Calado is going to stay on track for one more lap headed down to La Source. He leads over Nick Yelloly and is on his in lap on lap 351. Nick Yelloly will assume the lead with Raffaele Marciello 5.7 seconds behind. Jota are having a solid run. So, the top ten is set for now. 50 of the 66 cars still running. The top ten is Calado, Yelloly, Marciello, Engel, Harper, Laurens Vanthoor, Bell, Jaminet, Gotz, and Sorensen. Von Ryan McLaren won a championship in GTWC Eurppe but they have not succeeded, has McLaren in a 24 Hours of Spa yet. Calado will hit the lane now and Yelloly will take the lead of the motor race for BMW.
So we will see the order shuffle around once more. Nick Yelloly ahead in real terms and has done 18 pit stops compared to 16-17 for the other leaders. James Calado stays put in the Ferrari but takes a longer stop for fuel and tires. #51 will drop down the order. Frederic Vervisch is in the #46 WRT Audi. Valentino Rossi says he enjoys the 24 Hours of Spa and getting the experience. He has been sleeping but finds it hard to wake up. Rossi was not sure he wanted to get into the car but might do something later. We have just gone past 9AM and now we hear from David Addison and Ben Constanduros who has been doing eSports and sim racing coverage at the race this weekend for the most part.
Nick Yelloly going through traffic as Marco Sorensen is being caught by the leader, Nick Yelloly and Daniel Serra has gone a lap down. So many Full Course Yellows and safety car scrambles through this race. Catch the crocodile at the end of the safety car intervention, but that is easier said than done. The race has had Full Course Yellows peppered throughout that have thrown a number of curveballs. It all might come out in the wash, especially for BMW. Alessio Picariello leads Pro-Am. Raffaele Marciello is next up. Dan Harper is 11th overall, and he is targeting Mikael Grenier in the Mercedes that was driven before by Maro Engel. Yelloly and Marciello both running laps in the 2:21 range.
Dominik Baumann is 35th overall, fourth in Pro-Am. Dean MacDoanld second in Pro-Am in the #188 Garage 59 Aston Martin. Sven Mueller is in the lane with a vibration in the #100 Toksport WRT Porsche. Louis Machiels now third in Pro-Am. No little marbles coming off the tires these days, instead, giant chunks that are softball size globs if they get out of control. Michelle Gatting leads the Gold Cup right now. The second Gold entry is the #34 Walkenhorst Motorsports BMW and now, Brendon Iribe moves ahead but has a bit of damage on the rear end of the McLaren. Those guys at Inception Racing are so busy either in GT3 or in GTE in FIA World Endurance.
Michael Dinan now in the #34 Walkenhorst BMW M4 GT3 in Gold Cup. They won overall here a few years ago. That is an Andy Blackmore designed scheme, partnering with Turner Motorsports who race in the United States in IMSA and in SRO, both. Dinan is a tad quicker than Michelle Gatting. 21 retirements as the Barwell Motorsports entry is out of the race. Ahmad Al Harthy and company, game over. Alain Valente in the #4 Mercedes is out. 44 cars. 22 have met the market of doom. Ross Gunn and TF Sport are trying to keep The Heart of Racing Aston in the field. A notional gain of two places as Nick Yelloly has two laps before he needs to pit again.
#98 and #88 as well as #38 might all be in the lane on the same lap. BMW, Mercedes, and McLaren. Nick Yelloly leading while other cars are in the same fight. With a single GT3 category, there is a long train of cars even with different drivers and classes. Ricardo Feller is back at the wheel of the #66 Audi Sport Team Attempto Audi R8. He is a frontrunner in DTM which also runs GT3 cars and he came out of Formula 4 open wheel cars. Feller chasing after Alessio Picariello in the Pro-Am leading Porsche for overall positions with seven and a half hours to go and 363 laps on the board.
The gap is now 1.6 seconds. Yelloly has not yet cleared the Aston Martin as he is due to hit the pit lane. Sorensen cutting 2:20 laps. The gap is growing, 8.3 seconds to Raffaele Marciello. Yelloly and Marciello both in the lane. Brand new Pirelli P Zero sticker tires. Some cars have the tear off's but a lot of times the pit crews just wipe down the windscreens. It was scorching hot yesterday but today it is cool. Laurens Vanthoor, halfway through his stint takes over the lead of the motor race. The gap was 8.2 seconds and we'll see where it is now as Rob Bell hits the lane.
