LMP3: Hard Fight for Victory
The start of the race was cut short due to the safety car being deployed due to the no5 Ram Racing Mercedes of Remon Vos spearing across the track at the first corner, with the no98 Motorsport98 Ligier of Eric de Doncker and the Mercedes becoming the first casualties of the race.
At the restart Adrien Chila in the no5 Graff Ligier got a better run into the first corner to pass Jean Glorieux, with the Belgian then getting up to speed to fight back in the no3 DKR Engineering Norma. He soon regained the lead with a dive down the inside at the Chicane on the Mistral Straight. Glorieux then had to fend off a determined challenge by Alex Kapadia in the no14 RLR M Sport Ligier in the last 5 minutes of the first stint after the British driver made a determined charge up the field from 14th at the restart due to being caught up in the first corner.
After the pitstops Alex Toril was able to extend the lead in the DKR Norma and take the chequered flag by nine seconds from the charging Colin Noble in the no79 Nielsen Racing Ligier-Nissan. The no65 Graff Ligier made it to the flag in 3rd pace with Emilien Carde at the wheel to take the French team’s second podium of the season.
The no99 N’Race Ligier of Alain Costa and Gaeten Paletou was 4th ahead of the no55 Spirit of Race Ligier of Claudio Sdanewitsch and Michele Rugolo, with Rugolo setting the fastest lap of the race, and a new lap record, of 2m04.554 in his dramatic battle with Andrew Bentley in the no23 United Autosports Ligier in the final laps of the 120-minute race.
DKR Engineering, Alex Toril and Jean Glorieux travel to Spa-Francorchamps for the next race with a 25 point advantage over Nielsen Racing, Tony Wells and Colin Noble.
GT3: Drama and Action All the Way
Starting from pole position in the Ebimotors Lamborghini Emanuele Busnelli dropped down the order at the start after the no5 Ram Racing Mercedes of Remon Vos speared across the track causing a safety car before the end of lap one. At the restart the Italian was third behind the no75 Optimum Racing Audi of Flick Haigh and the no8 SVC Sport Management Lamborghini of Steeve Hiesse.
Busnelli tracked the battling pair and benefitted from the clash between the two cars after Flick Haigh’s car was hit by the no8 SVC Sport Management Lamborghini. Haigh recovered to the pits and Hiesse continued in the lead, but the French driver was given a drive through penalty for causing the collision, promoting Busnelli back into the lead.
As the pitstops approached Hiesse caught and passed the leading Italian before heading to the pits to hand over to Cedric Mezard. Busnelli did the same a lap later to hand over the car to Fabio Babini, who took the lead and extended it until the chequered flag.
Second place went to the no7 Lee Mowle Mercedes AMG GT3 after Phil Keen moved up to within six seconds at the end of the race and taking the fastest lap of the race and set a new lap record of 2m07.384. Joe Osborne brought the no75 Audi home in third place after passing Mezard to score the all British team’s second podium in a row.
Ebimotors, Emanuele Busnelli and Fabio Babini now have a 16 point advantage in the team and driver championships over the Lee Mowle team and drivers Phil Keen and Lee Mowle as the whole Michelin Le Mans Cup grid prepares for the next race in Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday 23 September. Remon Vos will have to start from the pitlane for causing the opening lap accident and also serve a suspended drive through penalty from the Red Bull Ring.
CLICK HERE to download the result from Round 4 at Le Castellet.
CLICK HERE to see the championship positions after Round 4 at Le Castellet
