We are underway at Laguna Seca and the action is hot and heavy on the first lap. People are making moves already in this 2 hour and 40 minute race. Leading the way, Ricky Taylor in the #7 Penske Acura chased early on by his team mate Juan Pablo Montoya. Acura are followed by the first of the cadillac's, and Jon Bennett gets barged by Simon Trummer, look. In GT Le Mans, we have a battle for position between Porsche and Ford. Ryan Briscoe is chasing one of the Porsche's, and the BMW M8's are in this scrap too. Nick Tandy has been making up places over the cORVETTE. Tandy and team mate Patrick Pilet have to get past their team mates Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor. Corey Lewis leads Trent Hindman in the GT Daytona class at this moment.
Zachary Robichon in the GTD class, is hoping to win the WeatherTech Sprint Cup. Manage your tires. Check your pit strategy, and make decisive moves. Don't tiptoe around. Just go for it. Penske leads at this moment. It's racing sports cars on a Sunday afternoon in Calfiornia. We've still got a major hammer and tongs battle in GTLM. Porsche vs. Corvette vs. Ford. GTD sees Acura leading Audi and Porsche at the moment. They plunge back down through the Corkscrew another time, the most iconic corner on this circuit. This legendary circuit is the perfect venue, and there is one more round to race after this one. You will find out more about that at the end of this race report.
Names like Andretti, Rahal, and Rainey, are recognized here at Laguna Seca. There was a big wreck at the top of the Corkscrew in the Michelin Pilot Challenge event, yesterday. Patrick Lindsey had a huge crash yesterday. Lindsey and company had to withdraw the car and he wanted to be in this one. Cooper MacNeil is all over the #86 Acura like the proverbial el cheapo suits. Taylor and Montoya continue to lead this motor race. MacNeil and Toni Vilander won GTD last time out at Virginia International Raceway.
Zachary Robichon is just a point ahead of Mario Farnbacher for the GTD Sprint Cup title. This is Team Penske's 200th sports car start. MacNeil dives past Hindman on the outside. Can he chase down Corey Lewis? Zacharie Robichon gets the space to make a pass on Trent Hindman. Robby Foley is being harried by Matt Plumb, in a battle in GTD. Matt Plumb has his hands full trying to pass the BMW, Robby Foley at the wheel of it. McLaren ends their 2019 campaign today and won't race the finale at Petit Le Mans.
Jesse Krohn in the black liveried #24 BMW M8 GT he shares with John Edwards. They want this special paint scheme, to win, and the sister car of Tom Blomqvist follows. This is Blomqvist's first time at Laguna, and, look, Krohn hits a switch by mistake and shuts the car off. Meanwhile, Ricky Taylor is feeling the heat from Juan Pablo Montoya. Acura have the advantage, as the track conditions are working in their favor. Juan Pablo Montoya is watching his 14 year old son Sebastian race in Europe and also advising a Formula 1 team, the team formerly known as Force India.
Jonathan Bomarito is in hot pursuit of Filipe Albuquerque. Mazda have won the last three Dpi races in a row.
Tire degradation is beginning to rear its head, half an hour into the race. Sports car legend Scott Pruett is here, as grand marshal. Pit stop time for the #31 Action Express cadillac. Acura #6 in the lane for service as well. No driver change for #31. Dane Cameron in for the #6 Acura. Joao Barbosa also makes a pit stop. Ricky Taylor also does the undercut. Mazda #55 pits. So many different, eclectic power plants between the cars. Turbo and non turbo. 4 cylinder, 6 cylinder, 8 cylinder. Watch out for cold tires. No tire warmers in IMSA like in Formula 1 or FIA WEC. Frankie Montecalvo and Townsend Bell did well in the morning warmup, but they've struggled a bit between the other cars in GTD.
The Ford/Porsche battle in GT Le Mans is heating up and trouble for JDC-Miller, the #84 Cadillac in the hands of Simon Trummer. He's slow downhill between the Corkscrew and Rainey Curve. CORE is in the lane with Nissan #54. This is their next to last Dpi race as they will not be back next year. Jon Bennett, team owner, and driver, is retiring. Dirk Mueller and the Ford GT #66 still lead GTLM as Mazda pit the #77.
Ford #67 is in the pit lane now. The cycle continues. Mazda was a title partner at Laguna Seca for 17 years. They spun out of the lead, last year. They've got work to do. Ryan Briscoe spun off turn 11 right behind Laurens Vanthoor. He hit the curb and looped the car. Cooper MacNeil is having the blowtorch applied by Zacharie Robichon in the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R. Ferrari vs. Porsche. #912 is in the lane from the GTLM lead. Laurens Vanthoor has handed over the car to Earl Bamber.
Ford #66 in the lane from the GTLM lead. Dirk Mueller out, Joey Hand in. We do not know what will happen for Chip Ganassi Racing in sports car racing next year because of Ford withdrawing their factory team. Their four drivers, Ryan Briscoe, Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, and Richard Westbrook.
