Final positions (provisional) 7,25,26,30,34,29,5,39,33,48,38,79,4,71,23,75,83,77,28,82,50,27,49,46,20 Retired (in order of retirement) : 18,70,45,81,73,2,44,37,1,56,55 (at 15:00) 53,51,74,19,59,15,3,17,22 57,14,8
Alexander Wurz Davy Jones and Manuel Reuter win for the Joest Racing team in the TWR Porsche WSC.
Briefly; Vipers in trouble, apart from No 48 that is still circulating. Mr Reuter continues to lead in the TWR. Derek Warwick is long faced in the pits, with the No 4 Courage relegated to 13th place 35 laps behind.
The chances of a McLaren victory are fading with the No 30 car (Nielsen Bscher Kox) 16 laps behind the ( Reuter Jones Wurtz ) No 7 TWR.
With the track tempeature rising again, the fastest lap by the No17 Ferrari 333 looks like standing to the end. A small comfort for the Scandia team to take home.
It looks like a hard charge to the finish with the Prototype vs GT1 battle that we saw last year. I would not like to put money on the nose of either the No 7 TWR or the No 25 Porsche GT1.
I am off again now for a photographic interlude, having passed up an invitation to the Champagne tent to bring you this message. What dedication!
Car numbers in order at 13:00 CET Sunday, starting with leader. 7,25,26,34,30,8,29,5,39,33,48,79,4,38,71,23,75,83,28,77,82,27,50,49,46,20 Retired (in order of retirement) : 18,70,45,81,73,2,44,37,1,56,55 (at 13:00) 53,51,74,19,59,15,3,17,22 57,14
Time for another "irregular" update. Well I have been out and about at Arnage and the campsites. The temperature is rising even higher than yesterday. I have some great shots from Arnage corner that I will post during the week. There is a big plastic "Mr Blobby" bobbing in the grandstand opposite, and a big blue airship floating over the track.
More updates from the track then; The No 17 Ferrari that had an off over the rise at Dunlop was particularly tragic as the car had just had a record breaking 20 min gearbox change.
Mario Andretti has repeated history by "doing a Mario" at indy' again. a crestfallen Mr Andretti told Radio Le Mans "We need 48 hours!".
Frank Freon had a "Mazda moment" grazing the wall and demolishing his RH headlight. He also had a moment at Indianapolis, but was fixed up and sent out again as "walking wounded".
Car numbers in order at 12:00 CET Sunday, starting with leader. 7,25,8,26,30,34,33,29,5,39,48,23,79,38,71,4,75,83,28,77,82,27,50,49,46,20 Retired (in order of retirement) : 18,70,45,81,73,2,44,37,1,56,55 (at 12:00) 55,53,51,74,19,59,15,3,17,22 57,14
Refreshed by a couple of hours sleep, I can now bring you a run down of happenings in the early hours. The sun is creeping over the horizon on this clear and crisp morning. The familiar problem for drivers of exiting Tertre Rouge and getting the sun directly in the face. One of the Courages and a Nissan have had accidents at exactly this spot.
The No25 Porsche GT1 in the hands of Hans Stuck and lately Bob Wollek continues to circulate quickly and now stands in second place only one lap behind the No7 TWR.
Ferrari fans will be disappointed this year with the retirement of both the Scandias, but not before showing impressive speed and form. The Vandepoele Goosens Bachelart No17 Ferrari put in a 3.47:495 in lap 208 then lost control over the Dunlop 'brow' in the hands of (I think) Eric Bachelart.
Car numbers in order at 07:00 CET Sunday, starting with leader. 7,25,8,33,26,39,34,30,29,48,5,38,23,79,4,22,71,83,28,75,14,77,82,57 49,27,50,20,46 Retired (in order of retirement) : 18,70,45,81,73,2,44,37,1,56 (at 07:30) 55,53,51,74,19,59,15,3,17,22 49,3
I have just returned from a midnight visit to Mulsanne corner. The best place to view at night in my mind. The moonless night is making the sight of glowing brake disks and exhausts even more impressive. Add to that the tailpipe flame on upshifts going up to Indianapolis and the Arnage complex and you have the ultimate Le Mans experience.
