Into the final hour of this motor race. Penske Porsche taking stops under yellow and they can go full bore for 54 minutes. Tandy can go flat out. No real wind, 6 miles an hour out of the southwest. Cloudy, 75 degrees, 84% humidity. It was a deluge and a downpour earlier today. #7 Porsche in pit lane. Felipe Nasr not happy. He is thinking of the championship picture. Nasr in damage control. Lights out on the safety car. We are going to be in for a fight to the finish. Green flag. Louis Deletraz and company won the 12 Hours of Sebring back in March. Deletraz punches it and he's gone. Connor De Philippi stacked behind the #5 Porsche 963 of Gianmaria Bruni, the Proton Competition car. Tom Dillman leads LMP2. Mike Rockenfeller applying the heat to Laurin Heinrich and so is Jack Hawksworth in the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3.
Felipe nasr has to pick his moment. With the steering out, turning that Porsche 963 will be an ice cream headache. Robby Foley in the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 pushing for P2 in GTD on Kenton Koch in the #32 Korthoff Presto Mercedes and he makes the move but here comes Koch! He tucks into the draft and tries sending it! Contact! Oh man! Koch forcing the issue! No dice. He is hung out to dry. He is helping Winward Racing a fellow Mercedes team in GT Daytona. We saw debris off the GT car, the #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin of Spencer Pumpelly. Excuse me, the #23 Heart of Racing car of Ross Gunn has lost bodywork with just 52 minutes left on the board.
Antonio Fuoco in Ferrari #47 all over Loris Spinelli in the #78 Lamborghini. Antonio Fuoco is a Le Mans overall winner for Ferrari in FIA World Endurance this year. Matt Bell battles with Kay van Berlo, the #13 AWA Corvette and the #90 Kellymoss Racing Porsche 911 GT3R. Louis Deletraz is coasting to dave fuel in the #40 Acura with a lap advantage over the two BMW M Hybrid V8's. Matthieu Jaminet and Phil Hanson are moving up. Phillip Eng just uncorks the fastest lap of the race. BMW going for a podium and a win.
They have not won in a long time. They are trying to break their duck with the #24 who has never won. Now, Deletraz is lifting and coasting to save fuel and in LMP2, it is a fierce scrap between Spike the Dragon and Nicklas Nielsen in the #88 AF Corse car who is a lap down and he spins Matty Brabham out who spins 360 after 360! That's three 360s for Matty Brabham! Gosh. Nielsen put him on the tilt a whirl and now, Phillip Eng passes Connor De Philippi in the battle of the factory BMW prototypes!
They are tired of knowing they have not had a podium. Shades of the middle point at Sebring back in March with BMW going after Acura for a victory. Acura got it at Sebring. BMW wants it. You know they do. Munich and the bosses will be having a Captain Cook at all of this. Eng has passed Deletraz and now Eng is caught up in GT Daytona traffic! Acura's backing up as he is in fuel save and now, the BMW boys are in full attack mode, throwing the kitchen sink at this. 45 minutes remaining in the motor race. 75% energy remaining in the tank.
Hard to save energy with other rivals right on your six. Deletraz does not want a yellow. Eng passed Deletraz through turn 13 back onto the speedway banking. The #52 of Tom Dillman is in to take it to the end on another fuel fill. 44 minutes to go. BMW 1-2. That has not happened since 2013 in the Grand Am championship the year before the unification of sports car racing to create the new IMSA. Fuel save is key for the #40 WTR Andretti Acura team. A splash and dash for the BMW's would cost them 45 seconds right at the end of the race. A yellow changes everything.
Deletraz, if he has to go on fuel save, the Porsche's are coming, Jaminet and Hanson, Penske and JDC-Miller. The sun beginning to set here at Indianapolis. Good run for the factory Ford Mustang's with a stacked lineup of drivers amongst their two cars. They had a podium at VIR in the GT sprint race last time out. Jack Hawksworth and Antonio Garcia not far behind. Lexus vs. Corvette. Garcia inside Hawksworth and no dice this time. Some clean racing between these two. Veterans who know what they are doing and now, Garcia tries it and can't get the crossover. Be careful. GTP Porsche's ahead and behind.
