For the final time, before a new temporary street course is unveiled and constructed in downtown Detroit, Michigan, next year, the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship races in a 100-minute street fight on Belle Isle. It is time now, for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear. It's live, and it's next! We have the Daytona Prototype International and GT Daytona classes competing in today's race, because of the size of the circuit, and driver/team conflicts, really between this race, and two other major events we are gearing up for on Endurance... The Sports Car Racing Blog, including the test day for next weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the GT World Challenge Europe Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers. You will hear more about all of that tomorrow and throughout next week. Big plans for Le Mans as usual, with wall-to-wall coverage.
If you do not have Peacock for the IMSA races or Motor Trend for other sports car races and a lot of great motorsports content, you should sign up. Trust me. Yours truly is not sponsored by the television networks, but rather, just suggesting, if you don't have these apps on your mobile devices to follow sports car racing, you ought to consider them. You will not regret it. With that out of the way, back to the matters of the hour and 40-minute motor race we are about to witness, for the final time for sports cars on Belle Isle before the aforementioned new downtown course comes next year. This place races and drives more like a road course than a conventional street circuit and is very similar to places like Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, or Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, two Formula 1 venues.
We have a reduced field of course, because of the two classes mentioned at the top. 16 cars racing today. Six Daytona Prototype International entries and ten GT Daytona entries. On the pole for today's race, once again, it is the fast Frenchman, Sebastien Bourdais, aboard the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R sharing with the flying Dutchman, Renger van der Zande. A couple notable driver changes on some of the top teams as we mentioned earlier in the week. Action Express Racing have placed Tristan Nunez in a test/reserve driver role and have brought in another rapid Frenchman, Olivier Pla, to partner Pipo Derani in the #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi.
GT Daytona Vasser Sullivan Lexus driver Jack Hawksworth is recovering from injury and so Englishman Ben Barnicoat has been brought in to partner Kyle Kirkwood 0n beautful Belle Isle as we are right by the river. This is the final event on Detroit's Belle Isle as we said, and it is time to go racing as we join Leigh Diffey and Calvin Fish in the broadcast booth and in the pit lane, Marty Snider, and Dave Burns. Wayne Taylor Racing, Konica Minolta, Acura, and their drivers are going for a hat trick. GM branded cars have won eight of the last nine events.
Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley are ready to go at Turner Motorsports. We saw success for Marcus Ericsson and Ganassi Racing win the Indianapolis 500 last weekend of course. The #10 Konica Minolta Acura are looking for the hat trick. Execution is what the #10 team have done in the last two races at Laguna Seca and at Mid-Ohio. Again, GM powered cars have won eight of the last nine races and three of four in the DPi era. The drivability of the Cadillac V8 is amazing. Olivier Pla is stunned with the torque. Will Action Express break through today?
The #01 Cadillac needs speed and he had big contact and a spin in qualifying and got the pole position by the skin of his teeth. In the ten-car GT Daytona class, there are seven manufacturer's. Look out for Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn in the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin that won in class last year. Kyle Kirkwood injured his right hand in IndyCar practice but he should be fine. We'll have a massive race in both classes today. We can see as many as five classes in the races at once. Today, only two. Less traffic density. Huge commitment is necessary. Be inch perfect. Pit stop execution and the overcut are a major deal, for pit stop timing.
Stay on hot tires, and this is a low degradation circuit on the tires. Olivier Pla starts the #31 Whelen Cadillac. The strategy, everyone knows the game. Here we go. #01 is trying to fix their record. Away we go. Ricky Taylor is pressing Tom Blpmqvist already, look. Bourdais leads the motor race flying to turn three for the first time as Bourdais defends. Olivier Pla is pressing Tristan Vautier hard. But Vautier passes. Can Olivier Pla go for it? Heart of Racing is pushing and some contact in GTD between Aidan Read and Roman De Angelis. Robert Megennis in the #39 Lamborghini is pressing hard for CarBahn with Peregrine Rcing early doors.
There are two Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3's in this race. Up front, the gap is opening up as we can see Olivier Pla right on Tristan Vautier's six. Pla has raced an Acura, a Mazda, and now, a Cadillac DPi. He also ran the old Nissan DPi car. He did a single test day at Road Atlanta with AXR and was comfortable. Tom Blomqvist has been very consistent. They have not won since the Rolex 24. But Blomqvist feels as if his traction control is not working. That could be a big deal. The car is very stiffly sprung compared to the Cadillac over the bumps on this street course.
Good scrap f0r fourth, fifth, and six, between three of the Cadillac's. Alex Lynn, Tristan Vautier, and Olivier Pla. Pla is one of a dozen drivers who will race next weekend at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Robby Foley is on the back foot having to do a drive through penalty because the team changed the tires after qualifying due to a spin. Foley absolutely Fred Flintstoned his tires after quali yesterday. You can't just take new tires and go to the back of the pack, but you have to cop a drive through penalty as well. Good racng here, look, between one of the two Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3's and the #1 BMW M4 GT3 for Paul Miller Racing being shared by Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow.
