For the first time in it's long, storied history, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, affectionately known as "The Brickyard" for the yard of bricks across the start/finish line from the original track when it opened in 1909, is hosting a full-fledged endurance sports car race, as round two of the 2020 SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge is set to go, for eight hours around this fabled palace of motor racing. This place, stirs the soul of any racing fan. A 22 car field of GT3 and GT4 machinery, is set to do battle at The Brickyard, and the race, is coming at you, live!, next!
One thing we shall have to look out for today at Indianapolis, in Mother Nature. The forecast does call for rain in the race's opening stints. So, teams will have had to factor that into their strategy and the Pirelli rain tires, the P Zero rain tires, will have to be at the ready. There have been sprinkles. It's chilly out there, and rain is coming. No one has much experience here on this track, but it races well. Side by side action is to be expected. The back part of the course is very technical but it flows around most of the speedway. The rain might abate as we get towards the end of this motor race.
Approach the first corner, brake at the 400 board, set up for turns two, three, and four, arc the car, open your hands, hit the chicane, brake at the 400 board and into turn seven. Open your hands and move to the exit curve, through a couple more turns, onto the banking again, approaching turn ten, and then, through the final turns to turn 13, and to the start/finish line at turn 14. Renger van der Zande, driving for Honda, is excited for the prospect of rain. The wind is blowing and the rain will pass through as a shower. Renger van der Zande says the Acura will be good on slicks on a damp road.
He is sharing with Mario Farnbacher and Dane Cameron. Jordan Pepper, and Spencer Pumpelly, both of these blokes have been penalized. They both move to the final half of the top of the GT3 grid. SRO boss Stephane Ratel says "it's a dream come true and a great privilege to be here." Despite some manufacturers having to pull out due to the challenges of the virus, the grids are still very full for GT3 and GT4. It'll bean exciting event. We have a stout field of GT4 cars. 12 GT3 cars and ten GT4 cars. Bill Auberlen is one of the big name drivers in a GT4 car.
The big call will be tire choice as we are going to experience some showers. Ryan Briscoe, 2012 Indianapolis 500 polesitter Ryan Briscoe is here, making a guest appearance for Vital Speed in a Ferrari 488 GT3 sharing with Trevor Baek and Jeff Westphal. Acura are here and Honda/Acura brand manager, Ted Klaus, is here. Bentley M-Sport that won the Bathurst 12 Hours knew they couldn't compete in other races, so K-PAX will be the Bentley representative team, and for Mercedes, DXDT is one of those teams as well. Two cars from each brand can score points and Mercedes has three in the field today.
Everyone has done their installation laps already. So much will happen during this motor race today. When the conditions are wet, Bentley might have their hands full. BMW with their M6 will work well. Augusto Farfus, one of the BMW drivers is going to be one to watch. What does not work in the dry, in the wet, their setups might work better. Tire degradation means you are using the tire more during the early part of a stint. So, let's see how the rest of the day looks with a dry forecast. 65 minutes is the maximum drive time for a stint. Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Bowles is very happy to have the GT3 and GT4 cars here. The first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 clocked in at 6 hours and 42 minutes.
With the weather, for GT3 cars, they have tire warmers. But the GT4 blokes don't run tire warmers. The experience level in GT4 isn't as high as it is in GT3. In endurance events, it used to be the mission was to drive to a taget time, but not anymore. SRO America President Greg Gill is so happy to be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is a big deal. Excited to bring this motor race to you. Three cars are running a three hour race for the Pro Am category, and results of the race will be taken to crown a champion, making up a race from Mosport in Canada, that was cancelled, and then, after the three hour mark, everyone will continue.
Watch for the #1 Squadra Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 which is without regular driver Rodrigo Baptista. Martin Fuentes of Mexico is sharing with Italian Alessandro Balzan, and American Mark Issa. Jordan Pepper, Jules Gounon, and Maxime Soulet are ready and so is the #75 SunEnergy1 Mercedes AMG GT3 of Kenny Habul from here in the states, sharing with Martin Konrad from Austria, and Canada's Mikael Grenier. Watch out for Aston Martin in GT4. That is the #33 Notlad Racing by RS1 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 with Joe Dalton, Pat Gallagher, and Jonathan Taylor.
