Collard grabs back the petrol bragging rights with a 3:34, 6th overall now as Dindo Capello get into the 3:30s but half a second off the slowest Peugeot.
The Porsche RS Spyder battle is now going the way of Holland, Bleekemolen now 2 tenths ahead of the Danish car – 3:39.562 now the mark.
Front right hand brake trouble for the Dome – Ito sits patiently as the team try to fit a recalcitrant disc.
Capello puts some pressure on the Peugeots by grabbing second fastest time overall, a 3:26.744 is two tenths quicker than Marc Gene’s improved time in the now third fastest #7 908.
Fourth now is Frank Biela in the #1 Audi meanwhile, the top 4 all now under 3:30. after 30 minutes
LMP2 is still going the way of the Spyders with Erdos third, up to fifth now is Warren Hughes in the #45 Embassy Racing WF01.
Juan Barazi though betters that time in the #32 Zytek just as Steve Zacchia leaps up the order, ahead of Erdos into third in class with a 3:40.5
GT1 is moving on a pace, The Larbre Saleen now tops the times, 27th overall with a 3:54.166 for Christophe Bouchut, more than half a second ahead of the #007 Aston, Andrea Piccini setting the fastest factory time thus far.
GT2 meanwhile has seen Pat Long extend his advantage, 4:04.557 gives him a comfortable cushion in the #76 Porsche ahead of Salo’s #82 Risi Ferrari.
Biela improves the #1 Audi time to a 3:27.580 to give a Peugeot – Audi - Peugeot – Audi - Peugeot – Audi top six after 40 minutes.
The #21 Epsilon currently props up the timing screens (or it would if it was on them, in 55th place.
At the opposite end of the screens Minassian grabs second fastest in the #7 Peugeot in 3:25.058 but Sarrazin is on a much faster lap – 3:20.099 – There was clearly a lot left to give from that car!
The Dome meanwhile is back out on track, closing in on Collards time, both the petrol pace setters now into the 3:33s (13 seconds off the provisional pole time!)
Max Papis now heads GT1 in the #63 Corvette, first man into the 3:53s with a 3:53.187.
A 3:25.276 for Montagny in the #3 Peugeot mans we are suddenly back to a Peugeot 1,2,3
The top six cars are now all inside 3:30 (all diesels!), the slowest of which has a 4 second advantage over the fastest petrol car.
The top three reshuffles as Montagny grabs second place with a 3:23.409.
GT2 has a new leader - Rob Bell grabs class provisional pole for Virgo motorsport, a 4:02.433 is over 2 seconds faster than the #76 Porsche with the Farnbacher Ferrari a further second behind in third slot but Pierre kaffer is closing in on the Porsche.
Marc Goossens has a harmless straight on in the creation at Arnage and the Team Modena Aston is in the gravel, Jos Menten at the wheel at the first Mulsanne chicane.
The Team Bruichladdich Radical had suffered an early session electrical problem but is now climbing up the order with Gunnar Jeannette at the wheel.
McNish is now aboard the #2 Audi as the session moves into its second hour.
The RML MG Lola has stopped on the Mulsanne at the exit of the first chicane with Andy Wallace at the wheel as the Vitaphone racing Aston suffers a wild spin.
Montagny improves his time, a 3:21.005 strengthens his grip on second place, just under a second off pole position - Will the team reel these guys in?
Jean Marc Gounon is on a slow shakedown run in the very, very new #21 Epsilon Euskadi.
Olivier Panis is the third fastest petrol man now, into the 3:34s in the #6 Courage Oreca, 9th fastest overall. He improves that mark dramatically though to post a 3:31 with Tinseau in the #17 Pescarolo into the 3:33s now to post second fastest petrol time, 9th overall.
The temperatures out on the circuit are clearly dropping as the sun starts to go down. Jean Christophe Bouillon goes seventh overall, 3:30.830 again grabs the petrol bragging rights for the #16 Pescarolo.
The #7 Peugeot, Minassian still at the wheel now posts a 3:23, still third but now 3 seconds quicker than the fastest Audi.
Sarrazin meanwhile is out on an absolute flyer, first two sectors are the fastest of all so far a 3:18.513 makes the previous lap record look ridiculous!
Minassian follows him through in a 3:20.451, second fastest
The first quick lap from Jorg Bergmeister in the #80 Flying Lizards Porsche comes in as second fastest in GT2. Still for the moment though a second off the Provisional polesetting Virgo 430.
Embassy Racing is up to fourth in LMP2 again and into the top 20 overall.
Sascha Maassen ups the LMP2 ante in the #31 Essex Racing Porsche, a 3:36.853
In GT2 Olivier Beretta extends the advantage of the #64 Corvette ahead of Garcia's #009 Aston Martin, a 3:51.930 means 1.5 seconds is the new gap with the #63 Corvette within a tenth of the #009 Aston. O'Connell though leapfrogs the Aston into the 3:52s for a Corvette Racing 1,2. Bouchut meanwhile leapfrogs the Aston too for third place.
The Dome is the first petrol car under 3:30, Ito sets a 3:29.727
Only three of the top 20 cars as the session gets into its last 20 minutes are LMP2s, the two Porsches and the Lola Coupe which has suffered a mildy airborne moment and a sin over the kerbs at the Ford Chicane.
Bouillon is second petrol man under 3:30, two tenths off the Dome - the top 8 now under 3:30.
In LMP2 Verstappen grabs provisional pole in the #34 RS Spyder, a 3:36.324
Montagny now moves into second place as the Peugeot 1,2,3 order reshuffles again, a 3:20.203
It's worth noting that the slowest of the three 908s is over 6 seconds faster than the fastest Audi - The pole man meanwhile is currently more than 10 seconds faster than the fastest petrol car.
Montagny sets a 3:18.682 for second place - less than two tenths off pole
Bouchut goes second in GT1, less than three tenths off Gavin's provisional pole time
Simon Pagenaud has a very near miss on the exit of Indianapolis just avoiding clattering the barrier in the #6 Courage Oreca. He brings the car back for a check over with seemingly no harm done.
Big improvements for Embassy Racing and Barazi Epsilon - Vergers up to third fastest in LMP2, 3:38.502 with the WF01 next up in class, just outside the top 20 overall both of these leapfrogging the Lola coupe.
Vergers though isn't done yet. 8 minutes to go in the session and he grabs provisional pole in LMP2, a 3:35.844 for the Zytek.
Bouillon is the first petrol man under 3:29 - a 3:28.533 but still (of course!) seventh.
Verstappen looks to respond to Vergers' charge but the #34 Porsche has a blowout (Right rear) as the car exits the Corvette Curves the car pits with seemingly no other harm done but the Dutch car had been looking set to better the Zytek's time.
Improvements for the #2 and #3 Audis, 'only' though into the 3:25s for Kristensen and Rockenfeller, 4th and 5th overall as the chequered flag is shown to end the session.
At the very end of the session though Bouchut grabs provisional pole for the Larbre Saleen, a 3:50.920 is a full second quicker than the #64 Corvette, Gavin though improves himself but only halves the deficit to half a second.
GT2 meanwhile sees a pair of Porsches leapfrog the Virgo Ferrari - Long finishes the session with a 4:00.793 with Jorg Bergmeister 3 tenths back in second in the #80 Flying Lizards 997.
