2017 Le Mans 24 Hours - LMGTE Am

Aston Martin leading the LMGTE class on Saturday evening in the Esses.

Similar to their Pro brothers, the LMGTE Am class featured Ferrari, Chevrolet, Porsche and Aston Martin cars.  They have slightly less power and aerodynamic aids and have restrictions on who can drive them.  It turned out to be not such a close battle as the LMGTE Pro class and the JMW car won quite comfortably.  However, Chevrolet and Aston Martin had been faster in practice and both led early on.  All the cars in this class at the 2017 Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance are featured below:

1^st in class, 26^th overall – JMW Motorsport - Ferrari 488 GTE – Robert Smith, Will Stevens, Dries Vanthoor.  No.84.  333 laps.

The class winning late on Saturday evening on the way down to Tertre Rouge.  This car included ex-F1 driver Will Stevens in its line-up.

Class winning Ferrari exiting the Esses on Saturday afternoon.

JMW Ferrari entering the Dunlop Chicane early on Saturday evening whilst in third place in class.

The Ferrari leading just before day break.

2^nd in class, 28^th overall – Spirit of Race – Ferrari 488 GTE – Duncan Cameron, Aaron Scott, Marco Cioci. No.55. 331 laps.

The Spirit of Race Ferrari being gobbled up by an LMP2 car whilst racing downhill to Tertre Rouge.

The Spirit of Race Ferrari exiting the Esses on Saturday afternoon.

3^rd in class, 29^th overall – Scuderia Corse – Ferrari 488 GTE – Cooper MacNeil, William Sweedler, Townsend Bell. No.62. 331 laps.

The Scuderia Corse Ferrari seen exiting the Esses followed by some LMP2 cars with the Dunlop Bridge in the background.  A classic Le Mans shot that we can now take from the new bar.

At around 10.30pm the Weathertech Ferrari is overtaken by an LMP2 car whilst racing down to Tertre Rouge.

The Weathertech Ferrari in the Esses on Saturday afternoon whilst leading the class.

4^th in class, 30^th overall – Beechdean AMR – Aston Martin Vantage – Andrew Howard, Ross Gunn, Oliver Bryant. No.99. 331 laps.

The Beachdean Aston Martin exiting the Esses on Saturday afternoon.

Beachdean Aston Martin during the Saturday morning warm up  exiting the Esses.

Beachdean Aston Martin seen leading the LMGTE Am class winner on late Saturday evening in the Esses. A Toyota LMP1 car is waiting to pounce on both.

5^th in class, 31^st overall – Clearwater Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE – Weng Sun Mok, Keita Sawa, Matt Griffin. No.61. 330 laps.

The Clearwater exiting the Porsche Curves onto the straight at Maison Blanche. 

Despite smoking badly on Saturday evening this Clearwater Ferrari finished fifth in class.

The Clearwater Ferrari about to be pounced upon by n LMP2 car whilst exiting the Esses.

6^th in class, 34^th overall- Dempsey – Proton Racing – Porsche 911 RSR 991 – Christian Ried, Matteo Cairou, Marvin Dienst. No.77. 329 laps.

Proton Racing Porsche exiting the Esses during the Saturday morning warm up.

Proton Porsche in the Tertre Rouge corner on Saturday afternoon just after the start. 

7^th in class, 35^th overall – TF Sport – Aston Martin Vantage – Salih Yoluc, Euan Hankey, Rob Bell. No.90. 329 laps.

The TF Sport Aston Martin on the Maison Blanche straight on late Saturday afternoon.

TF Aston Martin leading some LMGTE Pro cars and an LMP2 car through the Esses on Saturday evening.

8^th in class, 36^th overall – Aston Martin Racing – Aston Martin Vantage – Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, Matthias Lauda. No. 98. 329 laps.

No.98 Aston Martin being chased through the Esses by an LMP2 car.