Deputy Chief Security Officer for Amazon Web Services, C.J. Moses gives the command to start engines. He is also a TC America competitor who ran races here earlier this weekend, and now, the engines have fired. The safety car will lead the field as we are ready to roll. We look down the grid at everyone involved. The cars roll off the grid onto their pace laps, their reconnaissance laps. Where's the grip in the track? Look at the clouds, and the radar. We are at the tail end of a storm cell here, and there will be sprinkles. The windshield wipers are on. The less experienced GT4 drivers are going to be a little bit on edge as we get going.
It's light rain right now but might get heavier. We'll have to wait and see, ladies and gentlemen. Ride the brake against the accelerator to heat the tires. Mercedes #75 are going to gamble. Martin Konrad at the wheel of it to start the race. Rolling the dice might just pay off. It's all about survival. Don't skate off the road. The maximum pit stop time is 74 seconds including 51 to get into the lane. 112 seconds is the long delta pit time to make adjustments during the pit stop. The minimum and maximum times don't start until the race begins.
Good practice to get it right. There's a no man's land between 74 and 112. Now, the field is ready to roll, wipers and headlights on. Augusto Farfus is bringing the field to the green flag, and we're away! The American flag flies ands the rain begins immediately! Into turn one on slick tires for the first time, there's some near contact as Bill Auberlen makes up four spots in GT4. Martin Tomczyk wants by Trentn Hindman as Travor Baek spins the #6 Vital Speed Ferrari. Augusto Farfus is being monstered by Dane Cameron as Jordan Pepper is up to fifth place. This track is beginning to get wet. The leaders are opening up an amount of daylight onn the rest of the field.
Farfus up and over the curb. Farfus and Tomczyk are going to the pit lane for slick tires. Jordan Pepper makes his move to the lead. Pit stop time immediately. How quickly can you get the tires changedZ? They are going for fuel and tires at Walkenhorst. Good idea. The #04 DXDT Mercedes is in the lane and so is the #1 Hublot watches sponsored Ferrari. Dane Cameron opens a lead of 1.7 seconds over Jordan Pepper. Cameron is skating his way through, look. He's going to try and stay there. Jordan pper is running the cushion, exploring, looking for water.
Maximum stint length is 65 minutes and the minimum is a triple stint, three hours. Now, we see that parts of the track here at Indianapolis is drying. Farfus and Tomczyk are both a lap down and they will have to book it to catch back up. How long will this rain last? Tomczyk went underneath Jordan Pepper as he sanps sideways. Dane Cameron is headed for the lane, again. What is going on here? Surprising to see him enter the lane. The rain has all but stopped. The boys on slick tires will be in the pound seats here, ladies and gentlemen.
Pepper, sharing with Jules Gounon and Maxime Soulet, and the South African is on a different lap to the BMW's. Pepper is bish bash boshing it right now, but so are the BMW boys as they are throwing in best sector times, going purple all the time. This is a three way race right now, but the Bentley seems to be working out well at this time. They are better off on slicks than on wets and the wet weather tires really just don't work. The factory drivers are earning their money in this rain so far. In GT4, Andy Lee is leading the class with John Miller behind. Lee in the #8 GMG Racing Audi R8 GT4 sharing with Elias Sabo and James Sofronas.
Leading in GT4, the #438 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4, Jon Miller, sharing with Canadian drivers Samantha Tan and Nick Wittmer. Meanwhile, the Bentley boys have leapfrogged the Acura. The rain seems to be abating. But there are rooster tails out there as the drivers continue to search for grip. Three wide down the front straight as Richard Heistand is in the lane for the #63 DXDT Mercedes AMG GT3. The rain is continuing. Heistand is sharing the Mercedes with David Askew and Ryan Dalziel. Max Root is fifth in the #20 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R.
Max Root is 21 years old but he has the savvy to not make mistakes, and he is swamped now by GT4 cars as well. Root sharing with Fred Poordad and Jan Heylen, the Dutchman. Root is pitting and needs dry tires. He needs grip and does not want to go off into the weeds and crash. Markus Winkelhock is a verhy effective rain and endurance driver as well. #20 is in the lane for the fuel top off and tires as well, look. They are in the lane for a full two minutes. The best weather app is to look out the window. Don't trust the computer or the phone right now, mate.
