As how many miles have they covered since this past
January's Rolex 24?
This weekend features the 22nd running of the
Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, for which I'm planning on tuning into on
Ye 'Ol Intrawoods', to catch thou wonderful tones of Der Heindenmeier' &
Company on IMSA Radio, led by John Hindhaugh, with Jeremy Shaw and Shea Adam calling
thou action!
Or Y'all can tune into the race Saturday,
October 12th on NBC, beginning at 9AM Pacific with Leigh Diffey, Calvin Fish
and A.J. Allmendinger in the Booth.
BUT AS ALWAYS! CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS!
As the Sports Car race caps the season's long
celebrations of IMSA's 50th Anniversary, which has seen several competitors
running celebratory liveries. With the two GT Le Mans Porsche's doing so this
weekend in Retro Coca Cola paint schemes fashioned after the late Bob Akin's Porsche
962. Whilst I've seen one of his previous Nasty 935 Panzerwagon in thou Flesh
at a long ago Monterey Historics event.
As I'm doing my
Petit preview a Wee Bitamyte' differently this time round. Focusing upon the
IndyCar Teams participants whom also dabble in SportsCarland...
(DPi) Prototypes
As I've previously eluded to here upon No
Fenders, Acura leads the way for the first time in series history, already
claiming the Manufacturer's title at Laguna Seca I believe. While it's No. 6
entry is poised to claim the Drivers title.
Acura Team Penske
Acura ARX-05
#6) Juan Pablo Montoya, Dane Cameron and Simon Pagenaud
#7) Helio Castroneves, Ricky Taylor and Graham Rahal
Obviously, SNAP! (Where Are Yuhs Jeffie?( the
majority of IndyCar Fans tuning in will be paying Attenzione to thou Team
Penske boyz' - featuring three Indianapolis 500 winners behind the controls.
As JPM, "Monty" or Juan Pablo
Montoya and season Long team-mate Dane Cameron lead the Drivers Championship by
12-points: 274-262 over the reigning Daytona Prototype International (DPi)
Champions Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani in the rival #31 Whelen
Engineering Caddy'. (Cadillac DPI VR)
With HULIO' and Ricky Taylor third overall with 254 points.
As hopefully Montoya can redeem himself by
not putting a wheel wrong a la his 2015 IndyCar Championship Blunder - en route
to claiming the title for El Capitano, nee Roger Penske.
Reigning Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud will
fill out the No. 6's Drivers trio, while Graham Rahal will substitute for
Alexander Rossi in the Seester' #7 Acura.
As Rossi with his Good Buddy Thee Mayor 'O
Hinchtown' (James Hinchcliffe) will be Down Under contesting their first
Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercars race. Yeah, it'll always be V8 Supercars to Mwah! In
a Wildcard entry for Walkinshaw Andretti United in a (GM) Holden Commodore.
While ironically, Roger Penske also boasts a V8
Supercars Team, known as DJR Team Penske, running Ford Mustang's. With his lead
driver Scott
McLaughlin having won a record 17 races this year; YEEHAW!
Meanwhile, another ex-IndyCar Driver known in
Nofendersville as "Symona-Symona," (Simona de Silvestro( currently
races the #78 Kelly Racing Nissan Altima...
Juncos Racing
Cadillac DPI VR
#50) Rene Binder, Will Owen and Spencer Pigot
The 'lil Team from Indianapolis that Could!
Has spent it's time since the Mosport round rebuilding its heavily Damaged
Cadd-Oh-lacc', which definitely took a licking Up North Eh!
As the team's just announced recently that
IndyCar Driver Spencer Pigot will round out Thar Driver's line-up at Road
Atlanta. As Spencer's No Stranger to Juncos, having won multiple Road to Indy
Championships with them.
GT Le Mans (GTLM)
Porsche has already locked-up the
Manufacturer's Crown, and is basically locked into an intra-team scrum for the
Drivers Championship. Although think I've read Somewheres' that the #912 tandem
of Earl Bamber
and Laurens Vanthoor simply
need to finish eighth in class to claim the title.
BMW Team RLL
BMW M8 GTE
##24) John Edwards, Jesse
Krohn and Chaz Mostert
#25) Connor
De Phillippi, Philipp Eng and Tom Blomqvist
The Good news is that BMW will return next
season with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The Bad news is that the front
engine M8's haven't been ultra competitive this year.
As I've taken my best guess at who'll be
piloting Thar two GTLM entries at Road Atlanta. And have Zero clue over whether
or not we'll see IndyCar phenom Colton Herta Moonlighting once again this
weekend? After all, the teenager grabbed a Rolex wristwatch first time out at
Daytona this past January.
Chip Ganassi Racing
Ford GT
#66) Joey Hand, Dirk Muller and Sebastian Bourdais
#67) Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Scott Dixon
Once again, ARSE-Sumin'
thou Cheepster', nee Chip Ganassi will run his typical Endurance events line-up
in what sadly, is the final outing for the iconic Ford GT; BOO, HISS!
As No idea if Ganassi will return to Sports
Car competition next year? But hey, why not see Chip fielding a Brace 'O rival GTLM
Spec Ferrari's? Or a Big Boyz' DPi entry? Who knows what 'Ol Cheep' will do?
GT Daytona (GTD)
While Meyer Shank Racing's #86 duo of
SuperMario' and "Clark Kent" lost the series inaugural Sprint Cup
Championship to them Lumberjack Fellahs from Up North Eh! Oh KanaDuh's FAF Motorsports
No. 9 Porsche 911 GT3 rivals Zachery
Robichon and Scott Hargrove. Yet The #86 MSR Duo most
likely will win the War Saturday at Hotlanta'.
AIM Vasser Sullivan
Lexus RC F GT3
#12) Townsend Bell, Frankie
Montecalvo and Chase Parker
#14)
Jack Hawksworth, Richard Heistand and Aaron Telitz
Don't have anything clever to say 'bout the
AIM Vasser Sullivan Boyz', other than Toyota's probably happy with the lack of
media scrutiny following 'Ol MEATHEADZ', aka Paul Gentilozzi, eh?
And will NBC have T-Bell' doing commentary
from the Team's Pit-box once again? While Bloody Union Jack' Hawksworth's gotta
be feeling happy to be running Sports Cars vs. the torturous season his past
employer A.J. Foyt Enterprises just endured again, this year...
Meyer Shank Racing
Acura NSX GT3 Evo
#57) Katherine Legge, Cristina Nielsen and Ana Beatriz
#86) Mario Farnbacher,
Trent Hindman and Justin Marks
Taking a total Flyer upon the No. 57 Drivers
roll, other than knowing for certain that Thy Leggy Juan', aka Katherine Legge
will be driving. As this All Femme Fatale entry has had a revolving cast 'O
females at its keyboard. And I'm guessing that the Dane', aka Cristina who
drove at Laguna Seca will return, whilst speculating upon ex-IndyCar Driver
Beatriz.
Meanwhile, tend to recall that IMSA Radio's
Jeremy Shaw claimed that the MSR's #86 Dynamic Duo of Farnbacher
& Hindman held a commanding
31-point lead over Thar nearest rival for GTD Class Honours in the Drivers
Championship following Laguna Seca. And theoretically will simply need to motor
home to claim this title.
According to the IMSA Standings, Farnbacher
& Hindman lead Zach Robichon
264-232, basically a race win ahead - with Turner Motorsports BMW M6 GT3 tandem
of 'Ol Billy "Bill Power"" Auberlen and Co-driver Robby Foley
in third with 227 markers apiece...
