PR- Le Mans-9

Subj:  PR - LE MANS - 9			Section: F-1/Internat'l News
  To:  ALL				Sunday, June 16, 1996 3:13:28 AM
From:  RIS/EUR-Jacquie Groom, 100045,3717#819906

20 abandons and 7 hours to go : the race is hard for the mechanics, and it's not over yet !  
Leading since the first hour, Reuter-Jones-Wurz  got through the night with no problems, in spite 
of the constant pressure from Stuck-Boutsen-Wollek.  Their number 25 Porsche GT1 got in 
between the two TWR's after 11 hours, and the drivers tried hard to come back.  Stuck was at one 
point 11" from Reuter, at about 6h20, before stopping for fuel.  The TWR 7 keeps the advantage, 
but cannot allow itself the least mistake, as the number 25 was never more than 3 minutes away. 
 The number 8 TWR of Alboreto-Martini-Theys is now 3 laps down, and the first McLaren , that of 
Bellm, Lehto and Weaver, is 6 laps down.   The Porsche of Dalmas, having had it's front bonnet 
taped up, is in 5th place ahead of Raphanel's McLaren, which has had a new fuel injection pump.

Many retirements during the night.  At 2h30 the Porsche/Roock car of Jarier-Pareja-Chappell 
abandoned with a broken engine.  Soon after Giroix also retired with a broken engine,` rare in the 
McLaren cars.  The half-way point was not a good time for the American cars as the Riley and 
Scott gave up due to transmission problems, followed by the Callaway. (transmission), the 
Chrysler Viper of Dupuy-McCarthy-J. Bell (engine) and the Ferrari F40 of Nappi-Ota-Donovan 
(gearbox).  As the day broke,  Phillipe Alliot went out at Tertre Rouge, most probably due to 
technical problems.  The chassis was broken, and the Courage gave up straight away, lying then 
at 4th place.

round the same time, Eric van de Poele was beating the lap record over and over again, bringing 
it down to 3:46.958.  This is some consolation for the Belgian team, who lost all hopes of victory 
during a gearbox change.  Unfortunately, Bachelart spun below the Dunlop bridge, perhaps due to 
a badly adjusted wheel as it had just come out of the pits.