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00:00:00The champagne celebrations have been flowing since February.
00:00:04The inaugural season of Grand American Road Racing is headed into the homestretch with
00:00:08overall and class championships wide open.
00:00:13In sports racer competition, legendary racing marks such as Ferrari, Bola, and Ford are
00:00:18vying for championship honors.
00:00:20And in GT production-based racing, the venerable German mainstays Porsche and BMW are engaged
00:00:27in a war for pride alongside Detroit's Besson.
00:00:30They all come together in the revival of a road racing classic, the Road America 500.
00:00:53Nestled by Elkhart Lake in central Wisconsin lies one of the world's great racetracks,
00:00:57the four-mile ribbon of asphalt known as Road America, site of the Road America 500.
00:01:02Hello, everyone.
00:01:03I'm Bob Barshaw alongside sports car legend David Hobbs.
00:01:07Road America 500 is the second of three great old race names being revived in this inaugural
00:01:12season of the Grand American Road Racing Championship.
00:01:14The Paul Revere 250 was the first, the Road America 500 the second, and the six hours
00:01:20of Watkins Glen will wrap up the season.
00:01:22Right now, let's get down to the grid and hear from John Bisignano.
00:01:25Well, you're looking at the beautiful number 27 car here on pole position at Elkhart Lake,
00:01:31Wisconsin.
00:01:32And it got on pole by not being the fastest car during qualifying because that was totally
00:01:37washed out.
00:01:38But DDA has won pole this year down in Homestead, and we know that he can be the fastest man
00:01:43on the track.
00:01:44Here, because qualifying being washed out, they went by team owner points, and Kevin
00:01:49Dorn has most of those.
00:01:51Not so much track time so far, DDA.
00:01:53Is that a little bit upsetting?
00:01:55Not really, especially yesterday.
00:01:57We didn't really work on the setup we want to work on.
00:02:00But be on pole is always good.
00:02:02But it's a five-hour race.
00:02:03It's not very important.
00:02:04You know, front row is always good, but five hours, I don't know, five split stop, you
00:02:08know, it doesn't matter too much where you start in this race.
00:02:11You're very casual about that pole position, went from a Belgium opinion to a British opinion.
00:02:16Now, Andy Wallace, you have raced all over the world, but I can't believe it.
00:02:20Your first time at the great Elkhart Lake Circuit.
00:02:22I hear you love it.
00:02:23Well, I can't believe it either.
00:02:24I can't believe I've been to all the other tracks and not this one.
00:02:27This is one of the great tracks of the world.
00:02:28I'm glad I'm here now, and I'm so glad to have discovered it.
00:02:31I love the long straights and the fast corners and the elevation changes, and I think this
00:02:35kind of track will really suit these sports cars well.
00:02:38He can't wait to get out there, guys.
00:02:39Now to my pit partner, Calvin Fish, with more on the very unlucky number five car.
00:02:46One of the hottest cars on the circuit this year has been the number five Saleen SR, but
00:02:50in more ways than one.
00:02:51I'm standing by with Steve Saleen.
00:02:52Steve, the car was comprehensively damaged on Friday.
00:02:55What did you guys have to go through to get it on the grid today?
00:02:58Well, Calvin, as you know, it caught on fire.
00:03:01Differential broke, which went into the gas fuel cell.
00:03:05It caught on fire, and basically what we've done is we saved the roof scoop, and we rebuilt
00:03:10the whole car underneath it over the last 48 hours.
00:03:12The team has really done a remarkable job.
00:03:16Everybody came by and said, there's no way you could do this.
00:03:19Last night, we fired it up.
00:03:21This morning, it was very quick in the warm-up session, and it's just remarkable to the team
00:03:25that we have here.
00:03:26The boys on the team have only had a couple of hours sleep over the last 48 hours, Steve,
00:03:30and you've got a 500-miler, hopefully, to run here this afternoon.
00:03:32How's the endurance of the guys on the team?
00:03:36They're really strained.
00:03:38There's no question about it, and we've had to make other arrangements.
00:03:42They have people come by and wake them up, but periodically, so they won't fall asleep
00:03:47today.
00:03:48But the Selene Allen Speed Lab crew in general has done a remarkable job this year.
00:03:54We've overcome a lot of adversity.
00:03:56This by far was the biggest one we had to overcome.
00:03:59The fact that we're starting this race is a small miracle.
00:04:02It also shows why we've nicknamed the horse on the side Blaze.
00:04:05Well, good luck this afternoon, and just to make sure that they have some manufacturer
00:04:09points at the end of the day, they've actually entered a second car.
00:04:11The number four machine will start at the back of the grid, maybe score a few valuable
00:04:14points, guys.
00:04:15Okay.
00:04:16Thanks, Biz and Calvin.
00:04:17There you have the high points of the weekend.
00:04:20Here's a look at our pole sitters by class, as John Bisignano mentioned, set by owner
00:04:23points after heavy thunderstorms washed out qualifying.
00:04:26The Viettes will have the Doran Lista Judd on pole in the sports racer class.
00:04:32Ryan Hampton and partner Larry Alberto are yet to be beaten in the smaller, more nimble
00:04:37sports racer two category.
00:04:38There's a great story in GTO as well.
00:04:39First, a look at our map.
00:04:40Well, as Andy Wallace said, this is one of the great circuits.
00:04:41Four miles long, the longest lap in North America.
00:04:42And as you can see, it's a tremendous amount of corners.
00:04:43And they're all so different, one and three, five, one of the most famous corners, very
00:04:44tight.
00:04:45Let's go on board now with a 74 car.
00:04:46Just come into the carousel.
00:04:47Long, long, almost 180 degree right hand of this.
00:04:48Build up speed all the way through.
00:04:49Then as you actually come right to the edge of the road there, and right in front of you
00:04:50down the road is the kink.
00:04:51Fastest corner.
00:04:52It's the kink.
00:04:53It's the kink.
00:04:54It's the kink.
00:04:55It's the kink.
00:04:56It's the kink.
00:04:57It's the kink.
00:04:58It's the kink.
00:04:59It's the kink.
00:05:00It's the kink.
00:05:01It's the kink.
00:05:02It's the kink.
00:05:03It's the kink.
00:05:04It's the kink.
00:05:05It's the kink.
00:05:06It's the kink.
00:05:07It's the kink.
00:05:08It's the kink.
00:05:09It's the kink.
00:05:10It's the kink.
00:05:11It's the kink.
00:05:12It's the kink.
00:05:13It's the kink.
00:05:14It's the kink.
00:05:15It's the kink.
00:05:16It's the kink.
00:05:17It's the kink.
00:05:18It's the kink.
00:05:19It's the kink.
00:05:20It's the kink.
00:05:21It's the kink.
00:05:22It's the kink.
00:05:23It's the kink.
00:05:24It's the kink.
00:05:25It's the kink.
00:05:26It's the kink.
00:05:27It's the kink.
00:05:28It's the kink.
00:05:29It's the kink.
00:05:30It's the kink.
00:05:31It's the kink.
00:05:32It's the kink.
00:05:33It's the kink.
00:05:34It's the kink.
00:05:35It's the kink.
00:05:36It's the kink.
00:05:37It's the kink.
00:05:38It's the kink.
00:05:39It's the kink.
00:05:40It's the kink.
00:05:41It's the kink.
00:05:42It's the kink.
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00:05:44It's the kink.
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00:05:46It's the kink.
00:05:47It's the kink.
00:05:48It's the kink.
00:05:49It's the kink.
00:05:50It's the kink.
00:05:51It's the kink.
00:05:52It's the kink.
00:05:53It's the kink.
00:05:54It's the kink.
00:05:55It's the kink.
00:05:56It's the kink.
00:05:57It's the kink.
00:05:58It's the kink.
00:05:59It's the kink.
00:06:00It's the kink.
00:06:01It's the kink.
00:06:02It's the kink.
00:06:03It's the kink.
00:06:04It's the kink.
00:06:05It's the kink.
00:06:06It's the kink.
00:06:07It's the kink.
00:06:08It's the kink.
00:06:09It's the kink.
00:06:10It's the kink.
00:06:11It's the kink.
00:06:12It's the kink.
00:06:13It's the kink.
00:06:14It's the kink.
00:06:15It's the kink.
00:06:16It's the kink.
00:06:17It's the kink.
00:06:18It's the kink.
00:06:19It's the kink.
00:06:20It's the kink.
00:06:21It's the kink.
00:06:22It's the kink.
00:06:23It's the kink.
00:06:24It's the kink.
00:06:25It's the kink.
00:06:26It's the kink.
00:06:27It's the kink.
00:06:28It's the kink.
00:06:29It's the kink.
00:06:30It's the kink.
00:06:31It's the kink.
00:06:32It's the kink.
00:06:33It's the kink.
00:06:34It's the kink.
00:06:35It's the kink.
00:06:36It's the kink.
00:06:37It's the kink.
00:06:38It's the kink.
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00:06:40It's the kink.
00:06:41It's the kink.
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00:06:48It's the kink.
00:06:49It's the kink.
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00:06:51It's the kink.
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00:06:54It's the kink.
00:06:55It's the kink.
00:06:56It's the kink.
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00:06:58It's the kink.
00:06:59It's the kink.
00:07:00It's the kink.
00:07:01It's the kink.
00:07:02It's the kink.
00:07:03It's the kink.
00:07:04It's the kink.
00:07:05It's the kink.
00:07:06It's the kink.
00:07:07It's the kink.
00:07:08It's the kink.
00:07:09It's the kink.
00:07:10It's the kink.
00:07:11It's the kink.
00:07:12It's the kink.
00:07:13It's the kink.
00:07:14It's the kink.
00:07:15It's the kink.
00:07:16It's the kink.
00:07:17It's the kink.
00:07:18It's the kink.
00:07:19It's the kink.
00:07:20It's the kink.
00:07:21It's the kink.
00:07:22It's the kink.
00:07:23It's the kink.
00:07:24It's the kink.
00:07:25It's the kink.
00:07:26It's the kink.
00:07:27It's the kink.
00:07:28It's the kink.
00:07:29It's the kink.
00:07:30It's the kink.
00:07:31It's the kink.
00:07:32It's the kink.
00:07:33It's the kink.
00:07:34It's the kink.
00:07:35It's the kink.
00:07:36It's the kink.
00:07:37It's the kink.
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00:07:41It's the kink.
00:07:42It's the kink.
00:07:43It's the kink.
00:07:44It's the kink.
00:07:45It's the kink.
00:07:46It's the kink.
00:07:47It's the kink.
00:07:48It's the kink.
00:07:49It's the kink.
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00:07:51It's the kink.
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00:07:53It's the kink.
00:07:54It's the kink.
00:07:55It's the kink.
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00:07:58It's the kink.
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00:08:00It's the kink.
00:08:01It's the kink.
00:08:02It's the kink.
00:08:03It's the kink.
00:08:04It's the kink.
00:08:05It's the kink.
00:08:06It's the kink.
00:08:07It's the kink.
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00:08:10It's the kink.
00:08:11It's the kink.
00:08:12It's the kink.
00:08:13It's the kink.
00:08:14It's the kink.
00:08:15It's the kink.
00:08:16It's the kink.
00:08:17It's the kink.
00:08:18It's the kink.
00:08:19It's the kink.
00:08:20It's the kink.
00:08:21It's the kink.
00:08:22It's the kink.
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00:08:24It's the kink.
00:08:25It's the kink.
00:08:26It's the kink.
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00:08:29It's the kink.
00:08:30It's the kink.
00:08:31It's the kink.
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00:08:53It's the kink.
00:08:54It's the kink.
00:08:55It's the kink.
00:08:56It's the kink.
00:08:57It's the kink.
00:08:58It's the kink.
00:08:59It's the kink.
00:09:00It's the kink.
00:09:01It's the kink.
00:09:02It's the kink.
00:09:03It's the kink.
00:09:04It's the kink.
00:09:05It's the kink.
00:09:06It's the kink.
00:09:07It's the kink.
00:09:08It's the kink.
00:09:09It's the kink.
00:09:10It's the kink.
00:09:11It's the kink.
00:09:12It's the kink.
00:09:13It's the kink.
00:09:14It's the kink.
00:09:15It's the kink.
00:09:16It's the kink.
00:09:17It's the kink.
00:09:18It's the kink.
00:09:19It's the kink.
00:09:20It's the kink.
00:09:21It's the kink.
00:09:22It's the kink.
00:09:23It's the kink.
00:09:24It's the kink.
00:09:25It's the kink.
00:09:26It's the kink.
00:09:27It's the kink.
00:09:28It's the kink.
00:09:29It's the kink.
00:09:30It's the kink.
00:09:31It's the kink.
00:09:32It's the kink.
00:09:33It's the kink.
00:09:34It's the kink.
00:09:35It's the kink.
00:09:36It's the kink.
00:09:37It's the kink.
00:09:38It's the kink.
00:09:39It's the kink.
00:09:40It's the kink.
00:09:41It's the kink.
00:09:42It's the kink.
00:09:43It's the kink.
00:09:44It's the kink.
00:09:45It's the kink.
