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00:00:00Welcome back for our Speed TV viewers back in the United States of America.
00:00:07You've missed no major action here on Radio Le Mans 91.2 in association with Evo Magazines.
00:00:16Aston Martin leads GT1 from GM Chevy Corvette.
00:00:20Just about two and a half minutes.
00:00:21There's not actually a full lap between those two cars and they are fourth and fifth overall.
00:00:27Last time around, 3.56 by Stefano Telli, the leader.
00:00:323.55 dead by Magnussen chasing him down.
00:00:36Two minutes 47 seconds separating them.
00:00:39So the graphic that you're looking at there is taken of course at a particular point.
00:00:47The Aston Martin 007 in third had its problems.
00:00:49In fact, the two GT cars in third and fourth in that ranking there, both had some problems.
00:01:00But the C5R, we haven't mentioned them for a little while, Paul, to be honest.
00:01:04And they've actually been going all right.
00:01:06Yes.
00:01:07Worried about mentioning them now, frankly.
00:01:08Precisely so.
00:01:09Yeah, no, they have been going all right.
00:01:11They haven't had any significant problems.
00:01:13The car goes extremely well when Jerome Polycon is driving it and goes adequately well when
00:01:20the other two are driving it.
00:01:21So they're doing a good job out there.
00:01:23Now, I want to go back down to the pit lane while we're seeing Stefano Telli, who leads
00:01:28the GT1 category, picking his way through the early morning light.
00:01:32Beautiful light at this time of the morning.
00:01:34Graham Tyler, bring us up to date with what's been going down at the pit in part of the pit
00:01:39lane.
00:01:39Yeah, just saw a stop for the number 27 Miracle Motorsports car running on the Kumo tires.
00:01:45Come in with Ian James on board, who handed over to Andy Lally, American driver, on a
00:01:53full stop.
00:01:54We'll have a quick word with one of the mechanics.
00:01:56We saw a little bit of fluid coming out at the end there.
00:01:59Saw a little bit of oil coming out of the car, which I believe was just an overfill.
00:02:03I believe it's an overfill, you know, just a catch can.
00:02:07We haven't been using any oil and we've been adding it every six hours.
00:02:12Okay.
00:02:12The reason for that being the oil temperatures have been going up and they want to just keep
00:02:16as much fresh oil going in as they can.
00:02:19However, next door to them, John, while I'm down here, the number 12 Courage, we spoke
00:02:23to about half an hour ago, Sam Hancock out of that car, complaining of problems.
00:02:28Those problems, I'm afraid, have become terminal.
00:02:30And they're beginning to de-rig the Courage pit, number 12, and indeed 13, which retired
00:02:36earlier on.
00:02:38Thank you very much, Graham Tyler.
00:02:39At the other end of the pits, the drama has been all about Audi in the last half an hour
00:02:44or so.
00:02:44That's Joe Bradley, who's on the beat at that end of pit lane.
00:02:49All quiet at the moment, Joseph?
00:02:52Hello, Mr. Bradley.
00:02:53Yes, it is, John.
00:02:56Now, we've had the number seven Audi out of its pit with that turbo change.
00:03:01You alluded to the fact that it had taken about 14 minutes.
00:03:05Car losing about 16, 17 minutes in total.
00:03:07Now, if you hang around, we might be able to get, I'm in a position to get the insight
00:03:13as to what exactly that problem was from Dr. Ulrich himself.
00:03:18He's just giving the ACO reporter his official update for the ACO's report as to why the car
00:03:29was brought into the pits.
00:03:30And I'm just being very polite and standing by and waiting for my moment.
00:03:36We had Tom Christensen come in to the pits in the number seven car.
00:03:40That car chasing back, I mean, had problems of all sorts during the course of this race.
00:03:46The car took its pit stop.
00:03:48It was very routine, took fuel and a little oil replenishment.
00:03:51And then the car left the pit box and went out onto the track.
00:03:55And we heard from Tom Christensen a little while ago.
00:03:57He said that at that moment there, the turbocharger went.
00:04:02No indication whatsoever prior to that.
00:04:04And he was able to limp the car around.
00:04:06He lost a lot of time.
00:04:08Paul alluded to it losing two minutes in addition to its lap time.
00:04:13We're in the number seven Audi pit.
00:04:15The car of Tom Christensen now in the hands of Alan McNish.
00:04:18A fresh turbocharger being put on that car.
00:04:22That was a very difficult, tricky job for the team.
00:04:24You can imagine that turbocharger was probably reaching temperature of 1,000 degrees.
00:04:32Just while we're waiting for Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich,
00:04:35the team car with Marco Werner on board has just said its fastest lap of the race at 3.32.6.
00:04:42So clearly, when required, there is a bit left in those Audis.
00:04:47Now, how does Dr. Ullrich look?
00:04:48Does he look concerned or does he look as sanguine as ever?
00:04:52Joe Bradley in the Radio Le Mans pit lane for Radio Le Mans 91.2 FM and Speed TV together in these early morning hours.
00:04:59Joe, what's the news?
00:05:00He's looking like he's looked all week, John.
00:05:02He's looking like he's fully, totally engrossed and enjoying this Le Mans,
00:05:07no matter what the race seems to throw up.
00:05:10Dr. Ullrich, tell us exactly what the problem was.
00:05:13I saw a turbocharger going onto the car, but what do you think may have caused that?
00:05:18Yeah, we do not know what caused that.
00:05:20We just have seen that the turbocharger has broken, and so we had to change it.
00:05:26It's an experience we have done the very first time.
00:05:29Since 99, we run always turbo engines, and it's the very first time we have a fail on a turbocharger.
00:05:34But it seems a little bit that today the car number seven tries to collect anything that can happen.
00:05:44Yeah, they still go on as fast as possible, and that's what we're going to do.
00:05:49You still look as though you are enjoying this Le Mans?
00:05:53You are rising to the challenge of this new diesel technology?
00:05:56If you look at things that happen, it is not something that is linked to the technology.
00:06:03I mean, it is just things that can happen in Le Mans.
00:06:06And I always said, Le Mans is always bringing completely new experiences,
00:06:14because it is every year different, and every year things happen that you think that would not happen.
00:06:21And the question is only how good can a team react and solve the problems.
00:06:26Now then, from what you said there, is there any concern whatsoever
00:06:30that the problem that arose on the number seven car may arise on the number eight car?
00:06:37It's difficult to say, because in principle, these problems that have happened to the car number seven
00:06:44are not problems that we have found in our endurance runs, so it is just coming here.
00:06:50The number seven, I think, added a problem with its injectors, Dr. Ulrich.
00:06:54Could you explain what exactly the problem was with that?
00:06:57I can't tell you exactly what it was, because you can't open an injector and look into it, yeah?
00:07:03You just can find out whether it works or not.
00:07:07And here at Place, we cannot do anything, and this was the reason why we changed all the injectors from one side,
00:07:13to avoid that maybe we changed the wrong one.
00:07:15Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Ulrich.
00:07:17Great insight there from the Audi there, John.
00:07:20We can speculate until the cows come home, as we say, but there's nothing like talking to the man in charge.
00:07:27And I must say, I must just add, that his demeanour and his body language tells me
00:07:31he really is enjoying this Le Mans, and he's kind of describing the problems that the cars had,
00:07:37and he's kind of smiling, in a way, and saying, you know, yeah, whatever it's going to throw at us,
00:07:43Le Mans throws a lot of things at people.
00:07:45We're just going to look at it, address it, overcome it, and go on with our race.
00:07:49One thing. Thank you, Joe.
00:07:52A full and complete answer, as you might expect from Wolfgang Ulrich, the man at the top.
00:07:57Sad sight to see the Courage Mugen.
00:08:00Down comes the door.
00:08:02Off goes the signage.
00:08:04They have Abaddoné.
00:08:05It's gone.
00:08:06Graeme Goodwin and Paul Trustwell listening to that with me,
00:08:09and a point that we were talking about, listening to that, Graeme,
00:08:12you can bet that the injector problem and the turbo problem with Audi doesn't appear again.
00:08:17That, if necessary, will be completely re-engineered.
00:08:19I'll offer you my own money on that one, thanks.
00:08:22They've got a good thing on in the past, John.
00:08:25These faults never really recurring, and, you know, yeah,
00:08:28listening to Dr Ulrich there explaining quite clearly, I think, for a factory team,
00:08:33extremely clearly what the problems have been.
00:08:35Yeah, I'd put good money that we're not going to see that happen again.
00:08:38We've got a car in trouble on the track there, John.
00:08:39Yeah, it's one of the GT340s, the burner at the wheel of that one.
