We are ready, to start the Road Race Showcase at one of the fastest, greatest race courses in the country. Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. We are racing, now! Robert Alon and Ricky Taylor on the front row and we are racing! Ricky Taylor and Renger van der Zande are going for it and here comes Juan Pablo Montoya! Mazda has some fast cars, too. Renger van der Zande moves ahead and the two Action Express cars are going for it as well. It is a warm day at Road america. Everyone is settling in, now. The GT Le Mans cars have started well. But, Gustavo Yacaman has spun the PR1 Ligier #52 and has landed in the gravel trap. Make your move now, before there is a full course yellow.
One of the BMW M8 GTE's runs wide. This is a short yellow as we see Gustavo Yacaman plow over the curbs and spin into the gravel. We are under full course yellow, right now. Yacaman was jolly lucky he didn't hit anything. Yacaman is sharing the car with Olivier Pal of France. We will be ready to go back to green with Robert Alone leading Ricky Taylor. Joao Barbosa's wrist has healed and he is back racing cadillac #5. Big move through the Moraine sweep! Eric Curran and Joao Barbosa are going for it and Can Pablo Montoya. There's damage to the #63 Ferrari 488 GT3 of Cooper MacNeil, racing with Alessandro Pier Guidi, who is the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Pro champion.
GT Le Mans sees ford leading Corvette and Porsche. BMW is also in the fight. Alexander Sims starts the BMW M8 GTE. Don't cut a tire on a 4 mile lap like it is here at Road America. Problems for the #63 car, the WeatherTech racer. Get the damage fixed ASAP. There is not much of a fuel window for GT Daytona. The good news is that it is a long lap. Manage the damage, go slowly, and try to keep the tire intact, as Juan Pablo Montoya climbs the hill through turn five. A lap ago, there was all kinds of near contact between Eric Curran in the #31 Cadillac and the #6 Acura.
MacNeil in the lane to fix the damage. MacNeil's dad, David, the team manager, is not happy. This is the home track for WeatherTech, so they want to do well. Tire management, and downforce vs. speed. Look at the fuel strategy too. Nick Tandy, sharing with Earl Bamber, has started off this race well in the #911 Porsche 911 RSR. Road America sits on 650 acres of land, outside Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The track dynamics are amazing. There are three or four really good overtaking spots on this circuit.
Ford has had three poles in GTLM at Road America, and he is currently leading Corvette. It's these two who are battling right now. Be in fuel save mode as this race is in it's infancy. We've run just 20 minutes so far. The GTLM cars are running within a tenth of each other and everyone is a factory driver. Speaking of factory drivers, Oliver Jarvis and Harry Tincknell, for Mazda, are racing Road America for the first time. Mazda did not race at Road America in 2017. Robert Alon in "the banana boat" is opening a gap over Ricky Taylor in the #7 Acura as Ben Keating will get pinged with a penalty after argy bargy with the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3 of Robbie Foley and Markus Palttala.
Bill Auberlen is not racing as he hurt himself in a home injury, making repairs to his house. He'll be back, later in the season, and perhaps for the next GT only race, at Virginia International Raceway, next weekend. Taylor, Alon, and van der Zande, are the top three. Continental Tires have been doing very well balancing fan interaction and also their product placement with their tires on the track. Of course, Michelin tires will be the new tire supplier and sponsor for IMSA, next year. Misha Goikhberg runs wide in turn five and Scott Sharp says "thanks, Misha", and makes the pass. So, those two chaps have a battle on their hands.
Ooh. Some argy bargy between Ryan Briscoe and the #63 Ferrari. Ryan Briscoe is holding on in the #67 Ford GT over Corvette. Cadillac #31 pits. Eric Curran hands over to Felipe Nasr, and Ferrari #51 spins in the kink. It's a full course yellow. The Ferrari driver has spun, and i's veteran Ozz Negri Jr. Fortunately, he is OK, but it is game over for the car. Sticking a tire with a probe helps to check the temperature, and if the temperature is hotter in one spot than another, it needs to have heat distributed all over. Bibendum is training the engineers, and you have to stick the tire, in the middle, not the sides.
Pit stop time for GTLM and Prototype. BMW leapfrogs Corvette, and the fuel window will be tight, with just two hours remaining. Will there be more time behind the safety car? We'll find out. Patrick Long in the #58 Wright Motorsports Porsche is leading GT Daytona, sharing with Christina Nielsen. We continue under full course yellow as GT Daytona cars hit pit lane. Normally, you'd stay out for ten more minutes. This is a point for the minimum 45 minute drive times to be in place for the Pro Am drivers. Bryan Sellers pits the #48 Lamborghini, too.
