American Le Mans Series

Petit Le Mans LIVE- Chapter 1

© American Le Mans Series

Everything ready for the 11th running of the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Peugeot barely snatching the pole position from Audi was the final demonstration of how close things have become in the closing months of the 2008 season. Close battles are expected at both prototype classes as well as GT2. Many records broken, championships at stake….what else could one ask? So sit back, relax and keep refreshing your browser while we cover this one for you minute by minute until the chequered flag!

11:03- Welcome to our live coverage of one of the main events of 2008, almost all cars on the grid, great weather and the perfect environment for a great race.

11:04- Almost all cars in the grid because the Lola-Mazda coupé was heavily damaged during the warm-up, Gerardo Bonilla lost it and the car is already on its way to be repaired so it won’t take part in the race.

11:05- on the same note, Allan McNish also had an off with the Audi and the car is feverishly being worked on in order to have it start the event.

11:06- national anthem is done, grid is being cleared to get the formation lap going.

11:08- It’s been an eventful week with many red flags and crashes…let’s hope the race has as little as possible from that.

11:10- “gentlemen, start your engines”

11:12- First formation lap is being completed… cars getting their tyres warm….

11:14- No sign of Audi #1 yet…. cars ready to go green

11:15- GREEN FLAG!! we go racing!!!!

11:16- Clean start, Peugeot leads Audi #2, the 3 Penske cars follow

11:17- Audi #1 still behind pit wall, Risi 62 leads Farnbacher Loles at GT2

11:18- Full course yellow as McNsh is coming out to the track! He has lost 2 laps , the reason for the yellow is that Intersport #30 has stopped in the track

11:20- (FCY)Behind The Peugeot and Audi #2 it’s 5-7-6 Penskes, AGR and De Ferran Acuras and the Ginetta Zytek

11;22- (FCY)In GT2 it’s 62 Risi, Farnbacher Loles, 71 Tafel, 45 Lizard, 99 JMB

11:24- (FCY)Allan Mc Nish has now caught up with the last car on track (Primetime Viper) but he’s 2 laps down.

11:25- (FCY)McNish in to get fuel, Audi maximizing their recovery strategy for that car

11:27- GREEN FLAG, back to racing!

11:29- Werner following Minassian closely, as AGR seems to be the only Acura able to follow the pace of the Penske Porsches at the moment

11:31- Danny Watts gets the Ginetta Zytek to 7th overall already

11:33- McNish pushing hard into the 1.07s, a tenth shy of Minassian’s best lap

11:34- The 30 Intersport Lola is back racing, last overall while Danny Watts has overtaken Tony Kanaan for 6th overall and starts chasing the Penske cars

11:36- 4 seconds gap has been built by the peugeot on the lead, in GT2 Melos has only 1.87 secs to Werner

11:38- The Ginetta Zytek of Dnny Watts just 3/10ths behind Pat Long’s Penske Porsche battling for 5th overall

11:39- And Danny does it, up to 5th and going for it, that’s his style!

11:40- The Corsa Zytek is 10th overall with Johnny Mowlem, Highcroft and Fernández 11th and 13th after having started at the back of the grid (change tyres after qualifying). But Sharp is OFF!!!! The Patrón Highcroft Acura heavily damaged and 2nd Full course yellow!!!!

11:42-(FCY) Heartbreak for the Acura championship challenge…. an error from Sharp and massive damage on the left rear suspension… will he be able to get it to the pits? Does not look like it, the tow car is ready….

11:44-(FCY) Pits open and the leaders are in! Only one of the Penske cars is in , number 7

11:46-(FCY) very long stop from Audi #2, the Peugeot was impeccable, Sarrazin took over from Minassian

11:48-(FCY) Penske 5 is leading now from the Ginetta Zytek, Penske 6 is 3rd

11:50-(FCY) And another stop for Audi#2…it’s not their day today it seems.

11:52-(FCY) The Highcroft Acura on a flatbed tuck… not a nice sight…

11:54-(FCY) Risi 62 leads GT2 from 99 JMB and 61 Risi-Krohn but neither of these 3 has stopped

11:55-(FCY) Discussions at the Highcroft pit with IMSA to try and see if they are allowed to repair and continue

11:56-(FCY) the issue is that Sharp did not bring the car back to the pits while he argus he had to leave following the medical staff decision

11:57-(FCY) Sharp will need to work on the car on his own and try to do a lap and bring it to the pits, only then will the crew be able to work on it

11:58-(FCY) Mc Nish will have a very good shot at recovering a lap as he is close to the leaders now

11:59- GREEN FLAG!

12:00- Good move by Watts, the Ginetta-Zytek leads Petit Le Mans!!!

12:01- McNish only has the top 2 ahead of him (50 Zytek and 5 Penske) , if he overtakes them he’ll be just 1 lap behind

12:04- Díaz on the fernández Acura is up to 8th overall not having stopped yet.

