2023 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120

[Music] the Michelin Pilot Challenge on imsa radio part of the radio show limited network we could not have a better day and better surroundings in which to go racing steam submission and pilot Challenge on the immortal Corsa to Monterey powered by Hyundai weekend of course we're at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca one of the great tracks around the world and a brilliant place for spectators and four cars we're on the west coast of America just outside Salinas and just from Monterey itself we have 11 Corners 2.238 miles or 3.602 kilometers and the names tell the story Andretti hairpin rear Hull straight uh Rainey curve at turn nine and turns 18. that of course we don't call them that we call it the corkscrew and they are famous maybe Infamous around the world for the challenge that their paws to teams drivers and suspension Engineers hello everybody I'm John hindoff in the imsa global broadcast Center the cars are rolling and Jeremy Shaw is alongside me in the global broadcast Center Adam is in a an empty pit Lane now that's good news everybody is out of the pit Lane exactly the first important step to getting this race underway is making sure that all of our race cars take to track and we were correct in our presumption that the number 11 will sport Mercedes was not on the grid they will not be taking part in today's race but everybody else is rolling out on the track 2.238 miles they've got two pay slaps the first one they pack up the second one they pair up coming out of turn six so we are going to see cars potentially side by side through the corkscrew uh yeah I'm up yet to believe that that will happen now the will sport car was involved in an incident yesterday Gary Ferreira uh for will Sports it and Mercedes mg GT4 uh with one of the team TGM cars they're both back uh the the TGM cars are in the race the will sports cars not but it's been a big week for team TGM it's been a huge week for team TGM and for Ted Giovannis and the jktg foundation this week they announced a 35 million dollar donation to the John Hopkins Institute to try and find a cure for metastatic cancer now tejiovannis has always been about going outside of the box trying to find different ways to cure cancer because the ones that we have haven't worked yet so Ted saying this week 35 million is what they will be donating that is huge if you don't have a car to share for in this field I think that just earned your favoritism don't you think is the man who of course who took a break for bracing to help with the fight against kovid as well let's uh not forget a couple of seasons ago well great news from a very socially aware Paddock that we have in imsa racing uh not just here in the Michelin Pilot challenge but lots of great stories whether well it's just starting to cool down a tiny bit we had temperatures in the mid to high 40 Celsius 115 Fahrenheit on the track and mid 70s in the air Fahrenheit mid-20s Celsius we are 43 Celsius at the moment and 22 in the air that's 109 Fahrenheit on the track and 72 in the air so Jeremy Shaw temperatures coming down which is good news for the tire engineers at least even in this two-hour race yeah that's right it's a beautiful conditions are absolutely perfect for going racing here good for all the cars perfect weather Great race track what more could you want here this track is it's hard on tires it was supposed to be resurfaced for this event but with all the rain we've had in California this winter that didn't happen so it could be resurfaced after this event so the old track surface here the cars slide around here and they really do chew up the tires so tired degradation and type preservation for the drivers is going to be an issue during this two hour race cars packing up down towards the end of the second formation lap the end of a Super Saturday my goodness we've packed some excitement in today but we're not finished yet 120 Minutes of all out side by side door to door wheel to wheel door mirror to door mirror action coming your way for the imsa Michelin Pilot Challenge and we're green at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and the GS cars charged down all 21 of them to the Andretti hairpin now the tcrs come to the line 13 of them are side by side looks like the world's biggest scalextric meeting as they come to the line brilliant start from all of them and at the front of the field it is still Austin mccuska for vanished air racing holding on for the Aston Martin in the Gs category from rs1 and the green Porsche behind them the number 28 car Eric felgeras for rs1 and at the front of the TCR field watching about 17 different things at once the debut for the new Honda Civic fl-5 TCR based on the fl5 Civic Type R of course and that is still leading Matt pomball gets the decent start from Mason Felipe and Harry gotzaka part of the whole in the race Big Move early on from the number 95 of Cameron Lawrence as he went down the inside of Kenny Murillo in the in the Chrome Orange number 72 Marilla racing and didn't get that one Dooney dropped back into the clutches of uh that would be but could be back later racing wouldn't it a Jensen Olson he's made up a couple of places pretty sensible start Jeremy Shaw as we complete the first lap for the GS cars yeah nice clean start there great effort there by Austin mccoska I mean this is only his third start in a GT4 guys not experiencing all sorts of different cars in the past was brought up on a diet of Open Wheel racing but then made the switch to lmp3s a few years ago he won the imsa Prototype challenge uh what three or four years ago now he's been racing in Europe for the last couple of years but this year making his debut in the Michelin Pilot Challenge and here is just his third start on the pole position they're a really good first clean lap for Austin mccuska leading this race 25 year old from Glenn head on the Long Island New York Global broadcast Center if you are happy to watch and or listen settle back and enjoy the next couple of hours after half midnight in the UK half one in Europe sure many of you joining us after the Eurovision song contest congratulations to Sweden and a second time winner in terms of their artist only the second time that's happened and that means that the contest next year will be in Stockholm in Sweden 50 years after Abba's win in Brighton set them on their way at the stardom if you are just joining us thank you and as I say settling we've got just as much excitement and Sparkle and Star Quality as you've been watching over the last few hours and already some drama as well for the 46 TGM Aston Martin picked up one of the Michelin banners swerving left and what right for you Plum trying to get rid of that from the front of the car now he's picked that up coming out of the corpse group he might have to go into the pit Lane here and it'll fall off as he turns hard left into the pit Lane yeah he picked it up coming out of the corkscrew it looks a bit like the snow plow on the front of that cup and as he comes down the pit Lane Shay Adam that is still on the front of Hugh Plum's Clark Carr early disaster for the 46. it is still very much wedged on the front of the car and there's quite a bit of what appears to be sand leaking out either side of it is now it comes to a stop I have to turn my head to actually not get hit yeah one of the sandbags was still wedged in it I'm still not shocked that the dive planes are still on the front of this car left front turn left front wheel excuse me completely destroyed on this car so that was a puncture perhaps that sent him into that barrier but the trouble is he is still spinning the rear wheels this is going to be a further drive-through penalty for real spinning on the jack stand that is a horrible start to the race with barely four minutes gone into the two-hour contest and what an absolute nightmare that was for Hugh Plum well try and work out and maybe she can have a word with the team and find out how that started but it was uh I think just coming out of the now and we've also got the other TGM car moving slowly at the moment and Ted Giovannis now I thought it would treatment qualified that car and dude started so then so they must have gone to the back German yeah I mean they started well down the order I think I think surprisingly the car currently qualified I think in 16th position uh and so they've elected to go to their their normal strategy which was uh to start with the Ted Giovannis and then uh Owen will take over at uh at the 45 minute Mark in this two hour race but yeah so uh not the long laps this weekend uh has Ted and he's struggling in the early stages falling back now through the TCR feel sure Adam is still down at TGM in the pit Lane what a horrible start to the race for the team that we were mentioning as we were on the formation lap Shay and one of the problems there was there was a huge amount of debris wrapped around the front stump axle yeah and they had to actually take a hacksaw to cut that rubber away they did manage to get it it was a giant Clump that they had to remove and now their pit boxes dirty as well because sand from the sandbag that was hit but I would I'm not a detective I'm not Joe Bradley I would say there was a tire issue that led to Hugh going off the track it will be a drive-through though this time by Perfume for those spinning on the blue wheels whale spinning whilst on the Jacks whilst elevated slam dunk penalty uh two Plum will have to come back in I think he has already lost a lap or two yes he's lost to a lap a full lap he loses another one when he comes in for each drive through I think and that is not the way he wanted to start he's just heading up to the scene of the crime and the corkscrew now might want to stay out for his three laps and try and put as much room as he can between himself and Austin mcguska a vanished her racing and which in which case he might get away without losing another lap he's got three laps Jeremy or three times by before he has to come in and serve that penalty stop scoring but uh yeah it's been a disastrous start to the race for that team TGM but at the front of the field also in Aston Martin Austin mccoska is really doing it a bang-up job here really impressed by Austin I mean I can say very little experience in these cars the deal for him and uh fellow youngster uh Rory vanderser to drive this car this year came relatively late but he's clearly learned very very quickly and Austin he's pacing the field now and just holding you know holding the station at the front he doesn't want he wants to make sure he doesn't push too hard in the early stages for the reason you mentioned earlier on so so difficult to know what the right balance is between pace and holding on to your Michelin Tires you overheat the tire it's really really difficult to get it back and we are in that sort of area with the track temperature still in triple figures Fahrenheit 109 Fahrenheit stopping just a little bit 43 Celsius on the track the only good thing about this older tarmac is it is such a light gray color is as the Sun starts to starts to sink and it's not direct sunlight on it it does give up its heat rather rather quickly also if you get a CL even if you just get a single Cloud going across it again the track temperature tends to drop very quickly however we're on the Monterey Peninsula we don't get a lot of clouds here at this particular time of year which is why we have lovely weather all right we've got a problem on the front straight somebody going very slowly in day chair Adam can see that from her vantage point at the pit Lane what's going on defending race winner that would be the Alfa Romeo number five Roy block and Tim Lewis Jr they've won this race a couple of times that was a very slow exit from turn 11. it looked like the alpha took a beat before it got going once again there wasn't a spin as far as I could see but that is an issue potentially for our defending race leader you lead a TCR and that was Harry gotzak at making the classic move going up the hill on the real straight into turn eight at eight a the corkscrew that was I mean textbook stuff there by the uh number 33 excuse me that was the 33 car uh leading in yes now leading in TCR Harry got Saga ahead of Matt pomball and Matt pombo immediately Jeremy dropping three four five cars lengths behind the leader and we've got pit Stoppers coming in early from the TCR category that's uh Victor Gonzalez in the dark gray colors of the Honda Civic That's the older fk7 car it is new colors on the car for this weekend uh they've they've had various Gremlins the first couple weekends so change things up a new color scheme but uh already uh out of the fifth position into the pits is Victor Gonzalez dark gray and white for that Civic the number 99 VG RT and also coming in at the moment Rockwell Autosport Adam is down by the number 10. this is the uh the Audi RS3 sequential gearbox car what's going on there oh no and the team which have two varieties of the gearbox this weekend the sequential and the DSG as you rightly point out uh this is not good because the car has come in to a stop it is in its box driver is getting out and nothing is going on no work happening whatsoever maybe he was sitting on a belt maybe it was twisted weird something that simple ah sitting on the cool suit tubes perhaps let's see if he gets out and then gets back in yes he's gonna get back in so it might have been a nope never mind checking the window nut I thought this might have been a driver Comfort issue for Preston Brown but no they're closing the door and uh Preston he's gonna get back over the wall they just tapped him on the shoulder and he held up his hands in the international sign language to say I don't know it's not the Victor Gonzalez driven PG RT car they were looking at the left front on that car took the Michelin tire and wheel off that car but it looks like they were looking around again the front brake disc the rotor and the axle uh the stub axle on that car so already plenty it's all about as Harry gotsaka leads in TCR this pulled out two and a half seconds on Mark pompo so he's got the Habit out not worrying about his mission of ties at the front of the field Austin mccuska for vanish stir racing and Aston Martin has a second lead on the Porsche of Eric felgeras and then Kenny Murillo in the orange metallic Merlot racing number 72 Mercedes then the BMW of camera and Lawrence and how about a fifth different manufacturer in the top five with the Mustang of Jensen Altman and a six different manufacturer as Alfredo natri he's made his way up to sixth position Jeremy