More dramas for Team LNT

Tom Kimber-Smith has been forced to retire his #81 Panoz due to a catastrophic electrical failure.

Taking over the drive from Milner at 20:24hrs, Kimber-Smith came to a halt between Mulsanne and Indianapolis – one of the fastest parts of the circuit. Whilst out of the car, engineers spoke to Kimber-Smith offering guidance over the radio in an effort to restart the car and get it back to the pits.

Mechanics even travelled out to the location to offer assistance verbally over the fence; unable to physically help because of regulations preventing anybody other than the driver repairing a car whilst on track.

“Coming out of the 2nd chicane on the Mulsanne straight, I heard 2 misfires which sounded a bit like the traction control kicking in, then it cleared” said Kimber-Smith. Then when I braked into the Mulsanne corner itself – a tight right hander, 2nd gear, the car was wobbling around – like I had a lose wheel and when I hit the brakes, the pedal had a lot of travel in it.

“Accelerating out of that corner, I thought I’d had more misfires – but they cleared and then it just cut out in such a way it wouldn’t let me downshift or anything. I parked it on right of the circuit and it smelt like burning electrics.

“I pressed the starter, but it was just turning. Al [Mugglestone] was telling me what to try, but it just wasn’t getting any fuel pressure in the engine. We think it was an electrical problem and also a fuel injector that was stuck open so no fuel pressure.”

While this was going on, Tomlinson was 2 laps behind GT2 leader, but running consistently in 4:17’s.

Until 20:53 and Tomlinson had to be wheeled into the Team LNT garage reporting brake failure and electronic problems. A 30-minute repair revealed a damaged left rear wheel hub (the broken one’s electronic sensors causing the electronic glitch).

With a new drive shaft, hub and brakes, Tomlinson was sent back out and immediately setting a 4:19 so it seems the mechanics have worked their magic once again.

So now with just the #82 car running, Tomlinson pits at 22:00 hrs as the safety car comes out once again for barrier repairs having been collected by a spinning non-GT2 car.

Bell joins at the back of the GT2 field in 10th with the following cars ahead of him in the race: 97, 87, 93, 80, 76, 99, 85, 78, 83. We have lost 86, 71 and 81.