LE MANS, France (AP) — Veteran German driver Timo Bernhard led Porsche to a dramatic third-straight win at the 24 Hours Le Mans, preventing a huge upset win for the lesser category Oreca team.

After a series of mishaps to pre-race favorites Porsche and Toyota, the LMP2 category Oreca suddenly found itself in the lead with 19-year-old Frenchman Thomas Laurent behind the wheel three hours from the end of the grueling endurance race. But the 36-year-old Bernhard, racing in the faster and more powerful LMP1 category Porsche 919 Hybrid, overtook the Oreca with about an hour remaining.

Bernhard finished about one minute ahead of the Jackie Chan DC Racing team car, owned by the famed action movie star. Another Oreca LMP2 car — driven by Nelson Piquet Jr., the son of the famed Brazilian F1 driver, finished in third place for the Vaillante Rebellion team.

 

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