Suzuki Endurance Racing Team riders Vincent Philippe, Barry Veneman and Guillaume Dietrich has finished third in the Le Mans 24 Hours - round one of the 2009 World Endurance Championship that finished this afternoon.
The reigning World Champions completed 716 laps on their GSX-R1000, 11 laps behind winners Yamaha Austria and five behind runners-up Honda France at the 32nd running of the event, which attracted more than 92,000 fans.
The team had held a 16-second lead briefly just past the two-hour mark but lost it when heavy rain fell. They then circulated in second place for the next 20 hours after a small crash, but remounted to keep their podium hopes alive.
Suzuki's filled six of the top-10 positions with the Junior Team Suzuki squad topping the Superstock class and placing fifth overall.
Le Mans Results:
1: YAMAHA AUSTRIA RT - JERMAN / MARTIN / GIABBANI (YAMAHA) - 727 laps.
2: HONDA FRANCE - PLATER / CHARPENTIER / LAGRIVE (HONDA) - 722.
3: SERT - PHILIPPE / VENEMAN / DIETRICH (SUZUKI) - 716.
4: RT RACING TEAM - DEVOYON / CHEVRE / JOND (SUZUKI) - 709.
5: JUNIOR TEAM SUZUKI LMF - FORAY / TANGRE / BULLE (SUZUKI) - 703.
6: QATAR ENDURANCE RT - NAIMI /SHINJO /DELHALLE (SUZUKI) - 703.
7: RAC 41 CITY BIKE - JUNOD /GANTNER /HOUSSIN (SUZUKI) - 696.
8: GSR KAWASAKI - DA COSTA / FORAY / MOREIRA (KAWASAKI) - 695.
9: TRT27 - PRULHIERE / ANDRIEU /GNEMMI (SUZUKI) - 692.
10: BOLLIGER TEAM - SAIGER / MUFF /PENZKOFER (KAWASAKI) - 689.