Winner & Highlights of the 6 Hours of Shanghai

The 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship "super season" has begun it's second half.  We are ready to race the 6 Hours of Shanghai at Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai, China.

Jackie Chan, actor turned race car team owner, this is his home.  There is a welcome party for the drivers at the Jackie Chan Film Gallery.  This track has 16 corners folded into 3.4 miles (5.146 kilometers).  We are set to see quite the fight in the LM GTE Pro division.  Qualifying, track position, and tire degradation/preservation, are going to be crucial.  The weather will be a major thing.  It's going to rain here in Shanghai, just as it did last time out at Fuji.  Drivers from Ford, BMW, Porsche, and Aston Martin in LM GTE Pro are all confident.  Sunday morning, dawns wet, but the fans are out in force, here in China to see some wheel to wheel sports car racing action.

People were very excited to se the drivers, especially Fernando Alonso, two-time Formula 1 World Champion.  The driver's autograph session was packed with fans, and lots of fun.  One of the driver's asks a fan, in French, "do you have any sunglasses?"  "Avez-vous des lunettes de soleil?"  The weather didn't dampen anyone's spirits.  But, in the race it will be a different story.  The rain is teeming down even during pre-race activities.  The flag wavers, the oil drum drummers, they are all here, contributing to the pageantry before the beginning of the event.

In LM GTE Am, the #98 Aston Martin Vantage of Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, and Matthias Lauda have scored their first pole of the season.  Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner are also here in a single Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-, car #64.  But, at the sharp end of GTE Pro, it's the Ford GT #66 with Olivier Pla at the wheel of it, who put the car on pole, sharing with Stefan Mucke.  Mucke says Ford wants to keep the car on the road, and score as many points as possible in today's motor race.  Jackie Chan DC Racing qualifies 1-2 in LMP2 and on the pole is their #38 entry for Gabriel Aubry, Ho-Pin Tung, and Monagasque Stephane Richelmi.

Ho-Pin Tung says endurance sports car racing is taking off in popularity in China, thanks to this race, and also to the Asian Le Mans Series.  Meanwhile, in LMP1, Rebellion Racing won the battle of the non-hybrid LMP1 cars.  Andre Lotterer, Bruno Senna, and Neel Jani, will start third on the grid.  However, even in the dry, and much less so in the wet, the Rebellion's just could not stop the Toyota juggernaut.  Pole position went to the #7 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, the winners last time out at Fuji in Japan, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Jose Maria Lopez.  They hope to close the gap on their championship leading team mates in car #8, Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Buemi, and Kazuki Nakajima.  That's easier said than done, especially with the weather in this race we have ahead of us.

This will be a race of survival, according to Jose Maria Lopez.  The rain is still tipping down.  The race will be started behind the safety car, per the radio directive of Race Director, Edoardo Freitas.  Green lights, green flag, and we've started the 6 Hours of Shanghai, behind the safety car.  This will be an endurance test for everyone, for the driver's, the teams, the marshals, and also race control, trying to keep everyone safe out on this absolutely drenched circuit.  It was wet in Free Practice, but this, the rain we are seeing now, is practically a monsoon.  Even with preheated tires, it is impossible to keep heat in the tires, and it's deja vu all over again for Rebellion racing!  Thomas Laurent, spins in the wet, and... ker-runch!  He's clobbered the wall!  Just the exact same thing that happened to Gustavo Menezes a month ago at Fuji!  Can you believe it?!

The rain is so bad now, this race has to be stopped.  Race Control has no other choice.  Now, this could be good news for Rebellion.  Thomas Laurent manages to get the car back to pit lane.  The mechanics can not physically work on the car, but they can go through and suss out what they need to do to rebuild it.  Rebellion team manager Bart Hayden says that Thomas Laurent did nothing wrong.  The car just got away from him when he accelerated in these wet conditions.  The damage seen by the team is not as bad as how you, the fans, saw this on television.  So, they can fix it, but again, under a red flag, per the rules, the team cannot touch the car.

It's not just Bart Hayden and company who are trying to plan their next move.  Race Control is in the same boat, pardon the pun, because you'd need a boat as wet as this circuit is at the moment.  The rain will continue for quite a while.  Do we stop the race?  Do we run slowly behind the safety car?  These are the questions Race Control is trying to answer.  FIA WEC boss Gerard Neveu makes the decision that the teams can change tires, onto full wets.  Drivers return to their cars with almost a full hour elapsed on the clock.  Resume the race behind the safety car, still in original grid order, nose to tail.  Keep the heat in these rain tires.  They will not turn to jelly, it'll be worse.  If they drop one or two degrees out of their temperature range for operation, the driver's will be driving on wooden wheels, just like driving a horse & buggy.

Rebellion got a jolly lucky break with the red flag.  They have completely rebuilt the #3 Thomas Laurent, Gustavo Menezes, Mathias Beche car, and have lost just a single lap to the field.  So, they are still in contention.  The safety car heads for pit lane.  We are about to go back to green here in Shanghai.  Jose Maria Lopez leads as we are an hour and 15 minutes on clock time, into this motor race.  In the spray behind, is Sebastien Buemi and everyone else.  The #7 team are desperate to win.  The LM GTE Pro battle is heating up right before our eyes, between Aston Martin and Porsche!  Porsche struggled in the rain at Fuji, last time out.  There's also a change of leadership in LMP2.  Car #37 takes the lead away from the pole sitting team mates in #38.  Count the all-Malaysian squad of Jazeman Jaafar, Weiron Tan, and Nabil Jeffri as LMP2 leaders.

Down through turns two and three they go, fighting for grip in these wet conditions.  We're still drenched here in Shanghai.  The water isn't going anyplace.  Rebellion #3 is clawing it's way through the field.  Let's check back in with the LM GTE Pro battle.  Olivier Pla continues to lead in class.  So, it's Ford, BMW, Aston Martin, and Porsche, four makes in the top four in GTE Pro.  Recall at Fuji, the front engine GTE cars, so the BMW and the Aston Martin, they went on really well.  But here in China, Olivier Pla in the mid engine Ford GT, is leading in class as we have run on aggregate time, only an hour and 18 minutes.

Through the hairpin goes the two Toyota's, and Jose Maria Lopez is being pressurized here by Sebastien Buemi.  Buemi is upset with his team mate, hollering to them on the radio, "Jose is too slow!  Get him out of the way!"  Kevin Estre, meanwhile, is booking it.  He's going like a scalded cat in these conditions, already moving ahead of the Aston Martin into third in class, and he's got the BMW M8 GTE in his cross hairs.  Martin Tomczyk is the man at the wheel of BMW #81, the German sharing with Dutchman Nicky Catsburg.  But, Kevin Estre holds off the challenge from Tomczyk.  Whatever Porsche AG have done to this car since Fuji, it's working in spades.  Estre is sharing with his season-long team mate, Michael Christensen, while the sister #91 Porsche is in the hands of Italy's Gianmaria Bruni and the Austrian, Richard Lietz as always.

