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Old 28 Jan 2010, 09:31 (Ref:2620858)   #26
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Originally Posted by Jesper OH View Post
And then again it just might be! How old was Charles Sawyer-Hoare then, as 1984 seems to have been his last season of BSCC racing.

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Not sure, I never actually saw any pictures of him other than in a Capri or Rover!!! I would imagine he would've been well into his 40's by that time though?

From the footage of the final round, the driver of that car appears to be a fairly burly chap with lots of arm and elbow action at the wheel, reminding much more of the late great Gerry Marshall?!
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Old 11 Feb 2010, 21:39 (Ref:2631722)   #27
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Not sure, I never actually saw any pictures of him other than in a Capri or Rover!!! I would imagine he would've been well into his 40's by that time though?
I was flicking through a copy of the Williams book today and saw the mention of Charles Sawyer-Hoare- think Virginia Williams said CS-H was racing F3 at the time she met Frank Williams in 1967 or so.

Just been looking through British F3 results of the period on http://www.formula2.net, and CS-H's name certainly appears here- eg, Brands, August '68- http://www.formula2.net/F368_GB49.htm
- as does another well-known BTCC competitor, who also turns up in the Williams book- Dave Brodie
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Old 11 Feb 2010, 21:49 (Ref:2631729)   #28
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Originally Posted by KA View Post
I was flicking through a copy of the Williams book today and saw the mention of Charles Sawyer-Hoare- think Virginia Williams said CS-H was racing F3 at the time she met Frank Williams in 1967 or so.

Just been looking through British F3 results of the period on http://www.formula2.net, and CS-H's name certainly appears here- eg, Brands, August '68- http://www.formula2.net/F368_GB49.htm
- as does another well-known BTCC competitor, who also turns up in the Williams book- Dave Brodie
Yes interesting, I thought I read that CS-H was doing F3 or F2 in the mid-late 60's too? Not sure what he did after that though, I'm not sure I can recall anything until he appeared in the Tricentrol's in the very late 70's.

Dave Brodie was, still is a great mate of SFW's apparently then? I hadn't realised the basis of Brode's Williams directorship was more friendly based than business.

Bit off topic: The other guy who graced the BTCC and was for a short time a rival of CS-H and Brodie having been an F2 runner was Rad Dougall, another one of the 'lost talen't cases I suspect. Possibly quite a few more 60's 70's single seater converts to come up I suspect?
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Old 11 Feb 2010, 22:01 (Ref:2631737)   #29
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Originally Posted by chunterer View Post
Yes interesting, I thought I read that CS-H was doing F3 or F2 in the mid-late 60's too? Not sure what he did after that though, I'm not sure I can recall anything until he appeared in the Tricentrol's in the very late 70's.

Dave Brodie was, still is a great mate of SFW's apparently then? I hadn't realised the basis of Brode's Williams directorship was more friendly based than business.

Bit off topic: The other guy who graced the BTCC and was for a short time a rival of CS-H and Brodie having been an F2 runner was Rad Dougall, another one of the 'lost talen't cases I suspect. Possibly quite a few more 60's 70's single seater converts to come up I suspect?
Going back to KA's post #27 and linked race result, I see that Tony Lanfrachi won the race!

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Old 11 Feb 2010, 22:38 (Ref:2631773)   #30
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Dug out a few more 1984-season reports from Performance Car magazine, so can add a bit more detail for some of these- I'll also put them into table format like we have for the other seasons to make it easier to amend them

Round 1- Donington, 25 March 1984. Can't find a report for this one yet, so this is basically the qualifying times Jesper posted early in the thread, with as much of the result as I have

Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
1.1.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse21m20.07    
2.2.20Steve SoperTWR/Austin Rover FleetARover Vitesse31m20.17    
3.3.11Tony PondTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse11m20.07    
4.4.10Peter LovettTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse61m20.88    
5.5.9Frank SytnerSytnerA BMW 635CSi51m20.40    
6.            
7.            
8.            
9.1.34Patrick WattsDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo101m22.59    
             
?2.32Rob KirbyARDT/Salmon CanBAlfa Romeo GTV6151m25.36    
?3.30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6131m25.11    
?4.33John MorrisMorrisBVW Scirocco 1.8171m25.82    
             
?1.69Chris HodgettsBrooklynCFord Escort RS1600i141m25.27    
?2.51Alan GreenhalghGreenhalgh/OrdibelCVW Golf GTi181m26.24    
?3.66Alan CurnowLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i191m27.81    
?4.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i201m28.13    
             
??6James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi41m20.28    
??14Win PercyHughes of BeaconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra71m21.28    
??4Dennis LeechLeechARover Vitesse81m21.72    
??18Dave BrodieBBW MotorsportAMitsubishi Starion Turbo91m21.91    
??40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6111m23.23    
??35Robin BrundleDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo121m24.10    
??41Paul SmithTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6161m25.55    
             
??38Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo211m31.57    
??84Barry LeeLee/TotalCFord Escort RS1600i221m32.89    
??31Andrew ThorpeThorpe/Hampshire of Dorking?BVauxhall Astra GTE231m36.11    
DNS?DNS?5Vince WoodmanCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi     DNS- accident?

