ALMS asks drivers when race really starts

WHEN DOES THE RACE REALLY START?

The halfway point of the 75th 24 Hours of Le Mans is drawing near. Much uncertainty remains, both on the timing screens and with the weather. With 12 hours to go, conservation and consistency are still the orders of the night. But when do American Le Mans Series drivers and teams think the race for victory really begins? The answers differ.

Johnny Mowlem, Risi Competizione
"It isn't over until the checkered flag flies. The biggest thing is to make sure you are there at the end to have a chance. We hope to be in a position where we can start to back off and conserve our car. But it is still a very close race."

Johnny O'Connell, Corvette Racing
"In my mind you don't really start the race until there are two hours left. You try to push hard but you want to follow the Three Rules: Don't hit anything, don't break anything and stay on the track. But right now you take your ego away, don't worry about fast laps and look after things."

Darren Turner, Aston Martin Racing
"We've been pushing since the word go. These two cars always are competitive, plus the Corvette is still there. We will keep going until the team tells us to back off. You want to build up a cushion in case there are circumstances like the weather or you if you have a bit of drama."

-credit: alms