The lead Audi of seven-time winner Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish, the 1998 champion, and Rinaldo Capello on Sunday remained in front of the 76th Le Mans 24 Hour Race with two hours remaining.

Weather conditions have improved and the 13.63km circuit has dried out, handing the advantage to the Audi team, who are 2min 44sec ahead of the Peugeot of Jacques Villeneuve, the former Formula One world champion, Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gene.

Villeneuve is seeking to become just the second man in history, after Graham Hill, to win the Triple Crown of the Formula 1 world title, Indy 500 and Le Mans race, but will have to rely on the tyre call of his Peugeot bosses.

Villeneuve's Peugeot team-mate Franck Montagny was in third, two laps off the pace, after having earlier taken the lead from the Canadian on lap 102.

The remaining Audis of Alexandre Premat, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller and that of Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner were in fourth and fifth respectively.

The pole-sitting Peugeot of Stephane Sarrazin, Pedro Lamy and Alexander Wurz were 13 laps off the pace in sixth position, on the tail of the last Audi.

Sarrazin set the fastest lap of the race as he tried to recover from his disastrous start which saw him slip six laps off the pace following gearbox trouble.

AFP