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WEC
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 76th Le Mans 24 Hours
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The No.80 Porsche 997 car driven by Seth Neiman has spun off into the gravel. A handful of marshals have gone to attend to the car.
The No.80 Porsche is trying to make it back to the pits. The car has serious damage, with wheels pointing at awkward angles and is proving a challenge to drive back.
The No.10 Lola Aston is also on a recovery run from that earlier crash and has finally made it in to the pits.
The No.10 Lola Aston is also on a recovery run from that earlier crash and has finally made it in to the pits.
The No.40 Lola AER has spun at Mulsanne corner. The car was being driven by Guy Smith at the time, and replays show that he was involved in light side to side contact with the No.64 Corvette that was being driven by Olivier Beretta.
The No.40 rejoined with no visible damage.
The No.40 rejoined with no visible damage.
The No.80 is now back in the pits with lots of work ahead of the Flying Lizard crew to get that car out again.
The Team Essex Porshe RS Spyder now leads in LMP2 with Casper Elgaard still at the wheel. Jos Verstappen is running second in class in the other Spyder, seven seconds behind.
Autosport.com's team on the ground tell us that Lola predict at least half an hour will be needed to repair the No.10 car after that crash in the Dunlop chicane.
Up front the Peugeots continue to lead the race with two hours already completed.
The No.8 with Stephane Sarrazin driving leads, with Christian Klien in the No.9 car in second. Klien is 46 seconds behind Sarrazin. Jacques Villeneuve runs third in the No.7 Peugeot, now 74 seconds off the lead.
The Audis continue to lap slower to the tune of three seconds per lap or more. Mcnish is fourth in the No.2 entry and within a minute of the lead, but Luhr and Pirro in fifth and sixth are now well over two minutes behind Sarrazin.
The No.8 with Stephane Sarrazin driving leads, with Christian Klien in the No.9 car in second. Klien is 46 seconds behind Sarrazin. Jacques Villeneuve runs third in the No.7 Peugeot, now 74 seconds off the lead.
The Audis continue to lap slower to the tune of three seconds per lap or more. Mcnish is fourth in the No.2 entry and within a minute of the lead, but Luhr and Pirro in fifth and sixth are now well over two minutes behind Sarrazin.
The No.8 pits for Peugeot from the lead, starting the fourth round of stops after only seven laps since the last stop.
Alex Wurz takes the wheel and the car is spun around to go into the garage ...
Alex Wurz takes the wheel and the car is spun around to go into the garage ...
So it is the first sign of trouble for Peugeot with the No.8 car being looked over by a swarm of mechanics within the garage.
Wurz appears to be trying to change gear on the steering wheel, perhaps indicating that there is trouble with the transmission.
Wurz appears to be trying to change gear on the steering wheel, perhaps indicating that there is trouble with the transmission.
The No.24 Courage Japanese entry comes into the pitlane, after touring round most of a lap with a problem.
The engine cover is off on the No.8 Peugeot as they continue to try and fix the former leader.
The No.7 Peugeot comes into the pits. Jacques Villeneuve climbs out, and Marc Gene climbs into the car and is being strapped in.
Gene now leaves the pitlane without any problem.
Gene now leaves the pitlane without any problem.
The No.9 Peugeot, with Klien at the wheel, is being called back to the pits as officials unhappy that the lights are not working on the car.
The No.9 is in for repairs to the lights as Peugeot hit trouble with another car. The entire nose section is being replaced to try and get the lights working.
Jacques Villeneuve has spoken to Radio Le Mans and reports that the stop for the No.7 car was for a puncture, as the No.2 Audi goes into the lead of the race.
Mcnish leads at La Sarthe.
Mcnish leads at La Sarthe.
The No.16 Pescarolo Judd with Emmanuel Collard driving has spun off after attempting to overtake one of the Euskadi machines. Collard was in seventh position at the time and has dropped down the order.
Allan Mcnish continues to lead the race after two-and-a-half hours in the No.2 Audi He is now a minute clear of the closest Peugeot.
The Peugeot challenge hits a bumpy spell as all three cars have had problems in recent minutes.
The No.7 has recovered from an early stop with a puncture and is now underway again with Marc Gene at the wheel in second overall.
The No.8 remains in the garage with technical trouble.
The No.9 is running again in fourth, with working lights and Ricardo Zonta driving, after being called in for mandatory repairs.
The No.7 has recovered from an early stop with a puncture and is now underway again with Marc Gene at the wheel in second overall.
The No.8 remains in the garage with technical trouble.
The No.9 is running again in fourth, with working lights and Ricardo Zonta driving, after being called in for mandatory repairs.
Spins, incidents, broken rules and mechanical trouble have distracted us from the battles in the other classes recently.
In LMP2 it is Porsche-Spyders leading the way. The No.31 Team Essex car is 12th overall, and leading it's class, ahead of Jos Verstappen in the No.34 Van Merksteijn car. These two cars are separated by over a minute, and are well ahead of their LMP2 competition.
