[Jesper OH]

Round 3 – Easter Monday March 20 1987 Thruxton

Third race within 8 days.

17 cars turned up for the third round of the 1987 BTCC. This was reduced to 15 when series leader Chris Hodgetts crashed his Corolla during qualifying and Rob Kirby loost the engine in his Alfa 75. The Hodgetts accident would start a session of musical chairs within the CHMS team, with Paul Longfield handing over his car to the boss, only for Longfield himself replacing Alex Moss in the third team car.

Grid:
1.Dennis Leech, 1:25.59 – class A pole
2.Graham Scarborough, 1:26.21
3.David Carvell, 1:26.73
4.Tim Harvey, 1:27.00
5.Mike O'Brien, 1:27.12
6.Mike Newman, 1:27.24
7.Peter Hall, 1:28.33
8.Chris Hodgetts, 1:28.52 – class D pole
9.Graham Goode, 1:29.78
10.Mark Hales, 1:31.00 – class B pole
11.Geoff Kimber-Smith, 1:31.70
12.Jon Dooley, 1:33.05
13.David Grimshaw, 1:35.49 – class C pole
14.Paul Longfield, 1:38.62
15.Roger Saunders, 1:47.97
16.Rob Kirby, no time – piston

15 drivers and their teams headed off for 16 laps into the unknown regarding tyre wear on the new surface. From pole Dennis Leech lead away to a start to finish win with his nearest challengers gradually falling off. Graham Scarborough and Mike Newman was disputing second position from the first lap with Scarborough the winner thus giving him opportunity to haunt Leech for the lead. It ended at Allard on lap 5 at which point Newman was already on a down slide eventually finishing seventh with the remains of his tyres. This graduated Tim Harvey as nearest challenger for the lead, only to find himself in tyre trouble and pit bound for a new set of rear covers. The stop only made matters worse for the front tyres and at lap 10 Tim joined the list of retirees.
David Carvell made a bit for the lead midway through the race but found the two class C Renaults in his path which gave Graham Goode a chance to catch up. So he did and within a lap the Sierra was in second to the finish. A tyre troubled Mike O’Brien was a distant fourth while Chris Hodgetts, Class D contender and spare car et all, was fifth ahead of an anominous Peter Hall in the sole ICS Sierra.
While Hodgetts was harassing the big boys fellow Corolla contender Geoff Kimber-Smith spent the race challenging Mark Hales and his Turbo Escort for eight overall with Paul Longfield a distant 10th – Alex Moss never made the trip. Roger Saunders won the Renault class C by default as David Grimshaw was disqualified for a fire extinguisher infringement, while Jon Dooley finished as tail end Charly for the second race in a row. This time it was tyre related.

Results:
1./ #4 / Dennis Leech / A / Rover Vitesse / 16 laps / 23:16.12 / class winner
2./ #6 / Graham Goode / A / Rover Vitesse / 16 laps / 23:20.67
3./ #? / David Carvell / RW Potter / A / Rover Vitesse / 16 laps / 23:25.86
4./ #7 / Mike O'Brien / Docking / A / Holden Commodore VK / 16 laps / 23:40.46 - FL
5./ #? / Chris Hodgetts / Hodgetts / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 16 laps / 23:48.45 / class D winner – FL (car intended for Paul Longfield)
6./ #2 / Peter Hall / Rouse / A / Ford Sierra RS Cosworth / 16 laps / 23:59.98
7./ #? / Mike Newman / Newman / A / BMW 635CSi / 16 laps / 24:03.91
8./ #? / Mark Hales / Drury / B / Ford Escort RS Turbo / 16 laps / 24:19.44 / class B winner – FL
9./ #? / Geoff Kimber-Smith / Kimber-Smith / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 16 laps / 24:20.08
10./ #? / Paul Longfield / Hodgetts / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 16 laps / 24:50.21 / (car intended for Alex Moss, who did not arrive)
11./ #45 / Roger Saunders / Saunders? / C / Renault 5 GT Turbo / 15 laps / class C winner – FL
12./ #31 / Jon Dooley / Dooley / B / Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo / 15 laps
DSQ
#? / David Grimshaw / unknown / C / Renault 5 GT Turbo / 15 laps / fire extinguisher infringement
DNFs
#8 / Tim Harvey / Maguire / A / Rover Vitesse / 10 laps / handling
#3 / Graham Scarborough / Letchworth Roofing / A / Rover Vitesse / 4 laps / unknown
DNSs
#30 / Rob Kirby / Dooley / B / Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo / piston
#66? / Chris Hodgetts / Hodgetts / D / Toyota Corolla GT / accident

Points – my notes
1.Chris Hodgetts, 24 points (10+7+7)
2.Mark Hales, 19 points (7+7+5)
3.Dennis Leech, 15 points (6+0+9)
4.Graham Goode, 14 points (2+6+6)
5.Jon Dooley, 11 points (4+4+3)
6.Andy Rouse, 10 points (10+0+0)
6.Tim Harvey, 10 points (0+10+0)
8.David Carvell, 9 points (4+1+4)
9.Paul Longfield, 7 points (4+0+3)
9.Peter Hall, 7 points (3+2+2)
11.Alan Minshaw, 6 points (6+0+0)
12.Colin Pearcy, 5 points (5+0+0)
12.Roger Saunders, 5 points (0+0+5)
12.Mike Newman, 5 points (0+4+1)
15.Chuck Nicholson, 4 points (0+4+0)
15.Geoff Kimber-Smith, 4 points (0+0+4)
15.Mike O'Brien, 4 points (0+0+4)
15.Graham Scarborough, 4 points (1+3+0)
19.Alex Moss, 3 points (0+3+0)

Jesper