in the RV Motorsports Toyota gr super GT4 great variety yes great for Raj you're right and now she's made up a couple of positions in this early stages so good run for him and a good battle at the front uh of the field as the the closing on I think that's you Plum isn't it in the number 46 card or we're already a couple of laps down so add a contention here and potentially here the race Leader's got to try and find his way past and he's got Eric fulgaris filling his mirrors as well yeah he's one lap and uh almost two down he's he's just stopping himself going two laps down by about a car's length or sword in fact he does the decent thing and steers to drive is right as they go into turn five whilst that happened let's find out what's going down what's going on down in the pit Lane where sheer Adam has news from Rockwell Auto Sport development to their Audi number 10. a man whose name is above the door well personally Alex Rockwell Alex you were so excited about this season upcoming when we talked at Sebring this isn't the way they wanted to continue think going but what is it that is taking this number 10 Audi behind the wall that's some unusual electrical Gremlins we thought but then when we're disconnected the headlights some of the Gremlins went away but we still have fueling issue we changed everything from a high pressure fuel pump all the way through the rails to the plugs and it's just one of those things you gotta have time to figure it out we just don't have it in a race it's not fun to race like this so we're just retiring the car we still got more and more out there I'm getting my fingers crossed so hopefully talk to me in an hour and a half maybe I'll have some better news I'll keep that promise for you good luck Alex thank you thank you very much what an absolute nightmare and by the way uh Alan Prosser he of the demon screen grab and uh a bar keep extraordinaire as well as we now know the right front on the Victor Gonzalez a hunter didn't come up when the car was in the it looks like the onboard jacking system maybe didn't have enough pressure and that's what slowed down their pit stop at that car is now back into the race at six in 12th in TCR 30 seconds overall the battle at the front of the field continues Jeremy short with the top three about equidistant maybe three or four cars length when they are at full speed they concertina up of course under breaking but just underlining what you were seeing this is a fine drive by Austin mccuska in the lead after Martin for vanished air racing really nice yeah good consistent lap times at the moment uh mid 33s one minute 33.6 last time around 133-4 uh the lap before that so you know he's settling into a nice Rhythm here out in front of the field with this uh come up to complete this 10th lap uh and uh or you're all running absolutely to plan for him meanwhile back in TCR land we saw that pass made by Harry gottsacker and now he's uh having a battle there with one of the GS cards that's Frank Depew in the rebel rock racing Chevrolet that's a good bit quicker on the streets but not as quick through the corners as the two TCR cars yeah good point and tcrs are effectively one big wing and the leaders go to the left-hand side of the track into the left-hander at turn 11. nice work by the number 71 driver and that being Frank Depew stays out of the way that's not his fight he has got to try and stay on the lead lap in the next half an hour or so and try and hand that car over to Robin Liddell for the rapid Scotsman to bring home so that number 99 Victor Gonzalez car is running uh but it has dropped off the lead lap in class as by the way has Roy Block in the kfw Motorsports with TMR Alpha Romeo and if you hadn't caught what Cher said that the Rockwell Auto Sports number 10 Audi has gone behind the wall with that fool fuel pressure uh incident and that is terrible news for them the other car that's had early problems team T GM and Hue plum as oh hang on we've got the alpha into the pit Lane as well and this is not this is not uh standard is there something and there must be an issue with this Adam is watching the car coming to a halt they go for fuel and the right hand side rear door coming open there um not sure now the right hand side passenger door coming in they're taking the opportunity to put in 16 17 minutes of fuel that's being burnt that's a very odd one Adam down in the pit Lane any any I was uh no um they were planning on bringing Roy in though before he had entered into the pit but my consternation comes because you know how I like patterns John well in TCR the first two years it was an Audi that won then the next two years was a Hyundai that won last year it was the alpha that one so I thought surely the pattern has to continue not looking like that's gonna happen right now um so not great news but I will check in with uh Tim Lewis or maybe Kevin wheeler find someone to ask the question to maybe uh Malone that's just awful again for a car at the start of the race and uh Roy is back out and running again it's going to put them off strategy that the race might come back to them but they had been slow on the circuit uh just before they came into the pit Lane as they leaders are into turn four [Applause] hearing from the team [Music] at the 71 Camaro the rebel rock egregious rebel rock Urban grid car that Frank Depew is having a slight break issue apparently they've had it in pretty much every session and they just haven't been able to get to the bottom of it as the leaders of are at the bottom of the hill going up the rear Hall straight we'll get the Jeremy show in a moment for a look at some of the times but let's get back to share for an update on that Alpha early stop for kmw Motorsports with TMR engineering what was the problem for Roy block and the number five Alpha well the problem persists but what is located on the passenger side of the car cool suit that makes sense as to why they would open the door and perhaps fiddle with a little bit see if that made a difference turns out not a cool suit related issue they think they're losing their steering rack it the problem persists for Roy black out on the track [Music] it's not a circuit Jeremy where you want any problems with your power steering or a data steering Rock there's a a lot of uh there's a lot of quick Corners where that loads up and there's a lot of quick changes of direction as well as the leaders uh put a lap on Ted Giovannis who very kindly steers out the way and actually almost brings the car uh to uh halt as he goes into turn number two Jeremy's pretty unrelenting at the moment if people were talking about saving tires here uh normally tall Dawson mccuster Eric figueras and Kenny Murillo because they're cracking on yeah that means the dude 33 is still a 33-9 last time around for the race leader the the race slap record around here was set last year uh at a 30 what 30.9 so three seconds away from that yeah I think Austin's just managing his Pace at the moment he doesn't want to push too hard if he can if you can maintain that Gap and uh uh and the lead he'll be more than happy with that when he comes over to hand the cards and remove anster for the final stint in this race so there's no point in pulling out a big lead and then burning off your tires and having nothing in case there might be a full course caution or whatever so he's driving a really really nice race at the moments gets her in that second position and also Kenny Brewer 11 third too so it's cool to see these three different completely different cars Aston Martin with a Porsche and the Mercedes running just in lockstep at the moment and I think just you're just biding their time at this stage in the race we've got 21 minutes down only in the race so really halfway to when the pit stop window effectively opens because as you say that Jeremy they try and make a liar out of you and decide to turn up the wick and for a moment there's almost three across the track going into turn number three and the rs1 Eric fulgaris driven green and black cayman 7 18. was having a real go around the outside into the Andretti hairpin and these three have closed up now for Garrus thinks about going down the inside to turn number five and then thinks better of it that's 7 18 looks absolutely tiny compared to the Aston Martin that's a mid-engine car of course engine hidden away where the back seats would be even if you look at the road car version you can't see the engine you have to get underneath the car to actually see the engine there's nowhere to actually access it from the the hatchback behind the uh the driver whereas the two cars either side of it both with the Fiat twin turbocharged engine are front engine cars it's more of the traditional Grand tourer look for both the Aston Martin Vantage and the Mercedes and in fact the Aston Martin shares the AMG engine although all with a little mistake there by Kenny Murillo just dropped the right hand side michelins on the dirt coming out of 11 and that kicked the car sideways and dragged him further sideways uh further to the right excuse me as he came out of there yeah Aston Martin using the AMG engine they have a technical partnership with them for their roads and Street their roads stroke street cars and their racing cars but were very are impressed when that's first happened a few years ago and somewhat surprised at how much they were allowed to Aston eyes that engine that's I know that's not a word but you know what I mean how much they were allowed to to tune the engine themselves not just with electronics as well with some internal components and this battle for the lead now heads up the hill coming towards some more lapped traffic at the moment and that would be uh probably block can't be too far up the road from them at the moment it's their heads of the top ads uh the corkscrew Jeremy yeah you know it's it's interesting that Cameron Lawrence is slipping back a little bit in the fourth position in the number 95 tournaments what BMW he's uh for about three seconds behind the three leaders at the moment there's been one in TCR Harry got second has pulled out a substantial advantage over his now team-mate in second place Mason Philippine color 98 Matt pombo has fallen more than 10 seconds behind the leader the pole sitter in third position in to launder World Racing uh brand new Honda Civic calendar 37. so already problems for Hugh plum in the team TGM car he's dropped off the laid lap and we've still got problems for in TCR the number five Alpha and that car slow again from the top of the hill so whatever was ailing that car and in fact that steering issue still not sorted it's not going to fix itself is it it's back in the pit Lane we'll let keep an eye on that we've already lost the Rockwell Auto Sport developments machine behind the wall with fuel pressure problems and we had a non-starter in the ship that will Sports EMG GT4 Gary Ferreira and the team that car involved in an incident in free practice yesterday and not able to be repaired he here on uh on the grounds of the circuit so I did not take to the traffic qualifying or the race today control I'll delete for Roy block and the alpha hoping that will solve their steering issues back out on the track of orbit Austin mccuska by half a second then another second back to from Eric fagaras to Kelly Marilla and as you mentioned Jeremy she'll start to see a little bit of a breakaway nearly three seconds now between Kenny Murillo and fourth place Turner Motorsport BMW uh Cameron Lawrence who's got Alfredo naturally for Javier Motorsports for company uh top five cars still different manufacturers yeah that's right and uh the uh Alfredo nadry having got past uh Sean McAllister we've got seven or eight laps to go now he's pulled away and a pretty good clip now he's put four seconds between himself and McAllister He's really challenging for that fourth position with the Cameron Morris Hazard at the moment but Alfredo and nadri wants it and he's trying really hard to get it he was challenging down into the hairpin [Music] so you know they're heading up the hill there that three-car battle continues in the for the leave of this race message Philippines got up into second position makes it a 1-2 in TCR for Hyundai Elantra and Brian herder Autosport Matt Pond for the full sitter has dropped back uh a few seconds now in third position remember that's the broadcast team will be nominating our Michelin moment of the race for both t c r and GS and Adam has more news and it's not good news I'm afraid from down in the pit Lane Shay what do you have the little Alpha has gone behind the wall so the issue was not solved with the control alt delete and it looks like the steering rack is going to claim a victim [Music] electronic or electrically operated steering racks quite normal nowadays on street cars and indeed race cars hence the control all delayed sometimes that just shocks the system into being right again not work that safety issue of course you can't be risking that particularly not on a circuit not on any circuit really but certainly not here at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna say yeah so a clean start to the race he says Crossing his fingers and uh making sure that I've got me all the lucky bits and pieces around me as I say that and it is still then green flag racing fast slap of the race some time ago to the rs1 portion set into 132 498 and Harry got sat in leading TCR has the fastest TCR lap of the race on a 1338 so a little slower than the lap records but that temperature of the track now just starting to drop a wee bit down to 41 Celsius 106 Fahrenheit let's see if that produces a little bit more speed as we come through to what around halfway through the stint for the tcrs a little more than that for the gs's at 15 minutes Jeremy still to go for minimum drive time in the categories yeah that's right and a really interesting battle going on there at the front of the field and Kenny murler was held up briefly there by the uh by Dr will Talley in the the second of the Honda World Civics That's the older fk7 bodied car but it's still mccoska who leads and Phil Garris saw the content to following his Wheel tracks at this stage can't imagine it's going to be long before we start seeing some warnings handed out for track limits it's turn five oh you got to do it I um don't pave it I can see both sides of that in quite the fact but if yes if you should be able to drive your race car in within the white lines and yeah you know yeah but you know she was at the drivers meeting earlier on the deer what was said about that from our race director uh to the the drivers in the mission of pilot challenge about