GP Winners

[chunder]

After just watching some of the clips from teh Brands Rallycross GP's it strikes me that a lot of the events were won by guys who never really won much else!!

If you look at Rolf Nilsson, he was never a prolific winner in ERC, nor were Andy Bentza or Mikael Nordstrom or even John Welch, yet they all managed to rather shockingly win at Brands! even Pat was not that experienced in rallycross when he won there and had never won anything else!

Schanche had some wins there but Nittymaki, Alamaki and the like never did a lot there and were often beaten by lesser names.

Guys liek orjan Wahlund, Thor Holm (early RS days) and rent drivers liek Needell, Palmer and Euser all went well.

Was the track easy? Was it the conditions? Was it very different to any other track?

[rx-guru]

To make it more easy, my info taken from RXO:

All British Rallycross Grand Prix winners from 1982 to 2004

No. Date Circuit Place Country Name Nation Car

1. 12.12.82 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Rolf Nilsson S Porsche 911 SC
2. 11.12.83 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Olle Arnesson S Audi quattro
3. 09.12.84 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Martin Schanche N Ford Escort XR3 T16 4x4
4. 08.12.85 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB John Welch GB Ford Escort XR3 T16 4x4
5. 07.12.86 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Andy Bentza A Audi quattro
6. 06.12.87 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Mikael Nordström S Ford RS200 E2
7. 04.12.88 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Will Gollop GB ARG MG Metro 6R4
8. 03.12.89 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Will Gollop (**) GB ARG MG Metro 6R4
9. 02.12.90 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Martin Schanche N Ford RS200 E2
10. 01.12.91 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Pat Doran GB Ford RS200 E2
11. 06.12.92 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Will Gollop GB ARG MG Metro 6R4 BiTurbo
12. 05.12.93 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Martin Schanche N Ford Escort RS2000 T16 4x4
13. 04.12.94 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Kenneth Hansen (*) S Citroën ZX T16 4x4
14. 18.06.95 Brands Hatch Circuit Fawkham GB Kenneth Hansen (*) S Citroën ZX T16 4x4
15. 30.06.96 Lydden Circuit Wootton GB Kenneth Hansen S Citroën ZX T16 4x4
16. 27.10.02 Croft Circuit Croft on Tees GB John Haffey GB Ford Escort RS2000 T16 4x4
17. 07.11.04 Croft Circuit Croft on Tees GB Pat Doran GB Ford Escort WRC

(*) British ERC round and Grand Prix
(**) Fastest over one lap only, due to fog!

[rx-guru]

I do not agree with chunder about Andy Bentza, as the Austrian was the official (FIA) 1978 European Rallycross Championship runner-up to Martin Schanche and unofficial 1978 European Rallycross GT Division Champion with his ex-Wurz Lancia Stratos HF 3.0. BTW, the one and only 3 litre Stratos world-wide and still with Bentza, ready to race.

[chunder]

I dont agree at all

Bentza was quick in Stratos yes and was always quick at Brands in that car but in the Audi was never as cklose to the oace as he was in that amazing Lancia. That was my point really, not that Andy was not a quick man, of course he was.

It would be like someone like say Smerud or Hedstrom or Croon winning a round these days, ever gonna happen despite those drivers ability and speed and equipment. These guys could win an ERC round of course but you wouldnt expect bthem too as I douby anyone expected Bentza, Nordstrom or Doran to win theirs!

Bentza was very good, but did anyone have him down for a win that weekend, or Nordstrom for that matter?

[Stephen H]

Brands was always a drag race to the first corner - where there was often contact, this was the downfall of Alamaki when Welch won.

Bentza Audi was said to be underpowered to the opposition, but he got the tyre choice right in the final and just drove away from everybody.

Nittymaki was stunning at Brands in his Xtrac Escort, and Olle was king of the 4 wheel drift around druids.

The fog wrecked Schie`s chance when he had the 205 T16.

And don`t forget in the early days the 4wd cars were hampered with rear of grid starts in the heats.

Cant remember if the 5% penalty applied to 4wd cars was ever used at the Grand Prix?

[Chessmsport]

Everybody that won GP would of been capable of winning an ERC round at the time and were frontrunners in the ERC. You make them out to be some sort of strange freak underdogs. It was hardly shocking that Doran and Bentza won it !
Maybe being and end of year of event people approached it in a different way and it bought the best out in some.
The track was faster than most Euro tracks maybe that was another factor.

[rx-guru]

That Audi quattro Andy Bentza used to win the 1986 GP was possibly the best ever A2 made for RX. Not a converted Audi Coupé nor a Rally quattro, but built by Matter in Germany and Bentza in Austria especially for RX to the very weight limits. And the weather/track was just perfect for Andy and the A2 by then.

[Stephen H]

Originally Posted by rx-guru

That Audi quattro Andy Bentza used to win the 1986 GP was possibly the best ever A2 made for RX. Not a converted Audi Coupé nor a Rally quattro, but built by Matter in Germany and Bentza in Austria especially for RX to the very weight limits. And the weather/track was just perfect for Andy and the A2 by then.

Thanks - didn`t known that, I just remember during the two days of commentory over the GP, that by then the Quattro was consider "old and dated" after the two xtrac Escort wins in the previous years.

[Barrie]

I was lucky enough to witness all the GP's, out of all the GP winners I think Mikael Nordstroms win was the best. He was under enormous pressure all through the final but managed to drive faultlessly all race. Welchy a close second after his fantastic recovery after going round the first corner backwards, we were at the top of tumbledown hill that day anyone else recall how loud Welchs impact with the crash barrier was, sounded like a major accident but somehow managed to move through the field to eventually overtake the ailing Schanche, PLEASE BRING IT BACK.

[chunder]

Chess

Well you need a little more than freak wins to make a champion!!

Bentza was good in the GT days and possibly could have won rounds in the Quattro but didnt botehr much then, I cant recall him doping many ERC rounds in that car from vids etc? Apart from winning his home round in Austria loL!! I just found that out, which he did twice!! Point taken

And Doran (at that time) was still fairly new and though an A Final man a few times hardly win material THEN. His car had only just been set up by Martin after Norway so was still very new to him I guess.

And Nordstrom, was an amazing drive, no one saw it coming, and he never looked like winnign a round again!!

My point I guess is that this meeting did throw up some different people at the front at times, not always, but at times. IN comparison to ERC which tended to be dominated by the same few guys

[GOLDFINGER]

Remember watching John Welchs victory from the grandstand truly deserved it after all the problems he had with the car that year.Reckon if had been quicker off the line he would have won a few erc rounds

[schanche]

Followed Welch for years with the Escort and the Astra all round europe very frustrating, the poor and unlucky results outweighed the good times but just couldnt get enough of the cars when they were running properly always looked like he could run with the best but always seemed to get involved in everyone elses troubles and spins.Put on some great races in the GPs especially with the Astra very likeable driver did alot behind the sceanes for Rallycross, Im sure King Arthur has some very interesting tales on his travels with Welchy!