In a storybook ending for Chip Ganassi Racing, the No. 01 Cadillac Racing V-Sequence.R of Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon got here again from a depressing early race to win Petit Le Mans. With a dramatic dive to the within of Nick Tandy within the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 in Flip 1 with 15m left within the 10-hour race, van der Zande circled what had regarded like a hopeless day to win the final race earlier than CGR exits the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the meanwhile.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s simply, it’s unbelievable,” mentioned an emotional Bourdais after the victory. “You suppose you bought it, you suppose you misplaced it, it comes again round. You by no means know what’s happening. 5 minutes to the tip, we expect we gained it, after which each lights exit. I don’t know … I’m speechless. I can’t be grateful sufficient for the chance to have pushed that No. 01 for 3 years. It’s a bittersweet finish, however there’s no higher ship off, and I’m so grateful.”
So as to add a little bit of last-second drama, the Cadillac, which had run a lot of the night with just one headlight, misplaced it’s headlights fully with beneath 5 minutes to go, which might have certainly earned a mechanical black flag, however got here again on shortly thereafter. They continued to go off intermittently, however have been on sufficient to complete the race.
“There was a little bit of disco happening, however I like discos,” laughed van der Zande. “This handbook we get from Cadillac is lots of buttons and lots of choices, so I began to press all types of buttons this fashion, and it was nonetheless not ok. Then it caught increasingly more and extra, then they instructed me press the white button. So I pressed the white button, and it labored, so we bought the lights again.”
Porsche Penske Motorsports completed second and third, the No. 6 963 ending forward of the No. 7. The third-place end earned the No. 7 squad of Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr, aided by Matt Campbell within the lengthy endurance races, the GTP championship and the Michelin Endurance Cup. Cadillac Racing closed the hole to the No. 6 crew, however in the long run fell wanting breaking apart the PPM one-two within the championship.
“Huge hats off to the crew. I imply, it’s actually as close to to excellent, I believe, as you may be,” mentioned Cameron. “Actually proud to have all of the championships, one-two for each vehicles. Clearly disenchanted for the No. 6 to overlook on the market, however completely so, so happy to have quantity 4 for myself, and clearly excellent for the group.”
What had been shaping as much as be a improbable race between the No. 6 Porsche and the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 – with the added intrigue of gasoline technique that might have introduced the No. 7 PPM Porsche into the equation – was shattered, together with an astounding 4.5h of inexperienced flag operating, with a three-car incident with just below an hour to go. A collision between the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R pushed by Jan Heylen and the No. 55 Proton Competitors Mustang GT3 of Corey Lewis in Flip 5 left the Mustang sitting on the observe going through the mistaken course, with no lights, over the crest of a forehead.
A number of vehicles averted the wrecked Mustang, however Ricky Taylor didn’t. Grazing the Mustang, Taylor eliminated a giant chunk of the left aspect of the Acura, ending the crew’s likelihood to win Petit Le Mans but once more. Taylor had taken the lead out of the earlier pit cease, however slid off observe on chilly tires, handing the lead again to Tandy.
That arrange a possible four-way combat to the end between the No. 6 Porsche, the No. 01 Cadillac, the No. 24 BMW M Workforce RLL M Hybrid V8 and the No. 7 Porsche, however it proved to be Tandy vs. van der Zande preventing to the checker. The BMW in Philip Eng’s fingers regarded prefer it may need one thing to problem for a podium, however contact with the No. 7 Porsche not solely broken and slowed the M Hybrid V8, however earned a drive-through penalty as effectively.
CGR’s Cadillac was trying to be out of the combat because of a sensor difficulty that triggered a mechanical black flag. The crew solved the issue, however the repair affected the ability processing unit and left the No. 01 down on energy and likewise left the automobile a lap down. The lap was retrieved, however the 4.5h interval of inexperienced flag operating saved them from making any progress. Solely the ultimate yellow, which the crew anticipated, introduced them again into the combat.
WHAT. A. PASS!@CadillacVSeries | @Rengervdz pic.twitter.com/cLKr6QytlI
— IMSA (@IMSA) October 13, 2024
Stalking Tandy, van der Zande lastly discovered a gap. He had a greater run out of Flip 12, and as Tandy shifted again to the left after passing a GT automobile, van der Zande dived to the within heading into Flip 1. Tandy misplaced his run to the apex and the place.
“It was the one transfer I might make. I used to be behind Tandy for some time, and he was so quick on the straights. Each time they pulled a spot of like, I don’t know, six, seven automobile lengths, however within the corners we have been very quick. We arrange the automobile loads for Flip 1 and Flip 3. That’s the place I might actually make up lots of floor. The automobile was superior there,” mentioned van der Zande earlier than praising Tandy.
“Once I made the transfer on Nick, it’s all the time a two-way avenue. I believe with professionals like him, you are able to do these sort of strikes. On the similar time, it’s dangerous. I believe Scott instructed me I used to be locking wheels entering into.”
The No. 01 crossed the road with van der Zande flashing the lights, 2.948s forward of the No. 6. Whereas all three drivers have gained Petit Le Mans earlier than, it was the primary victory at Street Atlanta for Chip Ganassi Racing because it indicators off in its run with Cadillac.
The eventual race-winning TDS ORECA landed itself in the fitting place on the proper time forward of the championship-winning automobile from Inter Europol. Jake Galstad/Lumen
TDS Racing with Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen and Hunter McElrea took the victory in LMP2 in dominating vogue to additionally declare the Endurance Cup. Whereas polesitter Ben Keating led the early portion of the race, his run ended early. Keating, main on the time, was passing the No. 20 Excessive Class Racing ORECA LMP2 at Flip 6 and spun, presumably after contact. Tommy Milner within the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R was subsequent on the scene and hit Keating’s No. 2 United Autosports ORECA. Each Keating’s automobile and the Corvette sustained heavy injury and have been taken straight to the paddock. Keating would re-emerge later within the race, however a second crash took the No. 2 out of the race for good.
With McElrea and Jensen closing out the race, the No. 11 was unstoppable, placing gaps on the sector at each flip. The ultimate full-course warning introduced Riley Motorsports into contact for the LMP2 lead and probably the championship, however Jensen put the power that the TDS ORECA had proven all day on full show as he fended off an assault by Felipe Fraga within the No. 74 proper after the restart then ran away to a 17.097s victory over Fraga, Gar Robinson and Josh Burdon.
“This one was massive as a result of we additionally gained the Endurance Cup, which is my first IMSA season championship,” mentioned Thomas. “I used to be born in Atlanta, so coming house to Atlanta and successful Street Atlanta means loads to me. I believe that the visitors right here for a Bronze is brutal, and it’s like a giant puzzle. To me, it’s essentially the most enjoyable race of the yr due to the visitors.”
Jensen operating away eliminated any hope of the Riley crew of Fraga and Robinson to assert the championship of their rookie yr in LMP2. That as an alternative fell to Nick Boulle and Tom Dillman for Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports. It additionally gave Boulle the Jim Trueman Award.
After being two laps down, Period Motorsports hauled its means again into the combat because it usually does for a third-place end for the No. 18 and drivers Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel and Connor Zilisch.