00:08:46In the meantime, Grim, Andy Wallace has brought the leading P2 car in.
00:08:54Grim, Tyler is down there. Grim.
00:08:55Yep, Andy Wallace brings in the car that Ray Malek has prepared for the LMP2 category, the MG Lola.
00:09:03And he has jumped out of the car, from the look of things, from where I am.
00:09:10Yeah, and Mike Newton it is who will get into the car.
00:09:13Gentleman driver, but you wouldn't know it from the times he puts in.
00:09:16Certainly very capable, indeed.
00:09:18We'll go and chase down Andy Wallace in a minute.
00:09:22Next door, an erstwhile contender in the LMP2 class, the number 22 Deutsche Bank Ex-Market sponsored,
00:09:29Roll Center Racing Radical, has spent a long time in the pit, sadly, and spending more time there now.
00:09:36Let's get into this garage, have a quick word with Andy Wallace, make sure everything's still going to plan.
00:09:45The smile is still on the face, Andy.
00:09:47Oh, yeah, absolutely.
00:09:49Starting these races at 5 o'clock, it's a silly idea, because it takes so long, it feels like more than 24 hours.
00:09:54The car's going really well, though, but obviously still a long way to go, and you can't say anything or do anything until you actually see the checkered flag, but I'm very happy with the car.
00:10:03But it must be comforting to have that 8-lap cushion that you have.
00:10:07Well, it is, but you know what, one problem of an accident is a clear and a heartbeat, so it doesn't really mean anything.
00:10:12All it needs, I suppose, is you haven't got to absolutely back over every curving sight and smash into every slow car you see.
00:10:19You can just take it a little bit easier.
00:10:21Now, although you're a fairly late entry into this car, there's some family history between this car and the one you race over in America.
00:10:29I'm sorry, I caught the first half of that, sir.
00:10:31Yeah, there's some family history between this car you're driving this weekend for Ray and the car you run over in America.
00:10:36Yeah, absolutely.
00:10:37It's the same chassis that I drive at Sebring in the 12 hours, and we finished second in LFB1 in there.
00:10:43And I love the car, actually.
00:10:44It's really, really nice to drive.
00:10:46Yes, it's so well-balanced and absolutely beautiful.
00:10:49So what's the chance of you persuading Rob Dyson to come over and have a crack at this?
00:10:53I think he will one day.
00:10:56The time has to be right, though, and of course, with a brand-new engine, they weren't going to come over with that.
00:11:00Okay, Andy, thanks for that.
00:11:02This is Radio Free Le Mans.
00:11:04Come on, come on.
00:11:34We might recap on something we were talking about earlier this morning here on Radio Le Mans.
00:11:38We were down at Aston Martin for two hours in an exclusive insight to their corporate hospitality,
00:11:44the new DBS from the Bond movie with Daniel Craig as the new James Bond of the new Casino Royale movie coming out.
00:11:52The new DBS unveiled here.
00:11:55Absolutely stunning.
00:11:56I think managed to get a word with David Richards from ProDrive and Graeme Goodwin from DailySportsCar.com, who's alongside me.
00:12:04He had something fairly significant to say.
00:12:05Just in casual conversation, Aston, the question that all of our emailers always ask about Aston's, and particularly the Aston Martin Racing Aston's, and the American Le Mans series.
00:12:15I think very significant, indeed, for people who follow the series, and that's that you can now expect that the Aston Martin Racing pair of DBR9s will contest all the remaining rounds of the American Le Mans series.
00:12:27So we've got the two British Racing Green Astons up against the two Velocity Yellow Corvettes for the rest of the season, John.
00:12:34That's great news.
00:12:35It's fantastic news for any sports car enthusiast.
00:12:40The Minassi and Pescarolo in from 13th position.
00:12:45That looks fairly straightforward.
00:12:47So while that's happening, we'll take the opportunity to bring everyone here at the circuit and on Speed TV and on RadioLeMond.com.
00:12:54Up to date.
00:12:55Paul Trusswell has the Audi Audi updates.
00:12:58Radio Le Mans.
00:12:59The sound of Le Sasse.
00:13:01The Audi updates are brought to you by Audi.
00:13:04Celebrating 25 years of Quattro.
00:13:0615 hours and 33 minutes into the race, 245 laps completed by the number 8 Audi R10.
00:13:23Marco Werner at the wheel, and he leads by not quite two laps, a little bit under two laps, from the number 17 Pescarolo Front Montagne,
00:13:33who has done 243 laps compared to, actually it's more than two laps now, the gap.
00:13:40246 laps now from Marco Werner, 243 laps completed from Frank Montagne.
00:13:45Third is number 7, Alan McNish now at the wheel of the second Audi.
00:13:51That's completed 10 laps fewer, 233 laps, so 10 laps behind at the moment, Alan.
00:13:56Fourth, the leading GT1 car, number 009, the Aston Martin VBR 9.
00:14:01Second Ortele currently at the wheel of that one, and it's completed 231 laps, just two fewer than Alan McNish in the Audi.
00:14:09Fifth is the second car in GT1.
00:14:11Car number 64, the Corvette C6R of Jan Magnussen.
00:14:15230 laps completed, but the gap is 2 minutes and about 50 seconds.
00:14:22So, 2 minutes and 50 seconds separating Ortele from Magnussen for the lead of the GT1 category.
00:14:28Sixth fastest and leader of the LMP2 category is the MG Lola.
00:14:33Mike Newton having just taken that car over from Andy Wallace, and just settling himself into his first flying lap behind the wheel of that car.
00:14:40Seventh is the 007 Aston Martin, Thomas Enger at the wheel of that car, and he's put in some very quick laps indeed.
00:14:48The fastest GT1 lap probably ever recorded at Le Mans on this version of the circuit.
00:14:533 minutes 50.770 seconds.
00:14:56And then eighth fastest, number 72, the C5R Corvette of the Lucalfont Aventure team, 224 laps completed.
00:15:06Ninth, number 62, another LMG T1 category car, and this is the Russian age racing Aston with Antonio Garcia at the wheel.
00:15:17And then rounding out the top ten, another car to recently complete its fastest lap of the race so far.
00:15:22That's Johnny O'Connell, who's been going very quickly in the number 63 Corvette.
00:15:28Radio Le Mans is under new management, and it's back to our roots with more live coverage, more competitions, more fun, and more audience participation.
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00:16:18Radio Le Mans.
00:16:20Back to Paul Trusswell for the GT2 updates.
00:16:22Yes, just to finish off that update.
00:16:2483 is the leading GT2 runner, as it has been for most of the race, the Cycle Motorsport Porsche.
00:16:29Second in that class is the number 93, the team Tysan, Advan Porsche.
00:16:35And then third in the GT2 class is the number 81, the team LNT Panos.
00:16:41Porsche, Porsche Panos in GT2.
00:16:43Audi.
00:16:44Forsprung Dirk Technic.
00:16:45That's the hourly update with Paul Trusswell here on Radio Le Mans.
00:16:50As we come up to almost 20 minutes to nine, the circuit coming alive.
00:16:55People starting to come back into the circuits, arousing from their nighttime activities, whatever
00:17:02they were, down at the fairground, grabbing some coffee or just having a snooze as I pulled
00:17:09into the car park this morning, down in the TV compound, found a little space to put the
00:17:15car into, just started reversing into it, and Eve, my wife.
00:17:21Wife is the word, John.
00:17:22Wife is the word.
00:17:23Stopped me, and I'm pleased she did, because there was three of the TV crew lying in the
00:17:27gap between the two cars.
00:17:29That'll teach them.
00:17:30They very nearly got outed, got to tell you.
00:17:34Let's quickly just go down for a very quick update.
00:17:36I'm aware we've got to go for a break here on Speed in a second.
00:17:39Graeme Tyler can give us a quick 20-second update at the far end of the pit, Liam, the
00:17:44pit in end.
00:17:45Graeme?
00:17:45Yeah, thanks.
00:17:46Let's start with the car that's currently in, the number 50 Labre Competition F550 Maranello.
00:17:51The Ferrari Jean-Luc Blanchemin brings the car in, gets a splash of fuel.
00:17:56So that glorious sound of the way it goes.
00:17:58Just a little moment ago we had the number nine creation in the pit next door, and that
00:18:04was a full service and a driver change.
00:18:05Felipe Ortiz taking over from Bepi Gabbiani.
00:18:08John, back to you.
00:18:10At the other end of the pit lane, we'll grab Joe Bradley for an update when we come back
00:18:14from the ad break on Speed TV.
00:18:18You're listening to Radio Le Mans.
00:18:1991.2 FM.
00:18:21Race tuned for 2006.