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Old 11 Feb 2010, 23:53 (Ref:2631831)   #31
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Round 2-Silverstone, 1 April 1984. 20 laps?
Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
1.1.11Tony PondTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse31m39.25  33m42.61 
2.2.10Peter LovettTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse51m39.67  33m51.93 
3.3.9Frank SytnerSytnerABMW 635CSi61m39.98  34m15.11 
4.4.14Tony DronHughes of BeaconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra91m41.60  34m24.22Win Percy away at ETC race
5.5.??Mike NewmanNewmanAFord Capri 3.0S131m42.75  34m44.19 
6.1.34Patrick WattsDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo111m42.29  35m10.58 
7.2.35Robin BrundleDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo121m42.67  35m22.82 
8.6.6James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi41m39.52  35m22.97 
9.3.32Rob KirbyARDT/Salmon CanBAlfa Romeo GTV6181m45.90 19 laps?  
10.1.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i201m46.74 19 laps?  
             
?4.41Paul SmithTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6171m45.30 19 laps?  
?5?38Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo231m47.30   possibly not classified- several laps down
             
?2.69Chris HodgettsBrooklyn MotorsportCFord Escort RS1600i191m46.22 19 laps?  
?3.66Alan CurnowLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i221m47.17 19 laps?  
?4.72Rob HallJohn Maguire/Lloyds of StaffordCFord Escort RS1600i251m48.76 19 laps  
?5???John MyerscoughMyerscough?CAlfa Romeo Alfasud261m52.20 18 laps?  
             
??17David KennedyBS Automotive/GrundigABMW 635CSi81m41.51    
??13Charles Sawyer-HoareEquipe Esso/Daily MirrorARover Vitesse101m41.83    
??33John MorrisMorrisBVW Scirocco 1.8211m46.98    
??31Andrew ThorpeThorpeBVauxhall Astra GTE271m58.37    
??84Barry LeeLee/TotalCFord Escort RS1600i282m14.20    
             
DNFDNF4Dennis LeechLeechARover Vitesse71m40.86 13 laps halfshaft
DNFDNF30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6161m44.63 6 laps propshaft
DNFDNF7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse11m38.26 0 laps? Accident
DNFDNF40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6151m44.23 0 laps Accident
DNFDNF43Paul TaftDowson/KlaxonBMG Metro Turbo141m43.34 0 laps Distributor
DNFDNF51Alan GreenhalghGreenhalgh/OrdibelCVW Golf GTI241m24.67 0 laps Accident
             
DNSDNS11TJean-Louis SchlesserTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse2*1m39.01 DNS Qualified as back-up for Pond

Think Woodman missed this round, as his CC BMW was still being rebuilt?
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Old 12 Feb 2010, 00:23 (Ref:2631848)   #32
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Round 3- Oulton Park 20 April 1984

Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
            
1.1.6James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi1    First non-Rover win since start of 1983 season?
2.2.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse     New car after Silverstone shunt?
3.3.10Peter LovettTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse      
4.4.14Win PercyHughes of BeaconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra      
5.5.5Vince WoodmanCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
6.6.11Tony PondTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse     gearbox problems
7?.7?.9Frank SytnerSytnerABMW 635CSi      
             
?.1.35Robin BrundleDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo      
?238Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo     about 20 secs behind Brundle
             
?1.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
?2.69Chris HodgettsBrooklyn MotorsportCFord Escort RS1600i      
             
?.?.32Rob KirbyARDT/Salmon CanBAlfa Romeo GTV6     tyre problems
??.41Paul SmithTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6     tyre problems?
??40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6     tyre problems
             
DNFDNF30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6     Fastest Lap
DNF.DNF.34Patrick WattsDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo     car stopped on green-flag lap
             
DNSDNS17David KennedyBS Automotive/GrundigABMW 635CSi     DNS-Reserve entry?
             
            

The Terry Drury Alfas and Kirby's 'Salmon Can' cars were all in trouble with tyres- according to the race report, suffering from Dunlop only being able to provide a choice of 'the right size, but the wrong (too hard) compound, or the right compound but the wrong size...

Performance Car reported this round and the next at Thruxton in a single article, so coverage is a bit sketchy
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Old 12 Feb 2010, 00:56 (Ref:2631860)   #33
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Round 4- Thruxton 21 April 1984

Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
            
1.1.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse1     
2.2.11Tony PondTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse      
3.3.10Peter LovettTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse      
4.4.9Frank SytnerSytnerABMW 635CSi      
DQDQ.5Vince WoodmanCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi     Subsequently DQ'd, tyres protruding beyond wheelarch....
5517David KennedyBS Automotive/GrundigABMW 635CSi      
             
1.1.34Patrick WattsDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo      
?.2.35Robin BrundleDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo      
?3.40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
             
??30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6     Fuel injection problems
??38Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo     lack of turbo boost
?.?.32Rob KirbyARDT/Salmon CanBAlfa Romeo GTV6     tyre problems
??.41Paul SmithTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6     tyre problems?
             
?1.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
?2.72Rob HallJohn Maguire/LloydsCFord Escort RS1600i      
             
             
DNFDNF6James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi     Ignition
DNFDNF66Alan CurnowLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i     Accident
DNFDNF69Chris HodgettsBrooklyn MotorsportCFord Escort RS1600i      
DNFDNF14Win PercyHughes of BeaconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra2  0 laps Accident
             
             
            

The Drury and Kirby Alfas were having the same tyre problems as at Oulton.
All of the BMW drivers were complaining about the handling of their 635s
Win Percy went off on lap 1 while challenging Rouse for the lead- Team boss Mike Hughes reported that a new, lighter and more powerful car was already taking shape in the workshops.
Curnow went off-line trying to overtake two slower cars approaching the chicane, missed his braking point and went off virtually head-on into the tyre wall- the Escort was badly damaged, and Alan suffered a broken foot.
Weaver enjoyed a spectacular, no-holds-barred scrap with Lovett and Sytner- Sytner in particular wasn't too happy about Weaver's 'aggressive' tactics!
Woodman was later disqualified on the grounds that the 635's front wheels were protruding beyond the wheelarch- by the massive amount of 1mm on the left and 3mm on the right....! The team appealed against the decision- More of this later....
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Old 12 Feb 2010, 01:22 (Ref:2631874)   #34
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'Withdrawal Symptoms'

