Porsche Driving LeMans Race Coverage Article 16

6/15

4:39 am PST

"21st Hour Highlights"

21st Hour Highlights

By Bob Carlson / Joe Hansen

The 8 mile track at Le Mans is, for the most part, quite. After 20 hours, 28 of the starting 48 cars have retired. But a heated battle for the overall title is brewing, promising to keeping those of us in the press room very close to our monitors for the duration of this day-long race.

The TWR Joest Porsche continues to hound the Porsche works leader. Both cars are averaging over 200 kph (120+ mph), which is just off the fastest lap turned in the race (by the Joest Porsche). Although the Joest prototype is running a bit faster, it has a smaller on-board fuel capacity (80 liters vs. 100 liters in the 911 GT1). A McLaren BMW GT1 car is also lurking a lap and a half back in third place.

Porsche-powered cars continue to lead in all three categories. In the GT2 class, a pair of Porsche 911 GT2s (#78 and #74) have opened up an 8-lap lead over the third-place Viper #61. Both 911 GT2s were on the same lap until, just after the turn of the hour, Andy Pilgrim’s 911 pitted with a heavy cloud of white smoke coming from the rear of the car. The car has been wheeled into the garage, leaving the Elf Haberthur Racing team’s 911 GT2 alone in first place.

An ode to live reporting: As I completed typing in the previous sentence, the third-place Viper in the GT2 class spun out and hit the wall near what I believe to be the Porsche curves. News on the exact location is still sketchy, but one thing’s for certain. The #78 Porsche 911 GT2 has very quickly turned a closely-contested race with its Porsche cousin into a wide-open affair, despite the fact that, earlier in the day, it lost a wheel making a sharp turn.

Your cliche for the day: Perseverance. There is no substitute.

6/15	4:39 am PST	"21st Hour Highlights"
21st Hour Highlights By Bob Carlson / Joe Hansen The 8 mile track at Le Mans is, for the most part, quite. After 20 hours, 28 of the starting 48 cars have retired. But a heated battle for the overall title is brewing, promising to keeping those of us in the press room very close to our monitors for the duration of this day-long race. The TWR Joest Porsche continues to hound the Porsche works leader. Both cars are averaging over 200 kph (120+ mph), which is just off the fastest lap turned in the race (by the Joest Porsche). Although the Joest prototype is running a bit faster, it has a smaller on-board fuel capacity (80 liters vs. 100 liters in the 911 GT1). A McLaren BMW GT1 car is also lurking a lap and a half back in third place. Porsche-powered cars continue to lead in all three categories. In the GT2 class, a pair of Porsche 911 GT2s (#78 and #74) have opened up an 8-lap lead over the third-place Viper #61. Both 911 GT2s were on the same lap until, just after the turn of the hour, Andy Pilgrim’s 911 pitted with a heavy cloud of white smoke coming from the rear of the car. The car has been wheeled into the garage, leaving the Elf Haberthur Racing team’s 911 GT2 alone in first place. An ode to live reporting: As I completed typing in the previous sentence, the third-place Viper in the GT2 class spun out and hit the wall near what I believe to be the Porsche curves. News on the exact location is still sketchy, but one thing’s for certain. The #78 Porsche 911 GT2 has very quickly turned a closely-contested race with its Porsche cousin into a wide-open affair, despite the fact that, earlier in the day, it lost a wheel making a sharp turn. Your cliche for the day: Perseverance. There is no substitute.