Rolex 24, Hour 15: Porsche and BMW battle over podium places, Dalziel takes Era to the top in LMP2
BMW Team RLL's Raffaele Marciello immediately got on the gas and powered past Tom Blomqvist for second. The Swiss driver's time that high up the order wouldn't last though as the Briton fought back to reclaim the place a lap later.
Marciello then fell back and Laurens Vanthoor in the sister No. 7 Porsche snuck by for third.
The lead battle then came alive halfway through the hour, with Blomqvist utilising the traffic to his advantage in catching Jaminet. It was close on the banking multiple times between the two, but Jaminet successfully defended the place, allowing Vanthoor to catch up.
The Belgian then put in a spirited effort and made a daring move stick around the outside into Turn 1 to make it a 1-2 for Porsche again.
Meanwhile, in LMP2, it was all change up front when the green flags waved. Ryan Dalziel was on a mission for Era Motorsport and caught Malthe Jakobsen's Crowdstrike ORECA napping up the inside at Turn 1.
Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 8 Tower example later followed in Dalziel's footsteps, also finding a way by the Dane, then past the Scotsman for the lead.
There was a change at the top of the timing screens too in GTD, as Stevan McAleer went backwards in the No. 021 Triarsi 296 GT3. Casper Stevenson then briefly led for Heart of Racing before being tapped into a spin by Tom Sargent in the No. 120 Wright Porsche.
Sargent then pitted to hand over the car to Adam Adelson. AWA's Marvin Kirchhöfer inherited the lead as a pit cycle began at the turn of the hour.
Behind, Winward Racing's No. 57 Mercedes, which fell seven laps down after a throttle issue way back in the third hour, is now lurking. The AMG GT3 is back on the lead lap and now, remarkably, second with Philip Ellis. Don't count out the defending champions!
Daniel Morad in the No. 32 Korthoff Competition Mercedes sits third.
In GTD PRO AO Racing's 'Rexy' Porsche and the No. 4 Pratt Miller Corvette held station for the entire 60 minutes in first and second, but there was movement behind.
Fabien Schiller and Connor De Phillippi made progress, climbing to third and fourth for GetSpeed and Paul Miller respectively.
At Gradient Racing, work is ongoing on its Mustang GT3 after a long-standing clutch problem. The team has had to take the car behind the wall for attention.
Two cars were confirmed as retirements during the hour due to mechanical woes, the first being the Inception Ferrari, the second the Inter Europol ORECA. We count 13 retirements now with nine hours to go.
HOUR 15 STANDINGS
Story originally appeared on Racer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Car and Driver
35 minutes ago
- Car and Driver
2026 Ruf Tribute Is an Air-Cooled Homage to Past Porsche 911s
The 2026 Ruf Tribute features a completely new air-cooled flat-six engine engineered and built by the company. Paired solely with a seven-speed manual, the aluminum 3.6-liter dry-sump engine makes 543 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque. Ruf expects to build between 50 and 100 Tributes over the next five years, with each one priced at roughly $1.7 million. In celebration of the Porsche 911's 60th birthday, renowned 911-fiddler Ruf debuted the Tribute two years ago at The Quail during Monterey Car Week. But this model goes way beyond the car's visual throwback to the 964 generation of Porsche's iconic coupe. Although Ruf has plenty of experience upping the output of Porsche's flat-sixes, this time it went all-in with a completely new air-cooled flat-six engineered and built by Ruf, complete with a belt-driven fan in back that will look familiar to anyone who's popped the engine lid on an air-cooled 911. View Photos RUF This year at the Quail, the company showed off the production version of the 2026 Tribute, along with the first delivery of its safari-build Rodeo that it debuted last year. Impressively, the Tribute meets all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)—although, for low-volume automakers such as Ruf, virtual crash testing stands in for the real thing. It also recently passed emissions testing. Of course, emissions were one of the reasons Porsche cited in switching to water cooling for the 996 911 in the late 1990s. The first Tributes, which are hand-built in Germany, will be delivered in 2026. The aluminum 3.6-liter dry-sump engine makes 543 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque and embraces modernity with dual-overhead cams and variable valve timing and lift, but it sticks with three valves per cylinder. According to Alois Ruf, president of Ruf Automobile, the reason for having one exhaust valve is to ensure there's enough cylinder-head