Jack Hawksworth will be back at Lexus next year. Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr will be back at Action Express next year. Toni Vilander is now in the #63 Ferrari as Joey Hand goes past the #4 Corvette. Joey Hand vs. Tommy Milner. Tom Blomqvist hands the #25 BMW M8 GT to Connor De Philippi. Porsche #911 in the lane, and Patrick Pilet is now in the car. The tires beat the fuel which is how you want to do it. Tandy and Pilet have been teammates at Porsche since 2014.
What is the pace on worn tires for BMW #24? Zach Robichon is in the lane, handing the #9 Porsche to Scott Hargrove. The #24 BMW M8 hits the lane for service and a driver change. Jesse Krohn out and John Edwards in. This track, founded in 1957, is just over two miles, with 180 feet of elevation change, just up the road a piece from Pebble Beach and some of the best golf on the planet. Dalton Kellett is the leader in LMP2. Antonio Garcia leads GTLM for Corvette. They have not won for over two years. But, they are leading the GTLM championship with one race to go.
The JDC-Miller Cadillac goes off the road in Rainey Curve, Simon Trummer at the controls. Dane Cameron goes by Ricky Taylor for the race lead. Acura's continue to lead this motor race with Jordan Taylor keeping a watching brief, chasing down his older brother. Pit stop time for the race leader in GT Daytona. Corey Lewis leads by 30 seconds in the Paul Miller Racing #48 Lamborghini. Both Acura's are stuck in traffic behind the second "Banana Boat" Cadillac, #85, with Misha Goikhberg at the wheel of it. Jordan Taylor is staying in touch with the Acura's. Canadian Dalton Kellett is having a good run in the #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca.
The abrasive surface and sand here at Laguna Seca is a challenge for Michelin tires. The overcoat for Mario Farnbacher, is not working as we can see the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini catching up. No changes at the sharp end as Acura continues to lead the race, with Dane Cameron in the #6 car. Check that. Ricky Taylor has taken the lead in Acura #7. We have 69 degrees air temp. Joao Barbosa is into the #5 Cadillac. They want to gamble, looking for a yellow. Joey Hand and Antonio Garcia battle in GTLM as Bill Auberlen gets nudged around by the Mercedes of Jeroen Bleekemolen. The stewards will be looking at that kerfuffle. Penske splits the pit stops and both are in the lane. #7 will beat the #6.
Helio Castroneves goes off the road and he got chopped by Cameron Cassels in the #38 car. Jordan Taylor is handing the #10 car to Renger van der Zande. Jeroen Bleekemolen gets dinged by the stewards for the contact with Bill Auberlen. Meantime, Renger van der Zande goes off the road and back on on cold tires and Helio Castroneves says "thank you very much" and goes right by./ This is similar to that argy bargy with Cameron Cassels in the P2 car earlier, the #38 Performance Tech machine. Tristan Nunez leads the motor race but only on pit stop rotation. More battles in GT Daytona as well.
Lamborghini #48 vs. acura #86, and the Lamborghini moves ahead. One of the JDC-Miller Cadillac's is in the pit lane as well. Not sure which one. Performance Tech are also in the lane, and dripping places hand over fist into the lower reaches of the field. Tristan Nunez pits the #77 Mazda. Oliver Jarvis will take over the car, with an hour and 18 minutes to go. The Acura strategy seems to be working in their favor at the moment as we watch Andy Lally in the #44 Magnus Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 he shares with John Potter. Katherine Legge runs wide into The Corkscrew.
Tristan Vautier moves past. Triple 500cc motorcycle Grand Prix champion Wayne Rainey is who Rainey curve is named after as we watch this huge scrum for GTLM and GTD. Bryan Sellers is pressing hard in GTD to stay ahead of Toni Vilander. We are an hour and a half into this race. The Corkscrew was built due to the natural terrain, the topography of the land. That is a five and a half story drop down. Argy bargy in GT Daytona, Mario Farnbacher vs. Townsend Bell, Acura vs. Lexus. Oliver Jarvis sweeps past the GTD battle between Farnbacher in the Acura NSX GT3 and Bell in the Lexus RC F GT3.
The Sprint Cup in IMSA GTD is a lot like the Tour de France in cycling. We have a shade over an hour to go in this race. Dane Cameron leads his team mate Helio Castroneves by 15 seconds. It is a further three seconds back to the two Action Express Racing Cadillac's./ Sports cars on a Sunday on the Monterey Peninsula sounds like a pretty good deal to me. A little damage for the #44 Magnus Lamborghini, pitting. The GTD pit strategy is going to be close with less than an hour to go. Porsche #9 in the lane. Scott Hargrove stays in the car. The #86 Acura NSX GT3 gets caught running over an air hose.
