Motor Show And Le Mans Success For TVR - The Fastest TVR Lap of The Race | Part Two

As the race progressed and night fell, it was evident that despite the odd gremlin, the cars were running strongly while there were growing numbers of retirements by other competitors as the race took its toll. Drivers did long double stints through the night and at twelve hours, the cars were running strongly in mid fi eld. As the sun came up at Le Mans, Nigel Greensall in the Number 96 car did the fastest TVR lap of the race which showed how hard both cars were still racing. Lap after lap passed, the cars stopping for fuel every hour and a half with small bits of preventative maintenance being undertaken to make sure that the cars remained perfect.

As noon passed, hopes were high but such was the team's superstition that no-one dared give voice to the hope that both cars might take the checkered flag as so many cars had been lost over the last few hours.

As 4 o'clock neared, the grandstand opposite the TVR pit filled with Union, St George's and TVR flags and as the cars crossed the line in formation, in 8th and 9th in class, both pit wall and crowd cheered themselves hoarse. Over the 24 hours the TVRs had averaged, including stops, approximately 100 mph and so had travelled about 2400 miles and over the week, in excess of 120 Dunlop race tyres had been consumed.

"It was a superb result for the drivers, the team and for everyone at TVR and a testament to the engineering integrity and performance of the cars", said Samuelson. "To come straight from the real high of such a successful motor show to put our mark in the history books of the greatest motor race in the world hasn't sunk in yet. It just goes to show that hard work and inspired engineering can compete against megabucks budgets and is a great foundation on which to build in the future!"