Round 5- Thruxton 28 May 1984

Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
            
1.1.20Steve SoperTWR/Austin Rover FleetARover Vitesse     Possibly Disqualified post-race?
2.2.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse1     
3.3.11Tony PondTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse      
4.4.10Jean-Louis SchlesserTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse      
             
             
7.7.5Vince WoodmanCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
             
?.1.30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.2.35Robin BrundleDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo      
             
?.1.51Alan GreenhalghGreenhalgh/OrdibelCVW Golf GTi      
DNF.DNF.34Patrick WattsDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo     Engine
DNFDNF43Paul TaftDowson/Klaxon NeimannBMG Metro Turbo   1 lap Accident
DNFDNF.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i   1 lap Accident
DNFDNF14Win PercyHughes of BeconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra      
DNFDNF18Dave BrodieBBW MotorsportAMitsubishi Starion Turbo      
             
DNSDNS6James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi   DNS Accident

On paper, a good day's work for Austin Rover- Steve Soper dropped in with one of the ETCC/Fleet Vitesses and led home a Rover 1-2-3-4
Peter Lovett stepped down from his Sanyo Rover drive due to 'business commitments', and Jean-Louis Schlesser took over the drive, finishing 4th behind Soper, Rouse and Pond.

However, all hell was about to break loose, as the scrutineers took great interest in the 'Fleet' car, insisting that Soper drive it directly to the scrutineering bay himself, rather than entrusting it to a mechanic- Soper therefore missed the presentations etc after the race...Worse was to come, as the scrutineers felt unable to pass the car as legal....

The report in PC is a bit sketchy, as it again covers two rounds, but is mainly dominated by discussion of Austin Rover's withdrawal of the series after Round 6

The classes saw a couple of fairly unexpected results- the Metro Turbo domination being broken by Dooley's GTV6, with DNFs for Watts and Taft; and the 1600 class went to Greenhalgh's Golf
Weaver only lasted 4 laps of qualifying before shunting the 635 heavily, ending his involvement in the meeting. A brake problem was the suspected cause

Last edited by chunterer; 12 Feb 2010 at 19:17. Reason: Well it was pretty late when you posted!!
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Old 12 Feb 2010, 02:06 (Ref:2631894)   #35
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Round 6- Silverstone 10th June 1984

Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
1.1.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse      
2.2.10Jean-Louis SchlesserTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse      
3.3.9Frank SytnerSytnerABMW 635CSi      
4.4.6?James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
5.5.11Tony PondTWR/SanyoARover Vitesse1     
6.6.14Gordon SpiceHughes of BeaconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra      
7.7.18Dave BrodieBBW MotorsportAMitsubishi Starion Turbo      
8.8.4Dennis LeechLeechARover Vitesse      
9.9.21Neil McGrathLinden RacingARover Vitesse      
10.10.17David KennedyBS Automotive/GrundigABMW 635CSi      
             
?1.38Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo      
?.2.30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.3.41Paul SmithTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.4.33John MorrisMorrisBVW Scirocco 1.8      
?.5.32Rob KirbyARDT/Salmon CanBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
??43Paul TaftDowson/Klaxon NeimannBMG Metro Turbo      
             
?1.66Alan CurnowLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
?3.69Chris HodgettsBrooklyn MotorsportCFord Escort RS1600i      
?3.70Jock RobertsonJulian May/PegasusCFord Escort RS1600i      
?4.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
             
DNF.DNF.34Patrick WattsDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo     Engine
DNFDNF72Rob HallJohn Maguire/LloydsCFord Escort RS1600i      
DNFDNF40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
DNFDNF.35Robin BrundleDowson/ComputervisionBMG Metro Turbo      
DNF.DNF.51Alan GreenhalghGreenhalgh/OrdibelCVW Golf GTi      
             
            
Win Percy was again absent on TWR Jaguar duty at Brno- his replacement on this occasion being Gordon Spice
Vince Woodman stood down, his 635 being driven by James Weaver. Weaver got involved in another furious battle on track, again incurring the displeasure of his opponent- this time Dave Brodie. The Starion was quick in a straight line but with poor brakes, the BMW lacked straight-line speed but was better under braking. Brodie was apparently critical of what he saw as Weaver's lack of tactical awareness....
Graham Goode's Nissan finally took a class win, though Dowsett's Alfa led until retirement, and Richard Longman again had problems in Class C- finishing 4th in class while team-mate Curnow won the class
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Old 12 Feb 2010, 17:40 (Ref:2632264)   #36
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After Round 6 at Silverstone, Austin Rover pulled out of the championship, withdrawing both the Rovers and Metro Turbos from the 1984 series, and repudiating any claim to the 1983 drivers' and manufacturers' titles, won on the track, at least, by Steve Soper.
It's also suggested in a later article that they tried to persuade Pete Hall and Andy Rouse to withdraw the ICS car...

According to Performance Car, the straw that broke the camel's back was the post-race issues with Soper's ETC 'Fleet' car at Thruxton-

PC quoted the ARG press release:

'This car had been examined before the start of the season by the official Group A scrutineer from FISA, and again by him at 3 rounds of the 1984 ETCC. The same car was examined by the Chairman of the RACMSA Technical Commission at the ETC race at Donington Park on April 29 and at a subsequent post-race examination at which the engine was stripped and examined in detail. On all these occasions the car was declared legal.

