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Silverstone

Silverstone Club circuit, Northampton, Great-Britain

Date: 28/5/1979
Track length: 2.588 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters:
Finishers:

Pole position: Spice in 1.03,07
Fastest lap: Walkinshaw in 1.04,46 = 144,52 kmh

Distance: 25 laps
Average speed: 140,25 kmh
Weather:
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1979 Cars

Pictures

Jeff Allam was the star of the Tricentrol race right from the word go. The young Surrey driver on the third row, remember, kept the revs at 3000 instead of his usual 5000, and with a perfect launch headed for the outside of Copse, while the other Capris all dived for the inside line. Brilliantly, Allam was first into the bend!
As the field started to string out further, it soon became clear that Walkinshaw's Mazda was the fastest thing on the track. It was eighth on the completion of lap one, seventh the following lap, then sixth, fifth. Just as it appeared that he would challenge Buncombe for fourth, Walkinshaw overdid it at Woodcote, half spinning and dropping back behind Muir.
Yogi, in fact was also driving an inspired race, and while the Mazda was picking up the pieces, he rapidly demoted both Buncombe and Spice. Then Muir's third place became second on lap fifteen, as Graham dramatically lost his close runner-up spot with a broken half shaft, which sent a wheel flying off!
Allam, who had refused to be ruffled by Graham's presence, couldn't relax though, for Muir was getting ever closer, and Walkinshaw was in turn reeling 'Yogi' in, despite having to hold the car in top.
It was Muir that Allam had to fear most and on the final corner the experienced Australian made a last desperate bid for the lead, taking the inside line and leaving his braking, oh so late...
The Brown and Day Capri slid helplessly sideways, and hurtled off the track, almost collecting Allam's AMS car in the process! Then, with a ferocious thud, the silver-haired veteran’s machine thumped the bank...
Behind the cool Allam came Walkinshaw's storming Mazda. Third fell to Spice, the class points leader running soft wet settings but dry tires, as did teammate Craft, who finished fifth behind Buncombe.
Rex Greenslade took second in class to the Mazda, though well behind in eighth place overall, having been shadowed by teammate Marshall for much of the race. The 1600 cc class, surprisingly fell to Percy, who gradually reeled in and then passed Lloyd: "From now on I can do it!" exclaimed the West Countryman, having at last soundly beaten his arch rival, who it must be admitted, perhaps wrongly ran intermediates. Longman took the tiddler class from a hard trying Curnow.
(Motoring News)

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 11 Allam Motor Services racing with BP
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Jeff Allam, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 22.08,53 8      
2 1 33 TWR Pentax
Mazda RX-7		 Tom Walkinshaw, GB
 2 x 573 R2 C 20 laps, 22.09,53 15 1.07,69 (w) 1.04,46  
3 2   Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Gordon Spice, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 22.16,73 1 1.03,07    
4 3   Esso Uniflo
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Jonathan Buncombe, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 22.18,14 5      
5 4   Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Chris Craft, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 22.32,52 6      
6 5 3 Esso Uniflo
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Vince Woodman, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 22.36,00 3      
7 6   Voxson Car Sound Systems
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Gordon Bruce, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 22.37,41 12      
8 2   Team Triplex with Esso and Motor
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Rex Greenslade, GB
 1998 L4 C 20 laps, 22.46,54 9      
9 3   Team Triplex with Esso and Motor
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Gerry Marshall, GB
 1998 L4 C 20 laps, 22.48,32 11      
10 7   Aquabatten
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Colin Vandervell, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 23.25,61 7      
11 4    
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300		 Derrick Brunt, GB
 2279 L4 C 19 laps, 22.09,31 14      
12 5   Stratstone
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Tim Goss, GB
 1998 L4 C 19 laps, 22.13,91 13      
13 6    
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300		 Barrie Williams, GB
 2279 L4 C 19 laps, 22.17,71 10      
14 1   Team Toyota Hughes of Beaconsfield
Toyota Celica GT		 Win Percy, GB
 1588 L4 B 19 laps, 22.26,64 20   1.08,59  
15 2   The Akai Golf
VW Golf GTI		 Richard Lloyd, GB
 1588 L4 B 19 laps, 22.35,11 18      
16 7 15?  
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Roger Saunders, GB
 1998 L4 C 19 laps, 22.44,21 17      
17 3   Team Toyota Hughes of Beaconsfield
Toyota Celica GT		 Alec Poole, IRL
 1588 L4 B 19 laps, 23.00,86 21      
18 1   Patrick Motorsport
Mini 1275 GT		 Richard Longman, GB
 1275 L4 A 19 laps, 23.01,56     1.11,01  
19 2   Datapost
Mini 1275 GT		 Alan Curnow, GB
 1275 L4 A 19 laps, 23.04,66        
20 4    
VW Golf GTI		 Louis Parsons, GB
 1588 L4 B 19 laps, 23.07,62        
21 5    
Talbot Avenger 1600 GT		 Terry Watts, GB
 1594 L4 B          
22 3    
Mini 1275 GT		 Jon Mowatt, GB
 1275 L4 A          
23 4   Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Jon Dooley, GB
 1286 B4 A          
24 5    
Chrysler Avenger 1300 GT		 John Spiller, GB
 1295 L4 A          
25 8    
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300		 Alan Foster, GB
 2279 L4 C          
DNF   10 Browne & Day
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Brian Muir, AUS
 2993 V6 D   4   1.04,78 Accident
DNF     FabergĂ© Racing Lee Jeans
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Stuart Graham, GB
 2993 V6 D   2     Half shaft
DNF      
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Tony Strawson, GB
 1998 L4 C   16      
DNF     Demon Tweeks
VW Scirocco GTI		 Alan Minshaw, GB
 1588 L4 B   19