Drivers are fighting glare as the sun will begin to set soon, as we watch this battle between Eric Curran and Graham Rahal. The #52 PR1/Mathiasen LMP2 car, the Oreca, with a flat tire. Dalton Kellett is at the wheel of it. Eric Curran is trying his best to work through the GTD traffic, and now, Curran has the Acura all over him. The Cadillac's are at least five miles an hour faster than are the Acura's. Katherine Legge races inside Cooper MacNeil. It's Acura vs. Ferrari. We watrch this action from the #29 Land Motorsports Audi, with Canadian Daniel Morad at the wheel of it. Richard Heistand in the sole remaining #14 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus is running well as we watch Oliver Gavin strap inside the #4 Chevrolet Corvette C-7-R-.
Robby Foley, Ben Keating, Scott Hargrove, and Katherine Legge, are the tiop four, with Cooper MacNeil fifth. It might be game over for the #12 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus. They are still working on the car. They might miss the minimum drive time, but want to get back out on track. Tom Blomqvist is being chased down by Matthieu Jaminet. Daniel Morad tries passing Cooper MacNeil, can't quite do it, as the GTLM Porsche moves past. Some hot and heavy action in the GT classes. Timo Bernhard wants by Joao Barbosa for the lead of this motor race. Timo Bernhard will get a double draft and Timo Bernhard just takes the lead away from Joao Barbosa. Jon Bennett boxes Joao Barbosa as well.
But, Barbosa is going tof ight back at Timo Bernhard. Barbosa rammed intpo the side of the #911 Porsche, the Laurens Vanthoor, Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet car. The #66 Ford GT is back on track, but now, Timo Bernhard in the #77 Mazda RT24P is in the lead of this motor race. Cooper MacNeil is being chased down by Daniel Morad. It's the #63 WeatherTech Ferrari vs. the #29 Land Motorsports Audi. The #31 Whelen Cadillac is in the pit lane. It is a 29 second pit stop, and here comes the #5 car. The Mazda's also pit. Oliver Jarvis is now into the #77 Mazda. 30 seconds even for the stop for the #5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R. Jordan Taylor in the #10 WTR Cadillac and Simon Trummer in the #84 JDC-Miller Cadillac go 1-2 for the time being.
Joao Barbosa is now chasing Oliver Jarvis for third overall. Simon Pagenaud has taken the lead in the #6 Acura ARX-05b. A close shave between Joao Barbosa, and the #24 BMW. Oliver Jarvis has passed Joao Barbosa. So now, Action Express runs third and fourth. We have just one car out of this race. 33 cars remain. We wait for the news on the #12 AVS Lexus RC F GT3 and work is also going on on the #86 MSR Acura. Joao Barbosa is going for it. We do not know if he will be back with Action Express Racing or anyone else for that matter. We have an hour and a half until sunset. Oliver Jarvis has also hit traffic, and so, Joao Barbosa might be able to catch him up. Just hope the ebb and flow of the stint works out until it's one hour to go in the motor race, then, it's go time.
Simon Pagenaud continues to lead Oliver Jarvis. Harry Tincknell in the #55 Mazda goes off the road and comes into the pits for repairs. Harry Tincknell got lucky, right ahead of the #4 Corvette, Oliver Gavin at the controls. Mazda #55 looks to be headed for the garage. We've got a problem for the #14 AVS Lexus. The #912 Porsche is in the lane, as Matthieu "Jam Jam" Jaminet, continues. The #25 BMW has made it to pit lane for a stop. Two wheels off the road for the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche. Corvette is now headed for their new mid-engine/rear-engine car for 2020. The car sounds completely different. It screams like a Ferrari, but it's an atmospheric motor with no turbo.
Now, we see another pit stop for the #31 Cadillac. Four hours and 20 minutes to go. Fuel, tires, and a driver change, back to Pipo Derani. They want the extra points at the eight hour mark. This track is all corners except for one straightaway. Now, the #66 Ford GT is in the lane, and Sebastien Bourdais is now at the wheel of it. The #31 has now dropped a lap down. They need to catch up nd come back to terms. There was a deflating tire on the #4 Corvette as well. The track is very physical here at Road Atlanta. The #86 MSR Acura NSX GT3 has officially retired from the race after the smoke we saw, and there was debris that holed the radiator on that car.
Blue, clear skies are coming for the evening as the #6 Acura is in the pit lane for a scheduled stop. Simon Pagenaud stays in the car. Joao Barbosa is in the lane for the #5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac. Not sure who it is in the car now. Checking timing and scoring it is Filipe Albuquerque. Oliver Jarvis has pitted from the race lead. When the darkness comes, drivers will take more risks, the depth perception changes, and there's more issues with accidents. Albuquerque makes contact with the #48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3.
