That corner is 140 miles an hour. We do hope that Albuquerque is OK. He was clearly groaning in pain. He was assisted to the ambulance. Action Express have won many races at Petit Le Mans. WTR and AXR have had battles for a decade or more. The wall is being repaired after Filipe Albuquerque had a massive shunt into the wall and the scoop is that he was indeed able to walk to the ambulance assisted by the AMR medical team. What a crazy, wild, nutty day this has been with just over 45 minutes to go in the season. The GT Daytona cars are right on the cusp of making it without final pit stops needed, full fuel save. Clutch and coast, stay off the brakes, run sixth gear. We are still dealing with barrier repairs and a broken K rail.
GTP cars will do a splash and a dash to top up before the end. On the radio, Pipo Derani asked, "he went off? Really?" This is going to hurt for the #10 team. Next year, they will have a two-car team. The #78 Forte Racing powered by U.S. Racetronics Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2 have had a great race today. Patrick Liddy, Loris Spinelli, and Misha Goikhberg. GTD cars will stretch fuel. It has been a blast to jump into the WeatherTech Championship after racing in a number of the support championships. It has been a rollercoaster ride. Misha Goikhberg says they will win or run out of gas.
Push their chips into the center of the table. Jack Aitken at Whelen Engineering says lots has been going on and they were in a gunfight with the #10. They are right in it. Fuel saving like crazy with 43 minutes to go. It will be the same for them as everyone else going for a splash and dash to the very end. Pipo Derani being told to go for it. It is his turn to take it home. Huge damage to the #10 Acura and the car looks like it has been completely tubbed. In LMP2, the #04 CrowdStrike car has to win and the #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports car has to finish fifth or worse.
GTD cars will stretch it and the GTP cars will be pitting for a splash and dash, I think. 40 minutes to go. How much will Pipo Derani take the fight to Renger van der Zande? Action Express are focusing on the #25 BMW Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8. All the prototypes are in the lane save for the #01 Ganassi Racing Cadillac. #31 Pipo Derani changing left side tires only and doing energy replenishment. Quick stop to keep track position. Same true for the #04 CrowdStrike APR car. Pipo Derani has moved down to fifth place. The #25 BMW is right behind. This is a nighttime cold tire restart, but we might see them getting a little bit more temperature before the green flag. 38 minutes to go. Race Control still reviewing the #10 and #31 incident. It is no call other than you took the onboard footage honestly.
You'd have to reduce the speed to allow him to go by. You can't just change lanes into the corner. There is a "needle of responsibility" according to IMSA Race Director Beaux Barfield. The #79 WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3 will push to the end on the fuel they have with Daniel Juncadella at the end of the race. All the GTD runners hoping for some fuel save. Daniel Juncadella leads Kevin Estre and Mirko Bortolotti in GTD Pro. Mercedes vs. Porsche vs. Lamborghini with two titles still up for grabs here on this mid-October Saturday night.
The #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 is in the pit lane for service. As we said, Juncadella is going to push in GTD Pro. Just over half an hour to go. Titles still on the line in two classes. 33 and a half minutes to go in the season as Wayne Taylor is looking at his heavily damaged Acura sports car and knows his chances of winning are dashed. The #31 at this stage, could win the title by one point. But what if the #25 BMW gets a jump? The #25 of Connor De Philippi, Sheldon van der Linde, and Nick Yelloly is still in the fight. Will #31 have some kind of penalty? The fight is not over yet.
Nothing will change. No action on the #31 and #10 shemozzle. It is a racing incident. On the restart the #24 will let his teammate go by, seventh. De Philippi, and Derani is eighth. What will the privateer Porsche 963's #59 and #5 do? Here come the GTP cars for the restart with half an hour of racing left. The #01 of Renger van der Zande did not pit nor did the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura or the #59 Proton Competition Porsche. Green flag! Put the hammer down for a sprint to the finish with half an hour left in Petit Le Mans 2023 and the 2023 season!
This is it. The #60 has passed the #01. Colin Braun passes Renger van der Zande. Where are the #24 and #25 BMW's? What happened to the #01? The #25 is trying to make a move. It is go time. Use what you've got. Put all your chips on the table. Farfus moved over for his teammate as Colin Braun has rocketed away! He flies past Renger van der Zande. The #25 is now 26 points out of the lead of the championship and Pipo Derani has passed Augusto Farfus. They did not want to be squabbling in eighth. Derani directly behind Connor De Philippi.
Filipe Albuquerque was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, this news from IMSA and from the team at Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport. He was walking to the ambulance with the aid of the medics. Lapped traffic ahead and light the fuse for another GTP battle. GTP fight, chapter two. Meanwhile, Ben Hanley and company are just 17 points ahead of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports. Dani Juncadella vs. Kevin Estre are scrapping it out for the GTD Pro victory. This is the final race for Pfaff Motorsports with the plaid Porsche before they change to the British McLaren orange colors for next season.
