LMS - Valencia - Hour 6

The last hour begins with the top three LM P2 runners within 25 seconds of each other. Then the Saulnier car is given a penalty and the Radical passes back into the class lead as the ASM Lola makes a scheduled stop. The earlier penalty to the Del Bello car came when Petrov was blamed for contact with an Alphand Corvette. The No. 27 Horag Lola lost power and was retired before the engine suffered further damage. The Tom Milner driven Panoz retired with low fuel pressure.

Romain Dumas is slapped by the Charouz Lola of Mücke. The No. 16 Pescarolo continues with clouds of smoke from damaged bodywork, which clears away after about half a lap. However, the car comes in for some repairs and returns to the track but still with louvres flapping.

Earlier, David Hart retired the Dome-Judd after being spun by a Pescarolo. The Dutch driver was unable to restart the car.

The GT2 contest had been hotting up with Dirk Werner and Marc Lieb both chasing the leading No. 76 Porsche. Team owner Raymond Narac was aboard and was apparently hit by the Saulnier Courage. The Porsche crashed hard into the tire barrier at Turn 13, the fast right kink coming out of the infield portion. He’s ok but the lead now goes (temporarily) to the No. 90 Farnbacher car. However, Werner hands over to Pierre Ehret and the No. 77 Proton car (Lieb) now holds a bare two-second edge over Robert Bell in the Virgo Ferrari. Both cars are circulating at about the same speed. Meanwhile, the Saulnier Courage has served a penalty for its indiscretion.

With a half-hour left the overall and LM P1 contest is effectively decided with the No. 8 Peugeot two laps clear of the Rollcentre Pescarolo. The Charouz Lola-Judd and the debutante Lola-Audi are next.

LM P2 is far from decided. Liddell is back aboard the No. 21 Radical for the sprint to the finish, 25 seconds behind the ASM Lola, till with Burgeño aboard. The Saulnier Courage (Nicolet) is the better of a lap down.

GT1 is decided with the No. 55 Saleen throttling back, Ayari securely ahead of Tavano’s No. 61 Racing Box version of the same car. There are two seconds between the top GT2 runners. Does the second place Ferrari of Bell have to stop yet? They have been out there a long time.

The No. 51 Aston Martin has caught fire as it entered the pits. It is quickly doused and the crew pushes the car down the lane to its box. The No. 85 Spyker has gone off at Turn 8. One expects it is retired as Jarek Janis has removed the steering wheel. The other Sypker (No. 94) is no longer too Speedy, with smoke billowing out the back.

We now have a fine battle brewing for second overall as Mücke has taken the spot and is being chased by Barbosa. The Charouz Lola pushes the Rollcentre Pescarolo wide into turn 1, with a very, very firm move. See post-race comments. Barbosa has to drop back. He tries again but is thwarted by a GT2 Porsche and takes to the curbs, caused by his rear suspension breaking. He managed to duck into the pits and took on a new tire. He returned to the race but the suspension damage is too severe and the Charouz Lola will take second, Swiss Spirit third and Rollcentre fourth. Lieb holds onto the GT2 lead with Bell dropping back, low on fuel.

