This took place between 20:30 and 21:30, at the start of which the skies were still light but overcast.  The session started slowly, but after around 20 minutes the times started coming down, with the nr 22 BMS Ferrari and the nr 2 Konrad Saleen the first to go under the 2:18 barrier.  At 20:55, the nr 23 BMS Ferrari set a time of 2:16.777; shortly afterwards, the team’s second car went faster still, with a time of 2:15.718, faster than the 2002 pole.  Shortly after 21:00, the session was red-flagged due to oil on the track, caused by a blown engine in the nr 126 Zakspeed Chrysler Viper GTS-R.  At this point, the fastest time in N-GT was a lap of 2:22.691, set by the nr 89 Team Maranello Concessionaires, with the nr 50 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-RS second and the nr 52 JMB Ferrari 360 Modena third.  The session was stopped for fifteen minutes.   After the session restarted, Andrea Piccini, in the nr 15 Lister Storm,  improved to fourth overall, with a lap of 2:17.283.  The nr 2 Konrad, 5th in the session, stopped at corner 13 with electrical problems.  The nr 4 Force One Festina Chrysler Viper also stopped on the side of the track shortly before the end of the session.

At the end of the session, the nr 22 was fastest with a time of 2:15.718 ahead of the nr 23 BMS Ferrari, with the nr 4 Chrysler Viper third, the nr 15 Lister Storm fourth and the nr 2 Konrad Saleen fifth – four makes in the top four once more, separated by less than 2 seconds.  In N-GT, the top car was the nr 89 TMC Ferrari 360 Modena with a lap of 2:22.691, in 16th overall, ahead of the nr 50 Freisinger Porsche and the nr 52 JMB Racing Ferrari 360 Modena, with the nr 61 EMKA Porsche fourth.

Second Qualifying Session ( night qualifying )

The main aim of the second qualifying session, 90 minutes long, was to allow all drivers to set the three laps in night conditions which are stipulated in the regulations, and there were few improvements in terms of lap times. The nr 14 Lister Storm, and the nr 126 Zakspeed Chrysler Viper were both excused from the need to complete night qualifying, due to Force Majeure.  The session was stopped 2 times.  There was a first red flag 38 minutes into the session, when the nr 72 Seikel Porsche and the nr 15 Lister Storm, Gabriele Lancieri at the wheel, both spun simultaneously, the Lister being stranded briefly in the middle of the track.  A second red flag came at 22:50, after the nr 68 Peter Kutemann Ferrari 360 Modena spun into the gravel after Pouhon.    At the end of the session, the nr 25 Paul Belmondo Chrysler Viper stopped at corner nr 5.

BMS Scuderia Italia and Team Maranello Concessionaires on Provisional Pole

After the first day, Ferrari cars were on provisional pole in both categories, with the nr 22 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello of Fabrizio Gollin, Luca Cappellari, Lilian Bryner and Enzo Calderari setting the fastest time in GT, with a lap of 2:15.718, ahead of the team’s second car, with the nr 4 Force One Festina Chrysler Viper third.  The nr 15 Lister Storm was provisionally fourth, with the nr 2 Konrad Saleen fifth. Gollin set the fastest time.  “I am very happy, as I had no traffic on my fast lap, and didn’t make any mistakes.  The car is very good, and I was lucky !  I hope the third session goes well tomorrow! Anything is possible.”

In N-GT, the nr 89 TMC Ferrari 360 Modena was fastest, with a time of 2:22.691, ahead of the nr 50 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-RS, with the nr 52 JMB Racing Ferrari of Terrien, Pescatori and Bertolini third.  The nr 61 EMKA Racing Porsche was fourth, with the nr 88 TMC car fifth.  Darren Turner set the time in the nr 89 car. “Everything is fine; we’re working well and quite happy with the car,” his team-mate Jamie Davies explained.  “The 24 hours are more of a problem, but it should be OK.  We’ve been working hard and it should pay dividends.”

DRIVER QUOTES

Boris Derichebourg  - nr 9 JMB Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello : “We had a few little problems to solve this morning, as the car is all more or less new.  Our main aim is to set the car up for the race.”

Matteo Bobbi – nr 23 BMS Ferrari 550 Maranello : “It’s going well.  I only did 3 laps in the first session, as we were letting the new drivers get used to the car.  But in the second session, I managed to set a time of 2:19, which placed us fourth.  But the time is not important, we are working for the 24-hour race, and the car is really good. It is completely different without the 100 kg penalty weight we have carried in the last two races.  I love this track – it’s the best in Europe.  But now we’ll have to see what it is like at night.  I’m looking forward to that as it’s something I’ve never done before, so it’s completely new to me.

Christian Pescatori – nr 52 JMB Racing 360 Modena : “This is the first time I have driven this year’s car, and I am very pleased with it.  It’s easy to drive it quickly.  This race is difficult – due to the number of cars on the track, the nature of the track, the weather … you cannot relax, it’s more like 24 hours of qualifying.  But I still have a very good feeling with this car; I have done so many kilometres in it, and I quickly fell back into the rhythm.  It’s a real pleasure, especially with team-mates like David Terrien and Andrea Bertolini. 

Fabrizio De Simone – nr 53 JMB Racing Ferrari 360 Modena : “It’s not going too badly, we made a few small improvements in the second session, although it was not an easy session with the rain and the traffic.  We hope to qualify well, although it is just a little part of the weekend.  I am getting along very well with Luciano and Iradj, and I hope we have a good race.”

Jarek Janis – nr 58 MENX Ferrari 360 Modena : “It’s going quite well, although it was difficult to get a clear lap with so many cars out there. It’s very nice to be here – I’m enjoying being out on the track among so many fast cars.  I like the Ferrari, and I was able to adapt to it quite quickly.  I’m now looking forward to the night qualifying, which should be quite an experience.”