The trailing cars disappear through the spray and gloom, look.  These conditions are only just able to be raced in.  It's a 1-2 for Jackie Chan DC Racing with Jazeman Jaafar barely leading Stephane Richelmi in the sister car.  The two Jackie Chan cars are going to be hot and bothered shortly, howevwer, by the #31 DragonSpeed Oreca of Anthony Davidson.  Both teams are running Oreca 07s.  But Anthony Davidson is going like gangbusters even in the rain, sharing with Mexico's Roberto Gonzalez and Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado.  The Jackie Chan cars are on Dunlop rubber.  So, there's a chassis battle and a tire war here in LMP2 so far.

Davidson, surprisingly, is reeling in the LMP2 polesitter hand over fist even in this atrocious weather.  Don't hit the curbs in these conditions.  That will just make things worse and make traction more difficult to find.  Deary me, we have a car spun off the road.  Tom Dillman has looped the #4 ByKolles ENSO CLM with the Nissan motor.  He shares that car with with British drivers James Rossiter and Oliver Webb.  Dillman, is French.  Oh yes.  That's classic in the rain.  Dillman takes his turn on the whirligig and then, restarts the motor and is back into the race.  Rivers of water are streaming across the road in places, and Jose Maria Lopez finds one of these rivers, and goes wide under braking!

Sebastien Buemi simply leaves the door open for his team mate to play right through.  Meanwhile, in LMP2, Anthony Davidson squeezes around Jazeman Jaafar for the class lead.  Davidson was unsure of the car when he first joined the team at Silverstone back in August, but he really enjoys racing these LMP2 machines.  In LMP1 meanwhile, Stephane Sarrazin goes inside Neel Jani for third spot in the overall.  Sarrazin is once again sharing the SMP Racing BR Engineering BR1 AER with Russian drivers Egor Orudzhev and Matevos Isaakyan.  Mikhail Aleshin, Vitaly Petrov, and Jenson Button share the sister car of course, car #11.  Sarrazin must have more grip than Jani, although the Rebellion looks more forgiving to drive than the BR does.  Jenson Button in the sister car for BR is closing up, fast.

The Rebellion had the edge in the dry, but more aerodynamics, just a bit more, maybe putting the BR01 at the top of the tree in this battle.  Button is flying and so is Stephane Sarrazin.  Oh dear!  Olivier Pla is off the road at turn one, in the gravel trap!  The Frenchman has his hands full, ladies and gentlemen.  Cars are spinning off the circuit, everywhere!  The Alpine is off and so is the LM GTE Am #98 Aston Martin!  Nico Lapierre gets punted off the road and bounds across the gravel trap as the safety car has indeed been dispatched.  The safety car is actually out, because of the #90 TF Sport Aston Martin V8 Vantage.  Salih Yoluc has beached that car in the gravel.  The Turkish driver is again sharing with Irishman Charlie Eastwood, and Briton Jonny Adam.

The safety car is out, to rescue the TF Sport car.  Jose Maria Lopez is complaining of a lack of downforce, a lack of grip in the Toyota, and his crew chief says he'll have to tough it out for the time being.  We watch a replay of Olivier Pla's spin, on board with Kevin Estre in the #92 factory Porsche 911 RSR.  Estre was trying to hold his line on the inside, Pla was to his outside, and zonk.  They made contact, spinning Pla off the road.  This leaves Porsche Motorsport boss Frank Steffen Waliser shaking his head.  The stewards will need to look at that incident as we see Salih Yoluc going off the road another time.  Correction, Yoluc is now back in the race for TF Sport.

We have yet another spinner as Motoaki Ishikawa puts the #70 MR Racing Ferrari 488 GTE off the road, the car he shares with Eddie Cheever III. and Olivier Berretta.  Sebastien Buemi wonders about fuel saving at Toyota, as we have the safety car back on track another time as the rain gets heavier an hour and 37 minutes into the motor race.  The rain and standing water are getting worse and we will red flag this race.  WEC boss Gerard Neveu says the wetness and humidity aren't a concern.  The trouble is the level of water on the track itself and the heavy rain that continues to fall.  When there's water on the track but none falling from the sky, it's fine to race.  But, the soaked track and more rain falling, turns the speedway into a skating rink.

There is no chance for evacuation of water and there are rivers.  The cars are aquaplaning everywhere.  With three hours and six minutes to go, the safety car comes back in, and we are back to racing in Shanghai after the delay.  With a slew of LMP1 pit stops, Stephane Sarrazin finds himself leading this race.  Right behind Sarrazin is Renger van der Zande in the #10 DragonSpeed BR1 Gibson.  The Dutchman is sharing with Ben Hanley, and also, Australian James Allen.  Quite the battle is going on there, as it is in LM GTE Pro between BMW and Aston Martin, with the Ferrari also getting a look in.  This is the #71 AF Corse 488 GTE Ferrari, Sam Bird at the wheel of it, the Englishman sharing with Italian Davide Rigon.  This is the usual pairing we expect to see in this car and they are doing a fine job in the wet here in Shanghai.

Have Ferrari found some type of competitive advantage in the wet?  Bird is right on top of Martin Tomczyk at the wheel of the #81 BMW M8 GTE for Team MTEK.  The second place GTE Am Ferrari, car #54 is also in this fight.  That's the car for Italian's Giancarlo Fisichella (former Formula 1 driver), his countryman Francesco Castellaci, and Switzerland's Thomas Flohr.  Matthias Lauda has gotten around the Ferrari and so has the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR shared by the dynamic trio of Aussie Matt Campbell, Christian Ried of Germany, and Julien Andlauer of France.  Something happened to Castellaci in the Ferrari, but we don't know quite what, as Andy Priaulx takes quite the ride, spinning out of the final corner.

Priaulx is a passenger, losing grip on the wet track, sliding backwards into the gravel, but fortunately not hitting anything.  The safety car is back out as the marshals rescue Priaulx.  Now, we've reached half distance, three hours down, three remaining.  Interestingly, the top three who have not pitted yet, are all GTE Pro cars, ahead of the LMP1 machines!  Porsche leads over Aston Martin and Ferrari.  They have yet to pit, but the order is bound to change once these blokes at the front hit the lane for service.  The GTE Pro machines have not been lapped.  We check in with LM GTE Am and in 20th overall, leading the class is the Porsche for Team Project 1, in the hands of Patrick Long, Jorg Bergmeister, and Egidio Perfetti.  If this race has to be red flagged and stopped now, what a result this would be!

The Salih Yoluc Aston Martin, and the Rebellion, are the only cars not on the lead lap at the moment.  The safety car is coming in now.  Bruno Senna is fourth in the queue behind the safety car as we get ready to race.  He is behind the aforementioned GTE Pro cars.  We are green again, halfway home.  Sam Bird goes around Maxime Martin to turn one and here come Bruno Senna and Fernando Alonso!  Alonso deploys all the traction, and the four wheel drive of the Toyota is giving Alonso an advantage.  Estre leads Senna.  Will Fernando Alonso pass them both before Senna gets by the Porsche?  Aha.  He passes the Porsche and Bruno Senna goes to second.  So, Toyota and Alonso lead as Jenson Button is still closing on the Rebellion.

