MALMESBURY racing driver Louis Harvey was back in action this weekend at Donington Park for the five-hour EnduroKA race.
Teaming up with Will Hillyard, his 2023 partner for the event, and newcomer Oliver Furnell, known as Basic Ollie from YouTube’s iRacing scene, Harvey showcased his driving prowess despite missing Friday’s practice session.
Harvey’s absence from practice did not deter him from putting in the fastest qualifying lap among his teammates, securing a 6th place starting position for Sunday’s race.
EnduroKA races emphasize not only speed but also strategic planning for pitstops, driver changes, and fuel management—areas where Pro-Am Racing has excelled over the years.
The race commenced with a rolling start, and Harvey quickly demonstrated his skill. In a dramatic opening, three cars attempted to navigate turn one simultaneously, resulting in one car flipping into the gravel.
Harvey, unscathed, emerged from the chaos in 2nd place, although the incident brought out the safety car.
The team seized this opportunity to make the first of their mandatory three driver changes on lap two, capitalising on the reduced pace behind the safety car.
Oliver Furnell, the novice of the trio, drove a consistent stint, positioning the team well for the handover to Will Hillyard. Despite his relative inexperience, Furnell’s performance was impressive and bodes well for his future in racing.
A subsequent safety car period allowed the team to execute another driver change efficiently, bringing Hillyard into the car. Familiar with both the track and vehicle from previous races at Donington, Hillyard’s stint was marked by quick times and strategic manoeuvres, culminating in the fastest lap for the team, surpassing even Harvey’s qualifying time.
Regulations restrict each driver to a maximum of two hours and twenty minutes in the car. As Hillyard approached his time limit, the team hoped for another safety car to facilitate the final driver change back to Harvey.
With no safety car forthcoming, a full pitstop with refuelling was required, and Harvey returned to the track 44s behind the leader for the final push.
Despite his rapid pace and trimming the lead down to 8s, a late safety car favoured the leader, bunching the cars between him and Harvey. Once the safety car exited, the leader was able to pull away increasing the gap to around 15s, leaving Harvey to navigate through back markers. Ultimately, Harvey and the team finished in a commendable second place, just 9.3 seconds behind the leader and as the only other car on the lead lap.
Harvey also reclaimed the fastest lap for the team with several flying laps in the final stint
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