The second hour of the 2016 Dubai 24 Hours opened with a spin for the #12 Leipert Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo (below). Mikhail Spiridonov managed to get going again without hitting anyone despite ending up in a hairy position in the middle of the track.
Various pit stops under the first hour’s Code 60 period shuffled the order in many classes. As the second hour got underway, Daniel Zampieri led A6 Am in the #999 Attempto Porsche, Cor Euser’s GT4 Lotus headed SP3, Ricardo Flores led the BMW Cup class in the sole Sorg Rennsport entry, while the #208 Altran Peugeot topped A3.
A spin for the #80 Lechner Racing Middle East Porsche Cup car (above) of Jaap van Lagen didn’t cause any major incident, but it took a while for the Dutchman to get going again, dropping from fourth in class to over a lap down on the class leader.
There was then drama for the #17 IDEC Mercedes, which had just been into the pits for a brake pad change. The car came to halt off the racing line on the start-finish straight, next to the pitwall – an awkward position that meant the second Code 60 period of the race had to be called to allow its recovery.
Leader Joe Osborne in the Optimum Audi was one of the many drivers to take this opportunity to pit, coming in for fuel and tyres and handing the car over to Audi factory driver Frank Stippler. The Code 60 didn’t last as long this time and racing resumed 20 minutes into the second hour.
Having taken 73 places to move up from the back of the grid, Black Falcon’s Adam Christodoulou handed the #16 Mercedes to countryman Oliver Webb for the next stint in 25th place overall. With 90 minutes of the race elapsed, the #78 MRS Porsche Cup car, involved in the first hour accident, unfortunately became the first confirmed retirement due to excessive rear suspension damage.
Optimum’s pit stop handed the lead to Vanthoor in the WRT Audi, 4.1 seconds ahead of his fellow Audi factory driver Mies in the Land Motorsport R8. Pastorelli held third in the #333 V8 Racing Corvette, ahead of polesitter Joens in the #4 C. Abt Racing Audi.
Further back, Markus Winkelhock had got the #33 Car Collection R8 (above) into fifth ahead of Bleekemolen, who was still the first Mercedes runner, sixth in the #2 Black Falcon car. Meanwhile, the #16 Black Falcon SLS continued to make progress through the field in the hands of Webb, although Eric Lux in the Gravity Mercedes did spin while being passed by the Englishman
At the end of the second hour, Webb had the car into 17th overall, while Vanthoor continued to lead in the #19 WRT Audi until he brough it in to hand over to co-driver Stuart Leonard. Polesitter Joens also brought his opening stint to a close in the #4.
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The third hour kicked off with Bernd Schneider bringing the #3 Black Falcon Mercedes to a halt on the pit straight – in the same place as the earlier troubled SLS that brought out the second Code 60 period. It wasn’t a surprise, therefore, to see the third appearance of the purple Code 60 boards five minutes into hour three.
The car was recovered to the Black Falcon garage where technicians set about diagnosing the problem, concentrating on the rear of the car – Schneider reported an inability to engage gears. Things were going better for Mercedes in the Am portion of the top A6 class, where the Hofor Racing and Preci-Spark cars were running 1-2.
A heavy crash for the one-time class-leading #125 TCR-class SEAT brought out another Code 60 period shortly after Schneider’s difficulties. Following the pit stops prompted by this, the #284 Nova Race Ginetta led SP3, the #151 Sorg Rennsport M235i headed the BMW Cup class and Black Falcon continued to control the Porsche Cup class, with Manuel Metzger at the wheel of the #61 car.
At the sharp end, Scuderia Praha’s tactical stop in the first Code 60 period saw its Ferrari (above) in the mix around the half-way point of hour three. Matteo Malucelli was now at the wheel, taking second from Isaac Tutumlu in the polesitting C. Abt Racing Audi. Up front, however, Frank Stippler was enjoying a cushion of around a lap in the Optimum Motorsport R8.
The next pitstop saw Flick Haigh climb aboard the car and also revealed some damage to the front-right aero. Stippler reported contact with a BMW that forced him to go wide on the dirt, as well as a slow puncture, meaning the stop happened earlier than it needed to and lost the team its large lead, the Scuderia Praha Ferrari now headed proceedings.
Tutumlu (C. Abt Racing Audi) was second, Basseng (Land Motorsport Audi) was third, Montecalvo (#16 Black Falcon Mercedes) was third as the third hour concluded, but another Code 60 was on the cards as the #74 HRT Performance Porsche Cup entry went off track and contacted the barriers heavily on the back straight. The driver walked away but the car looked to be beyond immediate repair.
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