Silverstone 6 Hours - Raceday
Overnight news from the paddock included confirmation that Team RLR had fitted a third engine for the weekend, but would be ready for warm-up, with fingers crossed. Overhead, the predicted heavy rain was nowhere to be seen, and the revised forecast suggested scattered showers and even some bright intervals. The threatened gales - a legacy of Hurricane Katia - will not now arrive before Monday. So, prospects for the race are much improved . . . although some teams had actually been looking forward to a wet race.
Warm Up
Official warm-up started at 09:00, with RML AD Group completing a full triplet of driver changes, allowing Tommy, Mike and Ben to experience the car in its final race trim. Tommy reported early on that conditions were being made difficult after one of the other cars - the #62 CRS Ferrari - was dropping significant amounts of oil around the track, especially at Copse. All three coped without problem, and the crew performed full simulation driver changes between drivers.
Warm-up
- LMP2 Times
|
# |
o/a |
Team |
Car |
Drivers |
Warm
Up |
| 1 |
46 |
9 |
TDS
Racing |
Oreca
03 Nissan |
Beche,
Thiret, Firth |
1:52.488 |
| 2 |
45 |
11 |
Boutsen
Energy |
Oreca
03 Nissan |
Kraihamer,
Ebbesvik |
1:55.382 |
| 3 |
26 |
13 |
Signatech |
Oreca
03 Nissan |
Mailleux,
Ordoñez, Verrnay |
1:56.562 |
| 4 |
40 |
14 |
Race
Performance |
Oreca
03 Judd |
Frey,
Meichtry, Rostan |
1:56.944 |
| 5 |
41 |
15 |
Greaves
Motorsport |
Zytek
09S |
Ojjeh,
Lombard, Kimber-Smith |
1:57.041 |
| 6 |
36 |
16 |
RML
AD Group |
HPD
ARX -01d |
Erdos,
Newton, Collins |
1:57.053 |
| 7 |
42 |
17 |
Strakka
Racing |
HPD
ARX -01d |
Leventis,
Watts, Kane |
1:57.982 |
| 8 |
39 |
18 |
Pecon
Racing |
Lola
B11/40 Judd |
Companc,
Russo, Kaffer |
1:58.224 |
| 9 |
35 |
19 |
Oak
Racing |
Oak
Pescarolo Judd |
Yvon,
Da Rocha, Lafargue |
2:01.298 |
| 1 |
99 |
20 |
JMB
Racing |
Oreca
FLM |
Ducote,
Marcelli, Marroc |
2:03.564 |
| 2 |
95 |
22 |
Pegasus
Racing |
Oreca
FLM |
Schultis,
Simon, Schell |
2:05.053 |
| 3 |
92 |
37 |
Neil
Garner M'sport |
Oreca
FLM |
Keen,
Keating, Hartshorne |
2:08.824 |
| 4 |
93 |
38 |
Genoa
Racing |
Oreca
FLM |
Mitchell,
Grogor, Kronfli |
2:09.283 |
| 10 |
43 |
48 |
Team
RLR |
MG
Lola EX-265 |
Garofall,
Hughes, Gates |
No
Time |
Mike,
Tommy and Ben took part in the traditional
autograph session, before moving across
to the hospitality at the Smoking Dog
for a briefing with the AD Group guests
(below).
Race Start
After days of dire warnings akin to heavenly fire and brimstone, the predicted rain was nowhere to be seen as the cars started to form up on the grid, bathed in warm autumnal sunshine. The breeze had developed into a fairly strong wind, and that could become an issue as cars blatted along the lengthy and exposed Silverstone straights, but of rain, there was little immediate sign.
Coverage
from the start of the race was posted "live".
Please forgive us any
spelling mistakes or typos, and changes
in tense that might have arisen through
post-race editing.
11:26
The grid has largely been cleared of anyone except the essential mechanics. The RLR MG Lola will be starting from the pitlane, after having to fit a fourth engine of the weekend.
11:31
The cars move off the grid, and the #2 Audi spins almost immediately! It's the green flag lap, and the cars are moving. McNish has recovered, but he'd only got as far as the Farm Curve.
11:33
The leaders are heading through the Becketts complex. The stirring ACO-selected music, familiar to anyone who regularly goes to Le Mans, is playing over the public address.
