The weather had been temperamental all week and during night practice John Pew lost control on the waterlogged track and came off. The car, whose livery paid tribute to recently deceased IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson, sustained heavy damage two days before the race and it seemed unlikely that the team would be at the start. But that was before the racing community got together.

IMSA head Scott Atherton, NASCAR big boss Jim France and many team members rallied round to help Michael Shank Racing. Staff of Elan Motorsports, which develops the DeltaWing, stayed up on Thursday night to repair the bodywork. When the Michael Shank crew got back to the track after a few hours sleep, the car was waiting for the mechanics, who pulled out all the stops to get the car ready to race.

The Ligier JS P2 had to sit out the qualifying sessions but the repairs were finished in time for the start. Unfortunately it was one of the many cars to fall foul of the wet conditions before the chequered flag came down. The last accident was the end of the road for the car but Michael Shank Racing will be back with a new chassis next season.

Touched by the support his team received at Petit Le Mans, Michael Shank decided to donate half the cost of the repair work to the Wilson Children’s Fund, for Justin Wilson’s daughters. One of the team’s drivers, Ozwaldo "Ozz" Negri is raising funds by selling the fire suit he was wearing when he won the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2012.

Cécile Bonardel / ACO — Translated from French by Emma Paulay