#65 FERRARI 550 MARANELLO PRODRIVE

Darren Turner (GB)

Colin McRae (GB)

Rickard Rydell (S)

Youri van Rossem (B)

Gilles Dohogne (B)

Yves Welter jr (B)

RACE FACTS - Having been absent at Monza, the #65 Maranello started from 21st position, in its class preceeded by the two Corvettes and by the Prodrive sister car. During the four first hours both Prodrive Maranellos were wheeling nose to tail, slightly preceeded by the #64 Corvette, leading the GTS class (after the first hour difference with the class leading Corvette is down to 11"). Then, towards the end of the fifth hour Colin McRae spins at the Mulsanne Corner with clutch problems. He explained later: "I was at the Mulsanne Corner and had moved to one side of the track to let a prototype pass but got onto the marbles and the car started to spin. I tried to catch it but don’t think I had enough revs and after that the clutch started slipping. We decided to change it and the team did a great job to get the car out again after about 30 minutes, although we unfortunately lost 8 laps in the process. It was a shame as my lap times were very consistent until then and I was beginning to get into a good rhythm." So the car has to come into the pits to change that clutch. The car rejoins the track in 23rd position, headed by several GT cars. Once back Darren Turner realises - just before quarter race - a lap in 3'52", nearly as fast as during the qualifications. 22h51: Darren Turner has a trip into the gravel at the Dunlop Chicane (having spun after seeing an oil flag): he rejoins, but some of his good work in recovering lost ground has been wiped away. During the five following hours the #65 Prodrive steadily improves its position. At mid-race the car is already in rank 12, eight laps behind the class leading sister car - having passed the #64 Corvette after its collision with the #88 Audi R8 of Jamie Davies - and five laps behind the best ranked Corvette.
At 04.17h Darren Turner comes in with serious clutch problems. The gearbox and the clutch are changed, costing the car 43 minutes. Turner rejoins the race in 24rd position. During the four following hours he can come back into 15th position, however 8 laps down to the #63 Corvette, 13 laps to the #64 Corvette and 19 laps to the #66 sister car. When the #66 sister car has a puncture and a blocked wheel, it looses more than 20 laps and is passed by both Corvettes. After 21 hours of racing the #65 passes on its turn the unlucky sister car to be twelfth with three hours to go. During the 3 last hours the car wins still three places to finish ninth overall, 16 laps down to the class winning Corvette #64 (finishing sixth), and five laps down to the #63 Corvette, finishing just ahead.