The Ecurie Ecosse duo of Alisdair McCaig and Colin Noble took the first win of the season in the new for 2017 Henderson Insurance Brokers LMP3 Cup bringing their Nielsen Racing Run #79 Ligier JSP3 home for a 1,2 for the team ahead of the #23 Nielsen car of Jason Rishover and the returning Jamie Spence.
Spence showed all of his old class, pressing hard to the finish passing Matt Bell for second in the #3 United Autosports Ligier before Bell suffered a left rear puncture in the closing minutes, tumbling down the order as a result to finish 7th a lap down at the finish.
The final podium position went to the T-Sport JS P3 of Steve Tandy and Karun Chandhok, the #7 comfortably clear of the fast closing Douglas Motorsports car started by Steve Newbould with Aussie racer Tom Randle charging hard to close the gap to under three seconds at the flag.
His charge had taken the #72 car by Sarah Moore in the #26 Tockwith Motorsports car, started by Richard Dean who was getting to grips with the car well as his stint went along. Sarah Moore found pace but it took time, losing places to Chandhok and later to Randle.
United Autosports meanwhile had a game of two halves. Tony Wells led from the start in the #3 car only to be overhauled by Christian England in the #2 on lap 10 who began to pull away. Alisdair McCaig meanwhile was in close contact with Wells.
The prevailing pattern though would be unsettled by the scrambling of the Safety Car as Paul Bailey’s #28 car was stranded, the car stalled after spinning in avoidance of another car though Bailey had been hit more than once in the early stages. The #96 Speedworks car was already in trouble, a run into the gravel in the early stages for Dean Gibbs followed by a long pitstop, the car rejoining and finishing but laps down.
The #28 would rejoin, and would have a long distance tussle with the later troubled #6 360 Racing car, a fine fight back from Bob Berridge spoiled post Safety car by further woes for Andy Demetriou who required a further non-scheduled stop.
Bell’s late race puncture was the second travail to strike United, this after Andrew Evans skated through the gravel soon after the pitstops losing several places as he recovered, the United pair eventually finishing 6th and 7th.
The introduction of another new LMP3 tyre supplier in Pirelli for this Series added another edge, several experienced crews finding that their carefully cultivated set-up for Michelins was less that optimum.
Pictures copyright and with thanks to Jakob Ebrey Photography
Result (All cars Ligier JS P3 LMP3)
1st: #79 – Nielsen/Ecurie Ecosse, McCaig & Noble, 54 Laps
2nd: #23 – Nielsen Racing, Rishover & Spence +8.007
3rd: #7 – T-Sports, Tandy & Chandhok +27.623
4th: #72 – Douglas Racing, Newbould & Randle +30.311
5th: #26 – Tockwith Motorsports, Dean & Moore +36.541
6th: #2 – United Autosports, England & Evans +59.962
7th: #3 – United Autosports, Wells & Bell +1 lap
8th: #28 – G-Cat Racing, Bailey & Schulz +3 laps
9th: #6 – 360 Racing, Demetriou & Berridge + 3 laps
10th: #96 – SpeedWorks, Butel & Gibbs + 13 laps
