Allan McNish was cruelly robbed of inaugural Le Mans Endurance Series Championship honours yesterday when his co-driver Pierre Kaffer spectacularly crashed out of the fourth and final round of the European-based sportscar endurance championship at Spa-Francorchamps.

Kaffer and Veloqx Audi team-mate Johnny Herbert started the 144-lap race from second and third places respectively on the 39-car grid - McNish earning Veloqx Audi its fourth consecutive LMES front row start after the DBA Zytek of Minassian/Campbell-Walter denied McNish of pole-position by just 0.038secs. 

With 20-laps run and almost one hour on the clock, Kaffer took the lead but disaster struck just three laps later when Pierre collided with a slower car driven by Scotland’s Andrew Kirkaldy.  Pierre drove back to the pits, the rear of the car engulfed in flames, but the damage was not repairable and the #8 Veloqx Audi posted its first retirement of the season.

For McNish, aiming for his first motorsport championship title since winning the American Le Mans Series with Audi in 2000, it was a massive disappointment.  “Having won two races and finishing second in the other, we started this race leading the championship so it’s a massive disappointment to miss out in this way.  But there are certain things you can control in motor racing - others you cannot.  I suffered a problem in the Le Mans 24 Hours, today it was Pierre’s turn for misfortune.  He was an innocent victim but the important thing is that he is okay.” – 13 September 2004