- Jackie Chan DC Racing wins LMP2 & second overall
- Aston Martin wins GTE Pro
- Multiple records broken on Dunlop tyres
Dunlop’s Le Mans 24 Hours 2017 is one to remember with records broken, overall race laps led, and overall podiums in addition to the more typical class wins and podiums, in a race with high temperatures testing cars and drivers.
Track temperatures exceeded 50 degrees towards the end of today’s race in France’s Sarthe region.
Predicting the LMP2 race winner was an impossible task with well over half the field top contenders for glory.
Ultimate victors number 38 Jackie Chan DC Racing were never out of the top-six with the Jota-run Oreca-Gibson remaining in the top three from the seventh hour. The race of attrition took its toll on the premier LMP1 class and in hour 22, on lap 319, car 38’s Thomas Laurent took the overall race lead. The final two hours saw the recovering LMP1 Porsche gradually regaining ground, but it took 28 laps to resume the front spot, with 65 minutes left on the clock.
Ho-Pin Tung crossed the line second overall and LMP2 winner, having led 28 laps overall, and 187 of 366 LMP2 laps.
Third overall and second in LMP2 went to the number 13 Vaillante Rebellion team which proved to be tenacious in recovering from several issues. The LMP2 podium was completed by the sister Jackie Chan Oreca.
The top ten LMP2 finishers chose to compete on Dunlop tyres.
In the LM GTE Pro class, both Dunlop-shod Aston Martin Vantages took turns at the front, between them leading 210 of 340 laps. Perhaps the closest fought class, the top six exchanged the lead 51 times in total. A last lap overtaking manoeuvre by car 97’s Jonny Adam out of the final corner was enough and he crossed the line for the win.
Aston Martin Racing was also a race leader in the LM GTE Am class, with four of the seven Dunlop runners in podium contention through the race, including the number 98 Aston Martin and the Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche.