Round 4 of 13 of the 1989 Esso British Touring Car Championship held on Sunday May 7th 1989 over 1 hour of the 3.149 kms Donington Park National Circuit.
Grid consisting of the first five qualifiers in each class and that a class can only make up 40 % of the grid. Apparantly the National circuit was open to 30 cars meaning a maximum of 12 class A
from 14 being allowed to start at 4pm.
| Pos. | Cl. | # | Drivers | Team/sponsor | Cat. | Car | Grid | Time | Fastest lap | Laps | Time | Notes |
| 1. | 1. | 6 | Laurence Bristow/Tiff Needell | Rouse/Labatt's | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 6. | 1:14,21 | 1:15,06 | 47 | 1:00:11,71 | |
| 2. | 2. | 21 | Robb Gravett/Jeff Allam | Trakstar/Cartel + NEC + Shell | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 1. | 1:12,96 | 1:14,90 | 47 | 1:00:14,51 | |
| DSQ | DSQ | 10 | Guy Edwards/Win Percy/(Johnny Dumfries) | Rouse/Kaliber | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 4. | 1:14,02 | 1:15,37 | 47 | 1:00:22,11 | Percy not qualified |
| 3. | 3. | 7 | Tim Harvey/David Sears | Rouse/Labatt's | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 5. | 1:14,18 | 1:15,34 | 47 | 1:00:23,91 | |
| 4. | 4. | 5 | Sean Walker/Damon Hill | Goode/FAI + Moss Security | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 8. | 1:14,56 | 1:15,35 | 47 | 1:00:56,23 | |
| 5. | 5. | 25 | Gerrit van Kouwen/Pierre Diedonné | JQF/Fina Unleaded | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 9. | 1:14,62 | 1:15,98 | 46 | | |
| 6. | 1. | 33 | Frank Sytner/Will Hoy | Prodrive/BMW Finance + Mobil | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 15. | 1:16,36 | 1:17,42 | 46 | | |
| 7. | 2. | ? | John Llewellyn/Gerry Marshall | BRR/Johnston's + IMF | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 21. | 1:18,01 | 1:18,79 | 45 | | |
| 8. | 3. | 35 | Ian Forrest/_ Hunter? | Prodrive/Novafone + Drambuie | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 20. | 1:17,60 | 1:18,20 | 45 | | |
| 9. | 1. | 56 | John Cleland/Ian Flux | Dave Cook/VDS + Mobil | C | Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V | 22. | 1:19,55 | 1:20,88 | 44 | | |
| 10. | 6. | 19 | Dave Brodie/Andrew Gilbert-Scott | Brodie Brittain Racing | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 2. | 1:13,61 | 1:14,92 | 43 | | |
| 11. | 4. | 32 | James Weaver/Steve Soper | Prodrive/BMW Finance + Mobil | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 14. | 1:15,66 | 1:16,54 | 43 | | |
| 12. | 2. | 58 | Louise Aitken-Walker/Vince Woodman | Dave Cook/VDS + Mobil | C | Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V | 26. | 1:21,38 | 1:22,33 | 43 | | |
| 13. | 1. | 70 | Phil Dowsett/Mark Goddard | PDR-Toyota/AJG Transport | D | Toyota Corolla AE82 | 25. | 1:21,18 | 1:23,68 | 42 | | |
| 14. | 3. | | Mike Jordan/Peter Tyson | Eurotech/Birmingham Veneers | C | Peugeot 309 GTI | 29. | 1:23,63 | 1:24,74 | 42 | | |
| 15. | 2. | 88 | Tony Crudgington/Chuck Nicholson | Crudgington | D | Toyota Corolla AE86 | 30. | 1:23,99 | 1:24,21 | 42 | | |
| 16. | 4. | 50 | Alan Minshaw/John Brindley | Demon Tweeks/Castrol | C | Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V | 27. | 1:22,03 | 1:23,12 | 40 | | |
| DNF | DNF | 43 | Godfrey Hall/Lionel Abbott | Maguire/Godfrey Hall BMW | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 17. | 1:16,62 | 1:18,43 | 39 | | fuel pick up |
| DNF | DNF | 20 | Mike Smith/Mike Wilds | Trakstar/Cartel + NEC + Shell | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 11. | 1:14,96 | 1:15,33 | 34 | | accident |
| DNF | DNF | | Mike O'Brien/Robin Donovan | Drury/Blue Hawk | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 19. | 1:16,85 | 1:17,41 | 33 | | brakes |
| DNF | DNF | 14 | Graham Hathaway/Mike Wallis | Hathaway/Soans + Kenwood HiFi | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 18. | 1:16,83 | 1:19,04 | 30 | | Exhaust noise |
