[Jesper OH]

Round 5 – Sunday June 7 1987, Silverstone

The entry list was virtually a copy of the previous Thruxton date two weeks earlier, making it five Rovers and a Commodore to make up the V8 brigade with Mike Newman’s 635 adding another normally aspirated class A car against the three Turbo Sierras of Andy Rouse, Peter Hall and Graham Goode. In class B both Alfa Romeos were sort of running against Mark Hales, while Roger Saunders once again was sole class C contender. Among the toddlers it was another Chris Hodgetts vs. Geoff Kimber-Smith Corolla battle against Tony Crudgington and Phil Dowsett. Hodgetts making things busy by also racing at the Zolder ETCC meeting as well.

Grid:
1.Andy Rouse, 1:40.01 – class A pole
2.Tim Harvey, 1:42.17
3.Graham Goode, 1:43.41
4.Pete Hall, 1:44.50
5.David Carvell, 1:44.98
6.Mike Newman, 1:45.68
7.Graham Scarborough, 1:45.83
8.Mike O'Brien, 1:46.11
9.Dennis Leech, 1:46.37
10.Chris Hodgetts, 1:50.13 – class D pole
11.Jon Dooley, 1:51.72 – class B pole
12.Geoff Kimber-Smith, 1:51.87
13.Mark Hales, 1:52.50
14.Tony Crudgington, 1:53.18
15.Rob Kirby, 1:57.20
16.Roger Saunders, 1:57.31 – class C pole
17.Phil Dowsett, 1:57.89
18.Bill Griffin, 2:05.88

In a repeat performance from the opening round Tim Harvey started proceedings by squeezing Andy Rouse up against the pit wall and took the lead while Mike O’Brien blew the clutch and retired on the spot. The frantic battle for the lead between Harvey and Rouse allowed Graham Goode, Peter Hall and Dennis Leech to join in on the fun with the occasional swapping of paint. It was lap 7 when the Rover V8 engine spluttered immediately allowing Rouse, Leech and Hall through. Peter Hall was soon to loose out with a spin at Club repeating the feat on two consecutive laps! At the first spin Graham Goode was delayed. Hall team mate and race leader Andy Rouse pitted into retirement on lap 13 with a blown turbo, leaving the lead and victory to Tim Harvey. Dennis Leech was second nursing a front tyre cut into by dented bodywork. This allowed Graham Goode to close right up to the black Rover at the finish. David Carvell was a fine if lonesome forth ahead of Mike Newman who just managed to keep onto fifth from a hard charging Peter Hall, who had the honour of posting the fastest race lap. Bill Griffin was final class A finisher just outside the points in seventh position.
Jon Dooley lead away in class B only for his gearbox to blow on lap two, while Rob Kirby was unceremoniously punted into the barriers at Stowe while being lapped by Dennis Leech mid race. This left Mark Hales unopposed to a fifth class B win on the trot and best of the rest in eight. Chris Hodgetts brought order back to class D by winning with a four second margin over Geoff Kimber-Smith. Phil Dowsett broke the Corolla stranglehold by beating Tony Crudgington in the fight for third in class sandwiching class C winner Roger Saunders in the process.

Results:
1./ #8 / Tim Harvey / Maguire / A / Rover Vitesse / 15 laps / 26:01.15
2./ #4 / Dennis Leech / Leech / A / Rover Vitesse / 15 laps / 26:02.29 / class A win
3./ #6 / Graham Goode / Goode / A / Ford Sierra RS Cosworth / 15 laps / 26:02.66
4./ #5 / David Carvell / Potter / A / Rover Vitesse / 15 laps / 26:29.95
5./ #10 / Mike Newman / Newman / A / BMW 635CSi / 15 laps / 26:40.71
6./ #2 / Pete Hall / Rouse / A / Ford Sierra RS Cosworth / 15 laps / 26:40.82 – FL
7./ #? / Bill Griffin / Griffin? / A / Rover Vitesse / 15 laps / 27:07:45
8./ #38 / Mark Hales / Drury / B / Ford Escort RS Turbo / 15 laps / 27:40.95 / class win – FL
9./ #66 / Chris Hodgetts / Hodgetts / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 15 laps / 27:47.30 / class win – FL
10./ #71? / Geoff Kimber-Smith / Kimber-Smith / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 15 laps / 27:51.71
11./ #? / Phil Dowsett / North Essex Racing / D / Ford Escort RS1600i / 14 laps
12./ #45 / Roger Saunders / Saunders? / C / Renault 5 GT Turbo / 14 laps / class winner – FL
13./ #? / Tony Crudgington / Crudgington / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 14 laps
DNFs
#1 / Andy Rouse / Rouse / A / Ford Sierra RS Cosworth / 13 laps / turbo
#30 / Rob Kirby / ARDT / B / Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo / 8 laps / accident
#3 / Graham Scarborough / unknown / A / Rover Vitesse / 1 lap / unknown
#31 / Jon Dooley / ARDT / B / Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo / 1 lap / gearbox
#7 / Mike O'Brien / Docking / A / Holden Commodore VK / 0 laps / clutch

Championship standings
1.Chris Hodgetts, 41 points (10+7+7+7+10)
2.Mark Hales, 31 points (7+7+5+5+7)
3.Tim Harvey, 25 points (0+10+0+6+9)
4.Dennis Leech, 24 points (6+0+9+3+6)
5.Andy Rouse, 20 points (10+0+0+10+0)
6.Geoff Kimber-Smith, 19 points (0+0+4+9+6)
7.Graham Goode, 18 points (2+6+6+0+4)
8.David Carvell, 16 points (4+1+4+4+3)
9.Jon Dooley, 11 points (4+4+3+0+0)
10.Pete Hall, 9 points (3+2+2+0+2)
11.Mike Newman, 8 points (0+4+1+1+2)
12.Paul Longfield, 7 points (4+0+3+0+0)
12.Tony Crudgington, 7 points (0+0+0+4+3)
12.Phil Dowsett, 7 points (0+0+0+3+4)
15.Alan Minshaw, 6 points (6+0+0+0+0)
15.Mike O'Brien, 6 points (0+0+4+2+0)
17.Colin Pearcy, 5 points (5+0+0+0+0)
17.Roger Saunders, 5 points (0+0+5+0+0)
19.Graham Scarborough, 4 points (1+3+0+0+0)
19.Chuck Nicholson, 4 points (0+4+0+0+0)
21.Alex Moss, 3 points (0+3+0+0+0)

Jesper