June 16, 2007 - Start is given under a cloudy sky, but the track is dry. Bourdais is fastest away with the #8 Peugeot 908 but runs widely after the Dunlop chicane to be passed by Capello in the #2 Audi R10. At the end of the first lap it's Audi-Peugeot-Peugeot. Contrarily to what was generally expected not the Peugeots, but the Audis are setting the pace. After 30 minutes of racing top-3 are the three Audis, followed at already 23 secs by the two Peugeots. When, after some 50 minutes the cars come in to make their first regular pit stops, the #7 Peugeot can shortly move into second position, but when all pit stops are done it's again Audi-Audi-Audi-Peugeot-Peugeot. Struggle for the sixth place goes between the #16 Pescarolo 01, the #14 Dome of Lammers and the #5 Swiss Spirit Lola 07/10 Audi. Of the LMP1 prototypes the #19 Chamberlain Synergy has a puncture and drops in the standings. After one hour the Capello #2 Audi R10 has 33 secs in hand over Biela's #1 Audi and 49 secs over Luhr's #3 Audi. Minassian's #7 Peugeot follows already at 52 secs, Bourdai's #8 Peugeot at 58. Ten cars are still on the lead lap.
In LMP2 Fernandez in the Barazi Epsilon Zytek holds during 40 minutes the lead before being passend by the Quifel ASM Lola B05/40, passing as 14th overall after one hour. The other Barazi Epsilon Zytek lost two laps in the pits after a spin.
In LMGT1 Bouchut is leading nearly the complete first hour in the Larbre Compétition Aston, but during a lightly prolonged pit stop he's passed by the two works Astons, leading the two works Corvettes. The Lambo is already out since the first lap, stopped at the Michelin chicane.
In LMGT2 the Imsa Porsche of Long leads during the complete first hour. In the Flying Lizard ALMS Porsche Bergmeister follows easily, but after a spin he is passed by the Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari and Risi's.
At 16h09 rain suddenly falls down and the pace car comes out until 16h22. Some cars come in to change their slicks for rain tyres (e.g. the two works Corvettes). At Audi they remain on slicks and that seems the good choice since rain seems to have easing off. Under green the Radical, being 18th at that moment goes heavily off at the Porsche chicanes. The front suspension is damaged, the front splitter broken. Back in the pits one sees that the monocoque is split and the car withdraws. On the #32 Barazi Zytek 07S/2 the front suspension needs to be replaced, making the car seriously dropping in the standings. 16h32: big panic at Audi when Rockenfeller touches the barrier with the rear of the Audi R10. The car is so heavily touched that rejoining the track seems impossible. For the first time in 7 years Audi looses a car at the 24 hours. At 16h49 the very experienced Jamie Campbell-Walter is victim of aquaplaning with the #9 Creation. The car is seriously damaged. One minute later the #64 works Corvette with Gavin at the wheel stops at Arnage with clutch failure. Marshals push the car behind the barriers. When Gavin tries to restart the marshals refused so. At Corvette one is furious about it. The #1 Audi comes in the pits for a new front since the lights are not working properly. So the Peugeots, closely followed by the #16 Pescarolo, move up into second and third position. When they come in for their regular stop the Pescarolo 01 runs a short while in second position. After two hours it's Audi-Pesca-Peugeot-Peugeot-Audi. No other cars in the lead lap.

