The 29th Motul Petit Le Mans fell into a state of disarray in hour number four thanks to a heavy downpour of rain and a 27-minute red flag for lightning strikes near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, and Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing’s #10 V-Series.R now leads after five hours of racing.
The lightning hold was preceded by a downpour of severe rain that washed over Road Atlanta just after the race got going again following a mechanical issue for the #45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini.
Several cars rushed to pit lane to change to wet tyres, including the #60 Acura, which came in just before a yellow for debris: Max van der Snel in the #37 Intersport Racing ORECA LMP2 hit an advertising board, and for the second time in the race, a sign board on the course neutralised the race.
The race only went green again for a few seconds before the #2 and #22 United Autosports USA LMP2s of Hunter McElrea and Rasmus Lindh collided on the way into pit lane – both were stranded in the soaking wet grass.
In that brief time, though, Braun launched to the front of the field past Kevin Magnussen, whose #25 WRT BMW took the initial green flag. And then at 3:48 PM ET (local time), Race Control threw the red flag due to lightning in proximity of the circuit – which was lifted at 4:15 PM once the weather improved.
Then, at 4:32, the race resumed with five hours and 38 minutes left – but the carnage did not lift.
Renger van der Zande pulled off a brilliant double overtake at Turn 10 to grab second, only for him to miss the same corner and collide with teammate Braun, pushing both cars through the gravel runoff at Turn 10. The #60 of Braun came into the pits, while the #93 of van der Zande was given a drive-through penalty.
Before it was due to serve the drive-through, the #93 came in for a routine stop and driver change; only seconds after Álex Palou got in the car, the five-time IndyCar Series champion was struck in the esses by the #25 WRT BMW of Kevin Magnussen. The impact at the top of the esses then sent Magnussen into the tyre barrier at turn three. Magnussen walked away gingerly after the collision, while the #93 MSR Acura sustained rear bodywork damage.
And then, just as the race was about to restart a few minutes ago, the right front wheel of the #11 TDS Racing ORECA LMP2 flung off the car.
Ricky Taylor in the #10 WTR Cadillac took the green flag with five hours and seven minutes to go, and continues to lead ahead of the #31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R in second, the #24 BMW M Team WRT Hybrid V8 in third, and the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 in fourth.
The race has since been neutralised by another yellow following a three-car GTD incident between the #16 Myers Riley Motorsports (Felipe Fraga) and #66 Gradient Racing (Jake Walker) Ford Mustang GT3 Evos, which also collected the #912 Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche (Morris Schuring). The #66 Ford was then stranded on course, causing the ninth yellow of the race.
LMP2 is now led by the #04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA 07-Gibson – recovered from its earlier drive-through – #99 AO Racing and No. 43 Inter Europol Competition cars.
Jack Hawksworth is aboard the GTD Pro-leading #14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3, followed by the #033 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, the #4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R, and the #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3.R.
And in GTD, the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari leads a 1-2 ahead of the #70 Inception Racing 296, with the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in third.
Image courtesy of Jack Webster