As Laurens Vanthoor was drafted into the beleaguered Penske Porsche GTP operation in the #6 Porsche 963, Kevin Estre was handed the opportunity to guest drive with Pfaff Motorsports. Estre half a second behind Daniel Juncadella. Kevin Estre knows how to drive on the ragged limit of the race car. Meanwhile, in GT Daytona, this is getting spicy, too. Loris Spinelli in the lead but Jan Heylen, look, he has only half a second before he is right on Spinelli's six. Meyer Shank Racing won the Rolex 24 and then were found outside the regulations taking a penalty losing a massive chunk of points. They will no longer be in the Acura IMSA squad next year and will be solely focusing on their two-car IndyCar program.
Imagine if they went out with a bang and won Petit Le Mans. Colin Braun could steer them that way in another 25 minutes. With 22 minutes to go, Colin Braun and Tom Blomqvist in their final run in the Meyer Shank Racing Acura, are third in points as they run. If the #25 BMW, Connor De Philippi must seize the moment, but in replay, look, we can see the #25 tag the #31 Whelen Cadillac and did the #31 get by cleanly? Indeed, it looks like it. That is high risk racing, but you know Action Express will push hard. Trouble, and damage for Felipe Fraga and the #74 Riley Motorsports LMP3 car as it trundles to the pit lane.
Did Matt Bell tag him? Yes. Fraga got tagged and had to go to the pit lane. A new rear Michelin tire. Now, there is an opportunity for Connor De Philippi to put it all on the line and give Pipo Derani a run for his money. You know that Derani and the Action Express Cadillac team are not going to take that sitting down and they will be in the fight, no matter what. 20 minutes left in the race and the season. Connor De Philippi saying to the #92 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 911 GT3R, "help me out, here." Derani gets around to the outside and De Philippi has to go full send.
Pipo Derani and Cadillac Racing/Action Express lead the title fight. In the downhill, Derani must be very careful. Derani gets a clean run through turn 12. Connor De Philippi saying, "here I come. I am right on your tail, bucky." But at the same time, he wonders "how much risk do I take?" He has been balked by the #80 AO Racing Porsche, our old pal "Rexy" the dinosaur. Derani motoring away. Pipo Derani is going to be clear of the last GTD traffic in a wee while. He has cleared both the #16 Wright Motorsports Porsche and the Lambo, the class leader in GTD, the Forte Motorsports, US Racetronics Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2.
Connor De Philippi is the only American driver on the BMW Rahal Letterman Lanigan factory program. De Philippi wants to bring a title to Munich as Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims lead the championship and are only 18 minutes away from winning the first hybrid era GTP title. 15 minutes to go now. The race is on in the event and the championship. Colin Braun in the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 is defending from a resurgent Renger van der Zande aboard the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V Series R.
The #60 and the #01 are scrapping for the race win. As for the championship, Pipo Derani still has things under control completely for the Whelen Engineering Action Express Cadillac team. Derani leads the title fight in spite of being only sixth in the race order. The #01 is off the leash and is good to go on fuel and chase after the #60. Here are your top six in points before we end this race as they run.
1. #31 Sims/Derani 2,733 points
2. #10 Albuqerque/Taylor 2,712 points -21
3. #60 Blomqvist/Braun 2,711 points -22
4. #6 Jaminet/Tandy 2,691 points -42
5. #7 Nasr/Campbell 2,691 points -42
6. #25 Yelloly/De Philippi 2,687 points -46
Colin Braun has never won Petit Le Mans and he'd love to win. The #18 Era Motorsports Oreca 07 in LMP2 is off the track, Christian Rasmussen at the wheel of it. The Indy Next star and champion is off. Ben Hanley was leading in LMP2, and Rasmussen might have made a move. Full Course Yellow number 12 with 13 minutes to go in the race. Colin Braun will be under maximum pressure before this race is done and dusted. We are under yellow but ready to take it home.
This is the final race for Meyer Shank Racing at the top level of IMSA sports car racing competition for the foreseeable future. They have run ever top level IMSA season since 2004. Before the race today the team and many fans singed the nose of the #60 Acura ARX-06 GTP. In the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing camp, Mike O'Gara had a plan B to conserve fuel and stay out. Renger van der Zande told he was good to go on fuel. van der Zande knows he is off the leash. At Action Express, Pipo Derani is told, "stay with the #25 BMW. No mistakes. No high risk moves."
