Saturday, January 27, 2024

Rolex 24: Hour 11

Daniel Morad, coasting for fuel save as Pato O'Ward has started his third stint in the #2 United Autosport Oreca, leading in LMP2, using Ben Keating's seat insert.  Pato O'Ward says Ben's seat insert was bothering his back.  But nonetheless, he has extended his lead in the division to 40 seconds.  O'Ward tested a McLaren Formula 1 car and is having a wonderful time finding the limit especially on low fuel tanks.  Ferdinand "Ferdi" Habsburg, sharing with John Farano, Scott McLaughlin, and Michael Dinan.  He is royalty in Austria and will be a part of the Alpine Hypercar team in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year.

Scott McLaughlin drove this car to a great finish last year.  Ferdinand Habsburg is helping Scott McLaughlin get the most out of the car.  They can focus on making speed in the car currently.  The #27 The Heart of Racing Aston Martin with Marco Sorensen driving, has stopped at turn five.  He is probably recycling, resetting the car.  This is the Evo version of the Aston but with the same 4 liter turbo V8 motor in it.  Zach Robichon, the Canadian former Porsche driver is now in the Aston Martin camp and the car is back up and running again.

The Heart of Racing are going to race in FIA WEC with the new Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar.  The Heart of Racing raises awareness for the Seattle Children's Hospital in Seattle, Washington.  Ian James and the whole team along with Gabe Newell and the entire team who have won this race before.  Ex Panoz and Alex Job team members on this team.  The situation with the #27 is that the full reset did not work and he had to fully reset the car four different times internally with the electronics.  Wow.  That's a bear.  That's a bear and a half.  

No difference than when your laptop crashes.  Jenson Button has done a few endurance races but Daytona is far more hectic and high speed.  It interesting and messy according to him.  He was on the inside in turn three, locking the brakes on the inside but the car is running fine, the sole remaining Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Global Acura GTP cars.  He just did a triple stint.  Nasr leads over Aitken by just four seconds.  The top seven GTP cars on the lead lap.  Gianmaria Bruni the last car on the lead lap in the #5 Proton Competition Mustang Sampling Porsche 963.  

Acura have only one bullet in the gun while Porsche and Cadillac run 1-2.  Nasr ahead of Jack Aitken.  Who will be best at the end?  We have half this race left.  Nasr continues to lead over Jack Aitken by three seconds.  Philip Eng is third in the #24 BMW Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8.  He is followed by Matthieu Jaminet in the #6 Penske Porsche and Nick Yelloly in the #25 BMW.  Trouble for Heart of Racing with the evolution Aston Martin Vantage GT3 as we join IMSA Radio and John Hindhaugh with Peter McKay in the broadcast center here at Daytona.  

Nick Damon is reporting from the pit lane.  This is the IMSA Radio team currently.  The Iron Lynx Lamborghini screaming out of the pit lane.  Doriane Pin at Lamborghini is very happy in GT Daytona currently.  Daniel Morad is now third in the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in GT Daytona.  He is chasing the Lexus #12 with Parker Thompson now at the controls.  Doriane Pin is also racing for Mercedes in Formula Academy.  The #10 Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura has just come into the pit lane ad of course they are now out of contention.

We have gone past the witching hour.  The #9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren is having something changed at the front end.  We have an interview with Romain Grosjean.  The drivers are running well but the #60 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 has had lots of trouble.  Grosjean tells of a mechanical problem where the team has had issues mechanically with the car.  Grosjean sharing with Claudio Schiavoni, Matteo Cressoni, and Matteo Cairoli.  Side by side action between Laurin Heinrich in the #77 "Rexy" AO Racing Porsche and James Calado in the #62 Risi Comeptizione Ferrari 296 GT3.

Daniel Serra gained ten places in the opening hour.  13 and a half hours to go.  Maybe Heinrich is doing what he can to play it smart.  Daniel Morad in the GT Daytona regular class.  You just run fewer Pro drivers in GT Daytona.  It has all to do with driver grading.  Laurin Heinrich will need a new set of boots very soon.  The #9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren is being pulled backwards having changed a part in the front and they are going behind the wall.  The #10 Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura is back on the road.

Marcus Ericsson is now driving.  It is 79 laps down on the leader.  They have a penalty for too many people over the wall.  Steven Thomas for TDS Racing in LMP2, Louis Perez Companc for the #83 AF Corse LMP2 car, Daniel Goldburg, the #75 SunEnergy1 Mercedes.  The #10 Acura serves a penalty for too many men over the wall and the #99 Spike the dragon AO Racing LMP2 car has pitted.  We might not have to worry too much about changeable weather.  But, we could have another weather front in the morning.   The #55 Mustang takes some hip and shoulder from the #78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan of Misha Goikhberg. 

They had a massive shut early doors in this race.  Corey Lewis is in the #55 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT4 of Corey Lewis, Ryan Hardwick, and company.  Ford also hired Dennis Olsen, the Norwegian, who is a former Porsche driver.  The #9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren is still being taken apart and there could be an electronics issue at Aston Matin as well.  Not an ideal situation.  Heart of Racing have lost a number of laps.  The McLaren also has an electrical gremlin and it is in the starter motor.  

Oliver Jarvis is not sure of the problem but the car will not start.  James Calado and Ferrari now leads GTD Pro.  Oliver Jarvis reflects on his time driving the remarkable diesel powered Audi LMP1 cars.  That was a thrilling thing to have witnessed rom afar and of course Jarvis won the DPi title in IMSA as well.  Laurin Heinrich has pitted "Rexy", the dinosaur Porsche 911 GT3R.  Richard Westbrook and his wife have a brewery, the driver, one of them, in the #85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Porsche 963.  

Jack Aitken now at the wheel of the #31 Whelen Engineering Action Express Cadillac.  A very recognizable car indeed.  We have Felipe Nasr still in the lead of the motor race and a pit stop for Matthieu "Jam Jam" Jaminet, in the sister #6 Penske Porsche.  BMW in the lane and both Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs as well.  The #25 BMW has just pitted for full service as well.  Felipe Nasr and Jack Aitken were down to half a percent of energy.  

IMSA of course are monitoring the energy usage on the cars/  Felipe Nssr was right on the edge on energy usage.  The #31 Cadillac is in as well.  Glowing red exhausts on the Cadillac.  Sean Creech Motorsports have been having issues and are many laps down as the #5 Proton Comeptition Mustang Sampling Porsche 963 is in the pit lane and the #10 Acura is back behind the wall after changing the wiring loom.  They are doing a driver change and a drinks bottle.  Romain Dumas replaces Gianmaria Bruni.  

Dumas has driven the Porsche RS Spyder and the Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1 car as well.  

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