The SMP car has more front end grip and he's made it to second overall.  He led at Fuji last time out.  Can he lead here in Shanghai?  Senna has no answer for Button as Fernando Alonso consolidates his lead.  A good battle is heating up in GTE Pro as Tommy Milner in the Corvette has his hands full with the sister Porsche, Richard Lietz at the wheel of it.  This is the battle for fifth place in class in LM GTE Pro.  This is the first race for Corvette in the WEC that is not the 24 Hours of Le Mans, since they ran at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in 2014.  This is also the first single car entry for Corvette since the American Le Mans Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2002.

James Calado gets around the Corvette.  This is their first time in Shanghai at this circuit and they are not used to running on wet tires in this configuration it seems.  Kevin Estre has the #92 Porsche 911 RSR in the lane.  Michael Christensen takes over the car.  Uh oh.  Trouble for our earlier race leader in LMP2.  Weiron Tan has beached the #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing machine in the gravel trap.  Tan drifts out onto the super polished tarmac on the outside of the track and slides his way into the gravel as easy as you please.  Two hours and 40 minutes remaining, and there's a battle for third spot between Bruno Senna and Kamui Kobayashi.  Both Toyota's are carving their way back through the field.

Will we need a safety car to rescue Weiron Tan?  Aston Martin run 1-2 in LM GTE Pro.  The best result for the new Aston Martin Vantage GTE has been a fourth place.  They led in the wet at Fuji, but they are determined to not make that mistake again.  Clearwater Racing with their #61 Ferrari 488 GTE leads in LM GTE Am.  The car being shared by it's regular driver lineup of Matt Griffin from Ireland, Keita Sawa from Japan, and Malaysia's Weng Sun Mok.  But, this is the last time this trio of drivers will run together.  After Shanghai, Weng Sun Mok will no longer drive.  They will have a different lineup at the next event, when we get to Sebring for race six in the "Super Season".  More details of that event to come, after this race ends.

Jenson Button is under pressure from Kamui Kobayashi in the Toyota.  Kobayashi has extra traction, but Button, the 2009 Formula 1 champion, isn't giving up without a fight.  The weekend before this race, to boot, Button won his first title in Super GT in Japan.  Kobayashi takes second.  Another Toyota/SMP battle as Fernando Alonso runs wide onto the wet part offline trying to pass Stephane Sarrazin.  Fernando Alonso now has the race lead in the championship leading Toyota, as Rebellion #1 comes to pit lane for service.  Two and a half hours left, and a driver change as Bruno Senna gives way to Andre Lotterer.  Senna only just made it back to the lane.  We see in replay, he's trying to pass the factory Aston Martin, and wallop!  The Aston barges him off the road.

Pick the bones out of this, in the gloom, and we have Patrick Lindsey in the Project 1 Porsche trying to fend off a challenge from Eddie Cheever III. in the MR Racing Ferrari.  Cheever is putting the welly down, the Italian born American and son of Eddie Cheever who is the 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner, and who ran Group C with Jaguar back in the '80s.  You'll hear more about that, soon, on the blog.  We will be delving into the wonders of Group C in the not too distant future.  More trouble for the #4 ByKolles CLM with the Nissan engine.  Tom Dillman climbs out of the car.  The cockpit is either misted up, or is filled with noxious smoke.  Dillman has abandoned ship, but this will bring out the safety car, chaps.

Corvette vs. Aston Martin again, but its an Am class Aston while the Corvette is in GTE Pro, and Tommy Milner has handed the wheel of it, over to Oliver Gavin, the Englishman from Yardley Hastings who has been a Corvette factory driver for many years.  Tommy Milner says that this must be the oddest race he's driven in his whole life.  The track, according to Milner, is drying up and becoming more consistent.  Uh oh.  Another safety car has been dispatched.  James Allen has gone off the road in the #10 DragonSpeed BR01.  So, he, along with Ben Hanley and Renger van der Zande have had a fraught race thus far.

The Porsche 911 safety car has neutralized the field.  Swift work by the gravel trap tractor man.  James Allen is now back on terra firma.  With the safety car out, and two hours and five minutes left, it is indeed pit stop time.  Toyota is in the lane with car #7.  But they are not changed to full wet tires.  They're going with Michelin intermediates.  Kamui Kobayashi stays behind the wheel.  But now, the sister car #8 is also in.  It's full wet tires for the #8 squad.  But trouble for #8.  They've miss timed the stop, and so, they have to wait for the entire crocodile to move by behind the safety car before they can join back in the race!

The #8 Toyota has just lost gobs of time.  Not good.  We are back to racing now, with just less than two hours to go, and still in the wet weather.  The rain will ease up but it won't quit.  We saw the crocodile behind the safety car bunching the field.  The Toyota is passing cars right, left, and center.  Aston Martin leads, and it is the #97 car with Alex Lynn at the controls, having taken over from Maxime Martin who started the car.  Martin says the start of the race was tricky, but the conditions have gotten better since and the track is fully driveable. Francois Perodo in the #28 TDS Racing Oreca has spun and he was actually tagged by the second Aston Martin, the second factory car, of Nicki Thiim!  Yikes!

Mikhail Aleshin has his hands full with Fernando Alonso.  Alonso passes him, and that remarkable traction from the four wheel drive system on the Toyota does the job.  Stefan Mucke, meanwhile gets passed by the second factory MTEK BMW M8 GTE, the #82 with Tom Blomqvist at the wheel of it.  The Brit is sharing as usual with Antonio Felix da Costa of Portugal.  The wet conditions, as they did at Fuji last time, suit the BMW M8 with the front engine configuration on that car, with it's turbocharged 4.0 liter V8.  Ferrari on Ferrari for seventh and eighth spot.  Both AF Corse cars are wheel to wheel.  It's James Calado vs. Davide Rigon.  Ford are definitely on the back foot, look.  Stefan Mucke gets passed by the #91 Porsche with Austria's Richard Lietz at the wheel of it.  Then comes the sister #92 Porsche.  As the track dries, the 911 RSR's are finding more pace. 

Ferrari are still having a good old scrap for seventh.  All on the line for them at AF Corse is personal pride, really.  Calado has the preferred line into the corner and squeezes past Rigon, but the battle will continue.  Fresh Michelin tires await Ford #66 in the lane.  Fuel and tires only for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing U.K.  Aston Martin run 1-2 in LM GTE Pro.  Alex Lynn leads Nikki Thiim.  Richard Lietz is hounding Tom Blomqvist who's tires might be fading.  Oliver Gavin drifts wide onto the wet pavement and goes into the spin cycle!  What is that?  Triple toe leap and double salchow?  Hmmm.  That's a 9.6 from the Russian judge.  Meanwhile, Blomqvist in the BMW still holds third, and Lietz is getting impatient.

Lietz is wasting good tires, so he just says, "OK, Tom.  That's it.  I'm going by."  Now, he has to make the advantage stick.  But, there's action right here, look.  Blomqvist is not rolling over and playing dead.  The BMW has great top end speed.  He pulls out from the slipstream, and he will pass.  Aston Martin continues 1-2 in GTE Pro.  BMW still holds the edge over Porsche.  Lietz is trying everything to get by Blomqvist, but Blomqvist holds on.  Around goes the race leading Toyota to throw a further spanner in the works in this scrap for GTE Pro.  The #10 DragonSpeed car is also holding up the proceedings here, look.  Blomqvist goes back around, but gets snookered in the final corner, making a slight error, allowing the Porsche man to pounce.  Lietz has to force Blomqvist wide, weaving across the road.  One move is all you're allowed.  Antonio Felix da Costa on the radio, no doubt saying, "go on, Tom!  Get him!"  The Porsche has the advantage in the tight stuff, the twisty corners.  So, he might just run away ahead of the BMW here.

