The No.64 Compuware Corvette C6.R started from 3rd on the grid in the GT1 class (22nd on the grid overall), behind both works Aston Martin DBR9s.  Oliver took the first driving stint - it was planned to do two stints per driver, just under two hours each then for the 24 hours.

Oliver got the jump on the 007 Aston at the start and was up into second place in class.  As things settled down it was clear that the main contenders in the class were lapping around the same time - it was going to be a very close battle!!

The first major event happened just 17 minutes into the race when the 69 BMS Scuderia Aston Martin had a major accident in the Porsche Curves and the safety car was called out.  The circuit run a two safety car system at Le Mans as the circuit is so long.  This was the catalyst for a few strategic decisions and many of the teams decided to take the opportunity to top up with fuel and lose little time in doing so.

The No.64 Corvette and the two Astons came in together for fuel but it was the Corvette that got out first - into the class lead.  There was also some suspicious looking fluid on the floor of the 007 Aston's pit - oil and the car was immediately forced back in to have its sump changed, dropping down the order as a result.  The No.63 Corvette crew also did a fantastic job fuelling Johnny O'Connell and the car was lying second in class.  However, there was still some oil hanging around in the Porsche Curves and Johnny was unlucky to find it, spinning and clipping the barriers.  The resultant stop also dropped them down the order.

So, it was 64 Corvette fighting with 009 Aston Martin, a battle destined to last a very long time.  At the end of the 2nd hour the gap was just 12 seconds and the two cars were up to 14th and 15th overall.  The 007 car had dropped down to 46th out of 50 (something to note when you see were they finished!).  The gap was generally maintained for the next four hours with the 64 Corvette proving just a little faster.  However, the next stage of the drama was about to unfold.

Going into the Dunlop chicane Oliver had a prototype car on the inside of him but hadn't realised he was there.  As he turned in the two came together pitching Olly across the huge gravel trap.  He came straight back on track but the resulting puncture forced a slow lap back to the pits and the loss of time handed the class lead back to 009.  The lead was nearly half a lap and this was to grow during the night.

As daylight broke the 64 Corvette was battling hard to remain on the same lap as the Aston, to keep them in sight and not allow the psychological advantage of lapping the yellow car.  As the temperatures rose again all three Corvette drivers put in an extra effort and slowly the Corvette started closing the gap again to the Aston.  The famous Corvette pressure was being applied again but would it be enough .............

Incredibly, as Sunday morning broke, the 009 Aston and 64 Corvette were up to 4th and 5th overall.  This race was proving to be as tough as any in the past and the rate of attrition amongst the prototype cars was having its effect.  Behind the two leading GT1 cars the battle for the other places was also proving exciting.  The 62 Russian Age Aston and the 72 Luc Alphand Corvette C5-R had been battling for third spot for some time after the 63 Corvette had suffered more dramas including a slipping clutch.  The recovering 007 Aston were going 'full out' for a podium place and were fighting through the field.

Lunch time came and went and the amazing efforts of the 007 Aston were starting to pay dividends - up to third in class albeit 6 laps down on the leading 009 and 64 cars.  3 hours to go - would the positions remain the same or was there more drama yet to come?  We didn't have to wait long.  10 minutes into the 22nd hour and the 009 car pulls into the pits with a clutch problem handing the lead back to Jan Magnussen who immediately goes into 'get her home' mode!

It was a nerve racking last 150 minutes as Jan and then Oliver nursed the 64 car to the finish and maintained their 5 lap lead over the 007 Aston Martin.  The also finished 4th overall, only the two R10 Audi TDi Diesels and the one Pescarolo completed more laps than they did!!  And what about that 007 Aston?  Finishing 2nd in class must be a disappointment but the way they battled back from 46th overall to finish 6th overall is nothing short of remarkable!

Oliver said after last year's race that 'the harder the race the sweeter the victory', well this one tasted of honey!!! 

