Britcar 24 Hours - Hours 19-21

Martin Rich - "We set the tyre pressures for heavy rain and it didn't materialise so that was a pretty tough stint.  We've got some time in hand so we're reasonably comfortable at the moment. 

The latest stop for the Lanzante Exige has put the venerable Escort Cosworth into the overall top 20 after a steady run thus far.

The Eclipse Mosler is wheeled into the garage at 10:47 after a 6 minute lap - Phil Keen stays behind the wheel.

The lead gap is tumbling fast as Vitus Eckart loses up to 25 seconds a lap to the charging John Gaw.  The JetAlliance man will do just a single stint before one of the quicker Porsche men take over once again.  JetAlliance know they will lose the lead imminently and know too that they are better on fuel than the Ferrari - Game on!

The Porsche is a 997 Cup adapted by the team for endurance racing including the installation of an RSR gearbox - The Ferrari a pukka Michelotto 430 GT2 - a fascinating battle.

11:15 and Gaw sweeps by to take the lead - having been all but 3 laps down MJC lead the race - Gaw pits though next time around and the Porsche goes by 20 seconds later to retake the lead. keith robinson climbs aboard the Ferrari to give chase.

The RJN Nissan looks to have suffered an engine failure at Becketts.

Robinson's first flying lap takes 5 seconds out of the Porsche - the gap 1 minute 37 seconds. MJC intend to rotate Robinson and Gaw to the finish - A further 5 seconds is clawed back by Robinson next time around.

The Azteca Porsche pits leaving the Topcats #1 Mosler to grab third overall albeit 12 laps down on the lead battle.

The pace throughout the field has slowed - Is there oil down from the stricken Nissan? (The 370Z appears back in pitlane on a flatbed.)

The lead gap is now under a minute - 54 seconds after 444 laps completed at 11:35 - less than 5 hours remain.

Both Welch SEATs are now into the top 10 as the #45 car, Archie Hamilton at the wheel, has blasted by the Ginetta G40.

The Topcats Mosler pits and the #42 Porsche regains third position - we do though have two, two-car battles for podium positions.

The JetAlliance Porsche pits at the end of Lap 446 - Seefried will climb aboard and will now chase Robinson  - But the Ferrari has a problem - Robinson pits and Seefried will take the lead! 

Seefried pops in a 2:17 next time around - Keith Robinson now 37 seconds back. 2:18 from Seefried on lap 449 is answered by a 2:22 from Robinson - Allegedly the stop was to get the two cars onto the same strategy - That seems odd almost 5 hours out?  

Ah - The Ferrari's tyres were shot, the team tried to squeeze more out of them than they were willing to give. Seefied is stretching the lead steadily.

The fourth placed Topcats Mosler gets a stop-go for overtaking in the pitlane.

Hugh Chamberlain reports that the Vantage Racing team has run out of full wet rubber - Stuart Hall is out on inters aboard the #52 car. But he gets a 1 lap penalty for speeding in the pitlane.

Race Positions At 19 Hours

#22, 8, 1, 42, 38, 4, 44, 49, 32, 45, 83, 35, 52, 37, 59, 46, 51, 21, 81, 73, 57, 79, 98, 26, 58, 94, 99, 91, 2, 54, 33, 77, 80, 89, 85, 87, 74, 29, 34, 72, 86, 19, 7, 92, 43, 76, 50, 68, 60, 84, 75, 39, 56, 82, 6, 3, 48, 71, 36, 16   

The weather is worsening again - Still, could be worse - we could be at the Ryder Cup.

The Rogue Motorsport MR2 has gone rogue - it has stopped in the middle of the pitlane and needs a push from nearby marshals to reach its garage.

The #35 Nicholas Mee Aston has hit the wall after Copse and is being brought back on a flat bed - it had been running 15th 

With 4 hours remaining the lead gap is being held by Seefried at around a minute.

RJN have clearly had the Nissan back out and circulating - sadly it's just come back down pitlane on a tow rope.

The rain is falling more heavily again and the pace is coming down accordingly.

12:51 and the Safety car is scrambled -  due to the worsening track conditions.

JetAlliance are ready with tyres for the leading car - it goes by next time around though.

Robinson had been caught behind the Safety Car though - he pits for tyres and 25 litres of fuel. The Porsche pits too.

Robinson will stay in the Ferrari and is released after being held for a short time under the red light at the end of the pitlane.

The Porsche though is held for far longer - the pitlane exit will only be opened once per lap under the Safety car - the Ferrari takes the lead! 

The #19 Chesterton Marcos is recovered to the pitlane with evidence of a fire at the right rear corner.

3 hours and 20 minutes remaining and the Safety car will pit at the end of lap 481.

The lead is 3 seconds dead and the track is still streaming wet.

Seefried though has got by the Ferrari as the pair passed the new pits complex and comes by next time around 2.2 seconds to the good.

The Porsche is pulling steadily away in the lead.

The race positions at 20 Hours were;

#22, 8, 42, 1, 38, 4, 44, 49, 32, 45, 83, 52, 37, 59, 35, 46, 51, 21, 81, 73, 79, 98, 26, 2, 58, 91, 99, 94, 54, 77, 33, 80, 89, 85, 87, 57, 29, 74, 34, 72, 19, 92, 86, 43, 7, 76, 50, 60, 84, 68, 75, 56, 39, 82, 6, 3, 48, 71, 36, 16

The #35 NMR Aston has rejoined the race after its earlier off.

The lead after 21 hours is 15.3 seconds.