Porsche's which sent Nielsen into the wall. There is no wave by due to the quick yellow. Colin Braun and Filipe Albuquerque have worked their way into the top ten, passing Robert Alon and Sebastian Saavedra to do so. The #58 car will get a flat tow out of the grass. Joey Hand is dropping down the order in GT Le Mans. Dane Cameron pulled out a four second lead before the yellow. He wanted to give it some welly before making a stop, and hasn't hit the lane yet today. Christina Nielsen is pointed back in the right direction again.

All the new improvements to the venue here at CTMP have come without taking the character out of the original track. That's always good. Things in the world of broadcasting and motorsports have changed, and now, we have a lot of it online compared to television. We are going back to green flag racing. Green flag back in the air! Ricky Taylor is moving up nicely in the #7 Penske Racing Acura. Taylor has been making up positions like the proverbial rat up a drain pipe. Jesse Krohn leads GTLM for BMW, but Nick Tandy is hot on his heels in the Porsche. Laurens Vanthoor in the sister Porsche is right in the fight as well. So, the GTLM scrap is getting pretty tasty. In GT Daytona, Jack Hawksworth and Dominik Baumann for Lexus elected to stay on the track, and thus, they have a 1-2 lockout at the head of the class at this moment.

The IMSA Radio broadcast crew has been joined by Roger Werner, Accus Chairman. Accus is the overarching body of American motorsport, that works along with the FIA. Former Accus President Nick Craw has worked with the FIA and the same goes for current President, George Silverman. American motorsport is a healthy, thriving business. Road racing and open wheel racing have made huge strides. NHRA and NASCAR are hanging in as well. The industry is on solid ground. The FIA also has a huge stake in road safety, which Accus is also a part of, to an extent. The FIA covers motorsports, and transportation. Accus is primarily having to do with motorsport. Meanwhile, Bill Auberlen is headed back on track in the #96 BMW M6 GT3 and Andy Lally is into the #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8. Those two blokes are going to be very, very quick.

New lap record by Dane Cameron once more. 1:07.863. The pace is amazing. There is enthusiasm for Mosport Park. IMSA is right on their game with a bunch of manufacturer's. Pit stop time for Acura #93. Motorsports is a business, but also, a race track is for the fans. That is what the management at CTMP have been considering. Mercedes #33 is in the lane, and Jeroen Bleekemolen will get into the car. Jeff Segal will take over the #63 Ferrari. Kyle Marcelli, a hometown hero, from Canada, will also get into the #14 Lexus for his stint. Dane Cameron leads Renger van der Zande and Felipe Nasr. Misha Goikhberg has passed Nasr.

Pit stop time for the leader. Dane Cameron will stay in the car for another stint. Fuel and tires for Acura and the #14 Lexus, mentioned above, is now in the pit lane, too. Ryan Dalziel brought the #22 Nissan into the pits and Pippo Derani will take over the car.; Dane Cameron is back on track and it will be a race out of pit lane between Jeff Segal and Kyle Marcelli. Ferrari vs. Lexus. Ferrari will win this little race out of pit lane. The #22 Nissan DPi is pitting earlier than expected, and there could be an issue, because the bonnet is up at the back of the automobile.

Alvaro Parente and Kyle Marcelli are the two blokes who will assume the 1-2 in GT Daytona for the time being. Brryan Sellers, who made a pit stop, is already behind the Acura as Lexus #15 is now in the lane, too. The pits are a frantic spot here at CTMP. Jesse Krohn just barely hangs on to the GT Le Mans lead over Nick Tandy in the Porsche. Tandy has Laurens Vanthoor behind him in the sister Porsche, and then, we see both Covertte's liner stern. Oliver Gavin followed by Jan Magnussen, it seems.