00:18:23And in association with Evo magazine, Dr. Ulrich looking a little more relaxed now as he
00:18:31takes a banana as Marco Werner is absolutely flying a 32.515.
00:18:39That car's best lap set recently and his last lap around a 3.33.0.
00:18:43Just giving you an idea that when necessary, these Audi's can turn up the wick if diesels
00:18:49do have such a thing.
00:18:51On Speed TV and at Radio Le Mans.com, as well as 91.2 here at the circuit, this is...
00:18:56Listening in is Frederick Dorr, the man who took charge of care racing and brought the
00:19:02beautiful Ferrari 550 Marinello's in.
00:19:06A little bit of explanation going on from Thomas about the handling of the car so the engineers
00:19:10can make best use of all the feedback that they get from him.
00:19:14Thomas, was that a double or a triple stint you did there?
00:19:17No, no, no, it was a double stint.
00:19:19I don't think we are...
00:19:20We have...
00:19:22I don't think we have good temperature in the car for triple stint.
00:19:29So far, so no, no, it was a double stint.
00:19:32I mean, we are double stinting since beginning and it seems to be quite good.
00:19:36But the temperature inside the car has decreased much, much more since last year.
00:19:43The team did some changes for that and it's much better.
00:19:49Last year we were just able to single stint.
00:19:51This year we can double stint easily.
00:19:53We will see when the temperature rise up and what we can do.
00:19:57But I think we can finish like this.
00:19:59Thank you, Thomas.
00:19:59Let's go back to LMP2.
00:20:01We spoke a little earlier on to Andy Wallace.
00:20:03Let's talk to his team boss, Ray Malek.
00:20:06Ray, you know what it takes to win this class at Le Mans.
00:20:08You are current Le Mans champions.
00:20:10Things going to plan?
00:20:12Things going absolutely according to plan right now.
00:20:15Yeah, we've had a nice trouble free run for some time now.
00:20:18Since we had the 20-minute stop at about 2 o'clock in the morning,
00:20:22cars run really well.
00:20:23In fact, shortly after that we developed what we thought was an engine vibration.
00:20:29We had that for about three hours.
00:20:32But Andy reports that that's gone away completely
00:20:36and the car is running perfectly at the moment.
00:20:38Touch wood.
00:20:39As ever, as ever, touching of the wood.
00:20:41Now, Mike Newton's in the car at the moment, Ray.
00:20:44And we refer to Mike as a gentleman driver.
00:20:48But it's becoming harder to do that now
00:20:51because his pace is pretty much on a professional level.
00:20:54Yeah, he's doing an amazing job this weekend as he has all season.
00:20:58He's really getting to grips with the prototype and doing his proud.
00:21:03Tell us a little bit about RML X-Power and what that's all about.
00:21:07I take it it's performance bits and pieces that RML are putting out for the MG owners?
00:21:11Well, yeah, that's right.
00:21:13It's part of what we're doing, really,
00:21:16in continuing to fly the MG flag.
00:21:19And we started to get quite a few people talking to us
00:21:24about how we could help them improve the performance of their MGs
00:21:28and help support us at the racetrack.
00:21:31So, hence, RML X-Power has been born and it's been very well received.
00:21:36Well, that's great news.
00:21:37So, I've got a little MG effort at home.
00:21:38I need to ring out RML and see how I can improve the performance.
00:21:41We'll speak to you next week.
00:21:43Thanks, Rick.
00:21:44Great to hear.
00:21:45And things in Torscross for you, boys.
00:21:46The British are rooting for you.
00:21:47Thanks very much.
00:21:48Into the pit lane just behind you is the leader.
00:21:51Joe Bradley now wombles back up towards the end of pit lane
00:21:55as Marco Verna comes in just for a full tank of diesel.
00:22:00And I think Graham Tyler has done a bit of an order lap.
00:22:02Yeah, we've done a little leapfrog job on Joe here.
00:22:05But I think he was talking to Ray Malek.
00:22:07I've come up to the Audi and Manuel, sorry, Marco Verna
00:22:11bringing the car in and staying in the car.
00:22:13It will only take fuel from the look of things.
00:22:15There are tyres prepared, but it doesn't look as though they're going to be laid back.
00:22:20There's a little adjustment being made on the front there just to tighten down the...
00:22:25No, it's not that.
00:22:25They're taking the front bodywork off, just checking something,
00:22:28saying lift it away, put it back on, please.
00:22:31OK, front bodywork goes back on again.
00:22:34Two little ratchet jobs.
00:22:35The clips come back on.
00:22:37A bit nice and deep were the problem.
00:22:38Let's not forget, thank you, Graham,
00:22:46that that was the car that did have the nose cone changed
00:22:49with that headlight.
00:22:51The left-hand front headlight wasn't on
00:22:53and therefore the marshal wouldn't let him out.
00:22:56Took his life in his hands, stood in front of the car.
00:22:59And obviously that nose cone not quite seated properly
00:23:03as Graham Tyler sees that car on its way
00:23:07and we're at quarter to nine now in the morning.
00:23:1291.2 FM.
00:23:13Mark Loverna back out, setting some stunning laps.
00:23:16He got down to a 32-0 on his last lap before his in-lap.
00:23:20So clearly that Audi still has performance in reserve.
00:23:24But quite frankly, the Pescarolo behind them,
00:23:27to be honest, Paul,
00:23:28has never really pushed them for pace all the way through the race.
00:23:31No, they came up with a very good theory
00:23:34and it was all to do with the way that the cars use the tyres.
00:23:39And I mean, you can kind of believe it
00:23:41because the Audi's are very powerful.
00:23:43They will have more downforce.
00:23:45The Pescarolo's running with less downforce
00:23:47and that will give them more straight-line speed.
00:23:49But it works the tyres less hard
00:23:51and that means it's a bit more critical
00:23:53that you have the right tyre on the car at the right time.
00:23:55And I think they've just struggled with the flexibility
00:23:58of having to do triple stints on the tyres
00:24:01but deal with changing temperatures
00:24:03as the day has progressed
00:24:05or as the night has progressed, as the case may be.
00:24:08But no, they've really been at a disadvantage.
00:24:10We only have to look at their fastest laps.
00:24:12When the pace is really there, the Audi's can do it.
00:24:15When they get a clear lap,
00:24:16they can just bang in a couple of really quick laps.
00:24:19And they can bang in quick parts of laps
00:24:21so they don't get held up by traffic.
00:24:24Pescarolos keep on having slow laps.
00:24:26Now, this boards very well, does it not,
00:24:28for the American Le Mans series.
00:24:29Brad Kettler from Champion Motorsport is in the Yost pit.
00:24:34Has been all weekend.
00:24:34Has been since, really, this car was ruled out at Sebring.
00:24:38And confirmed to us on Radio Le Mans,
00:24:39two cars for the American Le Mans season after Lime Rock.
00:24:44There won't be at Lime Rock.
00:24:45That's going to be the swan song of the R8
00:24:47in a couple of weeks' time.
00:24:48But after that, two of these cars,
00:24:50I think that's a dogfight between the P2 Porsche RS Spiders
00:24:54and this new technology from Audi.
00:24:56And, indeed, Bob Dyson's cars, too,
00:24:58which are getting up to speed rather nicely, too, John.
00:25:01They're fabulous machines.
00:25:02I mean, they've not got the kind of the noise,
00:25:05the pleasure you get from the noise of a race car, perhaps,
00:25:07but in every other measure.
00:25:09The way these things go around the corners,
00:25:11the way these things can actually attack a racetrack,
00:25:13the way Paul's just been saying that you can turn up the wick
00:25:16and just chuck out times like that,
00:25:17almost at will.
00:25:19It's a fantastic thing.
00:25:20The voice of Graeme Goodwin, assistant editor of DailySportsCar.com.
00:25:25And don't forget our special offer this week at RadioLeMond.com.
00:25:30All of our listeners and viewers now on speed,
00:25:33a chance to sample some of the best Le Mans coverage on the web free of charge.
00:25:36All you've got to do is go to www.DailySportsCar.com.
00:25:42Click on headlines, and when you're prompted, put in the username RadioLeMond.com.
00:25:46All one word, all small, all low-case, no gaps, RadioLeMond.com.
00:25:50And the password is LM2006.
00:25:54Again, no gaps in that.
00:25:56RadioLeMond is the username, and LM2006.
00:26:00There's a whole week's worth of reading after the race.
00:26:03You can log on right now if you're at home watching or listening.
00:26:06Radio LeMond and Daily SportsCar.
00:26:08Comprehensive, comprehensible.
00:26:10Don't wait.
00:26:10Have it now.
