Excuse my obsession with the weather and ambient temperatures but it is still very hot ..rumour has it that been as high as 31C today and it won’t really start cooling down until 22:30-23:00 hrs.

 20:10 hrs. We are having another one of those Audi.v.Panoz chases, the #8 Audi has overtaken the #11 Panoz. This puts the Audis back into the three leading spots and back on their game plan..

 In much the same way the Oreca Viper project is looking good once again with their cars are lying

1st, 2nd & 3rd in Class. #8 Audi is on a bit of a charge .. It is doing 3:38.184secs (the fastest lap of the race to date.. he is enjoying himself and running on the smell of petrol .. he should pit soon !) as opposed to the race leader who is doing 3:38.485secs.

 20:17 hrs Audi 8 comes in , no driver change, refuel … and no new tyres. The Michelins are shaping up well.

 In GT the #83 Dick Barbour Porsche GT3R is well in control of the category at present running 23rd, the next GT is way back at 28th. Despite the Porsche factory having no official presence here this year, quite a few recognisable faces from Weissach are in the vicinity ! They have just put in their fastest lap of the race.

 20:20 hrs.. The pit garage door on the Debora pit finally comes down, this is the official and traditional way of telling the world it all over.

 20:21 hrs Our first ‘Stop Go penalty for Cadillac #2.. this may because Max Angelelli was speeding in the pit lane or some other relatively minor crime.

 #20 Tom Coronel has been disqualified. This is down to a tough decision by the organisers.. Apparently within the regulations it is illegal for the driver to move further than 50 metres from the car in an emergency .. so Tom tramping off into the wilds to recover the wheel that fell off .. seems a bit harsh to us .. but rules are rules.

 Corvette #63 pits, schedule stop, fuel and tyres no driver change,

 #64 spins at The Dunlop Chicane, no problem it rejoins.

 #33 ROC Reynard VW is spending a lengthy sojourn in the pits and doesn’t look well with engine problems.

 #11 Panoz is due in and Mario Andretti will take over. This is first time we have seen him behind the wheel. The driver change was not too slick because they need to change the seat belts and so on.

 20:35 hrs #1 Cadillac has a rear puncture , the tyre has wrapped itself off the rim. It was doing about 190 mph and it is right out at Mulsanne. It has taken some bodywork and rear wing with it as well.. They have taken the chance of a driver change, Legource out. And Wallace waits to get in. It was running 8th at the time.

20:37hrs #9 Audi into the pits, no driver change Ortelli stays in the car.

 #36 WR LMP Peugeot leads LMP365 running 29th, the next LMP675 is 33rd.

 #73 Porsche GT3R is running second … this was the car that Yogo put on its roof the other night!

 quite a come back.

 #33 Reynard is back in the race, lots of laps behind it is out there again.

 POSITIONS AT 21:00 HRS
9.7.8.11.21.12.3.15..24.16.22.17.23.
52.51.6353.64.57.32.2.1.83.56.59.73.
60.36.81.76.72.79.75.80.54.82.34.10,
33.6.20.35
40 cars still running

 The leading Audi is going rapidly at the moment and has opening up a lead of 52 .442 seconds.

 In GTS #63 ‘Vette is now running third ahead in class of the #53 Viper.

 #8 same tyres, same driver, all pretty slick.

 21:10 hrs #3 pits routine stop

 #72 looking a bit battered around the front end after a close encounter

 21:15hrs #6 Reynard back out after around 40 minutes replacing a water pump..

 We maligned the #75 Rookie Porsche over the last few days but it is now running 33rd out of 40.

 21:35hrs At last ..after a long stop #1 is out of its garage and rejoins in 30th with Andy Wallace driving.

 ‘Vette #63 looks a bit battered and scruffy but they seem happy and it rejoins after a routine stop for fuel and tyres.

 Porsche GT3R #80 has a badly cracked windscreen which will be a pain as it gets dark.

 #9 (race leader) Audi pits, driver change Ortelli out and Aiello in.

 #7 Audi in pits routine, all went like clockwork.

 21:30hrs The #17 Courage C60 Judd and the #73 Porsche GT3R had a ‘coming together’ . The clash was all a bit silly, the Courage seemed to cut in on the 2nd in GT Class Porsche.

 Andretti is now in Panoz #11and bouncing off the curbs but still a bit off the pace doing 3:51.344 secs as opposed to Brabham’s 3:40.868 secs

 In GT Dick Barbour #83 Porsche GT3R is cruising round seven seconds quicker than the #73 Porsche (which had that contretemps with #17 Courage)

 #64 ‘Vette pits routine stop, driver change

 #9 Audi is catching up with the leading car that, without Ortelli at the wheel, has slowed down a bit. All the same they are all vastly quicker than the opposition all the same !

 21:45hrs #6 Reynard 2KQ Mopar stopped at exit of Arnage and is being pushed out of the way but lo and behold it is up and running again but slowly and made it back to the pits and straight into the garage ….

 21:55hrs Lead Viper #52 in the pits, driver change, tyre change. All routine stuff.

 #3 Cadillac pits and it looked as if one of the rear wheels was reluctant to come off .. a problem they experienced at Daytona.

 On the dot of 21:00 hrs the #21Loal B2K/10 Judd has stopped and it won’t budge which looks as if the transmission has locked up.

 RACE ORDER AT 22:00 hrs..
9’7’8’11.12.3.21.24.15.12.16.23.17.51.
52.53.63.2.64.57.32.83.56.59.60.73.81.
76.79.36.54.1.75.80.34.82.72.6.10.35.
40 cars rumoured to be running