However, when RACMSA officials, those on whose evidence the 1983 case is based, examined the car at Thruxton, they were unable to pass it as legal. They were also unable or unwilling to state what, if anything, was wrong with it.

In addition, RACMSA officials insisted that Steve Soper accompany his car to the scrutineering bay without stopping at the start/finish line. They also failed to inform circuit officials of the reason for his absence from the start line awards ceremony attended by the series sponsor'

PC described the RAC's handling of this as a 'shameful incident', commenting that 'it is customary for a mechanic to drive the car to the scrutineering bay, freeing the driver to attend the traditional ceremony.Presumably the scrutineer responsible for this incident didn't trust a mechanic with the car (maybe the mechanic was good enough to perform a quick engine change in the 200 yard drive to the scrutineering bay!) and insisted Soper drive it.'
Whatever the rights and wrongs were of the legality of the Rovers, the handling of the affair does look like an utter shambles- the Performance Car article described it as 'the continued bumbling, ineffectual and amateurish administration of the British Saloon Car Championship' and questioned how any manufacturer-backed team, with so much money invested in their programme could do anything but lose patience with it...
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Old 12 Feb 2010, 17:54 (Ref:2632272)   #37
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BMW were little happier, Vince Woodman having been disqualified after Thruxton on Easter Monday because the 635's front wheels protruded beyond the wheelarches- Perfornance Car again:
'This on the basis of inspections carried out at the meeting, and photographs that showed the left front wheel protruding beyond the bodywork by, wait for it, 1mm, equal to .039", or approximately one paint thickness! To be fair, it was stated by the RAC that the right front wheel was protruding a massive 3mm (Do I detect a hint of sarcasm in the reporting...?), but the photograph released for publication depicted an RAC Technical Commission member holding an official-looking plumb-bob beside the left-hand wheel. Quite apart from the questions raised by the 'evidence' (were the wheels pointing straight ahead, was the driver aboard, were the tyres correctly inflated, how was the clearance measured on the evidence of a photograph anyway etc?) we find the penalty imposed draconian. As Pete Clark of CC Developments, who prepare both 635s for BMW GB put it 'Had we been told what he was checking, ie the front wheels, we would have asked for them to be checked properly. Even if the wheels projected outside the bodywork at Oulton, they should have told us and we'd have put it right for Thruxton'

CC planned to appeal....

Apparently both CC and TWR had offered to submit their cars for inspection pre-season, specifically to avoid such issues- an offer that was allegedly declined by the MSA.
It certainly doesn't inspire confidence, disqualifying a car for a discrepancy of 1-3mm, on the evidence of a photo showing a bit of string with a weight on the end being held against the bodywork...

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Old 12 Feb 2010, 18:16 (Ref:2632288)   #38
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Jesper OH should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
In the June 1983 Donington video I linked to in the '83 thread it said that Frank Sytner - a former TWR/Sanyo Rover driver - had protested the Vitesses. This, then, must have been the case that was finally ended in June 1984!? What you discribe, KA, seems to be a bit of a mess regarding scrutineering, but raises another interesting question I think.

In the Rover piece it's described that cars used for the BSCC - in Sanyo colours - and cars used for the ETCC - in green/blue Fleet colours - were the same?

What I don't understand is why scrutineering of cars in 1984 should tell anything about cars that had been racing in 1983!

As for the CC BMWs I think that even the continental BMW teams were suspicious about the legality of the CC car racing in the '84 Donington 500.

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Old 12 Feb 2010, 19:09 (Ref:2632316)   #39
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In the June 1983 Donington video I linked to in the '83 thread it said that Frank Sytner - a former TWR/Sanyo Rover driver - had protested the Vitesses. This, then, must have been the case that was finally ended in June 1984!? What you discribe, KA, seems to be a bit of a mess regarding scrutineering, but raises another interesting question I think.

In the Rover piece it's described that cars used for the BSCC - in Sanyo colours - and cars used for the ETCC - in green/blue Fleet colours - were the same?

What I don't understand is why scrutineering of cars in 1984 should tell anything about cars that had been racing in 1983!

As for the CC BMWs I think that even the continental BMW teams were suspicious about the legality of the CC car racing in the '84 Donington 500.

Jesper
I still haven't read all of the articles I have here from 1983/4, but there seem to have been two distinct issues- the 1983 protests, which as you say seem to have been instigated by Sytner (think I've got something in one of the reports which gives the background to that-I'll have a look) over the use of illegal engine parts, and which were still a point of contention well into 1984- an RAC tribunal chaired by Lord Shawcross met to investigate these over a period of 5 days, and was unable to hear all of the evidence- this was apparently in April 1984, so the 1983 season issues dragged on well into the following season...

There then seem to have been some further eligibility problems in 1984 (ie the affair of Sopers' 'Fleet' car at Thruxton) whether this was the same engine parts issue or something new I don't know...?

Austin Rover were already receiving some fairly bad press over the issue- there's an amusing story in one of the early-season reports:

'At Oulton Park, Alfa Romeo driver Jon Dooley showed us an extract from 'Private Eye' which alleged that ARG had spent "£100,000 of taxpayers' money (don't forget Austin Rover was still largely state-owned at that time) defending themselves against allegations of cheating" Pointing out the relevant passage, Dooley drily commented "Their legal budget is about four times as big as our racing budget"
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Old 12 Feb 2010, 19:31 (Ref:2632332)   #40
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OK, the 1983 story, as described in Performance Car's season preview by Art Markus- there's about a page of this stuff(!), so I'll just do highlights...

