Team Viking & Ursus Capital Racing

From lights out the top three sprinted away, with Holme chasing EDF for fourth and within a lap he was through.

 

Ben Pitch’s PLR car was the next target and two laps later he had passed him too into third place.

 

There was a 1.5 second gap to the lead pair, but working with Pitch, they closed it down and on lap 11 Holme split the pair and was challenging for the lead.

 

He made his move on lap 12, had the lead but only 0.450 secs covered the top three.

 

UVio Hofmann’s Randaccio was back in front three laps later, but it remained just as close, until the safety car was called out for the first time.

 

Four laps under caution followed before the green flag was out and racing recommenced, but now it was an eight-car train for the lead.

 

Having restarted second Holme was down to third behind Randaccio and Axiametrics’ Rudd after 30 laps, continuing in the same order until Randaccio was the first to make his stop.

 

Randaccio’s departure had brought Pitch back to third and all three continued to run nose to tail, with Holme retaking the lead 43 laps in.

 

Four laps later from leading it was virtually race over, as he limped pitwards. “I had a good start, got a gap and we were clear in the front group. I worked well with Rudd and did our fastest lap, but was driving on the edge. I wasn’t on the absolute limit, maybe 5% left,” he explained.

 

“We were near the time to stop and I felt something as I came out of Paddock Hill Bend, maybe a driveshaft, as it lost drive,” he added.

 

Back in the pits they had to replace the clutch and rejoined eventually, 48 laps lost. Although both drivers had time in the action, it became more of an extended test session, but proved that the pace is there as they look forward to the next race