Club Arnage the Le Mans 24 hours LIVE coverage

Live Updates
Saturday 22:00hrs-23:00hrs
By: Stella-Maria Thomas and Lynne Waite

Le Mans is still seriously waterlogged and cars are falling out with electrical problems as they fill up with water. It's not funny out there. However, despite the dreadful weather the Audis are dominant at present and the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 cars are running 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. Lap times are in the 5 minutes region instead of the more normal 3 minutes 40-50 seconds and there are waved yellows at Arnage while tyre barriers are rebuilt after being assaulted by various drivers including Marc Goossens who was lucky to get away without serious injuries.
No. 17 Pescarolo car is in for a stop. It's throwing it down.
Ian McKellar: "It's getting wetter and wetter and wetter. The circuit's mega but its one of the most scary things I've done in my life. The wipers aren't touching the screen. I think aquaplaning it's happening to everyone.
Bruno Lambert: "Is it wet? I didn't notice? Is it Britain? Is it Belgium? We have a very good set-up. If we could see where we were going we could get there pretty fast!"
The No. 12 Panoz has just been rolled out of the garage and rolled straight back in again.
The No. 20 Ascari is going very fast at the moment with Werner Lupberger at the wheel and the rain is now atrocious again. It seems likely that the Panoz isn't going out in this if they have electrical problems, as the water won't help. At present, the remaining Bentley (No. 8) is running strongly in 4th place with Butch Leitzinger at the helm, even though he is reportedly without radio contact with the pits.

The Bentley is followed by local boy Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 17 Courage. Interestingly, Herbert in the No. 3 Audi, is setting times that are significantly faster than the average, and he was the one who really didn't want to go out in the rain. The only car getting close is the No. 8 Bentley. Even Dindo Capello thinks it's crazy to be out in this which is pretty good coming from him. As night settles over La Sarthe they'd be better off racing in powerboats as the rain gets worse and the standing water builds up.
The No. 80 Larbre Porsche goes back out into the lake - sorry onto the track.
No. 38 has had a very long pit stop and now goes out into the rain, looking very reluctant.
The lead in the GTS class is now in the hands of Jordi Gene in the No. 38 Reynard.
The latest weather forecast is for a low of 7 degrees in the night, which is about as bad as it got at last years ALMS round at the Nürburgring in July.

The No. 10 Dome is being tortured horribly in the pit lane judging by the noises coming from it - reason turned out to be water in the electronics, which pursuaded the computer to keep pumping fuel into the engine. According the the mechanics, the car was "full of petrol" when it came in.. To add to its troubles, it couldn't get out again because the No. 38 car was in the way.

The No. 12 Panoz has just gone out again at last. They are having serious trouble here this year and they must be thoroughly fed up of the way this weekend has gone. It didn't get very far though and is now odd the road with poor David Brabham at the wheel. The No. 8 Bentley times are coming down now, apparently now it is no longer stuck in gear! The No. 32 Porsche has been in for some work too and the cars are out there trailing great rooster tails of spray. They look amazing but I wouldn't want to be out there.

The No. 9 Dome is in for a stop and is having fuel and oil added as is the No. 8 Bentley. Leitzinger is still in the car but it won't start - he's going down the pit straight trying to bump start it. After a couple of attempts he gets out again, but it sounded dreadful.
David came in after reporting vibrations. Nothing could be found and when he accelerated towards Tertre Rouge it just cut out. Brabham is out there trying to get it started again.
No. 82 Seikel Porsche is in.

The Ascari is going very quickly with Werner Lupberger still at the wheel.
John Wickham: "We've got a start function on the car and with the moisture it may not be functioning properly. We had to change the protocol on the gearbox but there wasn't a real problem, just a couple of little technical things. The car is running very well - we may go to three stints with the drivers as it's easier to drive in these conditions."
The No. 12 Panoz is now going again so Brabham is probably brining it back in.,
The No. 33 MG has Blundell in the car and the car is on the apron ready to go but they can't get it to tick over. It starts but then dies.
The 76 PK Sport Porsche is now back on the track after its adventures earlier at the Esses.
The times are dropping into the 4-minute level, which suggests it may actually be drying out at last. The rain certainly seemed to have stopped here on the main straight although having said that is has immediately started again.

Car No. 33 is still running for MG after the starter has been changed.
The No. 20 Ascari is in for a pit stop and has pulled into the garage.
The No. 58 car is also in its garage at the moment (the other car with a Club Arnage sticker on it).
Corvettes are running 1st and 2nd in class at the moment.
The No. 3 Audi is in for a stop and a driver change. Herbert gets out and Didier Theys gets in.
The No. 33 MG got so wet that the points have failed… says Hugh Chamberlain!
The Ascari is now up to 10th and the No. 3 Audi is having trouble too. They start it three times before it will keep running. And then he goes out with no lights on.
The WR car has a really nasty spin out there and goes round about three times before the driver can collect it together and get going again.

