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Peugeot’s long-awaited 908 coupes finally appeared at
Le Mans to confront Audi’s almost undisputed seven-year
ownership of the famed 8.46-mile Sarthe Valley circuit,
but hours of not-uncommon rain left the French challenge
in question. Early speculation by veteran team managers
during scrutineering in the Place Jacobins in downtown
Le Mans, opined a pole time of 3:22 and change—if the
weather held—but dark clouds rolled in for the first qualifying
session Wednesday evening, putting the whole race in
question. It wasn’t just the anticipated battle between
German and French prototypes that attracted over a quarter
of a million spectators, but the expected retaliation of the
British Aston Martins against the American Corvettes, and
Ferrari’s return to the scene of past glories, again taking on
Porsche in GT2, along with relative newcomers Panoz and
the Dutch Spykers.
Stephane Sarrazin threw down the first serious number
against the Audis in the first qualifying session; his sleek,
black Peugeot turning a 3:27.3 on a rain-slicked course that
was still green and dirty from disuse. The Scot, Alan
McNish, leading the Audi challenge (with seven-time winner
Tom Kristensen and twice-victorious Dindo Capello),
responded with a very effective 3:26.9 that looked like it
would secure the pole for Audi in the now-worsening conditions.
Sarrazin, not to be outdone, went back out and bravely
retook the night’s fastest time with a 3:26.3—a number
that held for Saturday’s 3 p.m. start, as Thursday’s qualifying
sessions were rain hampered.
The LMP2 class was a bit of a mystery this year, as two
of the fastest potential entries—both American teams—
Porsche and Acura (Honda) didn’t feel ready enough to
enter a race of this duration. Consequently the grid was
filled with marques like Zytek, Creation and Courage, and
driver names more familiar to British and European fans.
Interestingly, one of Acura’s top pilots, the Mexican Adrian
Fernandez, was entered in the French Barazai Epsilon
Zytek, showing Acura’s future commitment to winning Le
Mans. Bill Binnie, the Scot-born American racer from
Boston with three 24 Hours on his resume, headed up his
small U.S.-entered squad with a Zytek B05-40. Teamed with
British friend Allen Timpany and Le Mans rookie Allen
Buncombe, they qualified 4th in Class with a 3:48, compared
to Fernandez’ swift, pole-winning time of 3:44.1.
In the Pratt and Miller Corvette vs. Prodrive Aston war,
Aston Martin’s David Richards came fully prepared to
win—as he always does, But this time, in addition to the
two genuine British-entered racers, there were four more
of the special Prodrive-built DB9Rs on the grid in French,
Italian and Belgian livery. Christophe Bouchut, a top
French pilot with 13 Le Mans starts under his belt, posted
the fastest GT1 time for the French Labre Aston team
with a time of 3:50.7, about 2 seconds quicker than the
fastest Corvette, which was third on the GT1 grid. The
French ORECA team under ex-Viper team manager Hugues
de Chaunac arrived with two beautifully prepared Saleen
S7Rs that were the dark-horse entries, as most observers
felt the car only needed a top team to win over the
Corvettes and Astons.
Perhaps the most interesting race within the main event
was this year’s GT2 contest with three of Porsche’s latest
997 RSRs against four of the now well-proven Ferrari
430GTs—plus two of last year’s class-winning Panoz
Esperantes and two Spyker Audi-powered C8 roadsters
thrown in for good measure. So far (in the past two years)
in American short-course competition, the Ferrari GTs were
dominant. But no one had yet seen the new 997s on a really
long course like Le Mans, which, theoretically, should give
them an aerodynamic advantage. Unlike years past, when
Porsches were clearly dominant, this year’s grid held an
imbalance of Ferraris, with Houston-based Risi
Competizione fielding this year’s Sebring winners Mika
Salo and Jaime Melo, along with Johnny Mowlem. A second
430, (painted a bright poison green!) for owner Tracey
Krohn, driving with Nicolas Jonsson and Texas karting star
Colin Braun, added to the mix. California’s Flying Lizards
brought a single 997 for team owners Seth Neiman and
Johannes van Overbeek to share with their fastest driver
Jorg Bergmeister. The German ex-Works driver was able to
post an impressive 4:05.5 in the spotty conditions, but it
was last year’s fastest qualifier, Andrew Kirkaldy, in the
Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari from Scotland, which again set fast
time—this year at 4:04.1. America’s Patrick Long, a Porsche
Works team driver, set the fastest time for Porsche in the
French-entered IMSA Performance 997 from Rouen, getting
second on the grid at 4:04.6.
Saturday’s start under uncertain skies went perfectly,
with most teams opting for slicks—even with the surrounding
rain clouds a constant threat. With an Audi and a
Peugeot each on the front row, it appeared it might be an
even match, especially with the French cars’ officially
timed, faster top speeds on the long straights. As the leaders
rolled under the French flag at the start line, though, it was
Dindo Capello’s Audi that pulled away like it was on
nitrous! By the first lap, he had 100 yards on the field and it
looked as if the Audis were again easily going to win. In
GT1, Bouchut had the lead in the French Aston, trailed by
an eclectic mix of ORECA Saleens—which hadn’t qualified
as well as expected—the twin Pratt and Miller Works-built
Corvettes, the remaining five Astons, some privateer Belgian
and French Corvettes, and a lone Russian-entered 550
Ferrari. In GT2, Kirkaldy had the Scot’s Ferrari well in the
lead, while Patrick Long quickly closed the gap in the ensuing
first laps in the IMSA Porsche. They were followed by
Flying Lizard’s beautiful Troy Lee liveried “art car” and the
Risi Ferraris.
The race’s first hour presented one of those weird series
of events that would affect the whole course of the race.
When it began to rain heavily at the South end of the circuit,
some cars that had started on slicks were forced to slow to
avoid sliding off the tarmac. Others pressing on in the
almost opaque spray were running into the slower cars,
causing numerous “offs” and semi-serious collisions. A yellow
flag was thrown, which brought out the safety car. At
this point, all three Audis had gone to the front with the
Peugeots running 4-5. Both the English Astons were leading
GT1 with the Corvettes close behind.
For more on this article and much more grab a copy of Auto Aficionado Magazine on newsstands nationwide!
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