The #11 TDS Racing Oreca of Stephen Thomas, on an out lap, was into the wall after a clash with the #83 Iron Dames Lamborghini of Sarah Bovy, the damage sending the Oreca off the road in the first element of the Le Mans Chicane while leading LMP2.
The car hit the tyre barrier with Steven Thomas walking to the ambulance for the mandatory trip to the Medical Centre – He was evaluated and released, the car recovered to rejoin but retired in the following hour the team decided that the lost ground, and the extent of repairs that had been required, were not conducive to a worthwhile finish.
That put the #52 PR1 Mathiesen Oreca back into the class lead.
There was further trouble too for the already troubled #25 BMW, the long stop earlier now confirmed as a replacement of both the MGU and ESS (Battery). This time the car was giving engine warnings, the Team RLL squad taking c.30 minutes to make adjustments.
Sadly though the car was soon back behind the all for a second change of ESS.
Better GTP news was that the #7 Penske Porsche 963 returned to action after a record 35-minute ESS change.
Going back to green after the recovery of the #11 car, Pipo Derani and Helio Castroneves were duelling down the front stretch, for once the Cadillac getting the better of a straight line drag race, Castroneves tried to go around the outside, went too deep into T1 and locked the rears, almost hitting the Cadillac and going into a half spin that rooted the Acura’s tyres.
The long-time leader would have to pit for new rubber, potentially compromising the teams late-race tyre strategy as a result. #60 would emerge in 6th. The #31 leading.
Next in trouble was the #18 Era Motorsport Oreca. Dwight Merriman collected by the #36 Andretti Ligier LMP3 of Rasmus Lindh, the LMP2 car spun around and then struggling to get restarted. The Ligier would be assigned blame for the incident and would get a drive-through penalty.
Just as Merriman finally got back underway, Simon Mann in the #21 AF Corse Ferrari stopped at almost the same point, the 296 GT3 though was soon back underway.
A potentially tricky spell for the leading #31 Action Express Cadillac emerged with news that the telemetry from the car had failed, the team reliant on Pipo Drain relaying information, in particular about energy usage levels.
Another high-flying GTD car in trouble was the #75 SunEnergy1 AMG, Fabian Schiller slow on track, driving through pit lane and then lapping slowly again the car going straight behind the wall with what may prove to be terminal cooling issues.
Rafaelle Marciello meanwhile had a big spin but rejoined without damage beyond flat spots at T1 in the #20 High Class Racing Oreca.
The troubled #25 was back on track before the end of the hour after its second ESS Battery change.
By Hour 9, six of the nine GTPs had led the race.
A full course yellow for attention to displaced tyre bundles at T6 – culprit unknown, but believed to have been hit earlier by the #75 but then clattered by another unidentified GTD car. (Update – it was the #78 Us Racetronics Lamborghini – the car suffering a broken rear wing as a result.)
That would be good news for the #60 that had been recovering its lost time but would be grateful for the assist back onto immediate terms with the lead group!
Back to green after the tyre bundle repair and the #60 Acura was on the move after getting back almost all of the deficit from the earlier spin.
The Iron Dames Lamborghini had further trouble after spinning around the #21 AF Corse Ferrari.
Next car in trouble, and in terminal fashion was the #92 KellyMoss by Riley Porsche, Andrew Davis pulling to a halt on track with a fire in the engine bay, the on-board fire extinguisher performed its intended function beautifully but it was game over for the car.
That brought out another Full Course Yellow with the sister KellyMoss Porsche behind the wall almost immediately for attention to a misfire
In trouble with a drive-through penalty for snagging pit equipment was the #10 Wayne Taylor/ Andretti Acura.
When the race went back to green in the 11th hour the top three in each class were:
- GTP: #31/ 01/ 60
- LMP2: #35/ 52/ 88
- LMP3: #33/17/ 43
- GTD PRO and GTD: #70/ 3/ 23/ 93
The Inception McLaren was having a very strong and relatively drama-free run aside from being briefly forced off track by a prototype, the car though would be back on track immediately with no damage.
Colin Braun was again aboard the #60 and blew by the #01 Cadillac for second place.
Further woes for GM came with a puncture for the #3 Corvette that left it dropping down the order as Jordan Taylor came back slowly. The team would replace the right rear wheel but the car was soon in again with the puncture having led to a broken wheel with metal debris damaging the brakes.
The #01 Cadillac would be penalised with a drive-through after Scott Dixon pulled away without the fuel hose withdrawn, the fueler pulled over but appearing unharmed.
There was trouble too for the #93 Racers Edge/ WTR Acura NSX, the car losing the front hood out on the circuit. That would be replaced over an hour later with the locating pins seemingly damaged.
AFTER 10 HOURS | AFTER 11 HOURS
There were signs of potential trouble for Meyer Shank Racing as team members worked to assemble and examine a rear end sub-assembly the team was concerned about a faulty seal and preparing for a repair or replacement.
In LMP3 the #13 AWA Duqueine had a brief period behind the wall but rejoined.
#02 fell off the lead lap under pressure from the #60 Acura, just the top 3 remained at that point.
The 12th hour was completed under full course caution with the #43 MRS GT Ligier pulling to a halt from 4th in class with a fire at the rear, Danial Frost out of the car unhurt.
The #75 SunEnergy1 AMG is now a confirmed retirement, the fifth of the race.
Just beyond the halfway point both Acura GTPs had their oil systems flushed, but the #10 crew opted to remove the rear clip finding a broken oil filler. Are problems looming for the cars that have shown the best race-long pace thus far?