No. 64 Pilgrim Corvette comes in sounding rough (or at the very least water-logged).
The rooster tails are getting smaller and the track is drying at last although there are some very large areas of standing water lining the racing line - the spectators have put away their umbrellas and are still lining the track, totally absorbed in what is going on out there. The 64 car is being worked on but is now on its way back out.
The No. 3 Audi is going rather slow at the moment but may be OK.
One of the fastest guys out there now is Pedro Lamy.
The No. 3 Audi is running very slowly now and has apparently going
The No. 30 WR comes in looking very sorry around the back end while the No. 3 Audi has stopped at Arnage. He seems to be trying to restart it again but it won't have it. The lights have gone out on the car and it seems to be very sick.

The No. 36 is in now.
No. 16 comes in too.
The gear selection problem with cars is being caused by water getting into the systems. Rear wheels lock and the next thing you know, you're off.
The No. 15 Chrysler has just hit the barriers at Arnage but is continuing again.
The No. 3 Audi now has lights on but still won't start. The team think it has a gear selector problem.
The No. 70 Callaway is in for a stop.
No. 15 is in and being checked for damage with Yannick Dalmas in charge - maybe he's been pushing buttons again.

Christophe Tinseau No. 6 Cadillac comes in for a stop involving front and rear damage.
The No. 70 Callaway goes back out again. The No. 21 Ascari is full of gravel and is being emptied out at present. There is work on front, rear and side going on and it's all a bit messy, especially the lack of a rear aerofoil.
The Cadillac is being given new bodywork.
The MG is now lapping at about the same speed as Werner Lupberger, and Sebastien Bourdais.
The absence of the No. 3 Audi has promoted the remaining Bentley to 3rd overall.
No. 32 Lola Nissan and No. 63 Corvette are both in for pit stops.
The 64 Corvette is 2nd in GTS.
Michel Neugarten: "This is going very well even after the incredible rain. I think that it is very difficult to drive like that, it's not easy."
David Brabham has just lapped in 4:29.5 in the No. 12 Panoz. The MG of Blundell is also going very fast. Then the No. 11 car comes in for fuel for a normal stop. Klaus Graf is apparently going out to do a triple stint next time.
The No. 63 Corvette, leading GTS, reportedly has a broken exhaust and may fail before they can get back.

NO. 77 has been in.
The 62 RML Saleen with Johnny Mowlem driving is in and the 72 Porsche.
Oliver Gavin: "A little bit wet a little bit slippery and I can't see an awful lot We didn't have a radio and so I didn't know what was happening. Franz opened the door and said 'do you want to get out?' I thought I'd better. It's absolutely amazing that there hasn't been a huge crash. I was sideways on the Mulsanne about three times. There were some real particular points that were very bad. We've got water coming in through the roof. Water goes on you and goes on the screen and you can't see a thing."
Hugh Chamberlain: "No, it's not a worry. He's obviously got bored sitting in the garage. Now they're showing people just how fast they can be."

There's a Panoz going very slowly out there now. The No. 12 car is coming back in if it can get that far.
Mike Pickup (PK Sport Boss): "Mike was caught out when the intensity of the rain increased. He went across the kerbs and split the radiator. We stopped for about 38 minutes in the pits. We lost about 6 laps and we're happy."

