The most famous speedway in the world, "The Brickyard", first opened in 1909 and paved only with paver bricks, is set once again, to host the annual U.S. round of the SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge. This is race three of four in the championship. A field of 22 GT3 cars is ready to take on the challenge over the course of 8 hours, a typical workday duration during the week. But today, hard work, for the drivers and cars of Intercontinental GT Challenge and SRO GT World Challenge America, the latter series, the American arm of the SRO, with championships on the table. In 114 years, since 1909, the best racing drivers in the world have raced here. The continent's best GT drivers are joined by the contenders of the Intercontinental GT Challenge for fourth race.
Amanda Busick will be reporting from the pit lane along with Ryan Myrehn, Calvin Fish, and Bob Varsha in the broadcast booth. We have Tom Hornsby and Amanda Busick reporting from down trackside. Craft Bamboo, Huber Motorsport, and WRT are the international teams that are here. The overall IGTC champion will not be crowned here. We'll have to wait for Abu Dhabi for that to happy, the finale. We could see the manufacturer's cup decided, but it is unlikely. BMW have to win and all four Mercedes' fail to finish. Sky Tempesta Racing's Jonathan Hui is the only independent driver who can be eligible for that title. Welcome to the racing capitol of the world for our last track preview of 2023 here in Gasoline Alley.
The goal is to kiss the yard of bricks. Let's head to turn one, the fastest part of the circuit. GT3 cars hitting 165 miles an hour. Find your braking point. it is hard because of turn four on the speedway itself. Use the marker boards but then try hard to find the apex. Watch for the tall curb to avoid spinning. In the darkness tonight it will be even harder. Hulman Boulevard is extremely bumpy. Create radiuses to get through the esses. Wind up through the gears to turn ten and the short chute. The important turn is turn 11 and 12, heading back to the speedway. Think ahead. Watch your exit speed onto the frontstretch and the banking. The banking tips you into the apex.
We have Calvin Fish and Bob Varsha, our two assistant commentators for the race today. The physical presence of the track here. It's incredible. Unser, Mears, Andretti, Foyt, Gordon, Earnhardt, the list goes on. Time for the National Anthem , the Star Spangled Banner. Just Vee performing the National Anthem. The land where the speedway stands was purchased in 1908. Yesterday we saw chaos vying for pole in a sprint race but all these world class drivers wanted all the accolades of being on pole at Indianapolis. We also have spoilers for the race win.
It is game time. Get in the zone and focus on your intentions in the first half including minimum drive times. Get to the halfway mark at 50% for points eligibility. The star power is stunning. We have not seen any repreat winners in this race, but could there be a repeat of any kind today? Laurin Heinrich knew he had a fast car and he was worried about the cold temperatures but made it count along with teammates Antares Au and Alfred Renauer. The competition is fierce. Alfred Renauer will take the first stint. The team went to a Main Street pub last night.
BMW, BimmerWorld and Chandler Hull, he is ready to go sharing with Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley, going for their fourth win in a row. The #94 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT3 is ready to race. Stevan McAleer is ready to go for another championship, the reigning champions from 2022. They are 30 points up on the BimmerWorld team. We have a couple different classes based on driver ratings, mixed together, scoring points for different championships. It is a convoluted situation and we'll see what we can make of it.
Alfred Renauer will start the #20 Huber Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3R. They are a Pro-Am entry with two poles in IGTC to their credit. Look out for the #999 GruppeM Mercedes-AMG GT3 as well being shared by Maro Engel, Daniel Juncadella, and Luca Stolz. The engines have fired up. The cars roll off the grid. The weather could be a story. The cooler conditions could help the BMW's. 58 degrees for a daytime high and mid 40's for the low during the twilight hours. The night practice session got washed out. This is going to be wild. We have no rain in the forecast today, thank goodness.
The grid atmosphere was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Teams are nervous for sure. Accolades all through the grid. Beautiful race cars, excellent teams, and star drivers. Indy is big. We are ready to go racing here at the Indianapolis 8 Hours. Lots of experience on the grid. How will they handle it? You can't win the race in hour one but for dead sure you can lose it. Bimmerworld qualified fifth in the field in their first year in the Pro class. They split the two WRT BMW M4 GT3's coming over from Europe. How will the tire degradation work? OK. It is time. 500 laborers, 300 mules, and steam powered machines built this place.
