Wow! The annual exercise in sleep deprivation has come to an end, with another win for the Audi team. But wait, it's not as predictable as it sounds.

Their main opposition for the overall victory came from the works French Peugeot's, who came back with three cars this year, after struggling with two last year. They were much faster in qualifying sending people running to the record books for the fastest ever lap of the track, even going back before various chicanes were scatterered around the circuit. But the question remained could the Peugeots keep up the speed for the whole race, without the wheels falling off.

But the drama was not kept to the top class. The GT2 category - the home to the armies of Porsche 997s and Ferrari's saw the first big news. When the American Flying Lizard Motorsport car was taken out, and while it limped back to the pits (unlike ALMS races an Sebring a car can only contiue if it makes it back to the pits under it's own power - no tow-truck rides here), missing a pretty large chunk of car, it was too badly damaged to contend for the eventual class win. They were one of many teams who seemed to contend with complete rebuilds over the course of the race. 

There was the normal parade of walking wounded through the race. The Lizard Posrche, a beautiful Aston Martin engined P1 car (fielded by Charouz Racing) perhaps took the best moment when it drove a majority of the 8-mile circuit with most of its front end hanging off. Although the team with the Saleen GT1 car deserve a mention for driving about the same distance with three wheels! Not a flat tyre - the wheel had just fallen off. The best opportunist move of the race came right at the end when the Bruichladdich Radical, another which had coped with everything going wrong - including faulty seat belts - took up the shotgun position for the much photographed ceremonial finish - way to give some love to your sponsors!

The GT2 category was won by another American team - Risi Competitione - in their red car (as opposed to their green one, which made a very early exit and became a parts muel for every other Ferrari, well at least one which was seen with one of their spare doors).

The GT1 class went the way of the British Aston Martins, over the American Corvettes, which is a great result (please - don't hurt me). However, as expected it was incredibly close. After 24 hours of racing the winning Aston, in the hands of ALMS Acura drive David Brabham, and secong placed Corvette crossed the line 4 minutes 23 seconds apart. Of course now the Corvettes can go back to beating no-one in the ALMS.

P2 went the way of another American export (well, sort of) as the two privateer Porsche Spyders finished 1-2 with the Dutch run car beating the Danish one. There were none of the expected reliability problems for the cars, as baring a few niggles both ran trouble free, finishing in a position that mark the first time "In memory" (to quote the media coverage I had) that the lead P2 car had beaten the GT1 winner. Yes P2 reliablity really is normally that bad. Behind the Porsches reliability was key. Every car had problems - accidents, mechanical problems, combinations of the two, meaning that the 6 (out of 11 P2 that started) finishers in the class were spread over 54 laps.

But, back to P1. The class probably gave me moment of the race, when a spanish entry needed a COMPLETE gearbox repair. Not a new on (rules again) but the broken one to be rebuilt. It only took them 6 hours. So when the same thing happened again about 5 hours from the end they were asked what they were going to do. They said they were going to do it again, and when reminded of the time they said 'We're getting quite good at it".

The race almost went down to the wire. Different tyre choices in changing conditions, led to the chasing Peugoet taking 5 seconds out of the lead a lap, a pace that would see one of the closest finishes ever. However, it was not to be. Some problem with the tyres - puncture maybe - led to the Peugeot having to complete a complete lap with the rear end  swaying back and forth uncontrolably. The Peugeot was lapped, effectively ending the chase baring catastrophes to the lead Audi, with never came.

The Audi of Allan McNish, Dindo Capello and Tom Kristenson won, giving Kristenson a phonomenal 8th Le Man win, with McNish and Capello picked up their 2nd and 3rd wins respectively.

Now we just have to wait until next June. And with rumours abounding that the organisers are going to attempt to equalise the diesel and conventional petrol cars, and that Audi will pull out to the Prototype classes, with veiws on a GT car, who knows what we'll get.