00:26:11Down at the pit lane, Ron Fellows.
00:26:13Everyone's favourite Canadian is with his mate, Graeme Tyler.
00:26:17Yes, certainly mine.
00:26:18Ron Fellows out of the 63 Corvette.
00:26:21Johnny's at the wheel at the moment.
00:26:22Had a bit of an accident early on.
00:26:25He'd been chasing the race ever since.
00:26:27Yeah.
00:26:29I'm not sure what happened just outside the first hour.
00:26:34And then I think we had a clutch problem in the middle of the night as well.
00:26:39And then Max got a three-minute stop-and-go for some.
00:26:45Nobody seems to know exactly what it was.
00:26:48Yeah, we've been a little unlucky.
00:26:51We're hanging in there.
00:26:52The car's decent.
00:26:54The repairs the guys made, you know, the car working fine.
00:26:57It's...
00:26:59We'll just keep plugging away.
00:27:01Now, since test day a fortnight ago, you elected to stay over here.
00:27:05Have you been having some holiday time?
00:27:08Yeah, actually, the week between Linda and our two boys, we went to Rome for the week in between.
00:27:15So it was incredibly historic experience, obviously.
00:27:20You know, in North America, there isn't anything anywhere near that old that we know of.
00:27:26It's great.
00:27:27You know, this is...
00:27:28This is a great pilgrimage we make every early summer.
00:27:34And, yeah, we'll see how many more we do with these.
00:27:40Well, let's hope this isn't the last one, Ron.
00:27:42The one or two little hints have been dropped this weekend, and I don't want to see that happen.
00:27:47Well, you never know.
00:27:52It's, yeah, you know, I love driving this Corvette.
00:27:57It's great fun.
00:27:59A tremendous group of guys.
00:28:00And, yeah, we'll see.
00:28:02If nothing else, you have to come back next year, because Linda said she wants to go to Florence, please.
00:28:08Oops.
00:28:09There you go.
00:28:11I think I've been dismissed.
00:28:14Good effort, though, Mr Tyler.
00:28:15Very good effort there.
00:28:16We're going to talk about the Radical.
00:28:18This is a chassis new to Le Mans this year in the LMP2 class, run by Martin Short and the Rolls-Center Racing Team.
00:28:25And to tell you about that, here's Joe Bradley.
00:28:27Thank you, Graeme.
00:28:28Yeah, a manufacturer brand new to sports car racing, not just Le Mans.
00:28:32And a British one at that.
00:28:35Radical made their name with motorcycle engine prototypes for club racing.
00:28:41They've now moved into proper sports car racing, let's say.
00:28:44This car, the Deutsche Bank Ex-Market's car, is in the pits, unfortunately.
00:28:48Car number 22 it is in the LMP2 class.
00:28:51And it was certainly in line for a podium position.
00:28:53We interviewed Martin Short, the man behind this team, putting this team together,
00:28:59and was the driver at the time of our interview.
00:29:03He just brought the car in and he complained of a snagging clutch that has come back to haunt this car
00:29:10because right now the car is in its pit garage.
00:29:13It's on its stands on the trestles about three foot in the air.
00:29:16The gearbox is split off the back of the engine along with the rear axle.
00:29:21And they are engineering a new clutch.
00:29:25It's not just a case of fitting a clutch by it, what I can see.
00:29:28But they're having a little bit few more problems than just taking the old unit off and putting a new unit on.
00:29:34So it's a little bit longer than it would normally take.
00:29:38It's not the sort of job that you can do in the matter of moments.
00:29:42It's a big job and it's going to take a little bit while longer before this number 22 car gets back into the race.
00:29:48OK, Joe, thank you very much.
00:29:52Behind you, the Zaytech pulls into the pit lane, the red, white and blue Essex-sponsored car.
00:29:58Graham Tyler has wandered a little bit further up the pit lane from Corvette,
00:30:02where there are a number of garage doors pulled down, Graham.
00:30:06And for non-aficionados of Le Mans, that sadly means bad news.
00:30:11I must just mention the LNT Pianos that we're seeing on the screen at the moment.
00:30:15The boss of the team, Laurence Tomlinson, is at the wheel.
00:30:20And third position in the GT2 category.
00:30:25Quite remarkable.
00:30:26And Graham Goodwin reminds me that this is significant for two reasons.
00:30:32First, because this is the first of the customer Pianos cars.
00:30:36And secondly, for another reason entirely, but that will be relevant to our American TV audience at the moment.
00:30:42Yeah, well, anybody watching Speed's coverage or even at the track at the 12th hour of the Zebring this year
00:30:49will remember actually not this car, but another of the three Pianos Esperantis this team actually runs in Europe.
00:30:55They finished fantastic, fifth in class, their debut with the car.
00:30:59A track we know is absolutely punishing.
00:31:03Now, that's significant because it's the best finish by a non-ALMS team this decade.
00:31:08And these guys have been coming on with these cars ever since in the Le Mans series
00:31:12and also in the National British GT Championship.
00:31:15And coming on in leaps and bounds.
00:31:17What a wonderful run so far with eight hours to go to be third in that class, John.
00:31:20And meantime, the GT2 leader has just popped into the pit lane.
00:31:24This is the 83 Porsche.
00:31:28Down in the pit lane.
00:31:29This car has been going like clockwork all night long.
00:31:35And I know having said that, I'm going to put the curse of the commentator on it.
00:31:38I hope it doesn't.
00:31:39It's taking on fuel.
00:31:41It's taking on an oil replenishment.
00:31:42It's sticking with its tyres.
00:31:44The driver is going to do another stint.
00:31:48It really has worked absolutely fantastically.
00:31:52It's been leading this GT2 class for pretty much the majority of this race so far.
00:31:58Got the lead earlier in the evening last night and it's remained there ever since.
00:32:06And once again, we've just witnessed a very, very simple and what looked like routine pit stop from that Farnbacher Racing number 83 Porsche.
00:32:16Now, down right at the pit lane end, we will be, excuse me, we will be having a Pescarolo stop in a few moments time.
00:32:25Graham Tyler, however, has some bad news for Spiker Squadron fans.
00:32:30Graham?
00:32:30Yes, it's a great shame.
00:32:31We had the number 86 car holding a solid second place for the Spiker Squadron.
00:32:37They entered two cars.
00:32:38One went out earlier, but the 86 car was really travelling along well.
00:32:43And no sooner did I turn my back and head off for a shower and a quick change of clothing so I don't smell quite like a dead goat when it comes to five o'clock.
00:32:51But unfortunately, that car dropped a valve and it's out.
00:32:54In the meantime, as I turn round, I'm greeted by the view of the 64 Corvette making its routine stop.
00:33:01There'll be no driver change here.
00:33:03It's a regular Pratt & Miller style stop, so routine to the end.
00:33:09It's second in class, all looking very serene in there.
00:33:13No problem, whatever.
00:33:14Fuel's still going in.
00:33:16The crew are standing by with it.
00:33:17There we go.
00:33:18Out comes the fuel filler.
00:33:19On go the front wheels first.
00:33:21This is always the way the Pratt & Miller crew work.
00:33:23It's like a ballet.
00:33:24They just dance around each other, getting the equipment in place.
00:33:27The wheels move.
00:33:29Down comes it.
00:33:32Easy as that.
00:33:33Nothing to it.
00:33:35And a round of applause will tell you all about Team Spirit here.
00:33:38Now let's bring in our American correspondents.
00:33:42Appropriate, as we're currently live on Speed TV.
00:33:46We'll be taking a break from them in just a second.
00:33:49But let's say a very good morning here in France.
00:33:52It's the small hours of the morning in Jacksonville, Florida.
00:33:55Well, Charles Dressing joins us.
00:33:57Hello, Chuck.
00:33:58Good morning.
00:34:01How are you feeling, sir, first of all?
00:34:04Not bad at all.
00:34:05I've had about four or five hours sleep, and I was laying there wide awake.
00:34:08And I said, why am I laying here in the dark when I could be watching Le Mans?
00:34:12And the answer was, because I'm stupid.
00:34:14So I got up and came in here to see what was going on.
00:34:17Oh, what have we here on pit lane, he asked.
00:34:20The number 17, second place, Pescarolo, coming in on cue.
00:34:24We got the nod three laps ago that it would come in, and three laps later it certainly has.
00:34:31This looks, again, like a very routine stop.
00:34:34Joe Bradley is there.
00:34:34We'll take a break on Speed in just a moment.
00:34:36So, Joe, down to you for about a minute.
00:34:39Yeah, we are in a routine stop for this number 17, Pescarolo.
00:34:45We had Eric Hillary handing the car over to Frank Montagne.
