The IMSA technical delegates, I don't know how they do it to make everything work smoothly between all the different cars. Blimey! I would not want the job. The new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R is running very well as of now. Newgarden does not know Pipo Derani's tendencies. A smart move for the #13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Orey Fidani moving out of the way of the top two. The night is now ten degrees cooler and the thing about it is that the cooler weather is helping the Porsche's but at sunup, things will change again. If you are here getting through the stint, does it help you to be led through traffic by another car in your class? Maybe. Five years ago, Pipo Derani would have been carving his way to the front. Now, he is willing to be more patient.
They have a second child on the way. Meanwhile, side by side stuff in GT Daytona. Lexus, Mercedes, and one of the GTD Pro Corvette's. Yikes! Don't let the Pro car eke out a gap. Daniel Morad has dropped to third place for Winward Racing. Last lap by there was a stack up on the #32 Mercedes and the #12 Lexus RC F GT3 through the trioval. Again, this is Daniel Morad, the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Morad sharing with Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, and Indy Dontje. Pipo Derani has now passed Josef Newgarden! Wow! So, my pals at AXR are back to the lead. Side by side stuff with the two Mustang GT3's. Single file boys, through the Le Mans Chicane. Single file. Luca Stolz outbrakes himself into the International Horseshoe! That was a close shave! He stopped on the road and restarted.
Pipo Derani goes to the high side and passes Newgarden. Philip Ellis says that the cooler temperatures will help the drivers and the tires, the driver of the Winward Racing #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo trying to survive the night waiting for his second stint. At Pfaff Motorsports McLaren, Alexander Rossi is in the car, and James Hinchcliffe has finished his stint. He has done a debrief with the engineers on handling and tires, having done a double stint on left side tires. He is going to get some physio, food, water, and a little sleep.
A fresh uniform, socks, underwear, and shoes, rinsing off before getting to sleep for a wee while. 40 winks. At AO Racing, Alex Quinn is driving "Spike", the #99 car, Spike the dragon. Quinn in the lead! Daniel Morad and Maxi Goetz in the two Mercedes-AMG GT3's are scrapping in GTD Pro for second in class. This is a ding dong battle between the two Mercedes cars. The car ahead is creating a wake of dirty air just like water off a boat and there's some hip and shoulder with the #3 Corvette GT3.R. Morad raced Michelin Pilot yesterday in the Mercedes-AMG GT4 with less power and less aero. You have read the race report on Michelin Pilot already and when it is taped, go back and watch that race. You will like it.
Oh my gracious! Alec Udell got spooked by the battle between the Corvette and the Benz and said, "criminy! I gotta get outta here!" We will see the new Corvette with customers here and globally in more series than just IMSA. Milner and Garcia are fourth and fifth in GTD Pro for Pratt & Miller Corvette Racing. There are shift changes for spotters as well including NASCAR spotters during the night. You cannot shut your mind off from what the spotters are telling you. There is good information for the drivers. It is required to multitask.
The sports car teams teach NASCAR a lot about road racing and the NASCAR teams can teach IMSA teams about spotting for the drivers. Rene Rast in the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 has lost touch with the sister car #24 of Dries Vanthoor. The LED lights on top and around the grille are for spotters to see who is there. In Corvette land, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia are lurking behind their rivalscurrently. Mustang, Ferrari 296 GT3, and BMW M4 GT3 ahead.
Globally, there are many ideas of selling the new GT3 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Lexus and Mercedes, Telitz vs. Morad, this is for the lead in GT Daytona regular. Mercedes #57 passes the #12 Lexus. That is tire life. Pipo Derani continues to lead after putting Action Express Cadillac on pole last weekend in qualifying at the Roar. Cadillac, Porsche, Acura. The Cadillac seems to be working well in every condition. Tom Blomqvist talked about that very thing. Pit stop time for the #31 Action Express Cadillac and the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Global Acura. Ditto for the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac. Gar Robinson is very encouraged by his and his team's performance for the first time in LMP2.
Porsche and Kevin Estre now the erstwhile leader with the #6 Porsche 963. #6 now pitting. So are Jordan Taylor, Rene Rast, and Alessio Picariello. Pit stop time for Penske, Andretti Global/Wayne Tatlor #40, Proton Competition, BMW Team RLL. The ebb and flow of pit strategy. A massive traffic jam on the high banks. George Kurtz stymied begind the GT Daytona battle between the the Lamborghini, the Lexus, the Mercedes, and we have in the Pro class, the #65 Mustang and the #19 Lamborghini of Bortolotti and Pipo Derani, the leader, looking for a way by through this lapped traffic.
He knows Kevin Estre is also mired in traffic. We are racing coast to coast from Daytona Beach, Florida, to Fresno, California. Pipo Derani has opened a 2.2 second lead out on Kevin Estre in the Porsche. Korthoff Motorsports in the pit lane. Maxi Gotz out of the car and a new driver going into the car. We don't know who it will be. Either Mikael Grenier, Mike Skeen, or Kenton Koch. I think it might be Mikael Grenier in the car. Grenier is shorter than Skeen or Koch. The first out lap on cold tires is like driving on ice. Be careful.
No tire warmers allowed. The GTP tire is very sustainable and so is this year's GTD tire. This is Michelin's modus operandi. 80% of the VP Racing Fuel is also sustainable. But, there is still petroleum in it. Sebastien Bourdais right on Josef Newgarden's six and Newgarden slams the door in his face! Bourdais had a better head of steam off turn five and now we have someone off the road through the Le Mans chicane, the #20 High Class Racing LMP2 of Dennis Andersen. Bourdais on the inside of Newgarden and Bourdais holds on for fourth place.
Jordan Taylor has now handed the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Global Acura ARX-06 to Jenson Button. Closing in on this race being eight hours old, 1/3rd of the way through. #40 is averaging the longest drive time behind the wheel than the rest of their drivers, getting more rest for their drivers. I see. Jenson Button will race a Porsche 963 in the FIA World Endurance Championship and of course raced with Hendrick Motorsports at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Cedric Sbirazzuoli is penalized for improper fuel fill, and he has taken a penalty for that.
Yikes! That was a close shave between the #10 Acura and another car. We are ending the eighth hour. Derani leads Estre by seven seconds.
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