Maxi Gotz and Marco Sorensen are the next cars to come in after being 3/4 of the way through their stints. Marciello stuck in traffic. Laurens Vanthoor retakes the lead of the motor race after 16 and a half hours. Last year, Laurens Vanthoor barely raced because he hurt himself on a quad bike hurting his back. Laurens Vanthoor has had some bad luck in 24-hour races earlier this year especially at Daytona and at the Nurburgring as well as at Le Mans I believe. KCMG from the far east and they are now in the European sports car racing scene.
Top speeds through Raidillon see 247 kilometers an hour for Ollie Milroy in the McLaren followed by 246 for Maxime Robin, and a tie at 245 for Laurens Vanthoor, Antonio Fuoco, and Casper Stevenson. We have seen far few incidents through Eau Rouge and Raidillon. The new asphalt here is really grippy. We are still at the same distance of 7+ kilometers on this circuit. Of course, it was all done due to flooding and putting the gravel traps in. There are new buildings and everything else plus that incredible new grandstand.
Eau Rouge is pretty much Harry Flatters for everyone if you are brave enough. Eddie Cheever III. is at the wheel of the #93 Sky Tempesta Racing Mercedes in 30th spot I believe. 368 laps now complete. Drama for the #35 Walkenhorst BMW M4 GT3 of Hentry Walkenhorst, Theo Overhaus, Don Yount, and Jorg Breuer. Henry Walkenborst driving, and he got pinched by Laurens Vanthoor and those tires are completely trashed. Nick Yelloly in third on the road catching up to Matthieu Jaminet. Augusto Farfus should be taking over that car for the next stint.
Speaker's Corner, that is named because of being the one spot where commentators could see, with an old commentary box and of course it is now Jacky Ickx corner. Rowe Racing won this race in 2020 and have won the Nurburgring 24 Hours in a BMW M6 GT3. The Porsche drivers are having to look after their tires while other cars and teams do not have to worry so much about their tires being worn down. The Audi has pace as Maximilian Gotz is trying to pass Ricardo Feller. The track is becoming very dirty indeed. THe racing line is only getting dirtier.
Jaminet and Yelloly are scrapping coming to La Source. He pulls out and tries but it won't work this time. The drivers are pushing flat out but still planning decisive moves. Can Raffaele Marciello make inroads on both of these guys? Maxi Gotz is pushing and Marco Sorensen too, as they are ready to hit the pit lane for service in a lap or so. Michelle Gatting pits the Iron Dames Ferrari to the lane from the Gold Cup lead. Michelle Gatting out and Doriane Pin into the car. Sara Bovy is taller and Doriane Pin is a foot or so shorter. Yelloly is committed to getting past Matthieu Jaminet and Raffaele Marciello is steaming right along behind both of them.
Marciello is pushing like crazy. Nick Yelloly over the curbs and no dice as the #6 K-PAX Lamborghini is still in the race, 12th overall, and a lap down on the race leaders and they just cannot get their lap back. Marco Sorensen in the pit lane on lap 371. Yelloly has clrared the Porsche for third spot. Aggressively into Les Combes, Yelloly is ahead but he has some dirt on the tires through Brussels corner. Yelloly moving ahead into Pouhon on fresher tires. Michelle Gatting from Denmark said her stint was tough because of some dud tires.
She accrued another five second penalty for track limits. Laurens Vanthoor leading on the road but has a pit stop in his future. One more lap to go before he finishes his stint as Fred Vervisch runs off the road in the Audi on the inside and committed to a different line and then the Ferrari gets forced off the road, either #21 or #52. Could not tell which one. More issues for the #46 Audi which runs 16th in the overall and could drop down further if they pick up a penalty. Vanthoor lapping in the 2:20 range and Yelloly in the 2:21 range as Jaminet is in the lane. Vanthoor on his own. No traffic but his lap time is falling and the car will have new boots and a driver change.
Mercedes and BMW are both running superior lap times compared to the porsche who is in clear sailing. Look after the tires, Vanthoor is being told. Well, welll, well. Vanthoor in the lane now 375 laps completed.
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