June 16, 2007 - After Rockenfeller's accident the pace car is again out. After three hours we had half of the time as racing under yellow. When the #16 Pescarolo comes in to mount intermediary tyres, the Peugeots can take again their second and third position. In LMP2 the Portuguese Quifel ASM Lola B05/40, having been 8th at a given moment, is leader, followed at one lap by Robbie Kerr in the #32 Barazi Zytek. In LMGT1 the Astons are at the three first places with the lonely surviving works Corvette within one minute. In LMGT2 the Autorlando Porsche 997 could go into the lead, initially followed by the two Panoz LMGT cars, later by the Risi and Ecosse Ferraris.
At 18h06 the #14 Racing for Holland Dome S101.5, now with Bleekemolen at the wheel, no longer Lammers, spins off the track at Mulsanne, letting a lot of debris on the track. The rear wing has gone, just as the wing cover. The car can join the pits where it is in for repairs. After four hours of racing only two cars are still in the same lap: the #2 Audi R10 and the #8 Peugeot 908, now already at 2'40"312. Then follow the #1 Audi, whilst the #16 Pescarolo could pass the #7 Peugeot for the fourth place. In LMP1 the Quifel ASM Lola B05/40 (still 11th) is leading the #33 Barazi Zytek (now 15th) by one lap, and the #24 Del Bello Courage LC75, just as the RML by two laps. In LMGT1 the two works Astons (12th & 13th) are leading the works Corvette: all three in the same lap, four laps down to the leading Audi R10. In LMGT2 the #93 Autorlando Porsche 997 (28th) is leading the #97 Risi ALMS Ferrari F430 by 48 secs. Some 30 secs further we find the #76 Imsa Porsche 997 and the Ecosse Ferrari F430.
During the fifth hour the two Audis are improving their speed. With the #2 Kristensen as fist, McNish as following improve lap per lap the race record with a 3'29"219 at the end of the hour. The Audis are now again first and second. Earlier, at 19h01 the RML #25 spun of the track, damaging seriously the right front and right rear. After having been towed away Wallace could limp back to the pits where the long repairs can start. For the #5 Swiss Spirit Lola B07/10 Audi - already earlier in problems - the race is over at 19h09, when the car stops at once at Arnage and is pushed behind the barrier. The #81 LNT Panoz is dropping in the standings since the car is in the garage with gearbox woes. At 19h32 Stefan Johansson stops at once at the end of the pit lane. His mechanics are talking with him at the other end of the pit lane. The motor cover comes off. Precious laps are lost before the car can rejoin the track. At 19h45 Sarrazin slows down: the #8 Pevugeot suffers from a broken bearing. At 20h02 the car rejoins. The #2 Audi has now 1 lap over the #2 with the #7 Peugeot at two laps. The #8 Peugeot drops into 13th position atn 7 laps.
Standings after 6 hours - 1. #1 Audi R10 TDi 89 laps, 2. #1 Audi R10 TDi at 1 lap, 3. #7 Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP at 3 laps, 4. #16 Pescarolo 01 Judd; 5. #17 Pescarolo 01 Judd at 5 laps, 6. #15 Charouz Lola B07/10 at 6 laps, 7. Rollcentre Pescarolo 01 Judd, 8. #12 Courage LC70 AER, 9. #33 Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S/2 (1st LMP2), 10. #007 Aston Martin DBR9 (1st LMGT1) at 7 laps, 11. #8 Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP, 12. #009 Aston Martin DBR9 at 8 laps, 13. #40 Quifel ASM Lola B05/40, 14. #63 Corvette C6R, #008 15. Larbre Aston Martin DBR9, 24. Risi Ferrari F430 GTC at 11 laps (1st LMGT2), 25. Flying Lizard Porsche 997 GT3-RSR at 12 laps, etc.

June 16, 2007 - Back on the track the #9 Creation CA07 in hands of Felipe Ortiz makes a driving error at the Playstation chicane. 21h07: an overpressure of the oil system provokes an oil leak on the #17 Pescarolo, loosing 25 minutes in the pits for repairs. Team director is furious. At 21h28 one has to change the wheel bearings on the #7 Peugeot. Mc Nish puts a new race lap record in 3'28"698. The Peugeots loose now 3 to 4 secs per lap. The two leading Audis are pulling away from the rest of the field. The #17 Pescarolo is found in troubles and drops in the standings. The #5 Swiss Spirit Lola B07/10 Audi is officially retired. The class leading #007 works Aston Martin takes a lap on the remaining works Corvette. At 21h35 the yellow #29 Dome S101.5 Mader is retired with an engine failure. 21h52: new lap record for McNish, rocketing around the circuit as a devil. Now it's  3'27"684. Shortly after the works Corvette hits the #1 Audi in the back. The German car comes into the pits for reparation of the body. Seven minutes later the car rejoins the race in second position. Meanwhile the safety car comes out - now Nakano went in the tyre wall - to allow a safe recovery (under yellow) of the car.
While the safety car was on track for the recovery of the No.9 Creation Judd, the No.44 Kruse Motorsport Pescarolo Judd with Tony Burgess at the wheel spun in the pit lane entry. It created a bit of mayhem, as a great number of cars were taking the opportunity to pit while the safety car was on track. The incoming cars all took avoiding action and contact was avoided. The track marshals pushed the car to a position of safety and it was able to make its own way into the pit lane. It was pushed into the garage for work to be carried out. After eight hours the #2 Audi R10 has two laps in hand over the #1 sister car. The Peugeot follows already at four laps. The #33 Barazi Zytek looses its leading position in LMP2 after serious problems with the brake system. The #006 Aston Martin suffers a broken ball bearing and looses valuable time in the pits. The #40 Quifel ASM Lola B05/40 is again class leader, entering the top-10. At 22h35 the #86 Spyker C8 retires after an engine failure. Chasing the class leading Quifel ASM Lola, Kurosawa clocks the fastest LMP2 time: 3'41"689. Eventually he'll pass the Quifel, leading LMP2 at 23h36. At 23h38 the two works Astons have a complete lap over the last works Covette, purchased by Bouchut and Gollin in the Larbre Compétition Aston. The two Oreca Saleens are three laps down to the works Astons. 
23h45: The Quifel ASM Lola seems in serious troubles, loosing places in the provisional ranking.  Bourdais (#8 Peugeot 908) passes the Rollcentre Pescarolo and goes after the Czech Charouz Lola and the fifth place. Both cars are 1'40" away from each other. Shortly before the end of the ninth hour the #97 Risi Ferrari F430 GTC - top favourite in its class - has two laps over a trio with the #93 Autorlando Porsche 997, the #87 Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari F430 and the ALMS Flying Lizard #80 Porsche, all three racing nose to tail. After nine hours it'sstill Audi-Audi-Peugeot-Pescarolo. We have at least info what went wrong with the Quifel Lola. 23:18 hrs. The leading LM P2 No.40 Quifel-ASM Team Lola AER B05-40 has pulled off course at Tertre Rouge with the right rear wheel completely missing from the car. The driver was unable to continue safely, and pulled to the side of the road. He has received instructions from the crew by radio, but has not yet been able to return to the pits. Finally, the driver of the No.40 Lola AER has been instructed to drive the car on 3 wheels and return to the garage. It will be over 6 miles at a significantly reduced pace.  