I stand corrected. Gavin is ahead of Magnussen at the moment. ESM is back on track, but we will have to keep an eye out for that car. Last weekend, at Watkins Glen, we know the engine got sick. Ricky Taylor is trying Misha Goikhberg. Goikhberg says, "no you don't", uses the Ford GT as a pick, and slams the door in Taylor's face. On board with the #67 Ford, we can see there is a problem Jon Bennett and Jonathan Bomarito are in a scrap for position as CORE Autosport are going for it. Colin Braun has been the fastest man on track all weekend, and that continues during the motor race itself.

Renger van der Zande is opening a gap at the front of the field, and so is Felipe Nasr. Nasr is pulling a good distance away from everyone else, too. It'd be nice to just sit back with a cool drink and watch this race unfold. Can't really do that. The cool drink, yes. But, I also have to keep talking about this race and how it is unfolding, and continue to let the words hit the paper, or, well, the computer screen as the case may be. No urgency at all in the ESM pit, the rear decklid is off that motorcar, and it's got trouble, with a capitol T and rhymes with E which does stand for engine!
The left side of the lump, has trouble. Have they lost a header? Have they lost a coil pack? Those are two good guesses.

Alvaro Parente is in the land from the GT Daytona class lead with the #86 SiriusXM Acura NSX GT3. A full tank of fuel, no driver change, and fresh, sticker Continental tires for the car. Stick tires, are simply fresh ones, that still have the manufacturer's sticker for their serial and batch number, on the tire. Those are different from scuffed or scrubbed tires, which have had a few laps put on them of course. Alvaro Parente is back out, as Katherine Legge waits in the pit lane, enjoying this gorgeous and cool weather in Canada during the race. To score points, Legge will need to drive a minimum of 45 minutes, before the race ends.

Renger van der Zande leads by a whopping 7.5 seconds over Felipe Nasr in the #31 Cadillac. Misha Goikhberg is third, and very quick, pulling 176 miles an hour on the straight. It is also very close between Tristan Nunez, Sebastian Saavedra, and Robert Alon. Ford passes BMW in GTLM. Jesse Krohn has been holding off both of the Porsche 911 RSR's. BMW hasn't had the ultimate pace, but they are going for it as the #22 ESM Ligier Nissan is down the order. Scott Sharp, Ed Brown and the rest of the team have had a fraught race.

Scott Sharp and ESM have had a real race to forget, here in Canada. Some argy bargy between the #33 Mercedes with Ben Keating driving, and the #4 Corvette, which costs the Corvette a place to one of the Ford's. Joey Hand is reinvigoratedn after a slow start in that Ford he shares with Dirk Mueller. Porsche, Porsche, BMW, Corvette in GT Le Mans as Jesse Krohn is falling into the clutches of Oliver Gavin it seems. The Porsche's are whistling off into the distance, and it is becoming more and more difficult for BMW to try and spoil their little party. Misha Goikhberg is still fending off a challenge from the Mazda of Jonathan Bomarito, and the rest of the pursuers in Prototype at the moment.

Renger van der Zande is still leading over Felipe Nasr. The Cadillac's out front are setting quite the pace. ESM is having turbo trouble, or so they think. Turbo trouble. That's a tongue twister for you race fans. ESM has nothing to gain. No chance of a podium. So, it could very well be game over for #22. We keep reiterating this fact, but, the Nissan DPi is essentially powered by a GT3 spec motor. That's the 3.8 liter turbo V6, twin turbo, that powers the GT-R GT3 production based racer, a car that if it ran here in IMSA, would be at home in GT Daytona. Oliver Gavin is trying to fend off the Ford challenge, and has a touch with one of the Mercedes GTD entries, which slows him down, allowing the Ford to get closer.

We look again in replay, and yes, the argy bargy was not the Corvette and Ford. It was rather between the Corvette and the AMG Mercedes. Meanwhile, Dane Cameron has dropped outside of the top ten in the #6 Acura. We have another stirring battle among the Prototypes, featuring Misha Goikhberg, Jonathan Bomarito, Ricky Taylor, Colin Braun, Filipe Albuquerque, and the sister Mazda. They are liner stern. There's not even 2.5 seconds between these five Prototype machines whether they are DPi or LMP2 cars. Nick Tandy and Porsche have dominated GT Le Mans, and said domination continues. He's off in the wild blue yonder, with no one really to worry about at the moment.