Gianmaria Bruni, Lietz's team mate says the conditions are ideal for Porsche at this stage of the race.  #38 pits from the lead in LMP2.  Ho Pin Tung out, Gabriel Aubry, in.  They are going back out on intermediate tires.  Quite the aggressive strategy for the LMP2 leader.  Yellow flags on track as the Porsche/BMW scrap still simmers away.  #92 passes #82.  This is a change of places for fourth in LM GTE Pro, and the Ferrari also upsets the BMW's apple cart.  The BMW is too wide with a handful of opposite lock.  Gabriel Aubry runs wide onto the AstroTurf and the gravel.  Is it game over for Jackie Chan DC Racing?  No.  Aubry just barely gets back on the road after his agricultural racing there.  The #31 DragonSpeed LMP2 leader is in the lane, as Pastor Maldonado hands the car to Roberto Gonzalez. 

They are on full wet tires, not intermediates, gambling on it getting wetter out there, but they have no wiper on the windscreen.  Headed for the final hour of the race, the Toyota is in for it's penultimate stop, but the pit crew seems to be looking for damage someplace on the car.  They led the championship coming into this race, and they don't need a bad result.  They are still on full wet tires. Toyota #7 retakes the lead from the sister car.  They have a big lead after the earlier shemozzle with the safety car for the #8, but #7 runs wide as well.  Egad!  You can't keep doing that.  The gathering gloom, with an hour left.  The #17 SMP LMP1 car is in the lane.  Egor Orudzhev stays in the car and gets full service.

Julien Andlauer leads LM GTE Am in the #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 RSR sharing with Christian Ried and Matt Campbell.  Porsche is dominant in GTE Am with both Dempsey Proton cars and the Project 1 car at the head of the field.  Vitaly Petrov will take the #11 SMP Racing BR1 to the flag.  Jenson Button says it was pretty scary to drive the BR in the wet.  There's lots of aquaplaning out there.  You float when the tires touch the rivers of water out there.  Andre Lotterer, according to his chief mechanic, will stay in the #1 Rebellion for the rest of the race.  The #38 car is in the lane for service as well.  It's all happening thick and fast here at Shanghai as we close in on the end of this motor race.

40+ minutes to go, Jackie Chan rolls the dice on intermediate tires.  Roberto Gonzalez inherits the race lead in LMP2 but they still need to pit.  The later they stop, the shorter their fuel fill will be which means they could need a splash and dash so they don't risk running dry out on the circuit.  The Ferrari 488 GTE is up to third in LM GTE Pro, being hounded by the Porsche.  It's #71 vs. #92.  #91, pardon me.  Richard Lietz passes.  Gabriel Aubry spins.  Were the intermediate tires one gamble too much?  Keep it on the track, and crunch!  There was contact somewhere on that #38 machine tipping him into the spin.  Porsche are catching Aston Martin in GTE Pro, but the two greenish yellow, chartreuse cars, are still ahead.  Maxime Martin and Alex Lynn, though, are having a hard time keeping temperature in their tires.  The Porsche is catching them hand over fist.  Aston wants a win, they want a 1-2.  But, Richard Lietz is bound and determine to spoil their party here.

Lietz makes an inside pass and makes it work.  He goes outside, cuts underneath, and has front end bite, making the pass.  Final stop for the #8 Toyota as #7 did so the previous lap.  It's raining harder.  But, the tires were not ready for #8!  So, advantage to their sister car.  Oh no!  A huge debris field as the #17 SMP LMP1 car has shunted, big time!  Matevos Isaakyan has compromised the BR in a huge way, and thankfully has done so just at pit in, so he can get there and the crew can fix the damged car.  He must have spun and clouted the wall.  We saw the aftermath of the incident.  We have a safety car on the road, and it's without any doubt, game over for the #17 machine.  What a tough break for SMP.  "I was just a passenger", Matevos Isaakyan motions with his hands.

Mike Conway for Toyota in LMP1, Gabriel Aubry for Jackie Chan DC Racing, Marco Sorensen for Aston Martin Racing, and Matt Campbell for Dempsey Proton are the class leaders with 20 minutes to go.  Will the race end under yellow?  No.  This will be a short safety car.  We go green again in Shanghai, and it's a six and a half minute sprint, at night, here in Shanghai, to the finish.  Andre Lotterer wants by Vitaly Petrov.  The chase is on, and it's intense.  Lotterer gets balked by the GTE Am leader!  Five minutes to go, and the Aston Martin passes the Rebellion.  Lotterer has zero traction.  The Aston Martin has left him for dead.

Mike Conway leads.  He can't make any mistakes.  If he goes off the road, it's over.  It's Conway vs. Kazuki Nakajima in #8.  This could be a 1-2 or a disaster.  You can see absolutely nil in the gloom.  Michael Christensen battles Maxime Martin for third in GTE Pro with 90 seconds left in this race!  Martin drifts wide and the Porsche makes the pass.  Can the Aston come back?  Yes.  The Porsche goes right by the Aston.  Can the Aston go back by?  It's the final lap.  The Porsche is far enough in front to gain a podium.  Dark and wet, it's time for the checkers in Shanghai,.  It's on to the checkers between the two Toyota's.  The #7 car wins!  Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Jose Maria Lopez win it, for the second race in a row.

Marco Sorensen and Nikki Thiim have to be on top of the world right now, claiming the first win for the new 2018 spec Aston Martin Vantage.  In LM GTE Am, another win for Dempsey Proton and Porsche with the #77 of Matt Campbell, Christian Ried, and Julien Andlauer, victorious!

Let's look at the class winners.

Overall/LMP1: #7 Conway/Kobayashi/Lopez         Toyota TS050

             LMP2: #38 Tung/Aubry/Richelmi               Oreca 07 Gibson

             LM GTE Pro: #95 Sorensen/Thiim              Aston Martin Vantage

             LM GTE Am: #77 Campbell/Ried/Andlauer  Porsche 911 RSR

Congratulations, as Jackie Chan Racing wins at home, for the first time!  It's a Porsche 1-2-3 in GTE Am.  Just three races now remain in the "super season".  The first of the three 2019 races, will be the inaugural 1,000 Miles of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida, on Friday, March 15th, 2019, supporting the 67th renewal of the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring. Spray the champagne.  You deserve it.  There is now less than a win between the top two in the championship.  The history and tradition of Sebring, awaits.  #RespectTheBumps.  We'll see you, from the orange groves of central Florida, in March, for a gigantic weekend of sports car racing action.  So long, for now, everyone.

  

2001 Monza 1,000 Kilometers

A race yours truly remembers, vividly.  The FIA Sports Car Championship's revival of the Monza 1,000 Kilometers from 2001, with many great cars, including guest GT cars, entered.  Your bonus post for this Thursday.  We join commentators Andrew Marriott and David Addison in the commentary box, and Mark Cole in the pit lane, for all the action.

http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Monza-2001-04-22.html

short headlines about the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans

A couple of short headlines about the 2019 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to end the FIA WEC "Super Season".

