Fast and consistent, Raymond Narac, Richard Lietz and Patrick Long have been taking their turn behind the wheel of the nr 76 Porsche, avoiding the numerous pitfalls which Spa has provided for the competitors in the eaqrly morning. "I had a difficult stint," Richard Lietz said.

"I was on rain tyres in the dry conditions, and then on dry tyres in the wet ! I took care of the rain tyres so that I wouldn't have to change them too quickly. And then I took care because it was really tricky." After the safety car period which followed the nr 51 AF Corse Motorola's crash, Team IMSA Performance-Matmut inherited second place.

With intermediate tyres, Narac took over the car when the track went green. "I went out in the drizzle," the French driver said. "It was slippery, but I was enjoying it. Then the rain got heavier. I came in for intermediates. We should have gone for full wets, as the weather was awful. Even in the straights, it was difficult to control the car !" Just before ten am, the team handed back over to Patrick Long.

After an eventful evening, Scuderia Ecosse reported a quiet night at Spa, making steady progress through the field with the nr 63 car. All three drivers, Chris Niarchos, Andrew Kirkaldy and Tim Sugden have all completed long runs during the night, and they are running strongly, in fourth in GT2.

"The car is feeling really good," Chris Niarchos said. "I had a great time out there. I had no dramas apart from a quick trip across the gravel to avoid that Porsche. I’m happy to report all is well and the car is in one piece!"

Too many troubles for Ebimotors Porsche

Marcello Zani, Xavier Pompidou, Andrea Ceccato and Emanuele Busnelli have had a quite difficult race so far. Contact with another car and mechanical problems mean the nr 74 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR lost a lot of time, but the team was still hopeful for a result. "We make some mistakes" analysed Busnelli. "In my first stint I hit another car and we had to repair the damage. Then Marcello Zani went in the gravel, then we had suspension problem. So we have bad luck, and we lost too much time. We are still alive, that is important. We are pushing, in order to close up with the Tech9 Porsche. It is not easy, but we will try as much as we could."

At 9:55am the team pushed a little too hard, as Pompidou put the car into the barriers at Raidillon.

G3 lead changes hands as rain continues in eighteenth hour

After many hours with no changes in class lead, the eighteenth hour saw a change in the G2 lead. The nr 103 Gravity Racing Mosler MT900 was pushed into the garage because of problems with the alternator, allowing the nr 105 G&A Racing Mosler MT900R to take the lead. After more than 45 minutes the nr 103 returned to the track, eight laps away from the lead but in turn with an eight lap advantage over the nr 106 Champion Racing Porsche 996 GT3 Cup.

At the head of the field Pedro Lamy was consistently the fastest driver on the circuit in the nr 1 Vitaphone Racing Maserati MC12 as he chased down the nr 5 Carsport Holland Corvette C6R which has led the race for much of the past twelve hours.

The car in third, the nr 4 PK Carsport Corvette, was two laps behind and being caught by the nr 2 Vitaphone Maserati; the nr 11 Scuderia Playteam Sarafree Maserati remains in fifth.

The battle for G3 remains close, with less than two minutes separating the class leader, the nr 174 Sport Garage Ferrari 430 GT3, from the nr 124 Muehlner Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. The nr 160 Prospeed Competition Porsche was a distant third, sixteen laps behind the class leader.

Rain fell throughout the hour, making full wets the only choice of tyres. The spray and slippery conditions are making it difficult for the leaders to make safe, fast progress through traffic, so lap times are varying significantly. Numerous cars had minor spins, without any contact.

SRT Corvette fast in the rain

After a difficult first part of the race, the SRT Corvette is now maintaining a good pace, and in the wet conditions the nr 18 Corvette C5-R is one of the fastest cars on track. Belgian driver Marc Duez, knows the 24 Hours of Spa very well, and more than anybody else, Duez is very cautious but still hoping for a result: "It is another race for us, we hope that the problem are behind us. We were 7th, but the night was hard for us. We touched another car, so we had to change transmission; we also had to work on the transmission, then we had a problem with a wheel. So we lost a lot of time. Now we are fast, in the rain. Nobody knows how the weather is going to evolve, Jesus Christ himself do not know what will be the weather in the next few hours! The teams in front of us are very professional. 6 hours to go is a long time. We hope to be back in 9th position, and if we finish higherthen it will be because others had problems."

