Live Updates - Race start

Saturday 16:00 - 17:00

By: Jock Simpson & Mathew Coutard

 

We are now well into the build up for the start. It as amazing just how many National Anthems we seem to know! Certain traditions remain intact … the Hawaiian Tropic Girls are back, I wonder when they (or their mothers!) first appeared at Le Mans? Maybe somebody out in "Ethernet Land" might know the answer

To add a bit of spice there are the 'Alternative Hawaiian Tropic' girls in the grandstand. We use the word 'girls' guardedly .. but from a distance they don't look quite right! (If you catch my drift!)

 

The cars are lined up draped in National Flags, the opening drivers are looking suitably cool but no doubt fretting about the weather and the very busy opening few laps, after all it would be a pity to stuff the car into the wall minutes after the start of a 24 hour race. The bands are marching, the sun is doing its best to shine, but the rain is not far off either. We are getting TV pictures of the track show that it is really quite moist in places, however there is strong wind (enough to do a bit of damage in the trade village) that could be drying out the puddles.

Rather surprisingly the grid appears to be filling up with horses … yup .. about six genuine horses, we are none to certain why and will try and find out.
In the meantime the Winners Trophy is travelling up the track towards the grid on the back of a stunning open top Bugatti.

We gather the horses are all to do with mounted French Police .. the good news is that is was a great PR stunt … the bad news is that the start finish line is ankle deep in horse sh*t !!

Here at www.club-arnage.com we are chuffed to announce that we have our stickers on the #10 Den Bla Avis Dome ( Den Bla Avis is a sort of Danish version of Exchange & Mart) and we also have stickers on the #71 Racing Engineering FAT Turbo car. The latter is running towards the back of the field .. OK… last! - By the way the 'anoraks' amongst you will be pleased to know that our Japanese chums said that Do-Me means a 'Child's Dream' … there you go, you are now much wiser.

The madness has begun even on the warming up lap!
#82 Seikel Porsche is in the gravel and in trouble, even if he gets back to the start. The #62 RML Saleen also spun but has rejoined.

#1Audi is in the pit garage nose off
#4 Audi engine covers off. no wheels, sitting in pits all looking a bit panicky. Changed bodywork front and rear.

By the way you will be pleased to hear that the piles of horse droppings have been
swept up. Imagine telling your sponsors and team bosses that you spun off on horse droppings!

Some teams are changing back onto slicks .. this is looking a bit tricky to call .. there is all sorts of weather lurking around to make life difficult, this could be a bit of a lottery. Frank Biela is looking agitated running up and down the grid ..

Martin Brundle tells us that about 70% 0f the track is dry. He and Guy Smith both admit that the Bentley has no wet testing to talk about.. maybe be a problem.

#70 Aspen Knolls Callaway Corvette didn't get out of the pits in time, a bit careless maybe, so will start the race from the pits .. or dead last as we call it! All that work to get GT pole gone to waste. Or maybe a way of saving a lap of fuel .. Cunning or what?

The Black and White chequered car number #9 Racing for Holland Dome has apparently filled all the squares on the bodywork with sponsors names

48 Cars will start the race.

15:52 hrs Cars leave on warming up lap behind the Cadillac STS Pace Car. #3 Audi seemed to have trouble getting started

The cars are at a standstill as they creep to start!
Pits for #18 Pescarolo Peugeot & #30 WR

16:00 hrs:- The 2001 24 Heures du Mans is underway, this is the 69th running of this fabulous race. The weather has cleared up and the sun is out!
Interesting that the #3 more trouble getting started…

It all happening !! This is a 24 Hour Race not a sprint .. why all the pushing and shoving

16:02 hrs #18 Peugeot is back out after tyre change.

#30 WR has engine problem, oil pressure.

16:10 hrs The Jan Lammers Dome #9 is keeping the Biela Audi #1 at bay for the moment allowing the race leader to #2 Aiello Audi to get away. (12 secs)

16:10:- #15 Viper Team Oreca went straight on at Mulsanne, through the gravel and rejoined.
Big lock up from Brundle… smoking tyres ..
16:12 raining at Porsche Curves & Indianapolis.. it is hurling it down… they are all on slicks … very dodgy

16:14 hrs #4 off and damaged and into gravel, not looking good, maybe able to get it home OK.

Callaway clock was not the same as Le Mans time, so they missed !!

16:15 #5 Cadillac off into gravel at Indianapolis

16:16 #7 Bentley in fuel.. tyres

#1 Audi in fuel

#3 Champion spun at Porsche Curves .. Five cars have spun at Porsche Curves and the track is blocked.. so far … #58 stuffed front end .. everybody in pits while safety car is out …

#58 into garage for rebuild!

16:18 SAFETY CAR OUT

Chaos …!!!

We reckon five cars were involved in the Porsche Curves accident and we are working on it.. So far we reckon #37 Dick Barbour Reynard, #61 Saleen front end stuffed big time and in pits …#57 not moving is in the Porsche Curves accident
#35 Pilbeam and #18

Dick Barbour #37 badly damaged and coming to pits #37 out of race.
… Pilbeam #35 may need a tow as in the Armco all at Porsche curves

#34 MG spun and hit barrier in the rain, new rear wing

#57 Back in race. But in a dreadful state, chunks missing, door missing, some wheels going round, not all …surely this won't recover.

#2 Audi problem in pits .. they have blocked pit garage with body work so we can't tell you what the problem is.. oil or water

#9 Dom leads the race … phew !!

#57 David Terrien is making a huge effort to get the car home but it is a hopeless task… it can't turn corners so staggered into the gravel .. driver out

16:33 hrs Rain in pit lane !!

#35 Pilbeam totally stuffed on the back of a lorry, going nowhere.

#2 Audi back out … no idea what the drama was.. playing it bit cagey these Audi chaps. We now hear it was rear left suspension problem.

#57 Is now on the end of a bit of string being towed out, then left to his own devices and went back into gravel on the other side! I think it has finally expired!

#34 in pits … looks a bit more serious, info to follow.

#7 Bentley now leads .. 1st time since 1930 ..

#4 Audi back out

16:44 SAFETY CAR IN we are racing again.

#9 back in the pits

27 minutes under the safety car.
#7 Bentley now leads .. 1st time since 1930 ..

#4 Audi back out

BENTLEY LEAD LE MANS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1930

#57 is getting 'advice' from team mates on how to get this wreck home to the pits. Now it is smoking !

16:47 The leading Saleen #60 has a rear left puncture and heading for pits.

#9 Problems with rear spoiler. Changing aerofoil proving tricky.

16:51 #11 overtakes #1 and moves into 2nd place and they touched I think
… #7 Bentley still leads.

#8 Bentley into pits… probably tyres and fuel onto slicks routine

16:54 # 60 Saleen back out after puncture repair.

Bentley #7 is looking for a wet line to save his wets … it is due for a routine stop soon so they will stay out there probably.

16:58 John Nielsen in the #10 Dome is the fastest car on the track at present

#9 Dome is still in the pits trouble with undertray as well now.

16:49 #11 routine fuel and tyres

Audi #1 pits fuel and tyres now intermediates

Both drivers are double stinting

After One Hour :-

7.11.1.10.17.16.15.6.2.3.14.12.5.36.63.62.55.32.38.33.64.8.20.76.21.77.74.83.82.79.
70.75.80.71.72.60.34.4.9.19.56.58.37.61.57.35.30.

 

Copyright© 2001 Club Arnage
Return to 2001 index page