Less than an hour to go now at Watkins Glen. We watch some of the highlights of this wondrful motor race. The BoP deal is really affecting things, it seems. Or, is it the heat? Corvette Racing has been able to massage their car, and in doing so, come alive. Have fresh drivers, but also, a good car. Have a car that can handle the heat while on old tires. That's what you are going to have. The #31 Cadillac shares the championship lead with their sister car, #5. #31 is now up to second in the overall as we close in on the finish of this motor race. Corvette #4 in the lane, and it looks like someone is off the track with some mechanical difficulties. One of the Audi's is slowing! Is that the Land car? No. It's the Magnus car that now had a flat left rear tire. Make it back to the lane. Gently. We've seen a number of these tire punctures. Colin Braun is extending his lead on Juan Pablo Montoya. Wow.
#44 is in pit lane. We have a full course yellow. Cover your bases. Jeroen Bleekemolen had a horrid pit stop, spilling fuel out of the rig and the tank, that had to be cleaned up. So, a pear shaped race for the #33 Mercedes. Dirk Mueller has leapfrogged the Porsche in GTLM. What is your strategy? How do you get to the checkers? You've got to lay the cards on the table, and make your move, now. Pit lane is now open for GT cars. Now, Colin Braun has more fuel than Juan Pablo Montoya. 43 minutes on the board yet. Much debris, lots of clag, out on the road. prototypes are hitting the pit lane right now and here cokme a couple of the GTLM cars, the Porsche's and Ford's, too. A driver change for #54, as Romain Dumas takes the car to the end. Cadillac #10 beats everyone out of the lane!
He pulled a rabbit out of the hat there! The car in the fast lane has the right of way. Here we come to the green flag! Ooh! Jordan Taylor almost botched the timing on the restart! The pace car wasn't in pit lane and here comes Juan Pablo Montoya! Simpsonb goes for it, and on the inside, Stephen Simpson makes a MOVE on everyone! The Red Dragon, breathes fire! Nasr vs. Albuquerque, and Nasr gets squeezed on the dirt, knackering his tires. It's game over for #54, his race is ruined. Ditto for the #29 Audi, with a penalty for working on the car in a closed pit, making way for the #86 Acura. Markus Palttala and Bryan Sellers are also up there.
Don't pinball into other cars. Alvaro Parente knows the #29 car has a penalty in it's future. Markus Palttala, the Flying Finn, is coming. The final car on the lead lap is tenth in the overall, the #55 Mazda. With all the trouble they had earlier this weekend, they are doing very well now, and they are one oif the hardest working teams in all of racing. Romain Dumas is flying, going for it, having passed Jordan Taylor in the #10 Cadillac. We're down to the last 25 minutes. Stephen Simpson might be tight on fuel as we get to the end. By not taking tires, the #10 Cadillac is losing grip. Paul di Resta is really close behind now.
Markus Palttala has gone around Alvaro Parente. Sheldon van der Linde still has not served the mandatory penalty. Another penalty for #29. They are adding to their troubles. A drive through penalty for not serving the earlier drive through penalty. Land Motorsports is in it to win it, but they've dealt with a ton of frustration. The battle continues between Paul di Resta and Romain Dumas. JDC Miller has done very well, adding the second car, to gain more data. Stephen Simpson is at his best on a track he runs really well on. Sheldon van der Linde could be yanked off scoring. Markus Palttala isn't inj the fight. The true fight will be between Alvaro Parente and Bryan Sellers.
Only two cars out of the race, and we've seen 27 lead changes today. Colin Braun chases Paul di Resta. BMW #96, with Markus Palttala is giving it a good race, leading GT Daytona. Seven different makes in the top seven in GTD. It's game over, though for Land Motorsport. Their out of it. Stephen Simpson is pressing hard and so is Juan Pablo Montoya, through the toe of The Boot. Into the heel of The Boot. No GT traffic. Mano e mano between Montoya and Simpson. Paul di Resta is traffic, and so is the #75 Mercedes AMG GT3.
Eight minutes to go. Five laps at minimum. One of the Mazda's gets in the way of the Red Dragon. Debris flag, and now, Stephen Simpson's lead has disappeared! Montoya and Dumas are coming! Dumas has not beeen able to get by #31 or #85. Romain Dumas is pushing. Romain Dumas ran 7:57 at Pikes Peak last week in the VW concept car that needed a siren to alert people and animals on the road because it was so quiet. Now, Tristan Nunez is in pit lane. Dumas is in striking distance of Montoya headed for turn eight. They are closing on Stephen Simpson. Meanwhile, five seconds will be enough for Dirk Mueller and his team mate to win.
White flag this time by. Dumas throws the dummy down the inside, but no dice. Dumas vs. Montoya. Can we have overtime please? No. 3.4 miles to go. One lap. White flag. Stephen Simpson has been caught, and he has GTLM cars in the way! Can Romain Dumas pull something out of the hat? What will happen? What does Montoya have left in the locker? Dumas loses out to GTLM cars. Now, here comes Dumas to try and catch Montoya! No dice!
Two corners to go for Stephen Simpson and Gainsco! Oreca wins! Dumas nips Montoya! The LMP2 cars go 1-2! Stephen Simpson, Chris Miller, and Misha Goikhberg win the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen! In GTLM, it is Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller who will win in class. In GT Daytona, it's Turner Motorsports and car #96. for Markus Palttala and Silver drivers Dylan Machavern, and Don Yount!
Overall/Prototype: #99 Goikhberg/Simpson/Miller Oreca 07 Gibson
GT Le Mans: #66 Mueller/Hand Ford GT
GT Daytona: #96 Palttala/Machavern/Yount BMW M6 GT3
What a beauty of a race at Watkins Glen! Next up, next weekend, it is a sprint, at another legendary race track. Mosport Park (now known as Canadian Tire Motorsports Park), in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, hosts a sprint event for IMSA at 2 hours and 40 minutes, next weekend. We'll see you, for that. So long, from the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, everyone.
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