Back to the GT Daytona battle as Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn are leading. De Angelis now driving and Ross Gunn will get into the car for the second stint. Maxime Martin is not here as he is racing in the Paul Ricard event we talked about earlier that we will hear about soon. Blomqvist is right on Bourdais' six at the front of the field right now. Taylor, Lynn, Vautier, and Pla are next in line. Blomqvist is six tenths of a second behind. Alex Lynn, other than Sebring, he did not know any of these tracks. He is taking it in stride for sure.
Up and over the bridge there is a waterway under there, so that is how the bumps appear. Three Cadillac's in a row and the Cadillac's handle the bumps far better than the Acura's do. The Cadillac does run a higher ground clearance and a normally aspirated GM V8 helps. Now then, in GT Daytona, Madison Snow is third in GTD. They got the car late and did not race at the Rolex 24 at the beginning of the year, but since then, they have indeed found the sweet spot. PMR are leading the Sprint Cup championship in GTD. This car raced in Europe or is racing in Europe and is also racing in the states this year.
There has been less time to develop the car. Aston Martin, Lexus, BMW, the top three in GT Daytona. Can Sellers and Snow break through in Detroit? They've done well on street courses over the years. In GTD, they are allowed only four test days per season. Chip Ganassi team manager Mike O'Gara calls the shots on the IMSA team and also were on the team for Marcus Ericsson winning Indianapolis last weekend. Three other team members were also on Jimmie Johnson's pit crew at the Indianapolis 500. Pipo Derani is now driving the #31 Whelen Cadillac and they put fuel in the car.
Make the change now. Olivier Pla new to the team. The pit stop seems to be clean. They had a two-day test at Road Atlanta. How will Pipo Derani do? Derani is the 2021 IMSA champion. He and Olivier Pla will share a car next weekend at Le Mans racing in the Hypercar class for the American Glickenhaus team. A full weekend of sports cars and IndyCars. Will be tuning in for the IndyCars tomorrow. So, the #01 Cadillac of Sebastien Bourdais continues to lead the motor race. Kyle Kirkwood is chasing Roman De Angelis in GT Daytona as Sebastien Bourdais stretches his lead.
Jack Hawksworth had a training accident racing motocross motorcycles. Ben Barnicoat is ready to go hoping to go for it racing against Ross Gunn at Aston Martin. Lexus are down on straight line speed compared to the Aston Martin. One stop race expected in GT Daytona. DPi cars would love to do one stop races but it is hard to do. Pipo Derani and Action Express pitted on lap ten and they are going to go full out for the rest of the race. Will this strategy work out? It could in a few ways as Pipo Derani is on maximum attack. If we went Full Course Yellow, he could leapfrog to the front.
There's a big delta in time between max attack and fuel save. Tristan Vautier uncorks the fastest lap of the motor race as Pipo Derani is slicing and dicing his way through GT Daytona traffic while the tires are really performing and the lap times, the fast lap times are coming to the fore. Tom Blomqvist gets balked by GT Daytona leader Roman De Angelis. GT Daytona cars have antilock brakes while the prototypes don't. Drivers who have raced both prototype and GT will say the GT blokes have it worse off as they have to look out the windscreen and their mirrors. The Acura's are hanging in there with the Cadillac's rigjht now.
Blomqvist is a second behind Bourdais. Sebastien Bourdais has led every lap so far. Tom Blomqvist is in hot pursuit. 12 different brands have won in WeatherTech and Michelin Pilot Challenge competition while 16 of 17 brands have run and won. 27 different chassis and engine combinations are used in IMSA across the two major championships for WeatherTech and Michelin Pilot Challenge. A dozen drivers will head to the 24 Hours of Le Mans test tomorrow and nine Michelin engineers will do the same as Tom Blomqvist is moving in on Sebastien Borudais. Russell Ward, through turn ten... booom! Major damage to the right hand side of the car.
Heavy contact for their spare car on this team after the primary car was destroyed at Laguna Seca last time out. Philip Ellis, his co-driver had a good run, and they loved this track, but it is game over. Trouble as well for Turner Motorsports who have not yet found the handling on the #96 BMW M4 GT3. This is a tire change. No driver change yet. They were on top of the surface and not biting into it. The right rear wheel was loosening on the road. In the lead of GT Daytona, Roman De Angelis continues. Pipo Derani uncorked the fastest lap of the race at 1:20 dead.
