It is the penultimate race of the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, the Monterey Grand Prix/America's Tire 250 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California, on the Monterey peninsula. Last year, Laguna Seca saw an amazing duel between Dane Cameron and Renger van der Zande. Who will win at Laguna Seca, this year? Everyone loves coming here for the food, the weather, the landscape, and the racing. It is a picture perfect day in Monterey. Three driver's championships are up for grabs. The biggest surprise is the performance of CORE Autosport, who have had two straight wins. They will have Romain Dumas with them at the finale at Petit Le Mans in early October.
In GT Le Mans, each contender is desperate for different reasons. The #4 Corvette wants a win. The two Ford GT's from Chip Ganassi Racing. Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen have had no wins in 2018. In GT Daytona, Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers, they are the points leaders in the Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3. Others are chasing. Katherine Legge and Alvaro Parente in the #86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 want a good result. Wayne Taylor Racing are the defending champions. Now, they are 12 points behind their competition. Jordan Taylor earned pole, and he will staert the race. #10 has not won yet this year. Can they do it? Neither front row starter has a win yet. The second Acura is not in championship contention, the #6 car.
Here we go! Contact at the gREEN AND jOAO barbosa and the Porsche #811 ghave already crashed into each other before the green flag! Oh my gosh! One of the Ford GT's, the #66 aksi ghas danage. The #911 and the #66 are out of the championship now. This is not good for some of the GTLM contenders. Three cars are out of the motor race, on the spot. It's tough to pass here at Laguna seca. The cadillac got turned, and then, the GTLM Porsche has no place to go, with Nick Tandy at the wheel of it.
Joao Barbosa is back from injury. The Prototypes were stacked and the GTLM cars tried to accelerate. No dice. that was a massive hit right on the cockpit. Joao Barbosa and Filipe Albuquerque are definitely on the back foot. They will take no further part in this motor race. The #66 Ford GT clouted the Cadillac. Barbosa was turned around, and the Porsche... bang, right into the side of the car! So, the #5 got hit by both of them. There's nothing worse than a massive crash at the start of a motor race. Laguna Seca is a very challenging race track, and there's significant elevation change, and, low grip. Dropping five and a half stories down The Corkscrew is amazing. Fortune favors the bold, but not so much after the first turn shemozzle.
It's a gorgeous day at Laguna seca. Everyone just started to charge and do the land rush. Johannes van Overbeek in the #22 Nissan DPi was charging. In racing, you are eliminated with one wrong move. That does not happen in any other sport. Let's hope the rest of the race is a clean one. Steady there, chaps. Take it easy. The order at the front, has been jumbled here. On the restart, the cars will accelerate at the apex of turn 11. The restart will hopefully be less chaotic. Green, again, and we are racing now. The Prototypes calmly go through as Misha Goikhberg is trying to make a pass, and then, poor old Bill Auberlen gets turned around by his former team mate Justin Marks. The #14 Lexus had problems. Poor old #93 with Justin Marks and Lawson Aschenbach, they can't catch a break.
The Lexus lost control off turn 11. All the driver aids work, but physics can get in the way. The #14 Lexus RC F has damage on the right side, and it's game over for the #93 Acura NSX GT3. We have only run seven laps, and this race has turned into a demolition derby, a crash, bang, wallop. Again, low grip and high tire wear are a part of this race track. Be responsible. Drivers know they won't have much grip on this track. Once again, blokes, take it easy. Cadillac #31 is in the lane, but the pit lane is closed. He can't do any service. The red light is on at pit out. The Whelen Engineering Cadillac leads the championship overall. After this little mixup, their race could go pear shaped.
Nine laps have been run in the first few minutes.
Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller, those two might be out of luck for the championship. Mercedes #33 for Keating Motorsports and the #96 Turner Motorsports Liqui Moly BMW M6 GT3 have pitted. There's a split strategy, currently, on the pit stops. The yellow flag remains out. The field remains behind the safety car, as there's a problem for the #54 CORE Autosport ORECA. Something is wrong with Jon Bennett. He's crawling and then stopping just outside pit lane. Ah. Now he is able to get the car to pit lane. What is this all about? He had power. Maybe he was waiting for the clock to reach 30 minutes.
Ah. A driver change,. as Colin Braun will get into the automobile. He waited. The safety car is pulling away, and Colin Braun must get on track in order to gain points as we go back to green. Dane Cameron puts the power down. He and team mate Ricky Taylor are winless. now, Eric curran has passed Robert Alon in the #85 JDC-Miller Oreca, "the banana boat". Jonathan Bomarito in the #55 Mazda RT-24P is chasing Jordan Taylor. Bomarito is racing at his home track. Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen have Corvette running 1-2 right now.