Plenty of comments to come: this has been very eventful…

Race Result
1 8 Team Peugeot Total LAMY Pedro SARRAZIN Stephane Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LMP1 ==234== 1:25.234
2 15 Charouz Racing CHAROUZ Jan MUCKE Stefan YOONG A Lola B07/17 Judd LMP1 ==232== 1:27.734
3 5 Swiss Spirit DELETRAZ Jean-Denis FASSLER Marcel ALEXANDER Iradj Lola B07/10 Audi LMP1 ==231== 1:27.274
4 18 Rollcentre Racing BARBOSA Joao HALL Stuart SHORT Martin Pescarolo Judd LMP1 ==230== 1:27.687
5 16 Pescarolo Sport BOULLION Jean-Christophe DUMAS Romain Pescarolo Judd LMP1 ==229== 1:27.062
6 17 Pescarolo Sport PRIMAT Harold TINSEAU Christophe Pescarolo Judd LMP1 15.821 1:28.312
7 40 Quifel ASM Team AMARAL Miguel DE CASTRO Miguel Angel BURGENO Angel Lola B05/40 AER LMP2 ==224== 1:29.031
8 35 Saulnier Racing NICOLET Jacques FILHOL Alain JOUANNY Bruce Courage LC75 AER LMP2 ==222== 1:30.312
9 21 Bruichladdich Radical GREAVES Tim MOSELEY Stuart LIDDELL Robin Radical SR9 AER LMP2 6.789 1:28.820
10 55 Team Oreca ORTELLI Stephane AYARI Soheil Saleen S7-R LMGT1 30.078 1:32.492
11 24 Noel Del Bello Racing PETROV VitalyGOUNON Jean-Marc Courage LC75 AER LMP2 ==220== 1:30.007
12 61 Racing Box PERAZZINI Pier Giuseppe CIOCI Marco TAVANO Salvatore Saleen S7-R LMGT1 ==219== 1:33.656
13 50 AMR Larbre BOUCHUT Christophe GARDEL Gabriel GOLLIN Fabrizio Aston Martin DBR9 LMGT1 ==218== 1:33.977
14 19 Chamberlain Synergy EVANS Gareth BERRIDGE Bob OWEN Peter Lola B06/10 AER LMP1 ==217== 1:29.992
15 44 Kruse Motorsport BURGESS Tony DE POURTALES Jean SIEDLER Norbert Pescarolo Judd LMP2 ==216== 1:30.282
16 25 RML ERDOS Thomas NEWTON Mike MG Lola EX264 AER LMP2 ==215== 1:28.406
17 72 Alphand Aventures ALPHAND Luc POLICAND Jerome GOUESLARD Patrice Corvette C6.R LMGT1 ==213== 1:33.641
18 77 Felbermayr-Proton LIEB Marc POMPIDOU Xavier Porsche 997 GT3 RSR LMGT2 ==211== 1:38.656
19 96 Virgo Motorsport BELL Robert SIMONSEN Allan Ferrari F430 GT LMGT2 ==210== 1:38.665
20 78 Scuderia Villorba CAFFI Alex ZARDO Denny Ferrari F430 GT LMGT2 1:00.211 1:38.882
21 90 Farnbacher Racing WERNER Dirck EHRET Pierre NIELSEN Lars Erik Porsche 997 GT3 RSR LMGT2 1:02.688 1:38.016
22 32 Barazi Epsilon BARAZI Juan VERGERS Michael OJJEH Karim Zytek 07S Zytek LMP2 ==209== 1:29.101
23 88 Felbermayr-Proton RIED Christian FELBERMAYR Horst Jr GRUBER Thomas Porsche 997 GT3 RSR LMGT2 ==206== 1:39.882
24 98 Ice Pol Racing Team LAMBERT Yves LEFORT Christian PALTTALA Markus Ferrari F430 GT LMGT2 10.735 1:38.890
25 59 Team Modena GARCIA Antonio HALLIDAY Liz FITTIPALDI Christian Aston Martin DBR9 LMGT1 ==203== 1:33.344
26 97 GPC Sport DE SIMONE Fabrizio HERNANDEZ S BONETTI Alessandro Ferrari F430 GT LMGT2 ==201== 1:38.352
27 94 Speedy Racing Team BELICCHI Andrea CHIESA Andrea KANE Jonny Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R LMGT2 ==199== 1:39.945
28 99 JMB Racing BASSO Maurice McCORMICK Bo Ferrari F430 GT LMGT2 ==197== 1:43.211
29 85 Spyker Squadron JANIS Jarek VAN ES Sander Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R LMGT2 ==196== 1:39.734
30 51 AMR Larbre FISKEN Gregor ZACCHIA Steve FRANCHI Gregory Aston Martin DBR9 LMGT1 ==192== 1:34.664
31 73 Alphand Aventures BLANCHEMAIN Jean-Luc DUMEZ Sebastien ANDRE Didier Corvette C5-R LMGT1 ==188== 1:34.750
32 84 Chad Peninsula Panoz HARTSHORNE John McINERNEY Sean McINERNEY Michael Panoz Esperante GTLM LMGT2 4.836 1:43.093
33 76 Imsa Performance NARAC Raymond LIETZ Richard Porsche 997 GT3 RSR LMGT2 ==184== 1:38.593
34 92 Thierry Perrier HESNAULT Philippe SMITH Nigel BELTOISE Anthony Porsche 997 GT3 RSR LMGT2 ==173== 1:38.648
35 20 Pierre Bruneau ROSTAN Marc BRUNEAU Pierre PULLAN Simon Pilbeam MP93 Judd LMP2 ==172== 1:31.093
36 7 Team Peugeot Total GENE Marc MINASSIAN Nicolas Peugeot 908 HDi FAP LMP1 ==168== 1:25.382
37 83 GPC Sport DRUDI Luca ROSA Gabrio MOWLEM Johnny Ferrari F430 GT LMGT2 ==167== 1:39.703
38 27 Horag Racing LIENHARD Fredy THEYS Didier VAN DE POELE Eric Lola B05/40 Judd LMP2 ==166== 1:30.367
39 82 Team LNT DEAN Richard MILNER Tom Panoz Esperante GTLM LMGT2 ==154== 1:39.320
40 10 Arena Motorsport JOHANSSON Stefan SHIMODA Hayanari Zytek 07S Zytek LMP1 ==125== 1:26.727
41 12 Courage Competition FREI Alexander COCHET Jonathan BESSON Bruno Courage LC70 AER LMP1 ==124== 1:29.257
42 14 Racing For Holland LAMMERS Jan HART David BLEEKEMOLEN Jeroen Dome S101.5 Judd LMP1 ==105== 1:29.930
43 81 Team LNT KIMBER-SMITH Tom WATTS Danny Panoz Esperante GTLM LMGT2 ==84== 1:39.657
44 45 Embassy Racing HUGHES Warren CUNNINGHAM Neil Radical SR9 Judd LMP2 ==22== 1:29.976
45 31 Binnie Motorsports BINNIE Bill TIMPANY Allen BUNCOMBE Chris Lola B05/40 Zytek LMP2 17:23.007 1:29.992
46 29 T2M Motorsport LONGECHAL Robin YAMAGISHI Yutaka Dome S101.5 Mader LMP2 25:36.281 1:36.765