McNish in line for Le Mans glory

The Dumfries driver is seeking a second Le Mans crown

Dumfries driver Allan McNish has taken pole position in pursuit of a repeat of the most famous win of his career.

He won the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1998 and is back at the famous French track this weekend seeking glory again.

Along with co-drivers Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello he stormed to the front of the grid in qualifying and is among the favourites for the win.

A huge crowd is expected for the event which is rated one of the most gruelling in the world of motorsport.

The 36-year-old Doonhamer is aiming to become the first driver to win in a diesel powered car.

'Hard work'

"The team can be proud that we've secured the first diesel front row at Le Mans," he said.

"A lot of hard work and effort has gone into this achievement."

"To run the equivalent of 16 grands prix distances back-to-back at the same average speed with a diesel-powered sportscar at Le Mans is no mean feat," he added.

The Audi R10 is on pole for the Le Mans 24 hour

The Doonhamer knows exactly what it takes to win the race and is in the prime spot to do so at the front of the grid when proceedings get under way on Saturday.

"I don't believe in luck," he said.

"If we make the correct decisions between the driver and the guys in the pits at the right moment and if we're sharper than the opposition, that's not down to good luck, it's planning and strategy.

"You can control 90% of your destiny yourself - too many people blame bad luck for failure.

"Audi could not have prepared for Le Mans any better in the time we've had.

"There is no better way to push development than to race so they should be given huge credit for racing a diesel-engined sportscar in such a short time frame of testing."