The crash for the #66 Ford GT plays right into the Corvette squad's hands. CGR is going to have to place their hopes in the #67 car. John Edwards and Jesse Krohn are racing nose to tail with their two BMW M8 GT's. Porsche GTLM vs. Lamborghini GTD. Madison Snow leads in GT Daytona at the moment. Earl Bamber is moving up in the #912 Porsche 911 RSR. Rainey curve, turn ten, is another legendary corner here at Laguna Seca, named after American motorcycle racing champion, Wayne Rainey. Jordan Taylor is in trouble in the #10 Cadillac!
He's got transmission trouble. There's nothing but a box of neutrals in that Cadillac. He is crawling. Just when we thought WTR was going to turn their season around. Not the case, today, with one race to go in the championship. It's game over for Jordan Taylor. Now, under yellow, the GTLM cars are in the lane, getting in before the pits closed for this short yellow. Ford and Corvette in the lane. Lots of championship contenders have gotten into trouble during the race so far today.
We are set for yet another restart. No action taken on the first two starts as Pippo Derani spins the ESM Nissan DPi. Pippo Derani will joins Felipe Nasr at Whelen Engineering in 2019. Eric Curran will move to run the endurance races only. Big battle in GTLM! It's go time, and the Ford #67 has cut a tire. Richard Westbrook might have some big damage. Pippo Derani and Misha Goikhberg's earlier contretemps is reviewed by the stewards. No further action. The #25 BMW M8 GT is going for it. Meanwhile, the #67 us back underway. Westbrook goes inside Gavin, and there's some argy bargy between the two of them.
The Corvette didn't want to turn. The pit crew has to check that the toe link and the upright are not broken. It's cool in the Monterey peninsula, but the tempers in this motor race, are red hot. It's a broken steering racxk on the Ford GT. They are out of this motor race. Dane Cameron is looking for his first win of the 2018 season before it ends. Jonathan Bomarito, again, at his home track, is giving the Mazda a good run. Oliver Jarvis is having a good run, but the windscreen is full of fluid and other debris. When will the Prototypes pit? None of the leaders have done so, with 52 minutes on the board.
Side by side, the #31 passes the #99. Wayne Taylor says there was a catstrophic transmission failure. The differential blew out the side of the gearbox. This is a year to forget for WTR. Kyle Marcelli is applyiung the blowtorch to Madison Snow in GTD. Lexus vs. Lamborghini, and Snow is trying to hold on by the skin of his teeth to a possible championship. Renger van der Zande, and Jordan Taylor's alter ego, Rodney Sandstorm, handed out ice cream to the fans. Meanwhile, Madison Snow is hanging on for dear life on tires that are toasted at the moment, and Snow, replaced those tires that were totally knackered.
All three of the championships will go down to the Petit Le Mans, the final race of the year. Details on that race will come at the end of this race report. Mazda has a good setup here, after some changes in the Balance of Performance. The LMP2 based cars lost two liters of fuel while DPi spec cars gained two liters. Gunnar Jeanette is chasing Christina Nielsen in GT Daytona right now, The door isn't latched on the #58 car. What will the marshals say about that? Perhaps it didn't latch properly. Prototypes and GTLM cars are mixed in amongst each other as we watch the BMW M8 gt chasing the Corvette. The Acura DPi cars have been having some trouble with tire degradation.
Jarvis was quickest in the morning warmup. Can Mazda win their first DPi race today, at their home track? Jesse Krohn leads Earl Bamber in GT Le Mans at the moment. Pit stop time is coming up, and we see some damage to Mazda #77. Problems for the #77 Mazda. The engine is running. But, there is crash damage, and perhaps more trouble for the car. Penske is in wit the #7, Helio Castroneves at the wheel of it, changing over to Ricky Taylor. A tear off was taken off the windshield as well. Now, #77 is back underway, and the #6 Acura is in. Dane Cameron hands over to Juan Pablo Montoya.
Mercedes #33 pits. Jeroen Bleekemolen is back into the car after Ben Keating did his stint. Acura #6 overcooks it on cold tires! Juan Pablo Montoya, off the road! Yikes! He's back on, now. Cold tires won't pick up debris, thankfully. Felipe Nasr pressurizes Juan Pablo Montoya. Sebastian Saavedra and Colin Braun now run 1-2. PR1/Mathiasen vs. CORE Autosport. Braun in the pit lane. AFS/PR1 have changed from the Ligier to the Oreca chassis and it is paying dividends in Sebastian Saavedra's first race at Laguna Seca. Troubles for Bill Auberlen in the #96 BMW M6 GT3. The car has some damage. Now, the #52 car is in the lane. Gustavo Yacaman is going to get into the car, replacing the aforementioned Sebastian Saavedra.