We are about to set another chapter in the long history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for IGTC and the season finale of GT World Challenge America. The front of the field in line. Here we go. The American flag waves! Old Glory starts our race! The field roars to turn one and here comes WRT BMW already. Klaus Bachler tags Bill Auberlen who tags Madison Snow. The battles rage further back as Chris Froggatt makes up places in the Ferrari 488 GT3 #555. Down Hulman Boulevard for the first time. Conquest Racing scrapping with TRG. Side by side between Seth Lucas and Adam Adelson. MDK Motorsports vs. Wright Motorsports.
Alessandro Balzan makes a move on Samantha Tan and now, Derek DeBoer in the #007 TRG Aston Martin is also going for it. Samantha Tan won in class in the GTWC Europe finale in Spain in a Ferrari now racing a BMW of course. Klaus Bachler has to perform and not risk the RS1 championship effort with Stevan McAleer and Eric Filgueiras. Phillipp Eng is moving up and fast. Alfred Renauer was chosen to start this race but Phillipp Eng has gone for it and Vesko Kozarov flies over the curb in the #85 Porsche 911 GT3R for Rearden Racing as Adelson goes off and on.
Vesko Kozarov sharing with Jake Pedersen and Christian Engelhart. The #93 Racer's Edge Acura NSX GT3 of Kyle Marcelli makes a move and so does Seth Lucas in the #53 MDK Porsche. Championship pressure is on with only five minutes of racing gone in an eight-hour race. Adelson again defending the inside line. Marcelli knows Racer's Edge winning Pro-Am and the title in 2019 and he has also done driving with them in their partial IMSA schedule. Phillipp Eng in the Sixth Rental Cars liviered BMW M4 GT3 leads. Luca Stolz defending from Bill Auberlen. BMW vs. Mercedes. BMW lead the IGTC manufacturers' cup.
They could clinch before the final race of the year. Bill Auberlen, Chandler Hull, and Robby Foley have to keep things clean and they know their way to victory lane. Augusto Farfus was part of the driver lineup that won the inaugural Indianapolis 8 Hours in 2020. BMW has the measure of Mercedes early doors. The cooler weather helping with tire life for the BMW M4 GT3. Maximilian Gotz vs. Augusto Farfus. Goetz sharing the #77 Mercedes with Raffaele Marciello and Jules Gounon for Craft Bamboo Racing as Matt Bell has moved up to 13th place and Augusto Farfus makes his move on Maxi Goetz.
Robert Renauer solidly holding second place behind Phillipp Eng. Alfred Renauer won a GT3 title in Asian Le Mans Series racing, won the 24 Hours of Dubai in class, and won in Creventic endurance racing overall in the 24 Hour Series we have covered on this blog many times. Augusto Farfus and Phillipp Eng are teammates for BMW in prototypes here in North America. Augusto Farfus is a two-time 24 Hours of Daytona winner in class. Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer are sharing with IndyCar star Callum Illott from England today. Traditionally, racers want nothing to do with the color green, but this Wright Motorsports Porsche is dark green with the outline of every track in the championship for SRO America this year.
Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer have both been impressive and now, Kyle Marcelli gets tipped into a spin by Vesko Kozarov! Oh dear! Well, he will be on the back foot as Seth Lucas is monstering Adam Adelson presently. I think Marcelli bounced off two cars. It is under review by the stewards. Racer's Edge had a DNF at Sebring which put them behind the eight ball on the points. Ashton Harrison became the first female driver to win a title in SRO America. Vesko Kozarov is a touring car and GT4 champion and is running in a Porsche nominated for the IGTC championship being assisted by Manthey Racing for Rearden Racing.
Four entries can be nominated per manufacturer but only two can score points for Intercontinental GT Challenge. Drive through penalty for Vesko Kozarov for incident responsibility. He must make wiser decisions. The #08 DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Scott Smithson spinning. They will be a customer of GM and Pratt & Miller for the new Chevrolet Corvette Z.06 GT3.R. The race teams are eyballing that new race car for next year. You lose oodles of tme trundling down the pit lane and we see quick lap times around the speedway.
This is goin to be tight as we have been racing only for 15 minutes now. The front of the field getting into a rhythm. Two BMW's lead the motor race and Augusto Farfus has uncorked the fastest lap of the race so far and we'll see if we can get the number. Through turn seven they go, from the drone shot. The cars eat up these flat curbs. 1:23.862 and that is motoring on a full fuel load. The pole time was 1:22.7. A battle for third is on between Huber Porsche and Craft Bamboo Mercedes. Renauer is the cork in the bottle but he is actually fighting for position.