In LMP2 it is Porsche-Spyders leading the way. The No.31 Team Essex car is 12th overall, and leading it's class, ahead of Jos Verstappen in the No.34 Van Merksteijn car. These two cars are separated by over a minute, and are well ahead of their LMP2 competition.
Alex Wurz is now driving the No.8 Peugeot back out of the pit lane after over 20 minutes in the garage.
The No.11 Dome has pitted from sixth, handing that position to Loic Duval in the No.5 Oreca Courage.
At the front of the field the chase is on as the No.7 leads the charge after Mcnish's current lead for Audi. The gap between them is just over a minute, but Gene is running one second per lap faster than the No.2 Audi.
Alex Wurz in Peugeot No.8 is shown in 29th overall, six laps behind the leader.
The No.1 Audi has pitted from fifth and is underway again with Marco Werner at the wheel.
In GT1 it's all change as the 009 with Andy Garcia at the controls leads the class. He is in 22nd position overall and is embroiled in a dogfight with the Corvettes, who are catching him.
Johnny O'connell in the No.63 is just nine seconds behind the leading Aston, with Olivier Beretta in the sister Corvette No.64 six seconds further back.
Johnny O'connell in the No.63 is just nine seconds behind the leading Aston, with Olivier Beretta in the sister Corvette No.64 six seconds further back.
The No.3 Audi is also in the pits with a driver change to Alexandre Premat.
The leader pits as Allan Mcnish brings the No.2 Audi down pitroad.
Mcnish climbs out of the car after almost three hours at the wheel, handing over to Rinaldo Capello.
Mcnish climbs out of the car after almost three hours at the wheel, handing over to Rinaldo Capello.
Marc Gene now resumes the lead in the No.7, 21 seconds ahead of the first Audi.
Ricardo Zonta is third in the No.9 car, 52 seconds down on the leader.
Ricardo Zonta is third in the No.9 car, 52 seconds down on the leader.
The No.50 Saleen with Christophe Bouchut has come off the track in the Dunlop curves.
Replays show that the right rear wheel became dislodged at speed, pitching the Frenchman immediately into the gravel.
The recovery team are at the scene and fishing the Saleen away from danger.
Replays show that the right rear wheel became dislodged at speed, pitching the Frenchman immediately into the gravel.
The recovery team are at the scene and fishing the Saleen away from danger.
Gene's temporary lead come to an end as the Peugeot makes its fifth stop. Dindo Capello leads again in the No.2 Audi.
Zonta's No.9 Peugeot has pitted from second, with the French cars still running shorter fuel stints than their Audi rivals
The No.50 Saleen is now back to the pits, having lost a wheel early in the lap a few minutes ago. The car is backed in to the garage for repairs.
Alex Wurz in the repaired No.8 Peugeot is now in 27th position overall and setting consistent laptimes around the 3 minute 25 second mark.
He is catching the magnificent GT1 battle that we mentioned a few laps ago hand over fist. If Wurz continues his current pace he could make it into the top 20 by the end of the fourth hour.
He is catching the magnificent GT1 battle that we mentioned a few laps ago hand over fist. If Wurz continues his current pace he could make it into the top 20 by the end of the fourth hour.
The No.11 factory Dome Judd pits from sixth overall, two laps behind the diesel leaders.
Rinaldo Capello leads the 24 hours for Audi in the No.2. Marc Gene is chasing after him in the Peugeot No.7. The gap is now 32 seconds.
Riocardo Zonta makes it a Peugeot two-three. He is 92 seconds off the lead, with Alexandre Premat running fourth for Audi, 36 seconds behind Zonta.
Marco Werner is fifth in the Audi No.1 car, with the Japanese Dome Judd running superbly in sixth place.
Riocardo Zonta makes it a Peugeot two-three. He is 92 seconds off the lead, with Alexandre Premat running fourth for Audi, 36 seconds behind Zonta.
Marco Werner is fifth in the Audi No.1 car, with the Japanese Dome Judd running superbly in sixth place.
The No.11 Dome Judd now pits from that sixth place, and Tatsuya Kataoka takes over at the wheel.
The No.5 Oreca Courage now takes over sixth from the Dome, with Laurent Groppi at the wheel, but will be due a stop shortly.
Alex Wurz in the No.8 Peugeot is now working his way through the GT1 leading battle. The Austrian moves that car up to 23rd position.
The LMP2 leaders continue to scrap in the pair of RS Spyders, with the team Team Essex car driven by John Nielsen now pulling away from team owner Peter van Merksteijn in his car.
The GT1 battle continues with pitstops for the leading group of four.- all except Johnny O'Connell in the No.63 who has a 35 second lead for Corvette. The leader is due in soon and O'Connell is expected to hand over to Le Mans veteran Ron Fellows.
By: Geoff Creighton, Emlyn Hughes
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