Manx-born racing driver Nickolas Ellis narrowly missed out on a top-six finish at Le Mans last weekend.

Having won a Ligier JS Cup race on the full course last September, the six-hour event took place over the short, 2.6-mile Bugatti circuit - sections of which are used on the longer track.

Driving a less-powerful Ligier JS2 R, he set the fourth quickest practice time in the Trajectus Motorsport Ligier, but co-driver Gabriel Doyle-Parfait suffered alternator issues in qualifying, restricting his speed, so they lined up ninth fastest for the one-hour race.

Doyle-Parfait ran fifth prior to an eight-minute Safety Car period 12 minutes into the race, Ellis taking over at mid-distance when racing resumed.

He lay sixth with all pit-stops completed, challenging for fifth to another 14min Safety Car period that hindered attempts to move up the field.

When racing again resumed Ellis was caught up in a collision during a late sprint to the chequered flag and was lucky to nurse his damaged car home seventh.