He is mixing it up with some of the best GT3 dtivers on earth. Ferrari 296 GT3 #21 in the lane with a right front issue. They had clutch issues during pre-qualifying. Conqest Racing led by former IndyCar driver Eric Bachelart which started many Indianapolis 500's. Something wrong with the wheel well for Alessandro Balzan, Manny Franco, and Lilou Wadoux. They remove the front bodywork, built in a modular sense by Oreca in France of all places! Sacre bleu! Meanwhile, Vesko Kozarov is fighting to stay on the lead lap and Augusto Farfus has caught Phillipp Eng and these two of course share a car in prototype racing.
Vesko Kozarov really going for it. In the contact from earlier, I think the Porsche lost it's dive planes and so Vesko Kozarov and company need to be cautious. The two WRT BMW's have very distinctive liveries with classic BMW colors. I doff my hat to you, WRT, Vincent Vosse, and everyone else on the team. Meanwhile, the #21 Ferrari is on the dollies. There is a broken clasp on the bodywork and they have some suspension issues I think. A battle for overall position as Maxi Goetz has passed Alfred Renauer who has Luca Stolz on his six. Auberlen going for the pass on Stolz into turn 12.
He is a monster on the brakes. Criminy! This is some fabulous racing and we are only in the first hour. Klaus Bachler doing a solid job. Auberlen not fighting it. Think of the big picture and your team. Meanwhile, at Conquest Racing, Eric Bachelart did say that there is broken suspension, busted up over the curbs. Bill Auberlen blitzes past another Mercedes and now, Auberlen is doing all he can to motor away. Luca Stolz not having it all his own way in traffic, currently. Phillip Ellis is moving in for the challenge, scoring a GT3 victory here at Indianapolis and Klaus Bachler was in that race, too. Ellis sharing the #91 DXDT Burton Lumber Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Jeff Burton and Corey Lewis.
Bill Auberlen still pushing, looking for a fourth consecutive class win in the Indianapolis 8 Hours. He has caught Robert Renauer for fourth overall, in Pro-Am, Renauer leading. You are not familiar with how aggressive drivers will be as we watch the lead battle between two more BMW's. Philipp Eng vs. Augusto Farfus for WRT. Farfus sharing with Charles Weerts and Maxime Martin while Eng is sharing with Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde. Auberlen makes his move on Robert Renauer. He is a man on a mission after being roughed up in the turn one shemozzle earlier.
Bill Auberlen is 55 years old in a few days but still has it behind the wheel, America's most decorated GT sports car driver, winning 65 races at the GT3 level and above along with GT4, touring cars, and prototypes, racing with BMW for 28 years. He is a two-time Grand Am GT champion, with class wins at a lot of the top races and he has prototype experience and he also has raced in SRO touring cars over the years. Sixt is a Dutch company, a rental car company, in all Dutch orange. Ashton Harrison tells us the car is OK but there's lots of time. Racer's Edge has gone through highs and lows and they have to focus on the big picture.
Ashton Harrison will get in next and then Mario Farnbacher will run the third stint. Kyle Marcelli has recovered back to 15th spot. Lapped traffic up the road, the Grove Racing/Earl Bamber Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R, Earl Bamber, sharing with Stephen Grove, and Brenton Grove. Grove Racing busy with the Bathurst 1,000 for Australian Supercars at Mount Panorama this weekend and of course they have raced at Bathurst in the 12 Hours. Racer's Edge and Kyle Marcelli driving through the red mist. Outside of North America the Acura NSX GT3 is badged as a Honda of course. Mario was on pole when this 8 hour race took place at Laguna Seca Raceway in California years ago.
Adelson is scrapping with the #04 CrowdStrike with Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 of George Kurtz, Colin Braun, and Nolan Siegel. Good battle now between Alfred Renauer and Phillip Ellis. He has run in the North American SRO GT World Challenge a handful of years ago. Elliott Skeer and Adam Adelson of course, have drafted in Callum Illott. The FIA just released the driver ratings for next year. More about that in the coming days or weeks. Kyle Marcelli passes Seth Lucas with a late lunge. Wowzers. That is through turn 12 I believe? Not sure.
MDK Motorsports ran at the Gulf 12 Hours last year which then, as now, is the IGTC finale, in a Ferrari. We'll have that race for you coming up in December I believe. Meantime, Phillipp Eng is leading teammate Augusto Farfus as we also watch Maxi Goetz. Bill Auberlen fourth, Luca Stolz fifth in the overall. We are 2/3rds of the way through the first stint. 40 minutes of racing now on the board and don't forget how much it will cool off tonight into the high 40s. Klaus Bachler is turning his best laps of the race so far and he is being caught by Bill Auberlen. It is so close at the top of the shop. Kyle Marcelli is in recovery mode, in 14th, looking to pass Adam Adelson.