Bill Auberlen is stopped on the hill to the Corkscrew. Both JDC-Miller cars in the lane. Now, Harry Tincknell is leading in his first race at Laguna Seca. Fuel only pit stop for the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini. Katherine Legge brings the #86 Acura to the lane before it closes. The tires are going away, and Legge hands over to Alvaro Parente. Jesse Krohn and John Edwards just pitted in the #24 BMW. Corvette could not pit before the lane closes, but they will be on the back foot, albeit sans a penalty.
BMW #25 in the lane. Alexander Sims hands over to Connor De Philippi. We are now set to go back to green with just over an hour to go. Montoya in the #6 Acura wants by Felipe Nasr. Now, Andy Lally is chasing Bryan Sellers. Harry Tincknell continues to lead this motor race. Can Mazda win at their home track? The win has been elusive for Mazda. Now, Gunnar Jeanette, Bryan sellers, and Andy Lally all battle each other in GT Daytona. Alvaro Parente might have an advantage on long runs for the tires. But, poor old Bryan Sellers might be in trouble. Sellers sets up a perfect pass on Gunnar Jeanette, and he is losing places.
Nasr and Montoya are locked together in second and third spot. The Montoya and Nasr battle is getting tasty, and we have more cars, bearing down on these two. Montoya and Cameron another driver pairing looking for win #1 in 2018. Now, we are under an hour remaining in this motor race. Harry Tincknell is working his way through GTD traffic. Three wide over the crest! Big lockup for Pippo Derani! Yikes! The battle for fourth is Ricky Taylor, Colin Braun, and Pippo Derani. Derani makes a move on Braun and makes it stick, blocking the CORE Autosport driver. There may have been a reactionary move there, which the stewards could call into question.
Derani moved to block at a very shallow angle, and had some argy bargy with Colin Braun. Braun says, "he's blocking me!" Race Director Beaux Barfield wants specifics about complaints and incidents. It'll be a warning, or no action. Derani moves past Ricky Taylor. Andy Lally in the Audi passes Jack Hawksworth in the Lexus. Pippo Derani has pulled away from Ricky Taylor. Taylor has his hands full with Colin Braun. Derani was defending, and then nearly blocking. Meanwhile, Juan Pablo Montoya wants by the #31 Cadillac, passing the #912 Porsche 911 RSR, Laurens Vanthoor at the wheel of it. Nasr forces the issue on Richard Westbrook in the #67 Ford GT.
Nasr uses the BMW M8 as a pick. Big move here, look, as the #4 Corvette in GTLM chops off the Acura. Look again, as we see issues for the ESM Nissan. This is the #2 car, with Ryan Dalziel driving. But, Derani in the sister car, he has closed right up on Montoya. Corvette hits the pit lane briefly. Harry Tincknell and Mazda make their final pit stop, as does Juan Pablo Montoya in the #6 Acura. This is going to be a battle royal to the finish. Derani and Montoya side by side, and Montoya on cold tires! Ricky Taylor has warm tires, and the over under, and Taylor makes the pass.
The #31 Cadillac has dropped to the back of the queue as Colin Braun leads, with Stephen Simpson second, in the #99 Red Dragon that started the accident at the start of the race.
Next up, is the sister car, #85, the "Banana Boat", with Simon Trummer at the wheel of it. Colin Braun and Jon Bennett could lead the points, by three, if the race ended now. But, there are stil 41 minutes to go. Both Lexus' in the lane, and Mazda has just made a stop but has elected to not fix the nose damage. Colin Braun is now into the pit lane, from the race lead. Stephen Simpson takes over the race lead, and he must pit as well. A four tire change is the order of the day for #54. Tire management is critical at Weathertech raceway Laguna seca, and some argy bargy between Montoya and Ricky Taylor! So, the Acura's are into some argy bargy and heavy battles here.
Montoya clears Connor De Philippi, running second to team mate John Edwards at BMW in GTLM. Harry Tincknell has a healthy lead over Pippo Derani, but, Derani is gaining. Another pit stop for the #48 Lamborghini. They are second in GT Daytona, and their rival, the Acura #86 leads in class. John Edwards leads Connor De Philippi in GTLM. Antonio Garcia is fourth in GTLM and he could move up. Can Pippo Derani catch Harry Tincknell? Derani has won the 12 Hours of Sebring, twice, so he knows how to win sports car races.