Jesse Krohn makes his way towards pit lane, for what will be his first pit stop of this motor race in the #24 BMW M8 GT. Krohn is out of the car, and has handed the driving chores to John Edwards. Four new skins for the BMW, and fuel. John Edwards heads back out on track. Colin Braun has made up a place, getting around Misha Goikhberg for position on the road. Colin Braun is within strking distance of Ricky Taylor and has gone ahead of Misha Goikhberg at this stage. Sebastian Saavedra pits the #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Ligier from 11th position in the overall. New tires are on the car, and we have a wheel that has gone walkabout on the circuit here someplace.

Did car #52 lose a wheel on the way into pit lane? Good question. We have an hour and a half left in this motor race. We are under full course yellow, and the pit lane is closed. #52 is having the tires changed, but spins the wheels while up on the air jacks. That is sure to be a penalty handed down from the marshals. Nick Tandy passed Jesse Krohn on the outside, through turn four. Gustavo Yacaman replaces Sebastian Saavedra at the wheel of car #52 and he will have to claw back time and do an iron man stint.

Renger van der Zande leads Felipe Nasr right now, followed by Jonathan Bomarito, Ricky Taylor, Colin Braun, Filipe Albuquerque, and Misha Goikhberg, ahead of Tristan Nunez, Robert Alon, and Dane Cameron. Tandy leads Vanthoor, Magnussen, Hand, Gavin, Briscoe, Sims, and Edwards in GTLM. A bunch of cars get pointed by after being trapped between the safety car and their class leader. In GT Daytona, Bryan Sellers leads from Jeroen Bleekemolen, Bill Auberlen, David Heinemeier Hanson, Alvaro Parente, and Jeff Segal. Prototype cars will be able to pit next time around, and then, the GT cars will have their turn in the lane.

Wowzers. Good grief, the whole Prototype field is in the lane! This will be frantic. The #10 Cadillac is in and there will be a driver change. Renger van der Zande will hand over to Jordan Taylor. Fuel and tires for the Cadillac, and Ricky Taylor will remain in Acura #7, which is also taking on fuel and tires. Both Corvette's and both Porsche's in the lane. Driver changes all around. Patrick Pilet and Earl Bamber will get into their respective cars. Harry Tincknell takes over the #55 Mazda. Both Ford's were in. Dirk Mueller in #66, and Richard Westbrook in #67. Alexander Sims has the lead in GTLM in the #25 BMW. Gustavo Yacaman will get a lap back, or try to.

GT Daytona cars will come in soon. Englishman Jack Manchester is here to see about North American sports car racing. He is the driver for AKKA ASP in the Blancpain GT Series. They are GT3 cars, of course. Madison Snow will take over the #48 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 from Bryce Miller. Ferrari #63, BMW #96, and Lexus #14 also pit. Dane Cameron has come out ahead of Jordan Taylor. Running a different strategy, Dane Cameron has handed the #6 Acura to Helio Castroneves and has come out of the lane, having moved forward from tenth to second place.

Prototypes will get back to the front and we have an hour and 20 minutes left to run. We're halfway home, here at CTMP. #5 and #54 have lost spots. We are back under green here at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Jordan Taylor got the jump on Dane Cameron on the restart. Felipe Nasr, meanwhile, is holding back the challenge of Mazda and Harry Tincknell who is now at the wheel of car #55. Cadillac #5 has lost some places after this restart. Gustavo Yacaman will indeed serve a penalty for wheelspin in the pit lane. Jeff Segal also gets dinged by the marshals for running the red light at the end of pit lane. That's a stop plus a minute hold.