this new tarmac Bob Barfield laid it out very plainly he said we are going to continue to police track limits as we've always done with an IM so which is you must have two wheels on the racing surface at all time the curbs are defined as the racing surface so if you have four wheels on the black stuff that is track limits if you have two wheels on the curbs you are still within the rim of the track so it does re-profile those Corners by giving them more space to drive on because previously they would have been driving on Sand if they'd gone two wheels over the curb but that's how they're policing it I I I I I I I I understand the the thinking behind uh the track seeing what they've got to do we let's see what happens when the whole track's repaved and see if there is any difference there uh one thing I I would say is that it's quite it's quite simple in Moto GP which is at them on this weekend actually there's a different colored tarmac on the outside of the curves and if if you go on that that's your track limits well it's kind of the same here except it's rather than being green it's very black rather than the grit uh of the of the main the main surface I I do think that um the astrotur turf that we've still got at turn six and a turn 11 or you could make that that tarmac beyond the curbs you can make it a different color so it's easy to spot like it is at the uh at the corkscrew and make it low grip that's the thing make low grip absolutely right that's that's my uh suggestion here so there's absolutely no advantage to running a rack uh I mean yeah you're always going to push limits I mean that's what racing is you're pushing the limits that's true you don't want to step over I mean I can see why the you know why those limits are being enforced but I just think it's really messy and I yeah I mean we we Motor Racing existence for many many years uh without that uh problem rearing its head I don't really see understand why it should do so now except in fact of course one of the factors is the suspensions nowadays are so good correct but here particularly at whether click Raceway Lagoon the sake of the curbs are very very flat here mainly for the most better for the motorcycles and so there's really no harm to running and using all those curbs if you make the curbs higher then there would be a disincenter to run on them but you know that's the way the track is and yeah and the drivers are going to do that do their job to to keep within those limits I do think it's investing because track design keeping an eye on the battle for the lathe by the way it's uh in behind uh Jacob daily for daily multi-sports and his Hyundai Elantra keeping an eye on that whilst that's happening I do think it's investing that Fashions and farts hang on a second we're gonna run up the hill yeah and we've also got the uh that's the number 14 which is Ave Motorsports Alfredo up into fourth but then off the track and in the dirt at uh at turn six and whilst that was going on behind him a new second place now is Kenny Murillo in the orange and blue EMG is up the second ahead of Eric felgeros and that as Jeremy rightly said was a run out of turn six and it looks like uh Kenny's pushed the go button here he's already got the overlap coming out of turn number 11 side by side with the Aston for the lead the red white and blue car on the right hand side of the track the orange and blue car on the left but they've got the slight complication of having the liquid Bolly orange and black TCR car will they go either side and here comes vergeras in the green Porsche and it looks like marilla's gone to the lady has and down a third place instead Austin mccuska he's battling trying to get his second position back the leaders side by side with the number 70 TCR car of Jacob Daley by goodness me what an exchange that was and all of a sudden Kenny Murillo seems to have come to life there Jeremy that's where uh some what uh 35 minutes into this race yeah and I think it's it's more effective the Aston Martin driver struggling his lap times have fallen away a little bit over the last couple of laps we can see how much he was struggling to keep the car on the track particularly it turned five running wide on a regular basis and certainly earning the uh the response there I think or at least the eyes of race control um and I think it's good because the car is sliding a little bit and it's happening with with several of the drivers in this field Alfredo nadri has been one of the quickest cars on track for the last several laps until he made him yes that mistake coming off turn six last time around which cost them a bit of ground to the three leaders but he pulled away from Cameron Lawrence yeah back to the tune of more than a couple of seconds before we made that error up there so that car is going really really well at this stage we clearly the trailer looking after its tires a lot better than some of the other cars particularly the Aston Martin that was leading the race he uh dropped just over two seconds with that uh little uh rep and that's uh taking him slightly closer back to camera Lawrence but he's got himself sorted out wow putting a 34-4 last time around that's the same sort of time as the leader and uh that has pulled him again two seconds away from Cameron Lawrence Alfred and actually did not drop a place there in going off the circuit so it's Murillo from rs1 what a brilliant pass for the lead traffic playing its part I do think as well uh with that crossover for the lead with the daily Motorsport machine coming out of turn number 11 Jeremy the Murillo Mercedes AMG seems to have a ton more grip was able to pick the inside line and square off the corner and get on the throttle much much earlier there was isn't it yeah a big big difference there core Motor Sport with a problem and this is the number 59 car and it's Bob mcclellian who was in eighth position and that car is touring Jeremy yeah and he just at home is expecting fluids on the back okay he's just overtaken Jensen Altman in the other forward in this race number 13 car and now it looks like Bob has a problem but that's that's a shame he was due to share this guy with young Luca Mars who is super fast yes he is Bob but is the son of uh Jim McCain who runs the The Long Beach racetrack course for many many years but yeah it's like a pretty major problem for that core Motorsports Ford Mustang that's a shame try to see if that sport coming out from underneath is from a tire problem and it's just been drafted underneath the car it's just coming through the Court's crew now and he's staying out of everybody's wit as he should do there is a tire problem it's the right hand side and I think if it is a tire it's the right front but I don't think it is I think all of his michelins have air in them just want to finish one quick point that I I we got interrupted with all the action um I do think it's interesting how track um boundaries tends to be cyclical a few years ago we took out or in particularly here in Europe we took out all of the gravel traps and put down um hard standing put down tarmac surface because apparently that was better if people could scrub Spade off by doing that rather than having gravel under the side of the track um and that's now falling out of favor and even places like Spa which would act very badly transformed in my opinion made it much less of a challenge the gravel traps are now back up to the edge of the circuit now what that does do is mean they can give you issues with needing safety cars or full course yellows to recover cars from out of gravel traps that are right next to the surface circuit but it also means Jeremy that there are consequences if you stick your wheels off um you pierce your money it takes your choice yeah there you go yeah good point here's a battle now and all of a sudden for the leading TCR up not so long ago there was seven seconds between the first and second place car well no longer because Mason Philippi in that calendar 33 has has it's Miracle now of number 98 of Harry got second they just changed positions again actually number 33 car leads and that's that's been the way to got to take a leads based on Philippines correct the last few laps they've been bottled up behind uh Vin bar letters GS to the most what BMW kind of a 96 so they're kind of struggling to get ahead of that kind there's another train of GS cars just up the road as well let's go down to share Adam who has news of the Bob mccillion core Motor Sports Ford Mustang the number 50 nine car there was Tire changes on that chair but I'm not sure that there was a puncture on that number 59 car tire change and Driver change no puncture nothing visible but the car did fire back up and very recalcitrantly went behind the wall with the forest taking it back there drive time was definitely not met by uh Bob and Kalyan during his drive time so that would be interesting if the car can come back out from behind the wall he'll need at least a couple of minutes as into the pit Lane now comes Ted Giovannis number 64 TGM aftermarket fuel tires and Owen trinkler for that car I'm also seeing Vin Barletta about to come in here soon because Robbie Foley is up on the wall for the 95 Turner Motorsport BMW remember if this car won the last time out of zebra it feels like a very long time ago oh and all went to the pit Lane the number 39 carbon Porsche that means we're about to be treated to some Jeff Westfall driving for that Porsche Fuel and new tires all the way around yeah I misspoke earlier on I was uh confused uh Not Unusual at my time of Life In fairness uh the minimum drive time in Michigan challenge 40 4-0 minutes 45 in WeatherTech 4 -0 minutes here so that has now been achieved and the Fall From Grace and from pace of Austin mccuska continues as Alfredo nadry has gone by uh rather easily in the RV Motorsports car so I can only imagine Austin mccuska and the vanish store racing Aston Martin Jeremy Shaw is really struggling for grip out there at the moment yeah he is but nazri is absolutely flying in that in that Toyota last several laps he's been the fastest car in the track last time around was 134.2 for the uh the Dominican Republic the race leader Kelly Murillo who's pulling away for Garrus the tune of well three or four tenths of a second over the last few laps the leader was two tenths slower even than Alfredo nadri so now you're really doing a nice job as is Kenny Murillo out front we know the Mercedes is good on its tires yes and Kenny Murillo he's taking full advantage of that clearly so is the Toyota now up into the up into third position I think yes it is yeah yeah yeah he went by also because that was the the quite simple pass closer down so that that pit stop by uh by the number 39 car that's the first of the leaders to make a pit stop number 64 cars already a couple laps down so unless it's something really weird happened that's not going to give back to uh here is the number 71 uh rebel rock uh Camaro in the pit Lane as is Vin Barletta in a number 96 guy he went over that number eight six car to Robbie Foley and of course it was that appearing that won the most recent race at Sebring back in March down there and the pitland will go to her in at just a moment the 39 car that Jeremy was talking about dropping out of the late group that was the car bomb with the Peregrine Porsche the black and green car the 200s go across the light start another lap they'll go as close as they can if not over the hour mark the tcrs can easily go uh on one stop here the cars that are coming in now probably haven't used a full tank of fuel not be far off but what they're doing is uh getting in after the 40 minutes uh and the drive time has been completed by their lesser experienced driver and they're going to get their better driver in to take it to the end A little update from down in the pit Lane about who's been in who's gone out and who's come back from behind the wall we've got fuel tires and Robin Liddell in the rebels Rock Camaro we've got fuel tires and Spencer pompelli in the bgb Porsche and back from behind the wall came to look Alpha but it wasn't right yet it stayed in the transition Lane went all the way up sat in the Penalty Box with Richard before getting clearance to go toward the area come back into the garage we're rolled sadly and slowly backwards down it's going back for more work pgp Motorsports on the way out clipped their Tire on the right rear so that's going to be a drive through there and Tom Collingwood as he comes back on the track they just left the tire a tiny bit too close to excuse me Spencer pompelli they haven't changed their uh driver ID on that car Tom Collingwood out of that I think that'll get called uh and that was just an errand Tire left to the right hand side of that car so 45 minutes completed here's how they stand Barillo racing by 2.2 seconds in that number 72 the orange metallic with blue of the Mercedes from Eric valgarros and the Very striking black and green number 28 Porsche 7-8 in Cayman he's got 4.2 seconds on the red and white Alfredo and Ashley driven number 14 the RV motor sports Toyota this has been a brilliant run from alfredo he's got half a second or thereabouts on Austin mccuska fantastair racing the pole sitting Aston Martin Vantage the number 19. mostly white car that Cameron Lawrence for Turner Motorsport in the 95 car he is about to come across the line I'll give you the Gap there I think it was about seven seconds yes it is 7.2 seconds as Cameron goes across the line in fact he's been passed by Jeff mosing in the other Michelle racing car but Murillo at racing car excuse me the number 56 car uh pit stops starting for the TCR cars in has come Brian Ortiz in the vanderster racing machine that seems a little bit early to me we'll get she down there to have a little look at that one and find out what was going on and front tires only on that car Tyler maxson's getting in that's all about drive time shares just told me on uh uh TalkBack frequency which car sorry John uh that was uh Brian Ortiz out of the number 91 TCR that was the car that lost all its times remember because Brian got out of the car uh before the end of qualifying before he was cleared to do so and he had a pretty decent starting position that pushed him all the way at the back they fought their way back up the ninth position uh no they were they were up in the fourth I think in in the TCR uh one two three yeah they're running in fourth position Fairway back but uh Brian ortizer watched the way back to where he should have been really yeah started this race but I'm surprised it would come in this this early because it's a long way to get to the end from here