24:00hrs-02:00hrs
Just a quick note regarding the official ‘casualty list’ is as follows :-
16:45 hrs #4 Cadillac Northstar LMP - Caught fire
17:10 hrs #5 Reynard 2KQ Mopar - Low oil pressure
21:00 hrs #20 Lola B2K/10 Ford - ‘Abandoned’
19:18 hrs #30 Debora LMP BMW - ‘Engine’
20:07 hrs #33 Reynard ROC VW - ‘Engine’
22:15 hrs #34 Reynard ROC VW - ‘Engine’
19:46 hrs #78 Porsche 911 GT3R Jean Luc Maury Laribiere – ‘Accident’
19:27 hrs #77 Porsche 911 GT3R Labre Competiton – ‘Accident’
18:54 hrs #71 Porsche 911 GT3R Michael Colucci – ‘Sortie Le Piste’
23:58 hrs #72 Porsche 911 GT3R – ‘Engine’
Back to the plot ..
12:10 #Audi in, tyres, fuel, drivers and away ..
12:15 ‘Vette #64 driver change, fuel, tyres
12:24hrs. We had imagined that the #10 Panoz was effectively out of the race, after all it is currently ‘only’ 79 laps behind the leading car, but it hasn’t been withdrawn .. now we hear that they are still working on the car and they plan to carry on at some point purely for fun and PR and to keep their sponsors amused.
#15 BMW clutch is now done and it is out racing. It took an hour to do the job, can your local BMW dealer do the same ?
#82 Porsche running 31st and they have had all sorts of trouble after
12:27 hrs #10 Panoz back in, front end off the car
12:30 hrs #51 pits, fuel,driver change, tyres .. routine stop.Dupuy at the wheel.
12:30 Audi #9 same tyres, just fuel and McNish driving and means business after their problems. No doubt tactics w
12:34 hrs #8 missed braking point, Frank Bieler driving, went straight on at one of the chicanes, not actually his fault it has a front right puncture, which means the left rear goes all peculiar as well.
12:36 #1 in and out , slow but routine stop.
#12 Panoz in currently lying 5th Johhny O’Connel gets in to replace Kato.
12:45 hrs #2 Cadillac, routine stop.
12:45 hrs Chamberlain Viper #56 is in the pit garage in all sorts of trouble. The exact problem is unclear.. but it isn’t looking promising, gearbox problems, smoke in cockpit, then all cockpit lights went out as well, so no instrument lighting … no information for the drivers. We suspect they are looking forward to dawn!
GTS has a Viper look about it ..#51,#52,#53
The three Audis are running together , but remember that #7 is one lap ahead at present.
12:57 hrs #9 Audi pits, driver change is this a routine stop ? McNish is in early and Ortelli is in now in the car. No it isn’t the rear engine cover is off and hectic work going on, under tray, or for the technical chaps out there ‘rear diffuser’, is being replaced.
In GT the #83 Dick Barbour car is running fine, the #73 is next in GT and #81
POSITIONS AT 01:15hrs.
7.8.9.11.12.3.22.16.24.23.17.51.
52.53.63.64.57.1.83.15.59.60.2.73.
81.56.76.80.75.82.21.54.79.6.36.32.35.10.
38 still running.
Sorry about a sudden loss of plot between 01:00-01:15 hrs … the computer crashed … we are now trying to get back on the pace
01:20 hrs #9 Back in again, something isn’t right .. maybe intercom .. we wonder if the car had a possible problem but the driver could tell the pits … wait and see !
#63 in for fuel
After the Audi #9 problems the #11 Panoz is now upto third .. this should well and truly fire up Ortelli.
#15 in the gravel but missed the tyre and anything sudden, but the car will stuffed full of gravel.
13:25 hrs Audi #8 in for pit and the mechanics are looking at the rear diffuser making sure all is well.
#15 back on the track throwing gravel all over the track, thanks mate !
13:25hrs #24.. A simply huge engine blow up on at the end of the pit lane, it was #24 maybe a turbo Stephan Johansson is carrying on bellowing smoke all round the track. It very spectacular but he will be making no friends at all.
13:30 hrs .It has now stopped enveloped in smoke and will take no further part in the proceedings.
13:32hrs #22 has a puncture and the tyre is off the rim, he is heading for the pits and on arrival he went straight into the pit garage.. the suspension is damaged.
#7 driver change Christian Abt takes over, fuel,new tyres. Those Michelin tyres have done three stints !
Having suggested that Ortelli could be on charge .. he isn’t! He is ever so slightly quicker than the #11 Panoz times, but no really closing the gap.
Chrysler are still in control of GTS holding the first three places.
The Dick Barbour Racing Porsche GT3R still leads GT by seven seconds from the #73 car. The Barbour car is and lying a very respectable 19th overall and ahead of some supposedly rather quicker machinery.
The timing went a bit chaotic for a while because when the Audi changed the undertray the timing transponder either wasn’t changed or wasn’t connected so the timing wasn’t working.
01:50hrs. We have spotted that Ortelli in the #9 Audi is now going three seconds a lap quicker than the #11 Panoz, this is more like what we had predicted earlier!
Do you remember we talked about this ‘see in the dark’ image intensifier system on the Cadillacs .. well we are getting images from the cameras at the moment and not wishing to be unduly critical they are at best unhelpful !
02:00 The #56 Viper is still wounded in the pit garage.
POSITIONS AT 02:00 hrs.
7.8.11.9.12.3.16.23.51.52.53.63.
17.64.57.22.1.83.15.2.59.60.73.
81.76.21.80.82.75.54.79.56.6.36.32.35.10
37 Cars are still running.