Hour 21: Bentley closes on win

The two privateer Audis seem to have finally given up on the hope that the Bentley would break, and appear to have switched into a conservative mood on the run to the finish.

With the top four looking stable, the continuing battle for fifth between the only remaining Panoz and the Courage-Judd looks set to capture attention over the remaining laps. A third safety car period has closed the pair right up again, and the Panoz trails its French rival by just 8s after 21 hours of racing.

The safety car was brought out when the XL Racing GT class Ferrari 550 Maranello's engine expired in a shower of flames and smoke, and should help cars nursing various mechanical dramas to find their way to the finish.

The Reynard-Lehman and Veloqx Prodrive Ferrari remain in command of the LMP675 and GTS class respectively, and the Alex Job Racing Porsche looks to have finally gained a decisive four lap lead in the GT category.

Kristensen/Capello/Smith Bentley 330 laps
Brabham/Herbert/Blundell Bentley 328 laps
Pirro/Lehto/Johansson Audi 326 laps