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The Gold Race was going to be a hard fought battle between the top teams as going into the race only 33 points separated the top four teams.
As the lights went out it was Jorg Steinhausen and Gregory Cluze who got the whole shot on their Steinhausen Racing, LCR, BMW, followed by the Birchall Brothers Ben and Tom on their Mitchells of Mansfield, LCR, Yamaha, right in their wheel tracks was Pekka Paivarinta and Adolf Hanni on their Team Suzuki Finland, LCR, Suzuki, jostling to get amongst the front runners was Tim Reeves and Ashley Hawes on “The Relocator” LCR, Suzuki, Kurt Hock and Enrico Becker, Hock Racing, LCR Suzuki next but as they turned into turn two they had a bit of a coming together with Michael Grabmuller and Ueli Wafler, Delta Racing, LCR Kawasaki, this resulted in them leaving the track only to rejoin in last place, this let Sean Heggarty and Calum Lawson, Team Heggarty/ Lawson, LCR, Suzuki up into seventh place and give chase to the leading pack.
On lap seven a coming together with Bennie Streuer and Freek Dirksen, Team Streuer, LCR, Suzuki, and Petri Makkula and Harri Gallerne, Team Makkula, LCR Suzuki resulted in Team Streuer having to DNF the race although Makkula got going again he DNF the race on lap seventeen.
By mid race the battle at the front raged on and Paivarinta and Hanni had got past the Birchall Brothers and Steinhausen, however it was to be all in vain as it turned out that Paivarinta had made a pass under yellow flag conditions which resulted in him having a drive through penalty, when he rejoined he was in thirteenth position, this let the Birchall Brothers through to the lead followed by Reeves and Hawes who had got past Steinhausen, who were getting caught by Heggarty and Lawson.
As the flag came out it was the Birchall Brothers who crossed the line first, an overjoyed Ben and Tom said “ that was some race, it’s great to be back on top, and we look forward to the last round in Le Mans”. Reeves and Hawes took second place but it was a battle to the end with Steinhausen and Cluze, Steinhausen had an off track excursion at the end of the back straight, they managed to take third place though just in front of an ecstatic Heggary and Lawson, they both said “ what a race it was great to battle with these guys and to get fourth is great”
Paivarinta and Hanni Battled hard and managed to get through the field to take fifth place, as too did Hock and Becker they crossed the line in eighth.
The all girl team of Sophia Kirchofer and Anna Burkard, Ladies Team Suisse, LCR Suzuki finished the Gold race in sixteenth place, they both said after the race “ it has been a great experience to race at this level and we are so happy to have finished both races, we will see if we can continue to gain experience and race in more of this level.
The last round of the Championship is going down to the wire, and this will be held in Le Mans, France In September.