00:34:48He's now, we've got Frank Montagne handing that car over to Sebastian Loeb.
00:34:53We, the World Rally Champion, indeed, gets into the car.
00:34:57Now then, we had Eric Hillary report that he triple stinted on a set of tyres,
00:35:02and the tyres were not worn out at all.
00:35:05And that's why he brought the car in earlier and handed it over to Frank.
00:35:08Frank has managed to get a little bit more speed out of the car,
00:35:12but that might be due to the increase in ambient temperature or track temperature.
00:35:17Off the jacks then, Sebastian Loeb plugs his radio in as he fires it up and guns it away.
00:35:23Did you see that on camera?
00:35:24Yeah.
00:35:24That was fabulous.
00:35:25Pulls away, a little bit of opposite lock, one-handed,
00:35:28and the left hand is plugging the radio and the driver information code in at the same time.
00:35:32And that's why Sebastian Loeb is World Rally Champion, because he can multitask.
00:35:38And just in case you think I'm making that up, scientifically proven that when they are running,
00:35:44listening to pace notes and driving anywhere around about 80 to 100 miles an hour,
00:35:48World Rally drivers take in more information and multitask more than a fighter pilot when he's dogfighting.
00:35:57That's the capability of the brain within the helmet that's in the head that's behind the wheel of the second-place car.
00:36:05Sebastian Loeb, the World Rally Champion, is behind the wheel of the second-place car at Le Mans.
00:36:09We'll take a short break from the action for those of you who are watching on speed.
00:36:14Always on Radio Le Mans.
00:36:20Welcome back to our viewers on Speed TV in the United States of America, just after nine o'clock here in France.
00:36:27And as part of our tie-up with the magazine Evo this year, now thanks to them for supporting Radio Le Mans.
00:36:34And Evo's Roger Green and Peter Tomlin are driving to this year's Le Mans in a replica Lotus 11.
00:36:41It's a Westfield, they've built it themselves, and it's featured in the latest issue of the magazine.
00:36:46How long is it going to take them?
00:36:48If you think you know you could win a super prize, a money-can't-buy, access-all-areas, supercar test as part of the Evo team.
00:36:58So if you have a chance to win, follow these steps.
00:37:00All you've got to do is text the word Evo, that's E-V-O, plus your answer to 83426.
00:37:07That's Evo and your answer in numbers.
00:37:09So if you think it's going to take them 11 hours and 53 minutes, it's 11.53, OK?
00:37:14It'll cost you a pound plus your standard operator SMS race.
00:37:18And we're hoping to speak to Peter Green and Peter Tomlin at some stage, find out how they've done.
00:37:24They were hoping to get here for the start of the race.
00:37:26Yes, I don't think that's happened, frankly.
00:37:30We did tell them we couldn't take the motorways either.
00:37:33Right, let's get down to the pit lane and first of all check in with Graeme Tyler, who's at the pit end, pit out end of the pit lane.
00:37:43We've just seen a pit stop for the second place car.
00:37:45We'll go back to Joe in that pit in a moment.
00:37:47But first of all, Aston Martin in at the top end of the pit lane, Graeme.
00:37:50Yes, they are. They are indeed.
00:37:52But I'm going to come a little further up in again as the Aston Martin in Poulton Way gets back onto the track.
00:37:58That's the GT1 leading car.
00:38:01And we've got a pit stop due to us from the number seven Audi.
00:38:06They're on the lap 13.
00:38:08And as Paul Trusswell told us earlier, they've been routinely running 14 lap stints.
00:38:12So we're expecting that car in pretty much any time.
00:38:16I was also hovering a little further on again, up in the sort of centre permanent pits, which are due to demolition any time now to be replaced by some brand new ones.
00:38:27And there we find the home this year, at least, of the Flying Lizard motorsports team, number 80 Porsche.
00:38:33They've not had everything their own way, started with the fact that Johannes van Overbeek had an accident on his pushbike on Thursday night and ended up with cuts and abrasions and bruising to his left shoulder.
00:38:45But he's tufted out and is getting prepared to go for another one.
00:38:49We've got a Corvette stop, which is going to be a driver change.
00:38:52John O'Connell handing over to the man I was talking to just a few minutes ago, Ron Fellows, diving into the 63 car.
00:38:59There have been a number of suggestions to me this year that this might be Ron's last Le Mans.
00:39:04And I think we need a petition, frankly, because the place wouldn't be the same without him.
00:39:09No, absolutely right, Graham.
00:39:11He still has the fever, as we would say.
00:39:15And that's something that we like about Ron.
00:39:18He really has this whole thing under his skin.
00:39:20He has the same sickness as the rest of us.
00:39:22Absolutely right.
00:39:23And not only is he a fine driver, he's a fine ambassador for our sport and a true gentleman.
00:39:30The wheels go on.
00:39:31It's the same routine that Pratt & Miller have done time and time and time again, usually without any problem whatever.
00:39:39The car fires up and Rocket Ron takes it away.
00:39:45There's no suggestion, Graham, that Ron's going to hang up these racing clubs completely, just not come back to Le Mans.
00:39:51Is that what I understood?
00:39:53Well, that's what I've been hearing.
00:39:55And at some point, you can't help but blame these guys.
00:39:59It's a very punishing schedule.
00:40:01We think we have it hard doing the broadcasting for over 24 hours and more.
00:40:05But it's nothing like the ordeal.
00:40:07These people have to put themselves through with the G-forces, the heat, the loss of fluids from the body.
00:40:13It's just punishing, punishing stuff.
00:40:15Paul Truswell is alongside me.
00:40:17Yeah, I just wanted to pick up on what Graham was saying.
00:40:19Alan McNish due into the pits fairly shortly.
00:40:22And if you are around the circuit, you can see the car coming.
00:40:25If he's on the screen, then watch him because he's on his last three laps now.
00:40:29He's on lap 241 of the stint as I've got it.
00:40:32And he should be coming in at the end of lap 244.
00:40:35So this lap and then two more.
00:40:38And generally what will happen here is because the fuel load is lightning, he's pushing on as far as he can.
00:40:42It's not him who's the fastest driver in the car either.
00:40:45And that will motivate him because it's Christensen who's the fastest driver in the car so far.
00:40:50And so I just think that we might be seeing, this might be the opportunity that Alan takes.
00:40:56He's in the car.
00:40:58The tyres are as fresh as they're going to be given the fuel load.
00:41:02So it's kind of the best balance.
00:41:04So the next three laps might be quite entertaining for Alan.
00:41:07They might at least be quite quick.
00:41:08Graham.
00:41:09And Paul, they're about to show on the board which says P3 and lap 13.
00:41:13So if he does, if that's the conclusion of lap 13, then he will be doing a 15 stint.
00:41:21But if that is the commencement of lap 13, then it'll be the regular 14.
00:41:26And I'll leave it up to you to let us know which.
00:41:28Well, I'll leave it up to Mr. Hausner, Joe Hausner, who's looking after that car.
00:41:35He can decide.
00:41:36It's not really up to me.
00:41:37Although, you know, I can make suggestions.
00:41:39No, clearly he has to ask your permission and see what kind of smoke comes out of the top of our position here before they're allowed in.
00:41:49Audi, Pescarolo, Audi, Aston Martin in fourth place.
00:41:55341 is still the gap between those two.
00:41:58As into the pit lane comes the Flying Lizard.
00:42:02Goes out, rather, the Flying Lizard.
00:42:04No, comes in, sorry, but right up the top.
00:42:07Charles Dressing is listening to us.
00:42:09Quite a lot of attrition this year, Charles.
00:42:13Particularly, funnily enough, as the Portal Player Flying Lizard car comes in and parks up in the annex, as it were.
00:42:20Particularly among the Porsches.
00:42:21We've already seen the Peterson White Lightning car bite the dust.
00:42:25Tracy Crone Racing sponsoring that car.
00:42:28And that's unusual.
00:42:29We expect to see the little Porsches particularly just reel off the laps.
00:42:34We're like a little machine tool.
00:42:36When I heard that the White Lightning car had been parked, I kind of took the palm of my hand and bumped my temple a couple of times to make sure that that's what I was hearing.
00:42:45Because you do expect them to act like a little lay and keep grinding away and grinding away until five o'clock.
00:42:51At which point everybody in a Porsche goes and stands on the podium.
00:42:54Now, Charles, we were talking earlier on, just before the news, about the prospect of Aston Martin for the whole season in the American Le Mans series.
00:43:05Confirmed on Radio Le Mans by none other than David Richards yesterday morning in our little two-hour morning brunch session down at Aston Martin.
