The IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship makes their annual visit, north of the border, to Canada, and to Mosport Park (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park), on this Sunday morning, for the running of the Chevrolet Grand Prix. Yet another sprint event, we have 2 hours and 40 minutes of sports car racing coming your way. Grab a sandwich and a cold beverage and enjoy this motor race. Plus, we have bonus coverage coming up later, of race two for the VP SportsCar Challenge. So, stay tuned for that. I wanted to make it work this morning, but technical difficulties happened. So, we will have bonus content and coverage after the big race is complete.
So, the GTP cars race north of the border in Canada for the first time. Legendary race tracks demand precision, commitment, and determination. Porsche, Cadillac, Acura, and BMW are ready for another GTP event. We have the GTP, LMP3, GTD Pro and GTD classes. Brian Till and Calvin Fish will bring us the coverage today. Let's hope the showers we saw yesterday will not reappear today. The cars roll off from the starting grid on pit lane and we are getting ready to race. BMW became the fifth different winner and the fourth different brand. Action Express now lead the points chase by 64 points going into today. Can our team win a second event of the year today? We'll find out.
At Penske Porsche, their bosy will be doing all they can to move up. Editorial note, we hope to keep them behind. In the GTD class, a year ago, the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus was sixth. They have won four races and had nine podiums since then. They look today to go for their tenth podim. Roman De Angelis, at his home race with friends and family watching, also wants to win. Nine GTP, six LMP3, five GTD Pro cars, and 14 GTD cars. Working the pace lap. The keys to winning at CTMP, be brave, out lap performance on cold tires. Respect the boundaries. Track limits are the grass and the walls.
Prototypes take off first and then all the GT Daytona cars. Safety car lights off. Green flag. We're underway racing at Mosport! Boloqmvust tajes the lead from Taylor. Sebastien Bourdais moves ahead of Pipo Derani. Ricky Taylor in second spot. Big jump by the Lexus boys in GTD Pro. Acura, Acura, Cadillac, Cadillac, Porsche, the top five. Get the tires hot and keep them clean. Single file in GTP so far. How brave will you be? How much risk will you take? Blomqvist is going for it, the Rolex 24 winners which had the win taken away post race.
Pit stop time early doors for the #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus. A penalty. Lance Willsey spins at Moss corner, turn five, and he keeps going. Jules Gounon chasing down Jack Hawksworth and having to deal with an LMP3 car and here comes Alex Riberas in the Heart of Racing Aston Martin! Holy smokes! Roman De Angelis leading the GT Daytona class alongside Marco Sorensen. They want points in the second half of the year. Lance Willsey spun in the diving turn at turn four. If you get it wrong, it is bumpy and you'll lose control of the car.
Jordan Taylor, meanwhile, picking up the draft on Roman De Angelis through turn eight, but that was not for position. Tom Blomqvist leads early doors in the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 GTP sharing the car with Colin Braun. The GTP battle is on. Sebastien Bourdais, Pipo Drrani, and Felipe Nasr, moving into the GT Daytona traffic. Cadillac Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing vs. Action Express Racing. The Korthoff Mercedes AMG GT3 of Mikael Grenier is pushing to try and stay on the lead lap. Pipo Derani was told to be patient. Felipe Nasr right on the tail of the Cadillac's. Augusto Farfus in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8. Farfus is being challenged by the sister #6 Porsche 963.
Corvette Racing also running well. Mosport is a physical and mental challenge, both. Corvette did not have qualifying pace, but Jordan Taylor says that they have confidence. Tom Blomqvist in the #60 MSR Acura, they have to risk it for race victories. They want to capitalize on a chance to win. Blomqvist, Ricky Taylor, Sebastien Bourdais, Pipo Derani, and Felipe Nasr. The Acura's are really beginning to pull away from the Cadillac's, Porsche's, and BMW's currently. Roman De Angelis is on defense trying to move in on the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 of Madison Snow sharing with Bryan Sellers this afternoon.
