Better lighting, closer to the spares, and an unlimited number of people can work on the car. There are metal and carbon shards all over the track and the same with the exploded polystyrene. The styrofoam spreads all over. The carbon bits are little needles or razor blades. The slow zone was cancelled and then reinstated. Marshal post 29 and 30 at Porsche Curves. The cars roll through at 80 kilometers an hour, 50 miles an hour. Sebastien Ogier has a map of the circuit. He knows where he is going, and that is not why. He passed the simuatlor test. If he stops on the road he can tell the crew where he is. Tell your engineer exactly where you are. Sebastien Ogier now chasing Jakub Smiechowski.
At the top of the shop, half a second between the Toyota's as we get to the dawn on Sunday morning. Less than 11 hours to go as the teams are readying for pit stops. Alexander West slowing on the Mulsanne straight in the #59 Inception Racing Ferrari, the Swedish driver who is Bronze rated making his Le Mans debut. Come Ledogar and Marvin Klein are experienced Porsche racers and Ledogar runs his own team in Porsche one-make racing. Good to see Garage 59 back at Le Mans with Andrew Kirkaldy and company.
These boys have been in GT3 racing for years and of course, GT3 is coming to Le Mans in a couple years. Toyota #7 to the lane. They have to hustle to get ahead of their sister car. Driver change to Mike Conway in the second place car, taking over from Kamui Kobayashi. There are now two slow zones in the same vicinity t looks like after Jean Baptiste Lahaye went off the road first and then there was the separate incident we saw. Bad news for the #59 as he has no power or no drive. That is bad news for the Garage 59 team over halfway home, but stuck on the Mulsanne as Jakub Smiechowski locks up battling for positiojn with Sebastien Ogier.
Sebastien Ogier is getting used to moe downforce than a rally car. The sun is beginning to come up as we see Toyota #8 as Sebastien Buemi stepping in for Ryo Hirakawa. Buemi and Conway are both cutting really strong lap times. Another slow zone here as the Garage 59 Ferrari is still stranded. The driver must stay with the car. The rosy glow of dawn is starting to appear. Andre Negrao out and Nico Lapierre into the #36 Alpine and they had a failure of their second rattle gun for the wheels. Of course rattle gun failed because fate kicks your butt when you are already down.
Big lockup for the #23 United Autosports car into Mulsanne corner! Wowzers! Rene Rast in the lane for a cleanup and for regular service. TDS Racing by Vaillante are back after almost writing the car off then Philippe Cimadomo had his license revoked. Nyck de Vries was released from his Toyota obligations for this weekend to come and join this team for the race. Never give up. That is the motto of endurance sports car racing indeed. Tomonobu Fujii at D'station Racing, the mounting points for the chassis where the wishbone attaches has been completely sheared off. So, the #33 TF Sport Aston Martin is the sole remaning car for this entry. Tomonobu Fujii, Charlie Fagg, and Satoshi Hoshino, are out of it.
Fabio Scherer is in the lane now. No. Kuba Smiechowski is in the lane while Fabio Scherer went out of the pit lane. Jakub Smiechowski, a.k.a. Kuba. Mike Conway now leads Sebastien Buemi by 25 seconds. #7 over #8 even with a slower pit stop time. Dawn on the way, and we welcome both Ben Constanduros and Anthony Davidson to the booth. The purple sky is ertainly lightneing with ten and a half hours on the board. Nico Jamin chasing Emmanuel Collard. Two generations of French racing drivers. Collard did not take Penske seriously when they called. One of the AF Corse Ferrari's has just pitted. Collard drove for Penske in the days of the Porsche RS Spyder back in 2006-2008 I believe. Collard is 50 years old, and still a worthy Silver driver.
Emmanuel Collard raced with Pescarolo Sport and the legend, Henri Pescarolo, racing against Audi and Peugeot. Collard pressing hard and Nico Jamin is right behind. Jota have two of their cars in the top three in LMP2. Cool Racing, WRT, Panis Racing, and Cool Racing are in the fight in LMP2 as well. Mike Conway took the lead away from Seb Buemi as the sun rises over Le Mans. We have found the Slow Zone after Jean Baptiste Lahaye's accident and have the track workers doing the barrier repairs. Glickenhaus #708 is catching a few more of the LMP2's and the same is true for the #36 Alpine.
Kevin Estre is now leading LM GTE Pro as Corvette Racing are third in class after their earlier brake problems. Hello and welcome Ben Constanduros back to the booth. Pit lane calls for a couple of the LM P2 teams. Pneske, United Autosport, and othrs. Panis Racing is in and out of the lane as well. Yes indeed. #23 is also in the lane and back out again while the slow zone continues here at Le Mans. Drivers cannot leave the car, stepping away more than ten meters, or they will be disqualified. So calling the pit, ringing the phone to the team saying "I have a problem" is vital.
Antonio Fuoco caught one of the Corvette drivers napping. Yes. He surprised the #63 Corvette sending it down the inside at the Ford Chicane. Gianmaria Bruni is now fourth in GTE Pro in the #91 Porsche 911 RSR-19. The sister #92 leads by nearly three minutes over the #51 AF Corse Ferrari. Prema and car #9 are now in the pit lane for service. Glickenhaus #708 is now fifth in the overall and only has the #38 Jota Sport LMP2 car ahead of it. The light is coming back to Le Mans and we are now in full daylight or thereabouts.
Other teams are beginning to make inroads as the sun is coming up;. Fabio Scheerer and Matthias Beche scrapping in LMP2. Nyck de Vries in the #13 TDS Racing car is really improving. After the race it takes drivers 3-4 days to catch up with their sleeping routines. Porsche #91 to the pit lane. Kevin Estre in the #92 Porsche has taken over the GTE Pro lead. Drivers get zoned in. The "radio" in a race car is the sound of the engine. Hardpoint and WeatherTech Porsche's scrapping in GTE Am for second and third following the leading #33 TF Sport Aston Martin.
Julien Andlauer is in the lead of GTE Am. Porsche #92 to the pit lane. #98, the Northwest AMR Aston Martin has also been in the fight. Michael Christensen takes over from teammate Kevin Estre. Trouble for the #92, wheeled to the garage on the dollies. We'll have to find out what is happening. Looks like a brake change. Quick release dry brake system that takes what, two and a half, three minutes and tey are getting the wheels back on the car lickety split like that.
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