00:43:15And that's a massive fillip, not only to the GD1 battle of the American Le Mans series, but to the series as a whole.
00:43:23Well, they have Aston Martin to stay for the whole year.
00:43:25I had said a quiet prayer, which is something I don't often do.
00:43:28Prayer is not sufficient.
00:43:30But I've said a quiet prayer that they would stay with us.
00:43:32Simply because it will make everybody at Corvette happy.
00:43:35And a happy bunch of Corvette racers is a potent bunch of Corvette racers.
00:43:39Because those people want somebody to race of their calibre.
00:43:43And pro drives certainly stand shoulder to shoulder with Pratt Miller and vice versa.
00:43:48You probably didn't see it, but before the race, as we've got Andy Lally in another LMS series car.
00:43:54The Cumho tires, second place now in LMP2.
00:44:00Softly, softly.
00:44:01Yes.
00:44:01That will send shockwaves around the tyre world if that Cumho tires car gets on the podium.
00:44:11They sparked Michelin into action last year here when it looked like they might take pole position for a little while.
00:44:19And fair play to them.
00:44:21They've done a very, very, very good job.
00:44:23And just back to the American Le Mans series for a moment.
00:44:29As we are talking to a mainly US audience, it seems, at the moment, given our email content and indeed the fact that we're on speed.
00:44:39Just thinking about that, the Aston Martin Corvette battle, which I am already getting very excited about.
00:44:45Particularly when we go to Traxlite, Road America later in the year.
00:44:48The new facility at Miller Motorsports Park, both over four miles around on the lap.
00:44:53Those big, fast GT1 cars can really stretch their legs there.
00:44:57And I think we're going to have a real spectacle, Charles.
00:44:59Indeed we are.
00:45:00Simply because those two courses, one very old and one very new, are blood relatives of this course we find ourselves on today.
00:45:10Those cars will be blindingly fast.
00:45:12And they are cars that share their DNA with the great Le Mans cars of the past.
00:45:18Thanks, Charles, for the time being.
00:45:20In the pit lane is the leader, Alan McNish.
00:45:23And it's who at that end of the pit lane now?
00:45:26It's Graham, isn't it?
00:45:26It's Graham.
00:45:27McNish actually currently holding third place.
00:45:30It's the eight Audi leading the pack.
00:45:32Sorry.
00:45:32But McNish taking a drink, looking very calm, composed in the car.
00:45:36It will be diesel fuel only going into the car.
00:45:41No tyres offered up or to be taken.
00:45:43Everybody looks very calm.
00:45:45Off comes the Le Mans and away goes, Alan.
00:45:48And that's as much noise as a diesel racing engine need to make.
00:45:51It didn't even squeal the tyres, McNish, that time.
00:45:55I'm sorry.
00:45:56I'm so used to the car with Christensen in being in the lead.
00:45:59I just went to default mode, as I have done all this century, of course, for that.
00:46:05Paul Trusswell is eyeing his notebook and eyeing the timing and scoring screen.
00:46:10Yes, I mean, it was a 14-lap stint, as Graham suggested it would, and the clockwork machine
00:46:19of yours suggested it was.
00:46:20But what happened was that there were no particularly stunning laps from Alan, which makes me think
00:46:26one of two things.
00:46:27Either he met traffic on the laps and he didn't want to take any risks, or the car isn't quite
00:46:32working for him.
00:46:34And that was the car that had a new under tray fitted at some point during the race.
00:46:38And it has had problems, that car.
00:46:41And I just wonder if there is something that's not quite well with it.
00:46:44They've recognised the fact that they, you know, they're the last LMP1 car that's realistically
00:46:51in the race, and that the one ahead of it is 10 laps, and that's too far ahead of it to
00:46:55catch.
00:46:55So, they're...
00:46:56I'm sorry.
00:46:57They wouldn't admit...
00:46:58It's half an hour.
00:46:59That's all.
00:47:01Well, if everybody else stops...
00:47:0235 minutes.
00:47:03Yeah.
00:47:03It will take them 45 minutes to catch up if they stop.
00:47:07Well, he...
00:47:08Well, we'll see.
00:47:09I mean, you know, there is a long way to go, John.
00:47:13Seven, nearly eight hours.
00:47:15Watching the GT2 battle, just had a quick look at the leader there with Pierre Herrette
00:47:21in the lead.
00:47:21That car, remember, the cycle and motorsport car only in the race a couple of weeks ago.
00:47:27Here's Lawrence Tomlinson bringing the third place, Pernos Esperanto, the Team LNT car
00:47:32into the pit lane.
00:47:34Joe Bradley.
00:47:35That is on the scene for...
00:47:36Yes, John.
00:47:38And the orange Panos Kims screaming into pit lane.
00:47:42Lawrence Tomlinson bringing the car to a halt.
00:47:44And now handing that car over to Tom Kimber-Smith.
00:47:48As I speak, the fuel is going in.
00:47:50The hose men are at the car.
00:47:53That's the fuel over.
00:47:54Now the tyre men can go to work.
00:47:55The ice pack for the cool suit being replenished in the passenger side of the sports car.
00:48:01The front tyres are on.
00:48:03You can hear the tyres in the background.
00:48:04The rear tyres are now going on.
00:48:07This is a very good pit stop from the LNT boys.
00:48:09And the Pernos Esperanto has been going very well indeed.
00:48:14Just plodding round Le Mans.
00:48:17A little bit of attention on the back wing screen.
00:48:21The driver drinks replenishment going in as a final thought.
00:48:29And very soon this car will be off its jacks.
00:48:32The bottle, the empty bottle is passed into the pit.
00:48:35Caught very well indeed.
00:48:38He'll get...
00:48:39He should get a try out for the Dallas Cowboys with that kind of catch.
00:48:45Now there's still...
00:48:46How cosmopolitan of you, Mr Bradley.
00:48:48Well, yeah.
00:48:49They're still going...
00:48:51They were still finishing the toolbox.
00:48:54The car stopped.
00:48:57The car was going started as it came off the jacks.
00:49:00And when it hit the ground, it kind of stalled.
00:49:03Tom Kimber-Smith free-fired the car up and it's back out there.
00:49:06Good pit stop from these boys.
00:49:08Tom Kimber-Smith, probably a name that is unfamiliar to our American viewers at the moment.
00:49:13Graham Goodwin of dailysportscar.com.
00:49:16He's had a meteoric rise and actually he's did a pretty good job.
00:49:19Yeah, well, Tom's been concentrating up until this season on a single-seater career.
00:49:24Realised that wasn't really going to work out for him.
00:49:26And he's been persuaded by Richard Dean, who's the commercial manager at Team LMC.
00:49:31And by Laurence Tomlinson, who owns the whole jebang.
00:49:34That perhaps sports cars might be the way to go.
00:49:36And his maiden voyage out in a GT car job was indeed the 12-man-hours of Sebring.
00:49:41And coming home fifth place there, being on some of the best sports car racers in the world.
00:49:46I think put a smile on that young man's face.
00:49:48It hasn't left him since.
00:49:49I don't think he's actually finished off the podium since then in any races contested in one of those panos.
00:49:56I'm fairly certain that's right.
00:49:57And he was, at least, a team with Laurence Tomlinson, the boss man, who also owns Ginetta, by the way, in the UK.
00:50:05He's recently acquired that.
00:50:08But I do hear rumours that Van Diemen is on his shopping list as well.
00:50:12I've heard that rumours.
00:50:14Interesting, because you know who owns Van Diemen at the moment.
00:50:16Yeah, yeah, I do.
00:50:18The guy whose car he's driving.
00:50:20Begins with a P and ends with a Z.
00:50:21Yes, Dr. P.
00:50:24Just a quick word about that GT2 battle, Graham, because it is hotting up there.
00:50:30Because that Team L&T car was closing in on the Taizan Porsche ahead of it.
00:50:34Yeah, very much so.
00:50:34I think by dint of the fact he's on the second page of timing, we'd rather miss that.
00:50:40But certainly at the point at which Laurence brought the car into the pits there,
00:50:43it was just three seconds adrift on the previous lap.
00:50:47And it had been well further back than that before.
00:50:49So I'm guessing he must have taken 20, 25 seconds out of that lead,
00:50:53even accounting for the fact that you've obviously got the pit stop to actually go for as well.
00:50:58But Tom's a quick boy.
00:50:59I think we're going to see that cap actually come down now.
00:51:01Now in GT1, staying with the production-based cars,
00:51:07the Aston Martin 009, Stefan Ohteli at the wheel
00:51:10has still got Jan Magnussen a little over three and a half minutes behind him,
00:51:15although it's showing it a lap down on the rankings at the moment
00:51:19by a dint of the fact that Magnussen is, in fact, just ahead of Ohteli on the track, effectively.
