It's elbows out on the restart again. Mattia Drudi is pushing hard. The field accelerates as the second hour begins and Augusto Farfus is pushing Jules Gounon. Audi #31 has gained a spot even though they are three laps down. Kevin Estre wants by in the Jukskei Sweep. Drudi has to go defensive. That's all he can do. The top three cars are flying. Renger van der Zande, Jules Gounon, and Augusto Farfus are all pushing and here comes Matthieu Jaminet as well. "Jam Jam" is really pressing Kevin Estre who slams the door in his countryman's face. Oliver Jarvis makes his presence known against Charles Weerts. Bentley vs. Audi. Jarvis has a head of steam and he wants it. Through Sunset, and the undrcut, between Estre and Jaminet. Jaminet runs wide, and bish, bash, bosh, Estre is through, look. Jaminet is not going to give up. He is pushing Jaminet, and Mattia Drudi says "grazie mille. Arriva derci." 34 laps on the board, 95 miles. Mattia Drudi goes for fourth. Nick Yelloly gets mugged by the Italian. Kevin Estre, a star in Porsche's and he did a stint with McLaren's factory GT3 program a few years ago.
Farfus is flying while Renger van der Zande leads Jules Gounon. Gounon has Augusto Farfus all over him. Farfus is right on his six through Crowthorne, look. Drudi is going to try making a move. He is really closing up. Farfus wants the pass in turn ten but he can't make it. Drudi is flying and Renger van der Zande is cackling like a madman at the head of the field. Gounon, Farfus, and here comes the Audi! Renger van der Zande is the rabbit, being chased by the pack of hungry wolves. The sharks are in the water. Oliver Jarvis is inching his way up to the traffic, and Renger van der Zande still leads. Mattia Drudi is the bloke to watch right now. The BMW is very efficient while some of these other cars like the Bentley and the Porsche, and perhaps the Audi, are very twitchy.
Matty Jaminet is holding off Kevin Estre. Mathieu Jaminet is really pushing. There's still a long, long, long way to go. No defensive driving on Jaminet's part, although Estre is really flying. "Jam Jam" is moving away from Kevin Estre into Leeukop again. 38 laps now on the board. 108 miles. Estre is trying hard but the tires are trashed and so, Estre, on these dirty, greasy Pirelli's, he's having big time issues at the moment with traction. Estre is committed, putting maximum loads into the car and he just can't move past Jaminet.
Kevin Estre is fighting an evil handling Porsche through Clubhouse. Chasrles Weerts will be all over him. Estre turns the wheel and the car does not want to respond. Goodness. The Dinamic Motorsports team says there is nothing wrong with the car. Hmmm. Maybe the tires are used up, or, Jaminet's pass was made while Kevin Estre might be having brake troubles. Estre continues to defend against Charles Weerts. Weerts in the Audi is pushing, and I don't have to tell you, hard. In the meantime, Renger van der Zande leads Jules Gounon. No real changes in the points standings for the driver's crown. There's a long, long way to go.
Everyone is driving absolutely on the limit. The ambient temperature, the altitude, and the physicality of the track here at Kyalami, that's why these guys can drive these cars. They know how to handle the track and the conditions. Renger van der Zande leads Jules Gounon and Augusto Farfus as well as Mattia Drudi. Honda vs. Bentley vs. BMW vs. Audi, all as one. Mattia Drudi has the best pace followed by the BMW, the Honda, and the Bentley. Each car has their strengths and weaknesses. The Honda is the same as the Acura here in the states. You have three turbo cars and a normally aspirated car. Three V8's and a V6. Yelloly wants by Estre. Estre is back at the races. He's going after the GPX Porsche, look, of Mathieu Jaminet. It is chopping and changing constantly in the running order.
Weerts wants by Nick Yelloly, but no dice that time. Audi #45 has been dinged by the stewards, for a drive through penalty for a refueling infraction, Dennis Marschall at the controls of that automobile. Now then, Mattia Drudi, Augusto Farfus, Jules Gounon, and Renger van der Zande. Weerts is being hounded by Jarvis and here too is the BMW of Yelloly. Farfus is right on the Bentley's six. Augusto Farfus wants by Gounon who wants by Van der Zande, going through Crowthorne. Renger van der Zande is still in the lead but he is not whistling off into the distance.
Andre Bezuidenhout is going to nget lapped, and he does get lapped. Perfect Circle, down the order. Andre Bezuidenhout did the smart thing. Drudi is all over Farfus! Yikes! This race is hot and heavy, ladies and gentlemen. Farfus is ragged in the Crocodile. Is "Jam Jam" struggling for pace? Not really. Everyone is flat out. Jules Gounon is keeping Renger van der Zande honest. Markus Winkelhock still has fastest lap of the motor race. Drudi runs wide into Leeukop. Kevin Estre is now motoring on, and he is finding his feet in this motor race. Honda, Bentley, BMW, Audi, Porsche. Check that. Audi leads BMW. Kevin Estre kicking up dust at the exit off of Barbeque Bend. If Kevin Estre has clear air, he is in good shape.
