DJR Bathurst 1988

[racer69]

What was the go with the driver pairings in the #17, #18 and #28 Sierra's?

The #18 car was pretty much set with John Smith/Alfredo Costanzo. But #17 and #28 were both originally both entered with Johnson and Bowe cross-entered in each car. Late in the day Robb Gravett was announced as Bowe's partner in #28, and Neville Crichton was announced and Johnson's partner in #17.

Why weren't Johnson and Bowe going to drive together, was the #28 just going to be used as a spoiler early in the race? And although Gravett was announced late in the day, he must have known something was up to come out from Europe, or did that have more to do with purchasing the DJR cars for the Trackstar team in the BTCC?

Of course this is all academic because car 17 and 28 were retired before the first pitstop, so Johnson and Bowe took over car 18 (ahh the days of cross-entering, FISA style, who was driving which BMW at bathurst in 1987 )

[GTRMagic]

I always thought that running 3 cars was designed as a safety measure in case any of the Sierras had technical problems and DNF'd

Sierras werent totally reliable in the first real year of the RS500 Cosworth evolution, indeed DJR lost the lead car to a warped driveline after a wild spin at speed in Caltex Chase, the second car with an engine failure (blamed on the time taken to settle the TWR protest) and the 3rd car with starter motor problems, and an out-of-alignment rear end...

[MHDT]

Rob Gravett was the only person DJR would sell a Sierra to after the 1988 Silverstone race, when they were swamped by potential buyers after fronting the "world's fastest sierra" (a line Mike Raymond was pushing throughout the 1988 ATCC).

This was because of Gravett's shell connections (Shell Gemini Oil sponsorship); and part of the deal for Gravett in buying a DJR Sierra was a DJR seat in the 1988 Bathurst race.

I presume Bowe was shifted to car 28 was because of his experience, local knowledge (2 prior Bathurst starts), and being able to getting the car off the line without trashing the drivetrain.

Johnson / Bowe would have been cross-entered into all three cars to maximise their chances of winning; and I think it would be safe to assume DJR wanted all three cars to finish the race; it just didn't happen.

[webberisgod]

i thought that they cross entered 2 cars, one as a LHD drive car and the other being RHD so they could verify the difference? I think in the end they went with LHD.....

[GTRMagic]

In 1987, DJR entered a LHD and RHD Sierra... the drivers were cross entered then too from memory, but DJ's car broke something in the driveline, and Croaky Crichton thumped LP's car in the Cutting.... double DNF

[RaceTime]

Will have to dig out my old data disks - somewhere I have the full 1987 Bathurst race - that was the year we worked from Allan Moffats VIP suite above Pit Garage No 1 - supplying full field info to Nissan (Gibson), Moffat, Grice, Toyota and Johnson...

[William Dale Jr]

The LHD Sierra didn't run after the Wellington race in 1987. There was talk of DJ running it at an Amaroo Amscar meeting in 1988, but it came to nought.

I thought that Bowe was down to qualify and drive the first stint in 28 and then jump into 17 at the first or second pitstop, and that Crichton and Gravett would drive the 28 car for the rest of the day. Bowe was cross-entered in all three cars (and I think he drove laps in each car during qualifying). Johnson was also cross-entered automatically because he was also the entrant/team owner of all three cars.

[Wayne Kerr]

John Smith told me that he drve past the pits and the pit board said "Dicks Out"
Then it said "Bowe Out"
The next lap it said "Your Out"

[racer69]

The Bowe driving the first stint in #28 scenario sounds the most likely (similiar to the 1991 plan), but another thing worth noting is that on the side of car #17 it said Johnson/Crichton (even though it said Johnson/Bowe on the windscreen), and on the #28 car it said Bowe/Gravett. Of course with cross-entering, that was all academic.

Though the 28 car was on the front row, it didn't seem to have much race pace

[William Dale Jr]

Just double-checked in AMRY 18, and, on race day at least, Johnson/Bowe was written on the side of the car as well as on the windscreen.

