Mishap Scrambles IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Field At Laguna Seca

Mishap Scrambles IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Field At Laguna Seca
Words By: Brandon J. O'Brien
Images By: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images unless otherwise specified

Within seconds of the Green Flag dropping at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship the No. 99 JDC-Miller Motorsports ORECA LMP2 being driven by Misha Goikhberg, in an attempt to get past slower cars, made contact with the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi  driven by Joao Barbosa sending cars scattering all over the front straight.

Dirk Mueller in the No. 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT clipped the Cadillac tearing off his right front suspension.  The Cadillac was then T-boned by the No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR driven by Nick Tandy.

Although damage to many of the cars forced an early retirement, and for some in the GTLM class, Championship hopes dashed there were no injuries.

Championship hopes dashed!  The battered No. 66 Ford Chip Ganassi Ford GT after the opening lap incident.Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

Starting the No. 22 Tequila Patron ESM Nissan DPi Johannes van Overbeek at the back of the Prototype field managed to avoid hitting the airborne No. 66 Ford GT and it's bouncing right front tire.   He pitted to turn the car over to Pipo Derani 22 minutes into the race.

After a restart following the third full-course caution 46 minutes into the race Derani spun in Turn 2.  Derani then worked his way forward moving into the top five and stayed there for most of the remainder of the race.

The race winning No. 22 Tequila Patron ESM Nissan DPi exiting the Corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

He was running second when race leader Harry Tincknell spun the No. 55 Mazda Team Joest Mazda RT24-P DPi while attempting to pass a slower car.  Derani inherited the lead and was not challenged for the rest of the race.  He won by 10.9 seconds over Colin Braun in the No. 54 CORE autosport ORECA LMP2 car.  Followed in third by the No. 6 Acura Team Penske Acura ARX-05 DPi co-driven by Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Jubilant winning drivers Pipo Derani (L) and Johannes van Overbeek (R) along with their team after their win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca . Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

The second place No. 54 CORE autosport ORECA LMP2 co-driven by Jonathan Bennett and Colin Braun.  Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

The third place Acura Team Penske Acura ARX-05 DPi co-driven by Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya exiting Turn 11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

In GT LeMans (GTLM) Conner De Phillippi and Alexander Sims co-drove to their second consecutive victory in the No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE.  De Phillippi was able to conserve his fuel over the final hour of the race taking over the lead when the sister BMW driven by John Edwards was forced to make a dash into the pits for a splash of fuel.  Laurens Vanthoor finished 2.488 seconds back in the No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR followed by the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R co-driven by Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen.

The GTLM winning No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE driven by Alexander Sims and Conner De Phillippi braking for Turn 6 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

GTLM second place No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR co-driven by Laurens Vanthoor and Earl Bamber in the corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

Third place for GTM went to the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R co-driven by Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen.Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

For the GT Daytona (GTD) class Alvaro Parente took the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX-GT3 from fourth to the lead in the final 10 minutes of the race.  He was followed by the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R co-driven by Patrick Lindsey and Jorg Bergmeister.

First place in the GT Daytona class went to the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX-GT3 driven by Katherine Legge and Alvaro Parente.  Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

Second place went to the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by Patrick Lindsey and Jorg Bergmeister exiting the corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

GT Daytona No. 33 Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen seen here leading the No. 63 Ferrari 488 GT3 into the corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images (2018)

The final podium spot went to the No. 33 Mercedes-AMG Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 driven by Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen.




TAGS: Acura ARX-05 DPi, Acura NSX-GT3, Acura Team Penske, Brandon O'Brien, BMW, BMW M8 GTE, Chip Ganassi Racing, Continental Monterey Grand Prix, CORE autosport, Corvette C7.R, Corvette Racing, Ford GT, GTD, GTLM, IMSA, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Mercedes-AMG GT3, Mercedes-AMG Team Riley, Meyer Shank Racing, Motor Driven Images, Nissan DPi, ORECA LMP2, Park Place Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3-R, Porsche 911 RSR, Prototype, Tequila Patron ESM