The track is cooler now the night has fallen, and with it the associated tyre problems. The TWR Porsches are very quick, they are in first and second place at present. Alboreto posted the fastest time on lap 100, putting in a creditable 3:49.996 . Karl Wendlinger had a small visit to the gravel about 11:00 putting the No 26 Porsche GT1 into 11th place at 01:00 7 laps behind but is now back up to 7th 4 laps adrift.
The master of this night so far has got to be Hans Stuck, keeping on terms with the TWRs and taking back a lap between 01:00 and 02:00 .
Notable retirements are the No1 and No2 Kremer Porsches. The No 18 Scandia Ferrari and the Michel Ferte Pilot Ferrari.
Car numbers in order at 02:00 starting with leader. 7,8,25,3,17,33,38,30,39,34,26,29,28,20,19,48,79,23,53,71,4,22,83,5,57,82 27,75,14,77,49,15,50,59,74,46,55,51 Retired (in order of retirement) : 18,70,45,81,73,2,44,37,1,56
Time now for a longer offering. We are now about seven hours into the race, still early days yet. So far it has been a Porsche dominated race, with the outstanding GT2s mixing it up with the TWR WSCs. Notable retirements include the ever popular Marcos that did lead the GT2 category several times before throwing a piston. The Harrods McLaren with messrs Wallace Bell and Grouillard in charge has been afflicted by handling problems then to rub salt in the wound had an unsheduled pit visit to extract a rip-off from an air inlet.
The afternoon was really very hot. The air temperature was 35C and the track a toasty 45C. All competitors running the softer Pirelli compound were blistering. Only the Riley and Scott Oldsmobile had the good sense to take the manufacturers advice and run a harder compound from the start. However other problems have relegated it now to 17th place 8 laps behind the leader.
The atmosphere is (as ever) alive with excitement. Six cars are still within 2 laps of the leader, with for of them on the same lap. With the feul equation causing the WSC and LMP1/2 leapfrogging the GTs as pit stops, the changes of position are frequent. The sun is just setting now over the 'BBQ' haze in the campsites. The smell of roasting merguez sausages is reaching even the lofty vantage point here in the 'Tribune' where the press area overlooks the pits. I am immediately above the Courage pit ( currently 5th and 10th ) with a birds eye view from the overhanging window. I will try to get a picture from here to post to the page next week.
Now for bit of gossip. Rumour has it that the Marcos has a cell phone taped to the dash, in case the helmet radio fails. Nobody can work out how a driver might make use of it!
The Lamborghini race was exiting, even if only for the sound of a grid full of Diabolos roaring away. Plenty of thrills an spills as ever in a pro-am event. I remeber the Venturi support race a couple of years ago when about a quarter of the field came to grief on the first lap.
Apologies for the late arrival of this update, I have been busy out photographing at Mulsanne corner and Arnage complex. I also have some great pitlane shots to give you when I get them processed and scanned.
This is just a quick update to let you know that I have not forgotten you. I am working on a longer update later in the evening.
The sun is burning down on the region of La Sarthe, and we are in for a sweltering race this year. The Lamborghini pro-am race the expected entertainment (more of that later). I was up with the lark this morning to catch an astonishing photo-call. The 1966 attempted dead heat by 3 Ford GT40s was recreated on the start-finish line, complete with man waving chequered flag.
The ACO have now relented and allowed me a press pass, allowing me to give you updates from the circuit. I will be limiting the coverage to the top 10 and gossip. For full listing I suggest you follow the link to the Canaska results page.
The the moment the race has just started the two works Porsches are currently in the lead (cars 25 and 26) but the first couple of hours are always a honeymoon period. The Andy Evans No18 Ferrari made a trip to the gravel on lap 2, and has only just rejoined.
The Harrods McLaren seems not to have lost the problems that it experienced in practice.
I must get out and about now to serve you up some interesting material. I will update again at 19:00.
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