Filipe Albuquerque Has Wayne Taylor Racing Out Front with Two Hours Remaining in the 25th Running of the Season Finale
By Mark Robinson
Motul Petit Le Mans Eight-Hour Results
BRASELTON, Ga. – The championship-leading No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 held the overall lead as night fell Saturday in the 25th annual Motul Petit Le Mans. Filipe Albuquerque was 13.476 seconds ahead of Earl Bamber in the No. 02 Cadillac Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R at the eight-hour mark at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
With two hours remaining, the conclusion should be dramatic. Tune in to watch it live on USA Network.
The No. 10 Acura led the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura by 14 points atop the DPi standings going into the race. Whichever car is ahead at the checkered flag takes the class championship, except if the Meyer Shank Acura finishes fifth and the Konica Minolta Acura sixth. Then, the No. 10 and drivers Ricky Taylor and Albuquerque would be champions over the No. 60 and full-season pilots Tom Blomqvist and Oliver Jarvis.
After eight hours, the No. 60 Acura ran in fourth place.
Wayne Taylor Racing, which fields the No. 10 Acura, is seeking its fourth Motul Petit Le Mans win in the past eight years. Team owner Wayne Taylor won the first Petit Le Mans in 1998 and was co-grand marshal for this year’s celebrated 25th running.
Other class leaders at the eight-hour mark were: Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 81 DragonSpeed USA ORECA LMP2 07 in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2); Gabby Chaves in the No. 36 Andretti Autosport Ligier JS P320 in Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3); Seb Priaulx in the No. 70 inception racing McLaren 720S GT3 in GT Daytona (GTD); and Ben Barnicoat in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 in GTD PRO.
The No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R held the overall lead at the four-hour mark, but shortly after was involved in a heavy collision with the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus going through the esses portion of the 12-turn, 2.54-mile road course. Both cars made hard contact with the wall and were eliminated from the race. Drivers Loic Duval and Aaron Telitz were unhurt.
Following that, the race settled into a lengthy stint of green-flag racing for nearly three hours.
The eight-hour mark also marked the next-to-last point of the 2022 season where IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup points are awarded. This championship consists of the four endurance races on the schedule, with points awarded at pre-designated junctures of each race. Each class leader earns five points, second place gets four, third place three and all others in class earn two points. Points will be awarded again at the race finish.
After eight hours at Michelin Raceway, the overall Michelin Endurance Cup leaders were: the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura in DPi and the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3 in GTD PRO. Both the No. 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320 in LMP3 and the No. 70 inception racing McLaren 720S GT3 in GTD unofficially clinched their Michelin Endurance Cup class crowns at the eight-hour mark. The No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen ORECA clinched the Michelin Endurance Cup in LMP2 by starting the race.