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This all seems very strange, with Walkinshaw apparently outqualifying the regular drivers by over two seconds. I had a look in the 1980 Thruxton Easter Monday Formula Two programme and a Mazda RX7 was entered with the number 33 for TBA, entrant Walkinshaw Racing as opposed to TWR Pentax so presumably number 33 at Silverstone was also an RX7. Perhaps this car, as Chunterer mentioned above, was running to a different spec to the other RX7s. I think in those days cars were only inspected for compliance with regulations after the race rather than after qualifying.
From 1977 to 1983, TWR were associated with Alpina and BMW were about to produce the E28 shape M535i. Could this have been the car Tom practised without racing ? Then after discovering it wasn't very promising he turned his sights on Rover.
For a definitive answer you would probably have to access that week's Autosport or Motoring News. There is an Autosport, 12th June 1980, for sale on eBay for the princely sum of £4.99 plus post and packing.
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