Fourteen cars started this race and there were prospects for the runaway favourites Aston Martin to dominate. That was before the terrible accident that befell Allan Simonsen just a few minutes into the race, the class pole and class leading #95 Aston Martin spearing off the road at Tertre Rouge and impacting the barrier head-on at very high speed.
Tragically Allan succumbed to his injuries. We’ll be paying full tribute to the hugely popular Dane in the coming days.
The second ‘Am’ Aston has been on a race-long fight back after an early delay with Stuart Hall, and in particular Jamie Campbell-Walter posting some very quick times in what would prove to be the vain pursuit of a podium finish.
Larbre Competition came into this weekend looking for a fourth consecutive class win. There was early trouble for the #70 car and then an off and subsequent long delay with a clutch issue for the same car. The lead #50 car had fewer issues but frankly, this time, the Jack Leconte formula just didn’t hack it.
In Ferrari world there was a retirement after just too many incidents this weekend for the Krohn Ferrari. The final straw was a spin at the Porsche Curves for Tracy Krohn after a Le Mans that he’ll want to forget.
The 8Star car too has had too much time being towed out of gravel traps whilst the slowest of the trio of AF Corse cars was the cause of one of a record number of Safety Car periods after a substantial off for Howard Blank at Tertre Rouge in #54.
Amongst the Porsches the #75 Prospeed car had an unremarkable run with an unremarkable finish. The Proton prepared pair both suffered misfortune with Paulo Ruberti rudely nerfed out of second place during the night by a frankly disgracefully inept display by DKR Engineering’s Roman Brandella – The subsequent damage effectively ended the #88’s challenge.
The sister #77 Dempsey del Piero car was the class leader until Patrick Dempsey was tipped into a spin by a prototype overnight. The subsequent delay dropped the car back down the order but then came fighting back, in particular courtesy of some Pat Long heroics, to battle for a podium place at the flag.
The #67 IMSA Performance car showed flashes of pace but never really challenged.
Up front Jean Karl Vernay showed himself to be a real star, composed and fast to fend off a looming Ferrari challenge throughout the topsy turvy pattern of this race.
In pursuit for much of the latter part of the race were a pair of AF Corse run Ferraris. Both had several issues and moments, but they both stayed the course, with the #55 car trying to get onto terms with the class leader and the #61 car, with Simmo’s sparring partner Matt Griffin amongst the crew, trying to catch their team-mate.
There was some great racing in the class, but it will be forever overshadowed by the manner of the departure of the race favourite – RIP Allan.
