Keeping
in touch with 24 heures du Mans 2009
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Class positions at the end of the 24 hours Full details from the ACO website. Sadly it may be the last of the LMGT1 class with the Corvettes, surely one of the great sounds of Le Mans. Possibly the worst year for Porsche for many years. Aston Martin third in LMGT2. (Sunday 14.6.09 @ 1540) More Race ends with a Peugeot 1-2 win 
Positions after 24 hours. Fortunately the rain held off. Ferraris dominate LMGT2 class in a major way. (Sunday @ 1515) More Formation finish for the Peugeots - with 20 minutes to go the three Peugeots came together as a group to run in formation, always a photo opportunity for photos that will be used in the press. The Peugeot order is first No 9, second No 8 and sixth No 7. (14.6.09 @ 1440) Corvette No 64 running in 2nd place in the LMGT1 class which had been hounding Corvette (No 63) on a nose to tail battle for many laps has come to a stop just before the pits with a loss of drive. The mechanics are trying to help the drive but he can only use the tools he has on board. Any major transmission problem would be beyond the onboard toolkit. (14.6.09 @ 1251) Positions after 23 hours (Sunday 1400). (14.6.09 @ 1425) More Could the weather play a part in the outcome of le Mans 2009?  This is the forecast from msn weather which indicated there is a risk there might be rain in the final hour. (14.6.09 @ 1225) Positions after 22 hours (Sunday 1300). (14.6.09 @ 1335) More Positions after 21 hours (Sunday 1200). (14.6.09 @ 1226) More Coming up to Sunday 1200 with the start of the final 3 hours to the finish. It's not over by any means. (Sunday 14.6.09 @ 1154) Update at Sunday 1140 - Peugeot 908 HD1 (No 9) with 330 laps leads the race with Peugeot 908 HDI (No 8) one lap behind in second. Third is the Audi R15 TDI (No 1) which has been in the pits with an electronics fault in the steering wheel but its returned to the track but on cold tyres it has had problems. In LMGT1 class the Corvettes dominate with the first two within 20 yards of each other - it's anyone's games in that class. In LMGT2, eight Ferrari F430GTs hold the first five places and then 7th, 9th and 10th with the Spyker in sixth and a Porsche 997 GT3 in eighth place. The Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage is still in eleventh place but some 78 laps or so behind the class leader. Positions after 20 hours (Sunday 1100). (14.6.09 @ 1145) More Positions after 19 hours (Sunday 1000). (14.6.09 @ 1116) More Positions after 18 hours (Sunday 0900). (14.6.09 @ 1115) More Positions after 17 hours (Sunday 0800). (14.6.09 @ 1114) More Positions after 16 hours (Sunday 0700). (14.6.09 @ 0725) More Eurosport live streaming - this link will give you live TV, just turn down the East European commentary and have the Radio le Mans commentary on instead. Eurosport live Positions in LMGT2 class - Ferraris dominate the LMGT2 class with the Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage running eleventh in class. (14.6.09 @ 0640) 
Update at Sunday 0630 - low morning sun with the prospect of hot conditions. The smell of bacon cooking is wafting around the camping areas. The first three cars are together with the Peugeot 908 HDI (No 9) leading by a lap with another Peugeot (No 8) just behind (but a lap down)and then the Audi R15 TDI (No 1) behind in third. In fourth is the Lola Aston Martin which is really flying. (14.6.09 @ 0635) Position on Sunday morning 0617  Positions after 15 hours (Sunday 0600). More Positions after 14 hours (Sunday 0500). More Positions after 13 hours (Sunday 0400). More Positions after 12 hours (Sunday 0300). More Positions after 11 hours (Sunday 0200). More Positions after 10 hours (Sunday 0100). More Positions after 9 hours (Saturday 2400). More Positions after 8 hours (Saturday 2300). More Nightfall sees the next phase of the race. Audi R15 TDI are reduced to one car with Peugeot more comfortable with several 908 HDI cars in the top eleven cars. But the remaining Audi R15 TDI has a good trio of drivers in Capello/Kristensen/McNish. (13.6.09 @ 2230) Positions after 7 hours (Saturday 2200). (13.6.09 @ 2221) More What are the conditions at le Mans like? - it's dry but very humid with traces of an evening mist as dusk approaches. (13.6.09 @ 2157) Positions at 2133 - leader is the Brabham/Gene/Wurz Peugeot. 