Club Arnage the Le Mans 24 hours LIVE coverage

Live Updates
Sunday 04:00hrs-05:00hrs
By: Stella Maria Thomas and Lynne Waite

To start with, a quick quote. It will be no great surprise to anyone who knows him, but Warren Hughes was pretty philosophical about the retirement of the No. 34 MG while he was at the wheel. "Poor old Johnny (Kane) didn't even get a go. I was enjoying it and I was going to come in for a pit stop and then do another stint. At least I got a go in it. Anyway, next year!"
At the half way mark of this race we are down to half the cars in all categories except for the GTs. Of the 20 LMP900s that started, there are only 9 left, and there are 28 cars out of 48 still out there. The GTs seem to be very much the more reliable category with only two retirements so far. It's cold out there and very, very dark but the track is drying at long last and most of the recent tyre changes have been to slicks rather than wets or intermediates. As the last hour or so will have made very clear, this is fine so long as you keep on the racing line and don't stray onto the damp patches.
The times are coming down which would back up the drying track theory. The No. 17 Pescarolo Courage is about to go back out again after having gravel removed. There are still people in the grandstand opposite and the Audis are still leading this race despite spins from Kristensen and Capello. Meanwhile the Bentley is still in 3rd and the first of the LMP675s is in 4th, the No. 48 ROC Auto Reynard.
The Larbre competition No. 58 car is also in the pits. The No. 14 Chrysler has just come in and been pulled into the garage yet again, where it is having bits of bodywork removed. The No. 58 Viper goes back out though it is quite a long way down the order.
The No. 60 Saleen is now in as well for a routine stop and is back out again very quickly. It is currently running 3rd in class and 10th overall.
The Cadillac is back running very strongly too and has moved into 4th overall although this is not an improvement in class.
No. 16 stops again. This is another car that seems to be pitting rather a lot. They change drivers as well as refuelling. They are fitting slicks to it and Pedro Lamy is going back out in place of Karl Wendlinger.
The No. 79 Noel Del Bello Porsche is in for another stop, which looks pretty routine. In the No. 1 Audi, Kristensen is now running below four minutes a lap, the first driver to get down there.
The 83 GT Porsche of Seikel Motorsport has gone off the track while leading its class. The marshals finally get it out of the gravel and it limps in to the pits for a brief stop.
And No. 1 comes in for a pit stop. Pirro takes over from Kristensen and they put on intermediates. They are taking no chances in these odd conditions. The No. 62 RML Saleen is expected soon and Johnny Mowlem is waiting to go back out for a stint or two.
No. 14 is in and being pulled into position by the mechanics. No. 62 is in now and the changes are being made - the battery has failed and Johnny can't get the engine to start as a result. It simply will not fire up. Meanwhile the marshals are sweeping the pit lane entrance to get it free of kitty litter.
The No. 72 Porsche makes a stop, while there is a prototype in the gravel but we can't identify it - it's the No. 9 Dome with Val Hillebrand at the wheel. It is about to be dragged out with a tractor and is finally under way again.
The oil tank on the remaining MG has been fixed and Kevin McGarrity is sent back out in it. Hugh Chamberlain: "There was no sticky-backed plastic involved. We didn't cobble it together which is a bit of a worry. We cobbled the tank back together but then found a cracked housing which was very difficult to get to. It took a bit of time to get it done."
The No. 2 Audi has come back in for a routine stop. Capello goes back out as he's on a triple stint.
The Bentley is now the fastest car on the track in the hands of Eric van de Poele. He is 8 laps back though from the second placed car, and 9 back from the leader.
The Dome mechanics are now standing ready waiting for their car to return - it doesn't seem to be doing so. The Bentley team are also waiting for Eric to come back, which he duly does. They change drivers and Butch Leitzinger gets in. This is a routine stop otherwise although they put wets on. The car is so dirty it's hard to believe it was once British racing green.
The No. 77 Freisinger car comes in for a stop, goes back out and then has a spin.
The No. 33 MG comes back in again after a lap.
Tom Kristensen: "I have never been out in such difficult conditions. They put me out on intermediates and I knew they were cold and it was very, very, very difficult. The next stint, the intermediates were absolutely perfect apart from the spin at the Dunlop Chicane."
The No. 8 car makes a routine stop.
The lead GTS car, No. 63, comes in for a routine refuelling stop but they don't change tyres or drivers.
Eric van de Poele: "I have to say the car is really perfect. The only problem we have is that we have no radio. I cannot discus tyres until I come in, I cannot inform before coming in what tyres I want. The car is just running and running and we have to stay on the track as long as we can. I think it's 80% slicks but there are two places that are still damp. On slicks it should be alright."
The No. 6 Cadillac is in for refuelling but also no tyre change. They have trouble getting it fired up and the mechanics were taking off the rear bodywork when it caught so the driver had to wait while they fixed it back on.
There's a Porsche off at the Dunlop Chicane waiting to be towed out - it's the PK Sport car. Mike Youles: "I think it is our car. Mike's just been speaking to David (Warnock). I guess he went off because it's slippery out there. I think the strategy at the moment is to get to the finish."
The No. 77 Porsche is having a new rear wing fixed.
No. 33 is out - they've pulled the garage doors down to indicate that it's all over. Hugh Chamberlain: "It's all very sad. The engine was apparently running perfectly well apart from the oil leak but when it went out the temperature went clean off the clock. It went very, very well in the torrential downpour that we've had. If I can find a bar, I'm going to get a beer and then I'm going to get some sleep!"
No. 14 Viper Team Oreca is in for a stop, as is the No. 17 Peugeot. This is a routine stop but it won't restart without a fight.
The No. 9 Dome comes in yet again for a relatively quick pit stop.
The No. 60 comes in for a very quick pit stop and a driver change. The two leading Audis are lapping in the high 3.50s.
The No. 60 Saleen is off at the end of Terry Borcheller's first lap out of the pits at the start of his latest stint. He is being towed out by one of the tractors there and he is coming up the pit lane for a stop and a quick check.

No. 83 is in for a fresh set of rubber.

Placings at 05:00:
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)
6, DAMS (LMP900), Wayne Taylor (USA), Massimo Angelelli (I), Christophe Tinseau (F)
38, Roc Auto (LMP675), Jordi Gene (E), Pascal Fabre (F), Jean-Denis Deletraz (CH)
16, Team Playstation (LMP900), Olivier Beretta (F), Karl Wendlinger (A), Pedro Lamy (P)
63, Corvette Racing Gary Pratt (LMGTS), Ron Fellows (USA), Scott Pruett (USA), Johnny O'Connell (USA)
14, Viper Team Oreca (LMP900), Ni Amorim (P), Seiji Ara (J), Masahiko Kondo (J)
9, Racing For Holland (LMP900), Jan Lammers (NL), Val Hillebrand (NL), Donny Crevels (NL)
62, RML (LMGTS), Bruno Lambert (B), Ian McKellar (GB), Johnny Mowlem (GB)
60, Saleen (LMGTS), Franz Konrad (D), Oliver Gavin (GB), Terry Borcheller (USA)
17, Pescarolo Sport (LMP900), Sebastien Bourdais (F), Jean-Christophe Boullion (F), Laurent Redon (F)
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)
77, Freisinger Motorsport (LMGT), Gunnar Jeannette (USA), Romain Dumas (F), Philippe Haezebrouck (F)
74, Warmup Luc Alphand Adventures (LMGT), Luc Alphand (F), Michel Ligonnet (F), Luis Marques (F)
80, Larbre Competition (LMGT), Patrice Goueslard (F), Jean Luc Chereau (F), Sebastien Dumez (F)
75, Perspective Racing (LMGT), Thierry Perrier (F), Michel Neugarten (B), Nigel Smith (GB)
82, Seikel Motorsport (LMGT), Tony Burgess (CAN), Max Cohen-Olivar (MAR), Andrew Bagnall (NZ)
72, Team Taisan Advan (LMGT), Hideo Fukuyama (J), Atsushi Yogo (J), Kazuyuki Nishizawa (J)
79, Noel del Bello (LMGT), Sylvain Noel (F), Georges Forgeois (USA), Jean Luc Maury Laribiere (F)
20, Team Ascari (LMP900), Werner Lupberger (RSA), Ben Collins (GB), Harri Toivonen (SF)
76, PK Sport Ltd (LMGT), Mike Youles (GB), Stephen Day (GB), Dave Warnock (GB)
30, Welter Gerard (LMP675), Yojiro Terada (J), Jean-Rene De Fournoux (F), Stephane Daoudi (F)
58, Larbre Competition (LMGTS), Christophe Bouchut (F), Jean-Philippe Belloc (F), Tiago Monteiro (P)
21, Team Ascari (LMP900), Scott Maxwell (CAN), Klaas Zwart (NL), Xavier Pompidou (F)
18, Pescarolo Sport (LMP900), Didier Cottaz (F), Boris Derichebourg (F), Emmanuel Clerico (F)

Retirements:
33, MG Sport & Racing Ltd (LMP675), Mark Blundell (GB), Julian Bailey (GB), Kevin McGarrity (GB) - dead engine
15, Viper Team Oreca (LMP900), Yannick Dalmas (F), Franck Montagny (F), Stephane Sarrazin (F) - dead car (broken valve)
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) - barbequed.
32, Roock-Knight Hawk Racing (LMP675), Claudia Hürtgen (D), Christopher Gleason (USA), Rick Fairbanks (USA)
11, Panoz Motor Sports (LMP900), Klaus Graf (D), Jamie Davis (GB), Gary Formato (RSA) - accident damage
12, Panoz Motor Sports (LMP900), Jan Magnussen (DK), David Brabham (AUS), Franck Lagorce (F) - electrical problems
3, Champion Racing (LMP900), Johnny Herbert (GB), Ralf Kelleners (D), Didier Theys (B)
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)
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)
19, SMG (LMP900), Philippe Gache (F), Anthony Beltoise (F), Jerome Policand (F)
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)
4, Johansson Motorsport (LMP900), Tom Coronel (NL), Stephan Johansson (S), Patrick Lemarie (F)
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)
57, Equipe De France FFSA (LMGTS), Davide Terrien (F), Jonathan Cochet (F), Jean-Philippe Dayraut (F)
35, S+R Rowan Racing Ltd (LMP675), Martin O'Connell (GB), Warren Carway (IRL), Francois Migault (F)