Shadow the BMW by one position. Connor De Philippi is told he can push to the bitter end and he has been quiet on the radio. The #25 has to pass the #31 but move him out of the way and then catch the #5 and #7 Porsche's. Cadillac Racing boss Laura Wontrop Klauser, looking on. Alexander Sims, Jack Aitken, and so is team strategist Tim Keane, Iain Watt, and everyone else. Meyer Shank Racing and Helio Castroneves looking on. Colin Braun could win his first race as a dad. Roxyn, his son, is here, to see dad win.
But Renger van der Zande, full fuel, and he could be in full send, dive bomb mode. Renger van der Zande has an insurance company away from the racetrack. The Ganassi brain trust told him, "hey, man, we got you covered." Cadillac have to finish in front of Porsche to win the constructor's championship. Don't discount the #59 Proton Competition customer Porsche 963 either. We go back to green flag racing with five and a ahlf minutes to go! Colin Braun sends it through turn 12 and Renger van der Zande is right with him.
Where will Colin Braun land next year with the Meyer Shank program going away for next year? He could go out on top. Eating up the exit curb, maintaining the gap on Renger van der Zande. Oh no! The #16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R is flaming into the corner! This car is on FiYah! The fuel tank has been damaged after he got hit. Jan Heylen, on fire, not in a safe haven! Deary me! Yellow is out. That's #16 is burning! Jan Heylen is trying to reach for the fire bottles. Save my race car, please!
This will seal the deal for the #31 Whelen Engineering Action Express Cadillac. Meyer Shank Racing will win the race. The #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini is stopped! Dear me. Talk about getting the rough end of the pineapple before ten hours is up. Here's a question for you. Did the #63 clatter into the back of the #16 Porsche and cause the oiling system to go up? This car had a podium shot in GTD Pro as Mirko Bortolotti was running well sharing with Jordan Pepper and Franck Perera. In replay, Sebastian Priaulx is off and on in the #80 "Rexy" Porsche.
Green flag out for the prototypes and the #63 went hard left, clobbering the wall. I am with NBC Sports' Townsend Bell, and wonder if the #63 lost the steering. Did someone cannon into the #16? He was already damaged, and it was side by side contact and now, the #16 is up in flames. I think the steering was undoubtedly busted on the #63 Lamborghini. Two minutes to go. This past Thursday, Pipo Derani celebrated his 30th birthday. He is at peace with life and his career. Derani, his wife Marena and ten-month old daughter Lorena are here.
Helio Castroneves in his last drive with Acura and Meyer Shank Racing they will win the Petit Le Mans. White flag. Two and a half miles to go. Ben Keating will win the LMP2 title. George Kurtz will get the Jim Trueman Award and the Bronze Cup getting the auto invite to the 24 Hours of Le Mans next June. Garrett Grist leads Matt Bell in LMP3 in the swansong for that class in the WeatherTech Championship. Daniel Juncadella and WeatherTech Racing Mercedes will win GTD Pro. Loris Spinelli and the U.S. Racetronics Lamborghini team will take GT Daytona honors at this juncture.
Final lap. So, here are your winners.
Overall/GTP: #60 Braun/Blomqvist/Castroneves Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06
LMP2: #04 Kurtz/Hanley/Siegel CrowdStrike Racing by APR Oreca 07
LMP3: #30 Dickerson/Garg/Grist JR III Racing Ligier JS P320 Nissan
GT Daytona Pro: #79 Juncadella/Gounon/Engel WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
GT Daytona: #78 Goikhberg/Spinelli/Liddy Forte Racing powered by USRacetronics
Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2
What a crazy race and what a crazy season. The GTP class has delivered. All four brands have won this year. Meyer Shank Racing win Motul Petit Le Mans in their final race with the program. As far as the championship, it goes to Cadillac and Action Express Racing! Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims are the drivers' champions! In GTD Pro, the title goes to Vasser Sullivan Lexus. In GT Daytona it is the U.S. Racetronics Lamborghini to the winners' circle. Cadillac finish in front of Porsche and win the manufacturers' cup! JR III have their farewell drive in LMP3, and it is Ben Keating and Paul Loup Chatin winning the championship!
Pipo Derani lights it up doing a burnout!
Champions:
GTP: #31 Pipo Derani & Alexander Sims Whelen Engineering Racing/Action Express Racing Cadillac V Series R.
LMP2: #52 Ben Keating & Paul Loup Chatin PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07
LMP3: #74 Gar Robinson Riley Ligier JSP320 Nissan
GT Daytona Pro: #14 Ben Barnicoat & Jack Hawksworth Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3
GT Daytona: #1 Bryan Sellers & Madison Snow Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3
Next year, Alex Quinn and Ben Keating are moving to United Autosports in LMP2. Riley Motorsports are LMP3 champions. Vasser Sullivan in GTD Pro and Paul Miller Racing in GTD. We begin the countdown to the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2024 and a brand-new season and congratulations to the champions. For now, we bid you good night from Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. See you next year for more IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship action. So long, and take care, everyone. Bye bye.
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