Samedi 14 juin 1997 - 22h00 / 24h00 En dehors de la TWR-Porsche solidement installée au 3ème rang et de la Ferrari 333 SP no.3, occupant la 10ème place (Moretti déplorait la limitation à 80 litres du réservoir de carburant:
Statu quo autour de minuit ...
La McLaren no.42 de Lehto-Soper-Piquet, voiture de pointe du Team BMW a repris sa ronde, au-delà de la 35ème place ! A minuit, elle pointait crânement en 13ème position, grâce aux efforts de ses trois pilotes et en particulier d'un Lehto extrêmement motivé.
Chez les prototypes, en dehors de la TWR-Porsche solidement installée au 3ème rang et de la Ferrari 333 SP no.3, occupant la 10ème place (Moretti déplorait la limitation à 80 litres du réservoir de carburant: " notre seule chance est d'attaquer pour tenter de garder le contact, au cas où. . . "); c'était la débandade. Notamment pour les Courage. L'unique voiture de l'équipe encore susceptible de briller-sauf coup de théâtre difficile à imaginer- était la "Vaillante" no. 13 de Cottaz-Policand-Goossens. Il semble même que l'équipe avait prévu pour elle une tactique qu'Yves Courage, dans la meilleure tradition des albums de Jean Graton, tenait secrète. Mais un arrêt prolongé la faisait rétrograder au-delà de la 19ème place à minuit. Quand à la Kremer no.5 jusqu'alors bien classée, elle s'arrêtait définitivement vers 23 heures 25.
Derrière les deux Porsche 911-GT1 officielles, se suivant à quelques secondes et caracolant en tête comme à la parade, les Nissan no.21 et 22 multipliaient les exploits personnels mais sans grands résultats tangibles car beaucoup trop loin au classement. Seule la R390 GT1 de Hoshino-Comas-Kageyama pouvait prétendre jouer un rôle dans les communiqués, grâce à sa 9ème place.
En fait, c'était le statu quo absolu autout de minuit, puisque, depuis plus de trois heures, les six premiers n'avaient pas bougé; les McLaren de Gounon-Raphanel-Olofsson, de Gilbert Scott-Bellm-Sekiya et de Cox-Ravaglia-Hélary se tenant en embuscade derrière les Porsche de tête. Seule la no.41 étant, d'ailleurs, dans le même tour que le trio menant le bal . . .
En GT2, la Viper de Beretta-Gache-Dupuy redonnait le leadership à Chrysler devant la Porsche 911 de Neugarten-Martinolle-Lagniez.
A noter que le cap des 100 tours avait été doublé à 22 heures 20, et celui des 1500 kilomètres parcourus par les premiers était franchi à 22 heures 56. Autant dire qu'après huit heures de course, l'allure était plus que soutenue.
CLASSEMENT A 00 HEURES
APRES 8 HEURES DE COURSE
| Pos | N° | Ecurie | Pilotes | Voiture | Nbre Tours | Temps cumulé | Différence Tours | Meilleur Temps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 025 | PORSCHE AG | STUCK HJ /WOLLEK B /BOUTSEN T | PORSCHE 911GT1 | 105 | 6:56:18.427 | 3:47.590 | |
| 2 | 026 | PORSCHE AG | DALMAS Y /KELLENERS R /COLLARD E | PORSCHE 911GT1 | 105 | 6:56:40.193 | :21.766 | 3:46.594 |
| 3 | 007 | JOEST RACING | ALBORETO M /JOHANSSON S /KRISTENSEN T | TWR PORSCHE | 105 | 6:56:53.560 | :35.133 | 3:48.386 |
| 4 | 041 | GULF TEAM DAVIDOFF | GOUNON JM /RAPHANEL PH /OLOFSSON A | MCLAREN BMW | 105 | 6:59:51.038 | 3:32.611 | 3:49.953 |