Too many troubles for Ebimotors Porsche

Marcello Zani, Xavier Pompidou, Andrea Ceccato and Emanuele Busnelli have had a quite difficult race so far. Contact with another car and mechanical problems mean the nr 74 Porsche 997 GT3 RSR lost a lot of time, but the team was still hopeful for a result. "We make some mistakes" analysed Busnelli. "In my first stint I hit another car and we had to repair the damage. Then Marcello Zani went in the gravel, then we had suspension problem. So we have bad luck, and we lost too much time. We are still alive, that is important. We are pushing, in order to close up with the Tech9 Porsche. It is not easy, but we will try as much as we could."

At 9:55am the team pushed a little too hard, as Pompidou put the car into the barriers at Raidillon.

Just as the clock ticked over at 8:00am, another front runner crashed out of the Total 24 Hours of Spa. The nr 51 AF Corse Motorola Ferrari 430 GT2 had spent many hours running second in GT2, chasing the leading nr 97 BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche 997 GT3 RSR. Rui Aguas lost control of the Ferrari on the exit of Eau Rouge and slammed into the barriers at Raidillon, triggering yet another safety car intervention; the driver was taken to the nearby medical centre. The safety car pulled off after fifteen minutes.

The incident lifted the nr 76 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche into second in GT2 - and also gave the nr 97 BMS Scuderia Italia car a handy five-lap cushion. The nr 99 Tech9 Motorsport Porsche is third, a further three laps back.

At the front Pedro Lamy put in a strong session in the nr 1 Vitaphone Racing Maserati MC12 in pursuit of the race lead, lapping six and seven seconds a lap faster than the nr 5 Carsport Holland Corvette C6R. By 8:55am Lamy had the gap down to just a minute, but then came in for fuel and wet tyres.

The conditions remained difficult throughout the hour, with intermittent showers keeping the track slippery enough for intermediate tyres. With ten minutes of the seventeenth hour remaining, the rain came down harder, adding five to ten seconds to lap times; conditions were bad enough for the cars to start throwing up spray, and the two GT2 leaders opted to pit for full wet tyres.

No other significant changes took place through the field, as discretion became the order of the day in the tricky conditions.

It might be morning, but conditions remain dull and grey. Rain continued intermittently during the sixteenth hour of the race, during which the nr 4 confirmed its third place. After light drizzle, it began to rain heavily in the paddock area towards the end of the hour. After 16 hours of racing, with eight hours to go, the nr 5 remained in the lead, on the same lap as the nr 1 Vitaphone Maserati, with the nr 4 Corvette C5R a lap adrift. The nr 2 Vitaphone Maserati was fourth, with the nr 11 Sarafree Maserati fifth and the nr 3 Corvette sixth. This is turning into a real battle between the Maserati and Corvettes, with three of each in the top six.

BMS continues to lead in GT2, with Mühlner Motorsport in 17th position overall as G3 leader. The nr 103 Gravity Mosler leads G2.

The hour started under the safety car, which pulled off on lap 363.

Fässler has been going strong in the lead, while the nr 1 Vitaphone Maserati, driven by Eric van de Poele, has been trying to catch up.

The ongoing battle for third place between the nr 4 Peka Racing Corvette C5R and the nr 2 Vitaphone Maserati took a new turn when the nr 2 was awarded a drive-through penalty for overtaking under yellow flags, strengthening the Corvette’s position in third.

Once again, the hour ended with the safety car coming out, this time for the nr 51 AF Corse Motorola Ferrari 430 GT2, which crashed at the top of the Raidillon. The driver was taken to the medical centre for a check-up, but appears to be OK. The car, however, is out of the race.

It looks as if both AF Corse Motorola cars are now out of the race, the nr 51 car, which started from pole, having crashed at the top of the Raidillon just at the end of the 18th hour. The conditions were tricky, with rain falling intermittently, making tyre choices difficult. Rui Aguas was at the wheel of the nr 51, and is apparantly OK, although he will be taken to the medical centre for checks. The safety car was brought out - its fourth appearance this race.

The nr 23 BMS Scuderia Italia Aston Martin DBR9 has not been particularly lucky this week, crashing heavily in free practice, and missing night qualifying to rebuild. Although it qualified honourably considering its lack of track time, the race has not gone to schedule, and came to a definitive end at the end of the 15th hour, when it hit the wall heavily after Blanchimont, coming into the new chicane. The car was very badly damaged; Alessi, who was at the wheel, was taken to the medical centre for checks but is OK.

