PETIT LE MANS CAN CORVETTE CLINCH THE CROWN? MILNER AND GAVIN ON THE VERGE OF TITLE SUCCESS How the Wet was Won and fellow Michelin fitted GTLM the following lap. As a result, on each Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet’s overall competitors. restart, all of the remaining Prototypes, race victory in the 2015 Petit Le Mans Before long they were slicing even cars that were several laps down, at Road Atlanta aboard a GTLM class through the Prototype Challenge field were back in front of all of the GT Porsche 911 RSR will stand as one of the and nibbling at the top Prototype class. leaders. greatest upsets in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship history. The Pit Stop Shuffle Breakthrough Starting 35th in the 37 car field But each time that the Porsches, Finally, mid-way through the race, a after a qualifying infraction, Tandy Corvettes, Ferrari and BMWs, fitted with long green flag run enabled the GTLM and Pilet began the race trailing 18 GT the latest Michelin WEC series wet tires, cars to pass the Prototypes and re- entries that in turn started 30 seconds worked toward the overall race leader, emerge in the front group after their behind the 16 Prototype and Prototype their gains were negated by various own pit stops. Challenge class entries. incidents requiring caution periods and On lap 125, the No. 4 Corvette took They didn’t stay there very long as the appearance of the safety car to reset the overall race lead. At that point the Road Atlanta circuit caught the rains the field. GTLM cars held the top four overall race from the trailing edge of a major storm. Under IMSA rules, the Prototype positions. The wet track played to the and PCs may pit on the first lap that the advantage of their Porsche teammates pits are open. GTs are allowed to pit on HOW THE WET WAS WON Defining the timing The end game In the Books With technical rules designed to As the race moved into darkness, and Through the years, the Dodge Viper, maintain a stratification between the the GTLM cars led by Tandy’s Porsche Corvette Racing and TRG Porsche GT four IMSA classes, a Prototype lap at gained the upper hand, the Prototype teams have all scored well-deserved Road Atlanta should be proximately six leading Action Express team split its overall race wins in the Rolex 24 At seconds quicker than a GTLM lap. strategies on a caution period, leaving Daytona as their pace, reliability and At stages during the 2015 race, the the No. 31 car of Dane Cameron out and the attrition of the Prototypes saw them GTLM cars had not only overcome that pitting the No. 5 of Christian Fittipaldi. prevail. margin, but gained an additional two to Before long, Tandy moved his This one was different. Very three seconds per lap. Porsche into the lead with a bold different. In the wet, a top driver, like Tandy, outside pass into turn one. When the At the 2015 Petit Le Mans, the will leverage the Porsche’s rear mounted No. 24 BMW moved into second place, GTLM Porsche of Tandy and Pilet and engine and weight distribution to the game was essentially over and as the second place overall No. 24 BMW maximize traction out of the turns. For conditions deteriorated, IMSA officials of John Edwards, Lucas Luhr and Jens others, a well-balanced car was enough had little choice but to call the race after Klingmann simply out ran the entire to leverage their tires. seven hours and 51 minutes. field. 2 UP FOR GRABS Way Ahead of Schedule On the Ford Performance Chip Ganassi Racing end of the paddock, the first season There will be new GTLM class IMSA WeatherTech Champions in 2016 of competition for the stunning new Ford GTs with the ultra-successful factory teams from Corvette Racing and Ford Chip has exceeded all but the wildest expectations. Ganassi Racing locked in a see-saw battle. Briscoe and Westbrook claimed the first The 2015 champions from Porsche North America and drivers Nick victory for the Ford GT at Mazda Raceway Tandy and Patrick Pilet have staged a valiant defense against the Laguna Seca and backed it up with consecutive Corvettes and the new 2016 entries from BMW, Ferrari and Ford. wins at Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Pilet and Tandy have a victory at Long Beach and teammates Earl Motorsport Park. Bamber and Frederic Makowiecki won at Circuit of The Americas, as Their Ford CGR teammates Joey Hand and Dirk the hungry Porsche team looks to back up their 2015 race win here Müller, joined by Sebastien Bourdais, are looking at Road Atlanta. for a first WeatherTech Championship win, having While Chevrolet holds a commanding 20 point lead in the celebrated Ford’s return with a milestone victory at Le manufacturer battle, the WeatherTech Championship GTLM driver Mans in June. The chance to add a championship in its and team titles are very much in play. first season would add to the legend. Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner hold an 11 point edge in the GTLM driver standings over archrivals My Turn Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook of Ford Chip Ganassi Desperate to claim their first 2016 GTLM class wins this Racing heading into the 10 hour season finale here at Road season are two teams with records of success at Road Atlanta; Atlanta. BMW Team RLL and Risi Competizione Ferrari. BMW has pairs of 2016 poles and fastest race laps, but Bill Back to the Front Auberlen and Dirk Werner in the No. 25 BMW and the star-crossed Milner and Gavin are looking to put away their No. 100 of Lucas Luhr and John Edwards are anxious to convert the second championship (2012) in five seasons. BMW’s pace into a race win. After snapping a dreary 21 race winless streak The three-time Petit Le Mans winning Risi Competizione Ferrari with a victory in the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hour race, team of Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander appeared poised for Gavin and Milner showed the magic was back as victory after dominating much of the recent race at Circuit of The they opened the 2016 WeatherTech Championship Americas only to be gutted by an electrical glitch. with victories at Daytona and Sebring. They scored again at Lime Rock and Road Top of the Top America, the latter two the 100th and 101st “All the guys in the (GTLM) class are tough to race against,” said Milner. wins respectively for the Corvette Racing “This class gets more competitive every year and you think ‘how is that factory team. possible?’” Corvette teammates Jan Magnussen “It’s rewarding to get wins in this class, even podiums are special,” said and Antonio Garcia took the victory at VIR Milner. “We keep pushing each other and elevating each other’s game.” and stand third in the points. Game on. 3 DAYTONA PROTOTYPE FAREWELL The 2016 Petit Le Mans manufacturers and teams saw the (ALMS) was announced in the fall marks the end of an era in North speed, safety and affordability of of 2012. American Sports Car racing for the the DPs established. There were 17 Each series would operate Daytona Prototypes. DPs on the grid at the Rolex 24 in separately in 2013 and then join Looking to establish a fast, safe 2004. together in a combined new series and affordable class of Prototypes At peak, there were 29 DPs in for the 2014 season. for the GRAND–AMERICAN Rolex the GRAND-AM field, with Pontiac, The difficulty in executing Sports Car Series, founder Jim BMW, Lexus, Porsche, Toyota, that plan became evident as the France, Brumos team owner Chevrolet and Ford arriving at respective series took to the track Bob Snodgrass and driver Hurley various stages. in separate sessions and races in a Haywood roughed out the Competition was close and 2013 double-header weekend at framework. popular favorites like the Gainsco Road America. The gap from the Fabcar’s Dave Klym created Red Dragon and the Chip Ganassi ALMS pole winning LMP2 car to the the first copies and the DPs soon Racing entries and driver Scott pole winning DP was 6.2 seconds became a foundational part of the Pruett emerged. per lap. series platform. As series officials analyzed From just six DPs on the grid A Crossroads that weekend’s timing and data, for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in The merger of the GRAND- they quickly recognized additional 2003, the DP ranks quickly grew as AM and American Le Mans Series challenges. 4 DAYTONA PROTOTYPE FAREWELL The pro drivers in the Pro-Am based ALMS two championships in 2014 and 2015. They are Prototype Challenge cars were marginally quicker locked in a tight WeatherTech Championship than the DPs and the factory based GT cars were battle with teammates Eric Curran and Dane only two seconds back. Cameron who hold a slim lead with the Whelen Trying to establish a stratification for the four liveried DP heading into classes in the new series with a unified Prototype Road Atlanta. class, PCs, GT Le Mans and GT Daytona cars meant The VisitFlorida that the DPs needed significant updates to be Racing team with competitive with the ALMS LMP2 cars in the new drivers Marc top class. Goossens and Ryan Dalziel Getting out the Checkbook remains highly It is an axiom of racing that speed costs competitive and money. Making up a six second gap would be the Wayne very expensive.