Porsche Penske Controversial Victory: Porsche Penske Motorsports won and scored second in a flawless IMSA Battle on the Bricks. This was witnessed at IMS over the weekend. The #6 Porsche 963 that Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy drove well helped them win.
But the race was marred by a controversial race control decision during the second Safety Car stop, making this victory difficult. Just before the class divides, Pipo Derani, driving the #31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, beat both Porsche cars on the front stretch, shocking everyone.
The two Porsche giants failed to accelerate up or heed Race Control’s directions. Therefore, the #31 Cadillac was handed pole position for the restart under the arcane IMSA Sporting Regulations Rule 46.5.2.
While Porsche and its fans may have believed the decision was unfair, Felipe Nasr, driving the #7 Porsche, took the lead when Derani lost control at turn one. So did Tandy, who went up to second.
At the final pit stop, the two Porsches danced around. Tandy won the race after leading his teammate and the pack by 17.421 seconds. Three wins for the factory Porsche squad this year. First IMSA win since 2014 at Indianapolis. Interestingly, Jaminet and Tandy returned to win after Long Beach.
Second place went to Nasr and Campbell in the #7 Porsche. The #25 BMW M Team RLL Hybrid V8, driven by Connor de Phillippi and Nick Yelloly, finished third after the #31 Cadillac by Derani and Alexander Sims slipped to fourth. Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque completed the top five in the #10 WTR Andretti Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06.
The October 12 GTP Championship at Petit Le Mans will be a five-way fight. There are five points between the #31 Cadillac, #10 Acura, and #6 Porsche in car and driver performance. The #25 BMW and #7 Porsche are 73 points behind the title leader.
Paul Miller Racing’s Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers won the GTD Championship before the last race. The history books remembered them. The #1 BMW’s third-place finish edged out the #27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3, driven by Roman de Angelis and Marc Sorensen, in fourth.
Snow-Sellers won the championship by 405 points. Despite many GTD opponents attending Petit Le Mans and doing nothing at the green flag, this cannot be taken away from them.
Just attend today’s race to earn your second WeatherTech Sprint Cup title. Another possibility is the Michelin Endurance Cup at Petit Le Mans.
In the last minutes, GTD had an excellent finish. A thrilling “bump and run” by Philip Ellis and Russell Ward in the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 won the race. Misha Goikhberg and Loris Spinelli’s #78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 led until a furious wheel-to-wheel battle at turn seven.
Winward Racing’s 2023 season could have been better than this win. After winning the Michelin Pilot Challenge, Bryce Ward and Daniel Morad had a terrific weekend.
Mercedes-AMG triumphed twice, like the Indianapolis 8-Hour Race precisely a year ago. GTD Pro champions Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon drove the #79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes.
The #23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin, piloted by Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas, lost by 4.3 seconds. The #3 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, directed by Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat, will likely win the 2023 GTD Pro Championship.
Hawksworth and Barnicoat need to appear at Road Atlanta to earn fame. This would benefit Vasser Sullivan Racing and its GTD Pro virtuosos.
Stephen Thomas and Mikkel Jensen’s #11 TDS Racing Oreca LMP2 07 won its second LMP2 race of the year. Great driving by Dan Goldburg and Louis Deletraz, but the #8 Tower Motorsports Oreca finished second. The famous Peugeot Hypercar driver Jensen scored the game-winning maneuver late on.
In LMP2, George Kurtz and Ben Hanley’s #04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca overcame Ben Keating and Paul-Loup Chatin’s #52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca for the final podium slot. As the season winds down at Petit Le Mans, Thomas and Jensen lead Keating and Chatin by 20 points. A 100-point deficit separates Kurtz and Hanley.
The #17 AWA Duquiene D08 won its first race since the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, thanks to Anthony Mantella and Wayne Boyd in the contested LMP3 class. Win number two of the season. Riley’s three-race win streak ended when Gar Robinson and Josh Burdon finished second in the #74 Riley Ligier JS P320.
In LMP3, Robinson will win. He is poised to win the title with a 243-point advantage.
Our Reader’s Queries
How many times has Roger Penske won the Indy 500?
Team Penske has established itself as a household name in Indy car racing, boasting an impressive track record of over 230 race victories, nearly 300 poles, and 17 National Championships. But what truly sets them apart is their remarkable success at the Indianapolis 500, with a total of 19 victories to their name. Among these, four were achieved with the legendary driver Rick Mears, while three were secured by the talented Helio Castroneves. Team Penske’s unparalleled achievements have cemented their place in the history books of motorsports.
How long has Penske been in Nascar?
In 1972, Penske Racing entered the NASCAR scene, coinciding with their first Indy 500 win with Donohue driving. The team continued to compete in NASCAR, the Can-Am Series, and Indy cars. Additionally, Penske Racing introduced their Formula 1 car in the 1970s.
What is the mission statement of Team Penske?
At Team Penske, we believe in making a difference beyond the racetrack. Our commitment to the community extends to supporting charities and nonprofit organizations through the donation of race used items and memorabilia. We take pride in giving back and making a positive impact in the lives of those around us.
