Kruse hopeful wrecked car <I>will</I> race.

TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF NODA'S ACCIDENT,
CLICK HERE

Despite the horrific crash that destroyed Kruse Schiller Motorsport's LMP2 Lola-Mazda in opening qualifying for this year's round-the-clock Le Mans 24 Hours, Allan Simonsen is bullish about the team's prospects of making the race this weekend.

La Sarthe debutant Hideki Noda was at the wheel when the car went into a terrifying barrel role going through the Dunlop Curve in Wednesday's night-time session, leaving the Japanese former F1 ace understandably shaken but, mercifully, otherwise unhurt.

The same, however, could not be said for the car, with little more than the engine salvageable from the wreckage and much midnight oil left to be burned if the team are still to take part in the celebrated French endurance classic this weekend. Noda's team-mate Simonsen is optimistic that - even if he admits it is 'a big ask' - they will make it.

"The crash happened just around midnight, so it was a late one last night," the 2007 Australian GT Champion told Crash.net Radio, "but it's going to be a late one tonight too and a late one on Saturday night. Lola has been very helpful in making sure that the car will get back in-line for us, and the team has been working extremely hard.

"Obviously in a situation like that when the car is torn to bits, it's everyone's effort that will bring this car back on the track again, but the team is very well-prepared in terms of spares. The biggest problem at the moment is the tub, but as I said Lola will help us with it, and then it's just a matter of whether we have time enough.

"Crossed fingers, but I think we'll be on the grid; I think our chances are pretty good, and I'm pretty confident. I can only say that from talking to my team and taking to the people who are helping us. Obviously I'm no mechanic or engineer, though, so I can only say what I've been told."

As to Noda himself, Simonsen acknowledged that such a huge crash had been a considerable shock for the sometime Larrousse pilot, but was similarly hopeful that the 39-year-old would join him and Jean de Pourtales should Kruse indeed succeed in making the start - even if he confessed that the team still didn't know what had caused the accident.

"He's obviously pretty shaken," the Dane underlined. "When you get a car damaged to that extent, you've got to be lucky just to walk away. I haven't asked him too much about it.

"Obviously it's quite clear that the car has gone sideways, it's taken off and it's gone into a roll. Why it happened or whatever we don't know, but in this situation things happen and there's nothing much you can do about it. I'm pretty sure Hideki will be racing, though; he didn't injure himself at all.

"It will be a big ask to make the grid, but I'll be extremely happy if we do, and then obviously we'll have to take a completely different strategy to the race because we'll have no spares - we'll use all our spares now.

"The time that we've been running is extremely limited - I wasn't even here for the test - so the laps I've done in a prototype I'm able to count on my hands. It's going to be a big ask for me, it's going to be a big ask for Hideki after the shunt, but we'll take it as it comes and just get on with it."

Should the car be repaired, however, Simonsen may still not be able to take part, as the 29-year-old had not completed the required three laps' night-time practice before the accident occurred. The team has applied for special dispensation to the ACO to allow him to compete.

by Russell Atkins at Le Mans

TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF NODA'S ACCIDENT,
CLICK HERE

TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN FULL: CLICK HERE