At the qualifying session for this weekend's Le Mans 24 hour race, Porsche claimed pole position in both the LMP2 class for sports prototypes as well as in the production-based GT2 category.
Competing for Denmark's Essex racing as a regular driver, Casper Elgaard (Denmark) qualified the RS Spyder on pole in the LMP2 class in 3:37.720 minutes.
The second RS Spyder, fielded by the Japanese NAVI team Goh and manned by Seiji Ara (Japan), followed in second, a mere 0.082 seconds slower than the pole-sitter. With these brilliant times, the two vehicles left the rest of the LMP2 field a good four seconds behind them on the 13.629km circuit.
At the top of the GT2 category, the situation was equally as tight. Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany, Flying Lizard team) and Marc Lieb (Germany, Felbermayr-Proton) were separated by just 0.03 seconds in their two Porsche 911 GT3 RSR at the head of the field.
The 77th running of the long distance classic takes off on Saturday, 13 June, at 15.00 hours local time.
Porsche is well represented in the race. Aside from the two sports prototypes, which last year celebrated a double victory, international customer teams field a total of five 911.
The 2009 Essex squad, which last year came second in the LMP2 class, consists of pole-sitter Elgaard as well as his compatriot Kristian Poulsen and Porsche works driver Emmanuel Collard (France). "Although we couldn't work on the race set-up because of the rain during yesterday's free practice, the RS Spyder felt very good right from the start in the dry today. The balance was just right. We've made great improvements with the Michelin tyres compared to last year. They are perfect for the car."
Essex team's RS Spyder surprised fans in Le Mans with a completely new look. The green paintwork symbolises that the car is the official "Michelin Green X Challenge" ambassador. Last year, the RS Spyder won Michelin's efficiency award at the 24 hour race and in the Le Mans Series as the vehicle with the best overall efficiency in the field, which was calculated from a combination of high average speed and low fuel consumption. The Danes received the right to compete at Le Mans through their result in the efficiency classification from last year.
Seiji Ara of Japan's NAVI Team GOH, overall winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2004 with Goh, was slightly unhappy after narrowly missing out on pole position. "The front position was within reach," said Ara, who last drove in Le Mans in 2005, "but then I got caught in traffic on the fast passage. Never mind! We have an excellent car. Most of all, I'm very impressed with the braking stability of the RS Spyder. It's huge fun to brake for the narrow corners from over 300 kph."
Joining forces with Ara is his 20-year-old countryman Keisuke Kunimoto, who won the famous Formula 3 street race through Macao last year, and the German Porsche factory driver Sascha Maassen. "From the first moment on I was involved in the development of the RS Spyder," said the 39-year-old German. "For that reason my dream and my goal is to win the fastest and most fascinating long distance race in the world."