\Hawksworth takes the line away from the Corvette as we see a stopped car, the beleaguered #56 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 with Toni Vilander at the wheel of it, Ferrari ambassador, no longer a factory driver. He ran Ferrari Challenge here at Indianapolis last weekend and Anders Fjordbach spins the #86 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R. Fjordbach, the Dane, sharing with Kerong Li from China and Brendon Leitch from New Zealand. Leitch, a veteran GT3 driver in Lamborghini's making his first WeatherTech Championship start.
Half an hour to go at Indianapolis. BMW 1-2 as Connor De Philippi is back in the fight racing his teammate Phillip Eng. Mikkel Jensen takes the LMP2 lead from Paul di Resta. He cannot keep pace and runs wide and off the road! There's trouble for the Scotsman and now, Connor Zilisch makes the pass. He locked up the right front releasing the brakes. Mikkel Jensen and TDS Racing leads LMP2. The battle for the overall win is between the two BMW's with Louis Deletraz lurking along with the sole contending Penske Porsche 963 of Matthieu Jaminet, the #6 car. BMW have not podiumed and have not won.
The #25 car won on a disqualification at the 6 Hours of the Glen in 2023 but have not won anything fair and square yet. The energy data on the telemetry is pretty equal. Oh dear. Ben Hanley slowing in the #2 Oreca LMP2 car and is now refired and in limp home mode. Mikkel Jensen taking the #11 TDS Racing entry. They won this race last year in the sprint event. "Rexy" the dinosaur leading GTD Pro. They have been up and down all weekend with a pole and a ride height infraction and now working their way through the field and a great pit stop last time, beating everyone out of the pit lane trying to get "Rexy" a win at Indianapolis.
The two BMW drivers, are they on a fuel saving strategy? Yes. Everyone wonders and Philipp Eng asks if they can make it on fuel. It is a tight strategy for them. The top three are all in fuel saving mode with half an hour to go. Predictions tell us that the BMW's could be a lap shy on fuel and the #6 Porsche 963 of Matthieu Jaminet has more energy and is closing in on Louis Deletraz who makes contact with Chaz Mostert, the Australian, in the #75 SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG GT3 makes contact with the Acura and spins through the grass!
Tgat;s tge diabolical chicane at turn five forcing the issue on the outside and Mostert could have given it up as well. A big clonk to the #40 Acura of Louis Deletraz, and Mikkel Jensen is going for it and not saving any petrol. The BMW boys are hoping to bring it home. They need this result. They are based near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so this is a home race. They want a victory. Connor De Philippi can save fuel in the draft and maintain the gap as the #57 Winward Mercedes gets mugged by the #18 Era Motorsports Oreca LMP2 of Connor Zilisch. Zilisch is being penalized by the stewards for making contact with Paul di Resta in the #22 United Autosports Oreca.
The #22 came down pit lane being black flagged to change the nose, they got the meatball, the mechanical black flag with the orange dot. The BMW goes outside the racing line to pass Felipe Nasr in the #7 Penske Porsche 963 who is running slow due to power steering trouble. Ross Gunn takes the spot away from the #3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Ross Gunn runs third in GTD Pro. The BMWs are down to 40% energy. De Philippi just sends it right around, zapping past the GT cars! Blimey! 20 minutes to go. BMW have not won, nor have they had a podium in 2024.
There's been tons of pressure in the BMW organization in GTP. BMW are showing speed, strategy, and reliability. How hard will the teammates battle for a win at Indianapolis in these last 18 minutes? Philipp Eng asks about saving fuel. No need to save fuel. They are fine to the end. Mano e mano between the BMW teammates. Let them race. They are not contending for a championship. An endurance race win at Indianapolis would be a feather in their hat. Mikkel Jensen leading LMP2 but he will have to scythe his way carefully through the GTD Pro and GTD cars as Laurin Heinrich continues leading in GTD Pro.
The Porsche 911 GT3R (992) has been strong, and they could have a 79 point lead headed for the finale at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta as Connor De Phillipi is getting closer and closer, saving more energy in the draft, but he loses downforce and burns off the tires if he gets closer. Deletraz in the #40 Acura hits pit lane. The BMW boys are getting better mileage. Now, Mathieu Jaminet is third in the #6 Penske Porsche 963 as the #88 AF Corse LMP2 car swerves and blocks the #8 Tower Motorsports Oreca as well, of Charlie Eastwood, the Irishman. Maybe the BMW's are getting better mileage. Maybe not. 30% energy for Deletraz. 15 minutes left on the board.