00:51:25But this is still, and this is one of the great joys of sports car racing for me,
00:51:31you've got Ohteli and Magnussen racing each other as hard as possible,
00:51:35and they're almost a full lap apart.
00:51:37But the race is on.
00:51:39The race is very much on.
00:51:40They're going to know exactly what they've got to do.
00:51:42They're going to know exactly where their competitor is on the track.
00:51:46They know, the other guy knows.
00:51:48You know, whatever can actually be taken out there,
00:51:50whether it's a tenth, whether it's half a second, whether it's a full second,
00:51:53is going to put the other guy under more pressure.
00:51:55This is a race.
00:51:56The fact they can't actually see each other on the track,
00:51:59nothing whatsoever to do with it.
00:52:00And this GT1 metal, albeit we've not got six, seven cars, no news to tell,
00:52:05we have got six GT1 cars in the top ten overall of this race.
00:52:09And there is everything to play for.
00:52:11Let's not forget, we've got almost eight hours of racing still to go here.
00:52:14That's, you know, that's what are three and a bit American Le Mans series sprint races.
00:52:19Good, yeah.
00:52:20And, you know, let's face it, a reliability might still welcome into it.
00:52:23Well, look at what happened in that category last year.
00:52:25If there's ever a graphic illustration of you have to be there at the checkered flag,
00:52:33that was it.
00:52:35Radio Le Mans with Evo magazine.
00:52:37Race change.
00:52:38Now, I've just, I've just been handed the Meteor France Atmogram,
00:52:46which for those of you who are not well versed in such things,
00:52:48is the weather forecast.
00:52:50And we do have a Meteor France station right here at Le Mans,
00:52:53because it's on the airport,
00:52:55which is literally a couple of hundred metres behind me at the moment.
00:52:59And what I'm looking at is a lot of cloud formations
00:53:02and a little adverse locale more erasures and erasures possible in the late afternoon,
00:53:09sometime between two and five o'clock this afternoon.
00:53:13And that, for those who didn't decipher my terrible French accent,
00:53:17means thunderstorms later on this afternoon.
00:53:21That is what the guys on site are telling us.
00:53:24Now, just as we're about to go for a break,
00:53:27the P2 leader comes into the pit lane.
00:53:31This is Mike Newton at the wheel of the 25 RML Lawler,
00:53:38back with the AER engine this year.
00:53:41And er, I think that might be a tad early.
00:53:45I don't want to hex them, but we'll keep an eye on it.
00:53:49It looks fairly routine at the moment.
00:53:50I think it's all right.
00:53:51It's done 239.
00:53:52We just did the quick subtraction and we come at 239 laps.
00:53:56That's perfect.
00:53:56Right, okay.
00:53:57Paul Trusswell says it's fine to be in.
00:53:59When you're enjoying yourself, time goes more quickly.
00:54:03And the stints seem to sort of flow through.
00:54:05See, that's why people do double stints and triple stints,
00:54:07because they're just enjoying it.
00:54:09So you're on a good roll, John.
00:54:12And so is this battle in the Aston Martins as well,
00:54:15because Jan Magnussen is lapping...
00:54:18A couple of seconds a lap, that's it.
00:54:20I was just wondering which word to use to describe it,
00:54:24because it's not every time, but it's often.
00:54:26Yeah.
00:54:27It's often.
00:54:27It's more than once in a while.
00:54:29And that's enabled him to bring down the gap to 2 minutes and 17 seconds.
00:54:33The 3 minutes gap, which you mentioned,
00:54:35is when the pit stops get out of sync.
00:54:36Because every so often, the one car comes in and the other one hasn't.
00:54:40And then the gap goes out.
00:54:41But then the pit stops even themselves out.
00:54:43And it usually happens sort of on an hourly basis.
00:54:45There's a 10-minute section where the gap is 3 minutes.
00:54:48And then the rest of the time, it's 2 and a half.
00:54:49But because of Magnussen's pace, he's brought it down to 2.17.
00:54:54Quick bid stop for Nicholas Manassian in the 11th place overall.
00:55:00Pescarolo as the RML Lola rejoins.
00:55:04We'll take a short break from the action here on Speed TV.
00:55:07You're listening to the overnight coverage,
00:55:09the Insomniacs coverage, if you like,
00:55:11with Radio Le Mans live across the world.
00:55:13Radio Le Mans, FM 91.2 at the circuit,
00:55:19Sky Channel 0157, and across the world on the web.
00:55:23Radio Le Mans with Evo magazine, Grace Cheemed.
00:55:27Good morning, it's John Heindorf and the rest of the Radio Le Mans team
00:55:30in the pit lane.
00:55:31We've got Graeme Tyler and Joe Bradley,
00:55:33American Le Mans series stalwarts,
00:55:35up here with me in the Tribune
00:55:37as the 62 Aston Martin comes into its pit stall.
00:55:41Graeme Goodman, the assistant editor of dailysportscar.com.
00:55:45The first place for sports cars on the web,
00:55:49the Bible, if you like.
00:55:50And, of course, no Radio Le Mans,
00:55:52no Le Mans, in fact, would be correct and complete
00:55:55without Paul Truswell,
00:55:56who's just in the little cabine to my left.
00:55:59And thank you very much to Robin Goodman,
00:56:00who has supplied Mr. Truswell through the evening hours
00:56:05and has just brought breakfast up,
00:56:06courtesy of one of the teams in the pit lane, RML.
00:56:09And I'm very grateful, I must say.
00:56:11If the trouble is, I kind of get indulged in the race
00:56:14and then I don't want to go away and do something else
00:56:16and I end up not eating and then I die,
00:56:18which is not good for anybody.
00:56:19Please don't do that.
00:56:20No.
00:56:20Not at least for another nine hours and about 30 minutes.
00:56:24Seven hours and 38 minutes, if you do it, mate.
00:56:26Yeah, no, I wouldn't die before the finish.
00:56:29But I still can't see the Pescarolos,
00:56:33they just can't get reliably underneath that 340.
00:56:36It's kind of like a whatever we do, we can't do it.
00:56:39And Montani can, but he's a Formula One driver.
00:56:43The others, and they're not bad drivers.
00:56:46I mean, you know, Sebastian Lerb, world rally champion,
00:56:48he knows what he's doing.
00:56:48And I think there may be water in this tyre theory
00:56:52that they just can't get the tyres to work for them
00:56:55or the conditions are changing so much
00:56:57that the tyres themselves are changing over the stint.
00:57:02That's my theory, at least.
00:57:04Were they saying that the tyres were underheated or overheated?
00:57:08Actually, they were not wearing enough.
00:57:11It was Eric Ellery who said he came in after doing a triple stint
00:57:14and it looked like he hadn't used the tyres at all.
00:57:16Right, so the chassis and the set-up
00:57:20isn't working the tyres enough to give the car some mechanical grip?
00:57:24Yeah, it depends who you blame.
00:57:25Do you blame the chassis or do you blame the tyre?
00:57:27They chose the wrong tyre, which didn't get itself up.
00:57:31Chicken and egg, chassis and tyre.
00:57:33But whatever happens, the mixture isn't there.
00:57:36And it seems that they can't adjust quickly enough
00:57:40or the tyre itself is changing.
00:57:42But, you know, on pace they just can't stay with the Audi
00:57:49and, you know, that gap was down to a lap and a half
00:57:53at some very early hour this morning.
00:57:57But it's gone out again.
00:57:59And that was with the problem that we saw for the number eight
00:58:03where they had to spend that extra three minutes
00:58:05taking the nose off to get the lights to work properly.
00:58:10Yeah, that was Marco Werner's start of Marco Werner's stint
00:58:15when he was stopped by the man at the end of the pit lane
00:58:19as the French girl guides deliver us our hourly updates.
00:58:24And in a sense I'm glad they did
00:58:25because he stood there and Werner stopped.
00:58:31What we had last year was a potentially very dangerous situation.
00:58:34Fevers were running high.
00:58:35Oh, they were.
00:58:36And the fact that the car had been running for quite a lot of the race
00:58:39with only one headlight hadn't helped.
00:58:40I think that was the first time that it wasn't on.
00:58:43And the organisers got there straight away and said,
00:58:46no, that's it.
00:58:46And the team reacted to it.
00:58:49Now, I think that worked okay.
00:58:50I think that's good on both sides.
00:58:51Yeah, absolutely.
00:58:52Now, here at Le Mans it's not only about what's happening on the circuit
00:58:56as we watch the Scuderia Ecos Ferrari 430
00:59:00now with that recalcitrant wheel sorted out.