1:20.05. Kyle Kirkwood, with his injured hand, taped up with blue athletic tape, is still going for it. He had a huge, straight on contact with Kyle Kirkwood after trying to let David Malukas by and wallops the fence. Minimum drive time in DPi is five minutes and in GTD, 35 minutes. DPi cars slicing and dicing through GTD traffic as the battle rages between Alex Lynn and Tristan Vautier. GTD cars are going to be set to pit. #39 went all the way on one set of Michelin tires in this race last year. Frankie Montecalvo is in the #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 and sharing the car with Aaron Telitz.
Now, pit stop time for the #16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R. Jan Heylen sharing with Ryan Hardwick. Only 1/3rd of a fuel load into the car to get to the checkers as Madison Snow brings the #1 BMW in and Bryan Sellers takes over. Four tires and fuel as well. Two tires? No tires? Everyone will take on four tires and be on full fuel tanks to the end. Aaron Telitz has now taken over the #12 Lexus from Franlie Montecalvo. The #32 Korthoff Racing Mercedes pits. Stevan McAleer started and Mike Skeen is in the car.
He has been here at Detroit before in World Challenge competition in the past. GT Daytona race leader in the lane, grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, finishes his stint at his home track. Englishman Ross Gunn is in the car now. He will finish the race in the last hour. #27 does the overcut and the #17 Lexus ought to be doing the same thing before they hit the pit lane for serviuce as he runs wide through turn three does Kyle Kirkwood. He does keep it together. Now in the lane, the #10 Konica Minolta Acura and Filipe Albuquerque is now in the car replacing Ricky Taylor.
The DPi teams look like they might just need an extra pit stop before this race ends. Two left side tires for the #17 Vasser Sullivan Lexus. We are looking for Ross Gunn any moment now. There he is. Who gets the GTD lead? Who does the overcut right? It is the #17. Barnicoat will be vulnerable but he might just be able to scamper away from the Aston and he has. Through the concrete canyon they drive. Ben Barnicoat is not as familiar with this circuit. #10 and their team were not on fuel save. They were burning off their fuel to keep up with the leaders.
Albuquerque is pushing and we now wait to see when Sebastien Bourdais in the #01 Ganassi Cadillac will hit the lane. The #01 Cadillac continues to lead and we will see Renger van der Zande stepping into the car soon for his stint to close out today's race at Belle Isle. The #01 CAR HAS BEEN UNTOUCHABLE SO FAR AND THE #01 team are looking for their second straight win at Belle Isle. Kevin Magnussen has ended up back in F1 for Haas and has had three finishes in seven races. Magnussen was also supposed to be a part of the Peugeot Hypercar proejct. Now then, we have pit stops set for Bourdais as well as Blomqvist.
Sebastien Bourdais has led every lap of the race. Oliver Jarvis will take over the #60 Acura after Meyer Shank Racing's pit stop and here is the #02 Cadillac as well, in the lane, look. Earl Bamber will take over the wheel from Alex Lynn. Pipo Derania and Filipe Albuquerque are full rich and maximum power but each of them will have to stop one more time, perhaps. We are past the halfway mark into the second half of the motor race here in Detroit. Renger van der Zande has three wins here at Belle Isle. Pipo Derani has cycled to the lead while we watch Earl Bamber. Derani leads van der Zande now by ten some odd seconds or just about.
47 minutes left on the board. Kyle Kirkwood says it is tough to pass here at Belle Isle and the BMW is quicker than the Lexus but they cannot pass. Ben Barnicoat leads by nearly three seconds in GT Daytona over Ross Gunn and then Bryan Sellers. Kyle Kirkwood was relieved with his broken wrist, to have power steering in the GT Daytona Lexus. Sebastien Bourdais says his stint was not easy on qualifying tires. Renger van der Zande is second, 13 some odd seconds now behind Pipo Derani. Derani and company will have to make one final stop.
Kyle Kirkwood is icing his right hand and for good reason. Icing his wrist. Now then, the #31 Whelen Cadillac is making their last stop. Pipo Derani told to cut fast laps. Tim Keane, team manager's words, go for it. So, Pipo Derani will be flying. Renger van der Zande now leads. Can Derani catch van der Zande for the win? It looks like the Action Express Cadillac is coming alive in this race's second half. Cool to see the Hooligans Flight Team flying over Belle Isle. This place is so scenic and the weather is gorgeous today. Perfect for racing. Pipo Derani has just lopped two seconds off the deficit to race leader Renger van der Zande as we have 39 minutes to go.
Derani is chasing down Filipe Albuquerque in the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura. Derani is coming in a hurry. van der Zande leads Oliver Jarvis now by 1.4 seconds. Jarvis is closing up. Pipo Derani will now be chasing down Earl Bamber. In GT Daytona, Ross Gunn is 1.7 seconds in-arrrears of Ben Barnicoat. The two British GT aces will be chasing each other. To the lane, the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura. The #31 Whelen Cadillac of Pipo Derani will have track position and Derani is slicing into the rest of the DPi pack. Barnicoat and Gunn lead GTD with Bryan Sellers, Aaron Telitz, and Mike Skeen next in the serial.