11:34
Announcement that there will be an extra formation lap, as the race control is not happy with the formation lap. The safety car stays on, and there is concern perhaps of a repeat of Paul Ricard, but this time everyone remains under control, but the timing has started - so the race has officially started.
11:35
The race has officially started, but the pace car stays out, but is classed as a Safety Car.
11.38
Race start!
Two cars off at the first corner - Rebellion and an Oak Racing Pescarolo #15. Both regain after taking to the run off. Otherwise a clean enough start. Phil warns Tommy that he's had a report of light rain spitting at Stowe.
11:40
The first racing lap is completed. Kimber-Smith has got through ahead of Jonny Kane to take the lead in LMP2, and is running 8th overall. Strakka is 9th, and in 10th is Jody Firth in the #46 TDS Racing Oreca. Tommy is holding 18th overall, 8th in P2, as he started.
Overall, Bourdais leads from McNish, who regained his start position, with Montagny third - but the Frenchman in the #8 Peugeot has already received his first warning for not observing the track limits. He won't get another warning - next indiscretion is a penalty.
11:42
Jani in the #12 Rebellion is threatening Kimber Smith for 8th, and goes through Reports that the RLR car, which has joined the race from the pitlane, is losing fuel. The car (with Warren Hughes aboard) receives a warning flag and must pit.
Most cars are picking up speed, and the screens are full of pale blue numbers - and the occasional purple - to denote new fastest laps. McNish is closing on Bourdais, significantly. In typical fashion, Bourdais is already displaying the questionable driving tactics for which he has become so renown, weaving from side to side, and chopping across the Audi's nose to prevent McNish from challenging.
11:46
The three P2 leaders are running line-astern in 10th, 11th and 12th, just a couple of seconds between them. The leaders are already well in among the tail-enders. The traffic, as always, could be a huge issue here, especially as the leaders are dicing for position.
Tommy is two seconds behind Russo in the #39 Pecom Lola, but was a second quicker on the last lap.
11:49
McNish takes the lead along the new International Pit Straight, despite some wild attempts by Bourdais to push the Audi into the pitwall. Why do these Peugeot drivers always have to play so dirty? It was a stunning move by McNish, who also managed to get a GT car in behind him to slow Bourdais through Abbey.
Once through, McNish starts to ease away.
11:51
Jonny Kane is getting back onto the tail of Tom Kimber-Smith. The #8 Peugeot is tapped by the #99 along the old pit straight, and spins off across the gravel and lightly tags the barrier at Copse. Consensus is it was entirely self-inflicted. The nose is buried into the tyres.
11:53
There are yellow flags at Copse, where Montagny is out of the car, but not walking away. The marshals are attempting to extricate the Peugeot. The two cars involved, the #99 and the #8, are under investigation.
McNish has already established a four second lead.
11:56
Montagny's demise notches all behind him up a place, so Kimber-Smith is up to 9th, with his mirrors full of Strakka Racing's Jonny Kane.
11:57
Montagny regains the track, but has very obvious front-end damage, and tyre-smoke is billowing up around the car. There may also be rear-end damage, possibly arising from the initial contact.
Despite the earlier warning signs, the RLR MG is back on track, albeit 7 laps down. Suspicion is that the new engine may have had an oil breather problem.
11:59
In GT-Pro, the expected dominance by the BMWs has faded to one, with the #55 dropping down the order. Priaulx in the #56 has just lost the class lead to Vilander, who started third. These two are in the midst of the P2 battle, and Kane has been baulked and dropped back on Kimber-Smith, and Firth has used traffic to close on Kane.
12:00
Mid-day and the sun's still shining, despite a few light showers. Bourdais has closed right down on McNish again, and that four-second lead has vanished. There's less than five-tenths between them now.
A new fastest lap from Kimber-Smith, posting 1:53.500 compared with a 1:53.570 from Kane.
Tommy
moves ahead of Russo to take 16th overall,
7th in P2 (below). He has a quartet
of Orecas ahead of him, and the first
of those (from his perspective) is
the #26, with Ordonez at the wheel.
The gap, though, is seven seconds.
Phil Keen has held his lead in Formula Le Mans since the start, and the garner Motorsport Oreca is running 18th overall.
12:06
Jonny Kane regains the lead in P2 - track position suggests the exchange took place down Hangar and into Stowe.
