This always promised to be a dogfight and it didn’t disappoint.
The Vipers were a welcome addition to the field here but, in truth, never figured at the sharp end.
The #66 JMW Ferrari also struggled with the pace and had a few too many minor offs to take the fight where they would have liked it to go – but credit to both teams for battling through.
Corvette showed some flashes of pace but in truth were never really in contention either, and the AF Corse Ferrari attack was blunted by contact, multiple trips into the gravel, and an all-round pretty messy run that will disappoint the usually iron clad defending Champs.
Aston Martin had a race of huge emotion – the team fighting on at the specific request of the Simonsen family. They led, battled for the lead (and at times held a one-two) for much of the race but encountered a pair of further dramas on Sunday morning, with Bill Auberlen suffering a major mechanical failure, the #98 retiring on the spot, and then Fred Makowiecki enduring a frightening accident on the exit of the Forza chicane. Once again, the car was out of the race from the lead.
The surviving Vantage; the Gulf ‘Art Car’ #97, was always in the hunt – leading, chasing. This was an exhibition of real heroics in driving and emotional terms from all three drivers, with Darren Turner again providing an outstanding display.
The Pro battle was eventually settled, of all things, by rain and strategy. A no doubt drained AMR outfit was outguessed by Porsche as the heavy rain fell, the Porsche plan assisted in no small part by their ability to split strategy with both of their factory cars still in the hunt.
Eventually the Aston Centenary, and the team’s attempt to honour Allan Simonsen in the best possible way, succumbed to the Porsche factory squad’s determination to celebrate 50 years of the world’s longest-lived and arguably most recognisable sportscar.
The Porsche AG Team Manthey effort played to its strengths, finally revealing a long-suspected race pace and – after 24 hours of nip and tuck action with the Astons – eventually displaying a winning hand in brilliant style, taking a risky strategy with the #92 car and a safe hand with #91. It left the cars standing one-two in the class and with a lap in hand, replacing the nose-to-tail action we’d enjoyed throughout the first 23 hours – A brilliant race from Porsche.
