ALMS, Petit Le Mans - Hour 5

15:35
Into the fifth hour of this ten hour/1000 miles race, and Nicolas Prost enjoys a massive 4 lap lead over Dario Franchitti, second for Level 5 and leading LMP2.

Second-up in P2 is Martin Plowman, third overall, but he has Mark Patterson bearing down on him in the #20 Dyson Racing Lola.

15:38
The lightest of taps from Dario Franchitti has Warren Hughes into a 180 degree spin at the bottom of the penultimate turn, but the Murphy driver soon has the car facing the right way again, and pressing on in 5th overall, 44 seconds down on Patterson. Gunnar Jeanette is just 17 seconds back down the road in the DeltaWing.

15:41
Pitstop for Dario Franchitti from second overall. Smoothly efficient stop from the Level 5 crew and the Scot is soon back out and racing again.

15:44
Another pitstop for the leader, but no tyres, so that's a triple stint for this set. Just as Prost emerges from the end of the pitlane, Matt Griffin runs very wide on the exit of Turn One and slides down the wall. The damage doesn't look too bad, but he'll need a check-up.

The #055 Level 5 HPD awarded a stop-go and 1 minute "hold" for "avoidable contact". This is assumed to be a reference to the tap on Warren Hughes.

15:45
Warren Hughes brings the Murphy Prototypes Oreca down the pitlane and prepares to hand over to Brendon Hartley. It's fuel, tyres and a speedy exchange.

The pitstop for Dario Franchitti was enough to allow Martin Plowman through to the class lead, second overall.

15:51
The GT situation remains largely unchanged - at least in recent times. Toni Vilander maintains a lead for ESM in the #01 Ferrari of 35 seconds over Richard Westbrook. Jorg Bergmeister has just moved up to third in class, 17th overall, in the #45 Flying Lizards Porsche.

The #66 Racers Group Porsche is off and buried in the gravel at Turn 10. It's a dangerous position, potentially, but a recovery vehicle is on the way.

The track goes full course yellow behind a safety car.

15:55
The #66 TRG Porsche, Spencer Pumpelly in the cockpit, has been successfully extracted from the gravel, and resumed.

16:01
Pitstop for Joe Foster in the #27, which has been steadily slipping back down the order since the heady heights of Dane Cameron's efforts earlier in the race. The Dempsey Lola is now lying 12th overall.

The pitlane is now open for prototypes, and Nicolas Prost is the first to take the opportunity offered. He's just the first of many as this full course yellow continues. The pitlane is suddenly packed to capacity with cars and running figures. Dario Franchitti climbs out of the #055, and Marino is back in again. Bertrand Baguette is another to pit, binging in the #35. That another car that is no longer as highly placed in this race as it once was - now 13th overall. The DeltaWing was another pitter.

Next lap around, the GT cars come in to make their sub-yellow pitstops. Driver changes for both BMWs, and driver change as well for the Lizards, Patrick Long taking over the third-placed #45.

Half race distance; 197 laps completed.

Olivier Pla took over the #35 Morgan Nissan at that last pitstop.

16:14 RACING RESUMES
We're back and racing again. The safety car has bunched up almost everyone, and Marino Franchitti is right on the tail of Martin Plowman in the #37, and then through into the P2 lead on the first lap of fresh racing. Gunnar Jeanette has eased the DeltaWing through to fourth overall, just ahead of Tony Burgess (#20). Brendon Hartley has made good use of the full course yellow as well, having closed on Christophe Bouchut, and then passed him at the restart.

So, Murphy back up to third in LMP2, and Hartley promptly celebrates with a new fastest lap for the #118 with a 1:14.737. Elsewhere, a fastest lap for Oliver Gavin as well, pulling away from Scott Sharp and leading GT.

A second consecutive fastest lap for Hartley, shaving off several tenths to clock a 1:14.183. Bouchut tries to respond, butb his fastest lap is a tenth slower! Then Matthias Beche tries to match them, but misses out by half a second. Hartley's third consecutive fastest lap is a 1:13.804, and that's a class fastest for this race, so far.

16:24
Two Ferraris off at Turn One - Guy Cosmo and Matt Griffin. This time there's serious damage to the rear of the AF Corse F458, but the ESM #02 seems to have fared better. Griffin is limping back to the pitlane.

A slower lap for Hartley, and battle is rejoined with Christophe Bouchut - less than a second between them again now.

Another P2 runner picking up pace is Olivier Pla in the #35 - not unexpected. Several consistent laps and the Oak Morgan is challenging for 10th overall.

Matt Griffin's contretemps for the AF Corse Ferrari has cost the team the lead in GTE-Am, and possibly the title as well. If the IMSA Performance Porsche can capitalise on AF Corse's misfortunes (and the Ferrari is behind the wall now) and stay out of trouble, the title could be theirs.

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