We have a long way to go yet. Snow almost chops the nose off De Angelis' Aston Martin. I'm not giving it to you, buster. You have to fight for it. Hard but clean, fair racing. That is what we want in IMSA racing. Meanwhile, Klaus Bachler in GTD Pro is chasing Jordan Taylor in GTD Pro. Jordan Taylor has massive snap oversteer through turn 5, Moss corner. Snap oversteer really for Roman De Angelis in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin sharing alongside Marco Sorensen. We have a ton more racing to come. So, stay with us.
BMW headed for the pit lane, the #25 M Hybrid V8. The fans are diehards and knowledgeable about the sport. Massive contact between BMW and Porsche! Nick Yelloly in the lane, after Matthieu Jaminet tags Augusto Farfus in the sister car. Oy yoy yoy yoy. What will the stewards say about the #6? Fuel only for BMW #25 and they need track position after their Watkins Glen victory. The BMW boys want to stay on the lead lap. Jordan Taylor in the meantime, monstering Jules Gounon for P3 in GTD Pro! Gounon gets stymied, as Ricky Taylor in the Acura goes by and his brother Jordan Taylor at the controls of the Corvette C8.R #3.
Lots of argy bargy early doors. More GTD traffic for the GTP cars as we see Sebastien Bourdais getting balked and you know Pipo Derani wants it. The speed differential is bananas between the GTD and GTP cars. The hybrid power makes the GTP cars rockets. Felipe Nasr is now on the scene in the #7 Porsche! Oh boy! Bourdais seems to be eking a gap over Derani and Nasr. The energy replenishment for fuel is all about stint length, fuel, and electric power. Acura at the top of the shop over Cadillac and Porsche with just 43 minutes of racing on the board.
Blomqvist continuing to lead the motor race, scything through GTD traffic as Ricky Taylor follows. They have a 14 second lead over the other GTP cars, the Cadillac's, Porsche's, and BMW's. Taylor wants to leapfrog Blomqvist. You know that is the case. Acura will be tough to beat. By design, Blomqvist and co-driver Colin Braun will be pushing. For the #10, Ricky Taylor will hand off to Filipe Albuquerque. They are backing down their pace a wee bit to save fuel. At Vasser Sullivan Lexus, something did not work out with the moto on the #12 of Frankie Montecalvo and Aaron Telitz. Vasser Sullivan put all hands on deck to change the 5-liter V8 motor for a new one.
Montecalvo closing in on the #91 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 911 GT3R with Alan Metni at the wheel of it, sharing with Kay van Berlo. Jack Hawksworth in the #14 sister Lexus leads GTD Pro. Alex Riberas second in class in the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin sharing with Ross Gunn. Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers are the GTD championship leaders and are leaders in class over Roman De Angelis, Mikael Grenier, Patrick Gallagher, and Russell Ward. Klaus Bachler is driving Mosport for the first time.
Bachler sharing the local team Pfaff Motorsport's car with Patrick Pilet. Felipe Nasr still chasing down Pipo Derani in GTP. Bourdais third, Taylor second, and Blomqvist leading by 2.7 seconds. Gar Robinson has a sixteen second ead in LMP3. It is a runaway train down to Moss corner in the first sector of the circuit. This place has tons of blind turns. It is unreal and there is trouble for the #33 LMP3 car, the Sean Creech Motorsports entry in the hands of Lance Willsey and Bachler has a big clonk pushing Willsey out of the way sharing with Joao Barbosa.
Jordan Taylor in the lane for service, for fuel, tires, and a driver change over to Antonio Garcia. So, "The King of Spain" is going to do his stint right now. Garcia down and away. Blomqvist continues on his merry way in the lead of the motor race. The GTD Pro cars are majing their early pit stops with 45 minutes minimum drive time for the opening stint before driver changes. Madison Snow still being hounded by Roman De Angelis who is now more balanced in the handling. Pit stop time now for De Angelis. They are probably going to have him do a double stint. He knows this track like the back of his hand. Marco Sorensen will take over the car on the second pit stop of the day.