they're going to need a ghost and I think to make it on just that one pit stop that's why the the other CCR is staying out for a little bit longer as these uh two race leaders are catching up now to Bryce Ward who's running in the 14th position in Gs then there's two TCR leaders and again there's two CR two TCR cars they're about 17 seconds ahead of Matt pomber the pole sitter in that La Honda World Racing Honda Civic race is effectively the last of the GS cars that's running from 1 to 14. and again it's not his fight uh if he yeah lets these guys go through he just want to compromise his race at the moment he'll be getting a call from the guys on the radio that will pull away from them down the straight once the Mercedes AMG gets into its stride there he goes but I think if I was I think if I was uh on his pit wall I might just hit them if they get that close to you again Bryce just breathe out of it going into 11. and let them go through yeah and Bryce Bryce as you said 14th position he's he's the last of the car of the GS cards that hasn't yet made a pit stop so next up on the road behind him he's not that far behind about only 10 12 seconds or so is Jeff Westfall in that number 39 carbon with Peregrine Porsche the Columbus daylight has made a pit stop and is the highest place for the cars to do so and he's a fair way ahead of probably another 11 seconds or more ahead of what we follow the column 96 who's next of those who have made a stop then it's Spencer pampelli and then it's Robin Liddell behind him yeah so the top 14 cars are Jeremy saying that is the top 14 cars have not yet stopped in Gs so they haven't elected to do their uh driver change after the 40 minutes lots of activity in the pit Lane but there I suppose at this point Jeremy you've kind of made your bed tactically and you might as well leave your first driver out until either there's a yellow or they're they need to come in for fuel and tires [Music] um yeah I mean you know if the longer you go now the if you have to make two stops see the shortest your last stop will be which always a good a good Factor but 49 minutes gone now so yeah an hour and 10 minutes remaining um we've certainly got to be fairly close now to the leaders coming in yeah I think the GS ask they can generally do around about 50 50 minutes or so correct on that which is what they've done right now 50 55 minutes Jeff West files again I don't think John excuse me they're not really really running flat out at the moment at least the leaders aren't because you know they are take try and take care of their Michelin tires yeah so they they could run faster and therefore would use more fuel so that yeah it's a an interesting balance that they have to strike I think that's a very good point you've made there Jeremy in in trying to ensure that there aren't tired limited for the race they're actually getting better fuel mileage and and that's really a very good point that you've you've made there Jeff Westfall who's on a new set of michelins has reset the faster slapping GS the last couple of times by at least possibly even the last three times he's down to a 32-0 now and that's four seconds faster than Kenny Murillo at the front of the field they are trying to achieve very different things in the way they're driving at the moment meantime at the front of TCR Harry gotzaka and Mason Phillippe are tied together with a short bungee chord at the moment as the leader comes over the top of the hill at the corkscrew all the teams in the pit Lane who haven't stopped are up on the wall now and I wonder if J if Kenny's coming in this time around for Murillo racing that would give the lead back to Eric figueras or the lead two Eric for Guerra she's not let yet lead no Kenny's gone through yeah it's interesting is it for garage he's been in second position in 32 of the 33 laps we've done so far uh but he's had differently yeah different guys ahead of him more behind him for all of that time he wasn't in second place was uh was on lap 22 which was the lap on which uh he got passed by Kenny Kenny Murillo but then following that got past the erstwhile leader which was of course Austin makaska a little bit of side by side action there Chris Miller in the 17 unitronic the liquid Molly car uh getting a little hip check from was the well one of the Mustangs oh no so that was to be the Toyota excuse me of Alfredo dietary third place car we'll see if the uh race if race Patrol deems necessary to have a wee look at that one a bad news from the pit Lane by the way we have another retirement it's official the number five Alfa Romeo Julieta velochi of kmw motor sports with TMR engineering will not come back to the track there that adds then to the earlier retirement of the Rockwell Auto Sport development Audi the number 10 car and we've still got the Ford Mustang GT4 59 the bobber Killian car that is still in the pit we await use of that car but obviously all of those of that guy wants to come back at the number 59 Ford it's weird down Austin mccuska heads to the pit Lane for vanderster racing in the Aston Martin that was sitting on pole position if you want to get in touch it's at imsa Radio Shay Adam has that car oh and Jeff Moorings followed him into the pit Lane so that was uh fourth and fifth coming into the pit Lane now towards you here from GS [Music] quite a bit further it's now time for Eric Claus to take over Fuel and tires for the Marilla racing number 56 Mercedes it is a great stop so far for the number 19 Vander shirt racing Park as Rory takes over from Austin mccusker Laguna Seca is actually on the back of both of their driving suits I love it they've done custom suits for this weekend as a trash boy race car is on the side of their car as well doing a special design for it this weekend we now are just waiting on fuel for this Aston Martin they should leave well and ahead of the Mercedes because they didn't come in ahead of the Mercedes as into the pit Lane complete Archangel racing uh Aston Martin TV Todd Coleman started that car it is Patrick Lindsay who's taking over now we do have the ask Mark rolling once again for vanderster racing falling out by mosing uh well mosing's car it's now Foss it's got mosing Motocross on the hood and two more Mercedes into the pit Lane this time around we've got Daniel Morad taking over for Bryce ward in the windward racing number 57 and then it is time for Scott Andrews to finally take over for the number 27 Lone Star Racing out of town in the pit Lane Harry got Saga and Mason Philippi have swapped positions and we've got a new leader in TCR Miss and finally gets through on his teammate took him a few goals there Jeremy but it was a nice clean pass as you would expect from two drivers who have Brian hurt potentially talking in their ears actually but not this weekend because he's at in Indianapolis isn't he but um he instills a bit of patience and a bit of discipline to his drivers yeah he does he he'll be he'll be watching with interest of course will Brian even though he's been busy uh in Indianapolis for the uh yeah that's finished now yeah good point that's a good point yeah yeah no he'll be he'll be he'll be glued to this if yeah and yeah a whole bunch of pit stops now for leaves interestingly the the cars that had been running first and second then run 55 minutes before they brought their cars onto pit Lane and the the car that has not yet stopped is kind of a 14 Alfredo nadri also staying out is Jensen Altman who's about 20 seconds behind in caliber 13. he's really been falling off the paces but losing four seconds a lot compared to what he was running earlier on uh but it despite that ultimate has just passed um the Cameron Lawrence 95 Car of uh Cameron Lawrence last time around as well and Adam Adelson right there in that picture as well he kind of a 47 I think they're trying to to reach the halfway mark before yeah it comes naturally he's not quite gonna make it however I tell you what I'm very impressed with that Toyota the red white and black Toyota gasu Racing Latin America car and by naturally because where other people were always got a little bit long on his pit Lane but I think it's gonna be all right where other people were really uh struggling with tires towards the end his Pace was still pretty impressive and certainly quicker than the people uh in front of him he might be able to improve his position here they're putting the tires and wheels on Jensen ultimate Cameron Lawrence and Adam Adelson the other cars who have not yet stopped have followed him in so that's only that would be only Alex philzinger for the motor sport in action the Mia McLaren artura who hasn't stopped in JS let's see if he comes in this time around Adam is watching these pit stops down in pitlin for the leading GS cards still tires and Driver changes everywhere it's Thiago Camilo who's now aboard the Toyota for the number 14. we've got uh Elliot skier aboard the number 47 for Motorsport the 44 which is the Aston Martin being run by accelerating performance that now has Michael Cooper installed and for the number 13 mccombie mackler it is mccumbee behind the wheel that would be Chad Grace winter here in St back in 2016. we also have the Turner Taco Mobile in that is Cameron Lawrence out Robert McGinnis taking over shocking looking pit stop for the number 13. we could be back later Racing for Mustang not sure what was going on there but the the fuel hose look to have been out for some time now the problem I think with the the right rear uh keep an eye on that the same thing and managed to get that car going meantime the leader in sorry second place it was wasn't he just uh lost the late Harry gotsaka in TCR it's in the pit Lane Mason Phillippe by the way up into the top five before he makes his pit stop and that makes about pombos going back into second place but of course those two Jeremy still us pit stops at Wilds to Harry gotzecher is just waiting on the VP racing fuel now before uh that car goes out and it's Rob Wiggins in fact now in that car nice little burnout by Rob Wiggins and that car is out now did they pit early enough did they pit too early or did they not go far enough that'll be the question let's see how they're all out in comparison to uh Missing Felipe's a car who is in the pool just about right around the corner yeah absolutely uh that wasn't missing who's committed to put there no no that's Taylor height let's tail it yeah in defending Champion wearing the number one little lock up as she comes to a halt ready to get out of the car and that looks like front tires only for that Hyundai as well uh this weekend I'm enjoying this Jeremy because we've seen the relative performances of all the cars in this first hour or so it's uh 30 seconds to half distance here and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Sega yeah and it looks like the McLaren Arturo is going to be able to make it to halfway uh before it makes it stop Alex fulsinger now leads this motor race but only by a couple of seconds over Jeff Westfall who's closing very very quickly 133 1 minute 33.2 the lap time last time for the second place car of Westfall to the 136-4 of Alex fulsinger so more almost three seconds the differential there was only 2.3 seconds between them as they cross the line but the the strategy you thought for the car barn repair again team by stopping at the 40-minute Mark in this race here in the first of the leaders to make a pit stop came in in sixth position and here is west or now in the lead of this race however he's gonna need a lot more for his second stop which he's definitely gonna have to make than the other guys if there is a full course caution he's still unless it's a really long coaching isn't going to be able to make it if there is a full course caution then some of these guys that stretch out their fuel might be able to make it so I saw a fair bit of strategy to be played out during this two-hour race and full singing now finally makes the way onto pit Lane sure Adam down in the Petland opportunity with the driver changes having taken place to speak to some of those who took the start as the leader in TCR comes into the lane and Miss Philippe is now in the lane I'll watch that I share can talk to Kenny Barillo Kenny what was it that you just got tired of driving around in third that all of a sudden you went to First and thought hey this is pretty nice yeah it was all about managing this Tire it's really key around this place and that's a real true Testament to everybody here at Marilla racing they did an amazing job setting up Mercedes AMG perfectly with this Michelin tires I mean what a dream to drive there's a small window of opportunity and you know just gotta you gotta seize those and you know it's always a pleasure racing there he's always a good friend of mine and race is clean so ultimately just incredibly happy um and I couldn't wish for anything better is this the track that means the most to both you and Christian yeah I mean ultimately this is kind of our home track and uh shame we don't spend enough time here it's a really great track they do a great job with the facility and uh yeah we always want to add a home track but you know take it one step at a time Christian's in the car he's doing a great job and I have all the faith in the world great openings yes thank you and Don even if he does come home biggest trophy possible it would still be the second best thing he's done this week because Aurora said yes ah excellent congratulations uh we'll need to know where the date is and you know buy a hat and all that sort of thing hello to blur fiends busy day at the workshop settling Porsches now tuned in and enjoying what he says quite rightly great racing from Laguna Seca as always thank you blue fiends um I hear that you might be coming to the Centenary of lemon this year I just hear that on the Grapevine hope that is true how could he rear Joel I'm uncovering that for you from the first weekend of June exclusive coverage of test day and then the only place that you could get live coverage free is via Haggerty radio Lamont and some familiar voices on there for you from that's uh excellent event that we're looking forward to before that of course next weekend we've got the derpa Greek 24 hours one of the biggest GT3 and multi-class GT races in the world 146 cars I think have been declared for that and will be on the air with a special midweek Motorsport from Wednesday live coverage in sound and vision uh free live coverage for three World fake TV that starts on Thursday of next week hope you can join us for some of that for now we've got 56 minutes still to go in has been a very interesting race here for the information