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RACE FACTS - Having finished third at the Monza 1,000-kms, behind the two British Veloqx Audis, the Japanese Audi starts from rank 4 as one of the four top favourites. Unfortunately Rinaldo Capello quits at lap 8 the track at the Dunlop bridge and looses one entire lap to come out the gravel. The car rejoins the track in 24th position. At the end of the first hour the car is 13th, sixth after two hours and second after three hours. After six hours (90 laps) Seija Ara spins off at the first chicane at Mulsanne. He can rejoin the track, maintaining his second position, but is now more than a complete lap down to the #88 Audi Veloqx, setting the pace. After 8 hours of racing, at midnight, the Japanese Audi R8 is always one lap down to the #88. Drama for the leading Audi shortly after 01.20h when Magnussen (Corvette C5-R) and Jamie Davies (in the race leading #88 Audi R8R Veloqx) collide at the Ford Chicane, after a driving error of the Brit. The Corvette backs into the wall and needs to be dragged out. Davies is sanctionned with a stop and go penalty, allegedly for overtaking under yellow flags. The gap between the #88 and #5 Goh Audi is less than a lap as a result of the penalty and the collision (and stop for a check) for Davies: it's 2 mins 40 at 01.35h.
02.00h: After ten hours of racing Tom Kristensen - earlier already five times Le Mans winner in seven entries - has reduced the gap to 1'34". At 02.30h Tom Kristensen is only 49" down to the leader. When at 03.40h the #22 LMP1 Zytek's engine is grenading in the biggest possible way, the #5 Audi takes advantage from the pace car to bring the car closer to the leader, after valuable time was lost by some misfirings. At mid-race the difference is again one lap. Until 07.06h in the morning this difference remains stable. But then, at once, Johnny Herbert brings the Veloqx Audi R8 in with understeer problems. Work on the rear suspension costs the British car seven minutes, so that Rindo Capello inherits the lead, two minutes ahead over the Veloqx Audi R8. At 08.16h Capello goes off at the Michelin Chicane and hands over the car to Tom Kristensen staying at the wheel during nearly four complete hours. Despite heroic fighting Kristensen cannot increase his advantage over the #88 Veloqx Audi. After 18 hours of racing advance over the #88 Veloqx Audi R8 is 2'40". When at 11.28h Jamie Davies spins off at the Dunlop, advantage over the Veloqx Audi is a full lap. At 12.37h Capello comes into the pits. As he pulls away a small fire erupts around the fuel filler - Capello looks to make a hasty exit and then thinks better of it - the fire is extinguished immediately, the car is pulled back the few metres to the pit and a quick check is made before despatching Capello back on track, still ahead but in a race to the finish, every little helps. Difference with the Veloqx Audi is now down to less than one minute. When Jamie Davies hands over the #88 Veloqx Audi to Johnny Herbert for the last stints, Seija Ara can maintain a 35 seconds advance to win the race, 41 seconds ahead over the British Audi. For Tom Kristensen it's already his sixth Le Mans win in eight outings. Only Jacky Ickx could win also six times Le Mans, however in much more outings. |
