PR-Le Mans-5

Subj:  PR - LE MANS - 5			Section: F-1/Internat'l News
  To:  ALL				Saturday, June 15, 1996 3:10:07 PM
From:  RIS/EUR-Jacquie Groom, 100045,3717#819637

24 Heures du Mans - 15/16 June 1996

Communique No. 5

Saturday 15th June 1996 - 17h00/19H00

Joest Porsche sets a hot pace

The leading cars were all lapping under the 3 mn 55 secs mark and one of the potential winners, 
Andy Evans, in his 333 SP Ferrari, ran out of petrol in the Porsche corners around 17h30.

The second of th eCourage cars  was hit by the same problems as those that slowed it's 
team-mate, the black box, which led to engine cut-outs.  However, it took the vallient Jan 
Lammers more than 10 minutes to push the C36 from the pit-lane entry to the pit-lane itself.  The 
best placed of the Courage entries was the Elf Filiere car in seventh place.

Hopes of victory in the Kremer camp vanished when No. 1 stopped just after the Dunlop chicane 
with a dead gearbox when it was in seventh place.  The driver finally managed to find a gear and 
got back to the pits where the mechanics solved the problem but lost 10 laps in the process.

Up front it was Joest Porsche from the works GT1s, the cars occupying first and third and second 
and fourth positions respectively.  In fifth was the quickest of the McLarens, the NO. 33 Gulf Car of 
Bellm-Weaver-Lehto ahead of 333 SP Ferrari No. 17.  The F40 Ferraris were unable to stay with 
the McLarens and the Team Pilot car was handicapped by a down-on power engine while the Igol 
entry of the French trio Belmondo-Bernard-Gounon retired for reasons yet unknown ( most 
probably engine)

Both the No. 49 Viper and the no 75 Honda lost ground following punctures while the Oreca Vipers 
were hit with oil leaks.

In the GT2 category, the leading  Marcos went out with a blown engine just before 19h00.  Thus 
the first 3 places in this category were held by Porsches No. 79 the Roock racing entry in front 
followed by the Larbre Competition car no. 8 and that of Parr Motorsport No. 71

In the same category th eNo. 70 Porsche retired because of engine problems and no. 73 the 
Haberthur entry, was still immobilised on the circuit with a defective transmission.

Transcribed by Jacquie Groom., RIS/EUR