and pilot challenge at the motul Corsa de Monterey powered by hunt Day weekend and what we're seeing at the front of the field is Jeff Westfall having made his stop early Jeremy a bit earlier than everyone else with the benefit of those fresh Michelin tires getting the performance bonus and finds himself leading the mortar race ahead of Marilla Racing's number 72. so that pit stop uh protocol and the pit stop strategy has worked very well for carbon yep indeed and but like I said a few minutes ago their their next stop is going to be a lot longer than the other contenders so it'll come down to you know whether or not there's a full course caution um how the pace of the tires is interestingly the last time around Jeff westfall's lap was a 133.3 [Music] he's turning uh um 32s up until a couple laps ago again this tire take with degradation new fastest lap by the way a couple of laps ago in fact a new one this time around for Daniel Morad for Windward racing in that number 57 Mercedes he's just had a 131.462 so that's only half a second outside the lap record of this race remember right in the early stages they're running uh what a couple three seconds away from that so the pace is definitely being upped the question is do you burn through your your mission in times one Thirty one three six seven is the new best lap from Scott Andrews for Lone Star racing in the number 27. Mercedes and the number uh the numbers that a lot of people will be looking at is not necessarily just those lap times at track temperature now down to 36. that's 10 Celsius that it's dropped uh 97 Fahrenheit we were at 115 weren't we when we started this race uh hearing by the way that the number 59 Mustang has retired that's the cobalta sports machine that Carson official retirement as is the Alpha and the alpha number five and the number 10 Rockwell Auto Sports Development car that was fuel pressure problems as in Comes The Number 96 this is Robbie Foley and that is fuel only so this is the second stop for this car so do they think they can make it home from here Jeremy Shaw with 54 on the clock I guess the answer is yes yeah absolutely right uh you know Don Salama is the the strategist there for certain most what has been for many many years very successful driving his own right by the way in the Forerunner of this Championship uh he is a master strategist there's there's half a dozen guys who know every trick in the book he is one of them Joe vardy's another one at um Team TGM but Don's splitting his strategies here and yes so he could go to the end from here so he's the first of the GS cars to make what will be his final pit stop unless of the full course caution which gives somebody else conceivably could stay out but uh really interesting to see that Robbie Foley then the first guy to to to Blink and he comes out of seventh position to make that second stop of his afternoon so what are they hoping for here Jeremy um that the race stays green yes and big and then cycle through when everyone else makes their stops yeah well well if it's a full course caution no full course caution would be perfect for them because assuming they'll say it on the lead lap and have to wait until they come around but I think you probably will have done assuming stayed on the lead lap if uh there is a full caution the pitch would be closed everybody would pack up behind the safety car and then everybody would make their pit stops that needed to but he wouldn't so he would stay out and he'd cycle to the front then so either strategy is looking pretty good for him but I think he's on the leg club would be even better yeah he's just coming uh to the start finish line now and the leader is just coming through ready curve turn nine so he's a third of a lap from going down a lot at the moment if you see what I mean so that is I I think that's a very interesting strategy I'm keeping I've noted that down for the Michelin moment of the race in JS and we've still got by the way the 98 and 33 Brian herder Autosport Hyundai Elantra is battling away Mark Wilkins in the 98 ahead of Robert Wiggins by just on three seconds Ryan eversley and that you fl5 TCR Honda Civic uh he is in third position that Carl's on poor position uh having a decent battle with energy pump for the second of the Rockwell the remaining Rockwell Auto Sport development RS3 the sequential box car that's the number 15. Tyler Maxim for vanished air Racing's Elantra the number 91 cars in fifth and in sixth in TCR is the defending champion at number one team from Brian hurt or Sport and out of that car Michael Lewis now in that machine I'm writing seeing everybody has made at least one pit stop now yes sir that's correct nobody was making fuel anywhere that's fine meantime yeah and the battle between well the gap between the two leaders uh Kate Lincoln and hugely on that last half actually uh Christian shimjack uh on lap 39 he was 5.8 seconds behind Jeff Westfall who just completed lap 43 and he gave us down to less than two seconds between those two a 134 for the race leader that time again he's been out there for 17 Laps on this set of tires so you know the tire degradation is is becoming apparent there on that Porsche meanwhile that the Mercedes we've seen how good the Mercedes are on their tires they're relatively easy on their tires and he's close again meanwhile also Stephen McAleer in the number 28 car take it over from Eric's he's closing on Christian shimjack as well sticker tires up on the wall for Robert Liddell down at rebel rock racing and it's a full set of Michelin sticker slick tires brand new and carp will have to make one more stop before the end question I suspect of where and when they decide to take it in the number 71 Chevrolet Camaro sitting in 13th position at the moment some 32 seconds away from the leader [Music] new fastest lap for the Toyota gr Supra that's been a quick car anyway Thiago Camille has gone even faster for RB Motorsports sixth position for that car at the moment three and a half seconds behind fifth which is Eric Foss in the 56 orange Marilla racing car 131 428 yeah so that's a decent time what's interesting to me is the car barn um I was gonna say Audi there for a moment that's taken us back a bit wasn't it the uh cap on Porsche number 39 leads the motor race but has been caught Now by Christian simchach and its best lap is only a 32-0 and at the moment it's lapping at 33 sevens and that's why that leads come down Jeremy as you rightly noted lost a full second last time around and all of a sudden Jeff Westfall that little Porsche does not look as planted as it did 10 minutes ago that's exactly right that's the uh the ups and downs quite literally here of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and he's now got his mirrors falling right there in third position also he is Stephen McAleer so we've got once again got a three-car battle for the lead as we had in the early stages what's the well it was four wasn't nearly stages but it's the portion of leads now but on a completely different strategy to the two cars the Mercedes and the second one Porsches right behind him will be loving seeing the two leaders right ahead of him Porsche Mercedes Porsche Aston Martin but nearly 10 seconds further back for the vanderster racing car and falling back a little bit too yeah 33-3 last time around and that was a second slaw that Eric Foss for Murillo's 56 car so that's closing up as well yeah yeah and Eric force is closing in on Rory vanderster and Thiago Camilo in that Toyota is closing on Eric Force as well that's the battlefield that will be the battle for fifth and sixth there's a big gap back to it to Elliot skier in the number 47 Nola sport Porsche in the uh the first of the two running on different strategies Turner Motorsport BMWs yeah they have split their strategy as we mentioned before now this could get a little bit untidy 46 minutes to go and pit stops still required for everyone we think down to probably sixth position we think that the halfway Motorsports Toyota is the closest at least to going to the end from where they are the first car that's made two pit stops it's still Robbie Foley and he is now um what well down uh sitting in 15th position isn't it yeah I mean you know the problem now is if you do make your second stop you want to make sure you're selling the lead lap in case there is the full cause caution so that's the that's the problem here the the issue with that is there's any uh there's only six cars that within half a minute of the race leader yeah so anybody behind that is going to run the risk of of falling off to leave lap and from there uh if there is a full course caution it's not going to help of those who of the cars that uh the two guys that stayed at longest before making their first stop was was number 69 Carlin but McLaren Arturo but uh Jesse lazares is running at the tail end of the lead pack right now he can possibly make it to the end uh but it's going to be very very tight for him but everybody else John I think is going to may have to make that second shot unless there is apart from Robbie Fallen who who we and he's already made yeah he's made his second stop already so as you said he is hoping for someone to have an issue she's got Andrew still has the uh best lap of the GS race and it is Mike lamara in the La Honda World 73 that's the fk7 the older version of the car and 133 3 camel Biggs just put the best lap for his team in in the Alandra for daily Motor Sports that's the number 70 car or 35-2 they are in ninth check that eight position I apologies and the number 14. Thiago Camille now right with the number 56 Eric phosphoryl racing EMG as they come down the hill from the corkscrew into Rainey and who's that ahead of Eric Force that's that is Rory vanished though isn't it so that that is that whole battle Jeremy from fourth all the way down to I think eighth position no check that seventh position uh Elliot ski is there isn't he so that's an interesting one and comes into the pit Lane there's a big donut on the right hand side of that car where somebody's had a tire and wheel into him that looks like uh that looks like sticker tire adam4 that number 19 Aston Martin with 43 minutes to go sticker Michelin tires for Rory vinegar is the right sides only yes it is they do have left sides up on the wall ready to go but not enough time as the refueling is done and Rory is told to go and he's not yet put it in gear come on Rory there we go that was about seven seconds lost in time after the fuel nozzle came out we are also waiting for carbon they are up on the wall further down the Pet Lane John but I did not see more than two sticker tires now I do see new shiny michelins up on the wall so perhaps carbon is going to play a Blinder too that looked like that looked like the time stopped to me and that's why the only put two tires off because as soon as the tires were done they they pulled the fuel hose um that really really interesting that one what's interesting about this these strategies John is tired aggregation clearly is an issue so if you can split the race into three relatively easy equal segments yes then you know that can certainly play into your favor uh and number 39 car they came in after after 40 minutes uh We've now got 43 minutes to go so I would expect them oh oh it's it's the 14. this is at the last Corner Eric Foss and the number 14 that's Tiago Camille they were battling over fourth position and they've gone off at the final Corner looked like the cars were locked together and there's the full course yellow oh my goodness now Eric Foss has continued now who got into the pit Lane I think Chad become beat it got into the pit Lane oh that was tight full course yellow came out at 49.17 mccumbee came in at 49 19 and Gregory Leaf adds 49-21 it will depend whether they were committed to the pit Lane race control will have to have a look at that but the Toyota kazoo racing Latin American Supra which has been so quick today is off at the side of the road at turn 11. it's not going to be a difficult recovery for that car but I'm not sure how far Eric uh I don't know how far Eric Foss got down uh the the road in the 56 guy may be that he needs assistance as well this gives us a chance to go down the pit Lane and Shay Adam it was right side tires only for Chad mccumbee as he did make it in before the rule per the driver's mating was you must have your left side tires up to or across those white hash marks while there's no possible way to go from uh not being there to being in the pit Lane within two seconds so I would say that both he and Greg leafuge would be safe but I wanted to come over and talk to a young man who we've talked about a great deal John Jensen Altman that was a great start to this race and your team just plucked into getting into the pit Lane are you feeling like the fortunes are changing for mccumbee macular racing well I mean it's definitely been a tough go to the start of the season this would be an awesome awesome if it worked but the cars all over the place it's definitely fun but we'll uh we'll see how Chad likes it you've also got another team owner in this race as well so how closely are you watching Stephen macler's progress I was watching him up until about 30 seconds ago so I'm not sure if I'll be paying attention much after this but um yeah I always definitely keep an eye on him especially when he's towards the front good luck gents thank you very much uh ask um she is going to do a little bit of detective work in the pit Lane because that was the most bizarre incident I've seen for a long time down had to turn 11. it looked to me as though Thiago Camille lost the brakes on the RV Motorsport car and he tried to go around the that was Eric Fox wasn't it in the uh yeah 56 car and absolutely didn't try to go around him he'd ran into the back of him but his only option if it was a break fan he was to turn right uh and into the uh into the tire barrier there and if he'd done that the car would have probably flipped and gone yeah that would be a a major accident so if it was a brake failure unfortunately for Eric Foss he really did the only the only kind of sensible thing um it's it's a great show for Eric Foss uh and for Jeff Mosey because Eric was doing his usual excellent job there running in that uh uh in that fifth position and uh it's a great shame for him because you know that they are always contenders to come into this round only 10 points out of the championship lead behind Robbie Foley and Vince Barletta so it's going to be a major uh blow to the number 56 College Championship aspirations but you so you've got to really really feel sorry for them because you're