Penalty too for Dirk Mueller in the #65 Ford Mustang GT3 for minimum tire pressure infractions outside the Michelin spec parameters. Sebring will be another tough test. European teams used to test there always. Matt Campbell in Porsche #7 sticking like glue to Jack Aitken. An oil pump belt failure for the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 knocks them out of winning contention in GT Daytona. As the temperatures have changed, the operating window is being met for the Porsche boys. If we don't see higher temperatures, Action Express will have to push, push, push to get away from the Porsche blokes. Jordan Taylor and company might have a say in this fight too. This is a 200 mile an hour game of chess. Word is that the #7 was warned for energy overuse. Could we see another penalty in Penske Porsche's future?
Cadillac leading Porsche in the crown jewel event of the season and still five hours to go. Cadillac vs. Porsche. Aitken vs. Campbell. Do not throw this away. Porsche could still stumble. Risk vs. reward. The challenge with the GTD cars is who on earth is in the seat? Aitken's lead extended to 8/10ths of a second. Earl Bamber runs second in GTD Pro behind Madison Snow. Nicky Catsburg says that the visibility with a dirty windscreen is noticeable in turn one. Trouble in turn one during the night with bubbles on the tearoffs. Nicky Catsburg is not sure of the plan. Earl Bamber in now and Tommy Milner in next.
The lead is just 1.1 seconds between Aitken and Campbell. #6 has been penalized and is now fifth. Aitken got stymied and here comes Campbell! Campbell makes his move and now Aitken has to play catch up again. Good morning from Daytona International Speedway as we get the lift before the run to home. Hello to Leigh Diffey, Calvin Fish, and Townsend Bell. Jack Aitken is still chasing down Matt Campbell 1.8 seconds ahead. Six cars on the lead lap and four of them are Porsche's. Four Porsche's, two Cadillac's, two BMW's, two Acura's. We are into the sprint to the finish. Start working strategy backwards for fuel consumption, overall pace, and who will be the closing driver.
Woes continue for the #3 Corvette Z06. The oil leak is getting worse. Alexander Sims brought the car to the garage taking the top of the oil tank off. They are replacing the top end of the tank. They are cleaning the front end radiator as well. Quick work by Brian Hoy and company at Corvette by Pratt & Miller. Things are going swimmingly for the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 team for Madison Snow, Neil Verhagen, Sheldon van der Linde, and Bryan Sellers. Hello again to the Peacock Pit Box, with Marty Snider, Jeff Burton, and James Hinchcliffe.
This has been a bonkers race right from the off. Only ten cars have not had issues. There is still a long way to go with five and a half hours left. We are in the middle of the duration of the 6 Hours of the Glen later this summer. Track position is crucial. 2AM, 3AM, 4AM is like the walking dead in pit lane but now everyone is up and at 'em in the whole field. McLaren #9 have been up and down throughout the race. Pfaff Motorsports McLaren had to go behind the wall twice but now they are running well. Felipe Nasr now leads Jack Aitken by 8.7 seconds. Now the gap balloons to 9.1 seconds. Porsche #6 still in the fight. Matthieu Jaminet says there is a braking and regeneration issue in the hybrid system.
There is a problem with the powertrain regeneration under braking that goes over a threshold, a set threshold dictated by the organizers, IMSA. The new Ford Mustang program has history and the Ford GT team won Le Mans in 2016 and Daytona in 2017. Ford Performance want to win on the 60th anniversary of the Ford Mustang. Mike Rockenfeller got a call from Ford Performance when he was driving the Garage 56 NASCAR Cup Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and still contracted with General Motors. The factory cars are still in the fight and the #55 Proton Competition entry are out of the race. Dirk Mueller at the wheel of the #65. Ford has been out of the game since 2019 when the GT program ended.
Nasr eking out a gap of 12 seconds on Jack Aitken. Mueller coming to the pit lane. The sports car racing car development and testing frequency in sports car racing is endless before the car hits the track for the frist time. A driver change underway at the Mustang team. This is Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, and Frederic Vervisch. Paul Miller is a successful auto dealer and he was racing a BMW here in 1977 in the Rolex 24. He has been at it for a long, long time.
We almost have another hour in the bag. Corvette #4 heading back to the garage area. Neil Verhagen will get into the #1 car next in his debut in the WeatherTech Championship after racing for BMW in Nurburgring Langstrecken Series and in SRO competition in their GT3 categories in America and Europe. Bryan Sellers has been with this team along with Madison Snow for years now. BMW factory racer Sheldon van der Linde also a good piece of this puzzle. The front end of the car is pristine aerodynamically even with the dirt. The tail is OK except for a shark bite out of the right rear. The Corvette #3 is back to the garage afterr running into the dirt through the Le Mans chicane with Earl Bamber. Excuse me, car #4.
They are looking at a pickup point on the chassis.
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