24H Le Mans Poster Revealed
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/24h-le-mans-poster-revealed/

...and

24H Le Mans Entry List Set for Two-Stage Reveal
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/24h-le-mans-entry-list-set-for-two-stage-reveal/

Mercedes-AMG "Strongly Believes" in Current-Gen GT3 Car

Mercedes-AMG confident in current-gen GT3 contender; no Evo model planned for 2019...

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/mercedes-amg-strongly-believes-in-current-gen-gt3-car/

Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport in Detail

View Porsche’s new-for-2019 GT2 contender in detail from the LA Auto Show (Photos: Sportscar365)…

https://sportscar365.com/features/photography/porsche-gt2-rs-clubsport-in-detail/ 

Porsche Confirms 911 GT2 RS Clubsport

New race car based on Porsche 911 GT2 RS for 2019; SRO discussions for eligibility into GT2...

https://sportscar365.com/industry/porsche-confirms-911-gt2-rs-clubsport/

Shanghai race highlights

Stay tuned.  Yours truly has been waiting, and now, will be able to write about the 6 Hours of Shanghai.  There will be a race report, and video highlights ahead, either today, or within the next couple of days.

more IMSA stories

Some of the latest news from IMSA, including that of Fernando Alonso setting his sights on a return to the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac.

Team RLL to Run Zanardi Daytona Entry
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/team-rll-to-run-zanardi-daytona-entry/

Alonso Set to Join Kobayashi in WTR Cadillac DPi for Rolex 24
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/alonso-set-to-join-kobayashi-in-wtr-cadillac-dpi-for-rolex-24/

Owen Confirmed in Juncos Cadillac DPi
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/owen-confirmed-in-juncos-cadillac-dpi/

WTR Confirms Alonso, Kobayashi in Rolex 24 Lineup
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/wtr-confirms-alonso-kobayashi-in-rolex-24-lineup/

Starworks to Return with Audi for Dalziel, Chase
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/starworks-to-return-with-audi-for-dalziel-chase/

Double Stint: Shanghai Recap; News Roundup (11-27-18)

The latest Double Stint Podcast, and the last one before the season review episodes start, next week.  Check it out, HERE.

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/asian-lms/double-stint-shanghai-recap-news-roundup-11-26-18/

Blancpain GT news

Some notable headlines from Blancpain GT Europe and Blancpain GT America.

Blancpain GT Europe:

Black Falcon’s Endurance Cup Titles “Well-Deserved Reward”

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/endurance-cup-titles-well-deserved-reward-for-black-falcon/

Blancpain GT Champions Crowned In London
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/blancpain-gt-champions-crowned-in-london/

Blancpain GT America

Wendl: Mercedes-AMG Pushing for Additional U.S. GT3 Teams
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/wendl-mercedes-amg-pushing-for-additional-u-s-gt3-teams/

Paul Miller Planning Move to Blancpain GT America

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt-america/paul-miller-planning-move-to-blancpain-gt-america-in-expanded-effort/

Weekly Racing Roundup (11-26-18)

Lexus LC for N24, RAM returns to British GT, and teams prepare for 25H Thunderhill.

https://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-11-26-18/

more IMSA news

More of the latest off-season IMSA news, from around a week ago.

Corvette Racing on How to Perform The Perfect Pit Stop
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/corvette-racing-on-how-to-perform-the-perfect-pit-stop/

Another story about wall to wall IMSA coverage that will be provided, beginning next year, by NBC Sports.

NBC Sports Confirms 100+ Hours of IMSA Coverage for 2019
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/nbc-sports-confirms-over-100-hours-of-imsa-coverage-for-2019/

Park Place Moves Race Shop to Dallas
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/impc/park-place-moves-shop-to-texas/

IMSA Bumps Snow, Van der Linde to Gold Rating
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-bumps-snow-van-der-linde-to-golds/

Alonso Eyeing Rolex 24 Return
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/alonso-eyeing-rolex-24-return/

Evans, Andlauer Named 2019 Porsche Juniors

22-year-old Kiwi Jaxon Evans lands Porsche junior driver status, full season of Supercup...

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/evans-andlauer-named-2019-porsche-juniors/

Intercontinental GT Challenge news update

More news from the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

Ratel Aiming to "Help Develop" SA Market with Kyalami Revival

https://sportscar365.com/sro/igtc/ratel-aiming-to-help-develop-south-african-gt-market-with-kyalami-revival/

Audi Confirms 2019 IGTC Program
https://sportscar365.com/sro/igtc/audi-confirms-2019-igtc-program/

Lowndes, van Gisbergen,Whincup Team Up for Bathurst
https://sportscar365.com/sro/igtc/lowndes-whincup-van-gisbergen-team-up-for-bathurst-12h/

Audi: Early IGTC Commitment Allows "More Efficient" Planning
https://sportscar365.com/sro/igtc/audi-early-igtc-commitment-allows-more-efficient-planning/

Porsche Set to Revert to Local Teams for IGTC
https://sportscar365.com/sro/igtc/porsche-set-to-revert-to-local-teams-for-igtc/

24 Hours of COTA

The race broadcast of the latest 24 Hour Series race, the 24 Hours of COTA.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

24 Hours of COTA: Qualifying

Qualifying for the 24 Hour Series by Creventic, 24 Hours of COTA at Circuit of the Americas.

24 Hours of COTA: Night Practice

Night practice for the 2018 24 Hours of Circuit of the Americas.

IMSA headlienes (continued)

A few more noteworthy headlines from IMSA and the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, for your Thanksgiving Thursday.  Happy Thanksgiving, to all the sports car racing fans out there.  Have a good one, and stay safe.

Magnus Switches to Lamborghini for 2019
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/magnus-switches-to-lamborghini-for-2019/

Porsche Expecting 5-7 New 911 GT3 Rs for Daytona Debut

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/porsche-targeting-five-to-seven-new-911-gt3-rs-for-daytona-debut/

Doonan: Mazda Building Momentum, Updates for 2019
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/doonan-mazda-making-continued-progress-updates-for-2019/

Inside Acura: Birth of a DPi Car
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/inside-acura-birth-of-a-dpi-car/

still more IMSA stories

Many more stories (some of which have already been covered), have come to light, via motorsport.com.  Here are those headlines.

Zanardi completes first IMSA BMW M8 test
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/Zanardi-first-BMW-Daytona-test/3210935/?nrt=207

Another race report from the recently covered IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring.

ANSA beats K2R in IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/imsa-ansa-beats-k2r-in-sportscar-encore-at-sebring/3212388/?nrt=207

Again, this has been mentioned already.  But NBC Sports is going all-in on their 2019 IMSA coverage.

NBC Sports to broadcast 100+ hours of IMSA in 2019

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/nbc-sports-to-broadcast-100-hours-of-imsa-in-2019/3214496/?nrt=207

Aston Martin will not race in GT Le Mans at the Rolex 24.

Aston Martin rules out GTLM-class Rolex 24 entry
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/aston-martin-no-daytona-imsa/3215923/?nrt=207

An interview with Helio Castroneves.

