Montoya Out Front With Two Hours to Go

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Juan Pablo Montoya leads from Filipe Albuquerque and Pipo Derani with two hours to go in Motul Petit Le Mans in the second-to-final points-paying segment of the Michelin Endurance Cup.

The No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05 holds a narrow lead over the two DPi title contenders following the restart from the race’s tenth full course caution for debris from an off-course excursion by Connor De Phillippi.

De Phillippi ended up driving through three Michelin advertising signs on the outside grass on the pit straight, with the No. 25 Team RLL BMW M8 GTE retiring due to overheating issues.

A daring pass by Albuquerque on Derani for second put the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura DPi provisionally back in the championship lead with just moments prior to the eight-hour mark.

WTR has provisionally clinched the DPi Endurance Cup title with its second place position in the segment. 

Drama struck the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R under the recent yellow as Scott Dixon went one lap down due to a loose right-rear brake rotor.

LMP2 is being led by the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07 Gibson of Mikkel Jensen, in a class that sees the top-three cars all on the lead lap.

Jensen is ahead of the No. 11 WIN Autosport entry of Thomas Merrill and James French’s Tower Motorsport Oreca, which sits third.

Felipe Fraga paces LMP3 in the No. 74 Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320 Nissan, meanwhile.

The No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R of Nick Tandy leads GT Le Mans after emerging as the class leader following the latest round of pit stops.

Both WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19s, in the hands of Mathieu Jaminet and Kevin Estre, are close in pursuit.

GT Daytona is being led by the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R of Trent Hindman ahead of points leader Laurens Vanthoor in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John