The top five are running as one. 2.7 seconds cover the leading quintet of cars. Drudi is under pressure from Jaminet but it is not breaking his rhythm. The sasme is true with Gounon trying to move around van der Zande. The Balance of Performance is why these cars are so evenly matched. You have rear, mid and front engined cars, running together. So many different configurations of cars, but all can lap within seconds of each other. 51 laps, 145 miles on the board. The wind is blowing through the trees, and will we see the December rain we expect at Kyalami. The wind is blowing from the west at 45 miles an hour! What a gale! The Honda's performance has been clipped back since Friday due to the BoP changes.
Jaminet still chasing Drudi. Kevin Estre has done the best lap for the car. Jaminet is driving an uncomfortable race car, but he is still hanging right in there. Jaminet needs to keep pushing forward. Estre was within a whisker of winning this race last year in 2019. It seems like an eternity ago now. Renger van der Zande is not wescaping just yet. Farfus has to press Gounon. Renger van der Zande has a comfortable gap. But he is still in it, focused 110%. 53 laps now on the board in an hour and 38 minutes. 151 miles. Wow! Kevin Estre is right over the limit. How he keeps the car on the road is incredible. That Porsche for Dinamic Motorsports is a real handful.
Phew! Over the curbs, onto the dirt! He's rallycrossing that Porsche. Oliver Jarvis under investigation for being too fast under Full Course Yellow. The secondhand value of that Porsche will drop if Estre keeps bashing the curbs. The maximum drive time is three hours and the maximum through the whole race is three hours and 45 minutes out of the nine hours. A two hour stint around Kyalami is really draining. Estre runs wide again through Cheetah. Bentley #7 is being dinged for track limits through the final corner at Ingwe.
Through Leeukop, it seems that Renger Van Der Zande can really motor away from Jules Gounon. Farfus, Drudi, and Jaminet complete the top five. Estre, Weerts, Yelloly, Jarvis, Bezuidenhout, Van der Linde, and Marschall, round out the field, the dozen cars. Jaminet is right on top of Drudi and we could have rain coking in the not too distant future. We are approaching the second round of pit stops. The flags are flapping in the breeze like crazy. These are gale force winds, and there's potential rain. Renger van der Zande 1.3 seconds to the good over the Bentley and Estre is off in the dust, again, almost catching Matthieu Jaminet.
Estre is really sweeping up the dust. 58 laps now on the board, 165 miles, through Sunset and Clubhouse. Does Kevin Estre have a brake issue or a right rear tire issue? We've been seeing replays of him going off the road or just barely hanging on. Estre is pushing Jaminet and Gounon is pushing Van der Zande. Estre takes an unusual line into Barbeque Bend. It is indeed advantage Bentley. Although, Van der Zande has the lead. This race has been phenomenal so far. Estre off the road another time.
Jules Gounon continues to push, continues to step up the pace. No mistakes. Bring the car in in one piece. Mario Farnbacher will be the next driver at Honda. Maxime Soulet will be into the #8 Bentley. Gounon is now defending from Augusto Farfus and Kevin Estre. Mattia Drudi has Audi #44 in fourth place. 1.9 seconds is the biggest gap to the leader that has been in this race so far. Goodness gracious. Charles Weerts is moving in on the Porsche duo of Estre and Jaminet, 60 laps on the board. Honda #30 continues to lead, with Renger van der Zande at the controls. 1.990 seconds, the gap, between Van der Zande and Gounon. Kelvin Van der Linde has run the fastest lap from 11th in the Audi.
Drudi, Estre, and Weerts bail for the pit lane for service. Nick Yelloly in the BMW is also in there. Tires and fuel for these cars as well as driver changes it looks like. The Porsche could not be released too soon with the Audi exiting it's pit stall. The pit work for one of the BMW's seemed a tad slow. Estre remains at the wheel of Porsche #54. Christopher Haase in Audi #44, Mirko Bortolotti in Audi #32, and David Pittard into the #35 BMW. Bentley #7 in the lane now. Jules Gounon out, Maxime Soulet in. Bentley #8 in as well, Oliver Jarvis being relieved by Seb Morris. Kevin Estre continues for a double stint in the #54. Dylan Perreira, meantime, has uncorked the fastest lap fo the race in the #9 Perfect Circle Lechner Porsche. They may not win, but they'll be at the sharp end.
Ooh! The Bentley's, one of them, crossed the blend line in the pit lane and there's overtaking in the lane which I think is forbidden. Oh no! Bentley #7 has dropped a cylinder. Calamity at Bentley! There has to be a dropped cylinder for Maxime Soulet. Something is wrong. Honda and BMW are rolling simultaneously out of the lane. Mario Farnbacher is in into the Honda. Matt Campbell gets passed by Christopher Haase. Laurens Vanthoor moves around Matt Campbell as Vanthoor has replaced Estre in #54. Another wild hour. We're nearly done with it. Augusto Farfus is still in the #34 BMW. Campbell all over Laurens Vanthoor and Bentley is limping to the pit lane. Bentley's championship chances are disappearing. The engine has gone bang.
There's a lot of smoke and a lot of popping and banging out of the motor. What a shame for Bentley in their final race! Jules Gounon is beside himself! He cannot believe it. Meantime, Porsche are racing each other. Sheldon van der Linde is in the #34 BMW.
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