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1978 Hockenheim TTE 
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RAC Diner's Club Tourist Trophy - TTE race

Silverstone, Northampton, Great-Britain

Date: 17/9/1978
Track length: 4.719 m
Attendance: unknown
Entries accepted: 40
Starters: 22
Finishers:

Pole position: Walkinshaw
Fastest lap: Walkinshaw

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed:
Weather: Sunny
Ruleset: Group 1B/76
Car info: 1978 Cars

Pictures

The 20-lap TTE race was the curtain-raiser for the “real” ETCC Tourist Trophy. Some Britons qualified, but conserved their cars for the long-distance Group 2 race.
What remained was a bunch of BTCC regulars with Bauer (Escort) and Tassin (Golf) as extra ingredients.
Walkinshaw had planted the BMW 530 on pole, though Graham took the lead after the start - but this lasted for one lap only until his rear axle broke. There was some misunderstanding whether Walkinshaw should have a penalty for a push-start on the grid, but in the end it wasn’t and Walkinshaw was first over the line after 20 laps, followed by Rouse and Spice. The 2500 class was won by Bauer against almost no opposition, while Tassin had his work cut out against Percy but won his class too. The 1300 class finally was won by Longman in his Mini.

After the race, Walkinshaw was excluded for an underweight car; in typical Walkinshaw style he appealed, claiming the mandatory removal of the inflammable material made his car lighter than the minimum weight - and ballasting the car was forbidden! The outcome of the appeal was: by TTE rules, the car was legal...

Group 1B
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 11 BMW (GB) / Pentax
BMW 530i		 Tom Walkinshaw, GB
 2985 L6 +2500 20 laps 1 1.43,30   Disq: underweight, outcome appeal unknown
2 2 24 Carrier Properties Ltd
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Andy Rouse, GB
 2993 V6 +2500 20 laps, 34.51,10 4   1.42,83  
3 3 16 Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Gordon Spice, GB
 2993 V6 +2500 20 laps, 34.51,93 3 1.43,66    
4 4 19 Toric Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Holman “Les” Blackburn, GB
 2993 V6 +2500 20 laps, 36.17,26 7      
5 1 49 KWS Autotechnik Team
Ford Escort II RS 2000		 Hartmut Bauer, D
 1993 L4 2500 19 laps, 35.38,99     1.51,04  
6 1 65  
VW Golf GTI		 Thierry Tassin, B
 1588 L4 1600 19 laps, 35.50,26        
7 2 52 Way Valley Racing / Bradshaw Plant Hire
Toyota Celica GT		 Win Percy, GB
 1588 L4 1600       1.51,79  
8 3 66  
Audi 80 GTE		 Alfons Hohenester, D
 1588 L4 1600          
9 2   London Sportscar Centre
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300		 Alan Foster, GB
 2279 L4 2500          
10 4 52 Way Valley Racing / Bradshaw Plant Hire
Toyota Celica GT		 Martin Brundle, GB
 1588 L4 1600          
11 1 75 Patrick Motorsport
Mini 1275 GT		 Richard Longman, GB
 1275 L4 1300 18 laps, 35.00,70     1.53,87  
  2 95 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Rex Greenslade, GB
 1286 B4 1300          
  3 83 Haribo Lakritzen Racing Team
Simca Rallye 3		 Hans "Ali" Frensch, D
 1294 L4 1300          
  4 75 Patrick Motorsport
Mini 1275 GT		 Tom Pitcher, GB
 1275 L4 1300          
    17 Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Chris Craft, GB
 2993 V6 +2500   5     fuel feed
DNF   25 Fabergé Racing Ford Castrol
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Stuart Graham, GB
 2993 V6 +2500   2 1.43,44   CV joint
DNS   20 Triplex Safety Glass
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Gerry Marshall, GB
 2993 V6 +2500   6     Withdrawn to conserve car for TT
DNS   23 Browne & Day
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Brian Muir, AUS
 2993 V6 +2500   8     Withdrawn to conserve car for TT