mass around the valves to dissipate heat. View Photos RUF A four-valve design with two exhaust valves risks overheating the narrow section between the valves. In addition to the typical engine info such as oil temperature, there's also a cylinder-head temperature readout in the digital gauge cluster. As for emissions, Ruf says the trick is in using variable valve timing on the intake side to retard timing under part load. Two spark plugs in each cylinder also help. If you're guessing that an all-new engine built for a handful of cars doesn't come cheap, you'd be right, as the Tribute starts at $1.7 million based on the current Euro-to-dollar exchange rate. Underpinning the Tribute is a carbon-fiber tub with front and rear aluminum subframes, control-arm suspension with pushrod adaptive dampers front and rear, forged 19-inch wheels, and carbon-ceramic brake rotors. The body panels are also entirely rendered in carbon fiber. The only transmission is a seven-speed manual. View Photos RUF Dimensionally, the Tribute also keeps it old school, with its 165.6-inch length, 71.6-inch width, 49.8-inch height, and 92.2-inch wheelbase far closer to the specs of a 964 than today's 911, which is more than a foot longer. Even better, Ruf's claimed curb weight of roughly 2800 pounds makes the Tribute lighter than a Carrera 2 we tested in 1990, despite more than double the power and almost 40 mph more speed at its top end (200 mph). They say you can never go back, but Ruf seemingly disagrees. And the company seems to be onto something. By 9:30 am at The Quail, two attendees had placed orders, joining the two-to-three-year wait time. Ruf says the company can build 30 cars per year—split amongst the Tribute, Rodeo, and SCR models—and expects to build between 50 and 100 Tributes over the next five years. Dave VanderWerp Director, Vehicle Testing Dave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver's vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
UFC 319: Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page odds, picks and predictions
In a 3-round middleweight bout on the main card, Jared Cannonier and Michael Page meet Saturday at UFC 319 at United Center in Chicago. The early prelims begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+ / Disney+), with the prelims starting at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN+ / Disney+), followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET (Pay-Per-View). Their bout is expected to start around 10:45 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC 319: Cannonier vs. Page odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Cannonier (18-8-0) | Page (23-3-0) Cannonier is looking to build upon a Round 4 KO/TKO victory over Gregory Rodrigues last time out in a fight night main event at the UFC Apex. This will be a rare fight for Cannonier, as it is just 3 rounds, after 6 consecutive main event fights from his title bout loss to Israel Adesanya in July 2022, until his win over Rodrigues in February. Cannonier has a lot of mileage on those legs lately, too, going to at least Round 4 in all 6 bouts, winning 3 times, with 4 fights going the distance. He has ended up going the distance in 6 of his past 9 bouts since Oct. 24, 2020, too. Speaking of going the distance, albeit in 3-round fights, Page enters with 3 straight fights at the UFC level going to a unanimous decision, including a win over Shara Magomedov last time out on Feb. 1. He is 2-1 since joining the company from Bellator. Neither of these fighters are spring chickens, with Cannonier 41 years old, and Page 38 years old. The Briton has a 1.5-inch reach advantage over Cannonier, while the American has a 4.60-to-2.53 significant strikes landed per minute advantage. Page is much more accurate on those strikes at 69.34%, while Cannonier checks in at 53.45% in his UFC career. The difference in takedown average is rather negligible. Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here. UFC 319: Cannonier vs. Page odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10 a.m. ET. UFC 319: Cannonier vs. Page picks and predictions Fight result (2-way line or moneyline) Facing Cannonier is a big step up in competition, but Page (-220) should be equal to the task. However, risking more than 2 times your potential return is a little on the pricey side as a standalone wager. If you were to toss Page into a multi-leg parlay with at least 4 or 5 ends, that would be perfectly acceptable, though. Anyway, if you want to bet the favorite straight up, consider the method of victory, too. Both of these fighters have had a penchant for going the distance and needing the judges to decide a winner, so PAGE ON POINTS (+100) at even-money is the best course of action for a singular wager. