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Old 25 Jan 2010, 20:27 (Ref:2619352)   #1
Jesper OH
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Jesper OH should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
1989 Esso RAC British Touring Car Championship - Discussion and results

1989 Esso RAC British Touring Car Championship

Dunlop had the option of extending their sponsorship for a third season, but the demands of the RAC was too high as they wanted to promote the championship to a new leavel. Esso would thus be the new title sponsor in a year that would see capacity grids and tv coverage surpassing everything seen so far.

Calender:
RoundDateTrack
11989.03.24Oulton Park
21989.04.09Silverstone
31989.05.01Thruxton
41989.05.07Donington Park (1 hour)
51989.05.29Thruxton
61989.06.04Silverstone
71989.07.16Silverstone (GP support)
81989.07.23Brands Hatch
91989.08.06Snetterton
101989.08.20Brands Hatch
111989.08.28Birmingham
121989.09.17Donington Park
131989.10.08Silverstone

Class A (Over 3000 cc)
A whole string of potent Ford Sierras was lined up to tackle the upper class of this years championship, making for one of the toughest series of 1989. Defending champion Andy Rouse was back in a brand new car, still in Kaliber colours, with Guy Edwards in similar colors in his 1988 car. Laurence Bristow and Tim Harvey were the instigators of a new high profiled Labatt’s sponsored team running customer Andy Rouse cars. Bristow’s mount was his previous car while Harvey had a brand new one to his disposal.
Like Rouse Graham Goode would be in his third season with the Sierra RS500 Cosworth entering three cars – two Listerine sponsored cars for himself and Mike Newman, while single seater and prototype convert Sean Walker would drive a Goodyear supported third entry. Terry Drury might have lost the talent of Tim Harvey, but upped his entry from one to three Sierras with two brand new cars. Former Holden man Mike O’Brien with BTCC newcomers Robin Donovan and David Pinkney were the drivers on pay-and-drive basis. Chris Hodgetts, Jerry Mahony and Karl Jones would reappear with their regular cars from Brooklyn, Roger Dowson and Richard Asquith, while David Brodie was comtemplating a full season with his late 1988 car, while Graham Hathaway would stick to a more limited programme.
Three new BTCC teams would make their debut in 1989 albeit on different levels. Former Rallycrosser Mark Rennison had gotten his fingers on the Andy Rouse built ex Ford France RS500 intending to do a season on a limited budget, while JQF and Trakstar was all out projects. Having bought the little used CC Motorsport RS500 for the first races JQF would continued their successful relationship with sponsor Fina oil and hiring single seater exponent Gerrit Van Kouwen, while working on their own RS500 with an anti roll suspension set-up for the second half. Trakstar was the collected efforts of former production saloon rivals Mike Smith and Robb Gravett who both had BTCC experience from the previous season. With John Whickham managing the new team and their newly imported pair of highly regarded Australian Dick Johnson cars through mutual sponsor Shell. Initially the taciturn Johnson was rejecting selling any car at all, but finally his two original 1987 cars went to the UK with engine man Neal Lowe along for initial help on the highly personalised engine compartment. Mike Smith would have the original Johnson car as his 1989 weapon while Gravett would have the well rested car of Gregg Hansford, nearly unraced in 1988, at his disposal, while Gravetts contacts at Yokohama secured an exclusive deal with the Japanese tyre manufacture.
Almost forgotten was the Trident Maserati. Czech Australian with a past single seater history in Britain Tomas Mezera was mentioned as driver early in the year. The MIL Toyota Supras were nowhere to be seen with one car being converting to Thunder Saloon specs with an RS500 engine!
Although the prospect of ETCC guest appearances from the now BMW hired Steve Soper in an Eggenberger RS500 or NISMO Europe Skyline had went the same way, it seemed that there would be even more classified opposition to the previous Andy Rouse superiority.

Class B (2001-3000 cc)
Defending champion Frank Sytner, Prodrive and BMW GB would continue their efforts with new signing James Weaver replacing Mike Smith. John Maguire would be back with his two car operation for Godfrey Hall and John Clark while Alan Minshaw and Ian Forrest both had ex-Prodrive equipment in their hands. These six cars would be regulars for 1989 sometimes joined by Swede Nettan Lindgren on the back of four straight national Ladies Cup titles.

Class C (1601-2000 cc)
John Cleland, continuing with preparing specialist Dave Cook, would drive the recently homologated 16 valve version of the Vauxhall Astra GT/E and followed quite lately by lady rallydriver and fellow Scott’s-person Louise Aitken-Walker would join the BTCC in a rally car set up for tarmac usage no less. In the Peugeot Talbot camp Porsche protagonist Mike Jordan was centre of activity in a Peugeot 309 GTI, though only the 8 valve version, so underpowered until the new 16 valve version was homologated.
The Alan Minshaw VW Golf GTI 16V had often been the class of the rather thin field with a variety of drivers during 1988, would now have its owner as the regular driver. John Morris would make a welcome return to BTCC action in another VW Golf, making class C the most varied if the smallest in 1989.

Class D (Under 1600 cc)
Phil Dowsett had been the class of the field during 1988 and would continue although with a much reduced input from Toyota. Similar front drive Corollas were prepared for Les Liddiard and Tony Dolley, while the regular rear wheel drive cars of Geoff Kimber-Smith and Tony Crudgington should still provide some entertainment. A brand new Honda Civic build by Graham Goode and to be run by the new Trakstar outfit was supposed to appear with Ray Armes driving, when homologation issues were dealt with.
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