PORSCHE 911 GT1s STILL RUNNING STRONG INTO THE TENTH HOUR OF RACING
By P. Michael Clarke
The two works Porsche 911 GT1 are running in first and second place
after nearly 10 hours of racing. The pace has basically stayed the same
despite the darkness -- fast. Very fast. To this point, the leaders have
completed three more laps than last year’s field at the same point in
time. The lead cars are running between 3:48 and 3:51 lap times and are
within seven seconds of each other. Drivers are reporting that they are
able to run close to the same times at night as they ran during the
daylight hours.
Running at night is somewhat tricky due to the reduced visibility and
fatigue factor. Competitors become more cautious when passing other cars
as the night wears on, even when passing on the long Hunaudiere
straight. At the end of his shift in the #25 Porsche 911 GT1, Hans Stuck
said he passed nearly 45 cars during the 24 laps he drove
The Porsche works team drivers are all very happy with the way the car
is running but are keeping in mind their 1996 experience, where the
Joest TWR Prototype was able to play with them at will. The Porsche
factory pits are keeping a close eye on the Joest Team, which is
currently running in third place almost three minutes in arrears.
Passing note: Yannick Dalmas, who copilots Porsche’s #26 factory 911
GT1, broke two fingers on his right hand only three weeks ago in a
practice session crash at Spa. As a result, he is experiencing a great
deal of discomfort during his shifts. For the moment, he is still doing
single shifts and says he may be able to do double shifts later during
the night.
So how do the drivers manage to remain ultra-competitive and stay alert
during the 24 hours of Le Mans? A Courage Porsche team doctor revealed
some insights in an interview, admitting that night driving is indeed
difficult for drivers because of the human circadian clock, which
becomes disoriented. It is imperative that drivers remain in good health
and stick to a special diet with lots of fluids. Each stop includes a
shower, a dry suit, and yes, even some sleep. This is particularly
important -- every human being has a specific sleep pattern and, if
woken too close to the beginning of his shift, a driver could easily
fall back asleep on the track. Driver training has come a long way since
the heyday of the Le Mans 24 Hour race!
Shifting focus away from the dogfight for first place overall, the
Nissan R390 dropped out of the top ten positions to seventeenth place
after experiencing gearbox overheating problems and having to add an oil
radiator. On a more positive note, the Ferrari 333SP is running strong
in the top ten and the team is pleased with the performance level they
are getting out of the car.
Mario update: The Andrettis and Frenchman Olivier Grouillard are still
running, and although they are not in overall contention, they are
currently running fifth in the Prototype category.
Weather update: The storm clouds that loomed overhead earlier in the day
have been ushered to the Southeast by light winds. Chance of rain is
rapidly subsiding...and sunshine appears to be in the forecast for
morning.
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