12:09
Contact for Jonny Kane, and there's damage to the rear of the car. Kane is touring the lap to get back to the garage. Not sure yet where the contact occurred. Montagny has rejoined after repairs.
Tom Kimber-Smith leads, and then Jody Firth spins behind him.
Tommy reports a lot of debris at Stowe, and is concerned he may have driven over it.
12:13
Bourdais recovers the lead at the exit of Club, but runs beyond the track limits. McNish remains close.
12:14
For reasons as yet unknown, the RML AD Group #36 has been awarded a one-minute stop-go penalty. No warning was seen, so no idea what this is for.
12:15
McNish regains the lead, and then Bourdais takes it back again: It's chop and change at almost every opportunity! This time it's all good clean racing, and a delight to watch.
12:18
Tommy comes in for his stop-go. The penalty is for some irregularity at the start, thought to be for using the jump battery to restart the engine.
McNish
also into the pits for repairs to the
front-left, where he has sustained
contact with the #70 Kessel 458 (although
later radio comment suggests it might
have been Rob Bell in the JMW Ferrari
#66 - also yellow.). Bourdais leads
easily now from bernhard in the #1
Audi, by three seconds. He rejoins
the track, and then goes straight on
at Farm. There looks to be a suspension
issue.
12:20
A major accident on the start-finish line, where Jody Firth has gone head-on into the concrete. he looks to have made an error on the exit of Club, and he's gone in very heavily. There may be a safety car.
12:21 SAFETY CAR
The safety car is confirmed. A whole stream of cars are heading for the pitlane, including the leading pair.
12:23 PIT STOP (Erdos)
Tommy into the pitlane, for fuel and tyres. Straightforward stop, although Tommy has to queue at the exit for the safety car to go by.
The Strakka HPD is still in the garage, where the team is having to make fairly extensive repairs to the rear-right of the car after contact with the Corvette. The TDS Oreca is a retirement after Jody's crash. Order in P2 is:
#26 leads (not pitted) from #41 (Lombard taking over from Kimber-Smith) and Meichtry third for Race performance. Fourth is Ebbesvik (#45 Boutsen) and Yvon fifth for Oak. The Pecom Lola is sixth. These are running 9th through 14th inclusive.
12:31
Ordonez pits the leading #26 Signatech Oreca from the lead, allowing Lombard through.
Tommy is running 23rd overall, despite the penalty pitstop and the regular refuel. He's in the middle of the GTE-Pro leading pack.
Strakka now lying 48th but still in the pits. the #2 Audi is also still pit-bound and slipping towards the back of the field.
12:34 RACE RESUMES
The two safety cars pull aside and we have racing again, and McNish also rejoins.
Hour
2 - 3 (12:35-13:35)
12:36
On the restart, Tommy passes the four GT cars ahead of him, and emerges in 18th overall, 7th in P2.
12:40
Tommy reports heavy rain visible just off the circuit near Stowe. The #35 oak Pescarolo has just pitted from 6th in class, rather unexpectedly.
Tommy's next targets are the trio of FLM leaders, headed by Phil Keen, with the genoa racing #93 second and the #95 third. four seconds ahead of the #36.
The Oak #35 stays in the pits, and drops steadily through the ranks.
12:44
McNish is back up to pace, and has just set a new fastest first sector for the race.
Erdos has closed to within a second of Simon in the #95 . . . and then passes him. It's 12:45.
In the overall standings, there's less than a second between Bernhard, leading for Audi, and Bourdais, second for Peugeot. Tommy sets a new fastest lap for the #36, clocking a 1:54.778 to be the quickest in P2 at the present.
12:48
Tommy passes Grogor in the #93, so only Phil Keen stands between him and the main P2 group.
12:50
Tommy overtakes Keen for 14th, and regains his position at the tail of the 2 peloton. He's also only 8 seconds behind Perez-Companc in the #39, and currently 3 seconds a lap quicker.
12:52
The #1 Audi spins off, losing control under braking, but hasn't lost position.
Tommy has closed to within a second of the #39.
12:54
Tommy moves through to take 13th place overall, and ticks off his first P2 runner to be lying 5th in P2.