00:09:46It's the kink.
00:09:47It's the kink.
00:09:48It's the kink.
00:09:49It's the kink.
00:09:50It's the kink.
00:09:51It's the kink.
00:09:52It's the kink.
00:09:53It's the kink.
00:09:54It's the kink.
00:09:55The carousel coming up here is a long, long turn.
00:09:58Tremendous.
00:09:59This is where these cars are good downforce.
00:10:00I really helped enormous there.
00:10:02Jack Rollins still holding off.
00:10:04Jack Baldwin.
00:10:07A couple of lines there.
00:10:08A couple of U.S.R.2s.
00:10:09Yeah.
00:10:10Lots of different racing lines being taken.
00:10:12It's not a completely consistent circle.
00:10:16You have to kind of feed in the power because the turn kind of widens out.
00:10:20And no camber to help you either.
00:10:22It's a difficult corner.
00:10:24It's inclined to understeer a lot.
00:10:25This is Canada Corner.
00:10:27A little bit of an uphill slope here with the right-left weave under that bridge.
00:10:31There's a new bridge now.
00:10:34Elkhart Lake spent a lot of money on this track.
00:10:38There's one of the BMWs off pretty early on.
00:10:42Oh, and the 68 car.
00:10:43That's one of the red and bright pill beams over England.
00:10:48One of our sports racers is off and one of our GTU BMWs.
00:10:53That was Mark Smith in the pill beam.
00:10:55That was the car that Brian Redmond was driving a couple of weeks ago in the middle of the night.
00:10:59Not here this weekend, but in the team.
00:11:02It was a Volvo Pier 250.
00:11:04It was Tony Jennings in the BMW M3 for Genesis Racing.
00:11:08To pick up the race leaders once again.
00:11:10Now, here's another look at the start in real time from onboard the 4Mix.com 74 Ranch.
00:11:16Riley and Scott Judd.
00:11:18Hands of Jack Baldwin.
00:11:19Right behind the Polestar there's the Ferrari that was alongside.
00:11:22Baldwin sneaking up the inside as they come to this.
00:11:24Now you can see that dust starting to come out from under the wheels of these cars.
00:11:27And obviously these high downforce cars really throw that dust up into turn one.
00:11:32Right-hander.
00:11:33Ooh.
00:11:34John Field just slipping in there in that black.
00:11:37As of yet, unpainted loader.
00:11:39They only had the thing like last Sunday.
00:11:41So, very new car.
00:11:42And here it is, hanging right onto third spot.
00:11:44Doing very well.
00:11:45That was a three-wide start.
00:11:47I mean, this VRL almost found itself in the wall.
00:11:49Now we have another of the GTU cars off.
00:11:51Truck was a bit injured.
00:11:52Whoop.
00:11:53Here goes John Field with the Lister car all over James Weaver.
00:11:56John Field goes down the inside there of Didier Thaes.
00:11:59Good move.
00:12:00That's into turn three.
00:12:02And leading onto this long straight.
00:12:05Another new bridge there.
00:12:06Another new traffic bridge.
00:12:08Making getting around the infield here really easy.
00:12:10Down into turn five.
00:12:12Now John Field can have a go here at James Weaver.
00:12:16Not quite close enough in the braking area.
00:12:19Well, I'll say this for this Intersport team.
00:12:21They just get more and more competitive with each passing race.
00:12:24Another look at that move for second.
00:12:26Didier Thaes goes to the inside of James Weaver to come down to turn three.
00:12:29Then he thinks he's going to go to the outside for some reason or other.
00:12:32And that leaves a golden opportunity for John Field to slide down the inside in that new Lola.
00:12:37A great move there by John Field.
00:12:40Normally two cars from Intersport racing the field.
00:12:43But they've chosen to concentrate their efforts on this new Lola.
00:12:46And it's paying off.
00:12:47The top runners will be back.
00:12:52Welcome back to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, in the Road America 500.
00:12:55On the Grand Am Trail, Bob Barsha, David Hobbs, Calvin Fish, and John Bisignano with you.
00:13:00And there is two-time defending SECA BF Goodrich Tires Trans Am champion Paul Genolosi.
00:13:06He decided to enter his Trans Am car in the GTO category here at Elkhart Lake.
00:13:10And as you can see, even though he's on and off the track, he's leading the 800-pound gorilla in the GTO class.
00:13:15Terry Bortscheller in the Saleen Allen Speed Lab Mustang.
00:13:19This is one of several interesting new entries to the Grand Am Race this weekend.
00:13:23Earlier, Calvin and John took a walk through the paddock to survey all of the new boys.
00:13:28The entry in the Grand Am Series continues to grow race by race in its inaugural season.
00:13:33Now, the key to success in any series is certainly diversity of equipment and have some big names in the field.
00:13:39What we're going to do now is to bring up the speed with some of the new kids on the block here at the Road America 500.
00:13:44We'll start with the Sport Racer category.
00:13:46Now, Intersport Racing have campaigned two cars all year.
00:13:49One of the older Rallying Scots and one of the older Lola's.
00:13:52But here at Road America, they're campaigning a brand new Lola V2 K10 chassis.
00:13:57Now, we've seen this car in the hands of Scott Schuber looking very competitive with that trusty Ford V8.
00:14:02The car itself, carbon fiber chassis, some very quick aerodynamics, really produces a lot of downforce on this car.
00:14:09But with the Intersport team, the unique aspect of the car is in the back end of this machine.
00:14:14They're putting in the back end of this car one of the Judd V10s.
00:14:17It's been very successful already this year, winning at Homestead with Team Durant
00:14:21and also scoring a pair of victories for Team 74 at Mid-Ohio and at Phoenix.
00:14:26I think this may be the hottest combination on the circuit right now.
00:14:30Road Racing Champion, Paul Genolosi, is always looking for ways to expand the involvement of their sponsors and their team.
00:14:38That is why he is here with his beautiful Jaguar XKR.
00:14:43They wanted to see how their design would handle the competition in Grand Am GTO and AGT.
00:14:50So far, the results are very positive.
00:14:53As the current car stands, it is overweight, under-tired.
00:14:57In GTO, they would be allowed more aerodynamics and a bigger motor.
00:15:01But still, in the third qualifying practice, they were the fastest GTO
00:15:06and faster than all the other AGTs.
00:15:09Paul Genolosi with his Jaguar XKR is taking a look at Grand Am Racing.
00:15:17All right, thank you, gentlemen.
00:15:18Picking up the action on the backside through the king.
00:15:21Traffic ahead for James Weaver, the race leader.
00:15:24John Fields still hanging on well there.
00:15:26And that new loader right behind him, still Didier Theys.
00:15:30And, of course, the Dorn Special, which is really a Ferrari chassis with a Judd engine.
00:15:35I'm sure Didier Theys is probably kicking himself a little bit about letting Fields get by him back there in Turn 3.
00:15:41Yeah, he was obviously trying to make a move on Weaver himself and tried to go around the outside
00:15:45and made a beautiful opening for Fields to slip into.
00:15:47Fields is not losing any ground at all to James Weaver there in the lead,
00:15:53coming up on more traffic on that long front straightaway.
00:15:56Putting him on out in Turn 1.
00:15:59James Weaver's GTO car has gone pretty quick here, too.
00:16:03We'll have a look over at the pit wall.
00:16:04We got word from one of the coroners that John Fields in Alola may have gotten into the back of James Weaver,
00:16:10so he took a look over at the pit wall, perhaps asking the crew if the car looked all right at the rear.
00:16:15We'll take a break.
00:16:16Action up front is heating up.
00:16:18Stay with us.
00:16:20Welcome back to Road America, where we have had a change in the lead at the Road America 500.
00:16:26John Fields from Dublin, Ohio in that new Lola chassis with the Judd V10 engine
00:16:32is taking over the lead from this man, James Weaver, who held it from the green flag.
00:16:36Boy, oh boy, that John Fields, that new car certainly is going.
00:16:39Let's have another look at it.
00:16:40On the outside here, James Weaver gets trapped with some traffic here at the carousel.
00:16:46One of the GTO cars there in front of him, and John Fields takes the advantage
00:16:50and goes right around the outside.
00:16:52A tricky place to do that.
00:16:53He hangs on, believes, and goes into Turn 5.
00:16:55Scares the A1 car off the track.
00:16:57And he has company.
00:16:58We've got a couple of cars off at Turn 5.
00:17:02The red car is one of the Sports Racer 2 category machines.
00:17:09Off and on, a lot of drivers making their first visit to this high-speed racetrack
00:17:13that also calls for very good brakes.
00:17:15Some of them are just over-cooking the corner here and there.
00:17:18In spite of the four-mile length, of course, traffic still plays a big part.
00:17:23Here you see a replay of that action down at Turn 5.
00:17:26Down more on the A1 there.
00:17:27Locks it up.
00:17:28Decides it's a better part of the battle.
00:17:30Just goes a little bit down the escape road there.
00:17:33Rather than try and hack it around the corner.
00:17:35Here we see Paul Giannullosi coming into the pits.
00:17:38He's got his hand out the window.
00:17:40Is he going to go behind the wall?
00:17:42Yes, he is.
00:17:43Little sign of damage to the car.
00:17:45Now, this was moments ago.
00:17:47This was down in Turn 5 once again.
00:17:49Giannullosi went straight on at 5,
00:17:51and the safety road allows the driver to cut off a large portion of the racetrack.
00:17:56You see him taking the grasp to get off the racing line.
00:17:59Meanwhile, action in the pits.
00:18:00This is the new GTO class leader, Terry Borcheller, in the Celine Allen Mustang.
00:18:06Let's get down to John Bisignano.
00:18:09Paul Giannullosi, an early stop.
00:18:10It seems like a long one.
00:18:11You're back in your paddock area.
00:18:12Well, we had a power steering hose leak.
00:18:15The steel braided line between the pump and the steering rack itself.
00:18:20And there's just no point in trying to drive it with no power steering.
00:18:23So we came in.
00:18:24The guys are going to put a line on it.
00:18:26While we're doing it, we'll make a couple little changes on the car.
00:18:29We don't like giving up the lead, but we'll get back out.
00:18:32You enjoying your Grand Am weekend?
00:18:34I'm sorry?
00:18:35Are you enjoying it?
00:18:36Are you enjoying your Grand Am weekend?
00:18:37I'm sorry?
00:18:38Are you enjoying your Grand American weekend?
00:18:39Oh, very much.
00:18:40Very much.
00:18:41Everybody here was very nice to us and very gracious.
00:18:46A lot of the people that are here racing are people I've raced with for 20 years,
00:18:49so it's not a new thing.
00:18:52Ben Paul Giannullosi knows a lot of the drivers in this field.
00:18:55There's the double zero up ahead once again.
00:18:57That is the American GT class Mustang in the hands of Paul Jenkins,
00:19:02Bruce Nesbitt, and Steve Pelkey.
00:19:04Being chased by Darren Law in this GTU class,
00:19:09GMW Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R.
00:19:13And right behind him is Andy Pilgrim in the number 50 BMW,
00:19:16also in that GTU class.
00:19:18So this is a tremendous battle here for the class lead.
00:19:22About to come on the much, potentially much faster double zero car,
00:19:26which could really become a foil for these guys on the twistier bits.
00:19:31Obviously a bit quicker on the straights, but they're going to catch him up sooner or later.
00:19:34Around that turn three, Darren Law hangs off.
00:19:36This is also a very important corner here because you've got this long straight in front of you,
00:19:41and you want to try and maintain really good speed here,
00:19:43so obviously you've got to come off that turn three with good speed.
00:19:47At the same time, you want to be right in touch with the guy
00:19:49because coming into this braking area here at turn five,
00:19:52this is the key out-brake part of this race.
00:19:56Brake.
00:19:59And right now, the car that's driving at hardest is actually one of the SR2 category cars,
00:20:03as you ride with Darren Law.
00:20:05There is Ryan Hampton.
00:20:07He and partner Larry Overto have been joined by Paul Macy from Toronto for this race.
00:20:11But this Lola with Nissan V6 power is undefeated in the SR2 category
00:20:16as he goes by the GTU class leader.
00:20:18Five races, five victories for the partnership of Overto and Macy,
00:20:23the Archangel Motorsports Service Nissan Lola.
00:20:26We'll take a break and be back with more from Road America.
00:20:29Don't go away.
00:20:32Back at Road America.
00:20:33Let's pick up the leader in one of our five classes here at the Road America 500.
00:20:37This is the number 91 RVO Motorsports Chevy Camaro,
00:20:41leading the American GT category in the hands of Roger Schramm, Werner Frank,
00:20:46and Brute Hare is looking for his second-class victory.
00:20:49He won in Phoenix in partnership with Jack Baldwin in a sports racer car.
00:20:55Now he has a shot at an AGT victory.
00:20:57The top two cars in the overall are in.
00:20:59Here's John Bisignano.
00:21:02John Field, who's been having that wonderful run up front,
00:21:06has brought the number 37 car into the pits, and he's frantic in the cockpit.
00:21:10He's definitely not happy with his driver's position.