00:59:05We had a chisel being used to great effect on that earlier on
00:59:08which just made us all wince.
00:59:10Let's go down into the pit lane
00:59:11and find out what else has been going on in the last 15 minutes or so.
00:59:15And we'll start off with Graham Tyler
00:59:17who's at the pit out end of pit lane
00:59:19which is the Audi, Saleem, Ferrari
00:59:22and a whole load of Lola.
00:59:25I think he said bunch there.
00:59:26Did you see?
00:59:26I just pulled away from that, Mr. Tyler.
00:59:28I'm proud of it.
00:59:28A whole load of Lolas,
00:59:30the Chamberlain Synergy guys
00:59:31and, of course, the Aston Martins and the RMLs.
00:59:34What's happening at your neck of the woods, Graham?
00:59:35Well, what's just happened is that we've had a pit stop from the car you opened with
00:59:39which was the Scuderia Ecos 430 GTC Ferrari, the number 87 car.
00:59:44Chris Niacos has taken the car into the pits and back out again
00:59:50so he's double stinting, as are his tyres
00:59:52because it was a fuel-only stop.
00:59:55Other than that, it's all very serene up here.
00:59:57We've got a few pit lane garages closed
01:00:00but amongst those who are still open, you said already,
01:00:03are the ones for the Audis
01:00:06and happily, standing on the Audi perimeter of his garage
01:00:12where I can probably have a quick word with him
01:00:13is Dindo Capello.
01:00:16So we'll grab a quick word with him while we can
01:00:19because these guys are sometimes hard to get hold of
01:00:23and I'd like to find out if there is still a problem.
01:00:25Dindo, hi, good morning.
01:00:27We've seen Alan doing a double stint
01:00:30but the times don't seem as quick as the 8 car.
01:00:35Sorry?
01:00:36We've seen Alan doing a double stint
01:00:37but his lap times don't seem as quick as in the 8 car.
01:00:42As in the number 8 car, it seems quicker.
01:00:45Yeah, but I think, OK, I didn't follow too much the lap time
01:00:49because I was sleeping
01:00:50but I've seen Alan was quick at the beginning
01:00:53on fresh rubber
01:00:55and then really, I don't know,
01:00:57but it really depends so much on the traffic
01:01:00because there are sometimes five seconds between laps
01:01:05just due to the traffic
01:01:06and sometimes you get in a very bad,
01:01:09how do you say, in some very bad lap
01:01:13and then it's very easy to lose three, four, five seconds per lap.
01:01:17Sometimes you get three, four, three laps
01:01:18and then the lap time drop again.
01:01:21There's no question that there's still some legacy
01:01:24from the accident earlier where the car had to be repaired.
01:01:27Before you mean at 8 o'clock, that was, I think, a turbocharger.
01:01:33They had to change the turbocharger
01:01:35but at that time I was sleeping
01:01:38and I didn't follow too much.
01:01:41And earlier in the night, you had to have the undertray fixed.
01:01:44You don't believe there's any mishandling
01:01:46because of that accident earlier on.
01:01:49Yeah, that was okay
01:01:50because then I drove later,
01:01:51I did triple steam in the night
01:01:52and the car was fine, no problem.
01:01:55The car was fast
01:01:56and I think what they did, it worked.
01:02:00We had no problem after that.
01:02:01I think at the moment, you know,
01:02:07we are also in a position that I don't know
01:02:09if it makes sense to push so hard.
01:02:12Anyway, we are seven or ten laps from the second place.
01:02:17Thanks to a certain amount of resignation in the voice there, John.
01:02:22Yes, you can hear it there, can't you?
01:02:25The 53 Lamborghini just being shown on screen.
01:02:31With a number of its earlier mishaps
01:02:37and we did have that car sideways a couple of times
01:02:40through the chicane.
01:02:42A couple of emails coming in.
01:02:43Studio at RadioLemond.com, by the way.
01:02:45Dina Jacobs, Carol Jacobs rather, says
01:02:48can you give that website that you've just given out
01:02:51with the login details over the radio?
01:02:53Yeah, DailySportsCar.com.
01:02:56Graham is the assistant editor.
01:02:58Now, if you haven't sampled DailySportsCar.com,
01:03:02I'll tell you, it is a subscription website.
01:03:04However, we're going to give you a free offer
01:03:06here on Radio Le Mans.
01:03:07www.DailySportsCar.com, all one word, all lowercase.
01:03:14Once you get onto the front page, click on headlines.
01:03:18That will bring up a login box.
01:03:20Use the name Radio Le Mans.
01:03:23That's R-A-D-I-O-L-E-M-A-N-S.
01:03:27Radio Le Mans, right?
01:03:29All lowercase, no gaps.
01:03:30And the password will be L-M-L-L-I-M-A-I-C-2-0-0-6.
01:03:36Again, all lowercase and no gaps.
01:03:38So Radio Le Mans is the username L-M-2-0-0-6.
01:03:44And there's going to be some great competitions on there
01:03:45next week, rather, because the guys are busy
01:03:48repatriating things from various teams,
01:03:52some signed gear.
01:03:52And what's more, the information itself
01:03:55is well worth picking up.
01:03:57It'll be absolutely free for all of our listeners.
01:04:00And thanks very much to the guys of Daily Sports Car
01:04:03for that.
01:04:05Now, we'll just have a quick look through
01:04:08some of the emails while Paul prepares himself
01:04:10for the update, which is coming up in about a minute.
01:04:12Adam Kundliff in Virginia.
01:04:15Hello there.
01:04:17What prompted the rule about no wheel spin
01:04:19coming out the pit box?
01:04:21Well, the ACO don't like it.
01:04:24There's a few drivers who are still doing it.
01:04:28And having said that, the Audi's don't seem to need to.
01:04:32But you try to get out of the pit box
01:04:34with 850 newton metres of torque
01:04:37going through your back wheels.
01:04:39And there will be a little chirrup now and again.
01:04:42Now, here's the one that Graeme Tyler will understand.
01:04:46Consider this signature number one
01:04:48on the Let's Keep Ron Fellows Racing petition.
01:04:51This is from Adam Campbell in Florida.
01:04:54He said he's one of the great drivers of all time.
01:04:59Sorry, Adam Campbell is in Portland, should I say.
01:05:02So, thanks very much for coming in.
01:05:06And please keep the stuff coming in, says Paul Clark.
01:05:10He's in the US as well, watching us on speed at the moment.
01:05:14And hello to Dan Davies,
01:05:16who is listening from Kumho Tyres in the USA.
01:05:19You guys are doing very, very well indeed.
01:05:22Now, let's, just before we do the update,
01:05:25go down to Graeme Tyler in the pit lane.
01:05:26Graeme?
01:05:27Yeah, just a quick routine stop
01:05:28for another ALMS former runner, certainly.
01:05:31Yeah, just one race for these guys this year.
01:05:33Just one race this year so far.
01:05:35And here we are at Le Mans.
01:05:36The Assemco Motorsport Celine
01:05:38carrying number 66 for Le Mans this year.
01:05:40Johnny Mollum, it is, at the wheel.
01:05:42The screen has been cleaned.
01:05:43They want to hook some stuff out of the radiators
01:05:46before they let it go.
01:05:47But in the meantime, the fuel has just finished.
01:05:50So now they can get rid of that rubber debris,
01:05:53the pick-up from the radiator grills,
01:05:55which is so important to clear it out
01:05:57because otherwise the airflow to the engine gets disturbed
01:05:59and we end up with all sorts of overheating problems.
01:06:02Johnny Files, he's 7 litres up, and away he goes.
01:06:07And just to prove it's not just the US listening at the moment,
01:06:11Nathaniel Cook.
01:06:12Hello, Nate.
01:06:12How are you this morning?
01:06:14Lately the day for you, of course,
01:06:15listening in Auckland, New Zealand.
01:06:18He said,
01:06:18I thought the diesel-powered Audis
01:06:19would be able to go longer than the petrol cars.
01:06:21But I guess not.
01:06:23Well, actually, they are.
01:06:23By a good couple of laps,
01:06:25at least two laps,
01:06:27certainly on the Pescarolos.
01:06:29More from the race in a moment.
01:06:31We'll get back to the action live.
01:06:34But before that,
01:06:34let's go to Paul Truswell,
01:06:38who has the latest
01:06:41and the hourly update from Audi.
01:06:43Radio Le Mans
01:06:44with Evo magazine.
01:06:46Race tuned.
01:06:47The hourly updates
01:06:48are brought to you by Audi.
01:06:50Celebrating 25 years of Quattro.
01:06:53اط.
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