SAVING THE BEST UNTIL LAST!!

With Mark Holme and Colin Kingsnorth back together again, both testing and qualifying had gone well for the team and there was an air of optimism.

During the morning qualifying session they were 10th quickest and drew fifth on the grid for one-hour sprint race.

Holme took the first stint and was into fourth on the opening lap, before demoting teenaged single seater racer Ethan Carney on the next lap.

He soon latched onto Julian Thomas’ Racelogic car and started to challenge for second. There had already

been a few tentative moves, but with both cars evenly matched it remained close.

Both cars were demoted one place when the flying Ted Bradbury came through, but remained just as close but now for third.

The first pitstop window had already opened but Holme was yet to make his stop when it all went wrong. “I was really on it challenging for second, but the rhythm was upset a bit when Ted came through. Then I was unsighted at Island, missed the apex touched the grass and spun, fortunately without damage,” Holme explained.

He managed to restart but had dropped to 27th as he pitted to hand to Kingsnorth.

They continued to run on the front running pace but the rest of the race was playing catch up, finishing 23rd.

13th on the grid for race two and it was Kingsnorth’s turn to start the four-hour enduro. In the first stint they climbed to the edge of the top 10, with Holme making 10th place just before the first hour was completed.

With pit strategies playing their part, by the completion of the third hour Kingsnorth was fifth, with one more stop to make in a slightly shortened race.

Once the stops were completed Holme was in sixth, with just a handful of laps to go. But on lap 100 there was one casualty and car passed, and suddenly he was in fourth, managing to consolidate the position over the battle behind, to finish on their best result of the year.

“A brilliant race, really pleased for the team and Colin seemed to bring that edge back. We did everything we could and it worked, pitstops and everything. A great way to end the season, “said Holme.

“It was just good to be back and competitive,” Kingsnorth concluded.