Action Express hits the front and the gravel trap in second hour of Petit

A spin from Christian Fittipaldi’s second-placed Action Express Corvette DP brought out the caution flags toward the end of the second hour of action at Petit Le Mans, but the resultant flurry of pit stops sent teammate Cameron into the lead in the No. 31 car.

Michael Valiante has taken over the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette which has led most of the way in the hands of Richard Westbrook, and the Canadian lay second. However, just one lap after the restart, he spun on the front straight which elevated Jordan Taylor’s WTR ’Vette to P2. Meanwhile IndyCar ace Sebastien Bourdais has relieved Fittipaldi in the No. 5 car and lies third, ahead of reigning IndyCar champ Scott Dixon in the Ganassi-run Riley-Ford EcoBoost.

Patrick Pilet has now taken control of the No. 911 Porsche which, with Nick Tandy at the wheel, had climbed to a sensational third overall in the previous hour. However, on the restart he lost the lead to John Edwards BMW Z4 GTE, just as the yellows flew for Valiante’s error.

Andrew Palmer leads PC in the No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports machine, ably driven in the first stint by Tom Kimber-Smith.

Meanwhile, Marc Goossens is set to continue Cameron Lawrence’s fine work in the Riley Motorsports Dodge Viper GT3-R, heading up GTD ahead of Townsend Bell and Jeff Westphal in Scuderia Corsa’s pair of Ferrari 458 Italias.