First off, here's a link to the official BTCC page and their point standings for 1986:
http://www.btcc.net/html/history_sta...p?season_id=29
Some random thoughts about the season then.
Points seems to have been distributed according to the 9, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 scale for top-6 positions regardless of competitors in the class. There was also no dropped scores – all rounds counted.
The second round at Thruxton must have been quite a freekish race, looking at the results. Mike Newman in the 635 beeting Andy Rouse for overall honours, while Rob Kirby won class B first time out with the brand new Alfa 75 V6. Changing weather conditions or the notorious abbrasive surface of the circuit?
Class A:
David Brodie won the final round, but is missing from the point standings – for not being registrated? He does figure as a ”ghost” as Pete Hall and Mike Newman, who finished second and third in class, only received 6 and 4 points for their achiements – and their total points tally match the official BTCC version.
I think KA is right that Brodie only did limited races due to lack of funding. I do seem to remember ATARI sponsorship appearing once though...
Andy Rouse retiring in a third of the races.
David Sears mixing it nicely with the bunch of Rover V8s at the Brands Hatch GP support race. Sears did race a similar car in the Japanese series at the time for the private SARD team.
Jeff Allam and Jean-Louis Schlesser finished 1-2 at the Brands Hatch GP support race scoring 9 and 6 points, but listed with 10 and 7 respectively – did they share fastest lap or is the point standing slightly off.
Class B:
No Graham Goode Nissan Bluebird Turbo this year, although the car would appear with a new owner in 1987. So what did Goode do in 1986?
For 1986 Graham Goode contested the Renault 5 Turbo Cup Championship which led to him running 3 customer cars in that the following season.
Mark Hales had a rotten start to the season with four straight retirements in the Terry Drury Escort.
Class C:
Barry Sheene was another ”ghost rider” receiving no points for his forth in class C at the Silverstone finals. Either Sheene or some one involved with the CHMS Clausthaler was telling the story in the Autosport series of ”Race of my life”. For some reason both Sheene and Chris Hodgetts started last 10 seconds after the rest of the grid was send off. Can't remember the reason for this, but will have a look for the story.
The Brands Hatch Racing school Escorts don't seem to have been competing for class C points at the Brands Hatch round 7 race. XR3i winner Stuart Cole would have been third in class, according to Carrera's list, but those 4 points seems to have gone to Tony Crudgington, who otherwise seems to have ended way out of the points.
Argetsinger could be American Mike Argetsinger. He raced in British F3 at some stage during the 1980s anyway.
Class D:
Tony Lanfranchi received a maximum score of 10 points unopposed twice during the season.
As KA said, the small class often only contained Lanfranchi (which makes me wonder why he scored so many points, I though there needed to be a certain number of class contenders for this to happen).
Another productive day about to end. Thank you KA and Carrera for your contributions and knowledge. Let your fingers flow, while I'll prepare something about the 1987 season. This is the only season for the 1983-1990 period where I have a complete set of Autosports to lean against, but more about that in due time.
Jesper