Pole position: Lovett in 1.27,59
Fastest lap: Allam in 1.28,79 = 153,72 kmh
Distance:
Average speed: 148,86 kmh
Weather: Overcast
Ruleset: Group A
Car info: 1983 Cars
Overcoming the handicap of a practice accident, Peter Lovett led last Monday's Trimoco Group A race at Thruxton (the fifth round in the series) from start to finish, thereby maintaining the works-backed TWR Rover team's 100% British Group A record. In the best race in the championship to date, albeit courtesy of some fine midfield battles, Lovett's team-mate Jeff Allam stormed through the field after a pit stop to take second, with Charles Sawyer-Hoare completing a Rover top three after a steady run. Andy Rouse took Pete Hall's Alfa GTV6 to a second consecutive class win in fourth place overall, while the smallest division fell to Alan Curnow's Escort RS1600i after some stirring racing in this section during the early laps. Tony Pond was again impressive in the MG Metro Turbo, finishing second in class, sixth overall after a superb battle with Hamish Irvine's Mazda RX7, which was only vanquished in the closing laps. The other top six finisher, one place ahead of Pond, was Graham Goode's Ford Capri. Sadly, the first signs of acrimony this year showed its head briefly during the day; firstly, when homologation paper hassles forced Team Toyota GB to scratch Win Percy's Celica Supra, and secondly when the RAC Technical Commission declared itself unhappy about the specification of certain cars after the race. Nonetheless, the Action on the track was proof that Group A can produce the sort of racing that spectators love; long may it continue to flourish in such a vein. (MN) |
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Touring Cars class A-C
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| 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 | - | 3 | Team Sanyo Racing with Esso Rover Vitesse |
Pete Lovett, GB |
3532 | V8 | A | 25 laps, 38.12,44 | 1 | 1.27,59 | 1.29,06 | Disq: Technical infringements |
| DSQ | - | 2 | Team Sanyo Racing with Esso Rover Vitesse |
Jeff Allam, GB |
3532 | V8 | A | 25 laps, 38.25,76 | 2 | 1.27,79 | 1.28,79 | Disq: Technical infringements; Pit stop (jammed throttle) |
| 3 | 3 | 10 | Equipe Esso / Daily Mirror Rover Vitesse |
Charles Sawyer-Hoare, GB |
3532 | V8 | A | 25 laps, 38.32,01 | 5 | 1.29,89 | 1.29,81 | |
| 4 | 1 | 34 | Industrial Control Services Ltd. Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6 |
Andy Rouse, GB |
2491 | V6 | B | 25 laps, 38.41,02 | 6 | 1.29,94 | 1.30,70 | |
| 5 | 4 | 12 | Graham Goode Racing Ford Capri III 3.0S |
Graham Goode, GB |
2993 | V6 | A | 25 laps, 38.49,70 | 9 | 1.31,81 | 1.31,05 | |
| 6 | 2 | 35 | Unipart with Daily Express MG Metro Turbo |
Tony Pond, GB |
1275 tc | L4 | B | 25 laps, 39.05,25 | 7 | 1.30,05 | 1.31,82 | |
| 7 | 3 | 30 | Mazda RX-7 |
Hamish Irvine, GB |
2 x 573 | R2 | B | 25 laps, 39.12,65 | 14 | 1.32,83 | 1.32,03 | |
| 8 | 1 | 66 | Royal Mail Datapost Ford Escort RS 1600i |
Alan Curnow, GB |
1598 | L4 | C | 25 laps, 39.25,29 | 10 | 1.32,31 | 1.32,98 | |
| 9 | 5 | 11 | GM Dealer Sport Opel Monza 3.0E |
Tony Lanfranchi, GB |
2998 | L6 | A | 25 laps, 38.26,74 | 4 | 1.29,64 | 1.31,58 | Pit stop (wheel) |
| 10 | 2 | 77 | Royal Mail Datapost Ford Escort RS 1600i |
Richard Longman, GB |
1598 | L4 | C | 25 laps, 39.32,76 | 12 | 1.32,34 | 1.32,91 | |
| 11 | 3 | 86 | Demon Tweeks Racing VW Golf GTI |
Alan Minshaw, GB |
1588 | L4 | C | 24 laps, 38.17,28 | 11 | 1.32,32 | 1.33,09 | |
| 12 | 4 | 69 | Brooklyn Motorsport Ford Escort RS 1600i |
Chris Hodgetts, GB |
1598 | L4 | C | 24 laps, 38.23,03 | 13 | 1.32,52 | 1.34,04 | |
| 13 | 5 | 78 | Unipart with Daily Express MG Metro |
Patrick Watts, GB |
1275 | L4 | C | 24 laps, 38.43,90 | 19 | 1.36,05 | 1.35,57 | |
| 14 | 6 | 74 | Ford Escort RS 1600i |
Lionel Abbott, GB |
1598 | L4 | C | 24 laps, 39.50,02 | 21 | 1.36,72 | 1.36,48 | |
| 15 | 7 | 67 | Ordibell UK Ltd. VW Golf GTI |
Alan Greenhalgh, GB |
1588 | L4 | C | 22 laps, 38.32,01 | 17 | 1.35,31 | 1.35,45 | Pit stop |
| DNF | 60 | Volkswagen Sport VW Scirocco GTI |
John Morris, GB |
1588 | L4 | C | 17 | 15 | 1.33,55 | 1.33,16 | Accident | |
| DNF | 9 | Burlington Wallcoverings Ltd. Ford Capri III 3.0S |
Mike Newman, GB |
2993 | V6 | A | 10 | 1.30,81 | ||||
| DNF | 72 | LLoyds of Stafford Ford Escort RS 1600i |
Rob Hall, GB |
1598 | L4 | C | 6 | 16 | 1.33,95 | 1.33,78 | Oil loss | |
| DNF | 64 | RZ Racing Toyota Corolla GT |
Tony Crudgington, GB |
1588 | L4 | C | 4 | 20 | 1.36,26 | 1.35,67 | Accident | |
| DNF | 31 | Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6 |
Jon Dooley, GB |
2491 | V6 | B | 4 | 8 | 1.30,76 | 1.31,13 | Bent rocker and valve | |
| DNF | 84 | Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team with Hampshires of Dorking Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti |
Andrew Thorpe, GB |
1498 | B4 | C | 1 | 18 | 1.35,81 | Spin, broken driveshaft | ||
| DNF | 83 | Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti |
Rob Kirby, GB |
1498 | B4 | C | 1 | 22 | no real time | Misfire | ||
| DNF | 6 | Rover Vitesse |
Dennis Leech, GB |
3532 | V8 | A | 3 | 1.29,42 | Gear linkage | |||
| DNS | 1 | Hughes of Beaconsfield/Toyota GB Toyota Celica Supra MA61 |
Win Percy, GB |
2759 | L6 | A | (8) | 1.30,29 | Homologation issues | |||