00:21:13They are trying to replace the padding in that car.
00:21:16This car has just arrived first race out, so he's in a bit of a frantic situation.
00:21:21They are not changing tires.
00:21:22They are doing a complete refueling of the car,
00:21:25but right now the major thing is to try and get this driver comfortable.
00:21:29He was battling early on right up front, running second position,
00:21:34but right now they're having a very lengthy stop.
00:21:38And that long stop has cost him the race lead.
00:21:40There is Andy Wallace, who has taken over the Dyson Racing Rally,
00:21:43and Scott Ford from James Weaver, and has taken over the point.
00:21:47As you see John Field pulling out.
00:21:48It looked like they were doing a front air pressure adjustment on that Field Lola.
00:21:53There you see the informant's car now driven by George Robinson.
00:21:57It seems to me like they just took tire pressure out of that Lola,
00:22:01so that must be an indicator.
00:22:02Maybe he's trying to get a little bit more grip in the car.
00:22:07It's a challenge to change the lock today.
00:22:09You can see the sun is shining brightly now on George as he goes down the turning.
00:22:13This is a tough braking turn.
00:22:14A tough braking turn.
00:22:15They turn these cars around really quickly.
00:22:17This corner is tight.
00:22:18They're tighter than it looks.
00:22:19It's a big, big braking turn.
00:22:21Here's that carousel.
00:22:23Great shot again.
00:22:24You can see you want to try and make an apex right about here.
00:22:27Then you've got to let it drift right out because you want to pick up as much speed as you possibly can.
00:22:32It's like you've got the GTO leader in front of you.
00:22:35This is the fastest corner here.
00:22:37Then this is Kettle Moraine, which is sort of the back straight.
00:22:40But as you can see, it's not straight.
00:22:42And it's very difficult to lap slower cars here because they tend to wander all over the road and take a bit of a line.
00:22:48They can be a bit confused.
00:22:49Now into Canada Corner.
00:22:51You saw the course workers waving at those slower cars up ahead to stay over to the left.
00:22:56Let the faster sports racer come through.
00:22:58Up under the Billy Mitchell Bridge for 14.
00:23:03Several blind brows around this racetrack.
00:23:05We just saw one.
00:23:06Here comes another one.
00:23:07The flag stand is on the other side of this brow.
00:23:09There's a pit entry on the right.
00:23:12Flat out over the crest they come.
00:23:14And now they can see the flag stand.
00:23:16Again, lapping.
00:23:17Lapping some traffic as he crosses the stop on his line.
00:23:21Let's get down to the pit lane once again.
00:23:23John Bisignano, the pole sitter's pit.
00:23:26DDA takes right on the money.
00:23:28An awful lot of grass up front of the car.
00:23:30He's definitely been off course.
00:23:32A tremendous amount of grass.
00:23:34They'll have to get that out of the air duct into the radiator.
00:23:38There'll be a problem there.
00:23:39Four tires on refueling.
00:23:41DDA is staying in the car.
00:23:43Mario Baldi and Freddie Lister are still waiting.
00:23:47They're doing a heck of a job trying to get this car out quickly.
00:23:50Right now it seems like the refueling is taking a little bit of extra time.
00:23:53DDA takes starting from pole.
00:23:55A lengthy stop for the fuel.
00:23:57DDA watching his man.
00:23:59And they are out of here.
00:24:01Please let him get out of here.
00:24:03Gone.
00:24:04DDA takes.
00:24:06John Bisignano.
00:24:07One of the most passionate pit bulls in all of motorsports.
00:24:10Here's an interesting story.
00:24:11This is not a race-leading number 16 Dyson racing machine.
00:24:14This is the number 20 in the hands of car owner Rob Dyson,
00:24:17who has taken over from the man who started it, Elliot Forbes Robinson.
00:24:21He is currently running outside the top five.
00:24:24And passed by the Mola in the hands of John Field.
00:24:29But only just.
00:24:31Look how quick that Ryland Scott Ford is down the straight when he comes to the break.
00:24:35And so John Field with the superior downforce on that.
00:24:37The Mola is able to outbrake him as they go down to turn three.
00:24:40Getting involved in some traffic.
00:24:42This is the position where John Field did that great move.
00:24:46DDA takes.
00:24:47Beginning of the race.
00:24:48Pulling out now onto the long straightaway down to turn five.
00:24:52So John Field trying to make up some of the ground he lost in that long pit stop.
00:24:56Trying to get that rubber packing in behind him to make himself more comfortable in the car.
00:25:01He's got traffic ahead of him.
00:25:03You're right about that being a Ford in Rob Dyson's car.
00:25:06It's an identical engine to the one in the sister car, but it's badged as a Lincoln.
00:25:10Take a break. Return to Road America.
00:25:12Back at Road America.
00:25:33The Battle Ford GTU class leadership remains hot.
00:25:36There is Darren Law.
00:25:37The number 81 G&W Porsche 911 GT3 R.
00:25:42Just behind him is the GTO class leading Saleen Allen Speed Lab Mustang.
00:25:47But behind that car is the second in GTU number 50 Genesis Racing BMW.
00:25:55In the hands of Andy Pilgrim.
00:25:57This is going to be a tough battle with that GTO car between him and the 50 car.
00:26:01Probably quicker through the tight corners.
00:26:03Probably hit that on the braking.
00:26:04But it's going to be a difficult move to get around the GTO car.
00:26:07The bigger, more powerful machine.
00:26:09Especially on the long straights here at Road America.
00:26:11And of course Darren Law has already done that.
00:26:14So Andy Pilgrim's got his work cut out now.
00:26:16But what a close battle this is.
00:26:18The GTO and the GTU leaders right there in the same frame.
00:26:23The GTU Driver Championship is going to be fun to watch.
00:26:26Mike Fitzgerald and Darren Law are sharing a car.
00:26:29They've won a series of races together.
00:26:31But they did not drive together in the season opening 24 hours.
00:26:34Where Fitzgerald outscored his future teammate.
00:26:37So Mike Fitzgerald leads Darren Law by 16 points for the Driver's Championship.
00:26:44As long as they keep driving together, that's the way it's going to end up.
00:26:47That's right.
00:26:48It'll be interesting with two races to go after the Road America 500 here on Speed Vision.
00:26:53See whether they split up to try to decide that championship.
00:26:56Or to give Law a shot at his teammate.
00:27:00GTU stands for Under Three Leaders.
00:27:02No turbochargers allowed in the Classic.
00:27:04Look at all that oil.
00:27:05Oil. Boy, that oil on the screen now.
00:27:07Who's that coming from?
00:27:09He's been leading the 50 car.
00:27:10So I'd say that it probably came from the Borgella car when he went by it.
00:27:14I'm not absolutely sure, of course.
00:27:16But a lot of cars out there on the track.
00:27:18And he dared to touch that windscreen wiper.
00:27:20Because if he does, that'll turn very opaque.
00:27:24Sometimes it's better to leave it the way it is.
00:27:26Now here's the battle for second place.
00:27:27Up the road is Didier Thijs in the Doran Judd.
00:27:30Recall he has not gotten out of that car yet.
00:27:33This is for second place.
00:27:35And Andy Wallace is being chased by one of his erstwhile Dyson Racing teammates.
00:27:39That's Butch Leitzinger, who drove to victory at the Lime Rock round with James Weaver
00:27:44in that bright yellow Lola Borg.
00:27:48Great engine sound.
00:27:52Butch Leitzinger, if you remember, a couple of weeks ago,
00:27:55at the Paul Revere 250, they failed to make the start.
00:27:59They go on the grid and the thing wouldn't start right there.
00:28:02And then they got left out.
00:28:04And then they make it into the race from here going extremely well.
00:28:08Suffered heavy electronic problems.
00:28:10In fact, they've told us this weekend that they were unable to solve them.
00:28:13They changed the engine, changed the wiring looms,
00:28:15did everything they could think of but could not cure the problem.
00:28:18And mysteriously, it has gone away this weekend.
00:28:21So far.
00:28:23I hate those problems that go away and you don't know why they went away.
00:28:26That's me knocking on wood in the background.
00:28:30Now to the Sports Racer 2 category race, and this, too, is heating up.
00:28:3399 is the Martin Snow-Larry Schumacher machine.
00:28:37Just ahead, the class-leading and undefeated number 22,
00:28:41Alberto Hamptoncar.
00:28:44Terrific battle here for all these class, now with the lead.
00:28:48Obviously being duped out between Leitzinger and Wallace.
00:28:51This is a terrific battle here for the SR2.
00:28:53And, of course, GTO, about the only guys who are out on their own now.
00:28:56The number 5 car.
00:28:58This is a good battle over SR2.
00:29:01It's Lola chassis for the SR2 category.
00:29:03Very tidy machine.
00:29:05Relatively inexpensive for prototype sports cars.
00:29:08They've become very popular not only here on American shores in the Grand American Series
00:29:12but also abroad in the Sports Racing World Cup
00:29:15where they run a very similar category for smaller engine, more lightweight,
00:29:20nimble cars.
00:29:21Very good turning.
00:29:22Very good braking.
00:29:24This battle will only get better.
00:29:25We'll take a break and return.
00:29:30Welcome back to Road America, and there is the formerly GTO class-leading Jaguar
00:29:35in the hands of Paul Gentilosi.
00:29:37He's back out after going behind the wall to repair the power steering.
00:29:42Gentilosi say it's very tough to drive these cars around a place like Road America.
00:29:47Now a little bit of help from the mechanicals.
00:29:49Here's the GTU class leader in for a pit stop.
00:29:53And I have no doubt he'll get that windscreen cleaned up too.
00:29:56Obviously a driver change takes a little while.
00:29:58That's interesting. We don't often see that in a GT car,
00:30:01having a removable steering wheel to aid in the driver change.
00:30:06Paul will get out. Mike Fitzgerald, class driver leader, will get in.
00:30:11Having trouble getting that fuel nozzle through and out of it.
00:30:15That way the car went up on the jack.
00:30:18Well, we've got a problem on course.
00:30:20This is Giorgio Vinella, who is added to the TRV Motorsports team
00:30:24in the sports racer category.
00:30:27A young Italian leading the Italian Formula 3 championship,
00:30:30and a test driver for the Minardi Formula 1 team.
00:30:33He's been having an absolutely heavenly time driving at Road America this weekend,
00:30:38but he's got mechanical problems right now.
00:30:40Meanwhile, the Creighton Motorsports team pulls in.
00:30:43Butch Leitzinger with the black helmet climbs out.
00:30:45Scott Schubot will climb in.
00:30:48This car was running second in class behind the race-leading number 16 car.
00:30:55Vinella, who has pulled it over.
00:30:57Looks like he will not reach the pits.
00:31:00More action. Schubot heads out.
00:31:02Let's get down to Calvin Fish.
00:31:07Number 16, currently in second place behind the Tay's machine, comes in.
00:31:11Andy Wallace going to switch over once again to James Weaver.
00:31:14The plan here is to do single stints with the drivers.
00:31:17Every time, a fresh rubber.
00:31:19Really try and force the pace, force the issues,
00:31:21try and create some problems with the other cars by the pace of the race.
00:31:24But right now, it looks like they're in a real battle with that Lister machine.
00:31:27Andy's turned over to James.
00:31:29These guys have worked together time in, time out.
00:31:31They do a great job. Driver change looks routine.
00:31:34Last drops of fuel going in.
00:31:36This team are coming off a victory at Daytona.
00:31:38James has had three wins this year.
00:31:40He's looking for number four here today at Road America.
00:31:42Full load of fuel is in.
00:31:44James runs out of the pit lane.
00:31:48So James Weaver comes back out.
00:31:50John Field has climbed out of the Intersport Lola.
00:31:53Oliver Gavin, a British driver,
00:31:55former winner of the McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year competition,
00:32:00comes back on the track.
00:32:02Just one appearance in the series thus far this year.
00:32:04He already has a reputation for being just that little bit aggressive.
00:32:09Jack Baldwin, no slouch in his own right when it comes to being aggressive.
00:32:14Touched the wheels a couple of times.
00:32:17But he is very quick on his way to form and to un-start him just a few years back.
00:32:20Here comes our leader.
00:32:22Now, Didier Thijs gets out of the car,
00:32:24and into the car is going to get Freddie Leinhardt.
00:32:27We're able to establish a big lead by letting Thijs do a multiple stint early.
00:32:31Let's get down to John Visignano.
00:32:34Right now, they are in the lead.
00:32:36Again, a lot of grass up front.
00:32:38This left-hand corner, all it needs to do is drop off.
00:32:41And there's a huge collection of grass,
00:32:43which they are freeing right now,
00:32:45so that the air can get to these radiators.
00:32:48Didier Thijs having a little bit of problem getting Freddie into the car.
00:32:52They have changed all four tires.
00:32:54The fueling's going a little bit slow.
00:32:56Again, another very, very efficient stop for the Doran team.
00:33:03Freddie Leinhardt takes over in the background.
00:33:05You see Giorgio Vanella's car being pulled into the pit lane.
