Chip Ganassi Racing’s Bourdais and van der Zande took a ‘no tyres’ pit technique to get forward of the sister Motion Specific-run Cadillac V-Collection.R of Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken to attain a 1-2 end for the marque across the 1.968-mile non permanent circuit.
From pole place, regardless of crashing within the closing moments of qualifying, Derani led the sector to inexperienced. He led the sister Cadillac Racing entry of Bourdais, who handed the opposite entrance row qualifier Nick Yelloly (#25 RLL BMW M Hybrid) on the run to the opening nook.
Behind them, Nick Tandy ran fourth within the Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 from the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06s of Jordan Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque.
Derani sprinted clear, exhibiting no in poor health results after his spectacular exit from final month’s Sebring 12 Hours, whereas the surprisingly cautious Bourdais got here beneath assault from Yelloly and Tandy because the prototypes hit GTD site visitors.
The latter pair banged wheels and swapped locations simply earlier than the race’s first full-course yellow, induced when Brendan Iribe shunted his GTD class Inception McLaren 720S at Flip 5 and received collected by Adam Adelson’s Wright Motorsports Porsche 911. That shunt gave Tandy the chance to get a run on Yelloly, earlier than passing him later across the lap.
The race restarted after 23 minutes, with Derani main Bourdais, Tandy, Yelloly and Jordan Taylor.
The GTP class was utilizing Michelin’s soft-compound tyre at Lengthy Seaside for the primary time outdoors of Daytona evening operating, after final yr’s race was gained by Porsche not altering its more durable rubber.
Tandy was the primary GTP driver to cease, 34 minutes into the race, handing over the #6 963 to Mathieu Jaminet they usually modified left-side tyres. Jordan Taylor and Dane Cameron (#7 PPM 963) stopped a lap later, the latter taking recent rears solely because the #40 Acura took 4 recent tyres.
Derani pitted after 28 minutes however received caught behind a GTD Lamborghini, locking up as he entered pit lane. Aitken rejoined with recent left-side tyres solely.
Because the pitstop cycle performed out, the #01 Caddy didn’t change tyres in any respect throughout its cease, so van der Zande took over from Bourdais and rejoined effectively within the lead over Aitken – however at a tyre drawback.
“If you happen to can’t move on observe, we mentioned not taking any tyres,” revealed Bourdais of the technique. “The delta was two seconds.”
Derani countered from his pit stand: “I received some site visitors on the in-lap they usually gambled as a result of the man behind will at all times do one thing totally different. We’re hoping that the tyre deg might be sufficient that Renger will endure.”
Yelloly ran lengthy, together with Mike Rockenfeller within the Proton-run Porsche 963. However that overcut technique was nixed when erstwhile joint factors chief, and Sebring winner, Louis Deletraz shunted the #40 Acura closely at Flip 1, having taken 4 tyres and misplaced it on his chilly rubber.
The race restarted once more with just below 40 minutes remaining with van der Zande main Aitken, Jaminet, Felipe Nasr (in for Cameron) and Connor De Phillippi (in for Yelloly).
In the back of the GTP area, Ricky Taylor (in for Albuquerque within the #10 Acura) punted Richard Westbrook’s JDC-Miller Porsche 963 right into a spin at Flip 6. Taylor acquired a drive-through penalty.
De Phillippi, who had taken 4 recent tyres, slammed into the again of Nasr, claiming the Brazilian brake-checked him.
The leaders caught some frantically battling GTD vehicles with 22 minutes to go, and because the site visitors stacked up on the hairpin, third-placed Jaminet was punted right into a spin by Loris Spinelli’s GTD Lamborghini. Within the melee, De Phillippi bulldozed his means by the stationary vehicles and wrecked the entrance finish of his BMW, forcing him to pit.
Amazingly, a warning wasn’t required for that, however it occurred a couple of minutes later when De Phillippi crashed once more at Flip 6.
The race went inexperienced with lower than 9 minutes remaining, however not earlier than Aitken nearly hit the again of van der Zande at Flip 4 whereas warming his tyres.
Van der Zande led Aitken, Nasr, the delayed Jaminet, Gianmaria Bruni (Proton Porsche 963, shared with Rockenfeller), Jesse Krohn (#24 BMW, partnered by Philipp Eng), Westbrook (who shared with Tijmen van der Helm), Ricky Taylor and De Phillippi.
Because the laps ticked by, Aitken stalked van der Zande for the win, with the Porsches holding a watching transient behind. Van der Zande gained by half a second.
#89 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Ben Barnicoat, Parker Thompson, #12 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Frankie Montecalvo, Jack Hawksworth
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
Lexus wins GTD class
In GTD, Parker Thompson and common Professional class ace Ben Barnicoat led from begin to end of their #89 Lexus RC F.
It was a Lexus 1-2 initially with Thompson main the sister automobile of Frankie Montecalvo.
Albert Costa was better of the remaining early on within the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296, and he bumped his well past Montecalvo on the hairpin on the finish of the opening lap to seize second, as Thompson jumped filter out entrance.
So as to add insult to damage, the #12 Lexus was penalized with a drive-through penalty for not staying in his lane throughout the startline, so Montecalvo tumbled to the tail of the sector. Workforce-mate Jack Hawksworth would later retire with accident harm.
After the pitstop sequence performed out, Barnicoat took over the #89 Lexus and led Robby Foley, who was in for Patrick Gallagher in Turner Motorsport’s BMW M4. Spencer Pumpelly ran third within the Coronary heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage he shared with Roman De Angelis.
Pumpelly would conflict with Mike Skeen’s Korthoff/Preston Motorsports Mercedes at Flip 6, which allowed Loris Spinelli (Forte Racing Lamborghini) to seize fourth at school.
Pumpelly received punted right into a spin at Flip 6 by Anders Fjordbach’s Porsche, forward of the ultimate yellow of the race.
That promoted Skeen to 3rd, behind the victorious Barnicoat, who gained by 1.4s from Foley.