ILMC/LMS Silverstone – Final Hour

Ben Collins lost third in P2 to Kraihamer just into the hour, the ex-Stig locks onto the tail of the Boutsen Oreca. 

The leader pits with 58 minutes to go, Pagenaud to take the last stint, will it be victorious?  

Luxury’s #59 takes its final stop and it hasn’t worked out for them at all, Bruni now leads from Lieb, Holzer and Alzen.

50 minutes and McNish is 1:36 behind Jousse so sixth looks very much on the cards despite those earlier suspension problems.  Pla, Bellichi and Ragues look safe further ahead in third to fifth overall.

McNish pits to hand over to Kristensen for the final 45 minutes as the skies start to look very dark.  Prost passes Klien to move back to ninth in class.

42 minutes to go and Pla pits, handing third to Bellichi, who still needs to stop.  Pla stays in the car. 

Kraihamer pits, promoting RML to third in P2.  The pressure is on though as RML do need a splash and dash.

RLR’s weekend is finally looking up after losing three engines before the race, a lap at the start due to starting from the pitlane and a wheel during the race, they now sit fifth in class. 

Mako passes Alzen to retake fourth and is gaining on Holzer, just four seconds. 

35 minutes to go and Prost spins the Rebellion at Luffield, Klien retaking tenth as the marshalls push the car into the old pitlane and retirement.  The other Rebellion is still running strongly in third, but fourth looks likely to be the end result. 

Mullen moves into third in GT Am but then pits.  Armindo and Long already look like making it a Porsche 1-2 in this class though.  Mullen rejoins and keeps third, just eight seconds ahead of #61.

31 minutes to go and Ben Collins has picked up a big chunk of astro turf on the front left dive planes.  It is adding around ten seconds a lap, so he is called in to have it removed and a top up of fuel.

29 minutes to go and Mako takes third from Holzer in GTE Pro, then Oak’s Rague outbrakes himself, hitting Mako and allowing Holzer back into third briefly, the Ferrari back into third into Vale.  Alzen is right into this battle too, 1.7 seconds quicker than Holzer due to the squabbling of the lap before.  Holzer gets momentarily held up behind a F430 and Alzen takes fourth back, only to lose it to Holzer again at Vale.  A few laps later and the M3 was ahead again.

RML’s splash, dash and turf removal costs them third place, Kraihamer moving back ahead for Boutsen.

23 minutes and Bellichi emerges from his splash and dash behind Pla, who must be ecstatic with this debut run with Oak, a very strong third place awaits.

18 minutes to go and the ‘my surname has a Z in it show’ is over as Holzer takes a tiny splash and dash.  Henzler is game to join in though, passing the Prospeed car in the pits. 

15 minutes to go and Pagenaud adds insult to injury by putting a lap on Fassler.  Given the rear-end change, this is still a startlingly small deficit.

Gardel is past Mullen for third in GT Am, 2/10ths separates the pair, Mullen retakes the place on the old start/finish straight and begins to pull away. 

#1 pits with 12 minutes to go for a decent glug of fuel.  #7 does likewise from the lead.

Lieb’s stop and go in #77 costs them second in GT2.  Luxury’s #59 has risen once again to take an excellent second, albeit assisted by its stop under the safety car.   

Jousse emerges from the pits on the tail of Ragues’ Oak Pescarolo with four minutes to go, this the battle for fifth overall, third in class and second in Pescarolos.

Pagenaud takes the win from Fassler by 1:29.763, Pla, Bellichi, Ragues, Jousse, Kristensen, Montagny and Klien.

P2 finishes with Kimber-Smith taking the win for Greaves Motorsport ahead of Frey and Kraihamer, RML coming home fourth ahead of RLR.

The lead trio in FLM finished in 17th to 19th overall, #95 just 20 seconds ahead of #93 at the flag, #99 a lap further back.

GTE Pro was won by Bruni for AF Corse #51, a perfect race for them, from Luxury’s #59 and then Felbermayr-Proton’s #77.  Alzen, Holzer, Muller, Henzler and Simonsen all followed home within spitting distance.

A strong run from IMSA in GTE Am saw Narac and Armindo untroubled , #63 taking a solid second place and Mullen holding Gardel off to take third in GTE Am.