The big surprise in the paddock at Le Mans this morning was the news that Team JLOC Isao Noritake has been allowed to replace the #53 Lamborghini Murciélago. The LM GT1 class entry was back on the track this morning in the warm-up, despite the fact that everyone thought it had been withdrawn from the event.

This stemmed from a huge accident the Murciélago suffered just one hour after the start of the first qualifying session on Wednesday. The red flag flew over the Le Mans circuit as the black JLOC (Japanese Lamborghini Owners' Club) Isao Noritake-entered machine came to grief at the Playstation chicane. It took some time for the marshals and safety crew to remove pilot Marco Apicella from the car and ensure his safe transport to the Medical Centre. Including removal of the damaged car and returning the area to racing condition, the operation took over 40 minutes. The Italian driver, who has led the Team JLOC programme in the Japanese Super GT Series for several years and brought the car its first pole position and its first win last year, was later kept in by the Medical Centre for further observation but was not seriously injured.

Thanks to a phenomenal effort by the Japanese team over the last two days, they were able to build up a spare car from scratch, the ACO granting a special dispensation which allowed the team to use a new monocoque, an action which is normally outside the rules. The JLOC outfit's efforts are being run by DAMS this week and the French team have used on of the older monocoques from the original R-GT programme that they still have stored at their factory. As a result, there will be 54 cars taking the green flag this afternoon at 1500 hours and the enthusiastic Japanese team will be on the grid.

The No. 53 car will be allowed to race despite the very few number of laps completed in qualifying. The car satisfied the required technical inspection and was declared legal. After some negotiation, the entry will be allowed by the organizers to start with only two drivers. "No problem," said Daniel Poissenot, Race Director. Atsushi Yogo and Koji Yamanishi are going to have to drive much more than expected, because Apicella will not be fit to take part and extra drivers can't be drafted in.
 

The Lamborghini Murciélago will provide welcome diversity in the LM GT1 class where a titanic battle for honours will be fought out between the leading Aston Martin, Corvette and Saleen runners. First blood in this scrap went to the #008 Larbre Competition- entered Aston Martin DBR9R as sportscar veteran Christophe Bouchut  claimed LM GT1 pole with a best lap of 3:50.761 set in the first session. With the second session washed out his time was unmatched. Snapping at his heels in Q1 was the first of the ORECA Saleen S7R machines, with another experienced Le Mans racer, Stephane Ortelli, posting a time of 3:51.240 in the #55 entry. Third and fourth on the grid went to the two factory Corvette C-6Rs, with Olivier Beretta (3:52.130) in the #63 just pipping his team mate Johnny O'Connell (3:52.657) who was at the wheel of the yellow #64 car.

The Team JLOC Lamborghini will start from 13th in LM GT1 category thanks to Apicella's time of 4:06.223 which he set just before the crash, while Italian diversity in the class will be further boosted by the presence of the Convers Menx Ferrari 550 Maranello which will start one place behind after Czech driver Tomas Kostka set a quickest time of 4:09.088 in the former Prodrive-built machine which will be hoping to relive a little of the glory that these cars once basked in at Le Mans.

The 'Green Flag' was shown at 09:00 hrs this morning. This means that the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours has been declared a ‘Wet Race’ so teams will be allowed to use fully grooved, softer compound tyres. Mr. Roland du Luart, President of the “Syndicat Mixte” of the Le Mans 24 Hours circuit, will give the start of the 2007 Le Mans 24-Hours at 15:00 on Saturday. In 2004, the “Syndicat Mixte” of the Le Mans 24-Hours circuit launched a huge works programme to modernise the circuit. The latest modification is the revamping of the Tertre Rouge corner and its spectator enclosures. Mr. François Fillon, the French Prime Minister, and Mme Roselyne Bachelot, the Minister for Health, Youth and Sports, will both attend the start of the 75th Le Mans 24 hours.