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Brands Hatch Race of Champions Meeting

Brands Hatch International Circuit, Kent, Great-Britain

Date: 18/3/1973
Track length:
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters:
Finishers:

Pole position: Gardner in 1.38,4
Fastest lap: Gardner in 1.39,6

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed:
Weather:
Ruleset: Group 2/70
Car info: 1973 Cars

Pictures

Expected fireworks were largely lacking in the first round of the RAC British Saloon Car Championship, Frank Gardner powering the SCA Freight 7-litre Camaro to an easy win when teething problems robbed the new Broadspeed Capri of Dave Matthews and Brian Muir's BMW Concessionaires' 3.0 CSL of real challenging power. Instead it was left to the 2-litre alloy engined Escorts of Dave Brodie and Andy Rouse to make the running for second and third places, well out of contact with the flying Australian. Muir diced his way ahead of the Escorts for three laps, only to drop three places in a lurid spin at Paddock while trying to sort out the cogs in a one-gear-short box.

Gardner was obviously taking it comparatively easy in his safe first place, but showed the staggering potential of his extra 1.3-litres by breaking his own race record set at the Motor Show 200 with the 5.7-litre engine, covering the 20 laps at 93.32 mph and equalling Gerry Birrell's outright lap record of 1.39,6 set at the same October meeting with the works Capri RS.
The only surprise of the race was the retirement of reigning champion Bill McGovern, leaving Les Nash to win the 1000 cc class in the Champion's last season's Imp.
A delighted Vince Woodman took the 1300 cc class without difficulty, giving the 1300 BDA Escort an auspicious debut which could foreseeable culminate in Championship victory.

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
1 1 3 SCA European Road Services
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Frank Gardner, AUS
 7000 V8 D 20 laps, 34.04,5 1 1.38,4 1.39,6  
2 1   Norman Reeves Ltd.
Ford Escort RS 1600		 Dave Brodie, GB
 1996 L4 C 20 3 1.40,6 1.41,4  
3 2 21 VMW Motors - Team Esso Uniflo
Ford Escort RS 1600		 Andy Rouse, GB
 1996 L4 C 20 5 1.42,1    
4 2 6 Dealer Team BMW
BMW 3.0 CSL		 Brian Muir, AUS
 3003 L6 D 20 2 1.40,4   Gearbox
5 3   Altyres (Luton)
Chevrolet Camaro Z28		 Martin Thomas, GB
 5736 V8 D 20 7 1.45,4    
6 4 7 Lindrick Finance Racing with Broadspeed
Ford Capri RS 2600 LW		 Dave Matthews, GB
 2999 V6 D 20 4 1.41,7    
7 1 45 VMW Motors - Team Esso Uniflo
Ford Escort 1300 BDA		 Vince Woodman, GB
 1298 L4 B 19 8 1.47,0 1.47,4  
8 2    
BMC Mini Cooper S		 Jon Mowatt, GB
 1293 L4 B 19        
9 3    
BMC Mini Cooper S		 Paul Burt, GB
 1293 L4 B 19 9 1.50,4   1 minute penalty for a push start
10 4    
Ford Escort 1300 GT		 Oli Thatcher, GB
 1298 L4 B 18        
11 1 71 George Bevan
Sunbeam Imp		 Les Nash, GB
 998 L4 A 18        
12 5    
BMC Mini Cooper S		 Chris Parsons, GB
 1293 L4 B 18        
13 2   John Godfrey
Sunbeam Imp		 Ivor Goodwin, GB
 998 L4 A 18        
14 3    
Sunbeam Imp		 Adrian Webb, GB
 998 L4 A 18        
15 4    
Sunbeam Imp		 Melvyn Adams, GB
 998 L4 A 18        
       
BMC Mini Cooper		 Jeremy Bean, GB
 998 L4 A          
       
BMC Mini Cooper		 Jim Burrows, GB
 998 L4 A          
DNF      
Ford Escort RS 1600		 Roger Taylor, GB
 1700 L4 C         Oil pressure/ handling
DNF   1 George Bevan
Sunbeam Imp		 Bill McGovern, GB
 998 L4 A 5 10 1.51,5 1.50,3 Camshaft
DNF      
BMC Mini Cooper S		 Chris Montague, GB
 1293 L4 B         Water pipe
DNF      
Ford Escort 1300 BDA		 Gill Fortescue-Thomas, GB
 1298 L4 B   12?     Engine
DNS      
Ford Escort RS 1600		 Jonathan Buncombe, GB
 1850 L4 C   6 1.43,1   Electrics
DNS     Peter Vickers
BMC Mini Cooper S		 Alan Jones, GB
 1293 L4 B   11?     Valve timing