Basically, the results of the 1983 championship had not been decided at the beginning of '84- the RAC wished to hold a tribunal to enquire into the legality of the cars, but Tom Walkinshaw had gone to the High Court for a legal injunction preventing the MSA from doing this- as the article comments, 'Remember, this is not to decide whether or not the Rovers transgress the Group A rule book, but merely to decide whether the RAC MSA is entitled to reconsider the matter'

Walkinshaw's argument was that an RACMSA Court of Enquiry in August '83 had found the cars legal, and that the matter should end there. Frank Sytner however, wasn't satisfied by this and had protested the cars again during 1983- the RAC MSA hearing for this second protest promptly found the cars illegal....

The issue of contention was the valve rockers in the engine- in a production Rover, the engine used hydraulic valve lifters. These were replaced in the race engines by solid ones, TWR using rockers with a screw adjustment to provide the required valve clearance, sourced from Swedish company BAHCO. Apparently, Sytner and his lawyers canvassed Volvo dealers until they found the source of the component in question

The other issue, which seemed to have died down in early '84 was around bodyshells- this was the story that led to TWR being nicknamed 'Third World Racing' by some humourist at the time.

Apparently, in order to fit the maximum 11" wide wheel/tyre combination inside the production wheelarch, TWR had moved the top mounting for the shock absorber inwards and upwards on a modified inner wheelarch. The rules, of course, stated that the suspension pickup points should remain standard.

Allegedly, Austin Rover got around this by issuing factory drawings describing this as a 'reinforced' standard bodyshell specification supplied for certain African markets- not that anyone had apparently ever seen one of these 'Third-World-spec' bodyshells anywhere but on a Group A race car....
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Old 12 Feb 2010, 19:49 (Ref:2632342)   #41
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The other issue, which seemed to have died down in early '84 was around bodyshells- this was the story that led to TWR being nicknamed 'Third World Racing' by some humourist at the time.

Apparently, in order to fit the maximum 11" wide wheel/tyre combination inside the production wheelarch, TWR had moved the top mounting for the shock absorber inwards and upwards on a modified inner wheelarch. The rules, of course, stated that the suspension pickup points should remain standard.

Allegedly, Austin Rover got around this by issuing factory drawings describing this as a 'reinforced' standard bodyshell specification supplied for certain African markets- not that anyone had apparently ever seen one of these 'Third-World-spec' bodyshells anywhere but on a Group A race car....
I have heard this part of the story before, but with 13" rims on Jaguar bodies intended for the South American market! This from a Danish article about the 1983 European Touring Car Championship.

But what was the eventual course of Steve Soper being stripped of the 1983 title? My current superficial knowledge says bodywork infringements, but..

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Old 12 Feb 2010, 20:16 (Ref:2632357)   #42
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Just quickly returning to KA's '84 results. Vince Woodman missed the opening round after a hefty shunt in practice at Redgate which resulted in a unrepairable shell and broken ribs for poor Vince.

He also subsequently missed the second round at Silverstone whilst he recovered and IIRC another shell was sourced.

Vince returned at Oulton and drove a very good race considering he was still in a lot of pain (this round less than 4 weeks after the Donington crash.) I don't know iff he drove a 'new' car or the ex Eggenberger car that CC had acquired for testing pre season?

I've also got a question about the '84/84 TWR/Shawcross protests. Could the 3 '84 Vitesses have been exactly the same 3 as used in 1983..... One of the Sanyo cars almost certainly was. Chassis 004 was believed to be Jeff Allam's in '83, Tony Pond or Peter Lovett's in '84 (then onto Bathurst and latterly in Dave Carvell's hands in 1987).

So was the other Sanyo car also an '83 car and was Sopers Fleet car actually the Hepolite car?

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Old 13 Feb 2010, 13:09 (Ref:2632658)   #43
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I have heard this part of the story before, but with 13" rims on Jaguar bodies intended for the South American market! This from a Danish article about the 1983 European Touring Car Championship.

But what was the eventual course of Steve Soper being stripped of the 1983 title? My current superficial knowledge says bodywork infringements, but..

Jesper
I've got an article and track test from a Classic Cars mag of one of the '84-season TWR XJSs (the car kept in Walkinshaw's collection and later sold to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust) which tells pretty much the same story- TWR wanted to use the widest possible rear tyres, but the rules said they had to be within the original bodywork. According to Don Law, the Jaguar specialist who maintained the car for the JDHT at the time (2004) 'they moved the chassis rails in an inch. Jaguar produced drawings that showed that for off-road specifications in Africa, there was an XJS with wider inner wheelarches, but with less boot space. It's all b******* of course'
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Old 13 Feb 2010, 13:19 (Ref:2632662)   #44
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But what was the eventual course of Steve Soper being stripped of the 1983 title? My current superficial knowledge says bodywork infringements, but..

Jesper
Sytner's original 1983 protest (after the Donington race in June '83) was apparently over bodywork, although one of TWR's engines was also sealed for later inspection. The findings of the RAC investigation, declaring the cars legal were announced on the Saturday morning of the August '83 Donington round- According to Performance Car's report of that race, by Saturday evening...;

'Edward Grace International (Frank Sytner's entrant) had entered a protest against the valve gear of the three works Vitesses, while TWR had duly reciprocated by protesting the BMW 635CSis of Sytner and Stuck in respect of spoilers and bodywork. By Sunday evening, the number of protests and appeals flying about had necessitated the beleagured Donington Racing Club issuing no less than five bulletins, endeavouring to keep journalists abreast of events. Needless to say, all results remain provisional until the RACMSA can commission another Enquiry...'
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Old 13 Feb 2010, 13:47 (Ref:2632678)   #45
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Round 7- Snetterton 10th June 1984, 1 July 1984

