On paper, no one should need to pit in the dark as Marciello's lead grows to four seconds as we enter the last hour. Marciello resets fastest lap at 1:22.4. This time, a 1:22.8, matching Fuoco. 1:22.439 is the Crowdstrike fastest lap. The track is cooling down. In Pro-Am, Dominik Baumann leads over Robby Foley. Bill Auberlen has pitted and Dominik Baumann may do likewise. Richard Heistand had put Bimmerworld in the lead. Team boss James Clay says the team has done everything they needed to do and been consistent. Starting from pit lane is not what you want but they have overcome it or are still overcoming it.
A yellow would be a big problem for the #94 team. Bimmerworld have won the last two GT4 races at the Indianapolis 8 Hours and they are now in GT3. They could be defending race winners in two categories coming to the 2023 running of this race but they don't want a yellow. Only twice have we seen the safety car. Mike Stillwagon the safety car driver, racing in TC America powered by the Skip Barber Racing School. Does anyone have anything to throw at Raffaele Marciello? We shall see. Nick Wittmer putting a top ten run in as the lone Silver rated entry in the race. All of the BMW M4 GT3's have had strong runs today. You have Turner Motorsports, Bimmerworld, and ST Racing. Corey Lewis fourth in Pro-Am. Corey Lewis, Jeff Burton, and Jon Branam.
Nick Wittmer running eighth overall. Antonuo Fuoco closing on Raffaele Marciello. This race is still on. Watch the last half hour. The Mercedes could very well come alive. Rubber buildup, falling temperatures and so on. Thursday night practice was identical in conditions. Zelus Motorsports in the pit lane, leading the Am class. Zelus are trying to win in GT3. The sunset is on the pagoda, the pulon is lit up. It is going to be freezing cold tonight. Track temperature will plummet. The pavement will be stone cold even thouygh the tires are from the ovens. Jason Hsrward will finish the race, the team boss.
We saw Zelus really turn it on against Riley Motorsports/Crowdstrike at Sebring in GT America. Fuoco is stalking Marciello cutting his lead in half down to 2.2 seconds with 50 minutes remaining. Marciello led by four seconds and now Fuoco is closing in hard in the AF Corse Ferrari. 1:24.1 for Marciello and 1:23.3 for Fuoco in the Ferrari. Maybe the Ferrari camp went for a different setup. He has the GMG Porsche in the way and Miguel Molina now sixth overall in the sister car. Fuoco is so close to Marciello. This is amazing.
Lap times coming down with the temperatures. Fuoco inside of Klaus Bachler, fifth in Pro-Am and no traffic between the two leaders. Marciello 1:23.6 and Fuoco 1:23.9. It depends on where you catch traffic. Traffic giveth and traffic taketh away. Darkness is coming for the final half hour, so in just over 15 minutes. We had only one night practice session in the dark. You would assume you know you have your closing driver in the car with identical lighting conditions. Know your sight lines. Know where the curbs are. How much difficulty do you have cutting through traffic? Marciello answers the bell responding to Fuoco's lap time.
Tony Hulman bought this track in 1946 after WW. II. and this place was supposed to be demolished and turned into a subdivision having been dormant until 1946. Eddie Rickenbacker, the "Flying Ace" owned the track before Tony Hulman did. Rickenbacker knew Hulman. The washboard bumps on the road course, you can see them through the headlamps as we have under 45 minutes to go. Dani Juncadella says "this is what happens when you piss Marciello off." It is going to get really dark. The endurance lightd will help, the lights used at places like Bathurst and Spa.
Marciello drops the tires off to driver's left and now Fuoco is moving in. Fuoco is pushing like crazy. Marciello has recovered but the lead is chopped to 1.8 seconds. Marciello wide as Baumann hits the lane leading Pro-Am, the Austrian. Kenny Habul wants to clinch the Pro-Am points in IGTC but is inelligible for North American points. Bimmerworld wants to be the top Pro-Am team in their M4 GT3. They can't need a whole fuel load. Maybe it was time for fuel. Who knows. Marciello even with Fuoco on the previous lap. #45 is seventh and will be promoted to sixth spot. The #93 might still be five points up. If they drop down one spot it would be a six point swing.
40 minutes to go now. The sun sinks down below the horizon at the crossroads of America in Indianapolis. Marciello drops a wheel again. Fuoco is closing. Daniel Serra says that both drivers are pushing and they lose downforce trying to follow the Mercedes. Serra is not sure except to say that cooler weather will help the Ferrari and they want an advantage in traffic. The TV cameras pick up more light. It is much darker than it appears on TV or on your iPad. Bill Auberlen leads Pro-Am on the same lead as Dominik Baumann. Mario Farnbacher trying to stay in the championship lead with Jan heylen now seventh, but promoted to sixth.
If #93 drops one place they would lose the title to Wright Motorsports by one point. Any trouble for #93 could drop them out of the picture. Mercedes might clinch the title but there is one event to go in IGTC at the Gulf 12 Hours in December. Fuoco losing ground to Marciello getting trapped behind Jason Harward. Fuoco's lap was quicker. Momentum is everything as the sun is setting. Have the AF Corse team found the magic bullet? Regardless of outcome, both these teams started caboose on the grid and they have raced to the front and have been fixtures at the top of the shop.
