13.06.2004 It was not to be for the Care Prodrive team at Le Mans today, their dream of back to back GTS title shattered by Sunday lunchtime mechanical dramas: race finish from Le Mans
It was not to be for the Care Prodrive team at Le Mans today, their dream of back to back GTS wins shattered by Sunday afternoon unfolding mechanical dramas.
After a puncture and suspension dramas cost the no66 Ferrari 550 Maranello its comfortable class leading cushion, Tomas Enge, battling to recover time, hit the wall at Arnage, inflicting some serious damage to the front left corner and forcing the car to limp off back to the pits again for repairs.
With two hours to go in GTS, it appeared that any hope of a Ferrari victory were pretty much over, as further problems meant that the no66 Ferrari had to spend significant time in the pits and garage. These delays dropped the car to down to third in class, behind both Corvettes.
At twenty past three the no64 Corvette made its final stop, Oliver Gavin taking the yellow car to the flag, while Max Papis took over the other Corvette.
While these two cruised through the final hour, the Prodrive cars, battered and bruised, hung on to take third and fourth, a strong finish when taking into account the last twenty four hour's trials and tribulations.
The no65 car, which had an eventful race to say the least, came home a credible 9th overall in the hands of Colin McRae, Rickard Rydell and Darren Turner, sixteen laps adrift of the winning Corvette.
Four laps further back came the patched up no66 Prodrive Ferrari of Peter Kox, Tomas Enge and Alain Menu, while another eight laps down, the Christophe Bouchet-led Larbre Competitione Ferrari 550 Maranello made it to the flag to take 5th in GTS and 14th overall.
At the front of the field Audi Sport
Japan led out a comfortable 1-2-3 for the German marque, while in LM GT Italian
interest was provided by the Cirtek Motorsport Ferrari 360 Modena which made it
to the chequered flag after a steady race.
CLASSIFIED RACE RESULT
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