According to the PC report, 'Snetterton was the first meeting to suffer from the absence of the works Austin Rover Group entries, and the effect was immediately evident- the race definitely lacked lustre'

I've only got a sketchy version of the result, as PC did their usual trick of covering two meetings in one report- and the other meeting covered was the GP support at Brands, which took up most of the report

Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
1.1.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse1     
2.2.9Frank SytnerSytnerABMW 635CSi      
3.3.16David KennedyBS Automotive/GrundigABMW 635CSi      
             
             
?.1.30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.2.40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
             
            
?.1.72Rob HallJohn Maguire/LloydsCFord Escort RS1600i      
?.2.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
             
            
DNFDNF38Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo     Engine
DNFDNF6James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi2  0 laps Engine management failure
             
             
             
            

Rouse led from pole, after 2nd place qualifier Weaver was left on the line with engine management system failure. Sytner finished 2nd, troubled by tyre wear and brake locking

In the classes, Dooley was fortunate to take Class B despite a broken gearbox mounting. Goode retired with engine troubles. PC commented that since the departure of the Metros, the class was still producing very most exciting and competitive racing, although the pace had dropped considerably

In Class C, Longman, having misread a pit signal over thenumber of laps remaining, was pipped by Rob Hall

Incidentally, I've been giving the wrong race number for the Kennedy/Grundig 635- from the photo I've just looked at, it should be 16, not 17, as I'd put in earlier posts...

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Old 13 Feb 2010, 15:21 (Ref:2632701)   #46
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Round 8- Brands Hatch (GP Circuit) 20 July 1984, Race supporting the 1984 British Grand Prix


Another sketchy report- despite devoting much of a 3 page report to this race, Performance Car never actually gave a complete result....As I've said before, they're pretty good reports for background info, but not so hot if you actually want to know the result of the race....
The report was quite good at listing non-finishers, and there are enough pics to give a fair idea of who was actually there- just not where a lot of them finished

Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
1.1.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse2     
226James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
             
             
?.1.40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.2.30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.3.??Hamish IrvineIrvineBMazda RX7      
             
             
?1.69Chris HodgettsBrooklynCFord Escort RS1600i      
?2.66Alan CurnowLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
?3.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
             
             
DNFDNF14Win PercyHughes of BeaconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra11m37.48  8 laps 
DNFDNF.9Frank SytnerSytnerA BMW 635CSi      
DNFDNF4Dennis LeechLeechARover Vitesse      
DNFDNF13Charles Sawyer-HoareEquipe Esso/Daily MirrorARover Vitesse      
DNFDNF33John MorrisMorrisBVW Scirocco 1.8     Accident
DNFDNF51Alan GreenhalghGreenhalgh/OrdibelCVW Golf GTi     hydraulic fluid leak onto exhaust
DNFDNF38Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo     Engine
             
             
??.16David KennedyBS Automotive/GrundigABMW 635CSi      
??23?Mike Newman?Burlington wallcoverings?AFord Capri 3.0S     ex-CC/Esso car
??23?Brian Chatfield?Chatfield?AFord Capri 3.0S     ex-CC/Esso car
??70Jock Robertson?Julian May/PegasusCFord Escort RS1600i      
??41Paul SmithTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
??5Vince WoodmanCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
             
             

For the first eight laps, this one was a classic encounter- Win Percy had stunned his opponents by putting the Supra on pole- over 1.75 seconds faster than Rouse's Rover, and over two seconds under the lap record....Win wasn't happy about speculation that it might have been a fluke, a timekeepers' error, or the result of a bent car- he admitted they'd used qualifying tyres, but said the team had recorded a series of 1m37 laps, 'admittedly high 37s, but we defiintely did the time. I'll have to go and prove it in the race now'

'Percy's resolve resulted in one of the best saloon car confrontations ever seen at the Kent circuit. He blasted off the line despite the awkward camber of Brands' pole position, to take a narrow lead from Weaver in the BMW, but Rouse soon disposed of Weaver's challenge and latched on to the red-and-white Toyota's tailgate. For eight laps, Rouse patiently probed for a way by, Percy determinedly keeping all doors shut, each trusting the other implicitly, neither putting a wheel wrong. It was vintage stuff and kept the massive crowd on their feet'

On lap 8, however it would all go wrong for Percy, as they came up to lap John Myerscough's Alfasud:
As Myerscough at the end of the 8th lap prepared to brake and turn into the gut-wrenching drop of Paddock Hill Bend, with Rouse closer to Percy than ever, you could almost see Percy size up the situation. He desperately wanted to go by the Alfasud on the outside, maintaining his speed for the power-sapping charge up the hill to Druids, but he daren't leave a gap on the inside. After a rare moment's hesitation, he swung to the inside, leaving the possibly more favourable outside line to the blue Rover. Myerscough saw Rouse ranging up on the outside, and moved over towards the apex of the bend, at the precise moment that Percy was driving through. In an instant, contact was made and the crippled Toyota was sliding down the hill, the outside rear rim shattered, the tyre flapping uselessly. Percy's race was run.

In Class B, Dowsett took the win after a close and entertaining battle with John Dooley- David Kennedy's 635 also getting involved in this until Dowsett made the decisive break. Dooley later had to back off with an overheating V6, but came home 2nd. Hamish Irvine's Mazda RX7 returned to the series, taing 3rd in class despite a chronic misfire

Class C was dominated by Chris Hodgetts, although the Datapost Escort pairing of Longman and Curnow didn't help themselves by colliding- both continued, Curnow finishing 2nd, Longman 3rd, driving superbly to recover from a long delay. Greenhalgh's Golf retired trailing a thick cloud of white smoke- it turned out to be a hydraulic fluid leak spraying onto the exhaust, but the report suggested it might spell the end of Greenhalgh's season, as money was getting short after engine problems at Snetterton, and the team were counting on a result here at Brands.