right naturally will excuse me um Camilo Camilla was a long long way behind him it wasn't as if he was right behind no no he was a great car lens back and all of a sudden that uh that Gap diminished and then he was slamming into the back of the Mercedes let's uh let's find out from his teammates if they've heard anything could you just tag us out of the car by the way and the recovery is beginning Adam is down at our Fair Motor Sport the home of the Toyota gazu Racing at Toyota gr uh Super G art shape what do you know uh with alfredo nursery and Alfredo the most important thing is thiago's okay it looked like a breaking issue from the outside you're saying it was a breaking issue yeah for sure he uh two corners before that he was telling that the brake pedal was feeling long so yeah very unfortunate we had a great car this weekend during my stint the car was perfect and uh you know yeah it was a great driver it was moving forward we were one of the quickest in the during the session so nah we'll get him in Detroit and Detroit Watkins Glen Canadian Tire Motorsport Park there's so many good circuits that you guys have shown while in the Toyota before are you feeling optimistic about the remaining season yeah for sure I mean my driving has come a long way uh this is my third season here which uh I love it I hope we can continue uh but yeah for sure I mean we've had last year we had a Podium finish here and hopefully we can uh get to get it back in Detroit and come back stronger good luck there thank you very much thank you ah one of those days Eric Foss by the way didn't continue very far that car is already on a flat bed as well now Jeremy uh let's have a look at who this might uh help out when was Daniel Morad last into the pit Lane and Scott Andrews who's got the fastest lap of the race they've only pitted once but I think they came in uh quite early uh so for me um actually actually they said that longer than when we would have expected uh actually he came in I think uh on that 35 or 36 along with most of the other contenders so um yeah he's uh he's a reasonable shape the question is now do you take a Gamble and stay out there and hope you can make get to finish because this is going to be a fairly lengthy cleanup so those cars that came into the pits to make their schedules stop uh so five minutes before the hour um is it's going to help them tremendously correct uh but for uh for number 39 car that leads the race at the moment uh not so much ironically it would have been a great help to the car that's caused the incident earlier than the before team yeah definitely something wrong with the brakes there that's not you don't make that kind of mistake uh in a race car and particularly not somebody's experience of Thiago Camilo who's uh you know got a huge amount of success in uh in the Brazilian stock car Championship over the years uh and uh yeah one of the most in terms of driving one of the most experienced drivers in the field thought about going right you were right Jeremy now in unfortunately for Eric first he made the right decision yeah well to turn right there you're going at high speed you'd hit those Tire barriers in an oblique angle it would certainly flip the car and then probably go over the barriers as well and you can't go left because then you nail the car in front in the in the door in the driver's door absolutely Jeff Westfall and Spencer pompelli for carbon and bgp in the two Porsches I have both come into the pit Lane and she Adam is watching this and and this looks to be tire driven rather than anything else wow absolutely four sticker tires for both of those drivers still waiting for Spencer compelli for the service to complete on the left rear a bit of trouble with that tire but for Jeff Westfall the four sticker tires that's what Steve dinen had ordered just what the doctor said I'm a little bit concerned for mccumbee macular racing they just wrote on the back of their shiny silver pit board we hear you fuel full unfortunately it was written in gold on a very shiny background so I'm not entirely sure that Chad mccumbee could read it um but if he did he knows that he's good if he didn't read it then he probably thinks the team was signaling him to come in which is not what they were signaling him to do so we're uh presuming that they've lost the radio on that car could somebody not just run alongside him well when they're behind the safety car and pass him in notes I don't know I'm I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that that's that stranger things Department Chad Chad Chad mccumbee came into the pit Lane right before that caution period so he knows he's good to go to the end from here yeah either thought I'd have thought so so another two retirements I'm afraid Marilla racing Eric Foss in that number 56 car that's significant for the championship as you heard Jeremy explaining Thiago Camille and Ave Motorsports Toyota um that was significant for the race that car was looking very strong indeed for the race and of the one Stoppers was the car that had gone the furthest into the race pits are open for TCR I might get a couple of takers here Denny Depon has come in from a fourth position there Mikey Taylor has come in as well he was a little bit further down here Adam is watching those two stops tires for Denny Dupont and they're putting the car up on the Airtex the new Audi the only new Audi RS3 TCR in the field and they are doing new front tires for him as well I do love the aggressive look at the front of that house John as you know I do have a soft spot for rs3s S3 save trees all of the above pit exit closed light was on it is now off and Denise DePaul retakes the track Mikey Taylor's still waiting on his tire change to be completed [Applause] so let's reset the fields here behind the safety car thank you sorry um Christian simchach for Marilla racing in the number 72 car took the lead just to a lap I saw before that incident that brought out our first full course caution of the day um simchak uh it has 19 laps under his wheels uh as has Steven mcaleen he might be one fewer actually in second place Elliot skier in third place uh is 17. uh Daniel Morad we talk about more Adam Scott Andrews they are 19 laps into their stint so they're only a couple of laps away from the best of in terms of fuel and they are the same as the leader so interesting interesting it is interesting I mean the number 39 car you say it was Tire driven that pit stop it wasn't they they couldn't have made it to the end okay uh in any case but uh if the you know that was a strategy all along to make to make two stops and equal out that equalize their stints as much as possible so they didn't have to run too far on any particular set of tires yeah so you know they've got work to do now as Jeff Westmore but he's got the best tires in the field a long expensive pampelli is also I mean and those two cars have been have been seriously quick oh this weekend in the practice sessions as well so tell them to carve their way through the field Robert Liddell coming in as well as the pits are open for everyone sorry my point about that 39 car was the length of time um that it was standing still the fuel was out so they they've used yeah it's this sorry no that's my fault um I I I I didn't explain myself it's going to be new right side tires at the very least for Robert Littell yeah they took the took the uh opinion rightly so I'd say Jeremy that you we had to stop anywhere for fuel we might as well put four new tires on and you know um say to our say bad things about our driver's family slap Jeff around the face I mean that was a strategy all along yeah to to do that to come in put on a professor tiles to run for the end from here that you know they committed early to a two-stop strategy knowing that they would have a fresh set to put on for this final stint and whatever happens happens but uh you know it will now see whether that works out the caution period uh uh certainly hasn't necessarily helped them but um you know because they were in good shape in any case but we'll see that track temperature still hovering uh around 97 Fahrenheit 36 Celsius and we are still in behind the Hyundai safety car we can't be a million miles away from going green here it looks like we're going to have about a 25 minute dash for the points that this is the first intervention by the safety car we had run uh full green to that point [Music] entertaining it was still looking of course for our Michelin moments of the race in both TCR and GS uh Adam has been checking on a couple of strategy items down in the pit Lane what have you got as we go back to green it would have been a two-star two-tire stop for the number 39 carbon Porsche if they'd stayed green but because they have the time put the four on and they think their four tires are worth two to three seconds of lap well I I'm not I'm not going to disagree with that we saw that at the end of the stint and come the last five or six laps we could have a a really interesting race here we've got the restart now and already people trying to make up positions what else the field is compressed ship chat got a reason reasonable restart with Stephen McAleer right up his tailpipes and then Elliot skier in there as well Robbie Foley trying to make his way through with the BMW four Turner more to sport The Number 96 car as he's on the inside of Gregory leafug the Stephen Cameron racing number 43 the orange and blue machine and in fact uh Gregory has just gone by and taken that eighth position so they were side by side for a couple of corners and now it looks like the VFW from Turner he's going to lose another position and that would be to Chad mccumbee in the Ford Mustang that's there we're coming up to the top of the hill I I've got to say it Jeremy what if what we saw in the opening Stitch at the end of that opening stick was anything to go by certainly two or three seconds a lap in terms of a tire Advantage is is not beyond the bounds of possibility no it absolutely isn't John you're absolutely right and and that same goes in TCR as well it was certainly interesting there to see Danny japor and Mikey Taylor both come into the pits during that caution please and uh change I think she said they took on tires and I presume I'm sure they did yes they did and those are two very fast cars as well uh daddy Dupont was quickest in uh I think he was quickest in practice actually uh prior to uh qualifying yeah indeed it wasn't coming 15 for Rockwell Autosport development he was the fastest car in the two practice sessions so uh he's now got a fresh set and he's running in fifth place and not far behind the two leading Hyundais of Mark Wilkins and Robbie wickens then why I never see the polls that are in third position then Michael is the third of the Brian heard of Autosport cars and then his daddy Paul the number 15 car and Mikey Taylor number 17 Audi as well great battle going on between Robert McGinnis in the turn at Motorsport number 95. Daniel Morad for Winward racing and Scott Andrews for Lone Star Racing's right there as well that is the battle for fourth fifth and sixth and they changed positions twice in the last two corners uh the last lap and it looks like we're getting the same sort of battle coming down the hill again the Turner Motorsport car with the white Hood the white bonnets maybe not quite as sharp as those two emgs behind and Daniel Morad Dash to the inside and did exactly this last time around but then ran long at turn 11 and there's a bit of bumping and boring some paint's being traded there side by side that's a big hole in the air for Scott Andrews to exploit there was another little touch wheel the wheel there down towards The Hairpin it turned to the Andretti hairpin they're still side by side that's all the way down the front straight and now the turn of BMW has to drop in behind the windward car and defend against Scott Andrews to his left hand side for Lone Star Racing so two blue emgs oh and a big hit there from the 27 and another one as the 27th Scott Andries runs twice into the back of Daniel Morad this is getting a bit fruity here and a little unnecessary that BMW being beaten up by the two blue emgs in the last half of that yeah against it he was passed uh on that last lap by Daniel Morad and Scott Andrews once passed as well he knows his Mercedes is fast uh he's uh he's actually set the fastest lap and race has Scott Andrews earlier in this event and he knows he's fast but uh you know he's got to be uh here he goes down clear clearly on the inside there at the court exclusive Scott Andrew's now up into that will be position I think uh a fourth position I think is where Robert McGinnis started the lap it's got Andrews but there's more ads ahead of him as well oh yeah excuse me yeah more right tomorrow update for Scott Andries in the fifth yeah absolutely right Jeremy um yeah main time at the front of the field Christian simchach 32 5 32-2 for Stephen McAleer they're a second depart three seconds further back to Elliot skier 32-4 32-9 for Daniel Morad for Winward racing that's been a good drive through the field from Winwood racing in that number 57 car quietly gone about their business oh my goodness yeah fall across the track coming out of turn number two there and in the middle of that was the Stephen Cameron racing number 43 BMW easy to spot that blue and orange cart so yeah great let's get feisty okay great nice thing going on here and that full core score should really helped those two Mercedes of Daniel Morad and Scott Andrews 57 and 27 they were you know quite some way back without that caution Pierce and this has moved them right into contention and uh those cars are fast and here comes the number 39 remember that was a four-tire stop for that Porsche Jeff Westfall is using that additional grip to pick his way through he dropped outside well outside the top ten with that stop under yellow um changed it up from a two to a four and also coming with a tire Advantage Robert Liddell who made another stop there in the 71 Urban grid Camaro the rebel rock racing car so we're already seeing and we've still got 22 minutes to go we'll already see Tire Advantage starting to play out it's not now that I'm interested in Jeremy to be honest it's in the last five laps or so when the guys are in front at the at the moment they're not being allowed to see if they're tires they're lapping within round about uh two or three tenths of a second half a second at least if they're faster slap of the race they're not being allowed to save no uh you know it's there's just over 21 minutes remaining in this race and you know who can look after their tires and and