As it was another Nail biting finish, especially
for those with malfunctioning Headlights!
Yeah, the chequered flag has long flown upon
this year’s epic 27th Petit Le Mans ten hours endurance race. Which once again
will be my race of the year! For which I’m aiming for reflecting upon some of
its too numerous exploits…
Tuning in for earnest with five and a quarter
hours remaining, I learned that IndyCar’s Colton Herta was racing aboard the
No. 40 WTR Andretti Acura ARX-06 in the GTP category. Being one lap down, ahead
of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon in the team’s #01 Cadillac V-Series.R.
As it was fascinating listening to IMSA Radio’s
John Hindhaugh and Jeremy Shaw marvel over how Herta had not only unlapped
Himself, but pulled out a 15-plus second lead over thee “Iceman 2.0”, nee Dixon
during the middle of the race!
Yet this was all for naught, as suddenly Herta
came racing into the pits, having suffered a punctured right rear tyre! Which
then flailed about and caused bodywork damage also…
Making me ponder if Herta’s intense pace had
been the culprit of His tyre delamination? Whilst Dixon would unlap the #01
Caddy’ later…
As there were a total of four current, Uhm,
technically five current IndyCar drivers participating. Including Herta, Dixon,
Kyle Kirkwood, Herta’s Andretti Global teammate. Junco Hollinger Racing’s
Romain Grosjean and Dale Coyne Racing aspiring driver Hunter McElrea.
As Kirkwood was in the #14 Vasser Sullivan
Lexus RC F GT3 GTD Pro entry, which retired early. McElrea once again was part
of the winning No. 11 TDS Racing LMP2 entry, finishing eighth overall, and
eight laps behind the overall winner.
Grosjean in the Lamborghini SP63 which ran
several laps down, for which I don’t know the reason why? Finished 15th
overall, behind the first seven LMP2 entries, Yikes!
I also enjoy the global aspect of Petit Le
Mans, including its Femme Fatales contingent, for which multiple competed this
year. As I caught pitlane interviews with two who were making their Petit debuts. Including one I’d never
heard of before named Lilou Wadoux, a 23yr old French racing driver. As Wadoux
was part of the #88 Richard Mille AF Corse Oreca-Gibson LMP2 lineup. With the
team contesting all of the IMSA WeatherTech Endurance rounds.
Little did I know until “reading” Her Bio,
Wadoux is a rising star who was part of the LMP2 class winning entry at this
year’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen. With the entry finishing seventh in class and
P13 overall.
Also making Her Petit Le Mans debut was former
A.J. foyt IndyCar driver Tatiana Calderon aboard the No. 66 Gradient Racing
Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 in the GT Daytona class. (GTD) Partnering fellow le Femme Sheena
Monk and Stevan McAleer.
As I’m not sure what it says about the
racecourse, Eh? As Tatiana claimed it was scary racing out there! Presumably
due to the insane amount of nonstop “traffic”. Finishing P39 overall, some
37-laps behind.
And then there was the #83 Iron Dames
Lamborghini Huracan GT3 entry, also in the GTD class with its regular Femme
fatales lineup of Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting. Finishing P41
overall, 39-laps behind and one place adrift of the No. 66 Gradient Acura NSX
in the GTD class.
Another winning Indy NXT driver and aspiring
IndyCar racer in the field was Mattie B’, aka Matthew Brabham piloting the No.
99 AO Racing’s Oreca-Gibson LMP2 entry. Although Brabham’s IndyCar aspirations
seem to have stalled.
Whilst I don’t know if it was my ears playing
tricks upon me? As I thought I heard Sparky’, aka Devlin DeFrancesco being
interviewed late in the race? Although the Froggy’ sounding driver mentioned He
was still fighting a Flu and that Ibuprofen was His “Friend”. And He didn’t
feel anything when driving the car!
As DeFrancesco, a former Andretti Global
IndyCar driver was part of Forte Racing’s No. 78 GTD Lamborghini Huracan GT3
Evo 2 squad. While fellow Hoser’, err Kuhnuck’ thee Mayor of Hinchtown’, aka
James Hinchcliffe was behind the keyboard of the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren
720s GTD Pro entry. As Hinch’ contested the team’s endurance rounds this
season…
Don’t know all of the gyrations that the #01
Cadd-Oh-lacc’ endured during the race. Besides spending the night hours as a
one headlight cyclops! Apparently suffering from a sensor issue that took
multiple pitlane trips to fix and dropping them one lap down, or was it two?
But after the race’s final full course caution,
for a scary three car crash! Triggered by Cory Lewis’s #55 Mustang stranded
with no headlights! The race became quite riveting…
As Renger van der Zande in the #01 Caddy’ that
was driving with just its left headlight working, made a brazen pass for the
lead of the race over Nick Tandy’s Penske Porsche 963 with under 20mins
remaining? And then you felt the palpable tension of Hindhaugh suddenly
screaming over how the No. 01’s lights had All gone out with three minutes
remaining and He’ll have to immediately come to pitlane!
Yet the lights came back on, and then they
winked at us, with the left going out and right coming on, before all four
lights came on briefly across the stripe! Giving Chip Ganassi Racing and full
season drivers van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais the Fairytale sendoff for
their final Cadillac outing!
Even more gripping was the fact that due to a
niggling mechanical malady; errant steering wheel connection putting the GTD
Pro Drivers Championship into question. With Laurin Heinrich and His No. 77
“Rexi” Dinosaur themed AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R unable to finish any better
than eleventh.
Heart of Racing’s Ross Gunn needed to finish
second in order to steal the Drivers title! For which Gunn’s Aston Martin
Vantage AMR GT3 entry was leading the race prior to Lewis’s incident!
Yet the eventual first and second place GTD Pro
entry’s; the No. 19 Iron Lynx Lambo’ with Jordan Pepper and No. 62 Risi
competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 with Daniel Serra at their controls, both managed
to duck into the pits for their final pitstop before the yellow came out…
As Gunn spent the race’s final 35mins harrying
Serra in the second place Ferrari. Closing to as close as naught-three second
(0.3) adrift in third place, but could
never find a way around the Prancing Horse!
Thus Gunn came up four points shy of snatching
the title! Ironically due to Heinrich’s Pole position’s extra five points, giving
Him the necessary “cushion” over Gunn’s unexpected triumph…
While the GTD class winners also took the lead
late in the race I believe. As the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 of
Albert Costa, Manny Franco and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli were victorious. And yes,
that’s the same Conquest Racing of longtime team owner and former IndyCar
driver Eric Bachelart.
