ROAD TO LE MANS – Léna Bühler and Mattéo Quintarelli win Race 2

The race got off to a dramatic start as Louis Rousset (#29 Ligier JS P325, Forestier Racing by VPS) broke through the front row of the grid occupied by the two Team Virage Ligiers (#8 and #16 JS P325) but sent Sebastian Gravlund in car #8 into a spin before the brakes were applied for the first chicane. Several racers were caught out and ended up inn the gravel on the outside, especially the #21 and #23 Ferrari 296 GT3s that came into contact on braking. Race Control quickly sent out the safety car.

Rousset led from Léna Bühler (#50), Quentin Antonel (#68) and Lehmann (#16). Antti Rammo (#2) headed the LMP3 Pro/Am field. At the restart, polesitter Sacha Lehmann lost ground in the standings. In GT3, the pair on the front row of the starting grid retained their advantage as Heiko Neumann (#65 Mercedes-AMG GT3) led from Laurent de Meeus (#52 Ferrari 296 GT3). However, Anthony Bartone (#14 Mercedes-AMG GT3) was adamant to join the party and took control of proceedings by the end of the fifth lap and the opening of the refuelling window.

As expected after the chaotic start, the #29 Ligier JS P325 entered by Forestier Racing by VPS was handed a drive-through penalty that put the car out of the running.

After refuelling, with the safety car deployed once again, Bühler’s teammate Mattéo Quintarelli (#50 Ligier JS P325, 23Events Racing) found himself at the front of the field, followed by Theodor Jensen (#37), Hugo Schwarze (#85), Vladislav Lomko (#68) and Oscar Tunjo (#70). Thomas Laurent (#2 Ginetta G61-LT-P325-EVO, DKR Engineering) led the Pro/Am pack while Getspeed’s Steve Jans took charge of the GT3 class (#14 Mercedes-AMG GT3).

Just 11 minutes remained on the clock when the safety car was called in. Quintarelli switched immediately into race mode. Jensen refused to give in easily but sent his car into a spin that ended with him facing the wrong way against the pit wall. Another collision involving the #27 and #28 Ligier JS P325-Toyota prototypes gave the safety car driver no time to rest. Action resumed one final time leaving the field with a one-lap dash to the chequered flag. Quintarelli gave nothing away as Schwarze attacked hard, only easing off in the Porsche Curves.

LMP3 Top Five

1. #50 Ligier JS P325 | 23Events Racing (Bühler/ Quintarelli) | 10 laps

2. #85 Duqueine D09 | R-ace GP (Schwarze/David) | +0.531

3. #70 Duqueine D09 | Gebhardt Motorsport (Tunjo/Catalano) | +2.493

4. #92 Ligier JS P325 | Forestier Racing by VPS (Morano/Roussanne) | +3.011

5. #25 Ligier JS P325 | Reiter Engineering (Born/Valint) | +4.575

The other class winners

• LMP3 Pro/Am: #2 Ginetta G61-LT-P325-EVO | DKR Engineering (Rammo/Laurent)
• GT3: #65 Mercedes-AMG GT3 | Team Motopark (Neumann/Dunner)

McLeod and Noaker put on a superb show in the Ford Mustang Challenge

While the opening Ford Mustang Challenge confrontation saw Cameron McLeod claim a clear victory, with a five-second-plus advantage over Sam Paley (#26) and Marco Signoretti (#97), Race 2 was a much more closely fought affair. As McLeod was gradually opening up a lead on the opening lap, Signoretti’s Mustang suffered front and rear damage in a double collision in the Dunlop Chicane, resulting in a safety car intervention. With one favourite out of the running, the odds were heavily stacked in McLeod’s favour as another of his rivals – Paley – lost his bumper in a knock at Dunlop.

Robert Noaker had other ideas. The Race 1 hero who finished sixth after starting at the very back of the grid unleashed his #13 Mustang Dark Horse R once again and galloped through the field. He was already up into the top 15 out of the 39-strong field after just one lap. He continued to move up the standings once the green flag was brandished and produced the fastest lap (4:19.559), the only racer to dip below 4:20.

Noaker left Belgian Nathan Vanspringel standing ad he overtook on the outside at Mulsanne Corner. In second place some way behind McLeod when a slow zone was enforced, Noaker was quickest to react when racing resumed... and incredibly took the lead! Despite never having competed in a race with slow zones, Noaker showed superb reactions. Could he win after climbing through the entire field? Battle commenced between the two Ford Performance Junior Team Drivers who put on a superb spectacle for the many fans who had already gathered trackside. Finally, Australian McLeod caught up with his American rival and overtook at Indianapolis. A clean, contact-free tussle that revealed the Mustang’s dynamic qualities and impressive peak speed. Noaker attempted one final attack entering the Porsche Curves, but McLeod gave no ground.

Top Five

1. Cameron McLeod | #92 Ryan McLeod Racing Cars | 9 laps
2. Robert Noaker | #13 Robert Noaker Racing | +0.174
3. Sam Paley | #26 Paley Motorsport | +3.477
4. Jenson Altzman | #23 TeamFloral | +3.897
5. Matt Nicoll-Jones | #62 Academy Motorsport | +6.853

The other class winners

• DHS: Tanner Foust | #1 Spark Performance
  DHL: Alfonso Diaz | #15 TechSport Racing