908 HDI FAP one and half minutes ahead of the Capello/Kristensen/McNish Audi R15 TDI. The other earlier leader, an Audi R15 TDI, came off at the Porsche curves with a heavy rear impact with one rear wheel up in the air. But the driver has not left the car and seems determined to try and get fired up to limp back on three wheels to the pits for a rebuild. The Lola Astons are the leading petrol driven cars. Three Corvettes lead LMGT1 and Ferraris lead LMGT2. (13.6.09 @ 2133) Positions after 6 hours (Saturday 2100). (13.6.09 @ 2100) More Positions after 5 hours (Saturday 2000). (13.6.09 @ 2000) More Positions after 4 hours (Saturday 1900). (13.6.09 @ 1900) More Safety cars withdrawn and race resumes. (13.6.09 @ 1950) Safety cars were out following an Aston giving the Bruich Laddich Bruneau Radical AER LMP2 car driven by Tim Greaves a heavy nudge into a concrete wall and tyres. It limped back to the pits for repairs to heavy damage at rear nearside. Pit crew say it can be repaired but it will take time. (13.6.09 @ 1935) Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage running in 7th place in the LMGT2 class and 11 laps behind the race leader - not bad at all lapping at 4 min 09 compared with the Flying Lizard Porsche 997 GT3 RSR at 4 min 06 in first place in the LMGT2 class. (13.6.09 @ 1834) Positions after 3 hours (Saturday 1800). (13.6.09 @ 1800) More Driver of the lead Peugeot is driving with a broken leg - quite extraordinary. (13.6.09 @ 1755) Positions at Saturday 1730  Positions after 2 hours (Saturday 1700). (13.6.09 @ 1700) More Damaged Peugeot was repaired and reappeared only 7 laps behind. It had taken around 8 minutes to get back round the circuit in the damaged condition and then 25 minutes of repairs in the pits - far faster than had been expected in view of the damage. (13.6.09 @ 1605) Positions after 1 hour (Saturday 1600). (13.6.09 @ 1600) More Peugeot mess after 41 minutes - two Peugeots hit each other in the pitlane leaving one to do a full circuit with severe damage as it was driven far too fast with the damage, returning to the pits in a serious condition requiring a great deal of reconstruction. The safety cars were sent out as the damaged Peugeot shed a rear tyre on the Mulsanne Straight. (13.6.09 @ 15.55) Start at 3pm French time was the usual spectacle but unwise hassling for position resulted in a series a unwise moves when facing a 24 hours race. (13.6.09 @ 15.15) Startline grid. (13.6.09 @ 1400) More Weather for the weekend - getting warm with the possibility of rain later on Sunday afternoon, so it's looking good. (12.6.09 @ 1815) Le Mans shows few signs of recession BBC report by Theo Leggett , Business reporter, BBC World Service at le Mans. (12.6.09 @ 1508) More Peugeot to start le Mans 24 Hours on pole position Reuters, Thursday June 11 2009: Peugeot stunned rivals Audi to snatch pole position on Thursday for the weekend's le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race. Stephane Sarrazin, who partners with fellow Frenchmen Sebastien Bourdais and Franck Montagny, clocked a fastest lap of three minutes and 22.888 seconds in the dying minutes of a night qualifying session raced in dry and mild conditions. (11.6.09) More Qualifying practice results - 11th June 2009 
   ACO changes for 2009 There is no test day this year and there are other ACO changes aimed at reducing costs for the teams but many of the changes are controversial. (8.6.09 @ 2230) Timetable for practice, qualifying and the race
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