Le Mans 1000Km - Race Day

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This is the raceday thread for the 1000Km as the pre-race topic was getting a little long to download. For earlier reports open the previous topic.

Dave Davies

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Race Day; It's wet!
By Peter Radcliffe

Warm up this morning was an extended 45-minute session as this was the first day this week of wet weather. Audi again lead the times by nearly a second from the Pescarolo Courage in second place with a time of 1.47.442.The next group of five cars were all in the 1.52 second bracket and the great surprise was that the leader of this little group was the Lister Tom Coronel setting the time on his third and last flying lap. Remember the Lister has never been driven in the wet before and early in the session JCW was fastest of all. The Panoz was next, followed by Taurus Lola, Racing for Holland and the leading 675 the Courage. The #25 WR was next in 675 in 10th OA and the class leading RML Lola only 23rd .

There were upsets in the GTS and GT class as well; the Viper leading GTS and the previously dominant Ferrari in GT was only 6th. Rain is proving to be a great leveller.

Several cars explored the gravel and again the Taurus Lola was one of them further fuelling the rumours of Ian Dawson’s new garden supply business! Yesterdays trip to the gravel in final qualification was the probably reason for the teams afternoon times being disallowed dropping the car to 9th on the grid as in post race scrutineering the engine failed to cut out satisfactorily. When the car was returned to the garage and cleaned out the problem was resolved.

The only car not to go out in the morning warm up was the Morgan. No problems but unlike Lister they have done most of their testing in the wet and they felt no need to get the car dirty!

Today of course is an important day in the Rugby World Cup and John McNeil of Nasamax was seen deep in conversation with John Judd discussing the chances of England against Wales and the weather.

We will include brief race coverage today with a fuller report early next week.

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Start and the first hour
By Peter Radcliffe

The race will be six hours, the rain means that 1000km will not be reached although it is doubtful that 1000km in the dry would have been less than 6 hours.

The track was very wet when the cars crossed the start line and by the third lap large gaps were appearing; Dome, Lister and Courage Peugeot followed Audi. After four laps Sarrazin past the Lister and began to close on Lammers and Kristensen ahead. Things looked promising for Lister until the start of the eighth lap when passing the pits JCW slowed. At the end of the lap he pitted with a drive shaft failure and repairs meant the car did not rejoin the track during the first hour.

The wet track ensured that there was ample business for the marshals and tow trucks, Beretta in the Panoz lost several laps in the gravel and resumed last but made steady progress up the field. Peter Kox lead GTS from a very determined Bouchut in the Viper until he too visited the gravel and lost four laps. After one hour the Viper was 4th OA and the first car to change from wets to intermediates although times suggested it was perhaps a little early.

At the front Sarrazin was soon past the dome and he closed on the Audi ahead aided by at least two minor offs for the Audi. At the end of the first hour the gap was just 5 seconds with the Dome a lap behind in 3rd.

In 675 John Field lead The Courage C65 by a few seconds with a WR third the RML Lola having had a long pit stop before resuming 30th at the end of the hour.

In GT Ortelli and Liddell were 8th and 9th and of interest to British fans the #46 TVR was 5th in GT a little in front of the Morgan.

The Goddard Reynard was at one time 4th but it too had a spin and a couple of gravel clearing stops and the Taurus Lola too lost time somewhere on the circuit but both were running well after their mishaps.

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Second hour
By Peter Radcliffe

Audi still leads Courage and Dome followed by 675 Courage and Field Lola. The next two were the GTS leading #88 Ferrari and Viper. The Goddard Reynard and Taurus Lola followed both coming back through the field after early mishaps. The track is now dry enough for intermediates  and the rain is staying away but the lack of wind is slowing the complete drying of the track.

Best news is that the Lister is back on track 43 laps behind but going very quickly. The RML Lola is back to 4th in class trailing the 3rd place Pilbeam by a few seconds.

In GT, PK lead Freisinger and Cirtek, the lead TVR is 7th and the Morgan 9th.

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Third hour
By Peter Radcliffe

The star of the third hour was John Field who set the fastest lap so far a 1.34.380 over two seconds faster than the Audi. Field retook the 675 class lead and fourth overall. The first three 675 positions are Lola Judd, Courage C65 and the WR #24.

Audi continues to lead OA from the Pescarolo Courage and the Dome but the Lister has had an off and a further delay.

The Ferrari 550 have now assumed control of GTS now two laps ahead of the Viper

GT is much closer the top four separated by just 40 seconds, PK lead Cirtek and Freisinger. The #46 TVR is now 5th and 15th OA and the Morgan is 7th in GT

The first official retirement was the RML Lola MG
 

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Fourth hour.
By Peter Radcliffe

The Audi continues to lead race overall from the Courage and Dome and the Audi now has fastest lap to his credit. However the star of the hour was perhaps the Lister as on the last lap of his stint Tom Coronel set the second fastest lap of the race, without its problems the Lister would have been at the front of the field.

In 675 Courage lead the Field Lola by a few seconds, the 24 WR in third position still

The Viper is now 3 laps behind the leading Ferrari but has certainly not been disgraced and should it rain again it is still in with a chance.

PK Sport have a one lap lead over the Freisinger car with the Cirtek Ferrari a further lap behind. The #46 TVR is now 6th but still running problem free and the Morgan also circulating regularly is 8th.

There was a long safety car period during this hour to clear gravel from several parts of the circuit. The RML Lola is still the only retirement

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Hour five
By Peter Radcliffe

Same order at the top and the Audi has set a stunning fastest lap 1.30.770 The Lister on most laps is the fastest car on the circuit and although still in a disappointing 31st this is proving to be a very useful outing. One suspects that the performance on the track must be noted by the ACO when it comes to selection of entries in May.

In 675 Intersport have had two puncture delays and are now 2 laps behind the Courage. The #24 WR remains in third place in the class.

GTS remains the same; the fourth car the Konrad Saleen is lapping consistently but it had a long stop early in the race.

In GT Freisinger and Cirtek had usurped the PK team at the top but this was in fact a false position as it was pit stop related. PK would resume the top stop early in the final hour. The Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari is now going very well after early stops for condensation problems in the cockpit and it has pushed the lead TVR down a place to 7th. The Morgan is still 8th and the ladies in the other TVR are 10th Duchateau being the star driver setting the cars fastest lap a second and a half behind the men.

It has remained dry and the Intersport Riley and Scott and the GT Ferrari 550 have joined the RML Lola as retirements. The GT Ferrari 550 had a flash refuelling fire shortly before its retirement.

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Sixth hour and result
By Peter Radcliffe

Little change in the final hour in any of the classes, only PK lost out with two  punctures in the final stint resulteing in a 3rd place finish. However this was still enough to earn a place in the 24 hrs in June.

LMP 900
1st Audi*
2nd Courage Peugeot*
3rd Racing for Holland

LMP 675
1st (4th OA) Courage JPX*
2nd (7th OA) Intersport Lola*
3rd (15thOA) WR #24

GTS
1st (5th OA) Ferrari 550 *
2nd (6th OA) Ferrari 550
3rd (8th OA) Larbre Viper

GT
1st (10th OA) Cirtek Ferrari 360*
2nd (11th OA) Freisinger Porsche*
3rd (12th OA) PK Porsche*

* indicates pre-selection for the 24 hrs however some of today’s victors already have earned places in June from either the 2003 24hrs, Petit Le Mans, The ALMS Season and FIA GT Championship. Allowing for those not likely to take up places or qualified more than once it would appear that there are about 26 places for Selection after Sebring.

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