New tires and fuel in the tank. Okie dokie then. GTP and GTD Pro teams have a ten minute minimum drive time. Jordan Taylor did the undercut to get Antonio Garcia into the car and have leapfrogged Jules Gounon and Ross Gunn. In the meantime, Antonio Garcia is being held up by the #12 Lexus RC F GT3 which has I think Frankie Montecalvo at the controls. At the end of the out lap on cold tires, they are fully warm and then you are ready to push.
Gar Robinson leading LMP3 in the #74 Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320 Nissan ahead of the #13 AWA car of Orey Fidani, also in his home race, the Canadian. Robinson sharing with Brazilian Felipe Fraga, and Fidani sharing with Britain's Matt Bell. Riley moving to LMP2 in 2024. Pipo Derani slices past Sebastien Bourdai and now Ricky Taylor wants by Tom Blomqvist. Cadillac on Cadillac, Acura on Acura. Internecine battles between the GTP brands. Pit stop time for the #1 race leading GT Daytona Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3. Madison Snow out, and Bryan Sellers in.
Roman De Angelis slices past Sellers on cold tires. So, this is the undercut by the #27. In the lane, too, the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 with Patrick Gallagher handing off to Robby Foley. Now, Brendon Iribe brings the #70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 handing off to Fredrik Schandorff. What a mess in traffic between Felip Nasr, Matthieu Jaminet, and Sebastien Bourdais. The GTD cars are right on the limit and cannot get out f the way of the GTP boys. I would rather drive a GTP car to be honest, specifically, a red Cadillac. Matthieu Jaminet now trying to pass Sebastien Bourdais.
The #5 JDC Miller Motorsports Porsche 963 in the lane. Mike Rockenfeller handing the car over to Tijmen van der Helm, the Dutchman. You know that Matthieu Jaminet wants to pass Sebastien Bourdais. This is a battle of the Frenchmen, the factory drivers for Cadillac/General Motors, and Porsche AG. Pit stop time now in the #10 Wayne Taylor Acura camp, a driver change as Filipe Albuquerque takes over from Ricky Taylor. Ditto for the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura and Tom Blomqvist brings the car in to hand over to Colin Braun.
Derani second, Nasr third. Blomqvist in the lane and Braun will need a good stop to get back on track in the lead of the motor race. Down and away. Was there wheelspin during the stop? I don't think so. Braun on his outlap. Pipo Derani goes to the lead. Nick Yelloly has a head of steam and makes his move on Colin Braun still on cold tires. Filipe Albuquerque in attack mode, too, look. BMW #24 in the lane and we should also see the #6 Porsche come in too. Over the last week, the #24 BMW was totally rebuilt after the Watkins Glen crash and took the car to the Dallara factory to have it rebuilt.
Porache #6 in the lane and now, Nick Tandy will take over from Matthieu Jaminet. If you get off strategy it will bite you. Colin Braun is now reeling in Yelloly and Pipo Derani si now in the pit lane for service. Driver change to Alexander Sims. AXR leading in the points currently. Meanwhile, Klaus Bachler will hand off to Patrick Pilet in the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R. This is GTD Pro of course. Cadillac #01 also in the lane and will see Bourdais hand off to Renger van der Zande. This team are the defending Mosport champions.
We have been racing for an hour if you can believe it. Penske Porsche 963 #7 in for a stop. Felipe Nasr handing off to Matt Campbell. Positions at the top of the shop in GTP chopping and changing all the time. Porsche seem comfortable. Comfortable not always fast. Every class represented on track. GTP, LMP3, and the two GTD classes. Philipp Eng won his third 24 Hours of Spa a week ago. He is a BMW factory driver. Eng is really pushing after taking over from Augusto Farfus, his Brazilian co-driver. The sister BMW is in the lane, the #25. They are going off strategy with Nick Yelloly for a top up on the fuel tank and fresh tires, and a driver change to Connor De Philippi.