The No.98 Aston Martin on Saturday afternoon at Tertre Rouge.

The Aston Martin rounds Tertre Rouge at around 5.30am on Sunday morning.

9^th in class, 37^th overall – Proton Competition – Porsche 911 RSR 991 – Patrick Long, Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Michael Hedlund. No.93. 329 laps.

Proton Porsche in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

Proto Porsche leading a Ferrari at the Esses on Saturday evening.

10^th in class, 38^th overall – Gulf Racing UK – Porsche 911 RSR (2016) – Michael Wainwright, Benjamin Barker, Nicholas Foster. No.86. 328 laps.

The Gulf Porsche heading down to Tertre Rouge at around 10.30pm on Saturday evening.

The Gulf Racing Porsche in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

Gulf Porsche leads Aston Martin through the Esses on Saturday evening.

11^th in class, 40^th overall – Clearwater Racing - Ferrari 488 GTE – Richard Wee, Hiroki Katoh, Alvaro Parente. No.60. 327 laps.

Clearwater Ferrari exiting the Esses during the Saturday morning warm-up.

Clearwater Ferrari leading an Aston Martin and a LMP2 car through the Esses on late Saturday evening.

Clearwater Ferrari exiting the Esses on Saturday afternoon.

12^th in class, 41^st overall – Spirit of Race – Ferrari 488 GTE – Thomas Flohr, Francesco Castelacci, Oliver Beretta. No.54. 326 laps.

The Spirit of Race Ferrari in Tertre Rouge on Saturday afternoon.

The Ferrari at the same corner very early on Sunday morning as the sun begins to rise.

13^th in class, 42^nd overall – DH Racing – Ferrari 488 GTE – Tracy Krohn, Niclas Jonsson, Andrea Bertolini. No.83. 320 laps.

The DH Ferrari heading out of the Esses down towards Tertre Rouge late in the evening.  Shot taken from the bar around 11pm whilst enjoying a beer!  

Shot taken a little further down the track in Tertre Rouge at around 5.30am on Sunday morning.  Not much sleep at Le Mans!

DH Ferrari entering tertre Rouge in the bright sunlight of Saturday afternoon.

14^th in class, 44^th overall – Scuderia Corse – Ferrari 488 GTE – Christina Nielsen, Alessandro Balzan, Bret Curtis. No.65. 314 laps.

Ferrari on the straight at Maison Blanche.

Ferrari leads Porsche and Ferrari in the LMGTE Am class battle during Saturday evening at the Esses.

Later in the evening the Ferrari leads a bigger group of Ford, Porsche and Aston Martin GT cars.

15^th in class, 48^th overall – Larbre Competition – Chevrolet Corvette C7R – Fernando Rees, Romain Brandela, Christian Philippon. No.50. 309 laps.

The Larbre Chevrolet exiting the Esses early in the race.  It had qualified fastest in class.

Chevrolet Corvette leading LMP2 cars through the Esses late Saturday evening.

DNF – Proton Competition – Porsche 911 RSR 991 – Klaus Bachler, Stéphane Lemeret, Khaled Al Qubaisi. No.88. 18 laps.

We didn't see this car for very long so I was pleased to capture it at Tertre Rouge not long after the start.

For pictures of all the fast LMP1 cars at the 2017 Le Mans click here.

For photos of all the cars in the the LMGTE Pro class click here.

For the GT Daytona cars in the 2017 Sebring 12 hours, click here.

Action from the LMP2 class at Le Mans 2017 if you click here.

I am out taking photos early on Sunday morniung as other fans still remain sleeping beside the track.   The Tertre Rouge grandstand is in the background.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Heat haze on the start finish straight.  This is the rear of an Aston Martin.

All photos taken from the general spectator areas using equipment costing less than €3,000 - A Canon EOS 7DMkII with a Canon EF70-300mm 4-5.6 IS USM lens, except for a few shots taken with a Panasonic compact camera.