#52 with the drive through and #63 with the stop and hold, are serving their penalties now. BMW runs 1-2 in GTLM. Alexander Sims over John Edwards. A good showing for BMW and for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The stewards are reviwing the most recent restart. Did Harry Tincknell jump the gun, early? Porsche #911 is making up ground, trying to pass one of the BMW M8's. Meanwhile, a fraught race for the sister #912 Porsche with a puncture on the left rear tire. Bamber's troubles bring out another full course yellow. Man, oh man! There's loads of debris littered throughout Moss corner, which could have only come,n from a Porsche.

Porsche #912, after it's crackup, receives emergency service. It was thought Dane Cameron would need fuel in the Penske/Acura pit. But, no. This was emergency service, as stipulated within the rules. Now. was there contact between the Porsche and the Acura? They should never have been anywhere near each other on the track. Debris from Earl Bamber's Porsche from a cut down tire, is why we are under yellow. Bamber is still on the lead lap in GTLM. Earl Bamber began having trouble when he was trying to pass Richard Westbrook in the #67 Ford GT. There is damage on the left hand side of the Ford. The Porsche supposedly hit the Ford in it's left rear corner, and yet, both vehicles have left rear corner damage. How is that possible?

Westbrook has yet to come in and you'd think the marshals would call him in to have a look at the damage. Cameron and the Penske crew believe the debris from the #912's incident on the back straightaway, is to blame. We are now headed back to more green flag racing action. Jordan Taylor leads Felipe Nasr and Harry Tincknell, as we have an hour and ten minutes still on the board before this race is done and dusted. Taylor, Nasr, Tincknell, the top three. A couple of penalties coming, with the #52 PR1/Mathiasen car, and one of the Penske Acura's. A stop and hold penalty for the Acura.

One of the cars ran the stop light at the end of pit lane. In replay, we see the contact between Porsche and Ford. Indeed there is a penalty for the #6 Acura. Earl Bamber has pitted for fuel and tires. Oh dear! John Edwards is off the road, and he has damage to the left rear corner of the BMW and smoke coming off the car. Pilet was ahead of Edwards and the contact was totally unnecessary. Penske was trying a creative fuel strategy, but it didn't work and wasn't necessary. BMW #25 also pits. Alexander Sims, out, and Connor De Philippi, in. The contact between Pilet and Edwards is now under review by the stewards.

The toe link has been damaged on the BMW. Edwards pits, for new tires. Oh boy. Bill Auberlen is off the road in the final corner, turn ten. Bill Auberlen is eighth in class. The argy bargy between #911 and #24 remains under review by the marshals. What will their call be? No further action on that incident. It's a racing incident, pure and simple. Edwards knew the Porsche was there, and he pinched the Porsche. Shutting the door when the horse has bolted, essentially. Did Patrick Long in the #58 Wright Motorsports Porsche have any part in spinning Bill Auberlen in turn ten? This is another questionable mishap.

Auberlen hits pit lane, and I stand corrected, as it seems he is running eighth in the overall. Jordan Taylor leads this motor race from Felipe Nasr by 2.77 seconds. Cadillac holds three of the top five places in the Prototype class right now. Garcia and Bleekemolen now lead the GT classes, GTLM and GTD. It is game over for Bill Auberlen and Turner Motorsports, as a right rear toe link on the car, is broken after the incident from mere minutes ago. Patrick Long will receive an incident responsibility drive through penalty. Kyle Marcelli makes his way around Alvaro Parente in GT Daytona.

Katherine Legge would leave here, if things finished as they are now, leading the GTD points, but still not knowing if she has a drive for the next race, in two weeks at Lime Rock Park. Details on that motor race, coming up after this one is completed. Some argy bargy, meanwhile, between the team mates at JDC-Miller Motorsports, the "Red Dragon", and the "Banana Boat". Lexus #15 pits and Jack Hawksworth will be behind the wheel for the final stint. Stephen Simpson is driving car #99 and Simon Trummer is in #85. Lawson Aschenbach and Madison Snow pit together. This is the last series of pit stops for GTD before the end of the race.