Having disposed of Perez-Companc in the cost-capped Lola, his next target is the #40 Race Performance Oreca. Their respective pace is fairly well balanced, but Tommy just has the edge at the moment. If the car hadn't incurred the stop-go penalty, the RML AD Group HPD would be running third in class now, not fifth.
The Strakka Racing HPD is back in the race, but 28 laps down on the outright leaders. Nick Leventis has taken over from Jonny Kane.
13:02
The #60 Aston Martin has been beached on the kerbs in the Arena complex.
13:03
A 1:54.512 from Tommy Erdos is a new fastest lap for the #36. he's managed this just before the whole Arena section is draped in yellow flags, from Turn 1 through to 5.
One of the most impressive performances of the race so far is coming from Oak Racing's Olivier Pla - fresh to the squad and making his Oak debut after the withdrawal of Quifel ASM. Pla is running third overall, although a lap down on Bourdais, who now leads by 29 seconds from Bernhard.
Lombard leads LMP2 by 31 seconds for Greaves Motorsport, with Ordonez second from Ebbesvik third. Tommy is gaining on Meichtry, but the gap remains significant.
12:15
The pecom Lola pits from 14th. Tommy was already nearly 40 seconds clear, and all that gained on track. He is also preparing for a pitstop, with a fuel warning light just flickering.
12:16 PIT STOP (Erdos - fuel only)
Tommy comes in for his second scheduled pitstop. Fuel only this time, having taken on tyres at the last pitstop. No issues, quick stop, and back into the race.
Cars #41, 55 and 26 are all listed as "under investigation" for overtaking under yellows. That list includes the Greaves Motorsport Zytek (leading) and the Signatech Oreca Nissan (second in P2).
13:22
Tommy continues to set the pace in P2, and with others now also making their fuel stops, the #36 is starting to regain positions. Tommy currently 13th overall, 5th in P2.
13:24
In the pitstops, Signatech (Ordonez) has moved ahead of Lombard, but only has seven seconds in hand and has yet to stop.
Tommy has also closed on the #40, thanks to a driver change in the Race Performance Oreca, which now has Rostan in the cockpit. The gap is about 32 seconds.
13:27
Pitstop for Signatech, and a lengthy one too.
Tommy is concerned that he's had some contact - a "very light touch" he says - but the team insists that there's no visible damage.
13:31
With the Signatech car still pitbound, Tommy moves through into P4.
Car #66 takes a stop-go penalty, supposedly arising from the contact with the #2 Audi, much earlier in the race.
Hour
3- 4 (13:35-14:45)
13:39
Erdos has narrowed the gap on Rostan to 17 seconds. "I'm doing the best I can, but the traffic is just very bad at the moment, says Tommy over the radio.
Position summary for P2 on the hour is: Lombard leading for Greaves from Kraihamer, now in the #45. Rostan is third for Race Performance and 11 seconds ahead of Erdos in the RML AD Group HPD. Fifth is Kaffer in the Pecom Lola, with Verrnay and the #26 has dropped to sixth after the extended stop.
In FLM, Hartshorne has taken over from Phil Keen in the Neil Garner Motorsport #92, and has dropped to third in class in the process. The #95 leads from the #93, with the fourth FLM car several laps behind.
Throughout all this time, the Team RLR MG Lola, in the hands of Warren Hughes, has been making steady progress, and is now up to 29th overall, as the Geordie hands over to Barry Gates. It's been a lengthy first stint for Warren, but he's recovered twenty places.
13:50
Car #39 is under investigation after contact with the #99. The #99 has been having an eventful race!
Tommy closes to within 4 seconds of Rostan.
13:55
Just nine-tenths separate the two now . . .
13:56
Tommy dives out behind the slipstream along Hangar Straight and takes Rostan into Stowe, and swiftly pulls away. Tommy up to third in P2.
Olivier Pla pits the #24 Oak Pescarolo from third overall, after a very impressive opening stint. the second Pescarolo, #15, Lahaye at the wheel, moves through to maintain this solid Oak performance.
14:01
The Krohn Ferrari collides with the #2 Audi, with McNish on his triple stint.
14:04 PITSTOP (Erdos out, Newton in)
Tommy brings the HPD down the pitlane to exchange with Mike Newton, while the team refuels the car, fits new wheels and tyres, and completes a quick clean round and check for damage. All clear. Mike into the car, and sent on his way.
