16:35 and we have another full course caution here at Sebring! It is to retrieve the stranded Conquest Endurance Morgan-Judd - late call there, it was already there for a couple of minutes.

Wave-by taking place - several GT cars being allowed to pass the #3 Audi right now. The Black Swan Racing also passed. Earlier #12 pitted for scheduled full service and driver change. Little fire on engine cover during the stop.

Audi #1 is back in the pit after its ECU problems.

P2 leader Sarrazin has just moved up to sixth overall!

Pits open for the prototypes - Audi #1 on his way out as the pit opens, briefly stalls. Stopped at pit exit to allow the field to go by.

Capello comes in and is getting out of the car. Allan McNish behind the wheel now and on his way out of the pit.

Fifteen minutes behind the Safety Car already - just waiting for the green flag.

GREEN FLAG! (16:50)

Audi's weaving over the straight trying to avoid the slower GT cars. Into turns 4 and 5 close calls between LMP2 cars. So far things going well.

Audi Update: "The team has changed the shifting unit on the No. 1 car"

Four to five wide all the way from Turn 17 to Turn 4.

Full course yellow after 4 minutes of green flag racing - #5 Muscle Milk Picket Racing PC backwards into the tyres at Turn 7...not a surprise something would go wrong.

Roger Wills bringing his car back to the track - at reasonably high speed - smoke pouring from the left rear wheel, rear wing and bodywork damage on the Oreca FLM 09.

Wills has made it to the pit - losing some parts on his way in - including a damaged legality panel now.

The #45 Lizards Porsche is reported behind the wall with a bad gear sensor.

Back to green - and the Audi's pull away.

McNish already 41 seconds clear of Dumas now. Both Audi's have completed 188 laps.

Top three after seven hours: Allan McNish - Romain Dumas - Klaus Graf.

In P2 OAK Racing leads. Level 5 Motorsports second and PeCom Racing is third.

GT: #4 Corvette Racing, #155 BMW Team RLL and #71 AF Corse.

GTE Am: Larbre Competition #50 - Felbermayr-Proton #88 - Larbre Competition #70.

Hour 7 Summary - Tighter than a Frog's Butt

We’ve focused on the GT race for past couple of hours and it remains as close as ever, but we must forget that it is one of many. We are well into the second half of a 12-hour contest and there are no fewer than 17 on the lead lap of their respective classes.

This includes of course the Audi pair (now dozens of laps ahead of the No. 1 R18). Let’s add two to the 17 by noting that the top petrol pair are on their “lead” lap (Muscle Milk & JRM). The P2 contest is superb and getting better. Pecom and Level Five are bit clear of the No. 24 Morgan-ish Oak and the Starworks Honda.

So how about six on the lead lap in GT! There are the two Corvettes which have latterly been joined by both BMWs. The M3 pair had been somewhat eclipsed by several Ferraris, but are coming into the forefront. Traditionally, GT racing has been about two marques, Ferrari and Porsche. One of each remains among the top runners—or more, properly both have been around all day. They are the No. 77 Felbermayr 997 and the No. 71 AF Corse F458.

GTE Am is the only class where the margin has spread rather than tightened. The No. 50 Larbre Corvette has a lap over second place, with another lap down to third. Of interest there is that the two Larbre Chevrolets are sandwiching the No. 88 Proton Porsche that has thus far had a steady but unheralded run.

Finally, the top three cars in GTC are on their lead lap. NGT, AJR (#023), and JDX make for an alphabet soup among the Cup runners. All this is quite remarkable given that the competition has not been artificially constrained as in other series.