Lamborghini beats Acura out of the pits. Patrick Pilet also pits the Porsche. Can GTLM cars go 55 minutes? Lexus #14 and Acura #86 also in. Katherine Legge takes over the Acura. Fuel and tires for the #3 Corvette, and Antonio Garcia will take it to the flag. Katherine Legge was very slow coming out of Moss corner. Legge is very slow on her outlap out of the pits, and now the #48 Lamborghini will move ahead. Ford #66 pits, and now the floodgates have opened for GTLM and GTD cars. In 2014, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Ben Keating won for the first time, here at CTMP. Kyle Marcelli moves to the class lead in GTD.

Jack Hawksworth in the sister Lexus also puts in fastest lap in class at 1:16.9. Mercedes #33 got out ahead of the #15 Lexus. Bleekemolen splits the Lexus cars. Katherin Legge runs ahead of former team mate Andy Lally. Harry Tinckne;; has moved back to third in the Mazda. Colin Braun, took pole for this race and has moved his way back up to fourth place. With 50 minutes to go, the leaders will need one more pit stop for a splash and dash. Dane Cameron has ten more laps of fuel than everyone else, but he is a lap down. Colin Braun looks inside Harry Tincknell into turn eight, but no dice.

Oliver Jarvis in the sister #77 car is seventh. Tincknell, Braun, and Taylor run third, fourth, and fifth. Tincknell is maneuvering through traffic. The question remains, what will the tire strategy be at the end of this race? No more pit stops for GTD. But, there will be more for Prototypes. Pit stops coming from the #99 "Red Dragon" who won last weekend at Watkins Glen, and also for the #10 Cadillac. Neither Milner nor Westbrook in GTLM have made their last pit stops yet and when they do, that will give the advantage to Patrick Pilet in Porsche #911. Harry Tincknell pits the Mazda from third place. More teams will now dive for the lane after Tincknell's stop. Jordan Taylor reacts and is in the lane now.

Felipe Nasr and Ricky Taylor stay out. Sticker tires for Jordan Taylor as well as fuel. Both fuel and tires for the two JDC-Miller cars, the Red Dragon and the Banana Boat. Mustang Sampling has a slow stop and Jordan Taylor is out first. CORE and Mazda also pit. Penske and Acura as well as Whelen Engineering, pit. The #31 and #7 are in the lane. Can #31 win at CTMP three years in a row? Cadillac beats Acura out of the pits. Corvette #4 also in the pit lane. Fuel, four tires, and Tommy Milner will take Corvette #4 to the finish. Richard Westbrook is 24 seconds ahead of Patrick Pilet in GTLM. Westbrook pitted last on lap 52, 35 laps ago. Cadillac #5 gains gobs of time after it's pit stop leapfrogging the #54, #7, and #55 cars.

Jordan Taylor extends his lead. Colin Braun and Oliver Jarvis set fastst laps for both their cars, in the 1:08 bracket. Albuquerque is catching Nasr. The battle is on between the two Action Express Cadillac's that really and truly, run under different team names in reference to their sponsors. Mazda's now run sixth and seventh. Colin Braun passes Filipe Albuquerque for third. Braun is steaming right along. Meanwhile, Andy Lally and Katherine Legge have been fighting for fifth in GTD for the past 20 minutes. Braun zooms past the GTD battle. This distraction allows Andy Lally to pass Katherine Legge in GTD for fifth in class.

We have a proper humdinger of a finish to this motor race, coming up. Don't go anywhere. Ferrari #63 pits. Felipe Nasr and Colin Braun are catching Jordan Taylor. They ran 1:09 laps. Jordan Taylor slows down into the 1:10 bracket, which isn't too bad. Richard Westbrook still leads GTLM despite damage. Juan Pablo Montoya will take the #6 Acura to the end, and get his first ever laps around CTMP. Felipe Nasr passes Colin Braun, running only a second and a half behind Jordan Taylor. Bamber and Mueller battle in GTLM, and there is trouble for an Acura! Just out of pit lane, and Juan Pablo Montoya has lost a wheel!

