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LMS – Nürburgring – Sunday – Race – Hour 3 14:35 Buncombe did not take tyres (having done so at the beginning of his double stint). He is now 4th overall (just), Lola and Aston Martin engines featuring in the first four places now from Strakka and Audi. The Oreca is around 30 seconds out of touch behind them. Bruni is getting into the JMW Ferrari, but it is still inside the garage.
In P1 #007 leads #009 by 16 seconds, Prost in #13 is 22 seconds further back, more or less holding onto Primat’s pace. 14:39 Karthikeyan passes Leventis and is pushing Buncombe hard, taking the place through and out of the Mercedes Arena. Goueslard has taken over the Corvette and is leading GT1 for the first time and convincingly, 49 seconds. That wasn’t a result of pitstops either, the last one for the Saleen was quicker than the Luc Alphand outfit’s. Lead GT2 stops anytime now. 14:41 First of these is Janis and the Spyker from 4th. Coronel in. 14:43 Word comes through from the garage that the RML Lola Mazda is a retirement, with yet another engine failure. It is hard to credit that a team that won the class at Le Mans two years on the trot, picked up the Le Mans Series title in 2007, and was one of the leading non-Porsche competitors in LMP2 in 2008, is now all-but incapable of finishing a six-hour race. While the Mazda-powered Lolas in the States can usually complete the much shorter ALMS races, the similar chassis in Europe can perform on pace, but seemingly can't go the distance. The Oak Racing Pescarolos run the same basic AER-developed unit, and have both suffered ten-position penalties this weekend through the need to replace engines. It must be unbelievably frustrating for all the teams involved.
14:46 Farnbacher and Simonsen are next, the former double stinting, Kaffer taking over from Simonsen. 14:51 Vilander swaps with Garcia again. Mansell yet to drive. The longer-running #77 Porsche of Lietz takes the lead but is looking rather loose, the tyres surely spent. Bruni rejoins with a new driveshaft fitted, but they are 12th in class, last of the runners, the GT2 Aston Martin having now lost tens and tens of laps. 14:55 The WR has spun and tries to get out of the way of the Hankook Ferrari, blocking the exit line completely and having to reverse, leading to an awkward moment, and a large pick up truck with nothing to clear and having to drive down the start finish straight much to the puzzlement of those following! Lieb has taken over the #77 Porsche and Lietz’s sterling effort now sees the Felbermayr Porsche almost retain the lead on merit. Garcia knows it is close and puts in a 1:59 on Lieb’s outlap, the result being he now leads by 1.6 seconds. If Lieb can retake the lead, it would be a major coup in their championship hopes. Garcia currently has the pace to stay ahead though.
15:00 Time to consider the lower-order in LMP2. The aforementioned WR Salini had been fighting well for fourth, but as a result of Stéphane’s incident, has dropped well back, but still holds fifth from the #35 Oak Pescarolo, 12th and 13th overall respectively. Seventh is the second Oak car, the #24, but by a mere three seconds. Eighth is the #41 GAC Zytek, with Philipp Peter back in the cockpit and readily defending a thirteen second lead over the #28 Ibanez Racing Courage, 17th overall. The similar but brightly-coloured Pegasus Racing Courage rounds up the ten meaningful positions in LMP2, 18th overall 15:06 Only the lead four in GT2 are now on the same lap: #84 from #77 by 4 seconds, then 1 minute back to the #90 FBR car 10 seconds ahead of the Spyker. An unscheduled stop for the Saleen gives the Corvette a firm lead.
15:13 P1 stop time again. Prost and Buncombe in, the latter completing his double stint and Stuart Hall taking over. The #13 Lola will not start again. Kolles were 88 seconds down but batteries were being brought from the pit, the engine cover was off and any hopes of a podium for Speedy Sebah were now very much dimmed. A dash switch panel is removed and fingers are poked, wires tugged, all to no avail. 15:17 Primat in, swaps with Turner.
Karthikeyan tags the WR on lapping it, he is pushing hard in second place and but for a dramatic weave afterwards he holds it all together. Charouz stays in for a double-stint, no tyres. This saves them 50 seconds over the #009’s last stop, seems that AMR are playing it safe with #009. 15:26 Karthikeyan falls behind Turner before making his stop at the 3 hour mark. #13 has gone back into the garage, the pit-lane fiddling not providing a solution, down to 14th overall now. PS/MP Positions After Three Hours 1 007 "LM"P1 Aston
Martin Racing Lola Aston Martin CHAROUZ Jan – 99 laps 3 stops |
