ROAD ATLANTA—Just over halfway into the 1000-mile American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans, the #8 Peugeot led by a lap over the #1 Audi. The second Audi was more than 40 laps down after repeated trips to the pits.
As predicted, traffic was instrumental in deciding the leader at halfway; te #2 Audi had two incidents, one which required a new nose, the other needing serious bodywork repair.
Mechanical failure was equally decisive; the #7 Peugeot retired with a drivetrain failure.
Sebastien Bourdais in the#7 Peugeot took the lead at the start, but only held it for eleven minutes; Marcel Fässler in the #1 Audi passed him for the lead in the Turn 10 complex. Six minutes later Bourdais took it back through T5 and T6.
An instant later, the first caution of the race was called as Ricardo Gonzalez put the #06 Core LMPC into the wall at T12.
Just after the restart, Tom Kristensen brought the #2 Audi with a puncture. The crew also replaced the nose—contact with a GT car, probably the #65 Lotus, did the damage.
The race only stayed green for nine minutes; then the #98 Jaguar of Rocky Moran caught fire on track, bringing out the second Full-Course Caution.
Audi made an uncharacteristic error in the pits: they decided on a driver change, but rte driver wasn’t ready. The tires went on, then the driver went in, costing the team precious seconds.
LMP2—Luis Diaz in the Level 5 #055 HPD ARX-01g;
LMPC—Eric Lux in the #063 Genoa LMPC Oreca FLM09
GTE-Pro—Ralph Firman #58 Luxury Ferrari
GTE-Am—-Julien Canal in the #50 L’Arbre Corvette C6-ZR1
GTC— Tim Pappas in the #54 Black Swan Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
Franck Montagny (#8 Peugeot) and Sébastien Bourdais (#7 Peugeot ) were both penalized—one minute stop-and-holds—or running the red light at the end of the pits, erasing any benefit from Audi’s error, and dropping both cars nearly a lap down..
On lap 43 Kyle Marcelli in the Intersport LMPC took the lead from Eric Lux in the #63 Genoa car, continuing their championship battle, and Joey Hand in the #56 GT BMW took the class lead from Ralph Firman.
With two hours gone, under green, Timo Bernhard I the #1 Audi R18 led from Nicholas La Pierre in the Oreca, while the Peugeots were several positions back due to their penalties.
Bernhard had to make an unscheduled pit stop after only 20 laps, because of debris blocking a cooling vent. Shortly after, Sébastien Bourdais’ #7 Peugeot suffered a drivetrain failure.
This was not a huge help for Audi; Allan McNish brought in the #2 Audi for repairs right after. The #3 Corvette joined the Peugeot and Audi in the paddock, having suffered a final drive failure which split the rear gear casing.
Dindo Capello took over from McNish in the #2 Audi and almost immediately was back in the pits with clutch problems.
The race briefly went green; after ten minutes, the #63 Genoa Racing LMPC stopped at Turn Three with gearbox problems, bringing out the Safety Car once again.
After fifteen more minutes under green, with 3:38 elapsed, Marc Gene in the #10 Oreca led Stephane Sarrazin in the #8 Peugeot by .693 seconds, with and only 1.599 seconds over Marcel Fässler in the #1 Audi only 1.599 behind.
LMP2—Lucas Ordonez (#26 Signatech Oreca 03 Nissan)
LMPc—Ken Dobson (#52 PR1 Oreca FLM09)
GTE-Pro—Bill Auberlen (#55 RLL BMW M3 GT)
GTE-Am—Michele Rugolo (#57 Krohn Racing Ferrari F430)
GTC—Brian Wong (#23 Battery Tender Porsche 911 GT3 Cup)
Stephane Sarrazin was not content to follow the year-old Oreca; neither was Marcel Fässler. Both overtook the Oreca, the Peugeot between Turns Six and Seven, and the Audi later in the lap.