Now, more drama! Harry Tincknell has a problem, and he spins after Gustavo Yacaman slams the door in his face, look,. What does Mazda have to do, to win a race? Pippo Derani in the #22 Nissan has moved ahead. No action from the stewards. Now, Colin Braun has moved past Felipe Nasr, and Braun is set to chase down both Acura's, which incidentally, are on older tires than Braun is. Half an hour to go now. Traffic snookered Harry Tincknell. Alvaro Parente into the lane for the final time. Four scrubbed tires go on the car. Pit stop time, too, for Magnus Racing. Derani leads Montoya and Taylor. Now, Taylor cuts past Montoya because of the traffic. Colin Braun is closing, fast!
Braun goes past the sister #77 Mazda which is a couple laps down. Look here, boys, Colin Braun is coming. Jorg Bergmeister in the #73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 has gone to the GT Daytona lead. Colin Braun has the fastest lap of the race so far at 1:16.9. Colin Braun is closing on Ricky taylor and is right there. This is for the win, and if Derani has an issue, there's going to be something that could happen. Ryan Dalziel in the sister ESM car has had a litany of problems after some contact earlier. Felipe Nasr is under attack from Harry Tincknell in the Mazda. Tincknell is trying very hard to make up ground when he lost the lead after his spin and his contact with Gustavo Yacaman.
Many GTLM cars are gambling on fuel if there's just one more yellow flag. Richard Westbrook and the second Ford GT is in the garage. Now, Harry Tincknell is going after Felipe Nasr. He needs to move forward with just over 15 minutes left in the race. GTLM and GTD leaders both need to save fuel. Jorg Bergmeister has run very well in the #73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R, sharing with Patrick Lindsey. Bergmeister is followed by Bleekemolen, Sellers, and Parente. Bergmeister's tires are knackered. Now, Harry Tincknell is right on Felipe Nasr's gearbox. Tristan Nunez is up ahead in the sister Mazda, laps down, in the #77. Tincknell powers past Nasr up the hill. Does Nasr have anything left in the locker?
Sellers, Bleekemolen, Bergmeister, and others, are still fighting for GTD. Parente has caught Sellers! Pippo Derani, your overall leader. goes by. The checkers are coming. Don't miss a grandstand finish here at Laguna Seca. Dominos begin to fall as the #24 BMW M8 GT comes to pit lane. Laurens Vanthoor is second for Porsche. Alvaro Parente has passed Bryan Sellers! This is for points in GTD. Less than seven minutes to go in the race. Prototypes work through the traffic in GTD. Parente is right up to the Mercedes of Jeroen Bleekemolen. In turn 11 a alap ago, Parente got the lead, and now, he is all over Bleekemolen's gearbox, and makes it stick. Bleekemolen can't answer the call.
Sellers has to move past Bleekemolen if he has anything left in the locker. Great battle between Ricky Taylor and Colin Braun. Parente looks inside Bergmeister for the GT Daytona lead! Katherine Legge wants the win, and wants to close in the championship. Parente passes Bergmeister. Parente has the faster car. Less than four minutes remain. Argy baergy between the two Ferrari's, and there's damage to the #7 Acura! Oh my! Ricky Taylor was an innocent bystander there. Connor De Philippi leads GTLM. Alvaro Parente leads GTD. Laurens Vanthoor and Antonuo Garcia are closing. Harry Tincknell wants by Juan Montoya.
Two laps left. Laurens Vanthoor is right behind Connor De Philippi. Save fuel but don't let your rival pass. Derani, Nissan, and ESM lead overall. Did Ricky Taylor get back soon enough? #7 is in pit lane and he made it back. For Ricky Taylor, he was involved in a battle between Gunnar Jeanette and Townsend Bell. Bleekemolen wiggles in Rainey curve. Sellers hanging on with everything he has. Bleekemolen's tires are shot. Jorg Bergmeister has conserved both tires and fuel. White flag for Derani.
Colin Braun is second, and Felipe Nasr is fifth. The clock is at zero. Final lap. Does De Philippi have enough for one more lap? Laurens Vanthoor stumbled. Derani can coast after the Corkscrew. Nissan won at Sebring back in March. Derani moves to Action Express next year. Pippo Derani and Johannes van Overbeek win! In GTLM, Alexander Sims and Connor De Philippi win! Wow! De Philippi saved all the fuel. In GTD, the #86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 for Katherine Legge and Alvaro Parente, win GT Daytona.
Overall/Prototype: #22 Derani/van Overbeek Nissan DPi
GT Le Mans: #25 De Philippi/Sims BMW M8 GTE
GT Daytona: #86 Legge/Parente Acura NSX GT3
Our last challenge of the season, is the Motul Petit Le Mans in the red clay hills of northern Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, for ten hours of racing. The race happens in a month's time.
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