The left front wheel has departed the Acura! The tire is rolling across the race track, as we have Ford #67 in pit lane. We have a full course yellow at the front of the field and this will close everything up. Ford and Richard Westbrook make a brilliant strategy call for left side tires only. Montoya's wheel fell off at the exit of Moss corner on his outlap. Montoya is back in the lane, but has overshot his pit. The wheels have truly fallen off the proverbial wagon for Penske. Dane Cameron won't get his third straight win at CTMP today.

Can Colin Braun make a move on Jordan Taylor? That is the big question here, chaps. Braun has to hold second, as the global LMP2 cars don't come up to speed well on restarts. Acura #6 pits. The restart will be key. This will be a short yellow because we are inside 30 minutes to the end of the race. Penske continues to work on the front end, the suspension, the front end geometry, the steering, the brakes etc. of the #6 machine. Richard Westbrook and the #67 Ford, these boys have struck gold, and hope to parlay what they've been given, as manna from heaven, into a victory. The Acura is having a brake caliper changed. The caliper was broken and the line sheared when the wheel came off.

Acura #6 is 11th overall. The #22 Nissan is out of contention, and the Acura may go behind the wall. CTMP is all about track knowledge and commitment. Everyone is on the lead lap in GTLM. Kyle Marcelli leads Jeroen Bleekemolen in GTD. Jack Hawksworth in the Lexus has moved right up with the GTD front runners. We're green again at CTMP with less than 20 minutes remaining. Acura #6 is still being worked on in the lane. Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor run wide and nearly go off track after getting great restarts! Nasr is defending from his team mate Albuquerque, with the Mazda chasing them both. Montoya is now back on track. Penske fixed their problems. Now, the plot thickens. We see Colin Braun right on Jordan Taylor's tail, in second place.

Whoa! Sliding, big style for the #14 Lexus! Jeroen Bleekemolen will have a shot at catching Kyle Marcelli. Richard Westbrook holds a razor thin lead, at 7/10ths of a second in GT Le Mans over Patrick Pilet. Bleekemolen has made a pass. Whoa! Another, whoa, indeed, as Andy Lally has made his way to third in class in the #44 Magnus Racing Audi R8! Knock, knock. Jack Hawksworth finds his way back around Andy Lally! Lally in the Audi is right on Hawksworth's bumper in the Lexus! Good stuff here! Good stuff! Through comes the GT Le Mans leader, the #67 Ford. Patrick Pilet in the #911 Porsche is closely following. Now, there's a malady on that Lexus with Hawksworth at the wheel of it. The GTLM cars are carving their way through the GTD traffic.

Wow. Some argy bargy between the #14 Lexus and another of the Mercedes cars! Hawksworth could be fading because his tires are knackered. Oliver Jarvis passes Ricky Taylor for sixth overall. Taylor, Braun, Nasr, is your battle for the top spot in the Prototype class. After contact with one of the Cadillac's, that is what messed up the alignment on the Ricky Taylor driven Acura, car #7. Some tire smoke from the #10 Cadillac. Could the left rear tire be rubbing on the fender? Taylor runs the fastest lap for #10 at 1:08.2. Braun continues to gain on Taylor. Patrick Pilet has dropped behind the Corvette's in GTLM and we have a Mazda, off the road! Tincknell's dropped it in the kitty litter! Deary me! This will be a full course yellow, as Tincknell is buried at Moss corner.