June 17, 2007 - Shortly after mid-race the come-back of the #13 Courage comes to an end, when, after a great effort by Stefan Johansson, Moreau brings the car to the garage for new repairs. The #24 Courage of Del Bello is immobile in the standings and looses its good position. In the #33 Zytek 07S/2 Fernandez makes an unbelievable return. At 4h00 he's already twentieth (third in LMP2). At 4h15 the strong "remonte" by Fernandez comes to an end (rear wheel bearing failure) and the car drops again in the standings. The Charouz #15 is in the garage and passed by the Rollcentre Pescarolo. At 4h20 the good old Russian Ferrari F550 Maranello enters the top-20. A prolonged regular pit stop of the #007 works Aston makes it loosing the class lead to the #009 sister car. Both cars are 19 secs apart, with the works Corvette always following at one lap and the Bouchut/Gollin/Elgard #008 Aston following at two laps. At 4h25 the two Astons pass the Charouz Lola. Four minutes later the works Corvette does the same, moving into ninth position. Again four minutes later it's up ton Gollin to bring the #008 Aston in the top-10. The Czech Lola B07/10 is always immobile. We have now four LMGT1 cars within the top-10: three Astons and the works Corvette. Meanwhile Lammers is moving up with the Dome S101.5. Within an hour he may be expected again in the top-20. In the mid of the night Vergers improves the LMP2 lap record: 3'40"946. His Zytek 07S/2 is already 26th. 4h40: the BMS Aston and the two Saleens have now also passed the poor Charouz Lola. At 4h42 McNish improves once more the track record on the leading Audi #2: 3'27"204. Before the end of the fourteenth hour Enge can pass Brabham, so that the #007 Aston is again leading the #009. Ortelli is in problems with the #55 Saleen, loosing field (starter refuses to work). Fixing will cost more than an hour (16 laps).
The last Spyker C8 and the Quifel AMS Lola have both retired. Just before 5h00 the #15 Charouz Lola B07/10 Judd rejoins the circuit in fourteenth position. Lammers is already twenty-first with the #14 Dome S101.5 Judd. But then problems and again to the garage.  Vergers, being third in LMP2, does great efforts to bring his light blue #32 Zytek 07S/2 closer to the Saulnier Lola B05/40 AER, being two laps further. For Lammers (Dome) and Ortelli (Saleen) any hope on an ultimo top-10 place has gone. Both cars are immobile in the pits. Temperature in the pits is eleven degrees centigrade, but now that day dawns sunny, a serious raise may be expected. There is no solution for the oil pressure problems on the #13 Courage LC70. So the car is retired. At 5h57 Jan Lammers can continue his eventful race from 27th position. Bon courage, mon gars!