Placings at 23:00:
1, Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP900), Frank Biela (D), Tom Kristensen (DK), Emmanuele Pirro (I)
2, Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP900), Laurent Aiello (F), Rinaldo Capello (I), Christian Pescatori (I)
8, Team Bentley (LMGTP), Andy Wallace (GB), Eric Van De Poele (B), Butch Leitzinger (USA)
17, Pescarolo Sport (LMP900), Sebastien Bourdais (F), Jean-Christophe Boullion (F), Laurent Redon (F)
16, Team Playstation (LMP900), Olivier Beretta (F), Karl Wendlinger (A), Pedro Lamy (P)
3, Champion Racing (LMP900), Johnny Herbert (GB), Ralf Kelleners (D), Didier Theys (B)
15, Viper Team Oreca (LMP900), Yannick Dalmas (F), Franck Montagny (F), Stephane Sarrazin (F)
20, Team Ascari (LMP900), Werner Lupberger (RSA), Ben Collins (GB), Harri Toivonen (SF)
14, Viper Team Oreca (LMP900), Ni Amorim (P), Seiji Ara (J), Masahiko Kondo (J)
63, Corvette Racing Gary Pratt (LMGTS), Ron Fellows (USA), Scott Pruett (USA), Johnny O'Connell (USA)
64, Corvette Racing Gary Pratt (LMGTS), Andy Pilgrim (USA), Franck Freon (F), Kelly Collins (USA)
83, Seikel Motorsport (LMGT), Gabrio Rosa (I), Fabio Babini (I), Luca Drudi (I)
6, DAMS (LMP900), Wayne Taylor (USA), Massimo Angelelli (I), Christophe Tinseau (F)
77, Freisinger Motorsport (LMGT), Gunnar Jeannette (USA), Romain Dumas (F), Philippe Haezebrouck (F)
75, Perspective Racing (LMGT), Thierry Perrier (F), Michel Neugarten (B), Nigel Smith (GB)
62, RML (LMGTS), Bruno Lambert (B), Ian McKellar (GB), Johnny Mowlem (GB)
60, Saleen (LMGTS), Franz Konrad (D), Oliver Gavin (GB), Terry Borcheller (USA)
70, Aspen Knolls (LMGT), Cort Wagner (USA), Bob Mazzuoccola (USA), Vic Rice (USA)
36, Dick Barbour (LMP675), Didier de Radigues (B), Sascha Maassen (D), Hideshi Matsuda (J)
80, Larbre Competition (LMGT), Patrice Goueslard (F), Jean Luc Chereau (F), Sebastien Dumez (F)
82, Seikel Motorsport (LMGT), Tony Burgess (CAN), Max Cohen-Olivar (MAR), Andrew Bagnall (NZ)
9, Racing For Holland (LMP900), Jan Lammers (NL), Val Hillebrand (NL), Donny Crevels (NL)
74, Warmup Luc Alphand Adventures (LMGT), Luc Alphand (F), Michel Ligonnet (F), Luis Marques (F)
33, MG Sport & Racing Ltd (LMP675), Mark Blundell (GB), Julian Bailey (GB), Kevin McGarrity (GB)
72, Team Taisan Advan (LMGT), Hideo Fukuyama (J), Atsushi Yogo (J), Kazuyuki Nishizawa (J)
76, PK Sport Ltd (LMGT), Mike Youles (GB), Stephen Day (GB), Dave Warnock (GB)
79, Noel del Bello (LMGT), Sylvain Noel (F), Georges Forgeois (USA), Jean Luc Maury Laribiere (F)
30, Welter Gerard (LMP675), Yojiro Terada (J), Jean-Rene De Fournoux (F), Stephane Daoudi (F)
10, Team Den Bla Avis (LMP900), John Nielsen (DK), Hiroki Katoh (J), Casper Elgaard (DK)
55, Paul Belmondo Racing (LMGTS), Vincent Vosse (B), Vanina Ickx (B), Carl Rosenblad (S)
21, Team Ascari (LMP900), Scott Maxwell (CAN), Klaas Zwart (NL), Xavier Pompidou (F)
11, Panoz Motor Sports (LMP900), Klaus Graf (D), Jamie Davis (GB), Gary Formato (RSA)
58, Larbre Competition (LMGTS), Christophe Bouchut (F), Jean-Philippe Belloc (F), Tiago Monteiro (P)
12, Panoz Motor Sports (LMP900), Jan Magnussen (DK), David Brabham (AUS), Franck Lagorce (F)
19, SMG (LMP900), Philippe Gache (F), Anthony Beltoise (F), Jerome Policand (F)
32, Roock-Knight Hawk Racing (LMP675), Claudia Hürtgen (D), Christopher Gleason (USA), Rick Fairbanks (USA)
56, Paul Belmondo Racing (LMGTS), Anthony Kumpen (B), Gregoire de Galzian (F), Jean-Claude Lagniez (F)
71, Racing Engineering (LMGT), Robin Donovan (GB), Chris MacAllister (USA), Terry Linger (USA)
18, Pescarolo Sport (LMP900), Didier Cottaz (F), Boris Derichebourg (F), Emmanuel Clerico (F)

Retirements:
7, Team Bentley (LMGTP), Martin Brundle (GB), Stephane Ortelli (F), Guy Smith (GB)
5, DAMS (LMP900), Eric Bernard (F), Emmanuel Collard (F), Marc Goossens (B)
38, Roc Auto (LMP675), Jordi Gene (E), Pascal Fabre (F), Jean-Denis Deletraz (CH)
34, MG Sport & Racing Ltd (LMP675), Anthony Reid (GB), Warren Hughes (GB), Johnny Kane (GB)
37, Dick Barbour (LMP675), John Graham (CAN), Milka Duno (VEN), David Murry (USA)
61, Konrad Motorsport (LMGTS), Walter Brun (CH), Toni Seiler (CH), Charles Slater (USA)
4, Johansson Motorsport (LMP900), Tom Coronel (NL), Stephan Johansson (S), Patrick Lemarie (F)
57, Equipe De France FFSA (LMGTS), Davide Terrien (F), Jonathan Cochet (F), Jean-Philippe Dayraut (F) - Crash damage
35, S+R Rowan Racing Ltd (LMP675), Martin O'Connell (GB), Warren Carway (IRL), Francois Migault (F) - Crash Damage