push hard now but still have something left for the final stages particularly if there were to be another another caution period but uh out out of France Christian shimjack uh he's such a great character as Christian he's he's from uh from the the Bay Area uh is is Christian uh originally I think he lives out yeah he's in Oakland California um from Southern California earlier on but uh really cool guy uh and he's he's three times he's finished in second position as Christian shimjack he's his co-driver Kenny Merlo once he's finished second so neither of them or both of those two I should say looking for their first ever Victory uh at this level 43 starts Christian shimjack has had in his career so far and Kenny Miller two California drivers then and number 72 Khalid this race drama in the TCR Championship battle Adam has some news that could have huge implications at the end of this race for that Championship Chase Shea what do you got coming into today's race we had two teams tied at the head of the field one of the teams currently leading the race the other one just left the pit Lane it was drama for the LA Honda World crew the number 37 into the pits fuel pressure sensor issue they were not getting a full reading it was only going up to 130 bar which is not nearly enough so they brought the car in they looked in the engine bay couldn't see anything wrong they plugged the car in still couldn't see anything wrong then they saw something that they didn't like something not completely plugged in in the right rear of the car this is the 73 excuse me I think I said 37 not the new car the old one but the good news is it's still early on in the season and they can't come back from this but they had gotten the lap back John they had high expectations for the rest of today's race those have gone out the window with a couple of cars with fuel pressure problems side by side action Robin Liddell and Robbie Foley and a bit of rubbing Bodywork uh between them which for a moment pushed Bodywork onto the right front tire of the scotsman's Camaro but feisty we said people realize now that it's Gore time but under 20 minutes now and they want if they've got new tires they want to make here and performance Advantage whilst they can't and that's exactly what's happening with Jeff Westfall who's uh just gone by Rory vandister up into the top ten that's right but the guy who's a couple of positions ahead of him is Spencer propelli is absolutely flying in that uh number 83 bgb Porsche he took the restart in the 12th position did Spencer montpelli he's now in seventh so he's uh charging harder he's worked his way through that pack of cars and next up ahead of him on the road it's got a couple of seconds to make up on Robert McGinnis in a number 95 Cinema sport BMW and Robert Liddell has disposed of Robbie Foley this time around he's up into 12th bear in mind that we're talking about battles here outside of the top 10 that are not 20 seconds away from the leader so remember what we were seeing if that tire Advantage at the end is two or three seconds a lap then 20 seconds is going to evaporate very quickly indeed we've got 18 minutes on the nose to go we're laughing it's about a minute and a half at the moment a little bit over that so we've got something in the region of 12 laps to go depending on when the leader crosses the line and how the time is so time is running out for those guys and those teams who really gambled on those tires and the extra Tire stop Mike lamara in that number 73 launder world car that is back on the track has just set the fastest lap of the TCR race but of course he's dropped out the contention now with that extra stop yeah that's a shame for him because of course he was leading the championship coming into this weekend so he's going to fall down the order somewhere but that's a great battle there in TCL Mark Wilkins he's got a couple of seconds in hand over his teammate Robbie wickens but they're behind him it's it's game on the the bat bit right behind wickens is Ryan ever see then Michael Lewis two-time champion of course then then Danny Paul and then Mikey Taylor they're all in a train [Music] by half a second at the front of the field Stephen McAleer Mercedes Porsche Porsche Mercedes Mercedes BMW Porsche for the top seven then the Ford Mustang of Chad mccumbee in eighth BMW Stephen Cameron racing the 43 car in ninth of the top ten made up now by the car barn Porsche the sound of chiroping race gates in the background can only mean that we're keeping an eye on the TCR battle which as ever is outstanding that's Hyundai Hyundai Honda Hyundai Audi Audi for your top six and they're separated by a few seconds I used to get a a respectable job here he's running at the tail end of the of the lead Pack cars will lead lap cars in Gs Patrick Lindsay uh who's got a lot of experience in the world Tech series uh in GTD over the years he's been not sure what he's been doing for the last couple years he did some racing certainly in Europe didn't he did the world the wec uh in a in a Porsche but uh making this this is his debut in this Championship sharing at number 88 Archangel car this weekend uh with uh with Todd Coleman uh and uh he's hanging with those guys just ahead of you Jesse Les air Robbie Foley Robin Liddell uh they're all pretty much in a train there so hats off here to Patrick Lindsay from Santa Barbara California originally he might be basically Texas he says hey yeah yeah he's uh he was just outside of Dallas for a while certainly um he's a um actually he he he's their job he's flying planes he he does deliveries um and Ferry flights uh for for planes and he won GTM in the uh World Endurance Championship so spot on there Jeremy yeah uh bergmeister oh yeah umiz in the project one car which is uh another one of the proton machines and we'll see a proton Porsche here in uh himself competition shortly um obviously in WeatherTech the new 963 first of Christian great scars to come and play will be here hearing and potentially another two poor in private hands for next year's Gibson Weather Tech Sports Car Championship but probably in the hands of teams that have already got them so that would be another one perhaps for brought down and a dual program for the second car for Hertz Yota racing definitely the long races is the aim for that that's in WeatherTech Sports Car Championship which we'll have for you tomorrow of course so this TCR train Mark Wilkins is made a bit of a break for Freedom here it's got uh about two seconds ahead of the rest of the park Robert Wiggins holding on to his court tails a few moments ago nice pass by the remaining Rockwell Auto developments or sport developments car and then it got a little bit untidy going up the hill with the cars behind him fighting it out one of the Brian Hurley because that was Michael Lewis there and the unitronic GDC car was in that as well from Mikey Taylor uh were side by side and that got a bit Gravelly and Dusty for a moment uh don't forget share and Jeremy I'm going to be asking you in a few minutes about your Michelin moments of the race force in uh GS and GT warning for the number 27 car Scott Andrews instant responsibility yeah with Robert McGinnis and that Turner Motorsport car so that did get a little bit too fractious but no penalty assessed as yet Jeremy no I've got a warning there this time uh we saw that didn't we a little while ago he was certainly getting a bit as you say a bit feisty there uh he's got a fast car with Scott Andrews he's getting a little bit frustrated caught up behind Robbie but he's made that pass now and he's he is uh latched onto the tail of the other Mercedes of Daniel Morad those two are closing on the on the leaders Christian schum's out there running super uh consistent laps at the front of the field 132.4 last time around it each of his last 10 laps have been within a few tenths of a second and that's um that's a fine a fine effort to be a Christian gym jacket now what to 12 minutes remaining and Jeremy you talked about uh Denny Dupont and what a quick car that Rockwell Audi is the yellow and blue cargo it crossed the start Finish Line I mean the fourth position and right on the tailpipes of Ryan eversley in third for that new fl5 TCR Honda so that was they made the decision to come in and take new tires and thought that might help them out Adam any thoughts for you for uh GS or TCR for the moment of the race down there from put Lake JS has to be Kenny Murillo for me going from third to First in half a lap that was a very impressive pass in the corkscrew yeah good point that was it hasn't necessarily worked out for uh the other car in that but the 72 car leading the motor race I'm going to keep an eye on that uh Rockwell Auto developments or the sport developments car and that might that pitch strategy might just uh with it for me or at least have that nominated for me yeah it's it's they're so close all those TCR cars it's a great battle going as you say you know Mark Wilkins he made a bit of a break at the restart got a couple of seconds ahead of his teammate Robbie Wicked he's kind of maintaining that but they're just trading hundredths of a second uh each of those uh second third fourth and fifth place cars that's number 33 37 15 and 17. there's a couple of lap cars in there I think yeah as as well [Music] um GS for me is a tough one but uh bgp have played their cards as well as they could take Spencer put pelly with a bit of Clean Air ahead of him now uh might be able to make a and get onto the back of that top five train if he can do that in the next couple of laps he'll have another couple of laps to try and get closer to the podium but I I think Winward Racing for me um have done their job very nicely indeed and Daniel morad's just a second away from a Podium spot now Hughes coming through of a drive through for Michael Lewis in the Brian herder all the sport machine that is last year's Champion they're sixth in TCR blocking is the call Jeremy Shaw uh two years of the Championship Double championship in the last two seasons and blocking has been the call there that was right in the midst of that TCR train that we were talking about yeah and that yeah right so we don't often see that penalty uh handed out but you know the the officials are watching and they want they want everybody to play by the rules so uh fair game there uh these those two Mercedes they're still together I mean number 57 and 27 are running pretty much the same uh strategy they've got pretty much identical cars and they're both running there they they're the big gainers from this full course course with no question about it uh and uh with the uh the fact that Mercedes is really good in its tires they're maintaining Pace with uh these uh not only maintaining places actually inching closer to the top top three but meanwhile uh Spencer papelli you're right he got passed the number 95 Car one two three four laps ago but he's only closed in on the uh pair of Mercedes ahead of him by a tenth or two of a second per lap since then so inside the last 10 minutes in fact inside the last eight minutes we're down to the last five or so laps to go and we've got a oh problems for the number 15 the Rockwell Auto Sport developing car I think it's a left front puncture now what's happened there or is it a suspension issue on that car but certainly problems to the left front of that machine and that is a disaster what a horrible race they have had in fact now I can see some smoke yeah it is the left front the left front has taken a battering there and that is brought to an end one of my nominations for the Michigan moment of the race in TCR I thought they played a Blinder there coming in what a shame and they've lost now Jeremy both cars one right at the very start of the race and one at the end yeah and you know the the move the race doesn't have to go to a car that finishes does it uh you know so that I I think it was a great call by them and yeah I think Danny Dupont was kind of biting his time a little bit and looking to to put the hammer down in the last State final stage of this race perhaps but unfortunately it's a moot point now because he's not going to get that opportunity but uh you're right it's still a great call by that team it's been a really good drive Nick Lyman started that car and uh don't need your power was right in the thick of that battle and I'll tell you what that little team they're just a you know a small Bunch for him from uh from New Jersey Colts Neck New Jersey uh dentists by trade is are the the Rockwell's Father and Son uh Eric and Alex and uh and they've done a super job with it yeah with a small budget and they go racing and there's just a bunch of enthusiasts and my hat's off to them getting a really fine effort for them and once again it's gone unrewarded today but that's awful in any case I I with you I think that was a great strategy call and we're going to give them the Michelin moment of the race uh for that car in TCR so that's the Rockwell Auto Sport development car the number 15 car putting dedic dip on within a shouting for Podium before that pump check and they've had a horrible day with their other car in Gs Jeremy have you got a suggestion for GS for the moment of of the race Shea was saying that great overtake they put the 72 in the lead from Kenny Murillo before shim check took over that's that was if we're talking about a moment that was a pretty stunning one to be honest it was a great strategy as well I mean yeah they they stayed out there uh the on on they've just made uh the uh the one Pit Stop uh so the gambling a little bit they're hoping that they've got enough fuel to get to the end from here but it's been a brilliant Drive I think from Christian shimjack it's actually etched out a little bit now over Stephen McAleer uh and Elliot skier who's running in third place soon it's been a good run also by the way for Nola Swartz in that uh number 47 car and let's have a super job there to keep the pressure on Stephen McAleer but for me I think it's got to be a Christian shimjack if you can hold on here and win this race I think it's got a bit at number 72 team I mean they've come so close to winning in the past and uh you know things have gone in a way or things have happened or whatever it hasn't happened as I said just a little while ago three second place finishes for Christian shimjack six uh podiums he has had a pole position as well but no wins yet and how would he love to do so here at the closest track to his home uh a Californian in every sense the word is Khrushchev just a great character and I'd be thrilled for him to win this race so I think we can confirm then the number 72 Marilla