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British GP Support Race

Silverstone, Northampton, Great-Britain

Date: 18/7/1981
Track length: 4.719 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters: 35?
Finishers:

Pole position: Lovett in 1.39,32
Fastest lap: Muir in 1.1.41,03 = 168,13 kmh

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed: 165,28 kmh
Weather:
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1981 Cars

Pictures

"He'll have to make a good start," said one. "If he gets stuck behind a few cars, I can't see him winning," quipped another. "He's not a racer," added a third. So went the word on Friday evening regarding Peter Lovett's chances of a second Tricentrol win. Come Saturday morning and a hundred yards to the green light, things looked gloomy for Lovett's Rover when an overheated clutch baulked the change from second to third. Completing lap one in eighth position, our pessimistic trio nodded in self satisfaction at Lovett's plight and wrote him out of the starring role. Three laps later though, Lovett had recovered three places from chargers like Jonathan Buncombe, Win Percy and Andy Rouse, and what's more, had fixed his sights on the car in front, driven by Gordon Spice.
Lovett quickly and confidently engaged the 'Man' in battle, powering past into fourth when Spice's desperately driven Capri messed up the chicane on lap eight. What a revelation, and by now Lovett had been tentatively introduced to the reckoning for the lead which, having dealt with Vince Woodman and team-mate Jeff Allam, he deprived Brian Muir of on the fifteenth tour. And then he quickly pulled away and crossed the line in first place, as simply as that.
But there was still a chance that he could be forbidden the victor's accolades. The RAC penalised him 60 seconds for allegedly crossing the yellow penalty line at the chicane during an earlier, abortive attempt to pass Muir. Thankfully, the Observer at Woodcote came to his rescue and pointed out to the Stewards that he did NO such thing, and the moral winner became "yer actual winner too, mate!"
(MN)