The field remains behind the safety car, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 safety car, which has more power than some of the race cars, believe it or not. Now, Felipe Nasr gets the jump on everyone, and here comes Colin Braun in the #54 CORE Autosport machine. More GT Daytona pit stops and drivers changes coming. Tristan Nunez squeezes Renger van der Zande to the grass! Yikes! Helio Castroneves spins around in the #7 Acura ARX05. It is hot and intense here at Road America.
When Ricky Taylor won at Mid-Ohio, he was the 50th driver to win for Roger Penske. A penalty for Robert Alon! Deary me. He came in and served it. Pit equipment in the lane. He was not in the proper pit box, and then, he hit pit equipment in the lane, exiting. The #14 Lexus RC F GT3 pits and Kyle Marcelli will take over the car from Dominik Baumann. The #15 car is not in the race after issues in the morning warmup. The battle is now raging at the front of GT Daytona! Madison Snow is being pressured by Patrick Long, and Snow is trying to go after Justin Marks. Lindsey is also racing the FIA World Endurance Championship "super season" which sees their next race at Silverstone in a couple weeks. You will find coverage of that event, here, on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog, too.
It's been an ebb and flow for all three classes with the yellow flags. Porsche still leads Ford in GT Le Mans. Alessandro Pier Guidi has taken over the #63 Ferrari. Pier Guidi runs a 2:08.4, fastest lap so far in GT Daytona. Acura #93 has a tire issue. Madison Snow leads in class in GTD. In the heat, there are constant loads on the left side tires here at Road America. We've seen debris on the road, and a big chunk of the Ford GT had come off, and was hit by one of the Porsche's. With a long lap, the race can come back to you, if you play the strategy properly. Colin Braun is the meat in the sandwich between the two Action Express Cadillac's as the Banana Boat is off the road! The splitter hit the rise ion the asphalt, and he's off the road. Deary me. Alon is beached in Canada Corner. Lawson Aschenbach tips Robert Alon into a spin.
This off track crackup for the Banana Boat, has become a full course yellow, due to, if you can believe it, the yellow car. Could it be an early bath for Robert Alon and Simon Trummer? Felipe Nasr leads Colin Braun at the moment. Whelen vs. CORE Autosport. This is puzzling as we watch a replay of Robert Alon getting blocked by Lawson Aschenbach, and then, simply nudged out of the way and the Banana Boat, spins. Felipe Nasr gets a massive jump over Colin Braun and the rest of the field. Eric Curran and Felipe Nasr lead the points, but only by one.
The #66 Ford GT is slow! Dirk Mueller and Joey Hand have just one point over the #3 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R- of Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia! Something is wrong with the Ford! The engine is running roughly. Nick Tandy and Porsche still lead GTLM as the sister car pits, #912. We are an hour and ten minutes into the race, with an hour and a half remaining. Ford #66 is pitting, and not retiring. Joey Hand will get into the car. Work is underway on the right rear corner. Something is wrong in the half shaft area of the automobile. Maybe it's the pushrod in the suspension. It could be a pushrod or control arm. It can't be a half shaft issue.
Colin Braun is all over Felipe Nasr like a rash. Recall Braun's great performance to win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Braun is rumored to be going to IndyCar next year. Braun's father, Jeff, is the team engineer, and he is an expert in the setup department. Will #54 gain places and be in contention for the win? We'll see. What a lovely view of Elkhart Lake itself, which is very close to the track at Road america. In Friday practice, Pippo Derani had a major fuel fire and a crash, melting the visor off his helmet. Derani was fine. He is racing the #22 Nissan DPi, and Ryan Dalziel, his team mate, is right there. If you have a higher downforce car, don't make sudden moves. We saw a savage wreck in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race, yesterday.
Christian Fittipaldi is going to retire after the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona. He is at peace with his decision to end his professional racing career. Fittipaldi has had success in Formula 1, IndyCar, and sports cars. Fittipaldi will run Petit Le Mans and then, the 2019 Rolex 24. He has three overall wins in the Rolex 24. Fittipaldi will work with the team, and just not drive. Felipe Nasr leads Filipe Albuquerque as Acura #6 is in pit lane. They have had a fraught race today. Juan Pablo Montoya is back on track. A good day for Mazda, seeing Harry Tincknell in fourth and Tristan Nunez in fifth. #55 leads #77. Madison Snow in the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3. Mazda boss John Doonan's home track is Road America.
Time is of the essence. An hour and 15 minutes now remain. #54 is in the pit lane. Jon Bennett will get into the car, possibly. Check that. Colin Braun will stay in the car. No driver change. There will be one more pit stop for the frontrunners, back timing to the end of this motor race. Porsche #911 is fending off the #67 Ford GT, which is still dealing with rear end damage. Nick Tandy is pushing, but he cannot violate track limits without getting pinged by the marshals. The #31 Cadillac pits from the lead, and the sister car #5 is second. Cadillac is in the hunt at the moment. It is a dead heat out of the pit lane, and Felipe Nasr did a mega stint.
