Le Mans 24 Hours - Thursday Qualifying 19:00-21:00

Its been wet for much of the day here at Le Mans but there is no rain falling at present and the track is drying rapidly.

We're not expecting any heroics in the early stages of the action this evening but the #12 Rebellion Lola is back out to set a time this evening after missing yesterday's session whilst the team attended to a damaged suspension pick up mount.

The #96 car has disappeared from the timesheets - seemingly confirming the car's withdrawal after Matias Russo's big off at the Porsche Curves yesterday.

The surface is visibly very greasy, GTs and LMPs both seen sliding around at present.

Horst Felbermayr Sr reports that the #88 car's woes yesterday were caused by a 'technical failure' the car leaving the track at around 260km/h and suffering remarkably little damage as a result.

Tom Kristensen is the man showing best pace in the early minutes of this session - 3:43 is followed by a 3:41 - over 20 seconds down on the Peugeot provisional pole time thus far 

Minassian is the first man to break the 3:40 barrier today with a 3:39.038 closely followed on similar pace by both Benoit Treluyer and Romain Dumas (cut slicks)

Jani in the #12 Rebellion is now up to 22nd fastest and, unsurprisingly, the only improver.

The leading teams are now looking to change to slicks - We're nowhere close to conditions that would support really quick times yet though.

Pedro Lamy is out on slicks in the #3 Peugeot and is now the fastest man on the circuit down to 3:36.0

Minassian is on slicks too - 3:31

Autocon, after a troubled run yesterday, become the second car to post and improved time - into the top 30 in the #19 Lola - but as I type its triumph it slides into the gravel at the Dunlop chicane - but rejoins

Minassian is still improving fast - 3:27.

The second Rebellion Lola improves too - Jean Christophe Bouillon up to 19th with a 3:41 then up to 18th with a 3:40.3 the improvements were required after JCB's 3:32 of yesterday was disallowed after he was deemed to have overtaken under red flags. He's still a wee way off that mark but getting there fast - 3:37.0 as we pass 8pm pushes #3 up to 17th.

Jorg Bergmeister improves in the #80 Flying Lizards Porsche - a 4:07 though still only good enough for 15th

The #28 Race Performance Radical improves too 3:59.2 up to 34th for the 56th (now 55th) car - Improvement continues, the car up into the top 30 before 20:30 

Improvements (albeit not terribly significant ones) are coming relatively thick and fast now - Natacha Gachnang improves in the #61 Ford but still outside the top 50.  She continues to improve though - 4:06 puts it 48th

JCB has an off at the exit of the Porsche Curves - the #13 car into the wall and out of the session.

Still no rain - but radar forecasts are predicting some fairly soon

The #12 Rebellion though is still improving- 3:41 and up to 19th for Marco Andretti

The Drayson Racing Lola grinds to a halt as it leaves the pits for the first time in the session - the car is rolled back by the marshals to pit exit.

JMW and KSM are both in the midst of (planned) engine changes 

Further improvements for the #12 Autocon Lola and the #70 Marc VDS Ford (29th and 36th overall)

Stephane Salini fails to spot Jacques Nicolet coming up the inside at the Ford chicane - the WR Sideswipes the #24 Oak Pescarolo which goes off but misses everything solid and rejoins.  The WR may not have got away scot-free and is reported running slowly - It stops on the Mulsanne.

Richard Westbrook meanwhile joins the list of improvers, as does Louis Machiels in RIchard's usual employers Porsche - The Prospeed man though is still dead last.

Bleekemolen improves in the Spyker and Yogo quicker too in the JLOC Lamborghini - no massive runs up the timing sheet for either though.

Manu Rodriguer against the barrier on the inside and spins at Tetre Rouge, scrapes the nose of the #14 R10 car against the inside barrier and (eventually) continues.

The Drayson Racing Lola completes a slow lap after stalling at the end of the pit exit.

Another gaggle of improvers Julien Schell in the Norma up to 34th, Toni Vilander in the remaining #95 AF Corse Ferrari in #41st, Antonio Farfusin 43rd, a big improvement for Bleekemolen in the Spyker up into the class top 10.

Bas Leinders goes second in Gt1 - 3:56.948 draws the #70 Ford much closer to Enge's provisional GT1 pole

The KSM Lola is reported slow on course on its out lap after an engine change.

The #3 Peugeot of Simon Pagenaud is going very quickly now - 3:23 is getting down to properly quick pace.

Schell improves again - under 4 minutes for the Norma Judd and 31st fastest. then 30th fastest 3:56.7

Marc Lieb improves too, the #77 Felbermayr Porsche man 5th in GT2

Brabham grabs provisional LMP2 pole from the Strakka HPD for Highcroft - 3:34.537 

Vilander up to third fastest in GT2 - 4:00.235 and Westbrook improves again, up to 7th

Mike Newton spins at Tertre Rouge he rejoins after a slightly torrid time trying to find space to turn the Lola HPD around.

Wurz loses a chunk of time in the final sector just as he looks set to grab provisional pole

Leinders improves again - closing the gap again to Enge (who has taken the Young Driver Aston out)

The Norma continues to improve - now up to 27th, then 26th

The #008 Lola Aston is crawling around to pit. Left rear tyre punctured

Farfus improves in the  #78 BMW and Bleekemolen improves again in the Spyker.

#95 Vilander's Ferrari goes second fastest in GT2 - under 4 minutes - 3:59.837

Wurz is pushing again - fastest first sector of all this week and the fastest second sector too

Sarrazin is flying too - even faster

Leinders is ony three tenths now off Enge's pace setting GT1 run

Wurz again has a poor third sector - and so does Sarrazin - 3:23s both - That's their last shots of this session 

Lieb, Westbrook and Dirk Muller all improve in GT2 on their final laps - Farfus brings the #78 BMW into 7th in GT2

Bergmeister improves too - 9th in GT2 - and the Prospeed Porsche demotes the Jaguar to 55th!

It's still dry - no immediate signs of rain - We now have an hour's break before what could be a barnstorming start to the second 2 hour qualifying session of the night at 10pm local time.