Team manager Darren Law at K-PAX says that Jordan Pepper is earning his money. It is his call with track conditions. The team hoped to have the rain pass but not now. Darren Law says it is extremely difficult to hold onto the car on slick tires in the wet. The rain tires may not be the bst match for the Bentley and Law says, "for sure, it'll be tougher, but the rain is coming down too heavily now." Bring him into the lane bolt on those wet tires. It's going to be pouring out there soon, chaps. Traction Control will be on maximum setting as Pepper is passing by Matt Dalton in the Notlad Racing Aston, car #33.
Pepper in the lane. Martin Konrad will take the lead with the two Walkenhorst BMW M6 GT3's steaming along as the rain is getting worse, blokes. It's a deluge. This is similar to what we've seen at the 24 Hours of Spa, our next race in the championship, before. Poor old Trevor Baek has had his yellow Frerrari into thew wall. He rotated and slams the wall! Bang! He's got a broken left rear suspension. That's the #6, Trevor Baek sharing with Ryan Briscoe and Jeff Westphal. The #93 Racer's Edge Acura NSX GT3 is also in the lane and back out. Trent Hindman, Shelby Blackstock, and Robert Megennis sharing the car.
Ryan Briscoe says it is very disappointing for Trevor Baek and the rest of the Vital Speed Ferrari team. Baek was really building his speed and he needed to watch out for aquaplaning and then, bang, he was in the wall. The damage to the car looks bad on the left front suspension. It could be game over for these blokes, but we hope they can stay in the race. We have the safety car on track as Augusto Farfus is in the lane for fuel. One tire and refueling can equate to the short pit stop and you are in the box for 23 seconds. Also in the lane, the #3 Motorsport USA McLaren 570S GT4 as the puddles are turning into ponds. Michael McAleenan, Michael Cooper, and Dan Rogers sharing that automobile.
Richard Heistand is in the lane for tire pressure adjusting, and Peter Baron, an experienced team boss is calling the shots for DXDT today. Also, we have seen the #2 GMG Racing Porsche 718 Cayman MR in the lane, Jason Bell at the controls, sharing with Robin Liddell, and Andrew Davis. A couple carts in the lane serving a penalty and pitting. Jordan pper is in the lane, resetting the driver stint and taking fuel only. We have also seen in the lane in GT4, the #26 Classic BMW BMW M4 GT4. Phil Bloom, sharing with Stevan McAleer and Toby Grahovec. The marshals say that we will do more yellow laps to get the water moved off the racing line.
It was a splash and dash for Bentley #7. Andrew Davis has the lead in GT4. There are many GT4 cars between Martin Konrad and Andrew Davis. The safety car may point some of the other GT4 cars by, but there's no one trrapped there right now. The spray will be immense and the water will hang as a mist in the air because of the grandstands. The #20 Porsche has a splash and a dash as well. The only car that will need to be waved by is the #17 Porsche Cayman for The Racer's Group. That Porsche Cayman is being shared by Derek DeBoer, Andy Lally, and Dr. James Rappaport. We are also seeing a great run thus far for the #31 Audi Sport Team Hardpoint WRT Audi R8. Markus Winkelhock, Spenhcer Pumpelly, and Mirko Bortolotti sharing the car.
WRT has one of their team bosses, Thierry Tassin, calling strategy. Tassin is a former winner of the Spa 24 Hours in the touring car days, and a very experienced driver and team boss, both. Pit stop time for slick tires, look, for the Bell/Liddell/Davis Porsche Cayman with the five lug nut wheel as opposed to a single wheel nut on the GT3 cars, and they have two rattle guns instead of one, and the rattle guns work a little differently, too, having to removed five lug nuts instead of a single lug nut. Pit lane will close when the safety car comes by. Dane Cameron has moved the #30 Team Honda by JAS Motorsports Acura, and poor old Andrew Davis was held for speeding in the lane. He has lost to the safety car. Deary me.
