PORTIMAO 8HRS FUN CUP – SAVING THE BEST UNTIL LAST!!

17 October 2025

PORTIMAO 8HRS FUN CUP – SAVING THE BEST UNTIL LAST!!

It was the last race in Fun Cup France’s season for Viking/Ursus Capital Racing’s Mark Holme and Colin Kingsnorth, heading for the Algarve Circuit at Portimao.

After the qualifying session they were 22nd, giving them an 11th row grid slot for the eight hour race.

“I didn’t manage to find the perfect tow to improve our time. Our car is better suited to the shorter twisty circuits. I got my best time in the last 30 minutes, but it wasn’t quick enough to get into the reverse grid for the top 20,” said Mark.

Holme started the race and quickly made progress, managing to make their first driver change under a full course yellow and completing the first hour in ninth place.

“Both Colin and I managed to run with the pack. That first stop was super, we jumped a few places, but fuel strategy was already beginning to play a part,” Holme added.

Seventh after two hours, became 12th after three, “Colin and I were pretty close on times, so it helped us stay in the top 10,” Holme added.

They were back up to 10th at half distance, “Tom Pickering our manager and strategist called all the full course yellows bang on time for our stops, having climbed back to ninth at the six hour mark,” he said.

They started the final hour back in 10th,” we were both driving well, but we just missed out on the full course yellow to stop for fuel and the final stint.

“We had just gone passed the pit entrance and the others all came in, so I had to wait in a queue when I came in a lap later. It was one of our better weekends of racing, but that last stop cost us a place, so we could have been eighth,” Holme explained.

“It was a good weekend of racing, Colin was driving really well and we had top 10 pace all year, but just had bad luck at some circuits,” he added.

“We were unlucky at times, but overall it’s been brilliant. It’s been a big commitment but no regrets and we could maybe go back in two years,” he concluded