The only other car with a shot was the #33 Winward Mercedes but they got stymied on pit timing behind the safety car buried in fourth place. The moon rising over Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Auberlen and Baumann are fighting for Pro-Am honors. Baumann has no points. Bill Auberlen can still earn the victory for Fanatec GT World Challenge as Baumann is in the Europe series full-time. We know Bill Auberlen will put his elbows out indeed. The Mercedes is carving the turns while Auberlen is fighting the BMW in places. Auberlen turns 54 years young next weekend and he still has the passion for being a sports car driver.
First and second separated by two and a half second overall and by 3/10ths of a second in Pro-Am as we are into the final half hour of the third running of this race. Raffaele Marciello now leads Antonio Fuoco by 2.7 seconds. SunEnergy1 won the Bathurst 12 Hours earlier in the year and wants a win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. BMW have shown fastest trap speeds. Half an hour to go. Figure out what race track your opponent wants and put your car there. The Mercedes has much fresher tires than does the BMW. The Mercedes has not rubbed the goody out of the tires entirely. Bill Auberlen won in the Formula Atlantic series and sent Bob Varsha a bottle of Dom Perrignon to celebrate his first win. Holy cow.
He has run over 500 races with BMW. A brand ambassador for them. Just like Scott Pruett, continues to excel with the young guys racing against him. We have only seen two safety car interventions today. We could see a distance record, 800 miles in eight hours. We shall see. 28 minutes to go 800 miles ad we are 27 and a half minutes from the end of the allotted time. This layout is 2.44 miles not using the loop instead of the chicane. Auberlen not losing time by taking a certain line on the road.
Baumann is doing all he can to figure it out and take Auberlen by surprise. He is keeping his powder dry. It is the witching hour. Sunset in Speedway, Indiana, the enclave of Indianapolis, the racing capitol of the world. The exhausts, the brake discs, glowing red. Sparks from the skid plate under the car. Marciello has an advantage. Fuoco is falling off, four seconds down. 4.1 seconds the gap to Fuoco as Robby Foley and Trner Motorsports are the top American team as Dominik Baumann and Bill Auberlen are really volleying fast laps back and forth.
It is Auberlen vs. Baumann with 20 minutes to go. It is difficult to not be in control of your own destiny going to the checkered flag for a title. The pressure is on and you have added responsibility. Drivers have to make compromises. Into the last 20 minutes of the race now. Baumann pitted more recently than did Auberlen. The shine has likely worn off the Pirelli P Zeros. Baumann is getting punchy. Baumann tries to distract the veteran driver, Auberlen. Take him by surprise make him think about it, get into his head.
Somewhere Teddy Yip is smiling seeing Theodore on the tribute livery for Craft Bamboo. Marciello's times are coming down. Can Fuoco close in on Marciello? Marciello leading by only 2.3 seconds with just over 15 minutes to go. Auberlen manaiging the gap and has not come a cropper across traffic. Marciello will be very alert to what Fuoco is doing and Marciello is catching Jan Heylen in the much delayed #45 Wright Motorsports Pro-Am Porsche. Marciello is overall champion in GTWC Europe accounting for Sprint and Endurance Cup.
Fuoco makes the move on Heylen and he can run down Marciello but time is of the essence. Competitive racing at night at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway/ Marciello laps past Nick Wittmer in the #38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3. Fuoco now in traffic behind Marciello. Racing is brutal on a driver. Some folks think driving a race car is like driving a race car is much like taking your road car on errands. No way. The racing legend David Hobbs used to make that point. So much heat distributed in one of these GT3 cars especially the front engined cars like the Mercedes and the BMW. The cornering produces a lot of G force.
Power steering helps. They are pushing the cars to the limit. Fuoco caught traffic in an advantageous spot. The gap was down to 1.2 seconds. 1:24.1 for Marciello and 1:24.3 to Fuoco with ten minutes to go. That is nothing though. Marciello has to push and here comes lapped traffic before we are done and dusted. Maricello leads Fuoco and there is nothing in it. These pictures of downtown Indianapolis and the speedway, it is amazing. Cars running at night at speed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fuoco has to get closer to Marciello. Traffic could play a part.
Marciello has traffic and he is thinking, "why now?!" Fuoco closing in and fast. Another Mercedes off the road, Valentin Pierburg, getting back on track. Fuoco is coming and fast. Fuoco the shark, Marciello the minnow. Don't let the car ahead drive your car. Fuoco is closing. Auberlen and Baumann have their own battle in Pro-Am. Traffic will be ahead. Seal the deal. Move away from your opponent. The Pro-Am boys are un their own scrap.
