<< Back
COURSE
11PM to 1AM: Night is Attritive
dimanche 18 juin 2006 - 01h23
No lack of changes, on track and off.
 
View from in front
Photo : Bertrand COUSSEAU - ACO/Nikon
Hours seven and eight were the beginning of real darkness; for its next quarter, the 24 Heures du Mans will be a true night race. The pace slows only a little, a rough calculation showing the race leaders - all in LMP1 - were averaging about seven seconds a lap more than their fastest times. In GT1 the pace was off by far less. If one considers it, this is incredible: large sections of the circuit are very dark, drivers often noting that the Mulsanne straight is pitch black at this time, but they go on slower.

Some years, night is an almost restful time at Le Mans; things proceed as planned for some teams, and end completely for others. This year there has been a succession of cars pitting, being wheeled into their respective garages, worked on, and returned to the track...and there has been a succession of cars falling off the track, many of them Porsche 911s of GT2 class.

Every time spectators relaxed and settled in for the long night chase, there was more news. The No.85 Spyker lost its engine. No.20 Pierre Bruneau Pilbeam Judd went off in the Ford chicane, near the pit lane entrance, and was pulled to safety by a tractor before returning to its garage. The No.32 Barazi Epsilon Courage AER experienced a brake fire while in its garage. The No. 16 Pescarolo Judd was driven directly into its garage by Nicolas Minassian, and remained there for an hour and twenty minutes as various parts were changed, reportedly including a starter motor and some electronic modules.

The apparently ill-starred No.2 Zytek pulled to a halt at Indianapolis corner while at nearly the same time the No.24 Binnie Motorsports Lola Zytek pulled into its garage and was all but disassembled by mechanics seeking an undisclosed problem. The No.2 Zytek was able to return to the race thanks to valiant work by the team, and eventually reported a probable crash involving the No.90 White Lightning Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Pedro Lamy took the lead in GT1, giving Aston Martin fans a great lift, but it required a pit stop by Oliver Gavin in the No.64 C6.R Corvette to make it happen. Throughout these hours, the drivers barely slowed the pace. Night is not quiet at Le Mans.

As the ninth hour began the running order was:

LMP1: No.8 Team Audi Sport Joest R10 of Biela/Pirro/Werner, 130 Laps; No.17 Pescarolo Judd of Helary/Montagny/Loeb, 128 Laps; No.7 Team Audi Sport Joest R10 of Capello/Kristensen/McNish, 124 Laps

LMP2 No.25 RML Lola AER of Erdos/Newton/Wallace, 123 Laps; No.39 Chamberlain-Synergy Motorsport Lola AER of Amaral/de Castro/Hughes, 120 Laps; No.27 Miracle Motorsports Courage AER of Macaluso/Lally/James, 113 Laps

GT1 No.009 Aston Martin Racing DBR9 of Lamy/Ortelli/Sarrazin, 123 Laps; No.64 Corvette Racing C6.R of Gavin/Beretta/Magnussen, 123 Laps; No.62 Russian Age Racing DBR9 of Brabham/Piquet/Garcia, 120 Laps

GT2 No.83 of Seikel Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3RSR of Nielsen/Ehret/Farnbacher, 112 Laps; No.86 Spyker Squadron C8 Spyder of Bleekemolen/Hezemans/Kane, 112 Laps; No.87 Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari F430 GT of Kirkaldy/Niarchos/Mullen, 111 Laps
Go to the list
 
 
   
ACO Website | Tools | Contact us | Legal terms Comments, worries, best picks ? Contact us
© Automobile Club de l'Ouest