Colin Braun working through the LMP3 and GTD Pro traffic. Blomqvist tell us that with traffic density here at Mosport, it is tricky. There aren't as many cars this weekend which makes it a tad easier, but the high speed corners and class deltas can cause you as a driver to lose the lap time. The idea for the #60 is to cover off the rival #10 Acura. The undercut, you are pitting a lap or two earlier than your competition, having to built tire temperature in traffic. The overcut is staying out longer before hitting the pit lane to go for a clean in lap. The devil in the detail is the performance of the tires, lasting longer and being more durable.
Patience is a vritue. Colin Braun trying to pass Phillipp Eng and he is fighting tooth and nail to gain a lap back. Down throughh turn four into Moss corner and thankfully discretion was the better part of valor and Braun is balked again and Albuquerque is going to go for it. Colin Braun is being held up by the BMW and Albuquerque will grab onto Braun's coattails and won't let go. Braun, Albuquerque, Campbell, Sims, Tandy. Acura, Acura, Porsche, Cadillac, Porsche. The BMW chops Albuquerque's nose off! That is scary business, almost getting squeezed onto the grass! Albquerque sends it around Eng.
Don't get frustrated. Keep going. Forget it. Focus forward. Alexander Sims catching Matt Campbell for third place. Nick Tandy in fifth losing ground. In the meantime, Bryan Sellers has passed Roman De Angelis in GTD. In GTD Pro, Jules Gounon who is actually third in class, and now, Colin Braun is slicing and dicing through the traffic. Drivers at the end of this race will be mentally exhausted and need a good nap this afternoon. Albuquerque has a run on the LMP3 and GTD car. There is nowhere to go between Felipe Fraga, and now there's a huge crash! That is the #23 Heart of Racing Aston in the fence! Ross Gunn has clouted the barriers in turn eight! Full Course Yellow. We are under Full Course Yellow!
That was a massive accident! The safety team is working with him. He was in a battle with Jules Gounon who tags gun, he spears off the road to driver's left, and... ker-runch! Ugh! Gounon did not have anything to do, really, with that shemozzle. Mosport is a risk vs. reward circuit which produces a lower peak speed but has the highest average lap speed of 137 miles per hour plus. The new hybrid IMSA GTP cars with the hybrid unit and battery, the cars are heavier but have more power than the previous generation Daytona Prototype International cars. Sir Stirling Moss won the first race here and Mosport has hosted not just sports cars but NASCAR, Formula 1, and IndyCar.
We have seen pit stops for the Acura's and of course Filipe Albuquerque just took over the #10 Acura, and the one that just happened, there was no driver change. #31 and #10 probably short filled and leapfrogged the #60. BMW M Hybrid #24 serviced and sent and there could be rocks falling out from under the car and he got caught out behind the safety vehicles through the gravel trap at Moss corner! Yikes! That was close! Eng was hustling around to rejoin the crocodile to stay on the lead lap. Katherine Legge, Aaron Telitz, Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy, and Phillip Ellis are the drivers to move up the most places in this race so far as we are past halfway and getting close to an hour of racing to go.
Green flag! Filipe Albuquerque being chased by Alexander Sims. These GTP cars are squirming around on cold tires. These restarts are amazingly bonkers and now, Patrick Pilet has passed by Ben Barnicoat. Porsche 911 GT3R on Lexus RC F GT3. Barnicoat sends it and they both go off the road! Egad! Antonio Garcia says "thanks, boys" and steps through the open door as the dinosaur GTD Porsche, "Rexy" was also right there. Penalties called, drive through penalties for unjustifiable risk for Phillipp Eng in the BMW and for the WeatherTech Mercedes of Jules Gounon.