00:33:09Freddie Leinhardt's not as quick as Didier Thijs,
00:33:11so he's going to be under extreme pressure from James Weaver and Scott Schubach.
00:33:18Leinhardt goes out with the race lead.
00:33:21He's going to have to get that car up to speed as quickly as possible.
00:33:24You see traffic overhauling him.
00:33:26There's the GTO class-leading Mustang in the pits.
00:33:29Let's get down to John Visignano, who's with Didier Thijs.
00:33:32OK, Didier, the pole may have come from mathematics over the season,
00:33:36but getting that lead, that had to be one great drive.
00:33:39Well, the setup was more or less a guess before the race.
00:33:42It was raining, like you said yesterday and this morning.
00:33:46The track was supposed to be very slippery,
00:33:48and we put a little bit more downforce for security,
00:33:51and we did well. The car was running perfectly.
00:33:54I wish we had a little bit of shorter gears with this downforce
00:33:57because I am a little bit slower straightaway.
00:34:01But otherwise, the ending is perfect.
00:34:03What about the rest of the event? Can you hold up front?
00:34:06I hope so.
00:34:09Thanks, Vis. Meanwhile, here's John Paul Jr.
00:34:11having taken over the number 20 Dyson Racing.
00:34:14Riley and Scott Lincoln.
00:34:17He is being pursued by a new driver in the number 74 performance car.
00:34:21That's Early Haywood. We'll be back.
00:34:26Welcome back. The Road America 500 is back
00:34:28after a six-year absence here in the inaugural season
00:34:31of the Grand American Road Racing Championship.
00:34:33Bob Parsha, David Hobbs, John Bisignano, and Calvin Fish with you.
00:34:37Right here, John Paul Jr.
00:34:40is being chased heavily by one of the most decorated
00:34:43endurance sports car racers of all time, Early Haywood,
00:34:46now in that 74 Informix car.
00:34:49This, of course, is the battle for sixth spot
00:34:51in a very intense one. It is too hurried pulling out there.
00:34:55Down the inside of John Paul's car.
00:35:00A GTU car is up ahead, and one of the sports racers,
00:35:03that is the Sports Racer 2 car of Martin Snow and Larry Schumacher.
00:35:07He passed around the outside. He must be just coming out of the pits.
00:35:10Just pulled out of the pits, yeah.
00:35:11Yeah, more speed than that.
00:35:14Coming down to three, and here comes the 37 car,
00:35:17the John Field, Oliver Gavin car.
00:35:20Ooh, and on the front stretch, we have a lead change
00:35:23as James Weaver has caught up Freddie Leinhardt
00:35:26and taken the lead from the Doran Judd.
00:35:30You mentioned as Leinhardt was coming out, David,
00:35:32that he's not quite as fast as his teammates,
00:35:34Mauro Baldy and Didier Theys.
00:35:37Leinhardt has now handed over the race lead,
00:35:40and he still seems to be going
00:35:42quite a bit slower than that car should be.
00:35:44I wonder if he has a problem.
00:35:45It could be, but the pretty graphic description,
00:35:48the pretty graphic illustration there of just how quick James Weaver is
00:35:51and whistling around him at turn three.
00:35:53Trying to turn five now, up the hill.
00:35:56Here comes Freddie Leinhardt, the 27 car.
00:35:59Just lost the lead, so the Leinhardt car now in second.
00:36:02James Weaver seems to lead.
00:36:06Bedford-Norcold car.
00:36:07This is the third-to-last race of this debut season for the Grand Am.
00:36:11James Weaver in control of the Sports Racer Drivers' Championship right now.
00:36:16None of these championships close to being clinched,
00:36:19although at the next race,
00:36:21Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres up in Quebec, Canada,
00:36:25could possibly see one or two of the championships clinched,
00:36:28particularly in GTO, where that Speed Lab Mustang has been dominating.
00:36:34It's the Schiaturella car, the number 12 Ferrari, running in fourth overall.
00:36:38Dirk van der Poel of Belgium now behind the controls
00:36:41in that bright, unmistakable day-glo orange and green helmet.
00:36:44Ralph Kellner usually drives with Schiaturella,
00:36:47but van der Poel is subbing for him this weekend,
00:36:49as Kellner is busy racing at the Nürburgring in Germany.
00:36:53So a nice drive here for van der Poel.
00:36:55He's driven quite a few Ferraris, so he should be pretty used to these cars.
00:36:58He has an excellent record as an endurance racer in his own right.
00:37:03A lot of racing here in the United States
00:37:06hasn't been a Formula 1 experience, has there, with van der Poel?
00:37:09This is the Ferrari 333 SP.
00:37:12Even though the air restrictor is used to equalize horsepower
00:37:15among the various engine combinations in Sports Racer,
00:37:18it has been opened up a little bit for the Ferrari.
00:37:20They still reckon they're about 70 horsepower down from the big jugs of Ford's.
00:37:24Through the GTU race, that yellow polka-dotted number 81
00:37:28BMW Motorsports Porsche GT3R is leading the class.
00:37:34Running very, very well.
00:37:36Mike Fischer, of course, leading the class here today and leading the championship.
00:37:39He's still got a lot of oil on that windscreen.
00:37:41I wonder if it's coming somehow, coming up out of their own car.
00:37:45I haven't seen it, of course, because I've been on a roll-cam with any other cars with windscreens,
00:37:49but it's pretty bad for him if he comes down to Turn 8.
00:37:52Very quick run into it.
00:37:54These cars are quick to attack.
00:37:57There's a GTO car.
00:37:59This is Eric Messle, who has done very well in the GTO category
00:38:04with the Team Viper West machine.
00:38:06He is sharing with Stu Hayner this weekend.
00:38:08They are having problems.
00:38:10And that is about as far as you can get for the pits.
00:38:12I believe he's on the back side.
00:38:14That would put him about two miles from the pit area.
00:38:17Meanwhile, in the pits.
00:38:18Number 12 is in once again.
00:38:20We see their same strategy here.
00:38:22Eric van der Poel will double stint.
00:38:24They will not change tires.
00:38:25They're getting such a good balance with the race car.
00:38:27The drivers are very happy to double stint the tires.
00:38:29Feeling that the performance edge does not go away.
00:38:32As I mentioned before, they're running the harder 480 compound Goodyear.
00:38:36Really allows them to double stint the tires.
00:38:38Sienna just waiting on fuel.
00:38:40Eric stays in the car.
00:38:41The driver stays in the good grip.
00:38:43Nice clean sets of tire tracks down the pit lane.
00:38:50Eric van der Poel.
00:38:52Back out onto the racetrack.
00:38:54Ferrari V12.
00:38:56Four liter.
00:38:57Back to the McCann car.
00:38:59It looks like the day is over.
00:39:01They're going to be towed in.
00:39:02This car actually led the class at several points today.
00:39:05GTO class a little bit thin here.
00:39:08Just six cars.
00:39:10That will mean less competition for the class leaders.
00:39:13At number five, this car, the Speed Lab Allen machine.
00:39:17They have a driver change coming up.
00:39:19Borcheller will get out.
00:39:21Ron Johnson will get in.
00:39:23These guys have had to work very hard to keep this car on track.
00:39:26Be right back.
00:39:30Back at Road America.
00:39:31Bob Varsha, David Hobbs with you.
00:39:33And what is wrong with this picture?
00:39:36Hurley Haywood being spoken to by the Grand Am pit marshals.
00:39:40It appears that he has pulled into the wrong pit.
00:39:44You see his crewman at the back of the screen there looking up ahead.
00:39:47Where is Hurley?
00:39:48He's having trouble getting out, too, for some reason or other.
00:39:55This is going to be a disaster.
00:39:57He may have undone the belts in anticipation of a driver change.
00:40:00He had to buckle him back up again.
00:40:02And now he's going to have to make a four-mile lap of Road America
00:40:06before he can hit the car.
00:40:11That will be a tremendous blow to this team,
00:40:13who have won on a number of occasions in this Grand Am season,
00:40:17but have not tasted the lead once today yet.
00:40:24Hurley Haywood with victories at Daytona, at Le Mans, at Sebring.
00:40:29Without doubt, the most decorated American endurance driver of all time
00:40:32and one of the world's best.
00:40:35Boy, a very uncharacteristic mistake for Haywood.
00:40:39A very costly mistake, too, for the team.
00:40:44Scott Schubert looks like he's going to put a lap on him,
00:40:47another lap on him, as he's going to turn six.
00:40:51Let's see if we can get more clarity from the pit lane.
00:40:53Here's John.
00:40:54Car 74 with Hurley Haywood aboard came into the pits for their normal stop
00:40:59and went right by the pits.
00:41:01The problem is he undid the seat belt
00:41:03and then killed the car further down the pit lane.
00:41:06They had to go down, get the car restarted with an outboard battery,
00:41:10and then they had to strap him back in before he could do another lap
00:41:14and come back in for the routine stop.
00:41:16The problem is now, does he have enough fuel to get around this four-mile track
00:41:22to get back up to where he should be in his pit lane right now?
00:41:27Thanks, John. Saw co-driver Jack Baldwin shake his head as he walks away
00:41:31and waits for his car.
00:41:32Here's the third-place car in Sports Racer 2, Dennis Spencer.
00:41:36He was tipped into a heavy crash at the Lime Rock round.
00:41:39They are back with that Kudzu Mazda running well here at Road America.
00:41:44This is not a car known for its top speed.
00:41:47They're hanging in well.
00:41:48Meanwhile, Hurley has made it around back down to biz.
00:41:51Okay, this time Hurley Haywood does come into the exact stopping area.
00:41:56He must have been a little bit confused when everyone was waving at him before
00:41:59as he went by.
00:42:01After that stop, he had undone his seat belts,
00:42:04and he had to outboard power to get the car started,
00:42:08and then they had to fasten his seat belts before he could come around again
00:42:12for the stop.
00:42:13Very lucky that he did not run out of fuel on that last lap back into the pits,
00:42:19but Hurley is out of the car.
00:42:21Jack Baldwin is being strapped in.
00:42:23Jack was complaining about the brakes on the car.
00:42:26Again, they're working a little bit on the aerodynamics up front.
00:42:30Right now, the 74 car is not in its normal high position.
00:42:34They've had some problems down here, guys.
00:42:38Well, in Hurley Haywood's defense,
00:42:40it must be said that he has not driven this car before.
00:42:44Adding a man to the team, not used to the team uniforms.
00:42:47You see a penalty being applied by the pit marshals.
00:42:51It looks like it's going to be a 10-second penalty for some infraction.
00:42:54Now, Jack Baldwin will be set on his way.
00:42:59Boy, oh boy, what a terrible run of luck for the 74 car.
00:43:03What a great run at Homestead,
00:43:05and they also had, of course, a tremendous run earlier on at Phoenix,
00:43:08a pair winning in this car.
00:43:10Having been told in the afternoon he was going to drive it float,
00:43:12Phoenix jumps in the car and wins the race.
00:43:16So this car's got a lot of potential for the jet engine.
00:43:19Should have good fuel economy around here,
00:43:21but that stop there really thrown him out
00:43:24because I guess Hurley Haywood pulled into the wrong pit.
00:43:26And of course, he's undone his belt to get out,
00:43:28and of course, then he's really done for.
00:43:30You can't do the belts on yourself.
00:43:32John Bisignano is with Hurley.
00:43:34Hurley, what happened the first time you came in the pits?
00:43:37Well, I missed the pits completely.
00:43:39I didn't realize that there couldn't be somebody standing out there with a cone,
00:43:42so I was expecting to see our guys,
00:43:44and when you come up, you know, after being on a racetrack,
00:43:46you look down the pit road, and there's 100 cones out there.
00:43:49So I just plain screwed up.
00:43:52What about the car?
00:43:53Jack Baldwin was telling us that the brakes were having a little bit of a bad day.
00:43:56Yeah, the brakes, if you coast into the corners
00:44:00and are nice and easy with them, they're okay.
00:44:03But as soon as you get behind something where you've got to outbrake them
00:44:07like most of the cars out there, you just can't do it.
00:44:11The pedal will go all the way to the floor,
00:44:13and here, that's not such a nice feeling.
00:44:17I can imagine not.
00:44:18Now, there in Canada Corner, you see the double zero AGT car
00:44:22of Paul Jenkins, Bruce Nesbitt, and Steve Pelkey being pulled out of the kitty litter.
00:44:28Safety cars have been working,
00:44:30but the local yellows here in some sketchy positions in the gravel tracks.
00:44:36Well, Jack Baldwin goes to work.
00:44:38The pump of smoke as he upshifts,
00:44:40making his way over that brow, under the flag stand.
00:44:43Another lap complete here at the Revival of the Road America 500 miler.
00:44:49Plenty of racing still to come.
00:44:51The race leader is James Weaver.
00:44:53Dyson Racing 4 will be back.
00:44:57Back at Road America, James Weaver and Andy Wallace,
00:45:00the leaders here in the sports racer category
00:45:02and the overall at the Grand American Road Racing Association
00:45:06Revival of the Road America 500.
00:45:09Bob Varsha along with David Hobbs, John Bisognano, Calvin Fish, Andy Wallace.
