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1978 Oulton Park 
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Thruxton

Thruxton, Great-Britain

Date: 27/3/1978
Track length: 3.862 m
Attendance:
Entries accepted:
Starters: 24
Finishers:

Pole position:
Fastest lap: Graham in 1.30,71 = 150,47 kmh

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed: 148,49 kmh
Weather:
Ruleset: Group 1B
Car info: 1978 Cars

 

Gordon Spice broke away first at the fall of the Union Jack to lead away, with Tony Dron's Dolomite faltering slightly with ignition problems but the sensation of those early laps was Vince Woodman, who used all his circuit knowledge to take his Capri into second spot ahead of the battling Dolomites of Dron and Fitzpatrick - the latter soon to retire with suspension failure at the Complex.
By lap four, Stuart Graham was challenging Dron for third spot. A lap later and the Capri was past, and though Dron gave everything he had during the next few laps, the Capri was simply far and away the quicker car in the still slightly wet conditions, probably thanks to its wider tyres. Graham was soon pulling himself up to the two leaders, Spice and Woodman, passing the last named two laps later. However, Woodman wasn't giving up second so easily and he soon reasserted his authority. On lap 14 Jeff Allam reeled in Dron to make it a Capri dominated race.
So Spice scored his second victory of the holiday from Woodman, Graham, Allam and Dron. Early front-runner Chris Craft, who dropped to 11th after a contretemps on the second lap, would have been next up had oil problems not intervened on the penultimate lap. Barrie Williams (Dolomite) was therefore sixth and second in class (behind Dron), while the two smallest classes were taken by the two Richards, Lloyd and Longman respectively.


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   Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Gordon Spice, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 laps, 30.38,27 1 1.30,97    
2 2   Esso Uniflo
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Vince Woodman, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 6      
3 3   FabergĂ© Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Stuart Graham, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 5 1.32,35 1.30,71  
4 4   BP/Nu Luxe Foam
Ford Capri II 3.0S		 Jeff Allam, GB
 2993 V6 D 20 7      
5 1   Leyland
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Tony Dron, GB
 1998 L4 C 20 laps, 30.54,28 2 1.31,68 1.31,56  
6 2   Ian Bracey
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Barrie Williams, GB
 1998 L4 C          
  3    
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Pete Lovett, GB
 1998 L4 C          
  1   Richard Lloyd Racing Ltd.
VW Golf GTI		 Richard Lloyd, GB
 1588 L4 B 19 laps, 30.53,92 (1)   1.35,55  
  2    
Toyota Celica GT		 Martin Brundle, GB
 1588 L4 B 19 (2)      
  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, 31.46,88 (1)   1.38,91  
  2   Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti		 Rex Greenslade, GB
 1286 B4 A 19 (2)      
  3    
Mini 1275 GT		 Jim Burrows, GB
 1275 L4 A 19        
      Gordon Spice Racing
Ford Capri III 3.0S		 Chris Craft, GB
 2993 V6 D   3 1.32,13   Oil
       
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 Tim Goss, GB
 1998 L4 C          
      BMW (GB)
BMW 530i		 Andy Rouse, GB
 2985 L6 D   8     Tyres
      BMW (GB)
BMW 530i		 Norman Dickson, GB
 2985 L6 D         Tyres, engine
DNF     Hermetite Products
Triumph Dolomite Sprint		 John Fitzpatrick, GB
 1998 L4 C   4 1.32,14   Accident