Castroneves on learning IMSA and his Indy 500 crash
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/castroneves-learning-imsa-indy-crash/4300427/?nrt=207

...and a just announced story.  Magnus Racing will switch from Audi, to Lamborghini in GT Daytona for 2019.

Magnus Racing switches to Lamborghini Huracan for 2019
https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/magnus-switches-to-lamborghini-2019/4301481/?nrt=207

More IMSA news

More news from IMSA during the off-season.

This has already been highlighted once.  But, NBC Sports is fully committed to their broadcasting of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.

NBC Sports Confirms 100+ Hours of IMSA Coverage for 2019
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/nbc-sports-confirms-over-100-hours-of-imsa-coverage-for-2019/

IMSA Bumps Snow, Van der Linde to Gold Rating
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/imsa-bumps-snow-van-der-linde-to-golds/

Alonso Eyeing Rolex 24 Return
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/alonso-eyeing-rolex-24-return/

Hyundai: DPi "One of the Options" for Future Expansion
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/hyundai-dpi-one-of-the-options-in-motorsports-expansion/

Snow Facing "Massive Jump" in Silver to Gold Ratings Bump
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/snow-massive-jump-from-silver-to-gold-rating-in-gtd/

IMSA Michelin Sports Car Encore race broadcast

The race broadcast of the Michelin Sports Car Encore, run on Sunday, November 11th, 2018, Veterans Day, at Sebring International Raceway.

6 Hours of Shanghai race report

Yours truly awaits to see if there will be a comprehensive race report to find the details from, on the 6 Hours of Shanghai.  Watched the entire race on Motor Trend on Demand, and when a comprehensive highlights package is available, a full report will be published right here.  Stay tuned.

Frijns Top Audi Finisher in Fifth at Macau

Robin Frijns scores top-five in FIA GT World Cup as best-placed Audi in Macau...

https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/frijns-top-audi-finisher-in-fifth-at-macau/

Winner of the FIA GT World Cup at Macau

It’s joy and triumph for BMW Team Schnitzer and team principal Charlie Lamm, as his driver, Augusto Farfus, wins the FIA GT World Cup, Lamm’s final race as he is retiring from team management at Schnitzer BMW.  Well done, Charlie.  You earned this one.

Farfus, BMW Win Emotional FIA GT World Cup in Macau

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/farfus-bmw-win-emotional-fia-gt-world-cup-in-macau/

...and

Lamm: Macau Win in Final Race “Like A Dream Come True”

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/lamm-macau-win-in-final-race-like-a-dream-come-true/

news from Shanghai on Saturday (pre-race headlines for the 6 Hours of Shanghai)

Reports on Free Practice 3, and qualifying, from Shanghai, before the FIA WEC race, and any other pre-race news.

Rebellion Goes 1-2 in Shanghai Third Practice
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/rebellion-goes-1-2-in-shanghai-third-practice/

Toyota Resists Rebellion to Take 6H Shanghai Pole
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/toyota-resists-rebellion-to-take-6h-shanghai-pole/

Shanghai Qualifying Highlights
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/shanghai-qualifying-highlights-2/

Dempsey Proton Racing has lost all of the points they've accumulated throughout the "Super Season" to this point.  Here's why.

Dempsey-Proton Stripped Of All Points in Data Logger Infraction
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dempsey-proton-racing-points-deleted-team-to-appeal/

Senna: Rebellion "More Motivated" by Tighter LMP1 Gap
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/senna-rebellion-much-more-motivated-by-tighter-lmp1-gap/

Shanghai Saturday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/shanghai-saturday-notebook-5/

*Note the link at the bottom of the notebook article about when the race is to be aired and to start in different parts of the world, so you don't miss a moment of the action.  Also, stay tuned on Sunday, for a highlighted race report.

Macau FIA GT World Cup Saturday news

News and highlights on Saturday from the FIA GT World Cup in Macau.

KCMG Nissans Given Double BoP Break Ahead of Qualifying Race
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/nissan-gt-r-nismo-gt3s-given-bop-break/

Farfus Dominates Macau Qualifying Race
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/farfus-dominates-qualifying-race/

Macau Qualifying Race Interviews
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/macau-qualifying-race-interviews/

Manufacturers Open for Return of Am Drivers to Macau

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/manufacturers-open-for-return-of-amateur-drivers-to-macau/

Macau Saturday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/macau-saturday-notebook-4/

Read the details st the end of the linked notebook article, as there is a link there from which you can watch coverage of the Macau feature race.  Stay tuned, for a wrap up of activities from Macau, and much more sports car racing action also taking place this weekend with the FIA WEC in Shanghai, China, and the Creventic 24 Hour Series at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, to cover as well.

Friday FIA WEC news from Shanghai

All of the news on Friday at Shanghai International Circuit as action begins for round five of the FIA World Endurance Championship “super season”.

Buemi Leads FP1 at Shanghai
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/buemi-leads-fp1-at-shanghai/

Toyota Four-Tenths Ahead of Rebellion in Second Practice
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/toyota-four-tenths-ahead-of-rebellion-in-second-practice/

DragonSpeed “Tempted” to Enter 12 Hours of Sebring
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/dragonspeed-tempted-to-enter-12h-sebring/

Shanghai Friday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/shanghai-friday-notebook-5/

FIA GT World Cup Friday news from Macau

Friday news from the Guia Circuit at Macau readying for the FIA GT World Cup races.

Bamber Quickest; Haase Crashes in FP2
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/bamber-quickest-haase-crashes-in-fp2/

Marciello Takes Last-Gasp Pole in Macau
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/marciello-takes-last-gasp-pole-in-macau/

Macau Post-Qualifying Interviews
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/macau-post-qualifying-interviews/

Macau Friday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/macau-friday-notebook-3/

Vanthoor, Bamber Lead Porsche Attack in Macau
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/vanthoor-bamber-lead-porsche-attack/

Blancpain GT update

More news from Blancpain GT, again, separated by the regional championships that are in the headlines.

Blancpain GT Europe:

Dumas: Blancpain GT Program Felt Like 'Filling Up The Grid'
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/dumas-blancpain-gt-program-felt-like-filling-up-the-grid/

Black Falcon Wins Appeal, Endurance Cup Championship
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/black-falcon-wins-appeal-endurance-cup-championship/

Black Falcon's Endurance Cup Titles "Well-Deserved Reward"

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/endurance-cup-titles-well-deserved-reward-for-black-falcon/

Blancpain GT America

SRO America Inks Deal With Amazon Web Services
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt-america/sro-america-inks-deal-with-amazon-web-services/

Agakhani, US RaceTronics Set for Mercedes AMG-GT3 Switch

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt-america/aghakhani-us-racetronics-set-for-mercedes-amg-gt3-switch/

more news from FIA GT World Cup at Macau

Action has gotten underway for the FIA GT World Cup race at Macau.  Here is what has been going on.