The Porsche was compromised by a Lexus and got outrun by the two Corvette's up the Mario Andretti straightaway. Colin Braun passed Jordan Taylor into turn one, just as the yellows waved. This is a short yellow as Tincknell is pulled to safety, out of the gravel trap. Braun is really going for it now, right behind Jordan Taylor. Whoa! The #14 Lexus slides and nearly goes off the road. Bleekemolen has indeed gone through. Wow! Andy Lally has made it up to third place now. There's a touch and Jack Hawksworth barges his way back through! Here comes the Ford, #67 leading GTLM. He's on the outside at turn eight. Something is wrong with Jack Hawksworth. Pilet has lost ground to the Ford. Mercedes keeps their tires together better than the Lexus does. Lexus has some knackered tires. Oliver Jarvis makes a move on Ricky Taylor for sixth. Jordan Taylor leads for Cadillac, ahead of Colin Braun, ahead of Felipe Nasr and Filipe Albuquerque. The Corvette's are third and fourth in GTLM. Great stuff from the tape apes, the video operators doing the replays. Some tire smoke as the tire rubs the fender of the #10 Cadillac. Jordan Taylor sets the fastest lap for #10 at 1:08.2. Braun is gaining. Patrick Pilet has dropped behind, and meanwhile, Harry Tincknell has put the Mazda off in the kitty litter! He's binned it, somehow. This is Moss corner, turn five. Twelve minutes to go, and there is a yellow. Did he jump? Was he pushed? We have yellow on the course. The exit of the Porsche off the corner, onto the Mario Andretti straight, was compromised, and he got smoked by the Corvette's after being balked by a Lexus.

The Mazda is being cleared out of the gravel trap with a flat tow. Jordan Taylor leads, with ten minutes to go. Where was the yellow? #10 should have enough fuel left for the final dash to the end. Oliver Jarvis in the sister Mazda moves up. Kyle Marcelli tried to block and got passed by the two Corvette's. Harry Tincknell heads to pit lane with the Mazda. Just eight or so minutes remain now. Make that seven. The GTLM and GTD cars are blended together. It's been redressed. Jordan Taylor passed as Colin Braun lifted. But now, he is in the lead of this motor race. Colin Braun steams around the outside of the Cadillac. Jordan Taylor went through. The green flag is out as it is officially game over for the #55 Mazda. Colin Braun has been flawless here at CTMP this weekend, and this could be another win for an Oreca LMP2 car. Braun has been ahead in every session this weekend.

#54 leads and they are driving away from everyone. In about six minutes, they will record a fantastic, come from behind victory. Braun controls the race and lowers fast lap to 1:07.6. Lexus in trouble. #14 blocks a quicker car, and Jack Hawksworth has now gone off the road another time in the sister #15. Andy Lally on the podium. Madison Snow and Katherine Legge move up to fourth and fifth in class. The two Lexus cars may have come together on the road, somewhere. John Potter kept the Magnus Audi competitive today before handing the car to Andy Lally. We watch a replay of Porsche #911 getting tapped by Lexus #14 before that car went back up the inside. That hung the #911 out to dry and hence, the two Corvette's said, "see ya!" and blew by. Tommy Milner sets his and the #4's fastest lap of the race with a 1:15.3. Richard Westbrook remains 3.5 seconds up the road. Plenty of battles still taking place out on the track. Jack Hawksworth is in the pit lane right before this race ends.

Hawksworth needs grass blown out of the radiator, as the engine of the Lexus RC F GT3 begins to overheat. No tires needs even though they were on the wall. Andy Lally looks to pass Kyle Marcelli. Lally is in the slipstream of the Lexus. He must try the outside. A couple more laps for Colin Braun. The CORE Aosport team is holding their collective breath. Richard Westbrook is going to win GTLM even though the Ford GT has damage on the back. It is now, the final lap, here at CTMP. Colin Braun passes the battle for second in GTD. Braun still has traffic to contend with. Two turns to go as he gets by Jeroen Bleekemolen. Colin Braun, and Jon Bennett, win the Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix! Two wins in a row for ORECA!

Overall/Prototype: #54 Braun/Bennett Oreca 07 Gibson

GT Le Mans:#67 Westbrook/Briscoe Ford GT

GT Daytona: #33 Keating/Bleekemolen Mercedes AMG GT3

An amazing win, for another underdog privateer LMP2 team. Wow! So, the next race on the schedule, is the Northeast Grand Prix at the bull ring, the 1.53 mile layout of Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, next weekend. See you then.