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Oulton Park

Oulton Park, Cheshire, Great-Britain

Date: 13/4/1979
Track length: 2.662 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters:
Finishers:

Pole position: Spice (race 1); Lloyd (race 2)
Fastest lap: Craft in 1.09,47 (race 1); Percy in 1.13,43 (race 2)

Distance: 25 laps
Average speed: 136,17 kmh (race 1); 127,94 kmh (race 2)
Weather:
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1979 Cars

Pictures

Another time, there was rumor about the rules. Walkinshaw’s Mazda was asked to have its mounting points for the anti roll bar moved back to the original suspension - but this was a modification all Capris used for over a year, so they had to be changed likewise. Worst of all, not everybody in the field was informed - and that would cost them dear.

Race 1
Stuart Graham, fresh from his County Championship success, made a superb start to lead away from Allam and the rest, but the BP driver was only on his tail for a short while, getting pushed onto the grass at Old Hall and dropping a fair few places. As they rounded the first lap, it was the two red Spice cars in hot pursuit of Graham's Faberge/Lee backed machine, then Woodman holding off the Triplex Dollies, while the ear-shattering Mazda trailed Allam in eighth place.
It took Allam just two laps to fight back up to fifth, behind his fellow Capri drivers, and once Spice had warmed his tires sufficiently to drive past Graham at Old Hall, the race up front became a Ford procession.
Down in the smaller capacity class Walkinshaw forced his way past the Dolomites to claim his expected class win, though Greenslade gave stern chase only to be disqualified for an illegal anti-roll bar mount! Marshall dropped back with a broken seat belt; he was having to fight to stay in the seat, let alone in control, at each corner! Williams claimed fourth in class, shadowed by Brunt's improved Magnum, while Goss' challenge to Saunders faded with a broken exhaust.

Race 2
Win Percy was magnificent, comfortably leading for lap after lap, until, with just half a tour to run, tragedy struck. The Toyota put a rod through the block, and a surprised Lloyd took the flag! However the Golf was disqualified at post race scrutineering. Yes, you guessed it, he was running the same type of anti-roll bar mounting as the Capris and Mazda had been forced to remove!
John Morris thus inherited the class, Minshaw having retired midway through the race with a blown head gasket. Longman, winner of the tiddler class, enjoyed something of a lucky success, too, for dicing with Curnow the pair hit Percy's oil. Longman kept it all together, while poor Curnow slammed the barriers head on. Second in class went to Pitcher after a superb race long duel with Mowatt.

(Motoring News)

Touring Cars class C-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   Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Gordon Spice, GB
 2993 V6 D 25 laps, 29.19,32 1      
2 2   Fabergé Racing Lee Jeans
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Stuart Graham, GB
 2993 V6 D 25 2      
3 3   Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Chris Craft, GB
 2993 V6 D 25 4   1.09,47  
4 4   Esso Uniflo
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Vince Woodman, GB
 2993 V6 D 25 5?      
5 5   Allam Motor Services racing with BP
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Jeff Allam, GB
 2993 V6 D 25 3      
6 1   TWR Pentax
Mazda RX-7		 Tom Walkinshaw, GB
 2 x 573 R2 C 25 laps, 30.07,44 6   1.11,15  
DSQ     Team Triplex with Esso and Motor
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Rex Greenslade, GB
 1998 L4 C 25 7     Illegal rear anti-roll bar mount
8 2   Team Triplex with Esso and Motor
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Gerry Marshall, GB
 1998 L4 C 25 8     Broken seat belt
9 3 26 London Sportscar Centre
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300		 Barrie Williams, GB
 2279 L4 C 25 9      
10 4    
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300		 Derrick Brunt, GB
 2279 L4 C   12      
  5? 25 Team Wadham Stringer
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Roger Saunders, GB
 1998 L4 C   11      
  6   Stratstone
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Tim Goss, GB
 1998 L4 C   10     Broken exhaust

Touring Cars class A-B
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
DSQ     The Akai Golf
VW Golf GTI		 Richard Lloyd, GB
 1588 L4 B 25 laps 1     Illegal anti roll bar mounting
1 1    
VW Scirocco GTI		 John Morris, GB
 1588 L4 B 25 laps, 31.39,6 5      
2 1 60 Patrick Motorsport
Mini 1275 GT		 Richard Longman, GB
 1275 L4 A 25 laps, 31.42,25 4   1.15,06  
3 2    
VW Golf GTI		 Louis Parsons, GB
 1588 L4 B 25        
4 3    
Chrysler Avenger		 Terry Watts, GB
 1594 L4 B 25        
5 2    
Mini 1275 GT		 Tom Pitcher, GB
 1275 L4 A 25        
6 3    
Mini 1275 GT		 Jon Mowatt, GB
 1275 L4 A 25        
7 4   Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Jon Dooley, GB
 1286 B4 A          
DNF     Datapost
Mini 1275 GT		 Alan Curnow, GB
 1275 L4 A 24     1.14,70 Accident
DNF     Team Toyota Hughes of Beaconsfield
Toyota Celica GT		 Win Percy, GB
 1588 L4 B 24 2   1.13,43 Blown engine
DNF     Demon Tweeks
VW Scirocco GTI		 Alan Minshaw, GB
 1588 L4 B ca. 12 3     Head gasket