It took six hours into the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first major crash of the race to occur and unfortunately it involved the No. 64 Corvette C7.R.
Marcel Fassler was running in the top 10 of the GTE-Pro class and attempting to pass the No. 88 Porsche. The C7.R was unable to clear the GTE-Am car in time with the two cars having contact. Both cars went off track with the No. 64 C7.R taking a hard frontal crash in the wall at the Porsche Curves. With debris everywhere, Marcel attempted to restart the car to see if he could get it back to the garage but the car was done.
Oh, that's a big one! The @CorvetteRacing #64 hits the wall after a contact with the @GoDempseyRacing #88! SC is out.#WEC #LEMANS24 #SuperFinale pic.twitter.com/H9WqsQa3z3
— WEC ?? (@FIAWEC) June 15, 2019
And here you can see Marcel’s view from the in-car camera:
Crash del @CorvetteRacing N° 64#LeMans24 ?? pic.twitter.com/412bihYC4H
— Antonio Llinares (@Astoraka) June 15, 2019
Corvette Racing issued this statement following the crash:
We're grateful Marcel is OK. He walked into the track med ctr on his own. The safety systems in the Corvette did their job. He's been evaluated by FIA med personnel and has been sent for a precautionary scan per protocol. It was an unfortunate accident but focus turns to the 63.
— Corvette Racing (@CorvetteRacing) June 15, 2019
The good news is that Marcel is okay although he was very frustrated as we heard him drop an F-bomb when the tv coverage tuned into the team’s radio communications. The No. 88 Porsche was able to make it back to the pits.
All hopes now for a win at Corvette Racing’s 20th consecutive campaign at the 24 Hours of Le Mans falls to the No. 63 Corvette C7.R. That car has shown to be very fast and actually was the class leader for the first hours of the race. It’s currently P3 as we post this update.
Stay tuned as we’ll have any new developments as they happen.
Update
Caught the news that race stewards found Marcel Fassler at fault for the crash. According to social media, Fassler has been fined €7000 and had his license endorsed to the tune of seven penalty points.
Related:
New BoP on Eve of Le Mans Gives Weight Breaks to All in Class but the Corvette C7.Rs
Corvette Racing at Le Mans: On to the Race!
Corvette Racing at Le Mans: In Their Own Words
Corvette Racing at Le Mans: By The Numbers
Corvette Racing at Le Mans: 20th Start in Hopes of Ninth Victory
[VIDEO] Watch the Corvette Racing Pit Crew Perform a Rear Brake Change in Less Than 29 Seconds
[VIDEO] 20 Years of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Corvette Racing
Corvette Racing at Le Mans: Leaving Test Day Satisfied
Corvette C7.Rs Receive a BoP Weight Reduction for this Weekend’s Le Mans Test
Corvette Racing at Le Mans: Dress Rehearsal for 20th Appearance
-
Is the Porsche # 88 practicing to run a NASCAR race?
Looks like the Porsche driver took out the best car on purpose to me, that’s one way to guarantee the best car doesn’t win.
bummer
Wasn’t a Porsche involved at the 2017 Long Beach GP on the last lap? Thankfully No.3 made it through.
Comments are closed.