Round 8 of 13 of the 1989 Esso RAC British Touring Car Championship held on Sunday July 23rd 1989 over 17 laps on the 4.182 kms Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit.
The race clashed with the Spa 24 hour race as usual and for the second week running the BTCC was support to a FIA World Championship race – this time the Group C cars.
| Pos. | Cl. | # | Driver | Team/sponsor | Cat. | Car | Grid | Time | Fastest lap | Laps | Time | Notes |
| 1. | 1. | 21 | Robb Gravett | Trakstar/Cartel + NEC + Shell | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 1. | 1:31,71 | 1:32,97 | 17 | 26:39,01 | |
| 2. | 2. | 1 | Andy Rouse | Rouse/Kaliber | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 2. | 1:32,70 | 1:33,27 | 17 | 26:40,88 | |
| 3. | 3. | 20 | Mike Smith | Trakstar/Cartel + NEC + Shell | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 4. | 1:33,47 | 1:33,28 | 17 | 26:46,12 | |
| 4. | 4. | 10 | Guy Edwards | Rouse/Kaliber | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 10. | 1:35,05 | 1:34,13 | 17 | 27:01,52 | |
| 5. | 5. | 4 | Mike Newman | Goode/Listerine | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 5. | 1:33,96 | 1:34,42 | 17 | 27:04,69 | |
| 6. | 6. | 6 | Laurence Bristow | Rouse/Labatt's | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 7. | 1:34,45 | 1:34,17 | 17 | 27:18,04 | |
| 7. | 7. | 28 | Karl Jones | Les Asquith/Duckhams | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 8. | 1:34,70 | 1:34,52 | 17 | 27:25,47 | |
| 8. | 8. | 2 | Jerry Mahony | Dowson/Arquati + Evans Halshaw | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 14. | 1:36,11 | 1:35,74 | 17 | 27:26,24 | |
| 9. | 1. | 32 | James Weaver | Prodrive/BMW Finance + Mobil | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 15. | 1:36,41 | 1:36,59 | 17 | 28:08,19 | |
| 10. | 9. | | Mike O'Brien | TDR/Autoglass + Swan National | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 13. | 1:35,64 | 1:37,05 | 17 | 28:21,50 | |
| 11. | 2. | 33 | Frank Sytner | Prodrive/BMW Finance + Mobil | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 17. | 1:36,85 | 1:38,23 | 17 | 28:22,70 | |
| 12. | 3. | 44 | John Llewellyn | BRR/Johnston's | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 19. | 1:37,44 | 1:38,52 | 16 | | |
| 13. | 4. | 37 | Nettan Lindgren | Lindgren | B | BMW M3 Evolution | 23. | 1:41,27 | 1:39,30 | 16 | | |
| 14. | 1. | 56 | John Cleland | Dave Cook/VDS + Mobil | C | Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V | 22. | 1:40,91 | 1:40,15 | 16 | | |
| 15. | 2. | 58 | Louise Aitken-Walker | Dave Cook/VDS + Mobil | C | Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V | 28. | 1:43,30 | 1:40,79 | 16 | | |
| 16. | 3. | 57 | Jeremy Rossiter | Dave Cook/VDS + Mobil | C | Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V | 24. | 1:42,15 | 1:41,17 | 16 | | |
| 17. | 1. | 75 | Ray Armes | PG Tags Racing | D | Honda Civic Si | 25. | 1:42,69 | 1:42,52 | 16 | | |
| | 5. | 31 | John Clark | | B | BMW M3 Evolution | | | | | | |
| | 4. | 50 | Alan Minshaw | Demon Tweeks/Castrol | C | Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V | | | | | | |
| | 2. | 77 | Geoff Kimber-Smith | Five Star Racing | D | Toyota Corolla GT | | | | | | |
| DNF | DNF | 88 | Tony Crudgington | Crudgington | D | Toyota Corolla GT | | | | | | puncture |
| DNF | DNF | 7 | Tim Harvey | Rouse/Labatt's | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 3. | 1:33,33 | 1:33,96 | 14 | | head gasket |
| DNF | DNF | 3 | Graham Goode | Goode/Listerine + Texaco | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 9. | 1:35,03 | 1:35,16 | 10 | | battery |
| DNF | DNF | 5 | Sean Walker | Goode/FAI + Moss Security | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | 6. | 1:34,45 | 1:35,50 | 9 | | turbo boost |
| DNS | DNS | 35 | Ian Forrest | Prodrive/Novafone + Drambuie | B | BMW M3 Evolution | | | | | | accident |
| DNS | DNS | 43 | Godfrey Hall | Maguire/Godfrey Hall BMW | B | BMW M3 Evolution | | | | | | accident |
| DNS | DNS | 19 | Dave Brodie | Brodie Brittain Racing | A | Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth | | | | | | engine |
Race shortened from 20 to 17 laps after a massive collision betwin class B runners Godfrey Hall and Ian Forrest. Hall spun off at Paddock Hill Bend, likely on oil, and send bouncing back on the track to be collected by a hapless Forrest. Both cars were damaged beyond immediate repair and Hall likely missed the next few rounds as a result.
With Lowe still present in the Trakstar camp and engine legalities sorted Robb Gravett dominated the event winning his third victory of the season. Team mate Mike Smith was also on a high and finished a season best of third only beaten by a tyre conservative Andy Rouse. Tim Harvey was initially in the fight for third but a collision with Smith in the original start left him with a damaged radiator and eventual blown head gasket. This left fourth for Guy Edwards ahead of Mike Newman. Laurence Bristow, starting from pitlane, drove with command and finished an excellent if a little unrevarding sixth.
James Weaver and Frank Sytner once again delivered the goods for BMW in class B although Sytner was almost stopped by fuel supply issues late in the race.
In class C John Cleland was running a bit conservative, informed that Louise-Aitken Walker had the bonus point for fastest lap, and then upped the ante a tad for another victory.
With Phil Dowsett off to Spa class D was down to just three starters and no points for an eventual fuel starved but winning Ray Armes. Geoff Kimber-Smith was only other finisher when Tony Crudgington retired curtesy of a puncture.
Ian Forrest is repeatedly entered as a Prodrive driver in the Autosport results, his car being a former Prodrive car, but always thought it was his own team running the car.
Jesper