Porsche wins 24-hour race
Veteran German driver Timo Bernhard led Porsche to a dramatic third consecutive win at the 24 Hours Le Mans race Sunday in France to prevent a huge upset win for the lesser category Oreca team.
After a series of mishaps to prerace favorites Porsche and Toyota, the LMP2 category Oreca suddenly found itself in the lead with Frenchman Thomas Laurent, 19, behind the wheel three hours from the end of the grueling endurance race.
But Bernhard, 36, racing in the faster and more powerful LMP1 category Porsche 919 Hybrid, overtook the Oreca with about 1 hour remaining.
As the Porsche No. 2 crossed the finish line, there were scenes of relief in the Porsche garage as team members danced around holding up T-shirts with “Hat trick 2015, 2016, 2017” written on them.
“Well done everybody,” an exhausted Bernhard said over team radio. “You’re the best.”
Teammate Brendon Hartley, who had done much of the hard work to drag Porsche back into the race, was in tears.
“It was unreal. This race is always a roller coaster,” said Hartley, who won it for the first time. “It was an incredible team effort. I’m going to remember this forever.”
Hartley and fellow New Zealander Earl Bamber rushed over to jump on the No. 2 car as the co-drivers celebrated wildly. Bamber also won in 2015 alongside F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg.
Bernhard finished about one minute ahead of the Jackie Chan DC Racing team car, owned by the famed action movie star.
Other race
Thunder Valley Nationals: Clay Millican raced to his first career Top Fuel victory, beating Leah Pritchett in the NHRA final in Bristol, Tenn.
Millican, of Tennessee, had a 3.825-second pass at 316.38 mph in the final. He won in his 254th Top Fuel start and ninth final-round appearance.
“There were times I ever wondered if this was going to happen,” Millican said. “I don’t deserve the credit. I’m really happy for David Grubnic and all of the boys who work on this car and I mean that one-hundred percent.”
Ron Capps won in Funny Car, and Alex Laughin in Pro Stock. Capps raced to his fifth victory of the season and 55th of his career.