00:45:15Terrific endurance racing record of his own.
00:45:17Victories at Le Mans and Daytona and Seabury.
00:45:21And his first trip to this track in the afternoon.
00:45:23Lovely.
00:45:24Probably could have done with a bit more practice yesterday when the rain was so bad.
00:45:28But nevertheless, getting to grips with the track today.
00:45:31Great car for this track.
00:45:33Ooh, trouble.
00:45:35Trouble at noon.
00:45:36Down at five.
00:45:37Wow.
00:45:38One of the GW cars is losing a fluid out the back and it's catching fire.
00:45:42Oil or fuel or something.
00:45:45And the number 80 car, he's running for a podium position in GTU.
00:45:50That is Scooter Gable sharing with Michael Schramm and John Morton.
00:45:55That's the number 66 car.
00:45:57Kevin Buckler and Phil Collin, I wonder.
00:46:00Whoa.
00:46:0121 car.
00:46:02Obviously that was oil and fluid he was dropping there going up to six.
00:46:05So obviously pretty slick as you approach there.
00:46:07Hard on the brakes.
00:46:08Yellow flags out.
00:46:09Oil flag out there.
00:46:10The stripe flag.
00:46:12Here comes the race leader by.
00:46:15Whoa.
00:46:16Another GTU car.
00:46:17Is that the 50 car?
00:46:18No.
00:46:19Number 21.
00:46:22Porsche 911 is in the hands of Andy Hijucky and Bob Oniglia.
00:46:28Both new England drivers.
00:46:29Here's another look at that amazing fire out the back of the Porsche.
00:46:33Oil or gas.
00:46:34Not really much spark, which would probably indicate it's gas.
00:46:37But it obviously made the track this thing.
00:46:40You saw that car spinning on the way up the hill there.
00:46:43There's the 66 car at the bottom of the hill.
00:46:47Here's another look at the 21 going around.
00:46:50One of the older Porsche 911 models.
00:46:53Still retaining that unmistakable 911 shape.
00:46:57Scooter Gable getting out.
00:47:00He had a terrific run at the Paul Revere 250.
00:47:04Holiday time around the 4th of July.
00:47:07Red and yellow flags mean oil or other fluid is down.
00:47:10White means safety vehicles are on the course.
00:47:12And the double yellow means we have a full course caution.
00:47:15Something we don't see very often here at Road America.
00:47:19But there we see the pace car out in front of the leader now.
00:47:21Andy Wallace in that 16 car.
00:47:24Pulling the field down that straight.
00:47:27Well, we have a problem for the Ferrari.
00:47:30The number 12 car.
00:47:33Looks like Eric Vanderpoel has had contact with someone.
00:47:38To the right there and the left front.
00:47:41Well, that smoke is coming off the tire.
00:47:44It's hard to tell.
00:47:45It looks like an awful lot of smoke is coming off the tire.
00:47:47But it could be the bodywork.
00:47:49Calvin Fish is there.
00:47:52Heavy damage to the left front.
00:47:54Actually, it looks like the wheel had come loose.
00:47:56And actually caused this burnout on the left front of the Ferrari.
00:48:00I didn't see a wheel nut there as he came in.
00:48:03The wheel was literally hanging off to the side.
00:48:05And the team goes to work.
00:48:07But as you can see, he's carefully threading that nut on.
00:48:09Seeing if he can get it tight.
00:48:10This is a major concern.
00:48:12Eric Vanderpoel was behind the wheel when this problem happened.
00:48:16Fortunately, they're under yellow.
00:48:17Able to get the car in.
00:48:18But I'm not sure that wheel's tight, guys.
00:48:20They're looking at it.
00:48:21They're giving the all clear.
00:48:22But seeing if that thing doesn't come loose.
00:48:29So, no contact, it appears.
00:48:31But a very lucky moment for that Ferrari team.
00:48:34As Carlos Pietarella takes the car back on track.
00:48:38What paid the price for track position.
00:48:40Unusual for a wheel nut to work its way off after such a long time, is it?
00:48:44Let's get back down to Calvin with Eric Vanderpoel.
00:48:48Eric, we saw you bring the car in under the caution.
00:48:51It looked like the left front wheel nut was gone.
00:48:54And the wheel was literally hanging off.
00:48:56Did that happen at speed out on the course?
00:48:58No, I was slowing down during the yellows.
00:49:02It means I had no worry, nothing.
00:49:05But we were quite lucky.
00:49:07Because it could happen one lap before, two laps before.
00:49:09But maybe it was because it was cooling down.
00:49:12And then the nut went off.
00:49:13I don't know.
00:49:14Do you believe there's any damage to the upright?
00:49:16Or do you think it's going to be okay?
00:49:18No, I think it's okay.
00:49:19Because it arrived just here.
00:49:20I came back slowly.
00:49:21And I think it will be fine.
00:49:23Okay, mate. Good luck.
00:49:26That was a ready smile from Eric Vanderpoel.
00:49:28Meanwhile, carbon fiber black inter-sport Lola.
00:49:34Hits and comes back out again.
00:49:37All of a sudden, still behind the wheel.
00:49:39There's the 50 BMWs.
00:49:41That was actually incredible.
00:49:42The 81 Porsche GTU on this.
00:49:51The front end looks like a 37 Chevy business coupe.
00:49:55That's not how it works.
00:49:57There is Andy Wallace up front.
00:50:00American GT class cars behind him.
00:50:03Take a break.
00:50:04Be right back.
00:50:13Back of the road, American 500.
00:50:15Bob Barsha and David Hopps with you.
00:50:17We are ready to go green.
00:50:18But with the yellow still out.
00:50:19A couple of last minute pit stops.
00:50:22It's one of the Tampoli SR2 cars in front.
00:50:25But perhaps more important, the number 27.
00:50:27Our pole sitting Dorin Judd.
00:50:29Now in the hands of Italian Mauro Baldi.
00:50:32Has dropped all the way back to fifth.
00:50:34In the overall and sports racer category.
00:50:36And he has pitted for fuel only.
00:50:38So he will make up some time on the track.
00:50:42That should put him in good stead.
00:50:44Later on in the race with that Judd engine.
00:50:47That engine car is very, very good on fuel anyway.
00:50:50When this car pulls off.
00:50:56Playing mind games with our race leader, Andy Wallace.
00:50:59Look at that jump start.
00:51:02He may have been playing mind games.
00:51:04But he certainly landed out of there, didn't he?
00:51:06And he's got slower traffic behind him.
00:51:08That will keep his pursuers behind.
00:51:10Let's look back.
00:51:11There is Scott Shielbot in the eighth car.
00:51:15Some lap traffic between himself and of course there's the Baldwin car.
00:51:18Which is a number of laps down now.
00:51:21CTU leading, trying to get around the inside of that Viper at turn one.
00:51:25Here comes Baldwin.
00:51:27Leitzinger in the number eight.
00:51:30He's got his work cut out for him.
00:51:32Because up ahead, Andy Wallace has clear track in front of him.
00:51:37And of course Butch has got his work cut out here.
00:51:39Because he's got a couple of very quick cars in front of him.
00:51:41The 74 car, which is some laps down.
00:51:43And the 91 car, which is leading the All-American GT class.
00:51:46As they go into turn five.
00:51:48All-American GT car giving him a bit of room there.
00:51:51But Leitzinger happens to get in the way.
00:51:54Here's the road there.
00:51:55Some of that debris from the incident in the quarter.
00:51:58Long flag there.
00:51:59You can see the oil dry all the way up there.
00:52:01Two turns, six.
00:52:02So that will be a bit slick for a couple more laps there.
00:52:05Good look at Werner Frank from Daytona Beach, Florida.
00:52:08Chevy Camaro leading American GT.
00:52:11While Jack Baldwin leading Butch Leitzinger.
00:52:15But that is not for position.
00:52:17Leitzinger is running second.
00:52:18And Baldwin, as David mentioned, several laps down.
00:52:21After that unfortunate faux pas by Hurley Haywood.
00:52:24Parking in the raw pit.
00:52:26Through that carousel.
00:52:28These cars got a lot of grip through there.
00:52:30A lot of downforce.
00:52:31Boy, oh boy.
00:52:32Look at that new Lola there.
00:52:33Whistling around there.
00:52:34Butch Leitzinger making a huge ground on Jack Baldwin in that one corner.
00:52:40Of course, that's the strength of that new Lola V2 K10.
00:52:44Unusual looking car.
00:52:46But enormous downforce on that machine.
00:52:48Truly a state-of-the-art sports car.
00:52:50Boy, and that corner there really shows it up to the carousel.
00:52:52Because you're in there for a long time.
00:52:54It goes some fairly high entry speed.
00:52:57And you maintain a high speed all the way through it.
00:52:59And he was whistling through there.
00:53:00And look how much time he grained up through that S's under the bridge there too.
00:53:04Baldwin picking up quite a bit of time.
00:53:06Look, he's a bit twitchy in the back there.
00:53:08Butch Leitzinger now in hot pursuit of the leader.
00:53:11Who, of course, is now out of sight.
00:53:14I'm guessing Leitzinger's car is trimmed out for top speed on these long straightaway runs at Road America.
00:53:20That's why he was squirming under acceleration down there in 14th.
00:53:23Always a big compromise here.
00:53:25Here's a 12 car.
00:53:26We saw that pit stop when the wheel came off.
00:53:29Well, it didn't quite come off.
00:53:31It might well have.
00:53:32I think it was the wheel nut had come off.
00:53:35Actually, it was the body work that held the wheel on.
00:53:37Really, in the end.
00:53:39Close moment for them.
00:53:40They run in third place right now with Nuno Schiattarella behind the wheel.
00:53:44That is.
00:53:45Just love saying that name.
00:53:47He heads off down the back stretch.
00:53:49So the order is Wallace, Leitzinger, Schiattarella.
00:53:52Here comes one of the pill beams.
00:53:55This is from the Redmond Bright Stables running in the SR2 category.
00:53:58This is the car that went off on the very first lap into the gravel trap.
00:54:02But obviously got it back on the road now.
00:54:04Scott Smith was driving at that time.
00:54:06He went off the road on the very first lap.
00:54:08But back in full flight now.
00:54:10Passed by one of the Tampoli Raffaele Engineering.
00:54:14Tampoli RTA 99s.
00:54:17It's an Italian Sports Racer 2 chassis just ahead.
00:54:20The red number 51.
00:54:21And that's the pill beam, silver 68.
00:54:24You like saying that, Tamparelli.
00:54:26Definitely going to have to take some Italian lessons.
00:54:28Well, we got a car off being dragged out of the gravel traps.
00:54:31It's the Pro Technique Racing Force GT3R.
00:54:34With Jan Rask and Tom McGlynn driving it.
00:54:38Friendly tow out.
00:54:39And away you go.
00:54:41That's in that same turn 6 area.
00:54:43Look at all that gravel coming out of the back.
00:54:45That's where all that speedy drive was down.
00:54:47So it claims another victim.
00:54:49And now there's gravel on the track as well.
00:54:53Meanwhile, flying down the back stretch through the kink.
00:54:56Headed for Canada Corner.
00:54:57This is that great SR2 race, too.
00:54:59All three of the front runners in the category right there.
00:55:02But they are not in order.
00:55:04The third place car in the serial there.
00:55:06The yellow number 99 for Snow and Schumacher is the class leader.
00:55:09The two cars up ahead, however, are fighting for second place.
00:55:13And if the 99 can hold on to win,
00:55:15it will break a five race winning streak in the class
00:55:18for that car just ahead of him.
00:55:20He'll take a break and return.
00:55:24Back at Road America, Andy Wallace of England
00:55:27drives the number 16 Bedford-Norcol Dyson Racing Riley and Scott Ford.
00:55:32He and his teammate, James Weaver, dominating the race right now.
00:55:36There is the second place car in the hand of Butch Leitzinger.
00:55:39Philip Creighton Motorsports Lola Ford V8.
00:55:44All the Ford V8s in this sports racer category
00:55:47come out of the shops of the Lozano brothers in San Antonio, Texas.
00:55:51For a pushrod motor, pretty much dated technology
00:55:54in contemporary sports car racing.
00:55:56They run very, very well.
00:55:58And they've done a lot of work on their fuel consumption.
00:56:00There's the 91 car that's leading the all-American GT class.
00:56:05And you can see the driver change going on.
00:56:07Werner Frank getting out.
00:56:08A bit tough getting out that window for some of us.
00:56:13Werner Frank looking to have a similar outline to David Forbes.
00:56:19Standing too close to too many tomato sandwiches.
00:56:23This is the number 12 Ferrari who survived that close moment
00:56:26when the left front wheel came loose.
00:56:28We must give Torella currently at the controls
00:56:30as he sweeps through the carousel.
00:56:34Oh, close moment there as he goes underneath the second Dyson car.
00:56:37Let's get to the pits and Calvin Fish.
00:56:39Andy Wallace unexpectedly in.
00:56:41Only a few laps after the last stop, he's in there looking at the right front.
00:56:45It may be a braking problem.
00:56:47They're going to the right front pads, it seems.
