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Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch International Circuit, Kent, Great-Britain

Date: 28/8/1978
Track length: 4.206 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters:
Finishers:

Pole position: Muir
Fastest lap: Spice in 1.43,25 = 146,66 kmh

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed: 144,74 kmh
Weather:
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1978 Cars

 

At the start of the day Richard Lloyd and Tony Dron were tying for the championship lead, but the VW Golf driver, who had to curtail practice because of a shortage of Dunlop tyres, was robbed of the chance of adding to his score when a fuel line parted company from the pump during the warm-up lap, rendering the VW a non-starter. Not that Dron's Dolomite had it all easy. For the early stages the works Dolomite driver had his work cut out keeping Fitzpatrick's similar car and Barrie Williams' Firenza at bay before a puncture caused him to pit. Dron was back in the fray barely three laps longer with a new wheel when the throttle linkage at the carburettors broke-up, and only after it had been reassembled did he finally take a fourth in class and fastest lap - enough to take a clear lead in the championship.
Win Percy, who had practised faster than Lloyd, took the 1600 cc class, while Richard Longman kept pace in the championship stakes by taking the baby division in the Mini, although only after a very strong challenge from Rex Greenslade's Alfasud disappeared when the Italian car lost its water.
But what about those Capris? It was Jeff Allam, saloon winner last time out on the Grand Prix circuit, who led poleman Brian Muir away, but once 'Yogi' had gone to the fore it was Gordon Spice who was to take up the chase.
For lap after lap the twin blue and red Capris roared round and round in a dice that had the crowd on their feet by the end. The only swapping done, however, was a trace of paint during a rather close moment, Muir taking the flag by a length from Spice, with Allam a lonely third and Dave Brodie fourth. Neither Andy Rouse nor Stuart Graham featured, a start-line collision between the two resulting in costly punctures midway through the event, while the best the two BMWs could manage was a seventh place for Rad Dougall, Tom Walkinshaw retiring the Pentax car with gear linkage problems.

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   Browne & Day
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Brian Muir, AUS
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 34.52,28 1      
2 2   Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Gordon Spice, GB
 2993 V6 D 20     1.43,25  
3 3   BP/Nu Luxe Foam
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Jeff Allam, GB
 2993 V6 D 20        
4 4    
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Dave Brodie, GB
 2993 V6 D 20        
5 5   Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Chris Craft, GB
 2993 V6 D 20        
6 6   Esso Uniflo
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Vince Woodman, GB
 2993 V6 D 20        
7 7   The Toleman Group
BMW 530i		 Rad Dougall, ZA
 2985 L6 D 20        
  1    
Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300		 Barrie Williams, GB
 2279 L4 C 20 laps, 36.29,51        
  2    
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV		 Jon Dooley, GB
 1962 L4 C 20        
  3    
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Tim Goss, GB
 1998 L4 C 20        
  4   Leyland
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Tony Dron, GB
 1998 L4 C 20     1.45,29 Puncture, throttle cable
  1   Way Valley Racing / Bradshaw Plant Hire
Toyota Celica GT		 Win Percy, GB
 1588 L4 B 19 laps, 34.57,54 (1)   1.49,54  
  2    
Toyota Celica GT		 Martin Brundle, GB
 1588 L4 B 19        
  3    
VW Golf GTI		 Martin Grant-Peterkin, GB
 1588 L4 B 19        
  1   Patrick Motorsport
Mini 1275 GT		 Richard Longman, GB
 1275 L4 A 19 laps, time unknown     1.51,48  
  2    
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Malcolm Wayne, GB
 1286 B4 A 19        
  3    
Alfa Romeo 1300 GT Junior		 John Myerscough, GB
 1290 L4 A 19        
      Hermetite Products
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 John Fitzpatrick, GB
 1998 L4 C          
      Carrier Properties
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Andy Rouse, GB
 2993 V6 D         Puncture
      FabergĂ© Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Stuart Graham, GB
 2993 V6 D         Puncture
DNF     Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Rex Greenslade, GB
 1286 B4 A         Water loss
DNF     BMW (GB)
BMW 530i		 Tom Walkinshaw, GB
 2985 L6 D         Gear linkage
DNS     Richard Lloyd Racing Ltd.
VW Golf GTI		 Richard Lloyd, GB
 1588 L4 B         Fuel line (warm up lap)