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 10 TWR - Daily Express
Rover 3500 S 		Pete Lovett, GB
 3495 V8 A 20 laps, 34.15,46 1 1.39,32 1.41,23  
2 2 9 TWR - Daily Express
Rover 3500 S 		Jeff Allam, GB
 3495 V8 A 20 laps, 34.17,83 4 1.41,05 1.41,36  
3 3 6 CSH Racing with Esso and the Daily Mirror
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Andy Rouse, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 34.24,28 8 1.42,67 1.41,91  
4 1 20 Mazda Motorsport/TWR
Mazda RX-7		 Win Percy, GB
 2 x 573 R2 B 20 laps, 34.31,37 2 1.40,46 1.42,16  
5 4 14 Richard Grant Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Nick Whiting, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 34.38,02 10 1.43,12 1.42,33  
6 5 4 Equipe Esso VMW Motors
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Jonathan Buncombe, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 34.42,63 9 1.43,11 1.42,87  
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, 34.59,87 13 1.44,11 1.43,59 Started as reserve
8 7 2 Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Phil Martin-Dye, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 35.03,94 14 1.44,23 1.43,61 Fan belt
9 8 11  
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Graham Goode, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 35.10,42 11 1.43,82 1.43,72 Started as reserve
10 9 16 Richard Grant Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Mike Kimpton, GB
 2993 V6 A 20 laps, 35.19,20 16 1.45,68 1.43,96  
11 1 40 Hughes of Beaconsfield/Toyota GB
Toyota Celica ST		 Chris Hodgetts, GB
 1588 L4 C 20 laps, 35.47,05 15 1.45,44 1.46,26  
12 2 44 Morris Vulcan Ltd
VW Golf GTI		 John Morris, GB
 1588 L4 C 20 laps, 35.54,01 17 1.47,31 1.46,56  
13 3 56 The Colt Car Co Ltd
Mitsubishi Lancer GSR		 Barrie Williams, GB
 1597 L4 C 19 laps, 34.33,23 18 1.47,69 1.48,01  
14 4 57 The Colt Car Co Ltd
Mitsubishi Lancer GSR		 David Morgan, GB
 1597 L4 C 19 laps, 34.33,80 20 1.48,76 1.47,93  
15 10 7 Patrick Motorsport
Rover 3500 S 		Brian Muir, AUS
 3495 V8 A 19 laps, 34.42,98 3 1.40,82 1.41,03 Accident, pit stop
16 1 81 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Jon Dooley, GB
 1286 B4 D 19 laps, 35.42,76 22 1.51,07 1.51,49  
17 11 15 Track Marshall
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Chuck Nicholson, GB
 2993 V6 A 19 laps, 35.46,83 12 1.43,97 1.43,71  
18 2 77 Team Datapost Racing with Hepolite and Esso
Austin Metro 1300 HLS		 Richard Longman, GB
 1275 L4 D 19 laps, 35.53,61 26 1.51,97 1.51,31 Clutch
19 5 69 John Noyes Racing
VW Scirocco GTI		 Peter Buxtorf, CH
 1588 L4 C 18 laps, 34.20,33 30 1.53,51 1.52,82  
20 6 47 Demon Tweeks
VW Golf GTI		 Alan Minshaw, GB
 1588 L4 C 18 laps, 34.23,91 27 1.52,51 1.52,24  
21 3 83 Everest Double Glazing with Linden Racing
Austin Metro 1300 HLS		 Neil McGrath, GB
 1275 L4 D 18 laps, 34.35,95 24 1.51,67 1.51,23 Spin, brakes
22 7 43 Team BP Audi
Audi 80 GLE		 Stirling Moss, GB
 1588 L4 C 18 laps, 34.44,12 21 1.48,98 1.49,23  
23 4 72 Sigma
Austin Metro 1300 HLS		 Roger Saunders, GB
 1275 L4 D 18 laps, 34.51,57 35 1.55,39 1.54,56  
24 5 74 P.J. Green Racing
Mini 1275 GT		 Tim Goss, GB
 1275 L4 D 18 laps, 34.52,04 33 1.53,96 1.53,63  
25 6 70 Team Datapost Racing with Hepolite and Esso
Austin Metro 1300 HLS		 Alan Curnow, GB
 1275 L4 D 18 laps, 36.03,12 25 1.51,96 1.53,57  
26 12 3 Equipe Esso VMW Motors
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Vince Woodman, GB
 2993 V6 A 17 7 1.42,07 1.41,66 Accident damage
27 13 8 Patrick Motorsport
Rover 3500 S 		Rex Greenslade, GB
 3495 V8 A 17 laps, 34.19,14 6 1.41,83 1.42,21 Brakes
DNF   1 Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Gordon Spice, GB
 2993 V6 A 16 5 1.41,32 1.41,93 Accident
DNF 2? 29  
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 John Bishop, GB
 1998 L4 B 14 36 1.56,78 2.03,18  
DNF 3? 34  
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Terry Nightingale, GB
 1998 L4 B 14 23 1.51,33 1.52,97  
DNF   99 Haynes
Ford Fiesta 1.3		 David da Costa, GB
 1298 L4 D 13 28 1.53,27 1.52,78 Broken disc
DNF   51 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint		 Rob Kirby, GB
 1498 B4 C 13 29 1.53,48 1.52,95  
DNF   68 Stanfield and White
Talbot Sunbeam TI		 John Spiller, GB
 1598 L4 C 10 32 1.53,92 1.53,62  
DNF   27  
Ford Escort II RS 2000		 Mike Buckley, GB
 1993 L4 B   31 1.53,52 - Accident
DNF   86  
Ford Fiesta 1.3		 David Grimshaw, GB
 1298 L4 D   34 1.55,03 - Accident
DNF   42 Team BP Audi
Audi 80 GLE		 Martin Brundle, GB
 1588 L4 C 0? 19 1.47,73 - Gearbox
DNQ   26  
Toyota Celica		 James Burrows, GB
 1968 L4 B     2.41,78   Too slow
DNQ   48  
Toyota Celica LB		 Robin Carlisle, GB
 1588 L4 C     1.51,18   Reserve
DNQ   66  
VW Golf GTI		 Andy Driver, GB
 1588 L4 C     1.54,83   Reserve
DNQ   75 Janspeed Engineering Ltd.
Mini 1275 GT		 Jon Mowatt, GB
 1275 L4 D     1.55,16   Reserve