Luc Alphand Aventur Porsche 911 GT3 RS by Scalextric/MTR32

Ex-ski champion Luc Alphand was back for the third time and he shared his Porsche 911 with motorcycle ace Christian Lavieille and Phillippe Almeras, son of the Porsche wizard Jacques Almeras. If at first the Porsches entered this year all seemed alike, it was far from being the case. Gearboxes, tyres etc. made each one different and in addition a distinction had to be made between 2002 and 2003 GTs and the RSRs delivered at the start of the year. They could be identified by their front spoilers and the shape of their headlight housings. This car was a 2001 model updated to 2003 spec with a kit supplied by the factory and fitted with Michelin tires.

Practice in June didn't go as well as planned and Phillippe Almeras best time 4m 14.785secs only gave a poor 42nd place on the grid and only 10th best of the GT class. Lus Alphand's workshop is only a stone's throw away from the circuit and therefor one of the French's favourites and after 8 hours of racing, the team had advancehd four places to 6th place in the GT class. The no. 72 Porsche was now running like a train. Alphand, Lavieille and Almeras were reeling off the laps without problems helped by the presence in their pit of

Jacques Almeras and Dominique Mélain, two endurance veterans. At midnight the Sarthe Pors- che was 5th in its class and first of the GT3-RSs, and this position would last to the end of the race. 16th overall and 316 laps in 24 hours.

Luc Alphand Aventures Porsche 911 GT3 RS no. 72 converted by Milan Tomasek

Hour by hour: Start - 38th 1h - 37th 2h - 30th 3h - 26th 4h - 29th 5h - 26th 6h - 25th 7h - 24th 8h - 21st 9h - 23rd 10h - 22nd 11h - 23rd 12h - 23rd 13h - 20th 14h - 21st 15h - 21st 16h - 22nd 17h - 21st 18h - 19th 19h - 19th 20h - 19th 21h - 17th 22h - 16th 23h - 17th 24h - 16th