George Kurtz, a class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa, looking for his first title in SRO GT World Challenge America. They have been close before and they are locked in a battle with the #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche. Again, Colin Braun, and Nolan Siegel are the co-drivers. Kyle Marcelli still on the march. Ferrari #21 is coming back into the race but they have flown Plummet Airways down the order and Alessandro Balzan will continue, sharing with Manny Franco and Lilou Wadoux. She has been sensational with her career winning in the FIA World Endurance Championship, a Ferrari affiliated driver.
Lilou Wadoux became the first ever female Ferrari factory driver and she was the first female to drive a Le Mans Hypercar, testing the Toyota GR010 Hybrid. George Kurtz chasing Justin Wetherill in the Jeff's Bagels sponsored Ferrari 296 GT3, car #33. Wetherill sharing with Onofrio Triarsi and Ryan Dalziel. George Kurtz raced a LMP2 prototype here at Indy a few weeks ago as the two WRT BMW teammates only lead by 4.7 seconds but are battling each other. BMW vs. BMW at the top of the shop. We have a minimum stop time to do, for a minimum of 112 seconds even if you take a splash of gas in the tank.
If the fuel nozzle hits the inlet, that is considered a stop. That's confusing. The teams wouldn't lie, would they? No. Really? I wonder about tire degradation. The BMW boys at WRT are a few seconds off their fastest laps and Maximilian Goetz is 3/10ths away and Auberlen 4/10ths away. The Pirelli P Zero tires are performing well thus far. The leaders are lapping past George Kurtz running 18th in the overall. Kurtz is the CEO of CrowdStrike. He and Colin Braun have had five class victories in the Pro-Am championship of Fanatec GT World Challenge America and now, here comes Farfus closing on Eng being held up by Justin Wetherill and Wetherill hits the pit lane.
Dries Vanthoor tells us that for the moment they are staying consistent with a long way to go, and you never know what could happen towards the end. Charles Weerts in the other car this weekend, but they are teammates in the European championship, driving for BMW. The best result for their team and brand is what they are looking for. At the end of the day, team orders don't work out, but don't throw the result out the window. Maxi Goetz is beginning to close in a wee bit as the Ferrari #33 is now in the lane. The BMW's split the #007 Aston Martin for The Racer's Group of Derek DeBoer, Valentin Hasse-Clot, and Ben Tuck.
What brought the Triarsi Ferrari to the lane? We'll see. Auberlen slots past Kurtz and Luca Stolz is doing the same or trying to do the same. BimmerWorld have been unbeaten at Indianapolis in all editions of this race so far. Race Engineer Eric Peterson looking on. The #28 RS1 Porsche of Klaus Bachler has now run down the #999 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Luca Stolz. RS1 are running ahead of many American GT3 teams and they were the class of the field in Pirelli GT4 America last year. But they have really replicated that in GT3 in 2023. They've done a wonderful job. No update yet about Triarsi except to say they have a fuel pickup issue.
Luca Stolz looks inside Derek DeBoer. Where is our race clock? I wonder. Seven hours and seven minutes to go. We are getting close to the end of the opening hour as Klaus Bachler is stymied by Derek DeBoer briefly before he goes t try and catch Luca Stolz. Bachler knows his teammates are in it for the title and so he is going to be as cautious as possible. He is caught between his natural instinct and getting the car home. You know, if you are the third driver in the car, you have a ton of responsibility, to be fast, to win, but to be very cautious. Klaus Bachler going through the mental permutations as he is driving the Porsche.
There is a bump at the end of the Hulman Boulevard straightaway and the Porsche's handle that bump far better than the other cars like Mercedes and Ferrari. With the bumps in the brake zones, Triarsi I believe, brought their Sebring setup for all the bumps on that track, to Indianapolis. Sebring is notoriously rough. If you can handle Sebring you can handle anything. Kyle Marcelli has caught Samantha Tan in the #38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3 sharing with Neil Verhagen and and Jake Walker. Kenton Koch of course is getting ready for his driving stint in the #9 TR3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Matt Bell and Jon Branam.
Koch and Daniel Morad won races together earlier in the year. Kenton Koch is a tall drink of water and has to go for it. The life of a pro driver, you should have your helmet in hand and your firesuit in case you are needed. Jon Branam is now driving the #9 Mercedes as we continue to watch the WRT BMW duo making their way through traffic. I wish we had a race clock to tell us when we are closing in on the end of the hour as now, a minute shy of the hour mark, we have pit callers.
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