ALMS, Petit Le Mans - Hour 4

14:36
The #16 Dyson Lola is now behind the wall and under the team awning. This is fairly critical, with regard to the title. The team needs to have these Lolas out and racing, especially now that the Muscle Milk HPD is back on track and making up ground. The two are 38th and 39th respectively now.

Warren Hughes has made up the promised ground, and is now running 4th overall, third in P2 and 8 seconds clear of Bertrand Baguette in the Oak Morgan.

14:43
A lengthy pitstop for Christophe Tinseau and the #46 TDS Oreca drops to 14th overall. Matthias Beche takes over.

14:44
A new fastest lap for Bertrand Baguette in the #35 Morgan - 1:14.809, and he snatches two seconds back on Hughes. Scott Tucker pits the #95 Level 5 HPD from 8th overall.

News from the pitlane suggests that the #16 is suffering a persistent misfire. The team has been chasing an electrical fault, possibly in the ECU. It is still in the pits.

14:47
An off for the #8 Merchant Services LMPC, sustaining slight damage to the rear end. Chapman Ducote appeared to swerve to avoid one of the GT BMWs that was having an off-road excursion, and while there didn't seem to be any contact, he lost control and spun off the track. He's heading back to the pitlane for a check-up, but damage doesn't look too bad.

Update on the Muscle Milk HPD - Greg Pickett states that the car is OK, and the team couldn't find any structural damage, but there are camber and toe issues on the front left, which making the handling less than perfect. Even so, Graf is pressing on, and the team hopes to address the issue with an extended stop at the end of his stint.

Greaves report that, in addition to needing to make good the damage following Tom Kimber-Smith's off, they have also had to contend with gearbox issues. It's now back out on track and running fine.

14:58
A lurid slide for the #55, Bill Auberlen whipping off track in a cloud of tyre smoke. He loses ground, but not position, but then appears to be struggling with gear selection.

Nicolas Prost now leads by two laps over Dario Franchitti. Eric Lux is another 20 seconds back on Franchitti, third overall for Conquest. Mark Patterson has just set a new fastest lap for the #20 Dyson of 1:13.836 to make good his hold on fourth, while Bertrand Baguette is running fifth for Oak, and third in LMP2.

Impressively, Lucas Ordonez now has the DeltaWing up to 6th overall.

15:03
The situation in GT sees a return to a much earlier status quo , with Toni Vilander easing the #01 ESM Ferrari back into top slot, ahead of Richard Westbrook (#4) and then Patrick Pilet, third for Flying Lizard in the #45. Jordan Taylor has the #3 Corvette in a class fourth.

Reports from the Dyson pits suggest yet more problems for the #16, including a broken rear swaybar. The car is still under the awning. Meanwhile, a stop-go for the #20 sister car.

15:08
Further dramas in a race that is already overflowing with them! The Muscle Milk HPD is back behind the wall. The camber issues have exacerbated tyrewear, so the predicted pitstop to adjust the set-up has been brought forward and will be done now.

15:12
Pitstop for Bertrand Baguette from third in P2. It's not routine, and the engine cover is off the car. This allows Ordonez to take the DeltaWing through to 4th position overall.

15:13
The GT leader is in for fuel and tyres. The #01 ESM Ferrari also enjoys some cosmetic attention as the crew clear debris from the intakes. The #45 Flying Lizard has also pitted from third, and the #93 Viper is now in pitlane. The #3 Corvette is also joining the gathering, so it's all-change in GT just at the moment.

15:18
Pitstop for the #37, with Martin Plowman taking over from Eric Lux. The car had been running third, but with 58 seconds over Ordonez in the DeltaWing.

The GTE-Am battle has tightened, and the gap that used to stand at around 2 laps between the AF Corse Ferrari and the IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche is now shrunk to a 'mere' 80 seconds.

15:22
The stop for Conquest has allowed the DeltaWing through to third overall.

The #16 Dyson Lola has now fallen four laps behind on the Muscle Milk HPD, which is back out from behind the wall now. The DeltaWing makes its fifth pitstop, with new tyres (its first new set so far this race) and a driver change, with Gunnar Jeanette back into the cockpit.

15:24
A pitstop for AF Corse and a driver change - Matt Griffin into the red 458 Italia - and the IMSA Porsche moves into the lead, but only temporarily, as the blue-white-red 911 is itself into the pitlane next time around.

The GTC leader, the #22 Alex Job Racing Porsche, makes a schedule pitstop and driver change.

15:27
A new fastest race lap for Richard Westbrook in the #4 Corvette, posting a 1:20.067.

The pitstop for the DeltaWing dropped the car back to 7th overall. One of the beneficiaries has been Warren Hughes, easing back through into 4th overall, third in LMP2 and just 7 seconds off Martin Plowman in the #37.

Please continue following our live coverage by using the links below.

MP