The race calmed down a bit after that; rather, the drivers calmed down for a few laps. No caution flags flew until the race passed halfway, 197 laps.
|
American Le Mans Series 14th Petit Le Mans after 197 Laps |
|||||||||
|
# |
CL |
Driver |
Car |
Laps |
Behind |
Behind |
CP |
Behind In |
|
|
1 |
8 |
P1 |
Stephane Sarrazin |
Peugeot 908 |
197 |
— |
— |
1 |
— |
|
2 |
1 |
P1 |
Marcel Fassler |
Audi R18 |
196 |
-1 lap |
-1 lap |
2 |
-1 lap |
|
3 |
10 |
P1 |
Nicolas Minassian |
Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP |
194 |
-3 laps |
-2 laps |
3 |
-3 laps |
|
4 |
007 |
P1 |
Adrian Fernandez |
AMR/Lola Coupe B09 60 Aston Martin |
193 |
-4 laps |
-1 lap |
4 |
-4 laps |
|
5 |
15 |
P1 |
Mattieu Lahaye |
Oak Pescarolo Judd |
193 |
-4 laps |
-21.966 |
5 |
-4 laps |
|
6 |
24 |
P1 |
Olivier Pla |
Oak Pescarolo Judd |
191 |
-6 laps |
-2 laps |
6 |
-6 laps |
|
7 |
33 |
P2 |
Joao Barbosa |
HPD ARX-01g |
189 |
-8 laps |
-2 laps |
1 |
— |
|
8 |
12 |
P1 |
Neel Jani |
Lola B10/60 Coupe |
189 |
-8 laps |
-40.173 |
7 |
-8 laps |
|
9 |
26 |
P2 |
Jean-Karl Vernay |
Oreca 03 Nissan |
188 |
-9 laps |
-1 lap |
2 |
-1 lap |
|
10 |
06 |
PC |
Gunnar Jeannette |
Oreca FLM09 |
184 |
-13 laps |
-4 laps |
1 |
— |
|
11 |
89 |
PC |
Kyle Marcelli |
Oreca FLM09 |
184 |
-13 laps |
-35.525 |
2 |
-35.525 |
|
12 |
05 |
PC |
Ryan Dalziel |
Oreca FLM09 |
184 |
-13 laps |
-20.146 |
3 |
-55.671 |
|
13 |
52 |
PC |
Ken Dobson |
Oreca FLM09 |
183 |
-14 laps |
-1 lap |
4 |
-1 lap |
|
14 |
56 |
GT |
Andy Priaulx |
BMW M3 GT |
183 |
-14 laps |
-18.827 |
1 |
— |
|
15 |
01 |
GT |
Dominik Farnbacher |
Ferrari F458 Italia |
183 |
-14 laps |
-7.343 |
2 |
-7.343 |
|
16 |
51 |
GT |
Giancarlo Fisichella |
Ferrari F458 |
183 |
-14 laps |
-18.282 |
3 |
-25.625 |
|
17 |
4 |
GT |
Richard Westbrook |
Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 |
183 |
-14 laps |
-4.075 |
4 |
-29.700 |
|
18 |
55 |
GT |
Augusto Farfus |
BMW M3 GT |
183 |
-14 laps |
-4.178 |
5 |
-33.878 |
|
19 |
045 |
GT |
Joerg Bergmeister |
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR |
182 |
-15 laps |
-1 lap |
6 |
-1 lap |
|
20 |
012 |
P1 |
Chris McMurry |
Lola B06/10 |
182 |
-15 laps |
-16.178 |
8 |
-15 laps |
|
21 |
02 |
GT |
Ed Brown |
Ferrari F458 Italia |
182 |
-15 laps |
-7.417 |
7 |
-1 lap |
|
22 |
17 |
GT |
Martin Ragginger |
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR |
182 |
-15 laps |
-1.125 |
8 |
-1 lap |
|
23 |
22 |
P2 |
Zak Brown |
Oak Pescarolo Judd |
182 |
-15 laps |
-35.381 |
3 |
-7 laps |
|
24 |
16 |
P1 |
Guy Smith |
Lola B09 86/Mazda |
181 |
-16 laps |
-1 lap |
9 |
-16 laps |
|
25 |
044 |
GT |
Darren Law |
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR |
181 |
-16 laps |
-48.522 |
9 |
-2 laps |
|
26 |
58 |
GT |
Ralph Firman |
Ferrari F458 |
180 |
-17 laps |
-1 lap |
10 |
