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Silverstone

Silverstone Club circuit, Northampton, Great-Britain

Date: 6/6/1977
Track length: 2.588 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters:
Finishers:

Pole position: Walkinshaw in 1.12,8
Fastest lap: Woodman and Graham in 1.06,0 = 141,16 kmh

Distance: 32 laps
Average speed: 137,31 kmh
Weather: Drying track
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1977 Cars

Pictures

Practice for the Tricentrol race saw Walkinshaw take pole, the Scotsman having rushed back from Brno to drive his Castrol BMW 530. It was very wet and Walkinshaw's 1.12,8 was equaled by Dron's Dolomite. Woodman was on the outside of the front row and then came Craft, Spice and Vandervell. Next to Vandervell on the third row was Jeff Allam's Vauxhall Magnum and Graham was on the outside of that row.
After two warm-up laps on a damp but drying track everyone was given the opportunity to change tyres and all opted for slicks, except Dron who switched onto an old set of intermediates. It was a gamble and for a few laps it looked good. From the start Dron was able to nudge his way into Copse ahead of Woodman and he held the slenderest of leads for four laps until the line began to dry.
The order behind him on the opening lap was Woodman, Spice, Graham, Craft and Vandervell. Spice moved through into second on the next lap but a big moment at Copse on lap 3 saw him slip right down to eighth and allowed Vandervell to come through and challenge Woodman for second spot. As Dron began to drop back it was Vandervell in fact who took over the narrow lead, pursued hard by Woodman and Graham. These three gradually edged away from the rest, leaving Craft alone in fourth and Walkinshaw and Spice disputing fifth furiously. The battle for the lead was superb. The three Capris looked like touching at every corner and places were changing every lap. Vandervell held sway at the front for nine laps before Woodman emerged in the lead on lap 14, Then it was Vandervell again, then Woodman, Vandervell; and Woodman yet again with Graham second and Vandervell then back to third. It was so close that any one of them could have won. Woodman it was who headed the trio across the line for 10 laps until lap 26 when Graham grabbed the lead away for the first time with a well judged move at Woodcote. Vandervell, still back in third decided that this was the signal for him to make another charge and he tried to copy Graham's dive under braking for Woodcote on the next lap.
Unfortunately the move didn't come off. Vandervell lost the car under braking and it went sailing into the corner backwards after one of the most enormous slides the Woodcote grandstands have ever witnessed! Woodman had to swing wide and just missed hitting Vandervell, so Graham was able to steal through and go away to take his first British win this year. He also got APS Man of the Meeting.
Woodman recovered to take second and Vandervell, although still third, almost fell into the clutches of Craft. Having swapped places with Walkinshaw frantically for the entire distance, Spice just managed to beat the BMW across the line, and Win Percy's Capri was in seventh.
With Dron having eventually retired to the pits, the 1601 - 2300 cc class saw a splendid dice in the closing laps between the Vauxhalls of Allam and Gerry Marshall. Allam caught Marshall in the closing laps and then snatched away eighth overall with a fine swoop down the inside at Woodcote on the last lap.


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   Fabergé Racing
Ford Capri II 3.0S
Stuart Graham, GB
2993 V6 D 32 laps, 36.11,2 8   1.06,0  
2 2 2 Esso Uniflo
Ford Capri II 3.0S
Vince Woodman, GB
2993 V6 D 32 laps, 36.14,2 3   1.06,0  
3 3   Triplex
Ford Capri II 3.0S
Colin Vandervell, GB
2993 V6 D 32 laps, 36.24,2 6      
4 4   Hammonds Sauce Group
Ford Capri II 3.0S
Chris Craft, GB
2993 V6 D 32 laps, 36.25,4 4      
5 5   Gordon Spice Group
Ford Capri II 3.0S
Gordon Spice, GB
2993 V6 D 32 laps, 36.33,0 5      
6 6   BMW racing with Castrol
BMW 530i US
Tom Walkinshaw, GB
2985 L6 D 32 laps, 36.34,2 1 1.12,8    
7 7   Samuri Racing with Bradshaw Hire Plant
Ford Capri II 3.0S
Win Percy, GB
2993 V6 D 32 laps, 36.37,4        
8 1   Allam Motor Services
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300
Jeff Allam, GB
2279 L4 C 32 laps, 36.55,6 7   1.07,4  
9 2   Dealer Team Vauxhall Castrol
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300
Gerry Marshall, GB
2279 L4 C 32        
10 8    
Ford Capri II 3.0S
Brian Robinson, GB
2993 V6 D 31        
  3   Luton Products
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300
Holman “Les” Blackburn, GB
2279 L4 C          
  4   Mario Deliotti Ltd.
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV
Derek Lawrence, GB
1962 L4 C          
  5    
Triumph Dolomite Sprint
Mike Leary, GB
1998 L4 C          
  6   Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV
Jon Dooley, GB
1962 L4 C          
  1    
Toyota Celica GT
Martin Brundle, GB
1588 L4 B       1.12,8  
  2    
VW Golf GTI
Richard Lloyd, GB
1588 L4 B       1.12,8  
  3    
Toyota Celica GT
Martin Williams, GB
1588 L4 B          
  4    
VW Scirocco GTI
Brian Pepper, GB
1588 L4 B          
  1   Mopar
Chrysler Avenger 1300 GT
Bernard Unett, GB
1295 L4 A       1.12,8  
  2    
Mini 1275 GT
Alan Curnow, GB
1275 L4 A       1.12,8  
  3   Marshall Wingfield
Alfa Romeo 1300 GT Junior
Barrie Williams, GB
1290 L4 A       1.12,8  
  4   Patrick Motor Group
Mini 1275 GT
Richard Longman, GB
1275 L4 A       1.12,8  
  5   Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti
Rex Greenslade, GB
1186 B4 A          
  6   Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti
Malcolm Wayne, GB
1186 B4 A          
DNF     British Leyland
Triumph Dolomite Sprint
Tony Dron, GB
1998 L4 C   2 1.12,8