![\"Valencia](\"http:\/\/www.rhinopeel.com\/sbmrl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_0818.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThat early lead allowed the Stig to keep a bit of distance from the rest of the field, where those attempting to chase him down would spend most of the race spreading out along the straights and then bunching up again at each corner. \u00a0Heading, for the first time, along the long straight over the harbor bridge, it looked as if any one of several cars might catch him, but the Stig was into Nazaret before Launch, Danger, Wheel, or Captain Slow could close that gap.<\/p>\n
Behind that group, Mater and Ice would spend most of the first lap battling it out for 6th place, eagerly trying to join the challengers. \u00a0Jaap, on the other hand, languished at the back, within striking distance but too far to really bother anyone.<\/p>\n
The long and winding penultimate corner of Grao was where Nero managed to close the gap to the Stig enough to momentarily overtake him. \u00a0The Stig had taken a conservative entry in hopes of leaving at speed, and that was the opening that Nero needed. \u00a0What was more problematic, was that the Stig’s speed wasn’t enough to put him in position for Principal 2. \u00a0This allowed Launch Bornado to catch up as well.<\/p>\n After the 3 front runners stopped for fresh tires, it was actually Launch who came out of the pits in first place. \u00a0That would be a short lived moment, however, as Nero and the Stig both found their line through Principal 1, leaving Launch to deal with the charge from Danger Wheel. \u00a0The Stig would be quickest through the Veles e Vents, leaving the other three to play catch up.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Captain Slow had been joined by Mater and Jaap to form a second pack of challengers. \u00a0Ice had experienced a nightmare of a third sector on the first lap to fall well off the pace.<\/p>\n The Stig’s second lap continued his strong form as he flew through Malvarossa. \u00a0Danger Wheel and Nero battled for 2nd, while Launch fell back with the others, and the Stig extended his lead by speeding across the bridge with all he could muster. \u00a0To describe all the positional changes behind the Stig that occurred on the bridge straight and into Nazaret is a fool’s errand, but here goes. \u00a0Captain Slow had such little speed heading onto the straight that he found himself in 7th place, but was back up to 4th by the time he was in the corner. \u00a0Launch had an identical position switch just at a slightly different time. \u00a0Jaap found himself moving up out of 7th. \u00a0Aside from the Stig’s certain lead, the only real concrete thing to come out of the second sector was the establishment of Cobalt’s cars. \u00a0Nero emerged in a comfortable second place, and Ice was nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n The third sector didn’t look like it would hold much drama at the front of the pack. \u00a0The Stig was working his way through Grao while Nero was still trying to find his way there. \u00a0Behind him, Jaap had improbably forced his way all the way up to join Danger Wheel and Captain Slow in the battle for third place. \u00a0Mater trailed, and Launch had now fallen to 7th.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Stig’s efforts to keep Nero behind him ultimately failed at the very last corner and at the worst of times. \u00a0He was forced to take a much slower line around the outside of Principal 2 while Nero took to the inside. \u00a0Nero flew across the finish line with his second win of the season.<\/p>\n While all this was going on, the battle for 3rd raged behind them. \u00a0When Danger Wheel and Captain Slow had taken\u00a0to Grao, they’d left\u00a0Jaap with a hard choice. \u00a0Charge forward with all he had or play it conservative and hope to catch up. \u00a0Jaap choose the former, barreling through in such a fashion that he had to slam on the brakes and shift all the way down to second just to save himself. \u00a0This left Captain Slow leading Danger Wheel down to Principal 2 while Launch and Mater began to catch up. \u00a0Launch carried speed, and was able to hit the inside of the corner just right, passing everyone at the start of the pit straight.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n