Macau GP Gets Underway
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/macau-gp-gets-underway/

Frijns Quickest in Free Practice 1 in Macau
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/frijns-quickest-in-free-practice-1-in-macau/

Audi Macau Thursday Recap
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/audi-macau-thursday-recap/

Macau Thursday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/macau-thursday-notebook/

Mortara Out to Defend FIA GT World Cup
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/mortara-out-to-defend-fia-gt-world-cup/

NBC Sports to Present More Than 100 Exclusive Hours of the 2019 IMSA Season Beginning Jan. 26, 2019 on NBCSN

NBC Sports will kick off their exclusive coverage of IMSA in 2019, beginning the 50th anniversary of IMSA with live coverage of the Rolex 24 at Daytona across NBC Sports Network, and the NBC Sports app.  Here are all the details via the IMSA website.

https://www.imsa.com/news/112018/nbc-sports-present-more-100-exclusive-hours-2019-imsa-season-beginning-jan-26-2019-nbcsn

FIA WEC stories headed for Shanghai

As we look ahead to this weekend’s six hour FIA World Endurance Championship race at Shanghai International Circuit, more news.

Barcelona to Host 2019/20 Prologue
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/barcelona-to-host-2019-20-prologue/

Corvette Weight Change Caused by BoP Error
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/corvette-weight-amendment-caused-by-bop-error/

Shanghai Thursday Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/shanghai-thursday-notebook-4/

FIA GT World Cup at Macau

All of the news leading up to the FIA GT World Cup on the streets of the Guia Circuit in Macau, this weekend.  Further coverage of what happened in the race, is still to come, and will be highlighted, probably after the FIA World Endurance Championship race in Shanghai, China, which also runs this weekend.  Lots of liveries revealed.

Mercedes-AMG Macau Liveries Revealed
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/mercedes-amg-liveries-revealed-for-macau/

Craft-Bamboo Takes Wraps Off Macau Liveries
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/craft-bamboo-macau-liveries-revealed/

Audi Macau Liveries Revealed
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/audi-macau-liveries-revealed/

Grello, Chinese Liveries for Manthey Porsche’s in Macau
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/grello-chinese-liveries-for-manthey-porsches/

It’s the end of an era for Schnitzer Motorsport.  After Macau, longtime team boss Charlie Lamm, is retiring.

Lamm Set for Final Race As Schnitzer Team Principal

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/lamm-set-for-final-race-as-schnitzer-team-principal/

Reinke On Macau: ‘Either You’re Up for a Challenge or Stay Home’

https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/reinke-on-macau-either-youre-up-for-challenge-or-stay-home/

Scenes from Wednesday in Macau
https://sportscar365.com/features/photography/scenes-from-wednesday-in-macau/

Vanthoor Aiming To ‘Stay Out of The Walls’ in Macau
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/vanthoor-taking-macau-debut-step-by-step/

more recaps of the IMSA Michelin Sports Car Encore

More coverage from the IMSA Michelin Sports Car Encore.

Kirkwood, De Angelis Win Inaugural Michelin IMSA Sports Car Encore At Sebring

https://www.imsa.com/news/112018/kirkwood-de-angelis-win-inaugural-michelin-imsa-sportscar-encore-sebring

...and

Michelin IMSA Sports Car Encore Post-Race Notebook
https://www.imsa.com/news/112018/michelin-imsa-sportscar-encore-post-race-notebook

more IMSA news

More of the latest off-season IMSA news.

Zanardi Completes First Test In BMW M8 GTE
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/zanardi-completes-first-test-in-bmw-m8-gte/

Corvette Racing on How to Perform The Perfect Pit Stop
https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/corvette-racing-on-how-to-perform-the-perfect-pit-stop/

Simpson: New Michelin Tire Could Help Ease Move to DPi

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/simpson-new-michelin-tire-could-help-ease-jdcs-transition-to-dpi/

The latest Double Stint Podcast.  Reviewing the Michelin IMSA Encore, plus other news from the world of sports car racing.  Also, a preview of what will be the final FIA WEC “super season” race of this calendar year, in Shanghai, China.

Double Stint: Michelin IMSA Encore Recap; Chris Ward Interview (11-13-18)

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/double-stint-michelin-imsa-encore-recap-chris-ward-interview-11-13-18/

Weekly Racing Roundup (11-12-18)

New DTM cars begin group testing, MX-5 Cup Challenge finale, and Classic Daytona 24H...

https://sportscar365.com/features/roundup/weekly-racing-roundup-11-12-18/

Kirkwood, De Angelis Take Michelin Encore Win

ANSA Motorsports’ Kyle Kirkwood, Roman De Angelis take Michelin IMSA Encore win.

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/kirkwood-de-angelis-takes-michelin-encore-win/

Van Berlo Storms To Michelin Encore Pole

17-year-old Kay van Berlo claims pole for Michelin Encore in U.S. racing debut...

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/van-berlo-storms-to-michelin-encore-pole/

Michelin IMSA Sports Car Encore Saturday Notebook

https://www.imsa.com/news/112018/michelin-imsa-sportscar-encore-saturday-notebook

Michelin Encore pre-race news Update 1

Pre-race headlines before tomorrow’s Michelin Sports Car Encore.

De Angelis Tops Practice 1 at Sebring
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/de-angelis-tops-practice-1-at-sebring/

Koch Quickest in Practice 2
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/koch-quickest-in-practice-2/

Bell, K2R Quickest on Saturday at Sebring
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/bell-k2r-quickest-on-saturday-at-sebring/

Sebring Weekend Notebook
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/sebring-weekend-notebook/

Michelin ‘Turning Loose’ New Crop of Tire Engineers at Encore
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/baker-encore-a-learning-experience-for-teams-tire-engineers/

Acura Team Penske Heads To 2019 Looking to Build on Solid WeatherTech Championship Debut Season

In many ways the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship went about as Acura Team Penske expected it would have gone.

https://www.imsa.com/news/112018/acura-team-penske-heads-2019-looking-build-solid-weathertech-championship-debut-season

AIM Vasser Sullivan Flat Out In Preparations For 2019 WeatherTech Championship Campaign With Lexus

It’s a busy time of year for every IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team as they gear up for the rapidly approaching season that starts 80 days from now with the 57th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

https://www.imsa.com/news/112018/aim-vasser-sullivan-flat-out-preparations-2019-weathertech-championship-campaign-lexus

more FIA WEC news headed to Shanghai

With the 6 Hours of Shanghai approaching quickly, here's more headlines from the FIA World Endurance Championship, to keep you up to date and informed.

Session Added in Shanghai for LMP1 Tire Development
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/additional-practice-session-added-to-shanghai-for-lmp1-cars/

Glickenhaus will build a hypercar for the new FIA WEC regulations.

Glickenhaus Hypercar Could Be 'Evolution' of 003C
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/glickenhaus-hypercar-could-be-evolution-of-003c/

Corvette to Run Second-Heaviest in Shanghai
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/corvette-to-run-second-heaviest-in-shanghai/

Non-Hybrid LMP1 cars get boosted for the EoT requirements, for Shanghai.

Non-Hybrids Receive EoT Boost for Shanghai
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/non-hybrids-receive-eot-boost-for-6h-shanghai/

6 Hours of Fuji, race broadcast

The full race broadcast of the FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Fuji.

1970, A Year To Remember

A review of the 1970 sports car racing season from the perspective of John Wyre and his Gulf Oil racing team, on the FIA World Sports Car Championship circuit.