Provisional Race Results:
1. Biela/Pirro/Werner Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R10 380 laps LMP1
2. Montagny/Helary/Loeb Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Judd 376 laps LMP1
3. Capello/Kristensen/McNish Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R10 367 laps LMP1
4. Gavin/Beretta/Magnussen Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R 355 laps GT1
5. Collard/Minassian/Comas Pescarolo Sport Pescarolo Judd 352 laps LMP1
6. Enge/Turner/Piccini Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin DBR9 350 laps GT1
7. Policand/Goueslard/Alphand Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette C5-R 346 laps GT1
8. Newton/Erdos/Wallace RML MG Lola EX264 AER 343 laps LMP2
9. Piquet Jr/Garcia/Brabham Russian Age Racing Aston Martin DBR9 343 laps GT1
10. Sarrazin/Lamy/Ortelli Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin DBR9 342 laps GT1
11. Mowlem/Borcheller/Fittipaldi ACEMCO Motorsports Saleen S7R 337 laps GT1
12. Fellows/O'Connell/Papis Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R 327 laps GT1
13. Terada/Timpany/Binnie Binnie Motorsports Lola B05/40 Zytek 326 laps LMP2
14. Macaluso/Lally/James Miracle Motorsports Courage C65 AER 324 laps LMP2
15. Tomlinson/Dean/Kimber-Smith Team LNT Panoz Esperante GT-LM 321 laps GT2
16. Nielsen/Farnbacher/Ehret Seikel Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 320 laps GT2
17. Niarchos/Kirkaldy/Mullen Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari F430 GTC 311 laps GT2
18. van Overbeek/Neiman/Long Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 309 laps GT2
19. Field/Halliday/Dayton Intersport Racing Lola B05/40 AER 297 laps LMP2
20. Short/Barbosa/Moseley Rollcentre Racing Radical SR9 Judd 294 laps LMP2
21. Barazi/Vergers/Cunningham Barazi Epsilon Courage C65 AER 294 laps LMP2
22. Collin/Nishizawa/Yamaji Team Taisan Advan Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 291 laps GT2
23. Apicella/Hinoi/Yamanishi JLOC Isao Noritake Lamborghini Murcielago 283 laps-MechanicalGT1
24. Lambert/Lefort/Iannetta Ice Pol Racing Team Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 282 laps GT2
25. Nielsen/Elgaard/Andersen Zytek Engineering Zytek 06S 269 laps LMP1
26. Berridge/Evans/Owen Chamberlain-Synergy Lola B06/10 AER 267 laps LMP1
27. Pompidou/Thyrring/Ried Sebah Automotive Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 256 laps-Transmission GT2
28. Macallister/Rostan/Pullan Pierre Bruneau Pilbeam MP93 Judd 244 laps-Running/NCFLMP2
29. Ortiz/Gabbiani/Campbell-Walter Creation Autosportif Creation CA06/H Judd 240 laps-EngineLMP1
30. Narac/Dumas/Riccitelli IMSA Performance MATMUT Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 211 laps-EngineGT2
31. Bleekemolen/Hezemans/Kane Spyker Squadron BV Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R 202 laps-EngineGT2
32. Gardel/Bornhauser/Blanchemain Larbre Competition Ferrari 550 Maranello 199 laps-ClutchGT1
33. Pergl/Kox/Vasiliev Convers MenX Team Ferrari 550 Maranello 196 laps-AccidentGT1
34. Yamagishi/Konopka/de Fournoux T2M Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 196 laps-FuelGT2
35. Amaral/de Castro/Hughes Chamberlain-Synergy Lola B05/40 AER 193 laps-TransmissionLMP2
36. Kiesa/Moller/Pickering Lister Storm Racing Lister Storm 192 laps-AccidentLMP1
37. Lammers/Yoong/Johansson Racing for Holland Dome S101H Judd 182 laps-AccidentLMP1
38. Hancock/Fisken/Frei Courage Competition Courage LC70 Mugen 171 laps-EngineLMP1
39. Bergmeister/Jonsson/Krohn Krohn White Lightning Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 148 laps-AccidentGT2
40. Roussel/Hauchard/Briche Welter Gerard WR Peugeot 134 laps-FireLMP2
41. Primat/Fassler/Peter Swiss Spirit Courage LC70 Judd 132 laps-GearboxLMP1
42. Sugden/Vann/Smith Russian Age Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello 124 laps-EngineGT1
43. Bourdais/Cloet/Sharpe Noel del Bello Porsche 911 GT3-RSR 115 laps-AccidentGT2
44. Gosselin/Ojjeh/Ragues Paul Belmondo Racing Courage C65 Mecachrome 84 laps-Gearbox LMP2
45. Hahn/Morris/Leroch G-Force Racing Courage C65 Judd 47 laps-GearboxLMP2
46. Andre/Clairay/Bouvet Paul Belmondo Racing Courage C65 Mecachrome42 laps-AccidentLMP2
47. Crevels/Dumbreck/Coronel Spyker Squadron BV Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R 40 laps-EngineGT2
48. Nakano/Kurosawa/Gounon Courage Competition Courage LC70 Mugen 35 laps-Power SteeringLMP1
49. Maxwell/Jeannette/Milner Multimatic Team Panoz Panoz Esperante GT-LM 34 laps-FuelGT2
50. Babini/Gollin/Pescatori AMR BMS Scuderia Italia Aston Martin DBR9 3 laps Accident GT1