12:05-Sarrazin has the peugeot up to 4th, all 3 cars in front of him have not made a pit stop yet

12:06-In Gt2 it’s 62 Risi, 99 JMB, 87 Farnbacher Loles, 46 Lizard, 61 Risi-Krohn

12:07- The 30 intersport slowing down again…

12:08-Looks like the race is over for the Highcroft Acura, dmage is pretty heavy

12:10- Total disaster for Intersport as #37 is in with a damaged rear right suspension and goes behind the wall

12:11- McNish up to 16th overall

12:12- Audi#2 has overtaken the Peugeot, the top 3 is still 50 Zytek, 5 Penske, 6 Penske

12:14-No changes in GT2, the top 2 still has not been in the pits (62 Risi and 99 JMB Ferraris)

12:15- In fact Farnbacher Loles gets second now ahad of JMB, 46 and 45 Lizards and 71 Tafel complete the top 6

12:16- Ginetta-Zytek in the pits! Penske 5 leads but has not been into the pits yet. Audi #2 right behind him

12:18- The Ginetta-Zytek has rejoined back on 13th, anything going wrong?

12:20- The Peugeot is in 4th behind Penske 6, about 12 seconds behind the Audi, none of both Penskes has stopped yet

12:21- Audi in the lead! as Werner goes through

12:23- Both Corvettes into the pits as part of their lonely race

12:24- Peugeot is now 2nd behind the Audi, still 12 seconds between these 2, penske 5,6 and 7 complete the top 5

12:26- In GT2 it’s still 62 Risi, 87 Farnbacher, 99 JMB

12:27-McNish into the pits from 14th overall, he is staying in the car

12:28- JMB Ferrari in for its first stop from 3rd in GT2

12:30- The 888 Creation spins in a very dangerous position, the car is running

12:32- And the 888 rejoins while the 62 Risi car is also in for its first stop of the race from the GT2 lead

12:33- the overall leader is in now and Lucas Luhr takes over from Marco Werner

12:34- Penske 6 in the pits as the 71 Tafel overtakes the 45 Lizard for 2nd in class, Farnbacher Loles leads GT2 now after the stop from Risi 62

12:35- And after 1 hour and 20 minutes the 5 Penske Porsche finally gets its first pit stop, extra long stint for Briscoe

12:37- Peugeot now leads overall from 7 Penske, 26 Andretti Green Acura, 48 Corsa Zytek and 2 Audi

12:39- Full course caution as the De Ferran Acura is on the gravel bed!

12:41-(FCY) De Ferran getting the car back to the pits which are already open

12:43-(FCY) Sarrazin gets the Peugeot into the pits

12:44-(FCY) Penske 7 in the pits, Audi 1 as well, Mc Nish still in the car and just fuel for him. Lizard 45 in the pits as well.

12:45-(FCY) Corsa Zytek also in the pits, Johansson into that car

12:46-(FCY) Dumas is now on Penske 7, Montagny on the Andretti Green Acura

12:47-(FCY) Top 5 overall: 07 Peugeot, 7 penske Porsche, 25 AGR Acura, 48 Corsa Zytek, 2 Audi

12:49-(FCY) Top 5 GT2: 87 Farnbacher Loles, 45 Lizard, 71 Tafel, 62 Risi… and the 007 Aston!!!

12:51-(FCY) The Ginetta-Zytek is 11th overall, Audi 1 is 13th

12:53-(FCY) the Patrón Highcroft Acura is an official retirement now…

12:54-(FCY) The GT2 leader is into the pits, good pit stop and now farnbacher Loles is 1 lap ahead of the rest of the class!!

12:55-GREEN FLAG, we are back to racing!!!

12:56- Montagny attacks Dumas right away for 2nd overall (and the LMP2 lead)

12:58- Salo brings the 62 Risi Ferrari into the pits, problems for the red car!!!

13:00- Allan McNish has the #1 Audi up to 11th a couple of seconds behind Creation 88

13:02- Short excursion over the grass by the 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari

13:03- Mc Nish already 10th overall and unlapping himself by overtaking top runners

13:04- Peugeot still leads from pesnke 7, Andretti Green 26, 48 Corsa, 2 Audi, 5 penske, 6 Penske and 15 Fernández

13:05- In GT2 87 Farnbacher Loles leads 45 Lizard, 71 Tafel, 44 Lizard, 007 Aston

13:06- And Johansson has a heavy crash and puts the Corsa Zytek on the tyre wall!!!!

13:08-(FCY) Another full course yellow logically and this will take quite some time for the tyre wall to be repaired

13:09-(FCY) Johansson is fine, he immediately took his helmet off, crossed the track and is back on pitlane. The car is a retirement, though…

13:12-(FCY) The LG Corvette is a retirement as well, electrical problems

13:14-(FCY) lots of cars into the pits including Peugeot and Andretti Green, I think the Acura has overtaken the French car…

time for another chapter…. CLICK HERE