Club Arnage the Le Mans 24 hours LIVE coverage

Live Updates
Saturday 17:00hrs-18.hrs
By: Jock Simpson and Mathew Coutard

17:00-18:00 hrs

17:01 #2 Audi in, they were not expecting it, they changed tyres.
17:05 #17 ..#70 ..# 74 #3 # 14 all routine pit stops.

17:07 Oh boy is #57 having a tough time or what … he is still heroically struggling to get the wreckage home and .. HE HAS MADE IT BACK TO THE PITS …but the car is so badly damaged that it is aground again outside its pit. His crew will have a busy hour or so polishing this one out! We wish them luck

#9 Dome still in pits.

17:08 #55 in the pits

17:10 #15 Viper Team Oreca Dalmas in pits

MG #33 running 8th. OK so our hopes for MG leading on the hour were dashed by weather and safety car. But we did get Bentley instead.

#5 Cadillac in for a Stop Go penalty, a prize awarded for overtaking while under the safety car

Panos now leads … ahead of Bentley

#18 Pescarolo Peugeot back out after repairs.

17:14 #16 Chrysler in pits

The MG #33, with Blundell at the wheel is 5 secs a lap quicker than anybody else at the moment .. they are on slicks and flying

#7 Bentley may be running a little slower. Maybe the tyres have finally gone off.

MG #33 is running 4th on the track.

#76 PK Sport routine pit stop .. They were leading GT .. and not looking unduly stressed either .

#64 Corvette pits and onto Slicks.

17:24 MG #33 is closing on the Bentley and looking good for 3rd … the #34 car is also flying.

17:24 #1 Audi pits … was in six laps ago, so not strictly routine, even so just a top up for fuel and a change tyres from intermediates to slicks.

This has let the Panos #11 into the lead.

MG's #33 & #34 running together in the evening sun .. What a great sight .. wonderful PR for MG.. congratulations for engineering it Hugh!

Now 1.3 secs between leader and second place.

17:28 #63 Corvette leader GTs in the pits, routine.

17:28 #7 Bentley overtakes Panos #11

17:30 Pilbeam #35 officially retires. Not a huge surprise it was trashed in the rain accident.

MG #34 is in .. coming in, Hugh Chamberlain reckons it is a bit early, fuel and tyres. Time lost with Armco brush and puncture. Maybe electronic problems, the dials say problems .. Hugh says no there isn't!

17:31 A Loose wheel heading for Arnage .. it used to belong to Panoz #12.. it should be bolted to the front left corner!

Panoz #12 into garage .. they lost a wheel in practice as well (and Jarama we hear) . Pit work on Panoz looks more serious

MG #33 running 4th. Still one of the fastest cars on the track.

17:38 Nice scrap between Bentley #7 and Audi #1 and ….. Audi is back in front, nice overtake manoeuvre that! We think #7 could still be on intermediates so he is doing rather well.

17:40 MG #34 back into pit garage

17:40 #19 & #11 pit
Slicks on #11and back out. Routine

#8 Bentley in …routine stop .. slick tyres and fuel

#34 MG broken exhaust.. Anthony Reid had great start .. settled into race pace and then the rains came down, backed off, cars everywhere .. suddenly the car snapped away and went on grass and touched rear wing. New wing.. in and out for various tyres .. then the bodywork came loose, screw dropped out! Now they have cracked exhaust..

#33 MG in…routine was running third. But we see from TV it has been through gravel with some enthusiasm …so they are checking body

17:45 #62 RML Saleen in routine

#60 Saleen in pits routine

17:48 #56 Paul Belmondo Viper in pits

#33 Bailey stalls, restarts and gets back out. Pit crew remember not to rush and help and risk exclusion.

17:50 #11 Panoz pits again, far from routine .. it is going very slowly with a wobbly front left wheel and then it fell off .. Again! It rolled across the track and luckily the wheel missed everybody .

17:52 #5 Cadillac in pits routine .. was running 14th

Team have brought in #12 unscheduled for attention to bodywork

#17 Peugeot in pits routine.

#7 Bentley in electronics looked at and maybe changes made

#71 Porsche over cooked bend and attacked wall fairly gently, rejoined.

#21 needs a new bonnet ..so they fitted one with wrong number .. whoops … try again, they now have the correct one in place.. but it is a long stop.

#18 (routine) in

Audi #3 in routine stop.

18:00 hrs #56 Belmondo car in.. this doesn't look routine , it is pushed into garage.

#70 Callaway Corvette in.

Positions at 18:00 hrs.

1.2.7.3.16.15.8.14.36.17.10.38,6.33.20.5.32.21.55.64.62.63.4.11

.70.77.74.76.79.83.82.75.80.71.72.60.12.19.9.34.56.18.30.58.37.61.57