Patrick Pilet is catching Matt Campbell in GTD Pro. The tug of war has been going on across all five classes. Trouble for the #66 Gradient Racing Acura, slow on the apron of the trioval. Actually, he may be off on the backstretch. Mike Conway leads the motor race, still, and there is a ways to go, but it is close to money time. Louis Deletraz and Pato O'Ward are close togetherfor the lead in LMP2. Mike Conway has opened a gap that has ballooned now to 18 seconds. Mikkel Jensen in the #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports car. Ben Keating has done seven hours and 20 minutes of driving between DPi and LMP2. The speed he had in DPi on fresh tires, 1 and 1/4 seconds off the leader's pace. Wow. He is a Bronze driver.
Kay van Berlo and Niclas Jonsson are the top two in LMP3 ahead of Sebastian Priaulx and a lap down, Josh Burdon. Oliver Jarvis wants by Richard Westbrook. Two Cadillac vs. Acura battles on the road for the top four places with just over four and a half hours of racing to go. The #31 Cadillac is double stinting on tires in the cold. As the #60 Acura continues with Oliver Jarvis, they put time in the bank on fuel. Running long, they could short fill and have an advantage on the other DPi cars. The cold is playing a major factor. Is there drop off on the tires? That is what AXR has to wonder about. If it doesn't, well, if there is a yellow, hang onto your tires.
Earl Bamber in the Ganassi Racing #02 are 28 laps down. Conway cuts a 1:41 and his lead has been whittled down to ten seconds. We say hello again to IMSA President John Doonan. Momentum has doubled the field, and the regulations stabilization makes team see that teams from around the world will be able to run the same cars anyplace in the world. DPi ends homologation at the end of this year, and we will see GTP next year, with five brands and a single source hybrid system, and the engine of the manufacturer's choice. Mike Conway's lead is shrinking. Now, the collaboration continues between IMSA and the ACO, and the new Le Mans chicane, and there may be a Daytona chicane at Le Mans on the Mulsanne Straight. There will be a Daytona chicane at Le Mans. Not maybe. It will happen. IMSA has 18 brands of cars showcased in their different series.
Mike Conway went off the road a wee bit in turn five and he almost ran into one of the Corvett'es. Rossi is slicing into the lead of the #31 Cadillac on degrading tires and now, they are in the lane for tires and service. So, a driver change, handing over to Pipo Derani. Derani should be the closer. Four and a half hours, so, he will get a couple of stints. Tristan Nunez will also have another shot. Full fuel load at Action Express as well. The #01 Ganassi Cadillac pits as well. Fuel, tires, and a driver change. A nose change it appears for the #5 JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac as well.
DragonSpeed #81 IN lMP2 has made a pit stop. Any more takers? More Porsche vs. Ferrari action in GTD Pro. Factory drivers for both teams. #48 in the pit lane for Action Express and Hendrick Motorsports. Alessandro Pier Guidi will be pitting before Matty Jaminet I believe. Fred Schandorff still second in GTD in the #70 McLaren for Inception Racing. He passes for the lead around Richard Lietz. Simon Mann is next up in AF Corse Ferrari #21. JDC-Miller Motorsports are repairing the existing nose from the #5 Cadillac. Tristan Vautier has been in the wars a little bit throughout this race. Mike Conway has had a spirited battle. He thinks the car has good pace and it is close between the top four and they did get ahead of the Acura's.
It is risk vs. reward with the tires in the frigid cold. The rear tires start to go away quick depending on stints. It is always a fine line. Keep it clean. Do not trip over slower cars. Pipo Derani now closing up for second on Alexander Rossi. Rossi tries breaking the draft in NASCAR turn two. A lapped car at the Le Mans chicane, give up the entry to the turn. Pipo Derani has now moved around Alexander Rossi. This race isn't done yet. Pipo Derani is now chasing Richard Westbrook in the #5 JDC-Miller Motorsports Mustang Sampling Cadillac. Rossi and Pagenaud in the Acura's close at hand.
Smoke rising from campfires as fans are doing their level best to keep warm. Or, also, cooking breakfast. Class leader in LMP3, Kay van Berlo is in the lane for service. No driver change. Serviced and sent. In the pit lane, the GTD leading Inception McLaren, car #70, with a leaking gearbox overnight. But they lead GTD right now. Westbrook leads by four seconds now over Pipo Derani. Louis Deletraz leads Pato O'Ward by 20 seconds or less in LMP2 as we see a pit stop in GTD for the #47 Cetilar Ferrari ad now the #79 WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT3R chugs its way out of the pt lane and is back on track.
Heat up the tires on the out lap. Push, push, push, without tearing up the tires. Pipo Derani is pressing Richard Westbrook for the lead of the motor race now as we approach the end of another racing hour. Turn on "The Dynamo". The champ is on the money! Westbrook defends but Pipo Derani tucks it to the inside to take the lead into the Le Mans chicane, but Westbrook is coming back. Derani throws the block. This is not go time yet. We still have over four hours to go. Tristan Vautier and Tristan Nunez went at it earlier in the race as Alexander Rossi remains third, three and a half seconds behind.
Marcus Ericsson has the #02 Ganassi Racing Cadillac. All five classes, have cars on the lead lap, with four or so hours left. Wright Motorsports vs. Inception Racing still in GTD. Here comes the McLaren on the Porsche. The Heylen and Schandorff battle continues in GT Daytona. The Belgian vs. the Dane. Heylen has found the pace and dives inside gaining the lead back. Porsche, McLaren, BMW, Lamborghini. How do you make these makes competitive with each other? A tough task for the IMSA tech team.
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