00:56:49Problems with the brakes on the number 16 machine.
00:56:52They suspected that pad wear would be a problem here.
00:56:55Over on the right front corner, they definitely have a problem.
00:56:58The mechanic is working on that right now.
00:57:00They take this opportunity, obviously, to refuel Andy.
00:57:03They're looking under the back of the car as well.
00:57:05But it seems as though brakes is the issue right now on the 16 car.
00:57:10Oh, and this is going to cost them precious time on track.
00:57:14They had that yellow flag period.
00:57:16This work might have been done if they had known about it.
00:57:19It's been these niggling mechanical problems
00:57:21that have been derailing the Dyson team all year.
00:57:24Let's get down for a further update from Calvin.
00:57:27Number 16 remains on pit lane.
00:57:29They're still working on these front brakes.
00:57:31They're changing the pads.
00:57:32This is the sprint configuration.
00:57:34They actually have four pads in each caliper as opposed to two.
00:57:38With the leading edge on the pad, it actually gives it more bite,
00:57:41gives it better braking, but obviously wears them out a little bit quicker.
00:57:44We spoke to Weaver over the weekend.
00:57:45He was concerned about this.
00:57:46They said under full heavy loads, the brakes were going away.
00:57:49They were having to try to baby them a little bit.
00:57:51But this has cost them valuable time under green flag racing
00:57:54and has certainly cost them time to that number 8 machine
00:57:56that continues to sprint around this racetrack
00:57:58with Butch Leitzinger behind the wheel.
00:58:01All right, thank you, Calvin.
00:58:02Tough brake for Dyson.
00:58:04Seems hard to believe that just a few laps ago
00:58:06when we had that long extended caution
00:58:08that they wouldn't have known at that stage
00:58:10that they had a very long brake pedal.
00:58:12That obviously would have been the time to change brake pads
00:58:14because this is proving a very long stop.
00:58:16Meanwhile, the Ferrari, the number 12 car, the Ferrari,
00:58:19has been in, out, and they're still there.
00:58:21Now they're taking the front off the Weaver-Wallace car.
00:58:24Beautifully done.
00:58:25This is the Risi Competizione Ferrari.
00:58:27These guys show up in full Formula 1 regalia.
00:58:30Oh, we got a car off.
00:58:31Is that one of the sports racer light category cars?
00:58:35Car number 22.
00:58:36That's the Archangel Motorsports.
00:58:38That's our perennial leader.
00:58:39Boy, that's not the place you normally see him.
00:58:41Ryan Hampton, Larry Alberto, and Paul Macy.
00:58:43The five-race winning streak appears to be over,
00:58:46and it will be handed over to Martin Snow and Larry Schumacher
00:58:48in this car to the pit lane in Biz.
00:58:52Baldy brings the number 27 in for what should be the last stop,
00:58:55but they are going to do a driver change.
00:58:57Didier Thijs is unbuckling Baldy
00:58:59and trying to get into the seat just as fast as possible.
00:59:02All four tires out, the seat out,
00:59:04one driver out, one driver in.
00:59:06Fuel has to be absolutely to the maximum.
00:59:09I talked to Kevin Doran.
00:59:10He said, can we go to the end?
00:59:12And he said, if Baldo can't get the car back here,
00:59:15he missed one lap.
00:59:16We should have come in a lap earlier.
00:59:18We will be able to go to the end,
00:59:20but it was just kind of with a question mark.
00:59:22Right now, they got to get every single drop of fuel into that tank.
00:59:26Baldo out of the car.
00:59:27A little bit of extra time in strapping in Didier.
00:59:30He was extremely fast when the first set.
00:59:33Right now, they run out of air.
00:59:35That should be their last time for today.
00:59:39I agree with you, John.
00:59:40Here's the fourth place car.
00:59:42John Field getting a little bit swirly there down in five.
00:59:46This is that slick part of the racetrack.
00:59:48Oh, that's slick.
00:59:50Ah.
00:59:52John Field there in the gravel trap at the top of number six.
00:59:55He was lying fourth.
00:59:56Oh, well, dug in.
00:59:58It's high sided,
01:00:00so he's going to have a tremendous job getting out of there.
01:00:02What a shame.
01:00:03That car was going so well.
01:00:05The track crews have been all over today getting cars out,
01:00:08but I don't think they were fast enough for John.
01:00:10Boy, it's slippery up there at the top of six.
01:00:12Now, obviously, all that oil and petrol was laid down by those two cars.
01:00:15Sixteen, eighteen cars of track there earlier on.
01:00:17So now the number eight car is our leader.
01:00:20And approaching that same slippery spot.
01:00:22But managed to get away with it okay.
01:00:24Field gets out.
01:00:25Now, I guess the point is they've been by this spot lap after lap.
01:00:28They know the oil is there.
01:00:31Here we see it again.
01:00:32Down at five.
01:00:33He gets pretty much out of shape.
01:00:35I wonder if that right rear tire is going away a bit too.
01:00:38But he stays very wide there.
01:00:40Locks it up into the gravel.
01:00:43He stayed on that oil line.
01:00:45Boy, yeah, that was a bit of a mistake.
01:00:47I wonder if that right rear tire is going down or going away in some way.
01:00:50Because he always had a bit of,
01:00:52a lot of trouble with it back down at turn five.
01:00:54Meanwhile, number eight,
01:00:56the load of Ford,
01:00:58is pulling away in the lead.
01:01:00Butch Leitzinger in the race lead.
01:01:02It would be the first of the year for his teammate, Scott Schubot.
01:01:06That story is yet to be told.
01:01:09Back at the Road America 500.
01:01:11Getting late in the race now.
01:01:12You're looking at the GTU category leaders.
01:01:15Mike Fitzgerald and Darren Law.
01:01:17In their Porsche 911 GT3R.
01:01:20They've certainly had a great season.
01:01:22Been very, very strong in GTU all season.
01:01:24And had a wonderful run here today.
01:01:26Under pressure earlier on for the number 50 car.
01:01:28At the moment, well in control.
01:01:30Here's the number five car.
01:01:31The GTO class leader, Ron Johnson.
01:01:33Sharing with Terry Bortschiller.
01:01:34We cannot overstate what this Speed Lab crew has been through this weekend.
01:01:39The car was burned to the ground on Friday.
01:01:4248 straight hours of hard effort to get that car rebuilt.
01:01:46And it looks fairly pristine.
01:01:48See the safety crews working to pull John Fields.
01:01:50John Fields out of the gravel track.
01:01:53What a shame for the Fields car.
01:01:55The five car again after a tremendously harrowing weekend.
01:01:58The car almost burnt to nothing.
01:02:00Put it together again and assumed the lead in the GTO again.
01:02:04A victory for them would lock up at least a tie in the Drivers' Championship
01:02:08for Bortschiller and Johnson, if I'm not mistaken.
01:02:10Here's your American GT class leader.
01:02:13RVO Motorsports, Chevy Camaro, Roger Schramm, Irv Herr, Werner Frank.
01:02:18There is Martin Snow.
01:02:19His teammate, Larry Schumacher.
01:02:21And he could pick up their first victory in Sports Racer 2 today.
01:02:25Oh, excuse me. I was about to say up front.
01:02:27I'm used to saying that about Andy Wallace and James Weaver.
01:02:30But they had that brake problem that dropped them three laps down.
01:02:34There's the sister car, the number 20, just ahead of them.
01:02:37Now being driven by John Paul, Jr.
01:02:39So he might give these guys a bit of a run
01:02:41because these guys are now battling for fourth position.
01:02:44So I don't think that John Paul, Jr. is going to give up at this stage.
01:02:50They've got some lap traffic.
01:02:52A place to overtake a slower car in the carousel.
01:02:57Andy Wallace will kink very fast.
01:02:59It's one of those corners, isn't it?
01:03:01Flat, I don't know. Is it flat with intake?
01:03:03Flat, sort of flat.
01:03:05Too bad we don't have telemetry to check.
01:03:07Yes, you can't say those things anymore.
01:03:09Of course, because of the guys.
01:03:10You can say you won't even touch flat.
01:03:12That was a good story from the pits.
01:03:14Our race leader, the number 8 machine,
01:03:16Schubat and Leitzinger,
01:03:17has been having on and off radio problems all day today.
01:03:20So in this late round of pit stop shuffling,
01:03:22we're not sure if the race leaders even know where they are on the racetrack.
01:03:26They're approaching the front straightaway.
01:03:28It serves as a signaling pit as well for everyone.
01:03:31But interesting to see what's going on with the 8 car.
01:03:33Meanwhile, here's the 27 running in third place right now.
01:03:37Excuse me.
01:03:38Make that second place after the Ferrari stopped for fuel.
01:03:43This is Didier Theys who started the car from pole position
01:03:47based on car rotor points after qualifying was rained out.
01:03:51They are in position to try to overhaul the number 8 car.
01:03:54There is the 8 right there just over the brow ahead of the number 27.
01:03:58So not very far in front.
01:04:00Just a few hundred feet there.
01:04:02Comes the 27 car going under the flag stand now.
01:04:05Beautiful view of that lovely Wisconsin countryside in the background.
01:04:08This really is the most picturesque circuit.
01:04:10And, of course, it's wonderful to drive on too.
01:04:12It has a great variety of corners, some elevation change, some decent straights,
01:04:17and some good, really well-defined overtaking spots.
01:04:21You know, you can really get alongside people.
01:04:23Certainly in the modern circuit, you weave all over the place.
01:04:25It's hard to make a pass.
01:04:27But here, it's a great circuit to drive on.
01:04:30And, as I said earlier, it's a tremendous track to view from.
01:04:33Shadows growing long across the racetrack as Butch Leitzinger continues on his way.
01:04:38Being caught up, let's get more on that radio situation with Calvin.
01:04:43During that last pit stop, guys, they managed to fix the radio problem on the number 8 car.
01:04:48Butch Leitzinger is aware that he is in a battle for the lead.
01:04:52So it's not like he's out there running by himself, not knowing what's going on.
01:04:55He realizes that battle with Tay's is for position.
01:04:58The big question here, of course, for the Creighton crew,
01:05:00is whether the Tay's car has to stop for fuel.
01:05:03We do not know.
01:05:05All right. Thank you, Calvin.
01:05:07Butch Leitzinger is aware of his situation.
01:05:09Of course, Butch is the kind of guy who goes hard all the time.
01:05:12Once again, we're catching slower traffic in the carousel.
01:05:16Boy, that gives you a good idea of how quick that carousel is.
01:05:19It just goes on straight, almost 180 degrees through that corner.
01:05:22No camera to help you except right on the edge, the exit.
01:05:25The road just rises a little bit.
01:05:27Puts a little bit of pressure on those outside wheels to give you a little bit of grip.
01:05:32This is for the race lead.
01:05:34Leitzinger being pursued by Tay's.
01:05:36Two great sports car drivers in two very different cars.
01:05:40Lola Ford against Doran or Ferrari chassis with that Judd V10 engine.
01:05:45And once again, slower traffic ahead as they go up under the Billy Mitchell Bridge.
01:05:49Mm, bad place to find lap traffic, man.
01:05:52Into turn 14 and then up the brow once again as the laps continue to tick away.
01:05:56Leitzinger, Tay's, and Schiatorella into Ferrari.
01:05:59We'll be back.
01:06:01Welcome back to Road America.
01:06:03As the Road America 500 continues in this inaugural season
01:06:06for the Grand American Road Racing Association,
01:06:08we have a great battle for the overall race lead.
01:06:11Butch Leitzinger against Didier Tay's.
01:06:14And they've got slower traffic ahead as they head down towards turn 5.
01:06:18Wow, a lot of slower traffic ahead.
01:06:19That 99 car is not going to be very helpful, too,
01:06:22because he's leading the SR2 class,
01:06:24although he's staying well out of the way as they go into turn 5.
01:06:27Didier Tay's there, foiled.
01:06:29Of course, that's a great overtaking spot, but not with all that traffic there.
01:06:32Drivers keeping a bit to their left as they go onto the bridge
01:06:35because that slippery patch that we saw catch out John Field a few laps back.
01:06:41Turn 7, that quick right flick.
01:06:44Here's one of the pull-in competitors.
01:06:46The all-American GT cars.
01:06:48Ooh, delicate moment here. Nowhere to go.
01:06:53Just Tay's all over the back of Leitzinger.
01:06:55You break your way through the traffic and I'll be right there on your gearbox, fella.
01:07:01Now, this is a place where that Lola should have more speed through there, I think,
01:07:05than that Ferrari chassis.
01:07:12Maybe Butch Leitzinger's got some sort of problem.
01:07:14Now, he had a radio problem. Maybe he's got some other chassis problems.
01:07:18Unless, of course, he's trying to conserve fuel
01:07:21to get to the end of this race without having another fuel start.
01:07:25Going under the GTO race leader, Ron Johnson, in the number 5,
01:07:29Saleen Allen Speed Lab Mustang.
01:07:33Also on the same lap with these two race leaders,
01:07:36Mima Schiattarella in the number 12 Ferrari is lurking not too far behind.
