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Round 8 – August 2 1987, Snetterton
With WTCC action at Spa-Francorchamps Andy Rouse would be off to Belgium concentrating on just the Peter Hall entry on the British isles. Graham Goode was there as usual in his Sierra, while Mike Newman was back, his holiday over. Mike O’Brien and the Alan Docking team had had time for some much needed testing of the Holden Commodore sorting out both handling and carburators.
Also out testing was Tim Harvey and the John Maguire team, but suspected broken hub had sent Harvey hard into the barriers at Coram, seriously damaging the Rover Vitesse. The usual phalanx of Rover Vitesses was in place for Dennis Leech, Graham Scarborough, David Carvell and Brian Chatfield. Class B was somewhat depleted not unsurprisingly missing the totalled Alfa 75 of Rob Kirby, making Jon Dooley the only Alfa representative at Snetterton. With both Frank Sytner and Karl Jones giving the race a miss too it left Mark Hales and series debutant Lionel Wiffen in a second Terry Drury Escort as only starters. Things were even worse in class C as only Colin Pearcy and Roger Saunders were takers here, Pearcy featuring a genuine group A Roger Dowson engine. Class D was also affected by the 24 hour enduro at Spa as Tony Crudgington was off to Belgium, while Chris Hodgetts had entered both races. With only Geoff Kimber-Smith and Patrick Watts, the last one replacing Spa bound Phil Dowsett in the Julian May Escort, class D was down to just three.
Grid:
1.Mike O'Brien, 1:11.23 – class A pole
2.Dennis Leech, 1:11.54
3.David Carvell, 1:11.61
4.Pete Hall, 1:11.64
5.Graham Goode, 1:11.91
6.Graham Scarborough, 1:11.92
7.Mike Newman, 1:12.23
8.Brian Chatfield, 1:12.77
9.Tim Harvey, 1:12.92
10.Chris Hodgetts, 1:14.30 – class D pole
11.Mark Hales, 1:14.81 – class B pole
12.Colin Pearcy, 1:15.05 – class C pole
13.unknown, unknown time – unknown class
14.Geoff Kimber-Smith, 1:15.54
15.Patrick Watts, 1:16.19
16.Roger Saunders, 1:16.49 – DNS/engine
17.Jon Dooley, 1:16.65
18.Lionel Wiffen, 1:22.31
Mike O’Brien was fastest in the Holden heading the Vitesses of Dennis Leech and an on form David Carvell. Peter Hall won the Ford Sierra contest from Graham Goode in forth, with Graham Scarborough, Mike Newman, Brian Chatfield and the bend Vitesse of Tim Harvey in a lowly ninth. Chris Hodgetts was best of the rest ahead of Mark Hales, while Colin Pearcy headed class C.
Dennis Leech would make it to the front from the start leading Mike O’Brien who would reassert himself in the lead come lap two. That was when things became academic with Roger Saunders having landed his Renault 5 on its lid after a broken front hub. With the race stopped for clearing of the remains, the race was restarted over 18 laps, once again with Dennis Leech taking the lead. Mike O’Brien and David Carvell was close behind, while Peter Hall left Graham Goode in the battle for forth eventually making it four some scrap for the lead. Leech looked in command from Carvell but on the 14th lap Mike O’Brien powered past Carvell and a lap later he pressed ahead of Leech at the Esses. Now Leech had started to look a little vulnerable making a very untidy exit at Sear on the final lap allowing David Carvell and Peter Hall through. Graham Goode was fifth from final class A finisher Mike Newman. No less than three Rovers were sidelined well before the finish with Tim Harvey being the first. Up to seventh on lap 3 he felt a vibration from the front left wheel and decided to retire to the pits while Graham Scarborough lasted a lap longer before a bearing in the engine let go. Finally Brian Chatfield had to park his Vitesse with a broken differential mid way through.
Chris Hodgetts and Geoff Kimber-Smith slugged it out all through the race with GK-S setting the fastest lap, but Hodgetts once again coming out on top. Patrick Watts did his curb jumping best in the North Essex Racing Escort but could do no better than third in class to finish 10 overall. Jon Dooley was once again in fine form winning for the second time in succession helped greatly it has to be said by Mark Hales breaking a bearing in the Escort engine. This left his debuting Terry Drury team mate Lionel Wiffen taking an undisputed second in class B. Lonely class C runner Colin Pearcy would take 12th and last.
Results:
1./ #7 / Mike O'Brien / Docking / A / Holden Commodore VK / 18 laps / 21m41.27s – fastest class A lap, shared with Hall
2./ #5 / David Carvell / Potter / A / Rover Vitesse / 18 laps / 21m42.00s
3./ #2 / Pete Hall / Rouse / A / Ford Sierra RS Cosworth / 18 laps / 21m42.68s – fastest class A lap, shared with O'Brien
4./ #4 / Dennis Leech / Leech / A / Rover Vitesse / 18 laps / 21m43.00s
5./ #6 / Graham Goode / Goode / A / Ford Sierra RS Cosworth / 18 laps / 22m02.55s
6./ #10 / Mike Newman / Newman / A / BMW 635CSi / 18 laps / 22m11.46s
7./ #66 / Chris Hodgetts / Hodgetts / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 18 laps / 22m41.29s
8./ #71 / Geoff Kimber-Smith / Kimber-Smith / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 18 laps / 22m41.65s – fastest class D lap
9./ #31 / Jon Dooley / ARDT / B / Alfa Romeo 75 TE / 17 laps
10./ #? / Patrick Watts / May / D / Ford Escort RS1600i / 17 laps
11./ #? / Lionel Wiffen / Drury / B / Ford Escort RS Turbo / 17 laps
12./ #55 / Colin Pearcy / Pearcy / C / MG Metro Turbo / 16 laps – fastest class C lap
DNFs
#? / Brian Chatfield / Chatfield / A / Rover Vitesse / 9 laps / Differential
#3 / Graham Scarborough / unknown / A / Rover Vitesse / 4 laps / bearing
#38 / Mark Hales / Drury / B / Ford Escort RS Turbo / 3 laps / bearing – fastest class B lap
#8 / Tim Harvey / Maguire / A / Rover Vitesse / 3 laps / vibration
DNF/DNS?
#? / unknown
DNS
#45 / Roger Saunders / Saunders / C / Renault 5 GT Turbo / accident
Jesper
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