Lexus #14 is in trouble. They have opened the bonnett with grassaL and debris in the grill, and the car is smoking badly out the front end. They may have to take the car back to the garage. The car is being pushed away to the paddock. #9 leapt around the #14. Game over for Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth. Radiator damage it looks like. Nine consecutive podiums. Game over. Fred Schandorff and Mike Skeen, scrapping for GTD honors. Marco Sorensen got freight trained! Katherine Legge leads the class in the #66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 sharing with Sheena Monk.
This traffic is madness. Patrick Pilet in second having to carve his way through traffic. The smoke we saw from Lexus #14, some of it had to be coming out of Ben Barnicoat's ears! Alexander Sims chasing Filipe Albuquerque. The two leaders have dropped Colin Braun but he is slicing his way forward as well. Bryan Sellers chasing Katherine Legge in GTD. Matt Campbell seems to be reeling in Colin Braun. Nick Tandy being chased by Renger van der Zande. Phillip Ellis really pushing the #57 Winward Mercedes as the #66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 pits to get to the finish. They need yellows.
Less than an hour to go. Filipe Albuquerque being chased by Alexander Sims. Wayne Taylor Racing Acura vs. Action Express Cadillac. Whoops! An LMP3 car has spun off the road. Under Full Course Yellow which will put the cat among the pigeons. This might hurt the #60 Meyer Shank Acura who have chosen to stay on track. The #31 Whelen car may have missed the opportunity to pit. The #10 Acura pitted as well. The #4 LMP3 car of George Staikos spun and stalled in the middle of the race track. Staikos sharing the Ave Motorsports Ligier JS P320 Nissan with Antoine Comeau.
It is sadly true. Human error, as the #31 Whelen Cadillac has driven through a closed pit lane. But Alexander Sims remains third. Braun, Campbell, Sims, Tandy, van der Zande. They did the drive through penalty. Now then, Filipe Albuquerque should have an advantage over everyone else with 45 minutes to go. Albuquerque vs. Tandy in a game of chicken! Wow! This is attack mode for Albuquerque! Holy mackerel! Connor De Philippi in seventh place right now, having to push the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8.
Patrick Pilet second in GTD Pro behind Antonio Garcia. Pfaff Motorsports wants the win at their home track and now he is applying the blowtorch to Garcia! Look at this! Look at this! A love tap down the hill. Man oh man! I think the Corvette has slightly better acceleration. The #9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche won this race last year at home, and won at the 12 Hours of Sebring earlier in the year. Over 600 employees and guests are here for the team cheering them on. Bryan Sellers continues to lead GT Daytona but is being reeled in hand over fist by Phillip Ellis in the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 running IMSA, DTM, and SRO I believe.
Pit stop time for the #6 Penske Porsche 963. Serviced and sent. The Dominos falling in GTP as the #12 Lexus and #96 BMW both spin. Robby Foley is dead in the water. This could catch out the #60 MSR Acura who might have to do a splash and a dash. The #96 BMW is stuck and unable to move. The left front suspension is busted. Oy yoy yoy yoy! The #12 Lexus also involved ad somehow or other the marshals are going to leave him sitting there. He isn't moving. They will have to go Full Course Yellow on this one and we do. This will burn the #60.
A prototype tags the #12 Lexus RC F GT3 and Robby Foley tried taking evasive action, and... smash! He clobbers the barriers. We have now seen Penske Porsche pit both cars and the #31 Action Express Whelen Cadillac. Mike Shank, owner of Meyer Shank Racing, says all they want or have to do is go for a race victory. Less than half an hour to go. #60 has track position, needs fuel, and the #10 Acura is fueled up. The longer the yellow goes on you get a 2:1 fuel save ratio. This is going to be squeaky, squeaky if there is a yellow before the race ends.
Safety car lights out. 24 minutes to go. Yellows breed yellows. Acura's 1-2. Green flag! Punch it! Connor De Philippi in third place and now, Alexander Sims is challenging Matty Campbell and Matthieu Jaminet. Campbell also all over the back of Tijmen van der Helm in the #5 JDC Miller Motorsports customer Porsche 963. Mosport is incredibly bumpy, like driving at 130 miles an hour down a dirt road. Philip Ellis has a cut down left rear tire on the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes! Yikes!