Tristan Nunez leads the motor race now aboard the #77 Mazda RT24P. Oliver Jarvis at the wheel of it. Gustavo Yacaman, Colin Braun, and Dane Cameron go three wide! Now, Braun and Cameron are pushing each other. Jordan Taylor runs the #10 Cadillac Dpi-V.R in fifth overall. A clean windshield or a clear tear off is like a brand new day to a racing driver. Nick Tandy continues to lead the GT Le Mans class over Richard Westbrook in the #67 Ford GT. Some agricultural racing for Tandy! Yikes! Connor De Philippi is third in class in the BMW M8 GT #25. Trouble in the kink! Porsche #73 was way off the road as some argy bargy is going on between Tandy and Westbrook! These two were mates, but now, their friendship may be strained just a tad.
The #73 Porsche is stopped in GT Daytona, causing a full course yellow. Patrick Lindsey at the wheel of it. Helio Castroneves just pitted in Acura #7, which was a slow stop waiting for tires. Porsche #911, Corvette's #3 and #4, and Ford #67 all in pit lane. Porsche has left the lane. Connor De Philippi beats his rivals out of pit lane. An incredible stop for BMW! Patrick Lindsey speared off the road after a late turn in, and getting out into the clag on the outside of the road. We watch a replay of the argy bargy between Tandy and Westbrook.
Westbrook went deep into turn five, and they banged fenders about three times. No harm, no fowl. We look forward to the 50th anniversary of IMSA next year. Ricardo Juncos, from the IndyCar series is here, visiting the race. Juncos is interested in racing in sports cars. We continue to clean up the mess after the full course yellow. Felipe Nasr leads the motor race. Cooper MacNeil will be ahead in GT Daytona, but has a battle on his hands with Katherine Legge and Alvaro Parente. We still remember, and will always, Dave Maraj, from Champion Racing, an American Le Mans Series winner, and a Le Mans winner. A man who didn't want fame and fortune, but did extremely well and was so, so successful for Champion Racing.
So many drivers were touched by Dave Maraj's involvement in racing and his generosity. Rest In Peace, Dave. A class act. Just over 45 minutes to go. Felipe Nasr still leads, but Filipe Albuquerque, is pushing, too. They continue to execute. We look again at fuel strategy. Where will our winner come from? All of the Prototypes will need fuel before the end of the race. Can cars leapfrog to the front? We'll see. Alvaro Parente passes Alessandro Pier Guidi into turn eight. Jeroen Bleekemolen is also there. Patrick Long is coming up through the field, and he and Bryan Sellers have fresher tires but the fuel situation will be a big deal.
Jeroen Bleekemolen also needs more fuel. aH. earl Bamber vs. John Edwards. Some argy bargy between the Porsche and the BMW! Patrick Pilet goes around the Corvette. Bamber roughs up Edwards! This is a serious scrap! Pilet drops wheels into turn seven! An off for the #52, and, crunch! Sebastian Saavedra hits the wall! He hit the wall, broadside. Not good. This is a full course yellow. Will the pit lane be closed? Yes. This is a short one. I have to correct myself. The #85 JDC-Miller ORECA is still on track. So, Robert Alon did not have an early bath and retire from the motor race.
The countryside around Road America is very picturesque. Felipe Nasr and Eric Curran want to hold on to their points lead and extend it. John Olson, the CEO of Whelen, passed away a few days ago. so the #31 team is racing with heavy hearts. It is time to lay your cards on the table, blokes. There will be a new President for Road America next year, and the current President will remain involved with the operations of the circuit. Everyone will pit, more than likely. Here's the restart! #5 is under pressure from the Mazda #77! Filipe Albuquerque vs. Oliver Jarvis! Jarvis squeezes Pippo detain, and he takes the spot away! He did all he could to get it stopped in turn five! Cars dive to pit lane. One Acura pits, and one doesn't. The top four cars stay on the road.
If a yellow falls for the cars who chose not to pit, those boys could be in dire straits. Pit stop time for Mazda #77 and trouble for a right front tire. Trouble with the wheel nut! Now, Porsche #911 is serving a penalty. Alessandro Pier Guidi passes Alvaro Parente. Bryan Sellers is going to move up. Bad news for Parente, and team mate Katherine Legge, who may lose points. Cadillac #5 in pit lane. There will be a tire change and fuel on that car. Two tires on the left side are changed, and they are back on track. They don't need a full fuel load to get to the end as John Edwards is in the lane in the #24 BMW. He goes behind the wall! Game over for #24! Those boys cannot buy a break.