High beams on. Auberlen emrboiled in a duel with Baumann for 25 minutes. Just over five minutes left. High drama at The Brickyard in the darkness. Less than five minutes to go in the Indianapolis 8 Hours. Fuoco chasing Marciello and now, Auberlen has pulled a gap over Baumann. Fuoco brakes fast and is closing on Marciello. He tucks it inside of Buamann and Baumann chops Fuoco in the corner! No dice. Fuoco dives to the inside and stays in it. Mercedes gamesmanship for sure. The red mist hath descended. Bill Auberlen being told he has a solid lead and the overall leader has to push. Let the overall leader go.
The skidplates grinding and sparking on the pavement under these GT3 cars. Two laps or so to go at Indianapolis. Marciello should get a run on Auberlen. Jason Harward wisely pulls over. Now Fuoco is right on Marciello's six. Here he comes down Hulman Boulevard. Marciello fends him off. Auberlen off line. One lap to go. White flag this time around. One lap to go. Auberlen in front of the pack. What does Marciello do? This is the braking zone. Fuoco probing and looking all over. Fuoco loses up. Marciello balked. Fuoco has to send it now. Marciello runs wide.
Marciello will score and win this race! Craft Bamboo Mercedes win the Indianapolis 8 Hours! Wow! That was a motor race ladies and gentlemen! The fireworkjs explode in the sky. Bill Auberlen holds on for Pro-Am honors. Mario Farnbacher, Ashton Harrison and company win the Pro-Am title! What a motor race! Fuoco gave it everything. He will be gutted. For Marciello, he has kept his promise. What a drive. A triple stint to the max!
Overall/Pro: #77 Morad/Marciello/Juncadella Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes AMG GT3
Pro Am: #94 Hull/Heistand/Auberlen BimmerWorld Racing BMW M4 GT3
Silver Cup: #1 Tan/Wittmer/Gottsacker ST Racing BMW M4 GT3*
Am: #88 Harward/Daskalos/Lucas Zelus Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3
*ST Racing is the only Silver rated entry.
Final margin of victory 8/10ths of a second. Somewhere, Teddy Yip is really smiling! Marciello says he is just lucky. He said he would pull it off and he did. Ctaft Bamboo have put their money where their mouth is. The pagoda lit up and a full moon is overhead. Pro Am goes to Bimmerworld. Silver Cup to ST Racing, Samantha Tan, Nick Wittmer, and Harry Gottsacker. Am winners, Zelus Motorsports does it. Jason Harward sharing victory with Jason Daskalos and Seth Lucas. Usually, it is the Jason and Jason show in GT America. But today, the Jason and Jason show win together in the Am class.
Thanks to the safety workers, the corner workers and so forth. Without you, we could not race. There would be no motorsports at all. The parade of safety vehicles around the track concludes the day here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Antonio Fuoco has given us a great show. He shook hands with Raffaele Marciello. Their best was not enough. It was a fair, respectful battle. AF Corse did everything. 800 miles of racing. 328 laps. Another historic race for the most historic race track in the world. 16 nations represented, and two amazing duels to the end of the race.
Craft Bamboo and Mercedes-AMG prevail in the third annual Indianapolis 8 Hours. Fanatec GT World Challenge America is done and dusted. IGTC next heads to the Gulf 12 Hours in December to conclude their series. Join us there. What a great finish we have just seen. Rathmann, Ward... Unser Jr. and Goodyear... Mears and Johncock... Hornish Jr. and Andretti... Marciello and Fuoco can be added to that list. We had top notch teams like Turner Motorsports and Winward Racing competing against the best in Europe and the world. GT3 is on a stable footing as we conclude the American championship.
The twisty stuff on the road course is great. Only a couple yellows and a fast pace. 328 laps and 800 miles on the button. Bathurst is great. Spa is a great race. The Gulf 12 Hours will be great. But don't miss the Indianapolis 8 Hours. What a motor race! Ashton Harrison, and Mario Farnbacher are champions now in Pro-Am. Christina Nielsen, only in her second race of 2022, a two-time GT3 champion, and she did her job in spite of it only being her second race of the year. Andrea Caldarelli had a brutal day, and so did K-PAX. Caldarelli is now a two-time driver's champions. Charlie Scardina and Onofrio Triarsi are Am class champions. Here comes the podium. With one round to spare, Mercedes are the manufacturer's champions in IGTC.
Based on provisional results. Mario Farnbacher and Ashton Harrison are Pro-Am champions. The overall podium is now presented with Turner Motorsports, AF Corse, and Craft Bamboo. Unofficially, 48 degrees ambient temperature in Indianapolis. Tall drivers on the podium tonight. You could start a basketball team! Andrea Caldarelli does clinch the title. K-PAX 1-4 in driver points. Cue the dance music. Marciello at 1:22.439, on full fuel tanks, fastest lap of the motor race. Jules Gounon and Winward thinking of what might have been. He is a track record holder at IMS.
History made at Indianapolis! It has gone quiet at 16th and Georgetown. Fanatec GT World Challenge America 2022 is complete. Thanks for joining us. See you in Abu Dhabi for the Gulf 12 Hours. Congratulations to Craft Bamboo Racing. So long, everyone. Good evening
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