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III. Donington 50.000 / The Howitt Printing European Formula 2 Meeting

Donington Park National Circuit, Derby, Great-Britain

Date: 16/8/1981
Track length: 3.149 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters: 19 (race 1); 23 (race 2)
Finishers: 14 (race 1);

Pole position: Percy in 1.20,81 (race 1); Hodgetts in 1.23,59 (race 2)
Fastest lap: Percy in 1.21,63 (race 1); Hodgetts in 1.24,70 (race 2)

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed: 135,99 kmh (race 1); 131,08 kmh (race 2)
Weather:
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1981 Cars

 

Two typically dramatic Tricentrol Gp1 races featured on Donington's supporting bill to the F2 race, with Chris Hodgetts' Toyota Celica and the Mazda RX7 of Win Percy taking the laurels. The first race which started just after midday, was for up to 1600cc cars and apart from the way in which Hodgetts and second placed man John Morris, in the VW Golf GTi, stormed off into the distance, was notable for the hectic duel for third between Martin Brundle, Dave Morgan and Barrie Williams. Brundle's Audi led the two Colts for much of the race showing encouraging signs of reliability, but unfortunately he made heavy contact with Williams on the penultimate lap which delayed them both and allowed Morgan to slip through. Class D for 1.3-litre cars was won for the first time by the works Metro of Richard Longman who drove a lonely race for the most part until caught by Datapost team mate Alan Curnow.

The "big" class event took place immediately after the tedious F2 race and unfortunately comprised much bumping and boring throughout the field. From the first lap heave-ho, Win Percy and the Rover of Jeff Allam emerged at the front, the two TWR cars pulling away from the rest until Allam shot off the track when a front tyre punctured. That left team mate Peter Lovett in second. Andy Rouse's Capri fended off the attentions of Brian Muir's Rover for third, with Gordon Spice ready to pick up the pieces. Nick Whiting, after qualifying as fastest Capri, couldn't keep up in the race and fell back to sixth place. As some consolation, Allam set a new class lap record but even that got scant respect from Percy who left the new Tricentrol record at 1.21.63
(MN)

Race 12: 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
1 1 20 Mazda Motorsport/TWR
Mazda RX-7		 Win Percy, GB
 2 x 573 R2 B 20 laps, 27.47,75 1 1.20,81 1.21,63  
2 1 10 TWR - Daily Express
Rover 3500 S 		Pete Lovett, GB
 3495 V8 A 20 laps, 27.53,12 3   1.22,83  
3 2 6 CSH Racing with Esso and the Daily Mirror
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Andy Rouse, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 27.55,82 6   1.22,74  
4 3 7 Patrick Motorsport with Duckhams Oil/ICI Petrol
Rover 3500 S 		Brian Muir, AUS
 3495 V8 A 20 laps, 27.56,26 4   1.22,89  
5 4 1 Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Gordon Spice, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 27.56,70 8   1.22,41  
6 5 14 Richard Grant Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Nick Whiting, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 28.04,42 5 1.22,13 1.22,97  
7 6 5 CSH Racing with Esso and the Daily Mirror
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Charles Sawyer-Hoare, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 28.22,93 13   1.24,44  
8 2 24  
Mazda RX-7		 Chuck Nicholson, GB
 2 x 573 R2 B 20 laps, 28.25,88 12   1.23,83  
9 7 11 Bestmoor Silencers
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Graham Goode, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 28.37,92 10   1.24,52  
10 8 2 Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Phil Martin-Dye, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 28.51,67 15   1.24,77  
11 9 15 Track Marshall Ltd.
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Tony Sugden, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 28.53,66 14   1.25,39  
12 10 19 Carroll Shelby
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Wayne Wainwright, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 28.53,67 11 1.23,38 1.25,20  
13 11 13  
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Dennis Leech, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 28.54,27 16   1.24,86  
14 3 35 Motovatin (Scotland)
Talbot Avenger		 Ian Stirling, GB
 1964 L4 B 18 laps, 29.19,45 19   1.34,55  
DNF   16 Richard Grant Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Mike Kimpton, GB
 2993 V6 A 18 17   1.27,38 Accident
DNF   26 Park West Motorsd and Supreme Carpets
Toyota Celica 2000 LB		 James Burrows, GB
 1968 L4 B 16 20   1.34,59 Clutch
DNF   9 TWR - Daily Express
Rover 3500 S 		Jeff Allam, GB
 3495 V8 A 7 2 1.21,27 1.22,04 Puncture, accident
DNF   3 Equipe Esso / Daily Mirror
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Vince Woodman, GB
 2993 V6 A 1 9   1.30,70 Accident
DNF   8 Patrick Motorsport with Duckhams Oil/ICI Petrol
Rover 3500 S 		Rex Greenslade, GB
 3495 V8 A 1 7   1.40,90 Accident
DNS   34 Team Stratstone Racing with Toltec
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Terry Nightingale, GB
 1998 L4 B   18      

