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Brands Hatch Race of Champions Meeting

Brands Hatch International Circuit, Kent, Great-Britain

Date: 17/3/1974
Track length: 4.206 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters: 28
Finishers:

Pole position: Lloyd in 1.49,2
Fastest lap: Graham in 1.59,5 = 128,47 kmh

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed: 125,52 kmh
Weather: Rain
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1974 Cars

Pictures

It just wasn't Richard Lloyd's day. First someone punched him in the paddock and broke his nose and then, having built up a small but secure lead, he tangled with a backmarker that he was lapping and slid into the bank. Stuart Graham's similar Camaro therefore won for the second week running, while Tony Lanfranchi's BMW was second and took full points in the 4-litre class. Rob Mason's Dolomite Sprint inherited its class win after the similar cars of John Hine and Tony Dron had been disqualified in post-race scrutineering, and Stan Clark's Alfa Romeo conquered the smallest division after Bernard Unett's Avenger had cooked its engine. Being the first race at Brands to this formula, new lap records were established by Graham, Hine (which should not count following exclusion), Lanfranchi and Clark, but in such wet conditions they mean precious little.

Again, like in 1966, the RAC took the brave decision to move their prime championship away from FIA rules. Group 2 was becoming too expensive and now uprated Group 1 cars would challenge for the title, divided in four classes: 1600 cc, 2500 cc, 4000 cc and above 4000 cc. The cars could be prepared a little further than Group 1; blueprinting (bringing the engines up to maximum factory tolerances) was allowed, just like racing tyres. Visiting Dutch competitors, used to the strict FIA group 1 in their home country, were perplexed however when they found out that the Brits all had to have bumpers on their cars!
The new rules had success: The major 1974 saloon car championship in Britain was widely acclaimed as the best for years, with lots of works participation, plenty of dicing in all four classes, and a wider variety of competing cars than anyone could remember since the start of the Sixties. It was the year of the Avenger, the Dolomite and the Camaro. The Chrysler Avenger won Bernard Unett the drivers title; Triumph Dolomite Sprints won the manufacturers championship for British Leyland; and General Motors' Chevrolet Camaro Z28s won practically every race in the series, giving Stuart Graham the greatest number of outright victories and the Tarmac British Drivers Championship.

Event 5: Touring Cars class A-D
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine		 Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)		 Engine
Type		 Group Distance,
time		 Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1 4 Team Castrol
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Stuart Graham, GB
 5736 V8 A 20 laps, 40.46,0 2 1.50,9 1.59,5  
2 1 21 Van Der Steen
BMW 3.0 CSi		 Tony Lanfranchi, GB
 2985 L6 B 20 laps, 40.52,2 10 1.54,8 2.00,6  
DSQ   46 Bill Shaw Racing/Shellsport
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 John Hine, GB
 1998 L4 C 20 7 1.53,5 2.01,2 DSQ: Underweight
3 2 28 Shellsport
Ford Capri 3000 GT		 Tom Walkinshaw, GB
 2993 V6 B 20 laps, 41.37,4 4 1.52,6    
4 2 5 VMW Motors - Team Esso Uniflo
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Vince Woodman, GB
 5736 V8 A 20 laps, 41.38,8 12 1.55,3    
5 3 27 Dealer Opel Team
Opel Commodore GS/E		 Peter Hanson, GB
 2784 L6 B 20 laps, 41.59,3 8 1.54,5    
DSQ   52 Team Broadspeed Castrol
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Tony Dron, GB
 1998 L4 C 20 6 1.52,9   Ground clearance too small
6 1 51 Shellsport Arden
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Rob Mason, GB
 1998 L4 C 20 laps, 42.41,4 13 1.55,3    
7 4 30 Adlards of Brixton
Ford Capri 3000 GT		 Martin Birrane, IRL
 2993 V6 B 20 laps, 42.45,4 19 1.57,8    
8 2 49  
Vauxhall Firenza		 Tim Stock, GB
 2279 L4 C 20 laps, 42.48,0 11 1.54,8    
9 5 20  
Ford Capri 3000 GT		 Ivan Dutton
 2993 V6 B 1 minute penalty (jumped the start) 23 1.59,7    
10 6 25 Hermetite Products
Ford Capri 3000 GT		 Holman “Les” Blackburn, GB
 2993 V6 B 19 laps, 40.42,2 15 1.50,4    
11 1 67 Roger Clark Cars/Esso Uniflo
Alfa Romeo 1600 GT Junior		 Stan Clark, GB
 1570 L4 D 19 laps, 40.48,7 18 1.57,5 2.05,6  
12 2 66 Team Hartwell
Hillman Avenger 1500 GT		 Simon Kirkby, GB
 1498 L4 D 19 22 1.59,1    
13 3 48 Team Broadspeed Castrol
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Andy Rouse, GB
 1998 L4 C 19 5 1.52,6   Battery
14 3 62 Chrysler Dealer Team
Hillman Avenger 1500 GT		 Roger Bell, GB
 1498 L4 D 19 16 1.56,8    
15 4 43 Penthouse Racing
Mazda Savanna RX-3		 Wendy Markey, GB
 2 x 491 R2 C 19 29 2.17,2    
16 4 68 Halesfield Motors (Telford) Ltd.
Simca Rallye 2		 Jenny Birrell, GB
 1294 L4 D 19 27 2.03,6    
17 5 47 John Handley Racing Team
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 John Handley, GB
 1998 L4 C 19 17 1.57,3    
18 6 44  
Ford Escort Mexico		 Gordon Dawkins, GB
 1601 L4 C 17 28 2.08,9    
DNF   61 Chrysler Dealer Team
Hillman Avenger 1500 GT		 Bernard Unett, GB
 1498 L4 D 12 14 1.56,4    
DNF   1 A.J. Rivers Simoniz Racing
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Richard Lloyd, GB
 5736 V8 A 10 1 1.49,2   Accident
DNF   40 Team Castrol
Mazda Savanna RX-3		 Barrie Williams, GB
 2 x 491 R2 C 9 9 1.54,7   Ignition
DNF   42 The Vauxhall Motorist racing with Capital Motors
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300		 Dennis Bissell
 2279 L4 C 9 25 2.01,2    
DNF   2  
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Les Nash, GB
 5736 V8 A 5 26 2.02,1   Steering
DNF   50  
Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV		 John Lyon, GB
 1962 L4 C 4 3 1.52,6    
DNF   60 George Bevan
VW Passat TS		 Bill McGovern, GB
 1470 L4 D 2 21 1.58,9   Carburettor
DNF   24 C. & J. Transport (Blaby) Ltd.
Ford Capri 3000 GT		 Thomas Hunt, GB
 2993 V6 B   20 1.58,8    
DNS   7 London Sportscar Centre
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Gerry Marshall, GB
 5736 V8 A   24 2.00,6   Oil leak/handling
DNS/DNQ?   29  
Ford Capri 3000 GT		 Tony Shaw, GB
 2993 V6 B