PR-Le Mans/Downing 5

Subj:  PR-Le Mans/Downing 5		Section: F-1/Internat'l News
  To:  All				Saturday, June 15, 1996 10:51:01 AM
From:  Connie Downing, 104670,3321	#819500

                          LE MANS START

     Despite our posting yesterday stating that the Kanagawa
Clinic Mazda would probably start 25th on the grid, we found that
we were to start 23rd.  We don't know why, but we'll take it.
Operating procedure here is to post a starting grid only after
the morning warmup session.
     We watched the Debora team in the garage next to ours pack
up this morning meaning one less LMP2 car, but at the same time
the provisional second Peugeot WR car which is quite fast, joined
the field and actually moved into the Debora's garage.  So the
net is still three cars in our class.
     Our warmup went quite smoothly with no incidents on the
course for anyone during the session.  The weather is beautiful
but over 90 degrees F. That probably  made it more comfortable
for the scantily clad "sponsor reps" who took part in most of the
pre-race ceremonies.  The tradition of displaying women along
with race cars obviously thrives in France although most of the
flesh displayed was American.
     One of the impressive traditions is the presentation of the
race cars on the front straight with the flags of each of their
countries draped over them. There are many flags in the stands as
well.  We haven't seen the Danish fan with the flag on a tree
that we saw throughout the race last year, but the fan with a
Mazda and Japanese flag combination is directly across from our
pit again.
     In another part of the ceremonies, the national anthems of
all the participating countries are played.  You could actually
hear the British fans singing over all the noise.  Terada,
Downing, and Freon took part in the driver introductions by
riding down the front straight in the back of a convertible. As
each team is presented by the announcer the fans cheer lustily
for them all.
     In spite of a lengthy strategy meeting yesterday, team plans
were changed just before the start of the race.  Franck Freon
started and did two stints - which in our case is just about an
hour, delaying Terada's eighteenth Le Mans start until the second
hour.  At the end of the first hour the Mazda was in 11th place.
It returned in 13th after the pitstop and driver change.  At the
end of the second hour the Mazda was 18th.  Currently, just
approaching the end of the third hour, Downing is at the wheel
and the car is 17th.  If everything goes well, there should be
only 37 more pitstops.
     Plans are to extend the length of the driver stints through
the night.

     Apologies are due...  There were a couple of inaccuracies in
yesterday's reports.  A. the capacity of the Kanagawa Clinic
Mazda fuel cell is 62 liters and B. This is the 64th running of
the 24 Hours of Le Mans.