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<\/a>Jockeying for position early<\/p><\/div>\n
The first laps’ second sector saw Stevie and Launch pull away from Captain Slow, with the former getting a leg up on his rival. \u00a0The Stig, meanwhile, had a brilliant start to the race, working his way through the field such that by the middle of the first lap, he was all the way up in 3rd place. \u00a0The other car on the move in the early going was Sheila Dinkum, who was trying her best to keep up with him, while Bubba and Jaap did their best not to get left behind.<\/p>\n
Launch was able to get around Stevie in Turn 8, with the two frontrunners well ahead of the rest of the field. \u00a0Captain Slow and the Stig battled it out for third place, with the Regency Motors drivers and Bubba fighting to join them. \u00a0Again it was Turn 8 where a shift occurred, and this time it was Jaap Snellrijder getting it wrong and being left behind by Sheila and Bubba.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Intrateam battles<\/p><\/div>\n
As the second lap began, Launch held the lead but the Stig had caught up with Stevie after an extremely quick pit stop. \u00a0Behind them, the crowd were roaring their approval for the trio of Captain Slow, Bubba, and Sheila, who were coming around Turn 9 three abreast.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Not giving an inch at Turn 9<\/p><\/div>\n
At this point it’s worth noting that for the first time this season, every car made a pit stop, and that allowed Jaap and Whiplash to once again catch up with the others. \u00a0The Stig had meanwhile passed Stevie and set his sights on Launch. \u00a0The two flew down the long, first sector straight while Stevie could do nothing to keep up.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The Stig in hot pursuit of Launch<\/p><\/div>\n
In reality, Stevie had more to worry about from behind than he had hopes of catching up. \u00a0Bubba was hot on his heals and Captain Slow wasn’t far behind. \u00a0The three would be neck-and-neck down the straight, with Bubba getting a slight advantage. \u00a0 Captain Slow couldn’t quite keep up. \u00a0Ahead, the Stig passed Launch at Turn 4, the Force Ravenswood driver not quite getting full cooperation from the engine.<\/p>\n
These events resulted in a pair of pairs… with the Stig now being hunted by Launch, and Stevie and Bubba battling for 3rd place. \u00a0Captain Slow’s misfortunes of the last few races continued, as he suddenly found himself surrounded by Whiplash and yellow liveries. \u00a0The good news is that he was only surrounded temporarily. \u00a0The bad news is that was because he was watching those cars from progressively greater distances.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The opposite fortunes of Scandinavian Blitz<\/p><\/div>\n
The third sector for the front runners was anticlimactic. \u00a0By the final corner, the Stig had pulled out enough of a lead that he nursed his engine across the finish line. \u00a0Launch was a close second, but only for that.<\/p>\n
Rewinding a bit, Bubba and Stevie battled hard in the second sector. \u00a0In Turn 4 Bubba head a slight edge, then it was Stevie and Turn 5. \u00a0Bubba was ahead, then Stevie had the edge coming out of Turn 6.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Bubba and Stevie in Turn 6<\/p><\/div>\n
However, it was at Turn 7 where Stevie made a mistake and Bubba capitalized. \u00a0Stevie was a bit too cautious about his line, allowing Bubba to take a commanding 3rd position with just a few corners to go. \u00a0Behind them, Sheila, Jaap, and Whip were ready to pounce. \u00a0Seeing the opportunity, Jaap and Sheila both made good and soon caught up. \u00a0Whip, on the other hand, overcooked Turn 6 and spun out.<\/p>\n
Stevie’s mistake proved costly in the end, with Sheila and Jaap passing him at the final corner. \u00a0Whiplash’s gave Captain Slow hope to recover a tiny bit of what had been a disaster of a race. \u00a0He passed Whip at Turn 8 and was all set to avoid last place when his engine blew. \u00a0For the second time in the last four races, he was out with the finish line in sight.<\/p>\n
Final Results<\/h3>\n
| Driver<\/th>\n | Start<\/th>\n | Lap<\/th>\n | Finish<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Stig (SB)<\/td>\n | 8<\/td>\n | 3<\/td>\n | 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Launch Bornado (FR)<\/td>\n | 4<\/td>\n | 1<\/td>\n | 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bubba McQueen (FR)<\/td>\n | 5<\/td>\n | 5<\/td>\n | 3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sheila Dinkum (RM)<\/td>\n | 7<\/td>\n | 6<\/td>\n | 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Jaap Snellrijder (RM)<\/td>\n | 3<\/td>\n | 7<\/td>\n | 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Stevie Wondertyres (SR)<\/td>\n | 2<\/td>\n | 2<\/td>\n | 6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Whiplash (SR)<\/td>\n | 6<\/td>\n | 8<\/td>\n | 7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Captain Slow (SB)<\/td>\n | 1<\/td>\n | 4<\/td>\n | 8, def<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n No SBMRL driver has ever had a run like the Stig’s, as he wins his 3rd consecutive race to take a commanding lead in the driver’s standings. \u00a0Launch’s 2nd place finish is a second consecutive podium. \u00a0Bubba’s 3rd place finish is his third of the year. \u00a0Sheila just misses the podium, and drops into a 2nd place tie with Launch and Bubba.<\/p>\n Down in the cellar, Captain Slow’s poor performance this season is starting to cause some grumblings within the team. \u00a0He’s not been shy about his displeasure with the car’s reliability, either, going so far as to cite preferential treatment of his teammate.<\/p>\n At the team level, the Stig has pulled Scandinavian Blitz into range of Force Ravenswood and Regency Motors. \u00a0The former’s double podium finish is their first, and gives them an edge on the suddenly struggling Regency Motors.<\/p>\n Race Gallery<\/h3>\n\n\t\t |