Two Class Wins For Ex-Works Healey
12 June 2023
It was a successful weekend for Carsafe’s Mark Holme at a blisteringly hot Silverstone, as he took three podium finishes at the annual MG Live event, including two class victories.
Starting from class pole position in the Equipe 50’s, Pre-'63 and 70’s race, Holme’s Healey was straight into the Pre-'63 Class lead and progressing up the overall leaderboard.
But after only six laps, the safety car was called out, which coincided with the pitstop window, as closest rival Hewitson was one of the first to pit.
Holme rejoined in 10th overall after his stop, but soon recovered the Pre-'63 Class lead from the Willmott Jaguar E-Type, to come home seventh overall for a comfortable class win.
”I had a good start and worked my through the traffic, but thought I had thrown it away by maybe pitting a lap too late. But I didn’t have to push too hard and it was a good class win,” he said.
It was a switch to the MGB for the Equipe Libre race, having qualified fifth in class for 27th overall in a 60-car grid.
He had an early exchange with class rival Chris Ryan’s similar car before Ryan was an early pit stopper. Holme was one of the later stoppers, but having rejoined fourth in class, the safety car came out, leaving just a three-lap sprint to the flag.
“My friend Colin Kingsnorth was a great wing man for me in his BMW, we went two abreast at times to keep them off until I got going,” said Holme after taking the flag third in class on the road, which became second after Josh Ward’s Ginetta was penalised from victory after a safety car infringement.
Hopes of a second podium in the MGB were dashed after just four laps of the Equipe GTS race. He was sixth in class when the safety car appeared, “I had just started to settle in and had planned to make places during the stops, but then the alternator failed, with no warning,” he explained after retiring to the pits.
To complete the weekend, Mark shared the Healey with Jeremy Welch in the 90-minute GT & Sports Car Cup. After an initial sort out Holme had settled in to eighth with a comfortable class lead.
Welch took over for the second stint as rain clouds gathered, he consolidated the class lead and moved into sixth overall, before handing the car back for the final stint, with the safety car out again.
There were only five laps after the green flag when the reds appeared and it was race over, with another class win confirmed.
“It was a great race though and a good weekend for Tom (Ebbs) and the team,” Holme concluded.