Sarrazin undefeated as Peugeot celebrate.(Le Mans)

road-d.com
Thursday, 12th June 2008

Frenchman paces Thursday qualifying for Le Mans 24 Hours but his Wednesday lap is the one that secures a second successive La Sarthe pole for Peugeot.

Stephane Sarrazin once again emerged as the man to beat on the second day of qualifying for the Le Mans 24 Hours, but it proved to be his stunning lap-time from the opening session on Wednesday that was good enough to secure pole position for the 76th edition of the famous endurance event.

Sarrazin posted a time of 3m 20.566s during the first session of the day to secure the fastest Thursday lap, but it the time he set early on Wednesday that remained untouchable and ensured the 908 HDi took pole for the second year in a row on home soil.

The sister #7 car was second quickest on the day, but remained third overall after also failing to improve its lap-time with the #9 car splitting them on the grid – despite its accident in Thursday's opening session after Ricardo Zonta went off exiting the Porsche curves after contact from another car.

Audi was at least able to get amongst the Peugeot's on the day, with Allan McNish producing the best time for the #2 R10 TDi during Thursday's opening session. Third fastest on the day, the lap secured fourth place for the first of the Audi's overall, just ahead of the car of ‘young guns' Alex Premat, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller, which was amongst the cars not to improve its quickest time on the second day of qualifying.

Arguably one of the biggest stories of the second day of qualifying came with the car that will line up sixth on the grid however, after the Charouz Racing Systems Lola Aston Martin showed that a petrol-powered LMP1 car is capable of taking the challenge to the diesel machines.

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