Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A second-lap crash caused by oil on the track at the Oschersleben 24-hour race in Germany could have serious Endurance World Championship implications.

In a scenario that eerily resembled what happened at the Suzuka 8-Hours, the previous round of the Endurance World Championship series, five teams fell in oil on the track on the second lap of the long race. Crashers included the current Championship leaders Zongshen Suzuki 1 and four more teams in the top 10 of the points standings.

Zongshen Suzuki 2 and Suzuki GB Phase One (with American riders Jason Pridmore and Josh Hayes) escaped the pile-up and are first and second, respectively. After three hours of the 24-hour race Zongshen 2’s lead over Phase One was approximately 30 seconds, according to the official World Endurance website.

Zongshen Suzuki 1 was 19th, five laps down, after three hours. Another victim of the second-lap crash, GMT94, fourth in the Championship, was 14th and four laps down.

Suzuki GB Phase One trailed Zongshen Suzuki 1 by 17 points at the start of the Oschersleben race, the penultimate round of the Endurance World Championship. Zongshen Suzuki 2, Police Nationale 22 and GMT94 (third, fourth and fifth in the point standings respectively) also have mathematical chances of winning the World Championship.