LMP2, GTD PRO Title Battles Intensify
By Tony DiZinno
Hour 8 Race Results
Hour 8 IMEC Results
BRASELTON, Ga. – The sun has set and the drama has intensified as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is inside the final two hours of the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans.
Jack Aitken leads overall and in Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R as he, Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti seek a race win repeat.
Other class leaders are Toby Sowery in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) in the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07 he shares with George Kurtz and Alex Quinn, Antonio Garcia in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R he shares with Alexander Sims and Marvin Kirchhoefer and Callum Ilott in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) in the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) he shares with Adam Adelson and Tom Sargent.
But the championship battles across LMP2 and GTD PRO will take center stage for the final hours.
In GTD PRO, all of the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R, No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO and No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3 have traded the top points spot unofficially as the positions and race have evolved.
But as the race has closed to the final two hours, the No. 1 BMW ran ahead of the No. 9 Lamborghini and No. 4 Corvette on track, as it tries to overcome the points deficit and leap to a title.
The LMP2 battle has been a seesaw one between the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR and No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECAs.
There’s also other battles to consider – namely the Bob Akin Award for GTD Bronze-rated drivers between Orey Fidani and Brendan Iribe – and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup standings. These have volleyed too in recent hours.
With two hours remaining, the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR was leading LMP2, No. 1 PMR BMW leading GTD PRO and No. 21 Af Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO was leading the GTD standings in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. Multiple teams remain alive for these titles.