This track is based on the 982-acre Belle Isle, 14 turns, 2.35 miles, and the first race was an IndyCar event in 1992, won by Bobby Rahal. The 2023 track map in downtown Detroit will be interesting. Now then, here's the race now. Pipo Derani is three seconds faster than both Renger van der Zande and Oliver Jarvis. Could the #60 be tight on gas and need a splash and a dash? Jarvis is right behind van der Zande and Pipo Derani could leapfrog the two leading boys. Derani good on fuel to the end with half an hour to go. Derani is 16 and a half seconds down and has a fast lap in the bag. Pipo Derani is feeling it. Tim Keane is coaching it as they are in it to win it.
AXR have not been to victory lane yet this year. 1:18.8! He is flying! AXR wants a win at Belle Isle. Derani is flying and has oodles of time. Manage the fine line between total commitment and perfection from corner to corner. In GT Daytona, Ben Barnicoat leads the motor race while Ross Gunn and Bryan Sellers are both slicing and dicing. They are going for it. Jan Heylen in the Porsche will be lapped. Barnicoat is getting stymied by the Wright Motorsports Porsche and here comes Bryan Sellers, too. This is hot action in GTD. Lexus vs. Aston Martin vs. BMW.
Ryan Eversley, sideways and over a jump for Rick Ware Racing in the #51 Rick Ware Racing Acura NSX GT3! Yikes! Eversley sharing that motorcar with Aussie driver Aidan Read. Renger van der Zande is still in the race lead as Earl Bamber is now chasing Oliver Jarvis and now just 7.4 seconds out is Pipo Derani. It is a four-car shootout for the victory. Three Cadillac's and an Acura. Pipo Derani has been very quick. Earl Bamber does not have to save as much fuel as the sister #01 of Renger van der Zande. Derani has cut the gap down to five seconds. Olivier Pla started the car after a one day test at Road Atlanta.
The strategy for Action Express has been called perfectly. Derani si flying. Bamber is on fuel save but what will we see from van der Zande and Jarvis? Alll by feel into turns four and five and here comes Derani. Just a wee bit over 20 minutes to go. Belle Isle is not the easiest track to pass on. Ten of the 12 DPi drivers will be at Le Mans. Earl Bamber will not be one of them. Derani is told to work through lap traffic and Bamber tried Oliver Jarvis, but no deice and Deranis is coming. Derani has to go now. Bamber commits into turn 12 and brushed the wall between Jarvis and Derani. Jarvis protected the middle of the road, hit the brakes, and poor old Bamber got caught. Pipo Derani and Earl Bamber scrapping like crazy and Derani has the preferred line and goes for it.
Ben Barnicoat in the Lexus is still holding off both Ross Gunn and Bryan Sellers. With 16 and a half minutes to go, van der Zande continues on in the lead. Oliver Jarvis is chasing him down and Pipo Derani will soon be in these boys' mirrors. van der Zande, Jarvis, Derani, 1-2-3. 13 minutes to go. Derani picked up some clag on his tires but is now back on the button. Derani is quicker than van der Zande and Derani has to push to get by Jarvis. Barnicoat leads Gunn in GTD by nearly two seconds. Bryan Sellers is fading a wee bit. As Jarvis and Derani wrestle, van der Zande is up by 1.6 seconds. Has Pipo Derani overloaded his tires?
Derani is now right on Jarvis' six. Derani reeling in Jarvis on maximum attack. He is getting impatient with Jarvis allowing van der Zande to scamper away. Derani has tucked Jarvis up like a kipper. Only five and a half minutes to go. #02 is pushing on as well. Jarvis saving fuel is under pressure and cannot get ti van der Zande. Bamber now pushing hard. Derani is pressing Jarvis. Bamber pushes Derani out of the way! Oh man! Race Control has the fracas between Pipo Derani and Earl Bamber under review. No action. Racing incident. Jarvis has a reprieve. White flag next time by. Dernai wants another shot at Earl Bamber. Bamber could have damage.
One lap to go for Renger van der Zande. Derani needs a run through turn two but can't quite get there. Derani wants the podium. Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande win it for the second time this year and in GT Daytona, Vasser Sullivan win it. Jarvis and Derani scrapped with each other, hard.
Overall/DPi; #01 van der Zande/Bourdais Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R
GT Daytona: #17 Barnicoat/Kirkwood Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3
So, that is a wrap from Belle Isle, from the final event at Belle Isle Park. Next time out, it is the third of four endurance races in the WeatherTech Championship, the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen at Watkins Glen International Raceway in upstate New York, a legendary circuit. We'll see you then and stay tuned for our Le Mans coverage next week. Bye bye now, from Belle Isle. It has been fun. Looking forward to next year and the downtown Detroit street course.
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