First Qualifying Second Session.

Now we start getting a bit serious. This session started at 22:00 hrs and went on through to midnight. So not only is it still raining hard but it is now dark to add to the drivers ‘challenges’. As far as Team CA are concerned things have settled down into a routine of sorts. The ACO website is a hungry beast and needs regularly nourishment.

The weather made this session something of a lottery for the teams and some serious decisions needed to made since it is vital that a all the drivers complete at least three laps in the dark. Therefore some of the teams were working on the relatively simple project of keeping the cars out of the gravel traps long enough to get everybody ‘night qualified’.

It was so gloomy that darkness descended earlier and faster than usual. The weather did seem to ease up a bit (but I doubt the CA faithful out on the track would necessary subscribe to this view!) but then after about twenty minutes it started persisting down again. Memories of 2001 wafted back!
Montagny in the No.17 Pescarolo Sport didn’t seem to grasp that things were supposed to be a bit tricky out there and banged in a 4:17.295 secs, this was two seconds faster than he previous best and he took provisional pole. This clearly fired up McNish who went out and did a 4:17.189, unperturbed Montagny banged in a 4:14.447! Then the conditions caught out ‘Dindo’ Capello and like others before him spun off into the barriers at the Terte Rouge Esses. The Armco here appears to have ‘magnetic ‘qualities! The car was damaged so he abandoned it and had to walk home.

The Flying Pescarolos were on a bit of a charge… Collard in No.16 car took on the weather and set about dividing up the Audis. He took second and then finally, after 36 laps, he took pole with a 4:13.832. The No.17 Pescarolo eventually completed 43 laps.

So this left us with Audi No.7 third but ‘resting’ out on the track and No. 8 Audi in fourth. First blood to The Pescarolos they had done well.
During the first session the LM GT1 cars had been frightening the LM P1 cars and some wags reckoned that if it got really, really wet a LM GT1 `could win the race. The weather forecast put this firmly into the realms of fantasy. As this session progressed the powerful prototypes began to get a grip and the Astons slipped down the leader board. The GM factory Corvettes, pretty laid back and quietly confident as usual, decided not to bother. The team reckoned they had a set of perfectly good wet settings from previous outings here so let’s not risk stuffing the car into the scenery.. So they stayed nice and dry. In LM P2 few eye brows were raised as the No.20 Team Pierre Bruneau Pilbeam Judd took pole away from the fancied No.33 Intersport Racing Lola and the No.25 RML Lola AER.

LM GT2 didn’t produce much drama in this session and positions stayed much as they had been after the first outing..
As the session ended a cracking thunderstorm kicked in. There was serious concern in the CA camp .. would the fridge back at the ranch defrost the beer? Don’t worry the Smug B*stards club was safe and sound, no lights much so we drank Pernod instead … phew !

Jock Simpson