Not clear yet, but it looks as though Mike has rejoined in 13th overall, still holding 4th in P2.
14:07
Both leaders, Pagenaud now into the #7, and Fassler in the #1, in for pitstops, including the driver change.
14:09
The RLR MG goes for a spin at Turn 3 (entrance to Arena) but rejoins. There is a slightly bizarre caption on the timing screens that suggests that "car 23 has just spun and continued", which would be quite an achievement, considering car 23 went up in smoke on Friday. Evidently a typo for car 43.
14:12
Kraihamer pits from second in P2, followed moments later by Lombard in the #41.
Nick leventis is still fighting hard in the #42 Strakka Racing HPD, following in the footsteps (tyre tread?) of Warren Hughes, and working steadily through the field from the back. There's a long way to go, though . . .
14:15
Rostan pits the Race Performance Oreca from third in P2. Only Verrnay in the #26 Oreca still to make the routine pitstop in this round of stops.
14:16
Leventis pits the #42 and hands over to Danny Watts. This could be interesting! Mike was well behind Rostan before the #40 pitted, so will be interesting to see where he ends up after the pitstops.
14:19
Tom Kristensen, now in the #2, unlaps himself on the leader; Pagenaud in the #7 Peugeot. Fassler is second still, by just 2 seconds.
Ojjeh is now aboard the class-leading Greaves Motorsport Zytek, heading the class by 35 seconds from Kraihamer in the Boutsen Energy semi-works Oreca. Kristensen is running 11th overall, separating Kraihamer from Rostan in third.
Another great battle has suddenly blossomed for the outright lead, with fassler all over the rear of pagenaud as the two cars come along the old Pit Straight and into Copse. A tail-ender Porsche gets in the way, and Fassler pulls back, headlights flashing in frustration. It's close again down Hangar Straight, where pagenaud finds Allan Simonsen exiting the corner. Fassler closes.
14:24
A spin for Stephen Keating in the Neil garner FLM, but worse news for Signatech Oreca Nissan, with the #26 hauled into the garage.
14:26
The gap between Rostan and Newton has stretched slightly to 54 seconds, and Kaffer is now closing up behind as well, although the margin remains a minute, to Newton's benefit.
There is a growing problem with debris on the track. Much of it is being created by disintegrating Astroturf, from the margins of the track. Patches of the green stuff have been added between the track and some of the run-off areas, and cars that run wide are starting to rip the fabric clear. There are random heaps of the stuff, particularly along the new pit straight.
14:30
The duel for the P2 class lead may soon be rejoined, as Kraihamer narrows the gap to 17 seconds. Overall, just four-tenths remain between Pagenaud and Fassler, with Kristensen just ahead of them both on the track.
Kaffer has taken ten seconds out of Newton, and the margin is just over 40 seconds.
Hour
4- 5 (14:45-15:35) Half Way
The race enters its second half and Fassler celebrates by taking the lead, and having swept by, pulls away quickly. Belicchi spins the #13 at Becketts, but rejoins with the loss of only a few seconds, and some pride.
Kraihamer takes the P2 class lead from Ojjeh. It's 14:40.
14:47
Kraihamer has extended his lead to 17 seconds. Rostan is over a minute clear of Newton now, while Kaffer had closed to within 12 seconds of the #36 before pitting, to hand over to Russo. The Pecom Lola rejoined at 14:49. Kraihamer has Kristensen on his shoulder, about to move through to take 9th overall.
Taking up the baton so valiantly carried by Warren Hughes from the start of the race, Barry Gates has maintained the steady recovery of the RLR MG Lola, and has made it through to the top twenty. The #43 is running a strong 19th, 8th in class. In FLM, the #95 Pegasus car holds the lead (18th overall), with the erstwhile leader, the Neil Garner car, slipping to 27th overall.
14:56 PITSTOP (Newton - Fuel only)
A routine pitstop for Mike Newton, fuel only. The #12 Rebellion is in the pits with an electrical issue.
15:02
The P2 class leader pits, allowing Ojjeh back through into the lead. Ebbesvik takes over in the #45 and rejoins narrowly ahead of Rostan.
Newton's times are consistently around the two-minute mark as he fights to find space through the traffic. He has sarrazin on his tail, coming through in the recovering #8 Peugeot.
