Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach - Live reporting from the VICI Racing pits

6:00 PM We're into the closing minutes and the yellow flags are waving. The race goes green again after 1 hour and 28 minutes, and with just 11 minutes remaining before the chequered flag will be waved; however Nathan, although he has been posting high 1:23 and low 1:24 laps, has found himself caught up in the frenetic battle for the GT2 class lead which involves a bumper-to-bumper scrap between the #71 Tafel Racing Ferrari and the #45 and #46 Flying Lizard Porsches. Nathan’s track position has been compromised but after just over 100 minutes of racing he takes the chequered flag in a solid and pleasing 8th position. Reaching the flag intact after a tough fortnight is a just reward for the team.

5:20 PM Everyone in the team is glued to the banks of monitors in our pits, one eye fixed firmly on the timing screens, the other on the live TV picture feed. Nathan is in the midst of the race action. "You can't help getting swept away by the race atmosphere and our progress on track," says Aspen, "we're all rooting for the car, it's going well."

5:15 PM Craig is discussing the tires he used during his stint with Jason. “Racing here at Long Beach in front of my home crowd and many of our sponsors was great," he has time to report. "The guys worked really hard to get us to the grid, VICI Racing is a thoroughly professional team and the car felt very good. The Kumho tires are moving forward and the race day atmosphere was amazing. Especially through Turns 9, 10 and 11, where the fans in the grandstands were on their feet the whole race long cheering away.”

5:05 PM On lap 9 Craig turns in a 1:23.813; on lap 10 a 1:23.153; on lap 11 a 1:23.066; and on lap 12 a 1:23.317. Maintaining this steady rhythm Craig reports that it is quite tough out on track, very hot and slippery, and with a lot of traffic to deal with. On lap 32, at 5:05 PM, after 49 minutes of the race, and with just one early, short caution period, Craig pulls in to change over to Nathan, who exits the pits with 4 new Kumho tires fitted.

4:30 PM Craig started the #5 VICI Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR when the green flag was waved at exactly 4:17 PM, and immediately moved up a place into 9th position. Demonstrating the car's good race pace he swiftly posted a sub-1:23 lap the second time around (1:22.691). This would prove to be his, and the car’s fastest race lap. Almost immediately (5 minutes) and the yellow flags were waved as the #11 Dodge Viper slowed to a stop on the main straight. After 12 minutes of the race the green flag was waved and action resumed. Craig was then able to settle into a strong pace, harrying the #21 Panoz Esperante in front, while maintaining a consistent sub 1:24 pace.
 

4:08 PM Craig, who qualified the #5 car yesterday will start the race. He's strapped in the gleaming white Porsche and is ready for the track action to get underway. We're just a few minutes away from the start now.

4:05 PM Just minutes remain to the start of the race and the excitement infects our crew on the grid. Everyone is swept up by the atmosphere here, without in any way compromising their determination; however these guys are true racers, they live for the drop of the green flag and the challenge of winning.

4:00 PM Long Beach is an evocative scene at the best of times and as the cars lined up a troupe of Brazilian dancers bring a real carnival feel to proceedings, the grandstands have filled out with excited fans, and the countdown to the green flag is earnestly underway.

3:50 PM The cloud cover has lifted as the afternoon wears on, and as race hour approaches the circuit is packed with expectant race fans. By the time the cars assemble on the grid shortly before 4 PM we have hit 68 degrees air temperature, and 94 degrees track temperature.

3:40 PM Award for 'happiest member of the team' must surely go to Daniel. He has a big, wide grin permanently fixed on his face. From Colombia, but now a Florida resident, he is responsible for the rear end of the #5 car and during the pit stops he changes the inside rear wheel. This is his first year in ALMS. Another seasoned professional on the team, Daniel has made the switch from the GrandAm series where he was involved with both DP and GT cars, and took part in all races on their calendar including the Rolex 24.

3:00 PM Motor racing isn't all 24-7 glamour and high adrenaline thrills. André has appropriated a rather well-used looking sewing machine and is busy stitching new regulation IMSA and ALMS patches onto the fire suits in the team truck ahead of their regulation use during the race this afternoon.

2:30 PM Another new partner with us this weekend is Black Flag Gear. P1 Groupe is proud to introduce a new breed of race clothing inspired by the razor sharp edge that drivers walk every day between heroic and insane. Black Flag Race Gear imagines a gritty take on a racers journey into the dark and dangerous unknown. Pilots, drivers, warriors, heroes! Join the Black Flag Army and show the world how to accelerate the human race.

1:30 PM We're halfway through the autograph session: Craig, Ruben, Nathan and Jaycelle are besieged by the race fans. This is a very popular race on the calendar and the paddock is getting really packed now. ALMS fans are very knowledgeable about their sport and they all want to know the low-down from the drivers. Craig and Nathan are 'local' stars, everyone seems to know them and come to say hello. Ruben is the new Brazilian kid on the block and fans want to get to know him and add his autograph to their collection. That said none of the drivers can touch Jaycelle in the popularity stakes...