01:07:40Then John Paul Jr., Andy Wallace, and John Field
01:07:43are all three laps down to the race leaders,
01:07:47but they're on the same lap battling for 4th, 5th, and 6th.
01:07:51Jack Baldwin, another lap behind on his own lap.
01:07:55As is Howard Katz, the next car in line,
01:07:58and then the race leaders in Sports Racer 2, Snow and Schumacher.
01:08:02With the 2nd place car in SR2,
01:08:04Rich Grubb and Dennis Spencer, one lap behind their class leader.
01:08:08Leitzinger seems to be losing time in all the wrong places.
01:08:11He must have something wrong with the car.
01:08:12Because down the front straight there, he was as quick or quicker
01:08:15than the Listerone car,
01:08:18but through those corners, turns 1 and 2 and 3,
01:08:21they caught up. Didier Tej made ground on him,
01:08:24but maybe he's got a problem with the handle or something.
01:08:27Maybe he's got a brake problem. It's a long race here.
01:08:29Very tough on brakes, this road course.
01:08:31Extremely high-speed braking point, down to very low-speed turns,
01:08:35and really, really hammering brakes here.
01:08:38Keep in mind, this is after more than 100 laps of racing.
01:08:42More than 400 miles deep into this race.
01:08:45Here we are with the numbers 1 and 2 cars in the race,
01:08:47nose to tail, and the 3rd place car on the same lap.
01:08:51Very close race for such a long one.
01:08:55Ooh, a little bobble there from Leitzinger.
01:08:58Into the carousel again.
01:09:01Well, this time he does pick up a bit of ground, doesn't he?
01:09:04He looks up a bit.
01:09:06Looks quicker through the carousel this time than last time.
01:09:09Was a time when the hill on the right,
01:09:11they had dug it all the way in the last few years.
01:09:13That hill used to come right to the edge of the check there
01:09:15on the exit of the carousel.
01:09:16I mean, he didn't want to go up there all the way
01:09:19This great racetrack in the Kettle Moraine region of central Wisconsin.
01:09:22Oh, here we go, down the inside.
01:09:24Oh, Thaise for the race lead, sliding it through the corner,
01:09:27and takes the lead in Canada,
01:09:28but Leitzinger's right there trying to respond.
01:09:30Boy, Leitzinger, that must have taken him a bit by surprise.
01:09:33He wouldn't have expected that Judd-powered car
01:09:35to be able to get in there at the end of that straight
01:09:37into Canada corner, but he did.
01:09:39A great pass there by Olivier Thaise.
01:09:41And that was all on the brakes. Let's take another look.
01:09:44He drafts him down that Kettle Moraine, back straight.
01:09:47As I say, it's not really straight.
01:09:48And pulls out, just does a beautiful job here out braking
01:09:51into the Canada corner.
01:09:52Canada corner looking a bit slippery.
01:09:54We've seen at least one car in that gravel trap there too, so.
01:09:57And look at this again, the Lola.
01:09:59Looking at the Lola forward,
01:10:00looking just a little bit quicker down that front straight.
01:10:04Into turn one.
01:10:06Down to turn three.
01:10:07They call this turn three really because it's the third flag stand.
01:10:10It's a little bit confusing.
01:10:11It's three at turn two, but...
01:10:14In folk lore, it's turn three now, so.
01:10:16Just a kink at the top of that brow is what they call turn two.
01:10:20Then three.
01:10:21And this run down to five.
01:10:24As you said earlier, the shadow's getting longer now.
01:10:27Beautiful place to watch a race, this.
01:10:29Especially down here at turn five.
01:10:31You get the lawn chairs out, sun shining on them,
01:10:34and the beer stands and the food stands are close at hand.
01:10:37They're fully board traffic here for Didier.
01:10:40I was mentioning, this is the Kettle Moraine district of central Wisconsin.
01:10:44Lots of lakes dotting this area, carved by the glaciers eons ago.
01:10:49This great racetrack has been eyed by a number of world championship series,
01:10:54including Formula One.
01:10:55As Butch Leitzinger swings the tail out once again.
01:10:57This would be a great Formula One racetrack,
01:10:59because there'd be room for passing, and there'd be room for the people.
01:11:02I mean, you could get 120,000, 130,000 people here,
01:11:05and you can get them in and out,
01:11:07because there's a tremendous county road system over there.
01:11:10Road America.
01:11:11So getting people in and out is pretty good.
01:11:13The hotel's not far away.
01:11:14You can be in Chicago in about an hour's drive.
01:11:17Of course, there are the charms of Seabkins,
01:11:20in the village of Elkhart Lake,
01:11:22one of the legendary watering holes in all of motorsports.
01:11:25We'll take a break.
01:11:27Close to the end.
01:11:28Road America 500.
01:11:32Final ten laps of the Road America 500.
01:11:35And there is your race leader, Didier Thijs,
01:11:37who started this Doran Ferrari chassis with a Judd engine
01:11:41from pole position,
01:11:43and moments ago passed Butch Leitzinger for the race lead.
01:11:47And having passed him,
01:11:48he's certainly put a lot of daylight between himself
01:11:51and the number eight car with Butch Leitzinger in it.
01:11:54So Leitzinger must be having some sort of a problem.
01:11:57Oh, there's a big problem.
01:12:00Oh, my gosh.
01:12:02Oh, my gosh.
01:12:04Now, that's not a sight you see very often,
01:12:06Butch Leitzinger off the road.
01:12:07That's the carousel into the gravel trap,
01:12:10and I've no doubt the smoke coming out of the side pod there.
01:12:15I don't know if that's something that may have caused that
01:12:19in the first place.
01:12:21The smoke may just be overheating,
01:12:25but we'll find out sooner or later.
01:12:29He's going to be able to get it back on the road,
01:12:30assuming he can get things started.
01:12:33Running so well.
01:12:35So that takes a tremendous amount of pressure off Didier Thies
01:12:38in the Judd Doran here, now leading.
01:12:40So he's got a pretty healthy lead now
01:12:42over the Schiaturella Ferrari number 12.
01:12:46And so with just a few laps left,
01:12:49he can certainly, there is the number 12 car.
01:12:52Around one of the SR2 cars,
01:12:55the Schiaturella with the waves.
01:12:56Thank you for letting me by.
01:12:58I'm not sure it wasn't a bit premature there, Mimo.
01:13:03SR2 car being a bit overly enthusiastic there.
01:13:08There's the 8 car.
01:13:13He can't get him back out.
01:13:15We've seen a number of cars into the gravel traps,
01:13:17pulled out and sent on their way today,
01:13:19which frankly I'm in favor of,
01:13:21if it can be done safely,
01:13:22keeping cars in the race.
01:13:24I think it's a great idea.
01:13:25I think it's one of the big downfalls of Formula 1.
01:13:28He's got the thing going again.
01:13:29All that gravel coming out of the back on the exit.
01:13:33And that does look like smoke
01:13:34coming out the left side of the car as well.
01:13:37Here comes Jack Baldwin with the number 74 car.
01:13:40Well, let's have that gravel
01:13:41and catch somebody on the exit.
01:13:44Now he's still down to the kink.
01:13:46Now trying to stay out of the way.
01:13:48There's the GTU leader coming up,
01:13:49the 81 car just behind him.
01:13:52So no doubt heading back to the pits now
01:13:54to the GTO leader as well,
01:13:56the number 5 car.
01:13:58Rich Leitzinger will be taking it easy.
01:14:03All likely to be done.
01:14:05The car is healthy at this point.
01:14:08Still dropping gravel.
01:14:10You see our leader, the number 27 car,
01:14:12Didier Thijs.
01:14:14Thijs looking for his second victory of the year.
01:14:16He picked up his first at Homestead-Miami Speedway
01:14:19three races into the season.
01:14:22And if he can hang on to win,
01:14:24depending on what Jack Baldwin does,
01:14:26Thijs could move into second place in the championship
01:14:28behind James Weaver.
01:14:30The number of drivers still in the running
01:14:32for the championship.
01:14:33There's Mimos Giatarella,
01:14:35now second overall
01:14:36and in the sports racer class.
01:14:38Rich Leitzinger has made it to pit lane.
01:14:41Calvin Fish will be there to greet him
01:14:43as he makes his way down
01:14:44under the speed limit to his pit.
01:14:45Calvin?
01:14:47The number 8 machine driven by Butch Leitzinger
01:14:49has put in a superb performance today,
01:14:51but problems out there on course.
01:14:52Butch brings it in.
01:14:53They're unsure whether it's an engine
01:14:55and fluid related issue
01:14:56at the back of the car
01:14:57or whether it's a tire issue.
01:14:58The crew is going to work anyway,
01:15:00putting on four new skids to the car
01:15:02and they're checking out the back end of the car.
01:15:04I don't see any massive fluid leak back here,
01:15:06so this smoking issue that you saw on the track
01:15:10is really a mystery right now,
01:15:12but Butch obviously had a problem
01:15:13for him to go off course like that.
01:15:15Looks like they've changed all the tires,
01:15:17disconnected jacks.
01:15:18They're going to fire him back up
01:15:19and he'll be cautious
01:15:21to try and feel the car out
01:15:22to try and get it to the finish.
01:15:25We'll see what Butch Leitzinger can salvage.
01:15:27If there's nothing wrong with the car,
01:15:29just a case of over-exuberant cornering, I guess.
01:15:33So another lap down there by V8A.
01:15:36He's in the 12 car line in second spot.
01:15:38As we said earlier,
01:15:39the Ferraris, all these engines of course,
01:15:41are restricted to try and get parity in the racing.
01:15:43There's such a tremendous divergence of engines,
01:15:45V12s, V10s, V8s, pushrods, low head cam.
01:15:50And one of the ways they try to do it
01:15:52is restrict the air flow.
01:15:54He's got some sort of a chassis problem.
01:15:57So I think it's how Didier got around him
01:15:59in the first place.
01:16:00But I think that load of power
01:16:02should be a better match
01:16:03than it was for Didier's car.
01:16:08Great moment by Leitzinger
01:16:10to take it out there and gas it.
01:16:13It's not helping.
01:16:16It could be a broken shot.
01:16:18Definite smoke.
01:16:25Well, the number 12 on his way,
01:16:27hoping to close ground on the number 27.
01:16:29Now the question is,
01:16:30will the 27 need another stop?
01:16:32Let's get an answer from Biz.
01:16:35Some very cautious relaxation going on here
01:16:38in the Kevin Dorn pits.
01:16:40They right now have over a 40 second lead
01:16:43and they know for sure
01:16:44that they have enough fuel to go the distance.
01:16:46Once the pressure was off by Leitzinger,
01:16:49they could ease back short shift
01:16:51and make sure that they had plenty of fuel
01:16:53in that very economical Judd motor.
01:16:57In the background,
01:16:58you had a look at Kevin Dorn
01:17:00and all of his boys standing there
01:17:01with stopwatches up along the pit wall
01:17:03while the boss is behind.
01:17:05He knows what's going on.
01:17:06Maybe not.
01:17:09Back at Road America,
01:17:10final lap for Didier Thies
01:17:12sharing this Dorn-Judd special.
01:17:16With Mauro Baldi
01:17:18and car owner Freddy Leinhardt.
01:17:23White flag for the race leaders.
01:17:25There's the old American GT race leader
01:17:27in front of the 91 car.
01:17:3069 car is one of the pill beans.
01:17:32That's the Redmond Bright car.
01:17:33Mark Bunting and Michael Lauer driving that.
01:17:37That was the car, I believe,
01:17:38that gave him some trouble down in the
01:17:40carousel just a few laps ago.
01:17:42Getting out of the way nicely there.
01:17:44There's Mimmo Schiattarella
01:17:45in the now second place.
01:17:47We see Competizione Ferrari,
01:17:49333 SP.
01:17:51That's the Bruce Nesbitt 00 Mustang.
01:17:55Saw him in the gravel trap earlier on
01:17:57down right here at Canada Corner.
01:18:02Being pulled out under the Mitchell Bridge.
01:18:05A very tricky corner that, you know,
01:18:07you've got the bridge parapet in the way.
01:18:08There's that rise in the ground.
01:18:10You can't see over it.
01:18:11You can't see around it.
01:18:12But Schiattarella successfully navigates it
01:18:15for the last, well, last time but one.
01:18:17And he's going to take the white flag right now.
01:18:20Especially tricky part of that corner
01:18:21is that it turns.
01:18:23You have to be ready to be in your turn
01:18:24before you can see where the road goes.
01:18:27Schiattarella takes the white flag.
01:18:30Beautiful afternoon.
01:18:31They've had a wonderful race weather-wise
01:18:33considering how bad it was qualifying
01:18:35yesterday afternoon.
01:18:36Absolutely appalling.
01:18:38Several of our camera positions
01:18:39were struck by lightning yesterday.
01:18:41Nobody hurt, that was.
01:18:43There's the 20 car.
01:18:44John Paul Jr. is still running in third.
01:18:47Behind him is the Eva Wallace car.
01:18:51Which never has recovered
01:18:52because of that diabolical brake stop
01:18:54they had to have under green.