15:06
Ojjeh pits the #41 Zytek from the class lead - status quo restored. Rostan also pits in the #40 Race Performance Oreca from third. Sarrazin sails effortlessly past Mike in the RML HPD.
Result of investigation of incident between the #39 and #99 is that no further action will be taken.
Ebbesvik moves through to take the P2 class lead, largely on pitstops.
15:09
Danny watts pits the Strakka racing HPD. His pace hasn't been as rapid as one might have expected, and he's been setting times typically in the 1:56 bracket. The #42 is holding 43rd overall, after losing so many laps making good the damage to the rear of the car after colliding with the Corvette, but is now within firing distance of the tail enders.
15:12
A slightly alarming spin for Stephen Keating in the #92, ending up facing the wrong way in the middle of the track. As cars filter either side, he eventually makes good a 180 spin to head back in then right direction.
Russo is still in the pits (#39 Pecom Lola) and has dropped several slots. Ebbesvik leads P2 by half a lap - 64 seconds.
Mike reports "black clouds" closing in. Amazingly, considering the dire predictions from the Met Office, the race so far has been blessed by bright sunshine and excellent conditions - debris aside. Maybe the legality panel from the Bernhard Audi, which appears to be missing. He may have to pit for repairs.
15:20
The #26 is back in the pits again . . and staying there. Barry Gates moves through to 16th, overtaking Schell in the class-leading Pegasus Racing FLM.
15:24
Aston Martin #007 - a quiet but steady race so far - has spun off at the exit of Becketts. Yellow flags. The car is beached on the kerbs. Harold Primat was running 7th. He gets back to the pitlane with a rear-left puncture.
15:29 PITSTOP (Newton in, Collins out)
Mike returns the HPD to the pitlane to hand over to Ben Collins for the final stints through to the chequered flag. The team refuel and fit fresh tyres for the Stig.
The Signatech Oreca rejoins after a 13 minute stop to address an engine mapping problem. The Pecom Lola has had a gearbox problem.
Hour
5- 6 (15:35-16:35)
15:36
Ben is swiftly into the groove, and his first flyer was a 1:56.042, fastest in P2.
Into the fifth hour, and the situation in LMP2 is still fairly fluid. Ebbesvik leads for Boutsen Energy racing (#45), which must be slightly galling for Karim Ojjeh, chasing in the #41 Greaves Zytek, as the Norwegian started the season as his co-driver! The margin between the two is over 90 seconds, with no pitstops owing.
Third in class is Frey in the #40 Race Performance #40, more than a lap down. Fourth is Ben Collins in the RML HPD.
15:44
Bernhard pits the #1 from the lead, and after refuelling the car, the car is hauled into the garage for repairs to the rear legality panel. It's a straightforward fix, and takes a mere two minutes, including regular servicing.
The Peugeot #7 also pits, so that's both leaders into the pitlane at the same time.
Ben Collins sets a new fastest lap for the #36, clocking a 1:54.494. Conditions must be fairly good at the moment, as he's not alone. Jani sets a new best for the #12, and then Sarrazin (#8) does a fastest first sector outright.
15:53
Ebbesvik pits the #45 from the lead. This is a scheduled pitstop, but the car is still taken back into the garage. This could cost position. The car is reputed to have dashboard electronic problems.
15:56
Kristensen pits and hands back to McNish.
15:58
Problem for the #43 - could be another engine, but could equally be tyre smoke. No the car has lost the whole wheel. Garofall returns the car carefully to the pits for a replacement.
15:59
The Boutsen Energy Oreca remains in the garage, and Frey sweeps through to take second in class. The gap to Ben is narrowing fast . . . but Ebbesvik is back out. It's 16:01. Meanwhile, Ojjeh has pitted the #41 and handed back to Tom Kimber-Smith for the last hour and a half.
16:02
The screen confirms that Ben Collins did pass the Boutsen car during that extended pitstop, so the RML AD Group HPD is up to third in P2.
16:06
The Boutsen Energy car has now stopped on track. Kraihamer is getting out of the car, but may be attempting to sort what must be an on-going electrical problem. He'd just set a new fastest first sector for the car as well.
Jonny Kane is back in the Strakka racing HPD. Now that they've cleared the deficit of lost laps, the #42 is moving up the order, and is running 35th overall.
