24H Le Mans, H+8 : The ORECA 03 teams ready to pounce…
As the first third of the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans comes to a close, the quickest of the ORECA 03 teams are ready to pounce in the LM P2 class. Leader until the start of the eighth hour, the No. 26 G-Drive Racing by Delta-ADR entry is in fifth place. The Russian team is followed by Thiriet by TDS Racing and Pecom Racing.
Quotes.
Hugues de Chaunac, President of Groupe ORECA : « It was with deep sadness that we learned of Allan Simonsen’s death. We would like to present our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones, as well as all the members of Aston Martin Racing. We are thinking of them. »
Maxime Martin (Thiriet by TDS Racing, ORECA 03-Nissan #46) : « The start went well. The conditions were really difficult, but we stayed on slicks during the entirety of my triple stint. We could have perhaps gone with intermediates, but it’s always a tough choice to make. The goal was to make our way back up the order without taking too many risks. We made it back into the top five, which is positive. The car is doing quite well and we’re on pace. We’re running our race, without looking too much at the leaders. Tomorrow morning we will have to take a look at how things stand. »
Nicolas Minassian (Pecom Racing, ORECA 03-Nissan #49) : « My stint was quite good. The first part was difficult with many changes in the weather conditions. In that type of situation, you can’t fall into a sort of false rhythm, but you can’t take too many risks either. In the end, we managed this period well. We are one of the quickest cars on track, the car is handling nicely and I think it will only improve. We must attack in order to reduce our deficit to the leaders. We need to push, but we can’t put to much pressure on ourselves either. »
Mike Conway (G-Drive Racing by delta-ADR, ORECA 03-Nissan #26) : « I experienced my first stint at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and I really enjoyed it ! We opted for intermediate tires and, although the track was dry in some areas, it was the right call. My last stint was really good in terms of driving, with the Dunlop tires working very well. We had a difficult start to the race (flat tire), but we’ve made our way back up the running order. We’re going to fight in the night. »
Race action.
On a still slippery track, the No. 26 ORECA 03 driven by John Martin was able to keep his second place at the start. On the third lap, the sister car of team G-Drive Racing by Delta-ADR took fourth position, while Murphy Prototypes found sixth place, before an electrical problem cost them a lap. The race was neutralized just before the 15 minute mark after the No. 95 Aston Martin accident. The green flag would only show again close to an hour later. Behind Pecom Racing, now in the top three, Thiriet by TDS Racing, rejoined the top five after two hours of racing after starting 18th thanks to an off track excursion during qualifying. Meanwhile, the No. 25 encountered an issue with gear selection and the No. 26 fell victim to a flat tire.
The running order changed regularly as rain drops fell off and on. The ORECA 03 teams made the best of it and adopted an elevated pace. In the hands of Mike Conway, the No. 26 G-Drive by Delta-ADR entry progressively returned to the top positions, while Pecom Racing, Thiriet by TDS Racing and Race Performance all fought for a place in the top five. Murphy Prototypes, however, had an off during the fifth hour and fell in the order.
After another safety car period, the No. 26 ORECA 03 took the LM P2 class lead in the middle of the sixth hour. Running consistently, the Race Performance trio held the third position before heading to the pits for a small suspension issue. Meanwhile, Pecom Racing took turns in third and seventh places as pit stops shook out, as was the case with Thiriet by TDS Racing.
During the eighth hour, G-Drive Racing by Delta-ADR had more than a minute advance on second place, but the No. 26 was forced to stop for six minutes as it’s number placard was not illuminated properly. John Martin rejoined the action in seventh place, and quickly returned to the top five. After eight hours of racing, Thiriet by TDS Racing is in sixth position, ahead of Pecome Racing. The three best placed ORECA 03 are still in the hunt for the podium.