By: Jock Simpson
Are Audi still running the same car that they started with? It's had so many bits replaced that it could probably be described as a completely different car. For sheer courage in the face of adversity it would be hard to beat their example. They're certainly superb gearbox changers now though I'm sure they would prefer not to be...
Anyway, as we move into the final quarter of the race, the order is still: 1st - No. 17 BMW (Lehto, Muller, Kristensen) 2nd - No. 15 BMW (Martini, Winkelhock, Dalmas) 3rd - No. 8 Toyota (Katayama, Suzuki, Tsuchiya) 4th - No. 8 Audi (Biela, Pirro, Theys) 5th - No. 18 BMW (Soper, Bscher, Auberlen) 6th - No. 6 Panoz (Brabham, Bernard, Leitzinger).
No. 52 in, No. 53 in. The Vipers are still heading their class but have scrambled their order, at least for now. They are now 51 (Beretta, Wendlinger, Dupuy), 53 (Donohue, Ayari, Belloc) and 52 (Archer, Bell, Duez) having run for most of the previous 18 hours 51, 52, 53.
The No. 3 Toyota (which is the only one left) is trying very hard to catch the No. 15 BMW while the No. 8 Audi is trying very hard not to fall apart, especially in the gearbox area...
No. 3 in for a routine stop.
No. 7 is in for fuel only. No. 8 is clearly expected soon.
No. 15 in for a routine stop; Dalmas stays in.
No. 81 is now the highest placed LM GT car and is running in 14th overall, just behind the top 3 LM GTS Vipers.
No. 8 in and into pits. They seem to working on the back end again.
Allan McNish (No. 4 Toyota): "Well, I had a few more hours sleep last night than I would have liked..." he said with regard to the retirement of the car in the early hours of the morning. "Next we go back and get some rest then we go and get Mr. Boutsen out of hospital and drag him off the Mosport..."
No. 10 has had a full exhaust system change and various other repairs.
No. 52 is still in the pits, having gearbox problems. Is this some sort of contagious condition... They expect to lose around 40 minutes to carry out the repair.
The flag wavers are collecting people who want to know if they can have a go. They are not cooperating.
No. 12 Panoz in for a driver change, tyre change and refuelling. Bernard is in now. Stints are still on average around 12 laps.
No. 19 in.
No. 64 Konrad Porsche is still showing marked revolutionary tendencies and has just spun again (10:32).
The No. 3 Toyota (the slow one, remember?) is closing on the 2nd placed BMW, No. 15.
No. 17 is in for a full pitstop and driver change, Muller undoing his straps before he stops so that he can leap out and let Lehto in.
No. 54 Viper in.
No. 12 Panoz in again very soon after its scheduled stop.
No. 3 Toyota in for a routine stop.
No. 63 Porsche engine has blown and is on fire at Tertre Rouge. This car is driven by two insurance underwriters so no problem getting that sorted out then... The main question is likely to be how much oil has it dropped and over how wide an area?
The Viper pattern in the LM GTS has been completely wrecked now, with 51 and 53 holding first and second in class and 52 dropping back as it sits in the pits having its gearbox repaired. It will very soon fall behind the No. 56 Chamberlain Viper (Amorim, Hugenholtz, Seiler).
No. 12 is having a gearbox filter changed because the telemetry is giving out rather odd information and the temperatures appear to be rising.
No. 81 Porsche in.
No. 15 expected in soon too.
No. 52 is back out and was just head of the Chamberlain Viper. Justin Bell is now lapping in 4:04 while the driver of the Chamberlain car is doing 4:20s.
Aiello has managed to haul the No. 7 Audi up ahead of the No. 21 Nissan.
No. 15 in, and Dalmas is swapping with Martini.
No. 8 Audi is in with an exhaust that sounds horrible though it may well be nothing more sinister than a speed limiter cutting in.
Positions at 11:00
17, 15, 3, 8, 18, 12, 7, 21, 13, 51, 53, 14, 11, 81, 52, 56, 50, 55, 54, 63, 80, 64, 84, 62, 19, 26, 57, 10, 65No. 12 is back out too.
No. 11 Panoz in. Magnussen hands over to O'Connell.
There's a rather strange banner on the grandstand that says "TO THE BATMOBILE LET'S GO JAN MAGNUSSEN". It also has a series of regular holes all over it... All rather strange really.
No. 55 in for a pit stop.
No. 18 in for pads, fuel, wheels and driver change.
Justin Bell is busy setting some very fast times in the No. 52 Viper.
No. 53 is now in with badly holed rear bodywork.
No. 12 is back in and is obviously having problems. It's being pushed into the garage so they can work on it. They are going to change the gearbox which will take about 35 minutes.
No. 51 will be given a thorough check over too when it comes in.
The No. 3 Toyota is now just over 1 minute behind the No. 15 BMW.
Butch Leitzinger (No. 12 Panoz); "This is just great. I've been to the Indy 500 and this is bigger than the Indy 500."
The No. 19 BMW seems to have stopped out on the circuit at Hunaudieres. Team Go has become Team Gone...
Martini (No. 15) seems to be trying to lap fast enough to get away from the No. 3 Toyota.
No. 11 Panoz is now partly nude, with most of the rear bodywork being left off. Perhaps they couldn't be bothered to reattach it as they keep having to take it off again.
No. 51 Viper in to be checked over. It is taken into the garage for this purpose. They are trying to make sure that the same fault that struck the No. 52 car won't happen to the others. Bell is now setting times faster than 4 minutes, the only Viper driver to do this. It must be genetic I guess.
No. 14 in for a routine stop. Pescarolo takes over the driving duties again.
The sky is clouding over, making it look like it might actually rain as threatened. It is rather difficult to tell what it might do.
The No. 17 car is due in as is the No. 3 Toyota.
No. 12 Panoz has dropped to 9th, though the team still has a 9-lap cushion in which to effect the repairs.
No. 57 in for routine stop and driver change (Erdos will take over).
No. 11 Panoz back in again possibly to get the bodywork fixed.
No. 17 in for fuel.
No. 3 Toyota in for a routine stop. It is moving away very slowly and seems somewhat reluctant but it goes back out with Suzuki at the wheel.
No. 50 Viper in.
No. 21 is in for a driver change. Goossens goes out next.
No. 7 is in for fuel.
At 11:37 No. 17 BMW completed its 300th lap of the race.
No. 13 is in for fuel and a driver change. Andrea Montermini will take over now.
No. 8 in for a pitstop, refuelling and Biela goes back out again to do a double stint.
No. 15 is due in soon.
No. 12 is back out (11:44) five laps down on the Courage in 8th.
No. 80 is in for a pitstop; this is Bob Wollek's car that had to be dug out of a gravel trap earlier.
No. 15 is in for a routine stop for fuel.
The lead car has done 14 more laps than at the same stage last year despite two safety car periods. Admittedly it rained in 1998 but 350 laps is about the average race length, and 375 is the highest number in recent years.
No. 18 has come in for an unscheduled stop and has been pulled into the garage.
No. 17 off, the front is off and damaged and Lehto seems to be stuck in the car. He's obviously in a lot of pain and seems to have damaged his knee. The marshals have placed him on the sidepod of the car and are waiting for the medics to deal with him. Few minutes later, he is walking but limping.
Positions at 12:00 noon
15, 3, 8, 18, 7, 21, 13, 12, 51, 53, 14, 11, 52, 81, 56. (only top-15 shown here)
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