Kraihamer gets the car going again, and stays out, running strongly again. The various delays have dropped the car from the class lead down to 14th overall, 4th in class behind Ben. Kimber-Smith has a two-minute lead over Frey in the #40.
16:15
Having sorted out his problem, Kraihamer is pushing hard, and has just set a new fastest lap for the #45 of 1:53.265.
16:20 PITSTOP (Collins)
Fuel and fresh tyres. The tyres should now last the distance, but he'll probably need a splash 'n dash before the end.
Ben returns to the track just five or six seconds ahead of Ebbesvik, and the Norwegian is flying at the moment. They're matching times fairly well, but if the traffic doesn't fall his way, Ben could find the Oreca on his tail.
16:34
The gap has narrowed, as Ebbesvik exploits the Oreca's straight line and power advantage to close down on the tail of the HPD.
Hour
6- Finish (16:35-17:35)
Ben starts the final hour having just lost position and running in fourth. Phil tells him to stay in touch, if he can, but the Nissan-powered Oreca has such an advantage on the straights, it won't be easy.
Tom Kimber-Smith continues to enjoy a significant class lead, running 10th overall and now a lap clear of Frey in the #40 Race Performance Oreca. Kraihamer now holds the third podium step, but by just 3 seconds from Ben, who has upped his pace since being passed. Rob Garofall is up to fifth in the #43 MG Lola, and looking well-placed for a good finish, although the former RML car is five laps behind.
Elsewhere in the race, things have settled down into something of a routine. The once-tight battle for the outright lead has eased, and Pagenaud has a minute over Fassler in second. Olivier Pla, returned to the cockpit of the Oak Pescarolo #24, is also back up to third, with the #13 Rebellion Lola fourth.
16:49
Frey pits the #40 from second in class. It's a routine stop, and the other two heading LMP2 will also be stopping fairly soon. Ben is out of sequence, due to the early stop-go penalty and safety car.
16:50
Garofall into the pits for fuel in the RLR MG Lola. It's another routine stop - although there's a chance the guys will have double-checked then wheel nut tightness.
16:52
Tom Kimber-Smith bring in the Greaves Zytek for what will probably be the car's final pitstop of the race. With only 42 minutes to go, all those stopping now should carry enough to reach the chequered flag.
16:53
Kraihamer pits the #45 Oreca, and Ben sails by. The gap had stretched to more than ten seconds, but Ben still has to make another pitstop. He's 91 seconds behind Frey at the present, after the #40 rejoins from the pitlane.
17:00
Ben has about 40 seconds over Kraihamer, which is marginal on a splash'n'dash pitstop. Phil tells him to keep pushing, and maintain that gap as best he can. The two car/driver combinations are fairly evenly matched, and next time round the gap has grown slightly to 43 seconds, but it's a challenge.
17:02
Ben reports a handling issue, and reckons he's either picked up a puncture or some suspension damage, but the TV monitors reveal a vast wodge of Astroturf stuck to the front of the car. He keeps on pushing!
17:05
Ben has lost ten seconds in a single lap, so Rick suggests bringing him in now for the splash'n'dash, and to clear the debris.
17:06 PITSTOP (Ben Collins)}
Ben comes in for the 15 second splash of fuel while the team clear the Astroturf from the front of the car.
Car #12 has stopped at Turn 8.
Ben rejoins, with the instruction from Phil to "drive the car like you stole it" all the way to the flag. Sadly, he's lost third to Kraihamer, and rejoined 27 seconds behind the Oreca. Ben complains that the tyres "feel like s**t", to which Phil suggests they "look like s**t, but just keep pushing!" Excuses will not be accepted, it seems.
There's a great battle going on for the middle-order in GTE-Pro, between the #69, the #75 and the #56.
17:15
Twenty-five minutes to go, and the race has become fairly
settled. The Porsche/BMW duel aside, there are few on-track disputes remaining. Alzen through to fourth now in the #56 BMW, with Makowiecki three seconds in front, and his next scalp?
Ben is 34 seconds adrift of Kraihamer now, losing another full second on that last lap - his 167th.
The race is quite neatly structured as we enter the closing minutes. The top nine are all P1 cars - pagenaud leading from Fassler, with Klien bringing the Lola Aston Martin through in ninth, just over a minute to the fore of Tom Kimber-Smith, leading P2 by a lap.