01:18:56Just a few laps backwards
01:18:59took them out of contention.
01:19:00Difficult day for both of the Dyson cars.
01:19:02Early for the 20 car, late for the 16.
01:19:05Couple of corners left for this man, Didier Thes,
01:19:07to pick up his second
01:19:08Grand American Road Racing Association
01:19:10victory of the year
01:19:11here at the Road America 500.
01:19:15We've had a number of different leaders,
01:19:17some interesting action
01:19:18both on the track and in the pits.
01:19:20All in all, a great day of sports car racing
01:19:22as this amazing Doran Judd
01:19:25comes across the line
01:19:27and a fist in the air,
01:19:28crew on the wall,
01:19:29traditional celebrations
01:19:31for Didier Thes, Mauro Baldi,
01:19:33and Freddie Leinhardt
01:19:34as they take victory at Road America.
01:19:36Ah, terrific.
01:19:37There's the number two car,
01:19:38still in the car cell,
01:19:39so quite a long way behind,
01:19:41about half a lap down
01:19:42for the number 12 car.
01:19:45But by now, they know the winner has crossed
01:19:47and they are safely in second place.
01:19:51Gautier traffic right here.
01:19:53Big car, too, that 5.0,
01:19:55bouncing off one of those.
01:19:57A lot of weight and muscle behind that
01:19:59down the corner for the last time.
01:20:01You can see a lot of brake marks there.
01:20:03It's a slippery bit of road.
01:20:05A bit of road,
01:20:06that slightly curving approach
01:20:08is also a very tempting place to overtake in.
01:20:13Up under the Billy Mitchell Bridge,
01:20:14heading for turn 14,
01:20:15is Mimmo Stiantarella,
01:20:17the Formula One veteran.
01:20:20Sharing his car today
01:20:21with Eric van der Poel,
01:20:22also with Grand Prix experience
01:20:24under his belt.
01:20:28With the flag,
01:20:29and Ferrari finishes second
01:20:31here at Road America.
01:20:34Let's take a look at the final results
01:20:36of today's race.
01:20:37Victory to Baldy-Tayes and Leinhardt
01:20:40over the Schiaterella-van der Poel Ferrari.
01:20:42Robinson-Dyson and Paul Jr.
01:20:44in the Riley and Scott Lincoln,
01:20:46followed by their teammates
01:20:47in the Riley and Scott Ford.
01:20:49First SR2 racers,
01:20:51Snow and Schumacher,
01:20:52Martin Snow and Larry Schumacher,
01:20:54break Larry Oberto and Ryan Hampton's
01:20:56five-race winning streak.
01:20:58GTU winners Darren Law and Mike Fitzgerald
01:21:01finish 14th overall.
01:21:04While the Schramm, Hare and Frank,
01:21:05American GT car,
01:21:07pick up the victory in that class.
01:21:09And that ends a three-race winning streak
01:21:11for the Spirit of Daytona Camaro,
01:21:13Craig Conway, Doug Goad and Troy Fleece.
01:21:16Forty cars in all started the race,
01:21:18most of them running at the end.
01:21:20A rare full-course caution during the day.
01:21:25Let's look down through the rest of the results.
01:21:27Our winners have made their way to Victory Lane,
01:21:29John Bisignano and Calvin Fisher
01:21:31standing by to talk to our class winners.
01:21:33Let's begin with Biz and the overall winner.
01:21:37A fantastic drive.
01:21:39You weren't that happy about being on pole
01:21:41the way you got there,
01:21:42but you've got to be happy about being
01:21:44in this winner's circle.
01:21:45Very happy for the team,
01:21:46for Leicester, for everybody.
01:21:48Very happy.
01:21:49And it was a hard race,
01:21:50and the car was perfect all race,
01:21:53and our strategy,
01:21:54our pit stop were perfect,
01:21:55and very pleased for the team.
01:21:57The fuel economy of this Judd V12,
01:21:59that definitely helped you out.
01:22:01It helped, but I have to short shift many times
01:22:03during the race to keep our strategy going,
01:22:05and when you short shift with the launch
01:22:08right away like that,
01:22:09you lose a lot of speed,
01:22:10and it was a compromise between a good lap time
01:22:13and saving fuel.
01:22:14What about that pass at the very end?
01:22:16I was waiting the right moment.
01:22:18I know I had 12 laps to do it.
01:22:20I didn't want to rush and take any risk.
01:22:22I had to wait the right moment,
01:22:23and it was fine.
01:22:24If Leitzinger would have stayed out there,
01:22:26could you have stayed in front of him?
01:22:27Yeah, definitely, yes.
01:22:28I picked up one second of lap on him.
01:22:30Congratulations, Didier.
01:22:31Great, great victory.
01:22:32500 miles victory.
01:22:36Very confident, Didier Thijs.
01:22:37Here's a look at the sports racer class driver standings
01:22:40with two events still to go
01:22:42in this inaugural season of the Grand Dam.
01:22:44James Weaver with a 13-point lead
01:22:46over Didier Thijs,
01:22:48who bumps Jack Baldwin to third place.
01:22:52EFR, Mimoskia Torella, and others still in the fight.
01:22:55We'll be back with more.
01:22:58Grand Dam Road Racing is brought to you by
01:23:00Informix Software.
01:23:02Way to web.
01:23:04And the U.S. Army.
01:23:05Be a part of the toughest, smartest army in the world.
01:23:08Be all you can be.
01:23:11Well, it was a hard-earned victory,
01:23:12and it lasted all weekend.
01:23:14The Saleen Speed Lab crew for Terry Bortscheller
01:23:16and Ron Johnson,
01:23:17who were standing by in victory lane with Calvin Fish.
01:23:22Well, if there's a reward for perseverance,
01:23:24you should go to the number five team, the Saleen SR,
01:23:26again in victory lane in GTO category.
01:23:28But, boys, that was some weekend you had.
01:23:30Well, I can't say enough about the crew
01:23:32of the number five BASF Saleen Mustang.
01:23:34I mean, they just worked their tails off
01:23:35for the last three days getting this car ready.
01:23:37We went out there, and we just kept plugging away,
01:23:39and, you know, we ended up in victory lane.
01:23:41So it's been a great weekend for us.
01:23:43Terry, it seemed at the beginning
01:23:44you were struggling to get all the fuel out of the car,
01:23:46and you kind of fixed that with the reserve pump.
01:23:48But still a bit of a struggle for you guys.
01:23:51Yeah, it was tough to figure out,
01:23:52but once we got it figured out,
01:23:53it helped us a lot to kind of calm down
01:23:55and just get into a pace.
01:23:56And some of the other competitors weren't as fortunate,
01:23:59and we were just plugging away, like Ron said.
01:24:02So, again, hats off to the crew.
01:24:04They did a fantastic job.
01:24:05And Steve Saleen, the Saleen SR, did an awesome job.
01:24:08Took us to the finish.
01:24:10Ron Johnson, Terry Borcheller, fourth win of the year.
01:24:12Congratulations, guys.
01:24:14Thank you, Calvin, and congratulations to both men
01:24:16who are now firmly in control of the GTO championships.
01:24:19Only Eric Messely has a shot
01:24:21at Terry Borcheller and Ron Johnson,
01:24:23if I've done my sums correctly.
01:24:26Two races still to go in the season.
01:24:29Here's a look at the Informix WayFast Award.
01:24:32Now, normally, these go to the class pole sitters,
01:24:34but because qualifying was called due to storms,
01:24:37they wanted to hand out this money,
01:24:39so we're going to give it to the fastest laps in each class,
01:24:42and there they are.
01:24:43Tay's, Hampton, Altenburg, Law, and Hare.
01:24:45Down to John Bisignano.
01:24:47Martin Snow, a great drive to victory circle here.
01:24:50Congratulations on your first RS2 win.
01:24:53Well, thank you.
01:24:55It was a good car today, and the tires held up well.
01:24:58The crew was good.
01:25:00We didn't have our crew chief here today.
01:25:02It was a little rough.
01:25:03He had to rush home on Saturday.
01:25:05His wife was in the hospital having a baby,
01:25:07so we lost him, and I hope everything's going well.
01:25:10He had a baby girl, and...
01:25:11Well, congratulations to him.
01:25:13Larry Schumacher, when I talked to you in Phoenix,
01:25:15you weren't that happy about this car and this class,
01:25:17but here you are in victory circle.
01:25:19Well, old dogs learn slow,
01:25:21so I like it a whole lot better than I did back in Phoenix.
01:25:24And we've got an excellent crew, and they've learned the car,
01:25:26so that's a good part of it.
01:25:28Going to be able to give that Alberto car some competition
01:25:30for the rest of the year?
01:25:31We're going to try.
01:25:32What the heck, we're here.
01:25:34We might as well try.
01:25:35There'll be a lot of competition in SR2 for the rest of the season.
01:25:38All right, thanks, Biz.
01:25:40Larry Schumacher knows what he's talking about.
01:25:42Larry Alberto and Ryan Hampton have dominated the class,
01:25:45but it's not over yet.
01:25:47With two races to go,
01:25:48Rich Gruff, Dennis Spencer, and Martin Snow are still in it.
01:25:51Here's Calvin.
01:25:53Well, a tremendous performance was put in in the American GT category
01:25:56by the number 91 machine, led by Irv here.
01:25:59Irv, we saw you in the victory circle at Phoenix
01:26:01in the sports racer category.
01:26:03You changed cars, doesn't seem to make the difference.
01:26:05You're still here winning another one, buddy.
01:26:08Yeah, no, I appreciate that.
01:26:10You know, that was a lot of fun at Phoenix,
01:26:12but, you know, I feel a little more at home in here
01:26:14with a roof over my head.
01:26:16But Rock Valley oil crew did a great job with this car.
01:26:19I mean, it was handling.
01:26:21Two laps from the end,
01:26:22I went ahead and laid down one of my quickest laps of the race
01:26:25just to show them that the car was still just as good as it was
01:26:28when it started the 500 miles.
01:26:30So, you know, we had a little problem with the wheel nut,
01:26:33lost virtually all the three-lap lead
01:26:36that we had accumulated at one point.
01:26:38And we even got past, you know, in that, you know,
01:26:42right after that last pit stop.
01:26:44But this Rock Valley Camaro is a pretty good machine,
01:26:48and we came back and got it back without too much problem.
01:26:51Irv, great to see you back.
01:26:52Thanks a lot.
01:26:54Congratulations to that crew.
01:26:56Irv here is not in the fight,
01:26:57but four drivers are still alive for the AGT Driver Championship.
01:27:02McNeil, Mills, Conway, and Goad
01:27:04will decide in the remaining two races.
01:27:06Back to Calvin.
01:27:07One of the drivers in the winning GTU car is Darren Law.
01:27:10And, boy, you guys are on a roll, three in a row,
01:27:12four for the year,
01:27:13and really pad that championship lead for Mike.
01:27:15But we keep talking about this.
01:27:17How are you going to catch him up, Darren?
01:27:18I don't know.
01:27:19I think maybe I'll start the car in the last race
01:27:21and it'll break or something.
01:27:22I don't know.
01:27:23Yeah, we're doing it.
01:27:24I got to thank G&W.
01:27:25It's been great.
01:27:26Great year.
01:27:27The car's running great.
01:27:28I mean, we've dominated all weekend.
01:27:29It's been real good.
01:27:30Great performance.
01:27:31Well done.
01:27:32Thanks.
01:27:33I think from the look on Darren Law's face,
01:27:35he knows that somehow he's going to have to get away
01:27:37from his teammate, Mike Fitzgerald,
01:27:39to win the Drivers' Championship.
01:27:40They have been very successful together in this class.
01:27:43They have indeed.
01:27:44And we had tremendous racing out there this afternoon,
01:27:46including this 500-mile race.
01:27:49So it's certainly no sprint.
01:27:50We saw the GTU leaders locked together.
01:27:52We saw the SR2 leaders locked together.
01:27:54And, of course, we saw the big sports cars
01:27:56absolutely locked together right until the end,
01:27:58until Butch Leisinger had that spin towards the end.
01:28:01This race could have gone anyway,
01:28:03right to the last couple of laps.
01:28:04So the 500 miles, I'd say that was a pretty exciting race.
01:28:07A lot of racing right through the field.
01:28:09The all-American GT, Doug Doan,
01:28:11and Conway lost for the first time this year
01:28:13to Herb Hare as he came in.
01:28:14So all in all, a pretty exciting race.
01:28:16Very, very interesting.
01:28:17A lot of racing right down through the field.
01:28:19And two race weekends still to come at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec,
01:28:22and Canada, and then the third in the trio of race revivals
01:28:25in the Grand American Association for 2000,
01:28:29the six hours of Watkins Glen.
01:28:31And we will use the full Grand Prix International Circuit
01:28:33including the boot at Watkins Glen, New York.
01:28:36So be sure to join us here on Speed Vision
01:28:38for the final two races
01:28:40of the Grand American Road Racing Association inaugural season.
01:28:43For Calvin Fish and John Bisognano,
01:28:45as well as David Hobbs, I'm Bob Farsha.
01:28:47So long, everyone.