| 5 | 043 | TEAM BMW MOTOSPORT | KOX P /RAVAGLIA R /HELARY E | MCLAREN BMW | 104 | 6:56:57.860 | 1 t | 3:51.565 |
| 6 | 039 | GULF TEAM DAVIDOFF | GILBERTSCOTT A/BELLM R /SEKIYA M | MCLAREN BMW | 104 | 6:57:18.755 | 1 t | 3:50.762 |
| 7 | 013 | COURAGE COMPETITION | COTTAZ D /POLICAND J /GOOSSENS M | COURAGE C41 | 104 | 6:59:06.542 | 1 t | 3:50.548 |
| 8 | 030 | KREMER RACING | BOUCHUT C /EVANS A /GACHOT B | PORSCHE 911GT1 | 103 | 6:57:54.292 | 2 t | 3:49.664 |
| 9 | 029 | STE JABOUILLE BOURESCHE | FERTE A /THEVENIN O /VONGARTZEN J | PORSCHE 911GT1 | 102 | 6:56:36.696 | 3 t | 3:50.452 |
| 10 | 033 | SCHUBEL ENGINEERING | LAMY P /GOUESLARD P /HAHNE A | PORSCHE 911GT1 | 102 | 6:56:36.869 | 3 t | 3:51.630 |
| 11 | 023 | NISSAN MOTORSORT | HOSHINO K /COMAS E /KAGEYAMA M | NISSAN R390 | 101 | 6:59:20.474 | 4 t | 3:51.231 |
| 12 | 003 | MORETTI RACING | MORETTI G /THEYS D /PAPIS M | FERRARI 333SP | 101 | 6:59:51.733 | 4 t | 3:47.639 |
| 13 | 028 | KONRAD MOTORSPORT | BALDI M /KONRAD F /NEARN R | PORSCHE 911GT1 | 100 | 6:59:14.675 | 5 t | 3:54.367 |
| 14 | 027 | BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA | MARTINI P /PESCATORI C /HERMANN A | PORSCHE 911GT1 | 99 | 6:57:04.344 | 6 t | 3:49.591 |
| 15 | 049 | GT1 LOTUS RACING | LAMMERS J /HEZEMANS M /GRAU A | LOTUS GT1 | 99 | 6:58:49.401 | 6 t | 3:55.183 |
| 16 | 055 | DAVID PRICE RACING | BRABHAM D /MCCARTHY P /BUNDY D | PANOZ GTR | 97 | 6:56:10.335 | 8 t | 3:51.601 |
| 17 | 005 | KREMER RACING | SALDANA T /ROSENBLAD C /LASSIG J | KREMER K8 | 97 | 6:57:45.897 | 8 t | 3:57.991 |
| 18 | 042 | TEAM BMW MOTORSPORT | LEHTO JJ /SOPER S /PIQUET N | MCLAREN BMW | 97 | 6:58:08.530 | 8 t | 3:49.504 |
| 19 | 052 | STE DAMS | LAGORCE F /BERNARD E /BOUILLON JC | PANOZ GTR | 96 | 6:56:33.059 | 9 t | 3:55.656 |
| 20 | 061 | STE VIPER TEAM ORECA | BERETTA O /GACHE P /DUPUY D | CHRYSLER VIPER | 94 | 6:58:20.590 | 11 t | 4:05.068 |
| 21 | 084 | STADLER MOTORSPORT | CALDERARI E /BRYNER L /ZADRA A | PORSCHE 911GT2 | 93 | 6:57:22.988 | 12 t | 4:12.532 |
| 22 | 078 | ELF HABERTUR RACING | NEUGARTEN M /MARTINOLLE G /LAGNIEZ JC | PORSCHE 911GT2 | 92 | 6:56:17.960 | 13 t | 4:14.105 |
| 23 | 073 | ROOCK RACING | BREYNER M /BREYNER P /BREYNER T | PORSCHE 911GT2 | 91 | 6:57:51.568 | 14 t | 4:17.763 |
| 24 | 075 | LARBRE COMPETITION | KITCHAK P /BOURDAIS P /LARARESENDE A | PORSCHE 911GT2 | 90 | 6:59:58.010 | 15 t | 4:12.585 |
| 25 | 079 | KONRAD MOTORSPORT | SEILLER T /SCHUMACHER L /LIGONNET M | PORSCHE 911GT2 | 89 | 6:56:14.873 | 16 t | 4:12.037 |
| 26 | 054 | DAVID PRICE RACING | WALLACE A /WEAVER J /LEITZINGER B | PANOZ GTR | 87 | 6:56:13.316 | 18 t | 3:52.779 |
| 27 | 064 | CHAMBERLAIN ENGINEERING | NURMINNEN J /HUGENHOLTZ H /GLEASON C | CHRYSLER VIPER | 87 | 6:58:24.385 | 18 t | 4:17.583 |
| 28 | 074 | ROOCK RACING | PILGRIM A /AHRLE A /EICHMANN B | PORSCHE 911GT2 | 85 | 6:59:02.268 | 20 t | 4:12.189 |
| 29 | 015 | TEAM TDR | FREON F /TERADA Y /DOWNING J | MAZDA MS 97 | 84 | 6:45:03.425 | 21 t | 4:01.392 |
| 30 | 008 | LA FILIERE ELF | CLERICO E /PESCAROLO H /BELLOC JP | COURAGE C36 | 84 | 6:59:53.311 | 21 t | 3:54.325 |