The P2 grouping stands 10th through to 15th, with the FLM leader, the #95, 16th, narrowly ahead of the #26 Signatech Oreca, which has been recovering steadily since its earlier problems.
Bruni leads GTE-Pro from 20th overall, with the top six in the class all on the same lap.
17:23
Ben has slipped another few seconds away from third, and now trails Kraihamer by 42 seconds. Try as he might, he simply can't match the pace of the lighter, more powerful Oreca.
17:28
As the race enters its final ten minutes - enough for perhaps five or six more laps - the #16 Pescarolo pits for a final splash'n'dash from 5th, and loses the position to the #15 Oak.
Ben's disadvantage is now 49 seconds, and only a problem for anyone ahead can now reward the team's efforts with a podium. Jonny Kane has just taken Allan Simonsen's hankook Ferrari for 27th overall.
17:34
Last lap!
A win for Simon Pagenaud in the #7 Peugeot, followed through by Marcel Fassler in the #1 Audi (1:29.763 further down the road). A richly deserved third for Olivier Pla in the #24 Oak Pescarolo - an impressive run from Pla in his first race for the Oak squad.
Victory in LMP2 to Greaves Motorsport, as an emphatic follow-up to their wins at Le Mans and Imola. They now lead the Series comfortably, but not by enough to wrap it up this weekend - by one point (thanks to a pole yesterday for Danny Watts in the Strakka HPD). Third at the flag for Nicolas Kraihamer in the #45 Boutsen Energy Oreca, exactly a minute clear of Ben Collins as the #36 crossed the line in fourth.
A first place in Formula Le Mans for Schultis in the #95, extending the Pegasus Racing lead and reinforcing their grasp on a possible LMP2 slot at Le Mans next year. A fairly predictable win in GTE-Pro for the #51, by a lap over the #59, with the #77 third. Final order in GTE-Am shows a win for the #67 Porsche, with the #63 second and the #62 third.
If
you stayed with us for the full six
hours, thankyou.
Result - LMP2
|
# |
o/a |
Team |
Car |
Drivers |
Laps
/ Gap |
| 1 |
41 |
10 |
Greaves
Motorsport |
Zytek
09S |
Ojjeh,
Lombard, Kimber-Smith |
178 |
| 2 |
40 |
11 |
Race
Performance |
Oreca
03 Judd |
Frey,
Meichtry, Rostan |
177 |
| 3 |
45 |
12 |
Boutsen
Energy |
Oreca
03 Nissan |
Kraihamer,
Ebbesvik |
176 |
| 4 |
36 |
13 |
RML
AD Group |
HPD
ARX -01d |
Erdos,
Newton, Collins |
1:00.658 |
| 5 |
43 |
14 |
Team
RLR |
MG
Lola EX-265 |
Garofall,
Hughes, Gates |
171 |
| 6 |
35 |
15 |
Oak
Racing |
Oak
Pescarolo Judd |
Yvon,
Da Rocha, Lafargue |
171 |
| 7 |
26 |
16 |
Signatech |
Oreca
03 Nissan |
Mailleux,
Ordoñez, Verrnay |
170 |
| 1 |
95 |
17 |
Pegasus
Racing |
Oreca
FLM |
Schultis,
Simon, Schell |
169 |
| 2 |
93 |
18 |
Genoa
Racing |
Oreca
FLM |
Mitchell,
Grogor, Kronfli |
0.20.325 |
| 3 |
99 |
19 |
JMB
Racing |
Oreca
FLM |
Ducote,
Marcelli, Marroc |
168 |
| 8 |
42 |
25 |
Strakka
Racing |
HPD
ARX -01d |
Leventis,
Watts, Kane |
167 |
| 4 |
92 |
34 |
Neil
Garner M'sport |
Oreca
FLM |
Keen,
Keating, Hartshorne |
162 |
|
|
|
UNCLASSIFIED |
|
|
|
| 9 |
39 |
18 |
Pecon
Racing |
Lola
B11/40 Judd |
Companc,
Russo, Kaffer |
103 |
|
|
|
RETIRED |
|
|
|
| 10 |
46 |
48 |
TDS
Racing |
Oreca
03 Nissan |
Beche,
Thiret, Firth |
23 |
To view the full classification,
click Silverstone 6 Hours Results
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