Matthieu Jaminet running third. Does BMW have it in the bag? Getting down to the nitty gritty. The two BMW's working through traffic. Phillip Eng vs. Connor De Philippi. BMW teammates going for the win. Keep an eye on the #6 Porsche 963 of Matthieu Jaminet. The Porsche could pounce if the BMW boys get tangled up. Jaminet moves past the lapped #01 Cadillac of Sebastien Bourdais. Jaminet has 5% more energy left. Yikes! More lapped cars as now De Philippi closes on Eng! He has the power in the tow. Are they allowed to race?
Victory very important for BMW coming off their first podium in FIA WEC in Fuji, Japan. Squeezing the teammates, Eng defends and keeps the lead. Keeping the lead the most important thing but De Philippi could have made a pig's breakfast out of that. In the shadows, the #01 Ganassi Racing Cadillac of Sebastien Bourdais. If the #01 can unlap himself with a short yellow he could pass but he is three laps down, so it won't work. Nine minutes now left on the board. Jaminet has fallen off the hot pace, three seconds behind.
The BMW team battle is on. Eng has to time the GT Daytona traffic including Jan Heylen leading in the GTD class, the #120 car. Connor De Philippi flashing the lights. 15% energy remaining for the BMW's. De Philippi right on Eng's six. Rng will get stacked up. Deletraz was penalized for spinning the SunEnergy1 Mercedes earlier, the Chaz Mostert car. Jaminet gets balked behind Hawksworth for a second. Eng has a comfortable lead over De Philppi, as well as Bourdais and Jaminet. Porsche #7 still slow. Felipe Nasr still struggling with power sterring woes.
Nasr and company will have only 14 points in the lead headed to Petit Le Mans. Felipe Nasr bracing his elbows on the sidepods and wrestling the wheel. Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr, would only be ahead by 14 points headed for the Petit Le Msns at Road Atlanta. Driving with no power steering is horrible because you are wrenching the wheel and the steering is incredibly heavy. His hands are cramping up. For the final step on the GTD Pro podium, Jack Hawksworth losing the rear end grip on the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus and so Ross Gunn is catching up in the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin.
The sister #27 listed in GTD Pro tried being a blocker and it didn't work. Hawksworth loos like he is from the cast of the "Peaky Blinders" TV show. Now, here's a move on the outside and Hawksworth protects and then Garcia tags Gunn and puts the Aston Martin and Gunn on the back foot! Oh man! Three laps to go. No chance to manage the clock. Philipp Eng and Connor De Philippi both have just five percent energy left in the tank. Sebastien Bourdais and Matthieu Jaminet are catching up. BMW does not want to do an extra lap before the end,
Will the BMW boys be forced to save fuel? The team is calm. cool. and collected. Garcia side by side with Hawksworth and Ross Gunn wants a bite of the cherry! Garcia right on Hawksworth's tail! He shoves it to the inside and Ross Gunn has a head of steam. Hawksworth loses two places but he pushes Ross Gunn into the clag on the outside! Can Hawksworth respond? White flag next time by. BMW Team RLL have not been on a podium all year. They are based in Indianapolis and could win at home. Do they have enough energy for two and a half more miles?
Connor De Philippi at zero percent! Bourdais in the #01 Cadillac is hanging tough. Can he move over and let Matthieu Jaminet go by in the #6 Porsche? De Philipi flashing the high beams. Here comes Jaminet. Can the BMW's make it without coughing and sputtering? It's the final few corners. Philipp Eng and Jesse Krohn win the Battle on the Bricks! Mikkel Jensen and company win LMP2. AO Racing and "Rexy" wins GTD Pro! A third gold tooth for "Rexy". Jan Heylen, Adam Adelson, and Elliott Skeer win GT Daytona for Wright Motorsports!
Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, and Jake Walker finish second in GTD Pro in the #96 Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 with one race to go.
Overall/GTP: #24 Krohn/Eng BMW Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8
LMP2: #11 Thomas/Jensen/McElrea TDS Racing Oreca 07
GT Daytona Pro: #77 Heinrich/Christensen AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
GT Daytona: #120 Adelson/Skeer/Heylen Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
That's it from "The Brickyard". The home team, BMW Team RLL, based in Indiana, kisses the bricks here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ...And then, there was one. The season finale. The Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, is the final event on the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship calendar, coming up in three weeks. Join us there. Yours truly will be on vacation over the race weekend. When I return, rest assured, you will hear all about how Petit Le Mans turns out. Do stay tuned, everyone. So long from "The Brickyard". Take care. Bye bye.
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