I have a dream that one day in an IMSA race the entire DPi class will fall out and the overall winner will be an LMP2 or GTLM car. Last night my dream nearly came true. The DPi cars seem to have a way of making things difficult for themselves, whether it’s squeezing each other into barriers, penalties for excessive drive time, pit mistakes, or on track collisions, the top class always entertains.

The result was unlikely winner, the number 5 Mustang sampling DPi Cadillac driven by Sebastien BGourdais, Loic Duval, and Tristan Vautier. Bourdais drove the anchor leg and led the final hour and 10 minutes. The car finished the race with a broken rear wing to edge out the Mazda of Harry Tincknell.

It was an improbable win for a team that had struggled to find speed all weekend, but the car and the race came to them, with an assist from the rest of the class.

Notes

Porsche swept the GT categories with victories in GTLM and GTD. The GTLm win by the 79 resembled the follies of DPi, with a late collision of the BMW and Corvette allowing Matheiu Jaminet to grab the lead from what appeared to be a third place finish.

The GTLM winner Pfaff Motorsports benefitted from the expertise of Laurens Vanthoor, who piloted the Canadian team to the win.

A good run by Simon Pagenaud in the 48 DPi topped a difficult day for the team. Jimmie Johnson spun and made contact with another car in the foirst hour of the race. The team climbed back into contention later in the day, Pagenaud stayed in the cat 50 seconds too long, disqualifying the car, which was third on the track at the end. I don’t understand why IMSA allows a car to keep running after it is known that car will be disqualified.

Katherine Legge had a great run in the 88 Hardpoint car. She was in line for a podium until a penalty for contact dropped her to 5th in class. The team, co-driven by Christina Neilsen and Bia Figuerado, still had a good run in just their second outing.

I understand IMSA’s desire to have as many cars in a race as possible, but when GTLM cars are faster than LMP3’s, it’s a bit concerning.

I hope but I doubt that NBC is over their Jimmie Johnson love fest. I admire him that after his success in NASCAR that he is trying a completely different motorsports discipline, but NBC’s coverage of him is overkill. The nice thing about Indycar is that he will be in the car the entire race and unavailable for interviews during the races.

The final results from the IMSA website:

POS	ST POS	CAR NO	CLASS	CLASS POS	DRIVERS	TEAM/CAR/SPONSOR	NO LAPS	FASTEST LAP	STATUS
1	6	5		1	Loic DuvalSebastien BourdaisTristan Vautier	Mustang Sampling / JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi	349	01:46.679	Running
2	4	55		2	Oliver JarvisHarry TincknellJonathan Bomarito	Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi	349	01:46.841	Running
3	5	60		3	Olivier PlaJuanPablo MontoyaDane Cameron	Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian Acura DPi	349	01:46.641	Running
4	2	10		4	Alexander RossiRicky TaylorFilipe Albuquerque	Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Acura DPi	349	01:46.654	Running
5	3	01		5	Rengervander ZandeKevin MagnussenScott Dixon	Cadillac DPi	347	01:46.151	Running
6	9	52		1	Scott HuffakerBen KeatingMikkel Jensen	PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07	344	01:48.474	Running
7	10	18		2	Ryan DalzielDwight MerrimanKyle Tilley	Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07	344	01:48.944	Running
8	24	79		1	Matt CampbellCooper MacNeilMathieu Jaminet	WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR – 19	334	01:55.732	Running
9	22	25		2	ConnorDe PhillippiPhilipp EngBruno Spengler	BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE	333	01:55.727	Running
10	23	24		3	Augusto FarfusJohn EdwardsJesse Krohn	BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE	333	01:55.861	Running
11	20	3		4	Antonio GarciaJordan TaylorNicky Catsburg	Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R	333	01:55.642	Running
12	21	4		5	Tommy MilnerNick TandyAlexander Sims	Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R	330	01:57.236	Running
13	16	54		1	Colin BraunJonathan BennettGeorge Kurtz	Core Autosport Ligier JS P320	329	01:56.166	Running
14	17	91		2	Dylan MurryJeroen BleekemolenJim Cox	Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320	329	01:56.281	Running
15	15	74		3	Scott AndrewsGar RobinsonSpencer Pigot	Riley Motorsports Ligier JS P320	329	01:56.183	Running
16	14	7		4	Oliver AskewAustin McCuskerStevan McAleer	Forty7 Motorsports Duqueine D08	328	01:56.589	Running
17	18	33		5	Joao BarbosaYann ClairayLance Willsey	Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier JS P320	328	01:56.340	Running
18	36	9		1	Laurens VanthoorLars KernZacharie Robichon	Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R	320	02:00.835	Running
19	25	16		2	Patrick LongTrent HindmanJan Heylen	Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R	320	02:00.808	Running
20	32	23		3	Ross GunnIan JamesRomanDe Angelis	Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3	320	02:01.402	Running
21	35	44		4	Spencer PumpellyJohn PotterAndy Lally	Acura NSX GT3	320	02:01.923	Running
22	33	88		5	Katherine LeggeBia FigueiredoChristina Nielsen	Porsche 911 GT3R	320	02:01.484	Running
23	28	12		6	Zach VeachRobert MegennisFrankie Montecalvo	VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3	319	02:01.450	Running
24	27	14		7	Jack HawksworthKyle KirkwoodAaron Telitz	VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3	313	02:01.000	Running
25	29	96		8	Bill AuberlenRobby FoleyAidan Read	Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3	313	02:01.298	Running
26	31	75		9	Maro EngelMikael GrenierKenny Habul	SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3	304	02:01.125	Running
27	1	31		6	Felipe NasrMike ConwayPipo Derani	Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi	292	01:46.151	Running
28	7	48		7	Kamui KobayashiSimon PagenaudJimmie Johnson	Cadillac DPi	349	01:46.424	Running
29	34	99		10	Earl BamberTrenton EstepRob Ferriol	Porsche 911 GT3R	280	02:01.325	Running
30	12	8		3	Gabriel AubryTim BuretJohn Farano	ORECA LMP2 07	266	01:49.084	Running
31	19			6	Matthew BellRodrigo SalesNiklas Kruetten	WIN Autosport Duqueine D08	265	01:57.106	Running
32	30	1		11	Bryan SellersMadison SnowCorey Lewis	Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3	255	02:01.353	Running
33	13	38		7	Rasmus LindhDan GoldburgMateo LLarena	Performance Tech Motorsports Ligier JS P320	177	01:56.981	Running
34	26	28		12	Michaelde QuesadaBilly JohnsonDaniel Morad	Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3	91	02:01.960	Running
35	37	19		13	Tim ZimmermannStephen SimpsonFranck Perera	GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3	91	02:01.501	Running
36	8	11		4	Thomas MerrillSteven ThomasTristan Nunez	WIN Autosport ORECA LMP2 07	90	01:49.619	Running
37	11	22		5	Guy SmithJames McGuireWayne Boyd	ORECA LMP2 07	333	01:48.673	Running