The Penske Porsche #6 of Nick Tandy is suffering from understeer as Matty Campbell is chasing Tijmen van der Helm. 20 minutes to go and Colin Braun can save fuel. De Philippi is chasing down Albuquerque. Matty Campbell wants by Tijmen van der Helm. The Porsche's are good to go on energy. But the BMW's are not. They might have to do a splash and a dash. van der Helm has little experience in a big-time prototype. His co-driver Mike Rockenfeller says that Tijmen van der Helm at 19 years old, is really going for it and doing a good job. 16 minutes left in the motor race.
Katherine Legge has prototypes on either side and they had a brake caliper issue earlier in the day. This is nonstop action as time is now of the essence. Renger van der Zande, last year's winner, ninth in GTP. Colin Braun leads Filipe Albuquerque by about three seconds. 12 minutes to go. At BMW, Nick Yelloly says we've seen it all and it is pretty wild. You never know what will happen with lapped cars and so on. BMW have not been on the same pace especially of the Acura's but the team strategists are doing a good job. A big win for BMW in the 24 Hours of Spa with all GT3 cars.
Fredrik Schandorff second in GT Daytona just eight tenths of a second behind Bryan Sellers in the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW. With one, solitary car, you are on your own as far as gaining data and so forth and Inception Racing is like that with the McLaren 720S GT3 and the #66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3. Team manager Bas Leinders has put together multiple efforts around the globe at McLaren for this team. Neither Brendon Iribe nor Fredrik Schandorff has raced here at Mosport until this weekend and British driver Ollie Milroy who drives with the team in the enduros has never been to race here in Canada either.
Schandorff though, up on the wheel, closing in on Sellers hand over fist. Corvette #3 of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor leads GTD Pro over three seconds ahead of the Pfaff Motorsports Porsche #9 of Patrick Pilet. I think he is good to go with no penalties issued from the stewards. A battle for the LMP3 lead is Garrett Grist in the #30 vs. Felipe Fraga in #74 putting Grist over on the grass! The Jr. III team gone bonkers! They are fired up, and for good reason. Fraga to the inside and just leaves Grist out in no man's land. What on earth is that?! That is the team's reaction.
Renger van der Zande has just plowed into the tire barriers! Full Course Yellow. Renger van der Zande is OK. He had a huge crash at the 6 Hours of Spa ij the FIA WEC and he touched another prototype and got forced off the road, he touched Augusto Farfus in the BMW, in the grass, and... boom! He is straight into the barriers! Final lap. White flag. It appears the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura will win this race.
Colin Braun and Tom Blomqvist are going to win this motor race. In LMP3, it will be Riley Motorsports and the Ligier JS P320 Nissan of Felipe Fraga and Gar Robinson. In GTD Pro, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor will win in class, and in GT Daytona, it will be Paul Miller Racing in their #1 BMW M4 GT3 of Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow who will win. Augusto Farfus in #24 will have a penalty for putting #01 in the wall. No penalty for the Fraga and Grist incident.
Overall/GTP: #60 Braun/Blomqvist Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 GTP
LMP3: #74 Fraga/Robinson Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320 Nissan
GT Daytona Pro: #3 Garcia/Taylor Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R
GT Daytona: #1 Sellers/Snow Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3
The next event for the GTP cars and the other classes all together will be the IMSA Sports Car Weekend at Road America in the first weekend of August. But, that does not mean there will be no IMSA racing for the rest of the month. The GTD Pro and GTD cars will next duke it out in a production cars only event at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, on a right little bullring of a circuit, on a Saturday afternoon in less than two weeks. So, please, join us there.
Don't forget, we have the second IMSA VP Challenge race also coming your way soon. So, a little more sports car racing action still to come your way on this Sunday. So long, from Mosport, for now, everyone. Join us later for VP Challenge. Bye for now.
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