June 17, 2007 - At 6h20 the sovereign leader in LMGT2, Risi's Ferrari F430 GTC, having had a two lap lead over the Ecosse Ferrari, the Imsa and the Autorlando Porsches comes to the garage, loosing it's class lead to the other Ferrari.The Imsa Porsche is now second in its class, 2'05" behind the Ecosse. When shortly after 6h20 the #16 Pescarolo 01 Judd looses ten minutes in the pits, it will loose its fourth place to the #8 Peugeot. Now we have Audi - Audi (at 3 laps) - Peugeot (at 7 laps) - Peugeot (at 10 laps). Since both Audis realise sharper lap times than the Peugeots, the French lion can only win should both Audis run in problems (they do not, they did never before). At 6h65 the #97 was always in the garage. It appears that the car, in hands of Jaime Melo, hurt some debris, destroying the front splitter and the radiator. At 7h04 Herbert made an excursion at the grass at Arnage, damaging the front splitter of the #007 Aston. After repairs the car came back as fourth in its class. At 7h26 the #33 Barazi Zytek goes straight at Arnage, suffering serious damages. Shortly after the leading Audi R10 TDi lost its three lap advantage over the sister car. Indeed at 7h35 the car lost the left wheel and crashed (Capello at the wheel). At any rate the #1 Audi is the new leader, two laps ahead over the #2 and the first Peugeot follows now as third, three/four laps behind the leader. We got following info on Capello's accident: Great drama at 07:35, as the leading No.2Audi R10 TDI driven by Rinaldo Capello lost the left rear wheel and crashed head on at the high speed Indianapolis corner. It buried itself front first into the tyre wall and Capello was removed from the car by the marshals. He was reluctant to leave the car, but the marshalls appeared to give him no choice. The tow truck arrived to remove the car from the wall and after 4 minutes Capello got back into the car and attempted to return to the pits. Capello then got back out of the car and walked around it in a very animated manner. He appeared absolutely unable to accept that the car was so badly damaged, and at times was seen pleading beside the car. There were anxious faces in the Audi pit, led by Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, while they watched the footage of the very second hand looking Audi. As the laps clicked by, it seemed impossible to believe that this car could continue. The No.1 Audi will take the lead from the two Peugeot Sport entries."  It becomes obvious that Audi lost a second car (at Capello's birth date!) so that Tom Kristensen will not win his eighth Le Mans (what will leave the 40,000 Danish supporters along the track disappointed). At 8h21 the #2 Audi is officially retired. In LMGT1 Corvette is always a small lap behind the leading Aston. In LMGT2 the Scotish Ferrari has only 40 secs in hand on the Imsa Porsche 997. Meanwile the Peugeots moved up into second and third place.

June 17, 2007 - Just before the end of the 18th hour the #87 Scuderia Ecosse passes no more (split radiator), so that the #76 Imsa Performance Porsche inherits the first placein LMGT2.
Standings at mid-race after 18 hours - 1. #1 Audi R10 TDi 281 laps, 2. #7 Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP at 4 laps, 3. #8 Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP at 7 laps, 4. #16 Pescarolo 01 Judd at 79laps, 5. #18 Rollcentre Pescarolo 01 Judd at 16 laps, 6. #009 AMR Aston Martin DBR9 (1st LMGT1) at 21 laps , 7. CR Corvette C6R at 22 laps, 8. Larbre Compétition Aston Martin DBR9 at 23 laps, 9. #007 AMR Aston Martin DBR912, 10. #54 Team Oreca Saleen 7-R at 26 laps,  11. #15 Charouz Lola B07/10 Judd at 27 laps, 12. #100 BMS Aston Martin DBR9 at 18 laps, 13. #55 Team Oreca Saleen 7-R, 13. #31 Binnie Motorsports Lola B05/4G0 Zytek (1st LMP2) at 29 laps, 14. #72 Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6R at 33 laps, 15 Convers MenX Ferrari F550 Maranello at Z7 laps, 16. Imsa Performance Porsche 997 GT3-RSR (1st LMGT2) at 38 laps, 17. #87 Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari F 430 GTC at 40 laps, 18. #32 Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S/2, 19. #17 Pescarolo 01 Judd  at 41 laps, 20. #55 Team  Oreca Saleen S7-R, etc. Still 37 cars out of 54 are racing, 17 have retired.  
The next hour the #87 Scuderia Ecosse and the #97 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 will both be retired. That is also the case with the #25 RML Lola B05/40 AER due to an engine failure. and for the #32 Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S/2 having hit the pit wall strong enough to destroy the car. That implies that only two out of eleven LMP2 cars are still in the race: the class leading #31 Binnie Motorsport Lola B05/40 Zytek and the #33 Barazi Epsilon Zytek 07S/2 (having electronic engine management problems. Of the thirteen LMGT2 cars six are still in the race. Of the fourteen LMP1 prototypes only five are out at noon, and of the fifteen LMGT1 cars only two were retired. After 21 hours of racing, at noon thus, still 31 cars out of 54 continue the race. At 11h28 the #16 Pescarolo 01 Judd comes in for an unscheduled pit stop. There is an abnormal tyre wear on one wheel. The suspension is adjusted and the car rejoins the race in fourth position. At 11h50 the class leading works Aston can take a second lap over the incredible valiant #63 works Corvette having been nearly the whole race one lap behind the Aston works car setting the pace. At the smallest error Corvette can do what it did the three previous years: taking the ultimate victory in class LMGT1.
In front none of the two Peugeots succeed to narrow the gap with the lonely surviving works Audi R10, and that despite several laps in the 3'27s and 3'28s. The #1 Audi seems untouchable and the gap with the first Peugeot is more than five laps. With less than three hours to g o the six Aston Martins are still all six in the race - be it that the very tired #006 (the slowest of the six) waits before its garage to do a last lap and to cross the finish line. Of the LMP2 cars only the Binnie Motorsports Lola B04/50 Zytek was reliable. All others were involved in eventful racing with lots of bothers.