Lamborghini #48 in the lane, Bryan Sellers at the wheel of it. PMR had a horrible crash at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Fuel overflow for the Lamborghini, nothing to worry about. Joey Hand leads GTLM for Ford, at his home track. Ford GT #67 pits and has to give it up to the BMW. Second place battle as Renger van der Zande is applying the blowtorch again to Helio Castroneves. Final stops for BMW and for Ford. Porsche #911 pits for the final time and Nick Tandy gets into the car. Pipo Derani has not been able to manage his tires. No yellows in this motor race so far. Dane Cameron is running to a pace at the moment. Both AXR cars are in the pit lane. AXR, WTR, Penske, all of them have pitted.
Dane Cameron pits as Castroneves has just done so. This is a risky move for the Penske team. The Mazda is having issues with the transmission. They have the car in neutral and Harry Tincknell wants to get it in drive but he can't. Mazda #55 is in real trouble here. The are trying to bump start it uphill but it ain't workin'. So, it's game over. Half an hour left. Compass McLaren have run well this year, but they are not entered for the finale at Petit Le Mans. Corey Lewis is running very well in the lead in GT Daytona while Scott Hargrove is being hounded by Andy Lally. Second place, is the #63 WeatherTech Racing Ferrari, Toni Vilander at the controls.
Just over half an hour to go. Penske have dominated this motor race. Pipo Derani went off the road, shatters the signage, washing out wide, and thankfully stays on the road! Earl Bamber and the factory Porsche team are still running well on balance, but they've never won on this low grip track here at Laguna Seca. Paul Miller Racing is dominant in GT Daytona, and the #86 MSR Acura NSX GT3 has had a pear shaped race today even though they will finish. Matt McMurry leads Kyle Masson in LMP2 by a full lap.
Poor old Scott Hargrove goes off into the dust, trying to pass Jack Hawksworth. He will lose points for the overall championship cup. Just a tad over 20 minutes to go. AVS Lexus are in damage control mode. Joao Barbosa is maintaining a top five place. From the top of the Corkscrew down to turn 11, there is 170 feet of elevation change, as we watch Mario Farnbacher pass the McLaren, Paul Holton at the wheel of it. Connor De Philippi is under siege from Antonio Garcia. Garcia, the Spaniard, he is going for the undercut and can't quite do it. The Corvette is not close enough to the BMW and Paul Holton had to take the line on Garcia, and it wasn't his fault. He had the corner, and Garcia will keep pressing the BMW man.
This is a major GTLM battle between BMW and Corvette, while the Ford GT sails ahead. Dane Cameron and Helio Castroneves are still leading. The Pfaff Porsche runs ahead of this GT Le Mans battle. Scott Hargrove got pushed off a lap or so ago. Porsche have continued to have tire issues which is par for the course for those blokes at Laguna. They can't seem to get a handle on the track surface for that car, and Antonio Garcia is pressurizing Connor De Philippi while Tommy Milner is yet another shark in the water. door to door stuff, look, and Pipo Derani moves past Renger van der Zande. Castroneves flies past the Corvette's, like trying to make a move and finding a space in a bowl of spaghetti.
Pipo Derani has made his move on Renger van der Zande. Into the closing minutes of this race. Renger van der Zande chases Pipo Derani. Dane Cameron continues to lead this race. He leads team mate Helio Castroneves by 12.7 seconds. Penske is running their 200th sports car race. Their Australian Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin has won yet another race in the Aussie Supercars championship. Pipo Derani is still charging. AXR and WTR both have been frustrated. It's a fight for the podium between two Cadillac's. Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller are going to perhaps give the Ford GT a win in it's final appearance as a factory car here at Laguna Seca.
Less than two minutes on the board. Bryan Sellers and Corey Lewis will likely win GT Daytona. They want their first triumph of 2019. Laguna Seca is such a low grip circuit. Dane Cameron has found the sweet spot for grip here at Laguna Seca, and so, this will be a win for Penske Acura. Ford will win GTLM and Lamborghini in GTD as well as Oreca in LMP2. Dane Cameron will be mentally exhausted after this race. He gingerly makes his way past GTD traffic, and Dane Cameron and Juan Montoya bring Penske a win in their 200th sports car start.
121 laps, 271 miles completed. The third victory for Dane Cameron and Juan Montoya this year. Acura are the Dpi manufacturer's champions.
Overall/DPi: #6 Cameron/Montoya Acura ARX-05b DPi
LMP2: #52 Kellett/McMurry Oreca 07 Gibson LMP2
GT Le Mans: #66 Mueller/Hand Ford GT
GT Daytona: #48 Sellers/Lewis Lamborghini Huracan GT3
...And then, there was one. The finale of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship doubles as the finale as well, for the Michelin Endurance Cup, the ten hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburb of Braselton in the red clay hills, plays host to the curtain call of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech Sports car Championship in less than a month's time. We'll see you then, as all the championships are yet to be decided.
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