RACE REPORT: THE 15th FRL LE MANS CLASSIC
A full grid assembled for the traditional standing start for the 15th running of the FRL's premier event. A late entry to the grid was the #48 NART Dino in GT class of
@Niop dollowing the withdrawal of the sole entered Camaro.
A clean start.
The Prototype class has had some enthralling battles all season, and LM promised to be no exception. Line astern on Lap #1, the two NART Ferrari's (
@LancerEvo7 /
@raceorama123432 would dispute the lead all of the first stint with the lead #38 Ford Anglo-America MK IV (
@Panoz ).
Lap #1 Mulsanne Corner and Lancer runs straight on, with no damage sustained. The track surface and varying grip levels at Mulsanne Corner were a talking point all weekend, and it would claim a few cars...
The GT hordes descend on Mulsanne for the first time, polesitter
@Yeratel84 (#84 Lusitania Racing Ferrari) featuring heavily up front with the title-chasing
@GTRacer22 (#22 Corvette) as well as
@AudiMan2011 (#10 Ferrari) in his final FRL start and
@gokartman78 (#7 Lancia).
GT traffic for the first time and a scare with a very close call between JamesWilson (#234 Jaguar) and Lancer.
Hunadieres was busy with GT's still fairly close together during first hour and the Prototypes slicing past.
An incredibly close call out of Arnage between Lancer and Furi fighting through traffic, both cars with nothing more than paint chips from this.
Overheating radiator on the Lancia puts Gokartman in the pits early on, well within the first hour, he can still do the ideal 2-stop strategy for GT but will be off-sync to everybody.
GT championship leader
@RACECAR needs a decent finish to lock up a GT title lead has has held almost all season, however it isn't going to plan, issues like this at Mulsanne leave him bottom of the top 10 in class.
As the first hour draws to a close Yera and GTRacer have pulled away from the GT chasers a little.
The other 365 GTB of Audiman has it's own dramas and also starts dropping back towards end of the first hour.
The Yera / GTRacer duel is going to become four cars potentially, with the Corvette sliding at Mulsanne pursued by the #48 and #77 Toyota of
@Andil . The Toyota and the Ferrari would slowly drop back after a couple problems however in the next hour, whilst the Dino has an extra pit visit after an error with fitting the wrong tyres.
Out front in the second hour and the Ferrari's start to ease away, the drivers being able to run more laps on fuel than the Fords.
The #54 Ford has a quiet race as Jameswilson visits Mulsanne gravel trap at halfway.
The Lancia leads but it's going to be a question of how things develop over the final hour. Slowly moving into the picture as well is the second #6 NART Dino of
@RedPartyhat
Bizarre steering issues lose the #32 Toyota of
@DK minutes and drop him to the tail of the field.
The #68 Corvette of
@Foxed has had a quiet race, lacking the pace of the sister all-american entry, but an unforced error at Arnage sends the V8 muscle car into the pits with suspension damage.
Any hope of a podium for the second #54 Ford vanishes towards end of second hour when the car goes straight on at Indianapolis after getting in the dirt lapping a GT. Luckily, the car was on a pit-in lap and doesn't sustain any serious mechanical damage.
A bizarre mechanical issue puts the #68 in the wall at the Porsche Curves, Fox pits for a precautionary check and drops over two minutes. A dissapointing outing for his final race with Corvette.
(Was this when your TV switched off Ed? This was weird to watch)
Final hour and GT is going to a fuel mileage battle between the Lancia and Ferrari. The NART Dino pairing is still not totally out of the battle either!
Front of the field and Lancer pits for a final time for a splash and dash, but the sister car of Rob sweeps into the lead. It's going to be straight up duel for the win.
Disaster in the final half hour - within sight of 2nd place, the #6 Dino engine lets go as RedPartyHat heads into retirement - the race's first and only one!
Final laps and all eyes are on the lead battle, Lancer holding on despite Rob attempting to slipstream by on Mulsanne.
Gokartman survives and wins in GT.
Runner-Up by 8 seconds, but GT class champion, GTRacer does it with RACECAR trailing home a lacklustre 8th in class.
Out front, Lancer survives, winning a tense duel by 0.8 seconds - the closest ever margin the history of the race - amazing after three hours of competition.
See you all in July at Laguna Seca!