Race 8: 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 40 Hughes of Beaconsfield/Toyota GB
Toyota Celica ST		 Chris Hodgetts, GB
 1588 L4 C 20 laps, 28.50,22 1 1.23,59 1.24,70  
2 2 44 Morris Vulcan Ltd
VW Golf GTI		 John Morris, GB
 1588 L4 C 20 laps, 28.54,80 2 ca. 1.25,1 1.24,99  
3 3 57 The Colt Car Co Ltd
Mitsubishi Lancer GSR		 David Morgan, GB
 1597 L4 C 20 laps, 29.08,81 4   1.26,50  
4 4 42 Team BP Audi
Audi 80 GLE		 Martin Brundle, GB
 1588 L4 C 20 laps, 29.16,20 3 1.25,71 1.25,79 Gear selection
5 5 56 The Colt Car Co Ltd
Mitsubishi Lancer GSR		 Barrie Williams, GB
 1597 L4 C 20 laps, 29.21,58 5   1.25,91  
6 1 77 Team Datapost Racing with Hepolite and Esso
Austin Metro 1300 HLS		 Richard Longman, GB
 1275 L4 D 20 laps, 29.48,34 9   1.27,98  
7 2 70 Team Datapost Racing with Hepolite and Esso
Austin Metro 1300 HLS		 Alan Curnow, GB
 1275 L4 D 20 laps, 29.48,77 7   1.28,04  
8 3 83 Everest Double Glazing with Linden Racing & Patrick Motorsport
Austin Metro 1300 HLS		 Neil McGrath, GB
 1275 L4 D 20 laps, 29.49,56 10   1.27,59  
9 6 43 Team BP Audi
Audi 80 GLE		 Stirling Moss, GB
 1588 L4 C 20 laps, 29.57,53 8 1.27,38 1.28,06  
10 4 81 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Jon Dooley, GB
 1286 B4 D 20 laps, 30.11,62 11   1.28,41 Wheel bearing
11 5 72 Team Wadham Stringer / Castrol
Austin Metro 1300 HLS		 Roger Saunders, GB
 1275 L4 D 20 laps, 30.16,71 15   1.29,12  
12 7 52 Ravensbridge Racing
VW Scirocco GTI		 Bill Postins, GB
 1588 L4 C 20 laps, 30.21,91 12 1.28,95 1.28,81  
13 8 51 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint		 Rob Kirby, GB
 1498 B4 C 19 laps, 28.55,34 17   1.29,91  
14 9 67 K&S Platt (Talbot Main Dealer)
Talbot Sunbeam TI		 Terry Watts, GB
 1598 L4 C 19 laps, 29.28,08 21   1.30,83  
15 10 50  
Toyota Celica GT		 John Tait, GB
 1588 L4 C 19 laps, 29.51,62 23   1.31,94  
16 6 82  
Simca Rallye 3		 François Hamon, F
 1294 L4 D 18 laps, 29.23,36 22   1.35,71  
17 7 74 P.J. Green Racing
Mini 1275 GT		 Tim Goss, GB
 1275 L4 D 18 laps, 29.50,04 16 1.30,40 1.30,98  
DNF   68 Stanfield and White
Talbot Sunbeam TI		 John Spiller, GB
 1598 L4 C 12 14   1.28,71  
DNF   69 John Noyes Racing
VW Scirocco GTI		 Peter Buxtorf, CH
 1588 L4 C 11 19   1.31,02 Blown engine
DNF   48 David Earle Associates/Hughes of Beaconsfield
Toyota Celica LB		 Robin Carlisle, GB
 1588 L4 C 10 20   1.31,97 Accident
DNF   41 Hughes of Beaconsfield/Toyota GB
Toyota Corolla GT		 Jonathan Buncombe, GB
 1588 L4 C 10 6   1.26,40 Puncture
DNF   85 Julian May Racing/Endeavour Motor Co.
Ford Fiesta 1.3		 David Grimshaw, GB
 1298 L4 D   18   no time Accident
DNS   86 Julian May Racing/Endeavour Motor Co.
Ford Fiesta 1.3		 Julian May, GB
 1298 L4 D   24      
DNS   47 Demon Tweeks
VW Golf GTI		 Alan Minshaw, GB
 1588 L4 C   13 1.29,09