Dunlop Dubai 24 Hours – Hour 19 Report
Al Faisal In A Hurry

We begin the hour under green flag conditions – the Code 60 still a mystery.

08:02 The first drive-through for breaching the balance of performance is issued to the #5 BMW Z4, as predicted earlier.

08:07 Denis Retera nurses the #25 Reiter Lamborghini down the pitlane entrance at a very slow pace, smoke pouring from the back. Happily, what at first appeared to be engine smoke turned out to be a right-rear puncture. However, there is plenty of damage to be repaired on the red LP600.

Further down the field, the #41 Carworld Motorsport Porsche leads the 997 class in 15th overall; the #116 Optimum Motorsport Ginetta leads SP3 in 18th place; the #103 Las Moras Racing Team Renault Megane Trophy leads SP2 in 21st overall; the #57 LAP57 Racing Team Honda Integra Type R leads A2 in 29th overall; and the #51 Le Duigou Racing BMW 130i Cup leads A5 in 39th overall.

The #80 Besaplast BMW Mini has just lost the A2 lead to the Honda after holding it for many hours. A 15 minute stop is the reason. The gap between first and second in class is two minutes with just under six hours to go. Curiously, the second Besaplast car - the #40 Porsche, which also led its (997) class – is on the same lap and running just over a minute ahead of the #80.

08:20 Rolf Ineichen takes the #20 Stadler Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 R past the Gravity Mercedes of Eric Lux and into sixth place.

08:27 Abdulaziz Al Faisal tries to unlap himself from leader Sean Edwards as he chases after second place, and the two cars come close to touching on a couple of occasions.

The gap between the two A2 leaders is diminishing at a rate of eight seconds per lap.

08:33 Al Faisal still pushing Edwards. Ryan Dalziel pits the #36 Audi from 11th.

08:39 Al Faisal posts a 2:04.592 (Joker) as he tries to get by, but Edwards won’t be moved. Ineichen pits from sixth.

08:42 The BMW finally unlaps itself. John Hindhaugh is sure he saw side-by-side contact earlier in the lap. Al Faisal trails Max Nilsson by 51 seconds after 498 laps.

08:44 The #116 Optimum Ginetta pits. It looks to be having a pad change.

08:46 Sean Edwards completes Lap 500. The race record is 608, and more than five hours remain.