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Over/Under Yes (-225): Fight to go the distance? is way too expensive, costing you 2 1/4 times your potential return. There is no way to justify risking so much for so little. If you're looking for a little more action than just playing the method of victory mentioned above, consider CANNONIER TOTAL TAKEDOWNS - OVER 0.5 (+130). In fact, taking PAGE TOTAL TAKEDOWNS - OVER 0.5 (+500) is also a good play. Both of these fighters know how to wow the judges and score points, and they'll each be looking to get to the canvas for top time. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Eagles have found valuable versatility in a rookie drafted on Day 3
Eagles are finding versatility in a Day 3 rookie draftee, and that could pay huge dividends down the road. No two NFL Drafts are the same, but whether we realize that or not, the Philadelphia Eagles and every other organization enter them all with similar expectations. No franchise ever displays its mission or game plan audibly, but there are rules that we subconsciously expect each selection meeting to follow. Everything is a crap shoot. Remember that, and the process becomes less stressful (or more so). Most know that. Most know that many of the players selected won't cut the mustard. That's why the selection meeting is an annual event. Still, all 32 teams enter the draft with a plan. Everyone needs something, and they hope to satisfy most of their roster needs through another rookie class. A Day 3 rookie's flexibility may bring future dividends for the Eagles' defense In 2018's draft, the Eagles gambled on Josh Sweat in Round 4, ironically finding him in the same draft that landed Dallas Goedert, Avonte Maddox, and Jordan Mailata. Sweat worked out pretty well for the franchise. In his final act, he came oh so close to being the Super Bowl's MVP trophy this past February. Seven years later, there is hope that Philadelphia may have again struck fourth-round gold in the form of Mac McWilliams. It's too early to tell anything, but so far, he has been impressive, showing versatility that few knew he had outside of the Eagles organization. Throughout training camp, Vic Fangio and the defensive staff have experimented with Williams in the lineup. His five-foot-ten, 191-pound frame suggests he'd be best suited to be Avonte Maddox's replacement and play slot corner as a backup for Cooper DeJean. In various practices, he has been moved all over the lineup. He has played some slot corner, but he has also been worked out at safety and outside corner, seemingly giving Philadelphia all sorts of potential future options. No one should expect McWilliams to play the role of a Swiss-Army knife yet. Remember last offseason. Coach Fangio utilized a similar practice strategy with DeJean, only to tell us that he didn't want to overload the rookie early. Fast forward to the present. DeJean has played the safety role in base sets, and he is expected to continue his role as the starting slot corner, so what does that mean for the 2025 fourth-rounder? Philadelphia appears set at safety. Reed Blankenship and Sydney Brown seem to be the starters. Lewis Cine isn't going to work out, but the Eagles drafted an exciting rookie in Andrew Mukuba. The starting outside cornerback role is where questions remain, on one side anyway. Quinyon Mitchell takes over for Darius Slay. Kelee Ringo and Adoree' Jackson were supposed to battle for the other starting spot. The Eagles secretly hopes Ringo will win it. Neither guy has seized the opportunity. It's for that reason that Jakorian Bennett was added via trade. He immediately became part of the CB competition, but adversity came. He has endured a couple of rough practice outings as well. Most of the feedback on McWilliams has been positive. He seemingly knows where to be and what to do more often than not. He has played like a prospect who is wise beyond his years. But, McWilliams isn't capable of catapulting himself into the starting lineup and playing outside cornerback, is he? Well... Why can't he? There is one issue. He lacks size. It may be hard for him to compete physically against some of the larger No. 2 wide receivers the NFL has to offer. That's why Ringo must win this job. He has all of the physical tools. He has the speed to run with anyone. Oh, and by the way... He is another fourth-rounder, one entering the third year of a rookie deal he signed in 2023. Looking for a prediction? Ringo wins the job. Jackson plays the Isaiah Rodgers role. McWilliams gives the Eagles some current-day insurance and another chess piece for Fangio's defense that will eventually pay huge dividends for this organization moving forward.