Just out of curiousity, does anyone miss cross-entering?

[racer69]

I'll have a look on the tape, but i'm sure it says Johnson/Crichton on the side of #17 during the race. I could be completely wrong though

I personally didn't mind cross-entering, i thought it added to the races.

I recall BMW's system they used to great effect with Roberto Ravaglia in the 1988 ETCC, they would cross enter all their drivers in all there cars (sometimes they entered up to 6 cars, like at Bathurst in 1987), then they would put the lead drivers whereever the best placed car was running. For example in the Spa 24 Hours in 1988, Ravaglia (as he was BMW's main man) didn't get into a car until 14 hours into the race, as they were waiting to see which car he should get into to aid his ETCC chase. He earned his keep though, driving 8 of the last 10 hours.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by William Dale Jr


Just out of curiousity, does anyone miss cross-entering?

Brock.

If it wasn't permitted he'd be on 7 wins with Richo, or would that be six for Richo seeing as one was ST.

And Larry well he'd be on 5 after the '83 takeover bid.

[GTRMagic]

This would be true, but lets think of the ramifications of not having Brock crossentered in 1987.... if he hadnt won, there would be no BMWs for 88, not Sierra for 89/90, no return to the General for 91 thru 97....

Would have meant an icon would fade into the woodwork, much like Moff has to some extent

[racer69]

Originally posted by Mattracer
If it wasn't permitted he'd be on 7 wins with Richo, or would that be six for Richo seeing as one was ST.

Why wouldn't you include the 1998 AMP 1000, that was the 'official' race after all.

I wonder what did more for Brock in the 1987 race, was it the eventual win 66 days later, or his final stint on the slicks?

[MHDT]

The official race for pasty-faced Euro boys and their wheezing shopping trolleys, more like it.

Brock being the first legal car home would have done the most for him during the 1987 race. The final stint was done on itermediates, BTW.

[GTRMagic]

Two awesome drives that day, PB in the Commodore at opposite lock in the rain, and Glenn Seton with the carefree driving that gave him awesome pace and more than a few frights.

Here's hoping Glenn is rewarded this year with a well overdue win!

[Mattracer]

Well, you could include it I guess...

It certainly got a better book than the V8 Race did.

I always remember Brock fishtailing the crest of the hill (Sulman Park?) in the unlikely VL.

[racer69]

A drive which was seemingly overlooked that day was from the Ralliart Mitsubishi Starion of Gary Scott/Akahiko Nakaya. The car hadn't had a great deal of running all year (let alone development), but after the Eggenberger disqualifications they would up classified 5th.

Who took maximum WTCC points from Bathurst 1987.....the 7th placed BMW M3 of Johnny Cecotto/Gianfranco Brancatelli, 2nd was the Voight/Heger/Groulliard BMW (11th outright), with the Ravaglia/Pirro BMW 3rd (12th outright), and that was it, 3 cars took home WTCC points from the race.

[GTRMagic]

And that's despite Cecotto snotting the wall across the top and having to come in for some Aussie-style panel beating. Lucky for that team Mark Petch had already signed the deal to buy the car

[racer69]

And in no time at all had ditched the M3 and done a deal for a Walter Wolf Sierra.......

[GTRMagic]

That was a very beautiful car, nicely painted. Not legal or fast or anything but you cant have it all

[racer69]

nicely painted in the silver at Winton or the brown at Bathurst

[GTRMagic]

The brown appeared at an AMSCAR meeting... blecch

The silver colour had a lot of depth to it, the engineering inside the car was quite nice, not as sweet as an Eggenberger car but nice enough

[William Dale Jr]

Just out of curiousity, was the ex-CiBiEmme BMW that Petch bought the one Ludwig Finauer ran at the first 1988 AMSCAR round? Was that the same car that he and Radisich ran at Bathurst, and if not, where did that come from?

[GTRMagic]

It was the very same car William Dale Jr. Ludwig Finauer built the motors while Mirek Cepe (ex-JPS BMW too) of BM Conversions did work on the mechanicals