I'd like to see the entry list for this one, as there are several pics of the pitlane in the report and they pose a few questions. Two Capris appear to be present, seen lined up behind the Leech Rover and Kennedy's 635 in the pitlane- Unfortunately, one is partly obscured by the BMW and is difficult to identify, the other is in CC/Esso colours, with race no. 23. I'm guessing Mike Newman and Brian Chatfield.
There's a second pitlane pic which includes a couple of cars in the background that I can't identify either. Sadly, they're b/w pics and the reproduction is a bit murky which doesn't help...

The pic shows a queue of cars waiting to go out onto the circuit, headed by the Goode Nissan, Rouse's Rover, and a Datapost Escort. Tucked in behind these is a 635 with it's door open, showing sponsorship from 'Direct Tyres', but no visible race number. Further back are the John Morris Scirocco, the Supra and Sytner's 635, and two or three GTV6s (the Drury and Napolina cars)

On the previous page, there's a colour shot of the front quarter of a silver-grey 635 in the paddock (basically a bit of atmosphere as it's cropped to show not that much of the car, but enough sky to show the Vulcan bomber flying over as part of an air display...), carrying similar 'Direct Tyres' logos- The only other visible logos are a Trimoco series decal on the door, and Avon Tyres of the front spoiler. AFAIK it isn't one of the CC Cars, because the paintjob seems wrong- this one's plain silver with some black striping. A prodsaloon maybe, as I can't think of any other BTCC 635s other than the CC pair, Sytner and the blue Grundig car?

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Old 13 Feb 2010, 16:14 (Ref:2632715)   #47
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[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
1.1.14Win PercyHughes of BeaconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra1     
2.2.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse     + 13 seconds approx.
3.3.18Dave BrodieBBW MotorsportAMitsubishi Starion Turbo     +2 seconds
4.4.6James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
5.5.5Vince WoodmanCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
6?6??Neil McGrathLinden Rcing/Connells?ARover Vitesse      
             
             
?1.38Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo      
?.2.30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.3.40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
             
             
?1.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i     engine failure as crossed finish line! Fastest lap
?2.66Alan CurnowLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
             
             
DNFDNF69Chris HodgettsBrooklynCFord Escort RS1600i     Oil seal failure
             
             
             
             

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.

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Old 13 Feb 2010, 16:33 (Ref:2632719)   #48
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Drama continued off-track, as the Tribunal of Inquiry led by Lord Shawcross into the 1983 protests finally reported, after a fourteen-day hearing.

Sensationally, the Inquiry found that the Rovers did contravene Group A regulations in 1983, and excluded them from the results of all meetings subsequent to 29th May 1983 (Now you can see why I haven't added to the 1983 thread yet, even though I've got at least a couple of race reports... )

TWR were fined £10k plus £90k costs (they'd already paid nearly 50 grand in costs after withdrawing an injunction against the MSA in March. What was that comment by Jon Dooley earlier in the season about ARG's legal budget being more than 4 times his racing budget....?

The summing up stated 'We fear the case is indicative of the dangers arising from the strong commercialisation of all forms of sport. Today such very large sums of money hinge in one way or another upon the results of the competition, that some contestants go out to win almost by hook or by crook, and much ingenuity is devoted to getting around or beating the rules or concealing conscious departures from them. We can only hope that this grave case will discourage others from doing likewise'

The MSA announced that there would be changes in 1985's Championhip Regulations to ensure that future eligibility disputed could be dealt with more effectively.

Performance Car commented that they'd recently had a 'long, interesting and very revealing' conversation with ARG Motorsport boss John Davenport in which he expressed grave disappointment that the Inquiry hadn't commented on the MSA's handling of the dispute, in spite of it's obvious failings. Unfortunately they didn't reveal any further details, as 'Alas, the laws of libel prevent us repeating much of what was said'

PC commented that this was the biggest chasm between competitors and administrators- the competitors practiced their sport in a 'professional' manner, while the administrators preferred to administer in an 'amateurish' way....
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Old 13 Feb 2010, 19:37 (Ref:2632798)   #49
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Round 8- Brands Hatch (GP Circuit) 20 July 1984, Race supporting the 1984 British Grand Prix


I'd like to see the entry list for this one. Two Capris appear to be present - Unfortunately, one is partly obscured by the BMW and is difficult to identify, the other is in CC/Esso colours, with race no. 23. I'm guessing Mike Newman and Brian Chatfield.
There's a second pitlane pic which includes a couple of cars in the background that I can't identify either. Sadly, they're b/w pics and the reproduction is a bit murky which doesn't help...

Tucked in behind these is a 635 with it's door open, showing sponsorship from 'Direct Tyres', but no visible race number.

The only other visible logos are a Trimoco series decal on the door, and Avon Tyres of the front spoiler. AFAIK it isn't one of the CC Cars, because the paintjob seems wrong- this one's plain silver with some black striping. A prodsaloon maybe, as I can't think of any other BTCC 635s other than the CC pair, Sytner and the blue Grundig car?
Yes I'm pretty sure the 2 Capris were Newman's and Chatfield's. I saw a strange pic a few months ago somewhere of Chatfield sandwiched by The Nissan and eithyer an Alfa or Morris' Scirocco I think? I'll see if I can find it again. EDIT, it's this one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3611177...7622382683987/

The silver 'Direct Tyres' 635 was indeed a prodsaloon. Albert Mirko entered his near standard car with slicks for this prestigious meeting and predictably was somewhat off the pace and struggled to compete even with the Class C cars. Mirko had done a couple of Uniroyal or Monroe rounds with the car, and wasn't IIRC a class contender in those either.

