The end of the Le Mans 24 Hours is in sight and the track temperature is rising. Just one hour of racing remains, with only a few close battles taking place on track.
The most significant duel during the 23rd hour was for fifth in GTE Am, GR Racing’s Ricardo Pera holding off Jan Heylen in the No. 88 Dempsey Proton Porsche for much of the hour. It eventually became a battle for fourth spot, as the No. 99 Hardpoint Porsche ended up beached in the gravel at Dunlop after a spin for Andrew Harayanto.
The Absolute Racing-run team had managed to keep out of trouble to this point and looked nailed on for a top-five finish, but this costly error dropped Harayanto from fourth to eighth as the hour came to close, the car limping back to the pits as the final hour began. It’s a crying shame for him and his teammates.
— 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 12, 2022
The Hardpoint 911 wasn’t the only entry to hit trouble in the hour either, as the Vector Sport ORECA, which has had a troubled run to this point, stopped on pit lane after a routine stop with a suspension issue. For this team, in its first Le Mans, it’s been a real test, an engine change pre-race and an off for Ryan Cullen early in the race having made this a slog. After further repairs the car is back out on track in 27th overall.
For the rest of the field, it’s all about keeping it clean for the final hour. Will Toyota, JOTA, Porsche and TF Sport get to the flag to seal the class victories with no hiccups?
