Club Arnage the Le Mans 24 hours LIVE coverage

Live Updates
Sunday 12:00hrs-13:00hrs
By: Jock Simpson and Mathew Coutard

The computer screens tell us that #18 Pescarolo car has been in the pits for a modest 15 hours and 52 minutes and they seem reluctant to admit that their 2001 Le Mans challenge could just be over! They might pop out of the woodwork approximately 5 minutes before the finish to claim the glory of at least finishing at Le Mans (rather than actually taking part!). The other one is the #21 Ascari, which has been out of action but 'unretired as it were, they have hanging about for 13 hours and four minutes! This is sometimes called the 'Garage Queen' phenomenon!!

Back in the real world the mechanical carnage has temporarily subsided and we still have our 22 'Official' cars running (twenty if you exclude the above)

Now we have suffered a classic example of wasted talent as far as us 'journos' are concerned .. just as I finished writing the above masterpiece we hear that they have both been disqualified!! So the previous paragraphs were a waste of energy (a scarce commodity at this point in time!)

12:00 hrs #77 pits and is back out …

Our job is made easier and harder at the same time … OK there are only twenty cars to talk about … but that means there is a lot less drama to get hysterical about..

12:06 #74 Porsche spins at Tertre Rouge and loses battle with the scenery.. having a bit of a struggle getting going again the backend is no longer in showroom condition and frankly throwing chunks of high speed body work at your fellow competitors is no way to win friends and he pits for some race tape to stick it all together again…

12:07 #76 PK Porsche (still tramping on!) in for routine service!

#72 Team Taisan Porsche slows with rear puncture, exhaust is hanging off, looks as if he hit something into the bargain, the rubber is flailing about taking body work with it .. might help if he slows up a bit if he wants anything manufactured in Germany surrounding him by the time he reaches the pits

20:15 #14 Oreca Chrysler is well on fire and the driver (Ara) has undone his belts and is trying to get out before his bum catches fire!

Most of the #72 car has staggered into the pits all

21:18 #6 Cadillac .. pits and starts and gets

#16 .. The non-inflammable version of the Chrysler that has just gone up in flames. The fuel etc done and dusted .. and out again.

Ara is now on the mobile phone and is ringing the team …" the car is on fire … how do I get home !" (In Japanese !)

#79 Porsche is back after five hours in the pits .. this time it was only fifty-eight minutes.

12:22 #74 Porsche is patched up after its bump and back out again.

12:26 #60 the sole surviving Saleen is smoking badly … this might end in tears as well.
#80 into pits and out again.

12:28 #60 & #75 routine stop .
#2 is coming in, no driver change totally routine.
#60 into garage for ..
#83 in and out

12:30 Audi #1 in a bit early .. They will now do the 'back end trick' with the transaxle etc. This is good to watch!

12:32 #63 & #17 in and out.
#63 has been on wet tyres for some reason .. now on slicks .. eh?

12:34 #82 comes in and out …

At last a brief
glimpse of the sun!

Audi #1 total time in pits … it took 6 minutes and the car now has a fresh back end. I wonder if my Audi garage could do that on an A3 Audi!! It still leads by over a lap

12:35 WR #30 in slow stop .. they took off engine cover off to adjust roll bars from wet to dry setting (probably means it will now rain like hell!)

12:38 #58 pits Labre Chrysler pits …

12:42 #76 pits PK Sport back out .. may have been unscheduled.

12:45 The two yellow Corvettes #63 and #64 are cruising around in convoy, offering a nice photo opportunity. Andy Pilgrim in #64 is probably going to catch the Saleen unless it gets out again soon.

12:47 #64 pits in and out

Kristensen tells us that #1Audi did need to change gearbox. It was not right in the wet .. especially third to fourth so he set out to gain some time to allow for the changes.

12:48 #8

12:49 #17 & # 16 squabbling and bumped each other at Ford Chicane! Both survive.

12:53 #38 in pits and out
12:55 #63 in

Andy Wallace .. very hard time all round , gear box actuator (amongst other
things !) seriously messed up by water .. but it now OK.. will we see the car at Petit Le Mans? No decisions yet ..

Positions at 13:00 hrs..

1.2.8.16.17.63.6.38.83.64.77.60.75.80.72.82.76.74.30.58.79.
Officially there are now 21 cars running.