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Old 14 Feb 2010, 13:32 (Ref:2633214)   #50
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Originally Posted by chunterer View Post
Yes I'm pretty sure the 2 Capris were Newman's and Chatfield's. I saw a strange pic a few months ago somewhere of Chatfield sandwiched by The Nissan and eithyer an Alfa or Morris' Scirocco I think? I'll see if I can find it again. EDIT, it's this one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3611177...7622382683987/

The silver 'Direct Tyres' 635 was indeed a prodsaloon. Albert Mirko entered his near standard car with slicks for this prestigious meeting and predictably was somewhat off the pace and struggled to compete even with the Class C cars. Mirko had done a couple of Uniroyal or Monroe rounds with the car, and wasn't IIRC a class contender in those either.
Thanks for that- I'd been puzzling over the pic in PC since I re-read the report. Mirko is a name I haven't heard in a very long time- Don't really know much about him except he was running a 635 in Prodsaloons around that time- got a vague suspicion he turned up racing in the USA some years later.

That's a useful set of pics on Flickr- looking at them again, I'm sure it's the August Brands round- one of the captions mentions Percy winning. Other cars in that pic behind the Capri (captioned as Newman but I suspect possibly Chatfield as it's still in CC colours), Alan Greenhalgh's yellow Golf, Andrew Thorpe's Hampshires of Dorking Astra GT/E (I don't think I've ever seen a pic of that before!) and presumably coming up to lap them, the unmistakeable Brodie Starion.
I'll amend the result listing for the next Brands round to include the cars in the pics

Quote:
Originally Posted by KA View Post
Round 8- Brands Hatch (GP Circuit)
20 July 1984, Race supporting the 1984 British Grand Prix


Pos. Cat. # Driver Team/sponsor Cat. Car Grid Q-time FL Laps Time Notes
1.1.7Andy RouseRouse/ICSARover Vitesse2     
226James WeaverCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
             
             
?.1.40Phil DowsettTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.2.30Jon DooleyARDT/NapolinaBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
?.3.??Hamish IrvineIrvineBMazda RX7      
             
             
?1.69Chris HodgettsBrooklynCFord Escort RS1600i      
?2.66Alan CurnowLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
?3.77Richard LongmanLongman/DatapostCFord Escort RS1600i      
             
             
DNFDNF14Win PercyHughes of BeaconsfieldAToyota Celica Supra11m37.48  8 laps 
DNFDNF.9Frank SytnerSytnerA BMW 635CSi      
DNFDNF4Dennis LeechLeechARover Vitesse      
DNFDNF13Charles Sawyer-HoareEquipe Esso/Daily MirrorARover Vitesse      
DNFDNF33John MorrisMorrisBVW Scirocco 1.8     Accident
DNFDNF51Alan GreenhalghGreenhalgh/OrdibelCVW Golf GTi     hydraulic fluid leak onto exhaust
DNFDNF38Graham GoodeGraham Goode RacingBNissan Bluebird Turbo     Engine
             
             
??.16David KennedyBS Automotive/GrundigABMW 635CSi      
????Mike Newman?Burlington wallcoverings?AFord Capri 3.0S     ex-CC/Esso car
??23Brian ChatfieldChatfieldAFord Capri 3.0S     ex-CC/Esso car
??70Jock Robertson?Julian May/PegasusCFord Escort RS1600i      
??41Paul SmithTerry Drury RacingBAlfa Romeo GTV6      
??5Vince WoodmanCC Motorsport/BMW GBABMW 635CSi      
????Albert MirkoMirko/Direct TyresABMW 635CSi     Prodsaloon
??21Neil McGrathLinden Racing/ConnellsARover Vitesse      
             
             

I'd like to see the entry list for this one, as there are several pics of the pitlane in the report and they pose a few questions. Two Capris appear to be present, seen lined up behind the Leech Rover and Kennedy's 635 in the pitlane- Unfortunately, one is partly obscured by the BMW and is difficult to identify, the other is in CC/Esso colours, with race no. 23. I'm guessing Mike Newman and Brian Chatfield.
There's a second pitlane pic which includes a couple of cars in the background that I can't identify either. Sadly, they're b/w pics and the reproduction is a bit murky which doesn't help...

The pic shows a queue of cars waiting to go out onto the circuit, headed by the Goode Nissan, Rouse's Rover, and a Datapost Escort. Tucked in behind these is a 635 with it's door open, showing sponsorship from 'Direct Tyres', but no visible race number. Further back are the John Morris Scirocco, the Supra and Sytner's 635, and two or three GTV6s (the Drury and Napolina cars)

On the previous page, there's a colour shot of the front quarter of a silver-grey 635 in the paddock (basically a bit of atmosphere as it's cropped to show not that much of the car, but enough sky to show the Vulcan bomber flying over as part of an air display...), carrying similar 'Direct Tyres' logos- The only other visible logos are a Trimoco series decal on the door, and Avon Tyres of the front spoiler. AFAIK it isn't one of the CC Cars, because the paintjob seems wrong- this one's plain silver with some black striping. A prodsaloon maybe, as I can't think of any other BTCC 635s other than the CC pair, Sytner and the blue Grundig car?
Capris confirmed as Chatfield and Newman, and the mystery 635 as Albert Mirko's prodsaloon. I took another look at the pic and have spotted what looks like the Neil McGrath Connells Rover towards the back of the queue.

Last edited by KA; 14 Feb 2010 at 13:38.
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