Brief IMSA headlines

News in brief from IMSA, including the latest Double Stint Podcast featuring an interview with Jack Hawksworth.

Magnussen, Garcia Join Short List go Winless Champions

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/magnussen-garcia-join-short-list-of-winless-in-a-season-champions/

2019 Sporting Regulations Released
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/2019-imsa-sporting-regulations-released/

Double Stint: News Recap; Jack Hawksworth Interview (11-6-18)
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/double-stint-news-recap-jack-hawksworth-interview-11-6-18/

Stay tuned for more news and updates.

IMSA tightens up Am driver rules for LMP2, GTD

Splitting the Prototype division into DPi and LMP2 classes, along with changes to the GT Daytona class in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, has prompted IMSA to tweak its 2019 sporting regulations, particularly for amateur drivers.

https://www.motorsport.com/imsa/news/imsa-reveals-new-regs-for-2019/3207561/?nrt=207

Blancpain GT Europe, Asia, & America news

Now that Blancpain GT has split into branches based on the continents, it might be easier to integrate the news from each series.  Here are some of the recent (or not so recent), headlines from all three.

Blancpain GT Asia

A story from back in August.

Blancpain GT Series Asia Set for Korea Debut, Split Grids

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt-asia/blancpain-gt-series-asia-set-for-2019-yeongam-race-split-grids/

Blancpain GT America

SRO America Partners with Skip Barber Racing School
 
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt-america/sro-america-partners-with-skip-barber-racing-school/

Ratel Targeting Measured Growth for World Challenge
https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/ratel-targeting-measured-growth-for-world-challenge/

Blancpain GT Europe

Strakka Planning Blancpain GT, IGTC Return with Mercedes-AMG

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/leventis-strakka-planning-repeat-blancpain-gt-igtc-program/

SunEnergy1 Planning IGTC Return, Blancpain GT Expansion

Kenny Habul Planning full-season Blancpain GT Series program; IGTC return for 2019...

https://sportscar365.com/sro/blancpain-gt/sunenergy1-planning-igtc-return-blancpain-gt-expansion/

IMSA stories from their official website from throughout October

Some of these stories came to fruition after the Petit Le Mans in October.  Only just getting to highlight them now.

Heinricher Racing LLC. Teams Up With Caterpillar Inc. to Lead All Female Driver Lineup in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship 2019

https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/heinricher-racing-llc-teams-caterpillar-inc-lead-all-female-driver-lineup-imsa

NSX GT3 Evo To Compete Globally in 2019
https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/nsx-gt3-evo-compete-globally-2019

Lexus Partners With AIM Vasser Sullivan To Compete In IMSA's GTD Class
https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/lexus-partners-aim-vasser-sullivan-compete-imsas-gtd-class

Mustang Sampling Looking Ahead to 2019 With Action Express Racing
https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/mustang-sampling-looking-ahead-2019-action-express-racing

IMSA Announces Sponsorship Extension with OMP
https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/imsa-announces-sponsorship-extension-omp

Hankook 12 Hours of Spa

Another Creventic endurance race.  The 12 Hours of Spa.

Night Practice

Qualifying

Race, Part 1

Race, Part 2

SRO clarifications

Just to clarify about the 2019 season, Pirelli World Challenge is no more as it has been integrated entirely into the SRO platform from now on.  So, these classes, will be highlighted for their races, on this blog, beginning in 2019.

Being covered, will be the following:

Blancpain GT Europe

Blancpain GT America

Blancpain GT Asia

GT4 America

Intercontinental GT Challenge

news and features from IMSA's official website

A few noteworthy news and feature stories from the official IMSA webpage.

Strong Finish To 2018 IMSA Season Builds Positive Momentum For 2019

https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/strong-finish-2018-imsa-season-builds-positive-momentum-2019

Proof that consistency determines championships in racing, far more than race wins do.

Magnussen, Garcia Join Short List of Drivers To Win Championship Without Winning A Race

https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/magnussen-garcia-join-short-list-drivers-win-championship-without-winning-race

Simple Approach Brings Home More IMSA Titles For Action Express Racing

https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/simple-approach-brings-home-more-imsa-titles-action-express-racing

Testing On A Tuesday: Porsche, Shank Back On Track At Daytona
https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/testing-tuesday-porsche-shank-back-track-daytona

Yours truly has other commitments, on the day of this race, so it will not be covered live.  But, if there is a replay, I will cover that.  All about the entry list for the Michelin Sports Car Encore.

Michelin IMSA Sports Car Encore Features Variety of Top Talent Across IMSA’s Challenge Classes

https://www.imsa.com/news/102018/michelin-imsa-sportscar-encore-entry-list-features-variety-top-talent-across-imsas

FIA WEC headlines

Some of the more recent stories from the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Gavin, Milner Confirmed in Corvette Entry for Shanghai
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/gavin-milner-confirmed-in-corvette-entry-for-shanghai/

Gavin: Shanghai Debut Will Help Corvette "Stay Sharp"
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/gavin-shanghai-run-out-will-help-corvette-stay-sharp/

919 Hybrid Evo Retires To Porsche Museum
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/919-hybrid-evo-retires-to-porsche-museum/

Three More Teams Receive 24H Le Mans Auto Invites
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/three-more-teams-receive-24h-le-mans-auto-invites/

Corvette Redline Livery Revealed
https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/corvette-redline-livery-unveiled-for-shanghai/

6 Hours of Fuji Race Replay

The 52 minute recap of the full race for the 6 Hours of Fuji. 

more IMSA news

More major headlines from the world of IMSA.

Performance Tech Aiming for 2019 return after tough season

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/performance-tech-aiming-for-2019-return-after-tough-season/

Penske Confirms Management Changes for 2019

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/penske-reveals-management-changes-for-2019/

AIM Vasser Sullivan Confirms Hawksworth for 2019
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/aim-vasser-sullivan-confirms-hawksworth-for-2019/

Gary Pratt: Corvette Racing’s Driving Force

https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/corvette-racings-driving-force-gary-pratt/

A story relating to both Blancpain GT and IMSA, as AKKA ASP would love to run in IMSA, but finds logistics a hard thing to overcome, and team boss Jerome Policand says they’d be more comfortable running the Sprint Cup events at first, rather than diving headlong into the Endurance Cup races, while scaling back to four cars in Endurance and Sprint on the Blancpain side.

AKKA ASP Could Add IGTC, IMSA Races to Blancpain GT
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/akka-asp-exploring-new-series-alongside-blancpain-gt-plans/

Flying Lizard Closing In On IMSA GTD Return
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/flying-lizard-closing-in-on-imsa-gtd-return/

Porsche, MSR Back on Track in Daytona Test
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/porsche-msr-back-on-track-in-daytona-test/

Laurens Vanthoor's latest column for Sportscar365.

VANTHOOR: Rennsport Reunion, Petit Le Mans... and a New Piggy
https://sportscar365.com/features/commentary/vanthoor-rennsport-petit-le-mans-and-a-new-piggy/

20 Entries for Michelin Encore; No GT3 Cars
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/20-entries-for-michelin-encore-no-gt3-cars/

CORE to Remain in LMP2 in 2019
https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/core-to-remain-in-lmp2-next-year/