-3 laps |
|
27 |
48 |
GT |
Bryce Miller |
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR |
178 |
-19 laps |
-2 laps |
11 |
-5 laps |
|
28 |
57 |
GTE |
Tracy Krohn |
Ferrari F430 |
177 |
-20 laps |
-1 lap |
1 |
— |
|
29 |
50 |
GTE |
Gabriele Gardel |
Corvette C6-ZR1 |
175 |
-22 laps |
-2 laps |
2 |
-2 laps |
|
30 |
40 |
GT |
Melanie Snow |
Doran Ford GT/Elan |
174 |
-23 laps |
-1 lap |
12 |
-9 laps |
|
31 |
35 |
P2 |
Frederic Da Rocha |
Oak Pescarolo Judd |
173 |
-24 laps |
-1 lap |
4 |
-16 laps |
|
32 |
61 |
GTE |
Rui Aguas |
Ferrari F430 |
172 |
-25 laps |
-1 lap |
3 |
-5 laps |
|
33 |
54 |
GTC |
Sebastiaan Bleekemolen |
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup |
172 |
-25 laps |
-2.984 |
1 |
— |
|
34 |
23 |
GTC |
Bill Sweedler |
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup |
171 |
-26 laps |
-1 lap |
2 |
-1 lap |
|
35 |
66 |
GTC |
Spencer Pumpelly |
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup |
171 |
-26 laps |
-47.674 |
3 |
-1 lap |
|
36 |
18 |
PC |
Jarrett Boon |
Oreca FLM09 |
167 |
-30 laps |
-4 laps |
5 |
-17 laps |
|
37 |
59 |
GT |
Anthony Beltoise |
Ferrari F458 |
166 |
-31 laps |
-1 lap |
13 |
-17 laps |
|
38 |
63 |
GTE |
Christian Ried |
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR |
163 |
-34 laps |
-3 laps |
4 |
-14 laps |
|
39 |
60 |
GTE |
Michael Wainwright |
Aston Martin Vantage |
161 |
-36 laps |
-2 laps |
5 |
-16 laps |
|
40 |
65 |
GT |
David Hansson |
Lotus Evora |
153 |
-44 laps |
-8 laps |
14 |
-30 laps |
|
41 |
2 |
P1 |
Dindo Capello |
Audi R18 |
153 |
-44 laps |
-99.631 |
10 |
-44 laps |
|
42 |
063 |
PC |
Christian Zugel |
Oreca FLM09 |
148 |
-49 laps |
-5 laps |
6 |
-36 laps |
|
43 |
64 |
GT |
Martin Rich |
Lotus Evora |
137 |
-60 laps |
-11 laps |
15 |
-46 laps |
|
44 |
62 |
GTE |
Tim Mullen |
Ferrari F430 |
131 |
-66 laps |
-6 laps |
6 |
-46 laps |
|
45 |
055 |
P2 |
Marino Franchitti |
HPD ARX-01g |
123 |
-74 laps |
-8 laps |
5 |
-66 laps |
|
46 |
68 |
GTC |
Ben Keating |
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup |
99 |
-98 laps |
-24 laps |
4 |
-73 laps |
|
47 |
99 |
GT |
Ken Wilden |
Jaguar XKR |
84 |
-113 laps |
-15 laps |
16 |
-99 laps |
|
48 |
7 |
P1 |
Sebastien Bourdais |
Peugeot 908 |
78 |
-119 laps |
-6 laps |
11 |
-119 laps |
|
49 |
3 |
GT |
Olivier Beretta |
Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 |
76 |
-121 laps |
-2 laps |
17 |
-107 laps |
|
50 |
6 |
P1 |
Klaus Graf |
AMR/ Lola Coupe B08 62 |
63 |
-134 laps |
-13 laps |
12 |
-134 laps |
|
51 |
20 |
P1 |
Butch Leitzinger |
Lola B09/86 Mazda |
29 |
-168 laps |
-34 laps |
13 |
-168 laps |
|
52 |
98 |
GT |
Rocky Moran |
Jaguar XKR |
27 |
-170 laps |
-2 laps |
18 |
-156 laps |
|
53 |
062 |
GT |
Melo/Matos/Vilande |
Ferrari F458 Italia |
0 |
-197 laps |
-27 laps |
19 |
-183 laps |