racing team well well if assuming they can get to the end well yeah probably yes I I yes okay that's not made the call just yet but that's my nomination for sure Michael Lewis serving his drive through and that will drop him well out of contention yeah yes he did race control was prepared to hear their submissions prepared to yeah what was going on uh 1.8 seconds at the front of the field backalia at the moment not gaining on the leader Elliot skier not the gaining on second and that tire differential hasn't quite played out as we thought it would be Spencer pumpelly's gained a couple of seconds on Scott Andrews but no more than that uh Robin Liddell hasn't been able to get any further away he's taking Roy vanisher actually so he's just on the outside of the top 10 at 11. and Jeff Westfall is rather stalled uh his progress at Ninth position but still fast going on around the field and Daniel Morad for Winward racing is right with the 47 the bright yellow and black Elliott scare driven Nola sport car they've had a good run they've had a quiet but really good Ron Bryce did his job at the beginning and since Daniel's driven got into that guy he had the fastest lap at one stage and that blue and black number 57 is once again staring at a potential Podium and that would be a brilliant mission for them well it'd be a great result also for Nola sport too I mean they'll hold the position right now Adam adelson's relatively new to the sport uh and uh he's he's going all in here's a lunch to the inside there and the course a little bit of contact yeah bump and run there yeah it's good let's do it look at that one for sure now that might cause apparently that's oh what a shame Daniel all right I think they might be steering damage to the Nola sport car no they've got away with it but that car was Airborne as they came down to the left-hander at Rainey and now those two beats there's two amg's have gone through so that was Scott Andrews follow him through that was a that was a bit Naughty from both of them in my view I mean you get that was definite bump and run then he runs into him again going down the hill and for good measure he gets a bump from Scott Andrews coming out of that corner as well so no I don't like that uh I mean Scott Andrew's already got a warning watch as they go into now into turn wood kind of a little bit a little bit too soon because there was contact also between another 27 and the uh number 47 as well two laps to go no White Flag last time around we'll see it this time around the leaders number 72 still out there that's Marilla racing machine but the battle's going on for third spot on the podium Daniel Moore has it Scott Andrew wants it and Elliot skier had it and now is 2.2 places back down the road they're only three seconds away from Stephen McAleer who's only a couple of seconds away from Christian chimchak but that's us again got a little bit elbows out last time around and I get the feeling that Scott Andrews isn't happy with fourth position at the moment and he might he's there's another driver and another team who's played their cards very well that is a quick car has the fastest lap of the race but this I could see this ending in tears and uh we we might yet see Spencer pompelli being up a couple of positions here because he's holding in the view behind them with those fresher tires on the bright green bgp more the sports machine and he's right there with them with a laptop girl you're right you're absolutely right and and don't look now but the TCR Mark wilkins's two second lead isn't uh it's a bit maybe a second now over Robbie Wiggins Ryan ever see is right there as is Mikey Taylor who is on that same strategy that the Rockwell Auto developments team tried uh and this is a uh pretty much now a four car battle for the lead in TCR heading down the courts group uh they've got another lap to go at the end of this one they've not yet seen the White Flag the leaders have done and up to turn five for Christian shim check and Kenny Murillo will be biting speaker the hills in the pit leave what a great overtake to take two cars up at the top of the corkscrew and take the lead uh early earlier on in the race and Christian shimchat well he's brought it home no doubt about that they've played the strategy just the one pitched up for those GS cards that's right on the Ragged Edge but they have had 12 nearly 13 minutes of safety cart to help them out two corners to go for simchach behind the wheel it's not the case it can kick it out the clutch and let it goes to him if there's a splitter here it's quite a long run to the line and it's slightly uphill as well and Spencer pump pelly knows all about that that's rude America I seem to remember yeah here they come Marilla racing they take it and win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for Michelin Pilot challenge RS one a second win with racing take third position for Daniel Morad and Bryce Ward Shay Adam is with the winners in Gs [Music] huh excuse me she's down at TCR we'll wait for them to come across the line finish off the top finishes Scott Andrew for Lone Star in 450 smaller Sports 6pg Stephen Cameron racing in seventh car barn in eighth mccumbee McAleer in ninth in the top ten made up with Turner Motorsport it will be Hyundai and Brian Hurd at Autosport with the chattering team waste Gates Mark Wilkins in the 98 car finishes off the stint and takes the victory second teammate Rob Wiggins right at the pit wall and third on its debut it is it it is a Podium finish for the new fl5 TCR and La Honda World Racing sheer Adam is with the winner in TCR this is pure location down here John for this team and for Mason Felipe in particular because every race that he has done so far in 2023 has resulted in a Podium facing congratulations on a win at your home track how does it feel it feels amazing I'm so stoked right now it's super awesome to be driving the Hyundai launcher in we run this you know with all the Hyundai people here and all of our fans and supporters it's been a great race it was a hard battle the entire time super thankful for the brighter Autosport team they killed their stop our car was amazing that one friend TCR car and so can't wait for Watkins Glen congratulations I suspect similar Elation down at morillo racing Jeremy Shaw doing the arithmetic to see what that does the championship there's been some problems for teams drivers and manufacturers who came into this weekend in good Championship positions so there could be some quite big turnarounds and point swings here Jeremy let me know when when you've uh you've done the arithmetic yeah it's gonna take a little while actually because there's uh I I think though that uh Kenny Merlin Christian shimjack are likely going to take the points lead from here uh with the the problems for Jeff mosing you know across their teammates of course uh the the car that came into the third in the points isn't even running this weekend that was the jtr engineering Mercedes the plums have had problems uh uh Scott Andrews and Anton Diaz Pereira they finished fourth to date and I have 720 points but Kenny Murrell owns Christian shimjack they'll have 350 for the win today give them 760 in total uh and I think third in the points table is going to be the leaders coming into this weekend which is Robbie Foley and bit Vin Barletta they finished 30th today and they'll be third in the points leaving here this afternoon well that was absolutely enthralling yeah that was Mega what a race and we've had it's always been great racing but we've had some really messy races haven't released that's true in the missionary pilot challenge today that was an absolute cracking race and without the break failure for the Toyota we might have gone green all the way through to be honest yeah um and that would have that did change the complexion of the race and made a few differences to what was going on Adam is down with the winners they're in Victory circle at the moment a lot of happy people next to that metallic orange car Adam oh yeah a lot of happy people in this Victory Lane in general as the Hyundai has just pulled in as well and I saw Kenny ah there he goes he's disappeared up the inside of me Kenny congratulations race winner how does this feel oh my God the monkey's off the back so uh yeah just uh really happy I mean really deserves this uh it's been a long time coming hopefully uh you know we can follow you know follow these results and um I'm just it's just lost for words what an incredible incredible weekend it was ultimately your pass to put the car in the league there but it's got to mean even more that it's a team effort Christian simchik's here now too as well congratulations to you guys race winners yes yes I mean like I said monkey off the bat Christian did a great job to bring it home yeah my sim was exciting uh towards the end but wow what an incredible incredible Day Christian any better place to get this done no not at all nope this is home for me you know that I didn't though I didn't know we could win honestly but now I know oh dude great race that's Stephen mackler coming over to congratulate him guys awesome job well done congrats actually appreciate that thank you we'll try and get a word as well with Mark Wilkins once he gets out of the Hyundai Elantra TCR I think that would be a popular win up and down the pit Lane Jeremy that's a team who you have have supported this Championship my name's uh for a very long time they enjoy their racing and you know that comes from Kenny and and the way he goes racing will uh talk about that in a moment after she has spoken to Mark Wilkins out of the winning Brian herder Autosport Hunter Elantra brought the number 98 at home Mark you've won this race before but I know the emotions have to be extra high considering this is the race that you missed a year ago for the birth of your daughter this race it was the one that you missed last year you made up for it this year yeah you know it's a it's a bit of a Bittersweet day I mean I love this place Mason did a great job but you know my daughter's in the hospital uh she went in a couple days ago and so it's been a bit a bit tough but it just got me really focused on what I had to do today and Mason put a great drive in and uh yeah I mean I just had to hang on so car was fantastic you know I think this car really loves this track and uh yeah I mean Mason really set the tone and that's a great result for Hyundai well it means that you guys maintain the championship blade and actually extended a bit so this one's for Leia and the family back home awesome sounds good uh that's uh that's a great result for those uh guys down there uh Shay Adam was down in the pit Lane for us just going back to my point I was making I wanted to make sure that we got a bird with Mark knowing the uh the situation that he's been running under absolutely fantastic the team was able to compartmentalize and cool cool racing uh as far as Marilla Racing's concerned Jeremy very popular team in the in the pit Lane and rightly saw they they have a great attitude about their racing drive yourself happy is what they say yeah exactly right and uh yeah they are every single person like team is a great guy uh or girl whichever it is and they're just they are super people uh shim Jackie who's such a a genuine character uh and uh I just love it for him maybe he's worked so hard to get here he works super hard in his driving he's not a professional driver but here he is up against a whole bunch of professionals there and he drove an absolutely magnificent stint there to finish off this race consistent lap times all the way through and uh that was just a brilliant Drive I think by Christian shimjack and Kenny Murillo of course he was superb in the early stages as well but uh hats off to that team it's been a long time coming for that pair but they finally made it stick sure Adam down in the scrum there final thoughts from you uh the uh what what a result for the top three in both categories uh what was that sorry I just think that everybody down here not only in Victory Lane but getting on the podium today what were the competitors and for TCR competitors we're not going to see them again until the Glenn for GS they get to go race in Detroit on the brand new Street circuit that's the perfect advertisement that we need going into a race to co-chair with IndyCar to show them what we're capable of in imsa and that's exactly what was demonstrated today I'm proud of these competitors 100 minute race for those guys on the first weekend of June they're racing on their own Jeremy quickly wrapped with uh some more points uh before yeah we sent everybody off home yeah really just the manufacturers in in Gs uh with the win Mercedes will vote from from third to First on 950 to over Porsche 920 and leaders coming into this weekend BMW uh we'll have 900 points so those top three of exchange positions there we talked earlier on about how the fact that the all four manufacturers in uh TCR were covered by just 10 points uh with the win today first win of the season for Hyundai that will Vault them at the uh at the uh the the Hyundai motul Corsa or powered by Hyundai is this event isn't it so great news for them with the uh the victory here first win of the season they will lead now over Honda uh Audi and Alpha but still super tight for manufacturers well that sets it up very nice nicely what a brilliant Saturday we've had here and finishing up with a superb race in the Michelin Pilot challenge at matul Corsa to Monterey powered by Hyundai thank you very much to our camera operators and all of our technicians and Engineers on site as well as the production team up in Charlotte thank you Alyssa and Keith and the rest of the team to my co-commentator Jeremy Shaw and of course uh irrepressible pit reporter Adam thank you very much indeed for listening to all of you out there Rob Lomas was making sure we went to the world at RSL headquarters in London and the responsible adult as ever was Eve Hewitt I'm John hindhoff that was a super Saturday now we've got to make it an even more Super Sunday we'll be back for that see you then bye-bye this program is a radio show limited production for more check imsaradio.com and subscribe to imsa radio wherever you get your podcasts

Channel: IMSA Official

Views: 89,667

Keywords: IMSA, International Motor Sports Association, Michelin Pilot Challenge, Grand Sport, GS, Touring Car, TCR, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, Honda, McLaren, Mercedes, Porsche, Laguna Seca, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Id: iwdaKEo6mNk

Length: 137min 5sec (8225 seconds)

Published: Sun May 21 2023