June 17, 2007 - With two hours to go it seems that the fight for the overall win comes to an end. The leading Audi R10 TDi of Biela/Pirro/Werner is too fast and too reliable that one should hope that the two Peugeots can do a miracle. In LMP2, with only two cars left, there can be no doubt that the #31 Binnie Lola will win its class: the other car follows at more than 22 laps. Also over and out is the struggle amongst the LMGT2 cars. After the withdrawal of Risi's fastest car (#88) and of Scuderia Ecosse's Ferrari (having dominated the Porsche during 3/4 of the race) the now leading Imsa Matmut #76 has seven laps in hand over Risi's second Ferrari, the slower one. Only in LMGT1 a gruelling combat continues, just as it was at the three previous years. In 2004 the works Corvettes were dominated during the largest part of the race by Larbre's Ferrari F550 Maranello, but during the two last hours the car ran in problems. The Corvettes not. They won. In 2005 and 2006 the Astons dominated the works Corvettes - again during the largest part of the race - but at those two occasions Corvette could avoid problems. Aston not. Thus Corvette won. This year it's a very similar scenario. Once more Corvette is waiting the smallest weakness of its concurrent. And that's only one car, the #009 Aston, since Bouchut & Co, after 22 hours of fighting are always one lap short. The slightest technical problem on the #009 is enough to make the works Corvette winning once more.
Just before one o'clock Fernandez improves the fastest race lap time in LMP2: 3'39"309. Meanwhile the #7 Porsche lost its second place to the #8 sister car (the #7 is in the pits, probably with motor problems). The gap with the Audi out on the lead and the fastest Peugeot  is now up to eight laps. At 13h10 the #7 Peugeot looses its third place on the #16 Pescarolo. The #83 JPC Sports Ferrari F430 has been officially retired.
At 13h28 the #7 Peugeot enters in the pits with an oil pressure problem. At 13h31 the car leaves the pits for one lap. Then its driven in the garage with an engine failure and is officially retired. During the last hour it's raining the proverbial cats and dogs. At that moment the #63 Corvette does a terrible effort to catch the class leading works Aston Martin #009 (it achieves lap 20 secs faster than the Aston and could reduce its arrears from 2 to 1 lap), whilst behind the #008 Larbre Compétition does a serious effort to catch the Corvette. But also the #8 Peugeot takes terrible risks in speeding up. However at 14h12 the safety cars are deployed at the request of several of the team managers. They feel that conditions are not safe for racing. In addition to heavy rain, there is standing water and visible rivers on the racing surface. So the race goes under yellow until the real last lap. At Corvette they are seriously unhappy with that decision.
Evenually Biela, Pirro and Werner win the race with the #1 Audi R10 TDi, 10 laps faster than the #8 Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP. Pescarolo takes the third and fourth place. Aston Martin wins LMGT1, Porsche LMGT2. Victory of the Binnie Motorsport Lola in LMP2 looks like a joke since only two cars of that class reach the finish. [JPVR]

Luc Alphand

Robert Pergl

Pierre Ehret

Stefan Johanson

Koji Yamanishi

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