| 31 | 063 | STE VIPER TEAM ORECA | BELL J /YVER P /MORTON J | CHRYSLER VIPER | 83 | 6:59:22.838 | 22 t | 4:07.473 |
| 32 | 022 | NISSAN MOTORSPORT | VANDEPOELE E /PATRESE R /SUZUKI A | NISSAN R390 | 82 | 6:59:32.001 | 23 t | 3:50.649 |
| 33 | 009 | COURAGE COMPETITION | ANDRETTI Ma /ANDRETTI Mi /GROUILLARD O | COURAGE C36 | 78 | 6:58:44.012 | 27 t | 3:51.533 |
| 34 | 077 | STE CHEREAU | JARIER JP /CHEREAU JL /LECONTE J | PORSCHE 911GT2 | 77 | 5:49:59.983 | 28 t | 4:06.270 |
| 35 | 080 | GT RACING TEAM AG | HURTGEN C /PRICE H /ROBINSON J | PORSCHE 911GT2 | 73 | 6:58:38.138 | 32 t | 4:13.481 |
| 36 | 021 | NISSAN MOTORSPORT | BRUNDLE M /TAYLOR W /MUELLER J | NISSAN R390 | 70 | 6:57:14.091 | 35 t | 3:50.201 |
| 37 | 046 | NEWCASTLE UNITED LISTER | BAILEY J /ERDOS T /SKAIFE M | LISTER STORM | 66 | 6:59:21.099 | 39 t | 3:53.996 |
| 38 | 067 | SALEEN / ALLEN SPEEDLAB | COBB P /SALEEN S /PALAU C | SALEEN MUSTANG | 50 | 6:55:50.047 | 55 t | 4:13.873 |
| 39 | 010 | COURAGE COMPETITION | EKBLOM F /RICCI JL /LIBERT JP | COURAGE C36 | 39 | 3:35:52.752 | 66 t | 3:52.995 |
| 40 | 066 | SALEEN ALLEN SPEEDLAB | SCHIRLE R /WARNOCK D / | SALEEN MUSTANG | 28 | 4:54:01.420 | 77 t | 4:17.560 |
| Tour le plus rapide | ||||||
| N° | Equipe | Pilotes | Voiture | Temps | Vitesse (Km/h) | |
| 026 | PORSCHE AG | DALMAS Y / KELLENERS R / | PORSCHE 911GT1 | 3:46.594 | 216.069 | |
MIDNIGHT: NO CHANGE
In release no.5 it was announced that the no.42 McLaren BMW of Lehto-Soper-Piquet did not go out at 20h00. In fact, the car was back out on the circuit in 35th position and by midnight it was up to 13th place thanks to the efforts of its 3 drivers especially a highly- motivated JJ Lehto.
In the prototype category apart from the no.7 Joest Porsche in third place and the 333 SP Ferrari solidly installed in 10th spot (Moretti was not at all happy with the fuel tank limitation of 80 litres: "our only chance of remaining in contact in case ...is to go flat-out), it was a rout. In particular for Courage as the only one of his entries that was in a challenging position was no.13 in the hands of Cottaz-Policand-Goosens. The team apparently had planned some secret tactics for this car in the best traditions of Jean Gratton but a prolonged stop dropped it down to 19th place at midnight. The Kremer K8 which was wellplaced went out around 23h25.
The Nissans attempted to up the pace while in front the 2 works Porsches continued on their merry way. The Japanese cars were too far behind however, to make much impact. The best-placed was the R390 GT1 driven by Hoshino-Comas-Kageyama in 9th spot. Thus, as midnight struck there had been no changes in the first 6 for almost 3 hours. Behind the leading Porsches, the 3 McLarens of Gounon-Raphanel-Olofsson, Gilbert Scott-Bellm-Sekiya and Cox-Ravaglia-Hélary were waiting to pounce should the leaders show any signs of weakening.. Only no.41 was on the same lap as the first 3.
In GT2, the Gache-Beretta-Dupuy Viper was back in the lead in front of the Neugarten-Martinolle-Lagniez 911 GT2 Porsche. The 100 lap barrier was breached at 22h20 and that of 1500 kms covered by the leaders at 22h56 showing that there was no let-up in the pace up front.