After 15 hours of racing, the nr 5 Corvette still leads, Fässler at the wheel, ahead of the nr 1 Vitaphone Maserati MC 12 and the nr 2 sister car. GT2 continues to be led by the nr 97 BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche, with Mühlner Motorsport retaining the lead in G3, pulling out a margin over the nr 174 Sport Garage Ferrari. G2 is still in the hands of the Moslers, the nr 103 ahead of the nr 105.

A brief change of lead came with the change of weather, and Biagi took the lead as the nr 5 Corvette pitted for rain tyres and changed to Marcel Fässler, 41 seconds behind Biagi. Biagi pitted seven minutes into the hour, handing over to Bartels, and the nr 5 retook the lead, with a margin of just under two minutes.

The rain closed up the leaders, with the cars placed between 2nd and 4th only one lap behind the leading nr 5 Carsport Corvette. Mollekens, in the nr 4 PK Carsport, was lapping consistently faster than Ramos in the nr 2 Maserati, closing the gap by about ten seconds per lap.

There was a long stop for the Racing Team Edil Cris car, which needed to replace the windscreen wiper motor, dropping down to 6th in GT2.

Half-way through the 15th hour, the track had dried and cars where beginning to go back to slicks or intermediates, with both leaders pitting at 06:30 to change their tyres and refuel.

On lap 353, Ramos in the nr 2 Maserati was 51 seconds behind the nr 1 Maserati, with Mollekens a further 18 seconds behind. Shortly afterwards, Mollekens took third place, and then pitted to hand over to Bouvy, going back down to fourth.

In GT2, the nr 97 BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche continues to lead, followed by the nr 51 AF Corse Ferrari two laps behind. A further two laps adrift was the nr 76 IMSA Porsche, with the nr 99 Tech9 Motorsport Porsche moving up to fourth ahead of the nr 74 Ebimotors.

Ten minutes before the end of the hour, the safety car was called out after the nr 23 hit the wall at Blanchimont, Alessi at the wheel. The driver was taken to the medical centre but is OK; the car was badly damaged and will not continue. The safety car remained on the track for the rest of the hour.

Skies lightened over Spa during the fourteenth hour, but the rain came with the dawn, and cars were pitting for rain tyres at the end of the hour. The nr 5 Carsport Holland Corvette C6-R continued to lead, with Hezemans handing over the car to Deletraz. He was followed, a lap back, by the 2003 Champions, Thomas Biagi and Matteo Bobbi, respectively at the wheel of the nr 1 and nr 2 Vitaphone Maserati MC 12 cars, and setting the best times on the track, with laps around 2:18 before the rain started. Fourth position was maintained by the nr 4 PK Corvette, Mollekens at the wheel.

After suffering wiring problems affecting the rear lights, the nr 11 Playteam Sarafree Maserati was running steadily in fifth position, Pier Guidi in charge, handing over to Piccini shortly before 6 am. However, its nr 12 sister car spent much of the hour in the pits, reportedly with a suspension problem.

The nr 18 SRT Corvette, which had pitted in the previous hour, had a broken drive shaft, but rejoined the race after repairs, and is now running in 12th position.

The nr 3 Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C6-R came into the pits shortly before the end of the hour, and the front bonnet was removed. However, the car had a seven-lap lead over the nr 16 JMB Maserati in 7th position, so had plenty of margin to solve for any problems.

In GT2, the nr 97 BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche continues to lead, Malucelli at the wheel, in 8th position overall. Bruni is second in the nr 51 AF Corse Motorola Ferrari, with Lietz in the IMSA Porsche in third. The nr 95 JWA Porsche pitted with a gearbox problem.

There was a change in the lead of the G3 class, with the nr 124 Mühlner Motorsport Porsche, in the hands of Ian Khan, moving ahead of the nr 174 Sport Garage Ferrari, which had led for much of the race. However, the two cars are on the same lap. The car in 3rd place, the nr 175 Sport Garage Ferrari 430 GT3, developed problems at the front right, so pitted to change the front bumper.

The G2 class is still being led by the nr 103 Gravity Mosler, ahead of the nr 105 Mosler.

The rain started to fall, growing slightly heavier five minutes before the end of the hour, and lap times grew slower as a number of cars came in for rain tyres.

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