Sims Out Front at Six-Hour Mark at Spa

Photo: BMW Motorsport

Alexander Sims is out front as the Total 24 Hours reaches the six-hour mark and the first Blancpain GT points-paying portion of the race.

The No. 99 ROWE Racing BMW M6 GT3 capitalized on the race’s fourth Full Course Yellow, which turned into another safety car period, opting to pit Maxime Martin under the neutralization and retain the lead.

Once the field restarted halfway through the fifth hour, trouble struck the No. 28 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 LMS, when Rene Rast sustained a left-rear puncture and went wide at Les Combes, collecting the No. 114 Emil Frey Racing Jaguar G3 of Jonathan Hirschi.

Both cars limped back to the pits and to the garage, with the Audi losing three laps for repairs, which may be able to used for the mandatory five-minute technical pit stop required for all cars in the race.

The Audi was on a different pit strategy prior to the accident, having pitted prior to a FCY in the fifth hour for an accident by the No. 30 Team Parker Racing Bentley Continental GT3.

The No. 6 Audi Sport Team Phoenix entry of Christopher Mies runs second after six hours, with the No. 1 WRT Audi of Will Stevens in third.

Andrea Piccini’s No. 19 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3 and the No. 8 Bentley of Wolfgang Reip, which dropped back due to a driving limits penalty, completed the top-five overall.

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