Pescarolo win race, title at Istanbul
Emmanuel Collard and Jean Christophe-Boullion won the final round of the Le Mans Endurance Series at Istanbul to secure the LMP1 title
The Pescarolo Sport drivers beat the Audi Team ORECA pair of Allan McNish and Stephane Ortelli by more than minute in treacherous weather conditions.
By securing the LMP1 title, Collard and Boullion's Pescarolo automatically secures an entry for next year's Le Mans 24 Hours.
Collard and Boullion overhauled the Creation DBA car of Nicolas Minassian, Jamie Campbell-Walter and Jean-Denis Deletraz early in the race after they benefited from a near one-lap lead after a Safety Car mix-up.
As time ran out, Audi took the lead after the team opted to save time and not change tyres on their last pitstop. However, the Audi, running on older wet tyres on a drying track compared to the Pescarolo, was powerless to prevent it retaking the lead with one hour to go.
"The track conditions at the end of the race were doubtful, and I was expecting to see a red flag or a safety car," said Boullion. "It was very difficult to keep the car on the track, even in second gear."
Team boss Henri Pescarolo put the win down to tyre strategy. He said: "Collard told us it was a critical situation with the aquaplaning, and we decided to change the tyres at each pit stop. That was a difficult choice because we would lose around 15 seconds each stop, and we did not know what we would gain on the track. It was a difficult choice, but a winning choice."
Hayanari Shimoda, the Japanese driver who survived a 165mph shunt in A1 GP at Eastern Creek last weekend, led the point standings going into the final round in Istanbul. However his Zytek co-driver Tom Chilton started the race, and the team elected to keep the tyres for a second stint.
That cost them time, and then Casper Elgaard's first stint lasted less than a lap before he needed to pit again following a puncture.
The car finished fourth at the flag, enough for Shimoda to finish second in the championship, two points behind Collard and Boullion.
British driver Gareth Evans won the LMP2 drivers' title, and his Chamberlain Synergy team the teams' accolade, having finished second on the road behind the Ferrari 550 of Michele Bartyan, Cristian Pescatori and Toni Seiler.
Pos Drivers Make Laps 1. Collard/Boullion Pescarolo C60 173 2. Ortelli/McNish Audi R8 +1:09.875 3. Minassian/Deletraz/Campbell-Walter DBA 03S Judd 171 4. Shimoda/Chilton Zytek 04S 171 5. Fisken/Hancock/Tahincioglu Zytek 169 6. Newton/Erdos MG Lola EX 264 164 7. Evans/Owen/Smith Lola AER 164 8. Barbosa/Short/Ickx Dallara Judd 164 9. Theys/Bjork Lola B05/40 163 10. Bartyan/Pescatori/Seiler Ferrari 550 Maranello 161 11. Barazi/Vergers Courage C65 AER 160 12. Cressoni/Babini/Ramos Ferrari 550 Maranello 160 13. Pergl/Kox/Lamy Ferrari 550 Maranello 158 14. Bouchut/Turner/Vasiliev Ferrari 550 Maranello 158 15. Primat/Jouanny Dallara Judd 156 16. Kirkaldy/Kinch Ferrari 360 Modena 156 17. Rosa/Drudi/Melo Ferrari 360 Modena 156 18. Collin/Felbermayr Sr/Felbermayr Jr Porsche 996 GT3 RS 153 19. Nielsen/Thyrring/Ehret Porsche 996 GT3 RSR 152 20. Gosselin/Vosse/Ojjeh Courage C65 Ford 151 21. Frei/Gounon Courage C60 Judd 149 22. Randaccio/Mancini Tampolli McLaren 148 23. Hartshorne/Stanton/Pearson TVR Tuscan T400R 146 24. Kutemann/Gosse/Daoudi Ferrari 575 GTC 146 25. Lambert/Lefort/Palltala Porsche 996 GT3 RSR 143 26. Sommereau/Papolla/Wasover Chrysler Viper GTSR 135
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