[QUOTE=KA;2632701]Round 9- Brands Hatch (GP Circuit) 28 August 1984.
20 laps.
Slightly odd scheduling, a second consecutive round at Brands, with a 5-week gap between the two....
There's an album of 1984 Brands BTCC pics by Peter Novani on Flickr- the crowd in the background doesn't seem big enough for the GP meeting, so possibly they're from this meeting?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3611177...7622382683987/
| Pos. | Cat. | # | Driver | Team/sponsor | Cat. | Car | Grid | Q-time | FL | Laps | Time | Notes |
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| 1. | 1. | 14 | Win Percy | Hughes of Beaconsfield | A | Toyota Celica Supra | 1 | | | | | |
| 2. | 2. | 7 | Andy Rouse | Rouse/ICS | A | Rover Vitesse | | | | | | + 13 seconds approx. |
| 3. | 3. | 18 | Dave Brodie | BBW Motorsport | A | Mitsubishi Starion Turbo | | | | | | +2 seconds |
| 4. | 4. | 6 | James Weaver | CC Motorsport/BMW GB | A | BMW 635CSi | | | | | | |
| 5. | 5. | 5 | Vince Woodman | CC Motorsport/BMW GB | A | BMW 635CSi | | | | | | |
| 6? | 6? | ? | Neil McGrath | Linden Rcing/Connells? | A | Rover Vitesse | | | | | | |
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| ? | 1. | 38 | Graham Goode | Graham Goode Racing | B | Nissan Bluebird Turbo | | | | | | |
| ?. | 2. | 30 | Jon Dooley | ARDT/Napolina | B | Alfa Romeo GTV6 | | | | | | |
| ?. | 3. | 40 | Phil Dowsett | Terry Drury Racing | B | Alfa Romeo GTV6 | | | | | | |
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| ? | 1. | 77 | Richard Longman | Longman/Datapost | C | Ford Escort RS1600i | | | | | | engine failure as crossed finish line! Fastest lap |
| ? | 2. | 66 | Alan Curnow | Longman/Datapost | C | Ford Escort RS1600i | | | | | | |
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| DNF | DNF | 69 | Chris Hodgetts | Brooklyn | C | Ford Escort RS1600i | | | | | | Oil seal failure |
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If anyone thought the Supra's performance at the GP meeting was a fluke, they were about to be proven wrong- Percy started from pole again, but this time there was to be no mistake. Rouse had commented at the GP that the Supra was anything but an underdog, despite having started the year with a hefty power disadvantage to the bigger-engined Rovers, BMWs and turbos.
'They're really getting some power out of the thing now. You can't go that quick without a good engine' and suggested that the Supra was now pretty much on par with the Rover around most of the Brands lap- and this race certainly proved his point
Rouse got away from the start faster and led the first five laps, with Percy putting him under increasing pressure- However his efforts to keep the Toyota behind were taking a toll on the Rover's tyres, and eventually on lap 6, Percy was able to get alongside under braking for Surtees, and take the lead, gradually building a 13 sec advantage by the flag
Third went to the Brodie Starion- a good result after spending much of the season struggling to find either reliability or handling with the Starion,. Brodie closing fast on Rouse in the last few laps to finish only a couple of seconds behind- He commented
'I want 25-lap races from now on'
Neil McGrath, in the ex-Gordon Spice/Martin Thomas Rover had a strong showing until a misfire set in
In Class B, fortune finally went Graham Goode's way, taking the class win after a good battle with the Dooley and Dowsett Alfas. The Alfas initially led, before Graham got the Bluebird past Dowsett and by lap 8 was in a position to challenge Dooley as they went off onto the GP loop. By the end of the lap, though the Napolina Alfa still held on to the lead....
'What we saw next still defies belief. As the pair started their ninth lap, plunging down Paddock Hill, Goode calmly manouevred the Nissan inside the howling Alfa and simply powered past Dooley on the run up to Druids. It was a stupefying display of sheer grunt and bodes ill for prospective Class B entrants in next years championship. What a pity Nissan UK don't seem the slightest bit interested in Goode's efforts, for it would be marvellous to see the Bluebird Turbo taking on the Alfas in Europe'
Longman took Class C, despite his engine letting go as he crossed the finish line- Team-mate Curnow dutifully following him home for 2nd. Hodgetts had a DNF with an oil seal failure.