Jeroen Bleekemolen has won five races in a row here at Road america. Bleekemolen is scrapping with Markus Palttala in the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3. Bleekemolen is in full attack mode. It's time to put everything on the line, as Bleekemolen is also being pressured by Alessandro Pier Guidi. Albuquerque is on the rebound, cutting through the GT Daytona traffic. Some contact in turn five or something. There's a huge closing rate between a Prototype and a GTD car as Ryan dalziel is trying his hardest to clear the GTD cars. #58 got a bad tire in the previous race. Patrick Long is evenly matched with bryan Sellers. But, Long is leading in class and has a gap over the Lamborghini. Markus Palttala is a winner here at Road America who won in GTD in 2014 here at Road America.
Dane Cameron brings the #6 Acura to pit lane for half a tank of fuel. The dive plane is also damaged, as it was wedged into the #10 Cadillac. #6 has led six races in 2018 but has yet to win. Pier Guidi and Bleekemolen are still scrapping! Oh! Pier guide goes off the road! That was close! Alvaro Parente slides wide as he attacks Jeroen Bleekemolen, and gets gobbled up by Kyle Marcelli in the sole Lexus RC F GT3 in this race. There's damage to the right front dive plane on the #22 Nissan DPi. A piece of the rear wing, actually, the wire to the brake light, is loose on the #31 Cadillac from contact at the very beginning of the race. No action for the argy bargy in GT Daytona.
Pier Guidi still went off into the kitty litter, however. Sellers and Snow could extend their points lead in GTD. BMW leads GT Le Mans with Connor De Philippi at the wheel of it. BMW is winless so far in 2018 in IMSA with the M8 GTE. The next race for IMSA, is for GT classes only, at another classic track, Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Virginia. Stay tuned for more details when we finish this race. cOLIN braun runs off the road into the dirt! Yikes! Less than 15 minutes remaining now. In a distance race, you can save two laps on fuel, but in a timed race, it is even more critical. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen are just one point behind Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe. There's just one point in it even though Corvette has not won in 2018.
Connor De Philippi and BMW could win,. Now, Jordan Taylor in the #10 Cadillac leads Jonathan Bomarito in the #55 Mazda. The #10 Cadillac has been out on track for 53 minutes at most, but lately can't do more than 40 minutes on a stint. #10 needs a win. They have not won in a year. They did so at Detroit in 2017 after winning five races in a row. They have had a long, long dry spell. The top four cars are all on the same pit strategy. This race has been a war. It's been very, very physical. Not much mechanical attrition. If WTR can pull the rabbit out of their hat, it will be incredible. No love lost between WTR and Action Express. Both want to be top dog for Cadillac.
Mazda #55 has to pit for a splash and dash. They only need a yellow flag. Colin Braun and Jon Bennett, fourth in the championship, don't want to gamble. Oliver Jarvis slides through the corner, trying to hold off Helio Castroneves in the #7 Acura. Fuel strategy is playing out, as people guessed it would before the race. Nasr is faster. Cadillac #10 on pit lane for a very quick stop. Taylor has a quick fuel fill, for six seconds, and #31 streaks by. Taylor will still lose time because of the 60 kilometer per hour/37 mile per hour speed limit. Patrick Long continues leading GT Daytona and ooh! some argy bargy between the Ferrari and the Mercedes! Alessandro Pier Guidi barges Jeroen Bleekemolen. Pier Guidi is steaming. He wants by. Bleekemolen gives up and lets Pier Guidi by.
Boom! Boom!, and he goes off the road. He brake tests Bleekemolen. This is the make or break point of the season. People's contracts for 2019 are being looked at as Richard Westbrook flies past Connor de Philippi. De Philippi is slowing! Colin Braun leads overall after the #55 Mazda had to pit for a splash and dash. Final lap! This is going to be unreal. Bomarito has to pit and Felipe Nasr is now onto the podium, chasing Stephen Simpson. Connor De Philippi runs out of fuel and can't come to the pits. Nasr slides wide and he is on the attack. Nasr runs 11 seconds faster than Braun.
Simpson is still in the way! What does Colin Braun have left in the locker?
Drama! Two corners left, uphill. This is it! Colin Braun and Jon Bennett will make it to the top and win two in a row in Prototype! In GTD, Andy Lally has a huge crash! Big damage to the #44 Audi! Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe win GT Le Mans. In GT Daytona, Patrick Long and Christina Nielsen will score Wright Motorsports' first GTD win of 2018! What a race! Andy Lally slid and spun into the barrier. He is nerfing the Lexus, spun the wheels up, and... bang! Right into the barrier. He is OK. Stephen Simpson and Misha Goikhberg will be second, but run out of fuel. What a race!
Overall/Prototype: #54 Braun/Bennett Oreca 07 Gibson
GT Le Mans: #67 Westbrook/Briscoe Ford GT
GT Daytona: #58 Nielsen/Long Porsche 911 GT3R
Three races to go in 2018. Next up, is the second and final all GT battle, with no Prototypes. The Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, in two weeks time.
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