Dane Cameron will do the short stop and reset their fuel window. Mario Farnbacher and and Renger van der Zande are his co-drivers, of course, as we are set to go back to green next time by. We'll have the safety car out for a lap more before we turn these boys and girls loose again. TRG must be upset with the marshals from SRO for not doing the wave by. Jeepers creepers. They will be behind the eight ball now. No wave by for the TRG blokes. Kevin Buckler, team boss, will be upset. He'll be on the horn going, "everyone, what on earth is going on?!" TRG are now ninth in class in GT4. Andy Lee leads Parker Chase and Jon Miller. Then comes Bill Auberlen in fourth and in fifth, Matt Dalton.
Now, we are ready to go back to green. Martin Konrad leads this motor race, and we are back to green. No wave by. You can't pass 'til the start/finish line. Watch the puddles. That's close! Konrad is back underway and three wide, look, as Markus Winkelhock goes by Trent Hindman. George Kurtz has passed the TRG Porsche. That's the #04 Crowdstrike Mercedes. Farfus and Tomczyk are flying by. Hindman has to check up and the BMW's have left both Hindman and Kurtz in the dust. George Kurtz sharing with Colin Braun and Ben Keating. Whoops! We have a car stopped at the approach to turn 12. That's the #25 CCR Team TFB BMW M4 GT4. Tim Barber sharing with Cole Ciraulo and Parker Chase.
Parker Chase has the car back up and running. We see pit stops now for the #20 Wright Motorsports Porsche, Max Root still at the wheel of it. Someone had air jack trouble on a pit stop. The rain has let up. The sun could break through the clouds. Now, the team that may have had air jack issues was Racer's Edge. Not sure. Robert McGinnis is happy to race a GT3 car with Trent Hindman and Shelby Blackstock. Hardpoint Audi and one of the Walkenhorst BMW's is in the lane. Robert McGinnis won the Indy Lights race here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May of 2019. McGinnis will be in the car at the three hour mark.
You lose just five to ten seconds on top offs for fuel. Not much time as you may think. Driver changes can also happen. Now, we will have the stint lengths coming into play very soon. The #25 BMW got back on track in GT4. Very good. Now, Andy Lee is pitting the GMG Audi, car #8. The blokes in GT4 can't do the short stop on the fuel like the GT3 cars can. That was actually a drive through, maybe a drive through penalty for Andy Lee. Not good. There could be a drive through penalty also for that #17 TRG Porsche Cayman as well. Martin Konrad leads Alessandro Balzan. Jon Miller leads Bill Auberlen in GT4. Auberlen ducks to pit lane.
He is sharing that car with James Clay and Chandler Hull. Martin Konrad pits for a splash and d ash from the overall leasd. They have plenty of time with almost an hour on the board. Now, did Auberlen get released too soon? The minimum refuel time in GT4 is 110 seconds and he short pitted that automobile. He's significantly short. This is going to turn their race pear shaped. So now, Alessandro Balzan leads in the #1 Hublot watches Squadra Corse Ferrari 488 GT3. He is trying to help Martin Fuentes win a title. Jon Miller is in the lane for a stop as some of the teams are questioning the #82 car and their short stop.
Matt Dalton is in the GT4 lead and a driver change happening for the #438 BMW M4 GT4. We don't know if Nick Wittmer or Samantha Tan are into the car. That BMW has a graphics package of Van Gogh's legendary Starry Night masterpiece painting on it. We thought the safety car would peel off, but there's standing water all over the road that needs to be dispersed. The ponds are being evacuated. The turn 14 puddle shifts and changes every lap. The cars will be able to disperse said puddle. We hgave a long, long way to go yet. But at six and a half hours, you can do six more 65 minute stints, but if this delay breaks into that window, then you'd have only five more regular pit stops to accomplish.
If you can run one less stop than your competitors, then, you are fine as wine, mate. The BMW has had an electrical issue due to the water, and he had to recycle it and it's working fine. Martin Fuentes has to do a stint yet we believe. Balzan is in the lane for service and will hand over to Fuentes. Top off the fuel as well. These blokes are running 50 kilometers an hour for a splash and a dash.
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