The start of the race saw James Rossiter looking for a way by Pierre Kaffer, the two side by side along the pit straight and then making contact in T1, race over for the #31 on the spot, the Pecom car continuing seemingly unscathed.
That led to a Safety Car period under the beautiful bright skies of a warm, soon to be hot Texas Sunday. This was yet again in contrast to a dismally small crowd. One thinks that high ticket prices, competing activities and minimal promotion need to be looked at for this race to develop as a flagbearer for the WEC in the USA.
There was rather more argy-bargy than first met the eye at the start. Further back Matteo Malucelli (#81 8 Star Ferrari) had had a side-to-side brush with Matt Griffin in the #61 AF Corse Ferrari. Both continued but this allowed Nicki Thiim in the #95 Aston Martin to take over the GTE Am class lead.
It took about 14 minutes to load the Lotus onto a flat bed and to carry through the safety car procedure. None of the field made pit stops. The restart was dramatic for all the right reasons. First Marcel Fässler tried to put a move onto Loic Duval but the pole-sitting #2 Audi driver was having none of it, making a more than generous blocking move. This helped Sebastien Buemi who was already building up momentum in the Toyota. The petrol-hybrid car was not to be denied and a turn later the #8 Toyota slipped into second overall—the Toyota meat in an Audi sandwich.
Buemi even set fastest lap at that point as he tried to chase Duval, but the Audi was easily aways, gradually building up a modest lead. Back in the classes, Toni Vilander had a particularly good start, placing the #71 AF Corse Ferrari into second in GTE Pro behind a somewhat dominant #99 Aston Martin of Frederic Makowiecki. It was Thiim over Malucelli in GTE Am and the #26 Oreca of John Martin comfortably ahead of a very tight battle for second between the Morgans of Alex Brundle and Bertrand Baguette. At one stage Baguette moved alongside but had to settle back to third in class.
On lap 19 (44 minutes) Fässler fought back to second place while back in LM P2 the remaining Lotus had a slight spin. A lap later came some big drama when Fässler tried to pass both factory Porsches whilst under close pressure from the Toyota, the Audi clattered the kerbs and impacted the now infamous orange concrete ‘pyramid’ the LMP1 launched into the air and crunching back and running wide. Incredibly the car was still mobile but as it rejoined there was contact from Bergmeister’s Porsche, taking off the left rear legality panel. An unscheduled stop was required for a fix but the car as a whole, for now at least appeared to be in remarkably good shape.
Fässler came in and the crew spent about two minutes doing the necessary bodywork. Andre Lotterer took the car back out while the #2 car made a routine stop, Allan McNish taking over. Buemi held off with his stop (courtesy of the petrol fuelled cars more generous fuel allowance) and inherited the lead. Indeed, when Buemi did stop he stayed aboard and the Toyota was able to retain the lead, thanks in part to the Rebellion Toyota of Nick Heidfeld stopping a few seconds later—Matthias Beche the new driver in the #12 car.
The LM P2 cars also started their set of stops. Brundle stayed out longer, stayed in the car when he did stop and took fuel only, promoting the #24 Morgan to first in class. Behind him Baguette handed the #35 Oak entry to Martin Plowman, Nicolas Minassian took over the the #49 Pecom Racing Oreca, Christian Zugel stepped into the #41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek and Thomas Holzer relieved Charouz in the lone Lotus. A slow stop knocked the #45 Oak Morgan down the order as Jacques Nicolet handed it over to Jean-Marc Merlin.
Only two GT cars stopped early, the Larbre Competition GTE Am Corvette and the #98 Aston Martin which saw Richie Stanaway taking over from Dalla Lana. There was a battle in GTE Am where Matt Griffin with the #61 Ferrari caught and passed the #76 Porsche of Jean-Karl Vernay.
The second stints at the front began with a bang when McNish tapped Stanaway. The Wee Scot managed the lapping maneuver and then set about setting up Buemi. A few turns later after selling the Toyota a sublime dummy, and it was an Audi back in the overall lead. The opening period ended with most of the GT cars making their stops and some considerable drama. The #91 Porsche caught fire in the pits just as Patrick Pilet stepped aboard—and quickly back out again (Leaking fuel hose on hot brakes – the car would get a replacement rotor, a wash and brush up and away). The GTE Pro leading Aston of Makowiecki at last stopped after a great opening stint, and then Lotterer slowed dramatically on course with apparent electrical issues, a fuse popped and the car stuck in gear.
A couple of slow laps and a brief pitstop and #1 was back up to speed but a lap down.
Janos Wimpffen