Jordan Taylor dives for the pit lane and now, Oliver Jarvis is set to take over the lead. Filipe Albuquerque is the best AXR car, ahead of Simon Pagenaud. Pipo Derani's speed and consistency along with Felipe Nasr, might gain a spot, and they have been very consistent. Renger van der Zande is now at the wheel of the #10 Cadillac. Scott Dixon leads Colton Herta in GTLM followed by Daniel Serra. Matthieu Jaminet is next in the #912 Coca Cola Porsche followed by the sister car, and then, Jan Magnussen in the #3 Corvette. Jeroen Bleekemolen leads Dillon Machavern and Jeff Westphal. It's BMW vs. Ferrari behind the Mercedes, and then, the #9 Porsche 911 GT3R of Lars Kern. Then comes Daniel Morad, three seconds behind, and Christina Nielsen has the sole remaining MSR Acura, the #57 car.
Drama, look, for Jeff Westphal, as the 200 mile per hour tape is not holding. The headlight is also busted. We are just at the end of the six hour mark. Pipo Derani has had some trouble, and pushing to the limit. He locked the rear brakes, and went off in turn two, and the car got airborne. Oh dear. A tire change for the #54 CORE Autosport Nissan DPi. Oliver Jarvis is being chased now by Filipe Albuquerque. Simon Pagenaud is third, and Pipo Derani remains fourth after his off course excursion. If we have another Full Course Yellow before the end, things will really heat up and the plot will thicken hugely. Our leaders have completed 278 laps, 706 miles. The Cadillac's for AXR set fastest laps earlier in the day, but they've dropped three seconds, and the Mazda's as well, have done the same thing.
The pace of some of the other cars, has matched the Cadillac's now as the weather cools for the evening. They started out, running like the house was on fire. But now, they may be mellowing out. Pipo Derani wants to move on Simon Pagenaud. We now have 280 laps in the bag. Scott Dixon is extending his lead in GTLM. Colton Herta, though, is fending off the challenge of the Ferrari in the hands of Daniel Serra, the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari. Oliver Jarvis leads the motor race, inching away from Filipe Albuquerque. We are seeing a couple of pit stops at the moment. A long pit stop for the #33 Riley Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT3. This is the class leading Keating Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT3.
Dillon Machavern has taken the GT Daytona class lead in the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW followed by Lars Kern, Jeff Westphal, and Christina Nielsen as Renger van der Zande has spun in turn six! He'll have to wait and turns on the grass to keep on trucking. How did he spin? That's what we want to know. He was pinched by Misha Goikhberg in the #85 JDC-Miller Cadillac, the yellow and purple car. The #31 Whelen Cadillac is in the pit lane from fifth overall. Will there be a penalty for Misha Goikhberg? We do not know as of yet. Oliver Jarvis and Mazda lead by 12 seconds. Scott Dixon leads GTLM and Dillon Machavern leads in GT Daytona. For second in GTLM, we have Daniel Serra, Colton Herta, and Matthieu Jaminet battling each other. Ferrari vs. BMW vs. Porsche. The #911 Porsche has lost a bit of time, and the #62 has gone around the #25 BMW. The Ford GT, car #66, leads by 14 seconds or so.
The west end of the track here at Road Atlanta is still bathed in sunlight, and we will have darkness falling soon, as Filipe Albuquerque pits the #5 Cadillac in the lane. They pit from third overall. They are topping the car up with oil, in a pressurized jug. Albuquerque came in and so did Simon Pagenaud in the #6 Acura as the sister car is in the lane, the #7. Juan Pablo Montoya was ready and waiting for the #6 to go in for another stint. Are early pit stops the key for the #5? Are they not picking up fuel in that car? Questions remain. 25 laps is the shortest run they've had been pit stops during this motor race so far.
Tristan Nunez has just made a pit stop. He pitted from the overall lead, and now, Dillon Machavern has brought the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3. Bill Auberlen is back into the car for another stint. Renger van der Zande is the race leader right now in the #10 Cadillac. Now, in GTD, Acura could win the manufacturer's championship. This is an extended pit stop period. IMSA's 50th anniversary has been an amazing season. Juan Pablo Montoya and Pipo Derani are indeed duking it out for the battle for the championship as we are nearly seven hours into the race.
We will miss you, Scott Atherton, retiring President and CEO of IMSA. Pit stop time now, for Corvette. Not sure which one it is. That's the #3 car it appears. The #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari is running really well, with alessandro Pier guidi at the wheel, chasing Richard Westbrook in the #67 Ford GT. The sun is setting, the track is cooling down. Tristan Nunez now leads Filipe AlbuqThe uerque while the #31 is in the lane. Scheduled service, and they still must win the race to win the championship. Pipo Derani out, and Felipe Nasr in. The #44 Lamborghini, the Magnus Racing car has gone off the road.
We have just over three hours remaining in this motor race. Another hourly update before we move on to the next hour. Mazda and Tristan Nunez leads Helio Castroneves and Renger van der Zande, followed by Mike Conway and Felipe Nasr. Richard Westbrook leads Alessandro Pier Guidi, Connor De Philippi, and also, the two BMW's.
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