| DNF | DNF | | John Clark/Andrew Jeffrey | Maguire/AA'ways + New Town | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 23. | 1:20,17 | 1:18,79 | 29 | | clutch |
| DNF | DNF | 55 | John Morris/Barrie Williams | Morris/Listers | C | Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V | 24. | 1:21,16 | 1:21,16? | 22 | | overheating |
| DNF | DNF | 4 | Mike Newman/Alistair Lyall | Goode/Listerine | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 12. | 1:15,32 | 1:15,52 | 20 | | fire |
| DNF | DNF | 16 | David Pinkney/Graham Scarborough | Drury/Warrenty Holdings | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 13. | 1:15,66 | 1:15,97 | 17 | | engine |
| DNF | DNF | 1 | Andy Rouse/Win Percy | Rouse/Kaliber | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 3. | 1:13,91 | 1:15,53 | 13 | | injector |
| DSQ | DSQ | 2 | Jerry Mahony/Gary Ayles | Dowson/Arquati + Evans Halshaw | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 7. | 1:14,44 | 1:16,10 | 8 | | overheating |
| DNF | DNF | | Les Liddiard/_ King? | Liddiard | D | Toyota Corolla AE82 | 31. | 1:27,22 | 1:26,96 | 6 | | engine |
| DNF | DNF | 28 | Karl Jones/Vic Lee | Lee Asquith/Duckhams | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 10. | 1:14,66 | 1:16,59 | 5 | | hub |
| DNF | DNF | 77 | Geoff Kimber-Smith/Barbara Cowell | Five Star Racing/Duckhams | D | Toyota Corolla AE86 | 32. | 1:28,77 | 1:39,15 | 4 | | misfire |
| DNQ | DNQ | 3 | Graham Goode/Alistair Lyall | Goode/Listerine + Texaco | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 28. | 1:22,71 | | | | Too slow |
| DNQ | DNQ | 15 | Chris Hodgetts/David Leslie | Brooklyn/Shell | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 16. | 1:16,52 | | | | Only Leslie qualified |
Win for Laurence Bristow and Tiff Needell with tyre conservation and a well executed pit stop. Robb Gravett would lead away from pole but later Jeff Allam would fight low boost and wires on fire to finish second. Guy Edwards and Win Percy finished third on the road only to be disqualified as Percy hadn't qualified this but the sister Kaliber car of an already retired Andy Rouse.
Class B looked to be set up for Steve Soper and Frank Sytner, but as the race went on only sixth gear worked reliably dropping them to forth. Instead Frank Sytner and Will Hoy took a steady victory from privateers John Llewellyn/Gerry Marshall and Ian Forrest/Hunter, the last pair suffering from failing fuel pressure in the end.
John Cleland and Ian Flux won an easy class C victory after Barrie Williams in the John Morris VW Golf kept the pressure on for the opening laps. This was too much for the Golf and overheating problems forced it out midway through leaving second to the second Vauxhall of Louise Aitken-Walker and Vince Woodman.
Class D lost half its contenders within six laps leaving an easy victory for Phil Dowsett and Mark Goddard ahead of Tony Crudgington and Chuck Nicholson.
Autosport reports the John Morris/Barrie Williams VW Golf to have recorded similar 1:21.16 times during both qualifying and race! Unlikely I'd say, but does anyone know the correct fastest race lap of the team?
Thruxton-on-the-road-winner Dave Brodie had a spin due to a puncture early on and finished a lowly 10th overall.
Ian Forrest and Les Liddiard partnered with drivers unknown to me.
Time keepers apparantly forgot to note three laps for a sick Chris Hodgetts during qualifying meaning that only co-driver David Leslie was registered for a fast enough lap. Graham Goode was having engine troubles hindering any competitive times.
In the news section it's mentioned that Jerry Mahony will soon take delivery of a Dick Johnson car to be powered by an engine preparation specialist new to the BTCC. Can't for the moment think of any available Dick Johnson cars by mid-1989!
Jesper