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1983 Oulton Park 
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P&O Ferries Formula 2 International

Thruxton, Great-Britain

Date: 4/4/1983
Track length: 3.791 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters: 20
Finishers:

Pole position: Soper
Fastest lap: Soper in 1.28,18 = 154,80 kmh

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed: 149,0 kmh
Weather: Sunny, cold track
Ruleset: Group A
Car info: 1983 Cars

 

The very fact that, despite having won a race apiece, the three TWR Rover Vitesse drivers now head the overall championship points table, gives some clue as to the state of the British Saloon Car Championship. While the other runners sort their steeds, the Rover steamroller is in a class of its own.
With Soper taking Silverstone and Allam winning at Oulton, it was only fair that Peter Lovett should have his turn at the champagne at Thruxton. Stage-managed? Put it like this, Allam had a healthy 5s lead over Lovett with three laps to go and there was nothing wrong with his car...
Thruxton wasn't quite the TWR walkover it could have been, though. Steve Soper, on pole for the third race running, ran into tyre trouble early in the race and missed a lap in the pits. He returned in 20th and last place, carving his way through the field to finish seventh overall, taking the fastest lap.
Once again Jon Dooley was Class B only to score six points as the class can muster just three starters, while in the smallest class there were all sorts of upsets as the Escorts and John Morris' Scirocco failed, leaving Alan Greenhalgh to pick up the laurels in his VW Golf. The smallest class put on the best show. The middle class desperately needs more entries and the top class needs opposition to the Rovers if the spectacle is going to return. (MN)

Touring Cars class A-C
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 1 3 Team Sanyo Racing with Esso
Rover Vitesse		 Pete Lovett, GB
 3532 V8 A 20 laps, 30.31,85 2 1.27,16 1.29,39 Disq: Technical infringements
DSQ - 2 Team Sanyo Racing with Esso
Rover Vitesse		 Jeff Allam, GB
 3532 V8 A 20 laps, 30.32,04 3 1.27,29 1.28,59 Disq: Technical infringements
3 3 10 Equipe Esso / Daily Mirror
Rover Vitesse		 Charles Sawyer-Hoare, GB
 3532 V8 A 20 laps, 31.06,57 4 1.30,78 1.29,83  
4 1 31 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6		 Jon Dooley, GB
 2491 V6 B 20 laps, 31.12,56 5 1.31,69 1.31,68  
5 2 30  
Mazda RX-7		 Hamish Irvine, GB
 2 x 573 R2 B 20 laps, 31.17,92 6 1.32,48 1.31,65  
6 4 11 GM Dealer Sport
Opel Monza 3.0E		 Tony Lanfranchi, GB
 2998 L6 A 20 laps, 31.25,75 18 1.37,29 1.33,08  
DSQ 5 4 Hepolite Glacier Racing with Esso
Rover Vitesse		 Steve Soper, GB
 3532 V8 A 20 laps, 31.32,95 1 1.27,10 1.28,18 Disq: Technical infringements; Pit stop (tire check)
8 3 34 Industrial Control Services Ltd.
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6		 Pete Hall, GB
 2491 V6 B 20 laps, 31.53,42 9 1.33,54 1.33,80  
9 1 67 Ordibell UK Ltd.
VW Golf GTI		 Alan Greenhalgh, GB
 1588 L4 C 19 laps, 30.39,88 13 1.35,74 1.34,79  
10 2 83 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Rob Kirby, GB
 1498 B4 C 19 laps, 30.41,65 14 1.35,74 1.35,59  
11 3 86 Demon Tweeks Racing
VW Golf GTI		 Alan Minshaw, GB
 1588 L4 C 19 laps, 30.55,61 12 1.35,17 1.34,62  
12 4 78 Unipart with Daily Express
MG Metro		 Patrick Watts, GB
 1275 L4 C 19 laps, 31.02,05 15 1.36,10 1.36,12  
13 5 69 Brooklyn Motorsport
Ford Escort RS 1600i		 Chris Hodgetts, GB
 1598 L4 C 19 laps, 31.25,91 16 1.36,90 1.36,98  
14 6 84 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team with Hampshires of Dorking
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Andrew Thorpe, GB
 1498 B4 C 19 laps, 32.06,04 17 1.37,02 1.39,17  
15 7 60 Volkswagen Sport
VW Scirocco GTI		 John Morris, GB
 1588 L4 C 18 laps, 30.52,96 10 1.33,62 1.34,39 Pit stop (tires)
16 8 77 Royal Mail Datapost
Ford Escort RS 1600i		 Richard Longman, GB
 1598 L4 C 18 laps, 31.49,48 7 1.32,64 1.34,31 Pit stop
DNF   74  
Ford Escort RS 1600i		 Lionel Abbott, GB
 1598 L4 C 18 19 1.37,79 1.39,15  
DNF   70 Julian May Racing
Ford Fiesta XR2		 Jock Robertson, GB
 1599 L4 C 14 20 1.38,14 1.36,40 Engine
DNF   72 LLoyds of Stafford
Ford Escort RS 1600i		 Rob Hall, GB
 1598 L4 C 6 11 1.34,62 1.37,57  
DNF   66 Royal Mail Datapost
Ford Escort RS 1600i		 Alan Curnow, GB
 1598 L4 C 5 8 1.33,44 1.34,68 Oil pressure
DNS   64 RZ Racing
Toyota Corolla GT		 Andy Driver, GB
 1588 L4 C   21 1.38,25