Le Mans Series Nurburgring - Friday Afternoon

45 from 46 out on track for start of the afternoon’s 60 minute free practice session, the #95 JWA Porsche is the absentee, the team dealing with a suspected oil tank leak, at least that’s what they are hoping, the alternative diagnosis meaning engine trouble, the prognosis if that turns out to be the case is not good, the team very short of spares to deal with such a scenario. 

More detail on the Lavaggi’s troubles come from Giovanni Lavaggi himself: “We tested earlier this week and when we pitted after about 80 km there was a fire, we believe after an oil union broke.  We have been fighting back since then and of course there are lots of small problems as a result.”  Lavaggi believes that this morning’s issue was actually caused by a blocked fuel filter, probably indirectly as a result of the fire.  Here’s a man trying to do it his way, with a faithful band of supporters and helpers.  More power to him – Forza Lavaggi!

Alexander Pemat was making the early running in the session meanwhile, the #2 Audi had suffered a spin late in the morning session on what looked like a very slippery surface and started the afternoon’s running with a 1:42.310.

Stephane Sarrazin though was soon able to eclipse that effort as the Peugeots began to stretch their legs, a 1:40.726 for the #8 car was followed soon afterwards by a 1:41.296 for Minassian in #7.

Allan McNish popped up in third in the #1 Audi, three tenths away from #7 Peugeot, next time around the Scot posts the fastest middle section of the session but fails to improve further as the session ends.

Fastest petrol-fuelled car at the halfway point was the #10 Charouz Lola Aston Martin, Jan Charouz at the wheel for a fighting 1:44.070, the car though doesn’t seem to have pitted after the following lap, the #10 car out on the circuit somewhere out of our sight.  (The team report that Jan spun the car and couldn't resatart, the Lola eventually coming back, unmarked, on a flatbed post session) The Lola’s time though still pips the #5 Courage Oreca, Soheil Ayari at the wheel who told dsc earlier that Stephane Ortelli is feeling fine, Loic Duval though is getting seat time too, just in case.

In LMP2 Jos Verstappen banged in a 1:45.550 in the #34 RS Spyder, almost a second faster than the #31 Essex Racing Porsche with Olivier Pla, Didier Theys and Matthieu Lahaye in very close attendance behind on time.

Both leading Porsches turned up the wick in the closing stages of the session, Jeroen Bleekemolen now aboard #34 posting a 1:45.242 with Casper Elgaard closing to within 5 hundredths of a second of that mark before blasting the #31 RS Spyder into the 1:44s (1:44.915) 9th fastest overall and then improving further still, a 1:44.645 , 8th fastest at the flag.

In GT1 only the Team Modena Aston martin managed to match the 1:55 pace of the morning session, Antonio Garcia the man at the wheel with Olivier Beretta next up in the low 1:56s in the #73 Luc Alphand Corvette.

Before the midway point though there was very bad news indeed for the Virgo Motorsport squad, the #96 Ferrari catching fire at the rear with Rob Bell at the wheel, Bell stopping as soon as he realised the situation and out of the car as an inferno engulfed the engine compartment. Bell though mercifully seems unhurt, the marshals reacting very quickly to extinguish the fire but it looks like very bad news for the GT2 Championship leaders.  The team report that Rob reported smelling fumes and then burning, potentially a broken fuel line.  They are now assessing damage to the car, in particular the wiring loom.  Soren Herweg was on the spot and the time coding on his pictures show the fire burning for around 30 seconds.

On timing that left the overall order #77 (Davison) 1:58.624, #76 Lietz (1:58.970, #85 Kelleners (1:59.717), the two leading Porsches (together with the #91 Farnbacher car) fitted with the newer 4 litre engine and both Spykers this weekend fitted with the flat plane crank arrangement tested by the team on #85 at the Spa 1000kms.

All though would be demoted by a 1:58.525 from Pierre Kaffer aboard the #90 Farnbacher Ferrari, he would top the GT2 order at the end of the session

The JWA Porsche emerges late in the session, Tim Sugden at the wheel, hopefully the oil leak problem has been sourced and fixed.