The gap is ebbing and flowing between Derani and Taylor for the lead of the motor race. This is tough stuff as Derani is being monstered as he gets through this wad of GT cars. Derani is never shy on commitment and here comes Ricky Taylor. More traffic ahead and now, Dane Cameron is also moving in on Renger van der Zande. Pipo Derani could take over the p[oints lead but Ricky Taylor still has a chance to try and push. More lapped traffic. 56 minutes on the board. We will see pit stops soon for GTLM and GTD but the prototype cars won't pit until about 30 minutes on the board I don't think. The battle is still on. Ricky Taylor is not giving Pipo Derani a break whatsoever. This isn't happy hour. It's pressure hour. Ricky Taylor is finding a little extra speed.
Pipo Derani is trapped behiund an LMP2 car and clear its. That's the #51 car, the InterEuropol car. Jakub Smiechowski and company. Ricky Taylor will get balked by one of the Ferrari's. That's the WeatherTech #63 Jeff Westphal driven automobile. Ricky Taylor is only seven tenths behind Pipo Derani right now. Jan Heylen will finish the race for Wright Motorsports. He is in a rhythm. It is harder to throw someone in late in the motor race. Lapped traffic again and Ricky Taylor is pressing Pipo Derani. 50 minutes to go. Does Ricky Taylor really push it? How far does Pipo Derani push? Ricky Taylor hits the rev limiter and can't quite pass Derani. Pit stop time for the #24 BMW M8 GTE. John Edwards stays in the car.
Pipo Derani's lead is only 4/10ths of a second as we see an overhead shot at night at Road Atlanta. Could Taylor be in the catbird seat? #52 locks the brakes into turn three. That's Simon Trummer, losing time to Mikkel Jensen, and Trummer has a deflating tire. The right front is busted and he has suspension damage as well. Corvette #4 in the lane. Trummer has made it to pit lane. Trummer is somehow or other back underway. No. He's back behind the wall with suspension damage. Meantime, the #8 Tower Motorsports by Starworks car of Mikkel Jensen leads LMP2. Ricky Taylor is still chasing Pipo Derani.
The leaders come to the pit lane. Acura #7 hits the box first and here comes the #31. It's the same service for both. Fuel and tires for both. No driver changes. It's still Derani vs. Taylor and will there be a different gap. The Penske car is in the lead! Pipo Derani is second! Holy cow! Lead change as Pipo Derani at turn one gets a really good run and moves under Ricky Taylor! BMW #24 was punted off the road with a left front brake on fire and a clogged radiator that would blow the motor. Didn't see the car. Don't ask. Honestly.
Fred Makowiecki, Antonio Garcia, Laurens Vanthoor, the top three in GTLM. He was on the grass, Augusto Farfus, and missed the timing loop. Half an hour to go. Sheesh! This is a banzai motor race ladies and gentlemen. A banzai motor race! Predictions? Are you mad? There's no way. Fred Makowiecki leads in GTLM by just three seconds over Antonio Garcia. BMW #24 is running just ahead of the #4 Corvette C8.R. Pipo Derani leads Ricky Taylor by 1.4 seconds. He might have to play the waiting game, and therefore, Ricky Taylor could have the final say here. Goodness.
Andy Lally is taken over by Pipo Derani. Andy Lally has moved past Trent Hindman, moving in on Townsend Bell with 25 minutes left on the clock. Jeff Westphal has control in GTD. How are we going to pick the bones out of this? It's been amazing. 462 laps will be completed if we keep this pace up. We have not had a yellow for over three hours and we've run 1,000 or so miles under the green flag. A GTLM Porsche has slowed Pipo Derani down. Derani and Taylor are still fighting. It only takes two cars to make a motor race with now just 19 minutes left on the board.
Jeff Westphal leads Jack Hawksworth by 19 seconds. Townsend Bell is just a shade slower. Fred Makowiecki leads by a second a half with Antonio Garcia is turning up the heat. Mikkel Jensen has five laps on the second place LMP2 car. He has enough time to make a cup of tea and soft boil an egg. Top four, 23.5 seconds between them with 17 minutes left to race. Derani had to wedge between Andy Lally and Townsend Bell and made it. He's wedged himself between those two GT cars. Andy Lally has finally moved past Townsend Bell.
Derani is still leading, but now, he will have Ricky Taylor and Renger van der Zande bearing down on him. Side by side for the lead down through the esses. This is really dicey. Dane Cameron has now done a 1:09.722, the fastest lap of the race as Laurens Vanthoor runs a 1:16.669, the fastest GTLM lap. van der Zande is gaining. Ricky Taylor turns Filipe Albuquerque. Unbelievable. Ricky Taylor almost broadsides Renger van der Zande. #31 has gone a lap down.
Derani chose his line and Taylor tipped him off. One of the Lexus cars, the #14 has gone off the road. It's a Porsche that has gone off. The #912 Porsche of Laurens Vanthoor. The race is over. Another Lexus involved. Caution. This race is over. Vanthoor dove in and was under pressure from Garcia. Pipo Derani gets a new rear tail on the car. Yellow flag. The #10 Konica Minolta Cadillac is going to win this motor race. We've ended under Full Course Yellow. #10 wins this one with a minute and a half left. We will not go back to green.
Ricky Taylor salvages second spot. Derani is crawling around and had to have emergency service. The car will get a top five for the #31. I don't know what else to say. We will pick the bones out of this one, later.
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