|
April '88 -
7th - The new Holden Commodore delays grpA homologation. 500 examples weren't ready due to delays with components, and strikes.
Steve Soper missed round 2 at Oulton Park - he was there but the car wasn't due to ferry strikes.
Pete Hall retires from the BTCC, but intends to keep ICS backing on a Sierra for a younger driver.
James Kaye may hand over his Golf to John Brindley, due to his commitments with Mazda in the Uniroyal championship, and Renault 5 Turbos.
Phil Dowsett is hoping that Toyota will continue to support him, as the Corolla jointly leads the championship with Sytner's BMW.
14th -
Trident Motorsport is to be launched imminently, to run "at least one" Maserati Biturbo. Sponsorship from Campari. The name Roger Eccles is linked with the project, and "there is no doubt that there is considerable potential to be extracted. It should be worth watching" (Autosport). [What else was Roger Eccles involved with?]
Prodrive are due out in the Donington 500 ETC round, with Smith and Sytner partnered by Hoy and Weaver.
Donington 500 – an ETC round, but features a few BTCC regulars (and irregulars) / April 21st news
Sytner teams with Weaver to finish 2nd, Mike Smith and Will Hoy team to 3rd. Goode & Newman retire their RS500 after 47 laps (of 125) with head-gasket failure after Goode ran in the top 5 early on, even up to 2nd at one point. Soper / Dieudonne (78 laps, engine) and Win Percy / Allan Grice (95 laps, brakes) also fail to finish after featuring strongly.
The Trident Motorsport Maserati will be run by Tony Gale, Campari’s UK importer has a 3-year option with the team, and ’88 is seen as a development year. The first car is in the UK having been built in Modena, and Nick May and John Lepp have been contracted for the season.
TWR reckon they’ll have a new Holden at Thruxton on May 2nd after it’s homologated on May 1st. [Wishful thinking!]
A grpA Rover Vitesse is advertised for £12k, due to lack of sponsor. Croydon / Orpington home number.
An RST, ex-Longman, last used WTC Silverstone [suggests this is Alan Curnow car]. £9k. Contact number for Chelmsford. [Currently for a coach company in High Easter, I think]
28th -
TOMs Toyota want to bring a Supra Turbo to the BTCC, but can’t find a suitable vehicle so Phil Dowsett continues in the Corolla for now.
John Brindley confirmed in the Demon Tweeks Golf, in place of James Kaye. (see April 7th)
Robb Gravett is confirmed for R3 at Thruxton in the ARE car vacated by Pete Hall. Hall said he wanted someone from a saloon background, but new to grpA.
The Maserati was on its way back to Bologna after the press launch, to be finally prepped and tested by Nick May at Monza, then heading back to Britain for its debut at Thruxton. Stirling Moss had (incorrectly) been linked to the drive in European press, as he’d been at the press launch.
|