The 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours was one of the most captivating of recent years, but for Gary Watkins, the highlight of the race - and of the year - was the amazing escape of Audi's Mike Rockenfeller after a hideous night-time shunt

The best and worst moments of 2011, for me, were separated by just a few minutes. How many I don't know, such were the intense emotions that took over my body deep in the night at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

It began with an image of a wrecked car up on the TV screens. It was a car, but such was the violence of the accident that it was barely recognisable as such. A hot sweat descended over my body as it became clear where the machine, Mike Rockenfeller's Audi R18 TDI, had crashed.

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