1:10 PM The driver autograph session is underway. The weather is superb now, its getting pretty hot and now its sunny sunny, the clouds have dissipated over lunchtime to leave a clear blue sky. The race fans are streaming into the circuit in their masses and are crowding round our truck the paddock. The atmosphere is really building now, everyone is feeling it. A great afternoon of action looks to be in store.

11:00 AM The #5 car proudly bears the name of Marlena Mattfield this week. Marlena was a close family friend of Craig's who was tragically killed in August last year, while just twelve years old. Her mother Shelley competes in narrow sculls with Craig's wife Joy and the families have a long and deep bond. Shelley and her husband Ken are here at the track today, while Marlena's 14 year old sister Perry has a promising career ahead of her as a ballerina and actress; in fact she's just completing a pilot program for the Nickelodeon TV channel. "I have had her name on all the cars I have raced since her untimely death," says Craig, "she was such a lovely girl, so full of life and so much promise, and I its fitting that she there, racing with me now."

10:15 AM Westway Development is a privately-owned commercial real estate company that possesses over 25 years of industry experience, and they have joined us for the first time this season. Their team of real estate professionals has developed several million square feet of office and industrial properties. Motivated by its successes in the commercial sector, Westway Development is committed to providing the Federal Government and its contractor companies a blend of traditional office and build-to-suit real estate development solutions, regardless of complexity or degree of specialization.

10:05 AM Wempe has been an enthusiastic supporter of the team for many years, and any VICI Racing entered racing machine simply wouldn't be complete without the decals of this prestigious company. Established in 1878, Wempe is a family owned company that has been in business for over 125 years. Wempe is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany where Mrs. Kim-Eva Wempe took over the reigns from her father, Mr. Hellmut Wempe in 2003. She owns and operates 25 stores worldwide in 6 countries with global sales of over $300 million.  Opened in 1980, the New York Flagship Store —the only Wempe location in the U.S., is located on Fifth Avenue and 55th Street. The boutique is an elegant European style salon at the base of the Peninsula Hotel. Carrying 18 of the world’s finest watch brands along with its own line of exquisite jewelry, Wempe is known not only for its commitment to quality, but also for exceptional service.

10:00 AM The car is back in the paddock for final pre-race preparation. Our lead partner on the #5 car is Tornos, and they are on home turf here this weekend. Since the company’s foundation in 1880, Tornos has always specialized in high precision turning solutions. Selling a variety of machines that can include up to eight spindles, the Swiss born company has developed a growing specialty in providing solutions to the most complex and detailed spinning parts. From miniature bone screws to microscopic components in radio-controlled cars, Tornos machines provide solutions for a variety of industries requiring high precision.

7:55 AM Nathan is discussing the warm up session with Jason Myers, the Kumho Tire technician who is allocated to the #5 car, and providing feedback. The compounds are working pretty well here and the development program is stepping forward to everyone's satisfaction.

7:50 AM Long Beach is a truly evocative setting. Apart from its reputation as one of the world's most famous temporary street circuits, the backdrop is magnificent. The cramped pit lane is squeezed in between the track and a large lagoon which can be traversed via several small, humped foot bridges. As the cars scream round the track, a couple of ducks paddle on the calm water, oblivious to what is going on just yards away.

7:35 AM It been a very solid performance by Nathan as he got to grips with the very slippery, cold track and dealt with the heavy traffic; the team is satisfied with the session, and we can now prepare for the 100 minute race.

7:30 AM Nathan, who had experienced the temporary circuit last week while coaching celebrity drivers, follows this opening quick lap up with a 1:28.848 next time round, before wrapping up the short session with two sub-1:27 laps, a 1:26.490, followed by a 1:26.712. Plenty of TV time allows the crew to follow the #5 car on the monitors.

7:25 AM Nathan takes the #5 car out as the warm up session went to green flag at 7:15 AM, but a spinning Mazda prototype sees him dive back in the pits, and exiting as the track returns to green flag conditions after six and a half minutes. With another tour under his belt Nathan posts his first representative time after 10 minutes, a 1:29.648. He reports on the radio that the track is very green; and with the week’s hot sunshine being replaced this morning with an overcast sky and mid-50s temperatures, the track conditions had swung dramatically.

6:15 AM We're ready for the early morning action. It's still quite dark here, the crew have had breakfast and are now preparing to shift equipment to the very cramped pit lane.

5:50 AM It's race day at Long Beach and a 'long' day is in store for everyone. It's still dusky as the team make the short walk from the hotel to the track. It's an early start as the short 'warm up' session will take place from 7:00 to 7:15 AM. Before a day of activities with the race set to go to green flag conditions at 4:10 PM this afternoon.