5hrs: McRae hits trouble

Most significant has been problems for the Colin McRae-driven Ferrari, which pulled into its garage from second place behind the leading Corvette. McRae had been progressing well in his first stint in the car, getting his times down to the 3m55s range, but then had a small spin at Mulsanne after which a clutch slip developed.

There has been a lead change in the LMP2 category, since the leading Courage pulled in with gearbox trouble. It was British driver Sam Hancock at the wheel when the failure occurred.

"We've had to treat the gearbox with kid gloves right through the week. I lost every gear except second just after the pit lane entry. It is sod's law that it would happen there."

While that car remains under attention, the Epsilon Sport entry crept into the class lead, although that is 18th overall.

As for the leaders, it was Seiji Ara who took over the chasing Team Goh car from Tom Kristenseen. The Japanese driver more than held his own in the chase, but wass unable to consistently keep up Kristensen's progress. The gap has kept steady at just over a lap.

Meanwhile Champion Audi driver Marco Werner has been flying in the car crashed earlier by JJ Lehto. He is now up to 12th, and lapping as quickly as anybody.

Another recovering Audi is that of Frank Biela and Pierre Kaffer, who will not have the assistance of Allan McNish after the Scot was told by doctors not to take further part in the race.

"The main thing is that Allan is OK," said Biela. It's going to be difficult with just two drivers for the next nineteen hours. But we will go as far as possible, and we will have to do triple stints."

Other incidents in the hour were a puncture for the Rollcentre Dallara-Judd, which fortunately did not cost the team too much time. Jan Lammers also pitted the Dome-Judd from fourth place at the end of the hour, and it remains in the Racing for Holland garage. All this means that the Pescarolo-Judd is now looking quite safe in third, driven as it is by Soheil Ayari, Eric Comas and Benoit Treluyer.

Davies/Herbert/Smith Audi R8 LM1 78 laps completed
Ara/Capello/Kristensen Audi R8 LM1 77 laps
Ayari/Comas/Treluyer Pescarolo-Judd LM1 76 laps
Lammers/Dyson/Kaneishi Dome-Judd LM1 75 laps
Short/Barff/Barbosa Dallara-Judd LM1 75 laps
Gavin/Beretta/Magnussen Corvette GTS 73 laps
Enge/Kox/Menu Ferrari 550 GTS 73 laps
Collard/Bourdais/Minassian Pescarolo-Judd LM1 71 laps
Andre/Leuenberger/Vanni Lola-Judd LM1 71 laps
Bouchut/Goueslard/Dupard Ferrari 550 GTS 70 laps
Lehto/Werner/Pirro Audi R8 LM1 69 laps
Katoh/Michigami/Fukuda Dome-Mugen LM1 69 laps
Hezemans/Deletraz/Barde Ferrari 575 GTS 69 laps
McRae/Rydell/Turner Ferrari 550 GTS 68 laps
Maasen/Bergmeister/Long Porsche GT 68 laps
Jeanette/Pickering/Derlot Courage-Willman LM2 68 laps
Kelleners/Ortelli/Dumas Porsche GT 68 laps
Bosch/Sullivan/Biagi Ferrari 575 GTS 68 laps
Fellows/O'Connell/Papis Corvette GTS 68 laps
Wallace/Brabham/Shimoda Zytek LM1 67 laps
Rosa/van Merkstein/Caffi Porsche GT 67 laps
Hindery/Lieb/Rockenfeller Porsche GT 66 laps
Melo/Daoudi/de Fournoux Ferrari 360 GT 66 laps
Coronel/Wilson/Firman Dome-Judd LM1 66 laps
Wilson/Montain/Hugenholtz Ferrari 360 GT 66 laps
Alphand/Laveille/Almeras Porsche GT 66 laps
Kurosawa/Nishizawa/Oriodo Porsche GT 66 laps
Burgess/Collin/Bagnall Porsche GT 65 laps
Vasiliev/Fomenko/Nearn Porsche GT 65 laps
Berridge/Caine/Stockton TVR GT 65 laps
Binnie/Field/Sutherland Lola-Judd LM2 65 laps
Frei/Gounon/Hancock Courage-AER LM2 64 laps
Donaldson/Fisken/Nielsen Porsche GT 64 laps
Nielsen/Elgaard/Moller Lister LM1 63 laps
Khan/Smith/Sugden Porsche GT 61 laps
Sharpe/Hyde/Cunningham Morgan 60 laps
Terada/Roussel/Porta WR LM2 58 laps
Tomlinson/Greensall/Evans TVR GT 57 laps
Newton/Erdos/Kinch Lola-MG LM1 56 laps
Stirling/Lupberger/McGarrity Nasamax-Judd LM1 56 laps
Biela/Kaffer/McNish Audi R8 LM1 56 laps
Belmondo/Gosselin/Saviozzi Courage-AER LM2 55 laps
Bourdais/Blanchemain/Berville Panoz LM1 54 laps
Bouvet/Gommendy/Briere WR LM2 52 laps
Maurylaribiere/Boulay/Besson Reynard-Lehman LM1 51 laps
Field/Dayton/Connor Lola-Judd 29 laps
Warnock/Matthews/Daniels Porsche 27 laps
Andrews/Lockie/Kumpen Lola-Caterpillar LM1 35 laps