[Jesper OH]

Round 10 – August 22nd 1987, Oulton Park

1 hour or 30 laps? Rolling start

And so it was time for an endurance race of the British series. With Chris Hodgetts having already sewn up the title, there were merely class honours to race for. The two class A Ford Sierras were now both in RS500 evo trim with Andy Rouse joining Pete Hall, while Win Percy would switch to the Graham Goode car for this race. The Rovers were down to the usually seen four cars with class A points leader Dennis Leech being joined by ? Innes, while Tim Harvey would have current Ecosse C2-driver David Leslie as driving partner. David Carvell brought Jeff Allam in for a rare '87 race in the car Allam raced at Bathurst '84, while Graham Scarborough had enlisted the service of Lionel Abbott. Mike O’Brien was back with the Holden Commodore adding a considerable Australian flair to the equipe by having the driving talents of Gary Brabham. Finally Mike Newman had his BMW 635 CSi for himself and Robert Speak.
Just three cars would make the class B grid with Frank Sytner and production saloon racer Mike Smith being firm favorites while Mark Hales and Lionel Wiffen would share one of the Terry Drury Escorts. The other Drury Turbo – the expected Hales car - had a driveshaft shear leaving Phil Dowsett and Graham Hathaway without a drive. Rob Kirby would be back in BTCC action partnering Jon Dooley in the surviving Alfa 75 Turbo. Class C had Colin Pearcy with former Metro Turbo racer Paul Taft alongside, while Roger Saunders and Holman Blackburn would share the Renault 5 GT Turbo of Saunders. Allan Minshaw had the service of Vic Lee in the Demon Tweek VW Golf, presumably still the production saloon GTI. Finally class D had three entries with Chris Hodgetts and Tiff Needell sharing both CHMS Corollas, the idea being to swap cars during their mid way pit stop. If plans should fail Win Percy was also qualified for both entries. Final contender was Geoff Kimber-Smith who had Garry Marshall along.

Grid:
1.#2 Pete Hall/Andy Rouse, 1:42.0 – class A pole
2.#6 Graham Goode/Win Percy, 1:43.2
3.#5 David Carvell/Jeff Allam, 1:45.0
4.#8 Tim Harvey/David Leslie, 1:45.6
5.#33 Frank Sytner/Mike Smith, 1:46.0 – class B pole
6.#4 Dennis Leech/? Innes, 1:46.1
7.#7 Mike O'Brien/Gary Brabham, 1:46.6
8.#10 Mike Newman/Robert Speak, 1:47.4
9.#3 Graham Scarborough/Lionel Abbott, 1:48.1
10.#66? Chris Hodgetts/Tiff Needell, 1:50.4 – class D pole (Win Percy DNS)
11.#67? Tiff Needell/Chris Hodgetts, 1:51.2 (Win Percy DNS)
12.#77 Geoff Kimber-Smith/Gerry Marshall, 1:54.6
13.#31 Jon Dooley/Rob Kirby, 1:55.4
14.#38 Mark Hales/Phil Dowsett or Graham Hathaway, unknown time, DNS
15.#55 Colin Pearcy/Paul Taft, 1:56.4 – class C pole, DNS
16.#45 Roger Saunders/Holman Blackburn, 1:56.8
17.#? Lionel Wiffen/Mark Hales, 1:57.3 (Phil Dowsett or Graham Hathaway DNS)
18.#? Alan Minshaw/Vic Lee, 1:58.3

As competitors awaited their afternoon slot for the one hour race a massive down pour flooded the track leaving tyre choice an easy matter. Rain tyres was thus seen on all cars bar the Newman 635 and very late the Listerine Sierra, while the ICS Sierra sported intermediates. As the pack went away from the rolling start the rain had disappeared and a slightly dry line had appeared on the track. Win Percy used his slicks to the full launching him into an immediate lead while the electrics of the ICS car played up forcing Andy Rouse into retirement after only three laps. Tim Harvey was second in the Istel Rover from David Carvell, Frank Sytner, Dennis Leech, Mike O’Brien and Mike Newman. In front Percy was simply astonishing leaving his pursuers a full minute in areas at the scheduled mid race pit stop, alas the stop never materialised. As co driver and car owner Graham Goode was all set to take over the driveshaft of the Sierra snapped and the good job undone. Meanwhile Mike Newman used his slicks to take advantage of the stricken Sierra and not even the pit stop for Robert Speak to take over could oust the venerable 635 from the lead. Jeff Allam, in for David Carvell put in a spirited last half of the race but still fell 8 seconds short in the end despite fastest lap of the race, a lengthy tyre change putting paid to their chances. Mike O’Brien and Gary Brabham was looking set for third when the driveshaft sheared with just four laps remaining. In the CHMS Corolla started by Tiff Needell Chris Hodgetts thus finished an excellent third overall while Needell fought increasingly worn rain tyres on the second team car to finish fifth overall, sandwiching the Scarborough/Abbott Rover in forth. Gerry Marshall was also mixing it with the two CHMS Corollas, but later faded and eventually ended ninth. With Tim Harvey being severely delayed Dennis Leech took little advantage in the points game by finishing only sixth overall, forth in class. The Sytner/Smith M3 never featured in the race being plagued by a misfire that saw its demise after 19 laps. This made class B honours a battle among the Drury Escort and the ARDT 75. Jon Dooley lead this battle but a neat move by Lionel Wiffen saw the Escort in front to take the class win in seventh overall. Incredibly the Minshaw/Lee VW Golf would take class C honours from the Saunders/Blackburn Renault.

The result assured Chris Hodgetts of the 1987 title leaving Mark Hales second from Dennis Leech and a number of other. A four week break would follow before the championship would see round 11 in action at Donington Park on 20 September, but of course a number of teams and drivers would be off to the WTCC counter of the Silverstone Tourist Trophy two weeks before that.

Result:
1./ #10 / Newman, Speak / Newman / A / BMW 635CSi / 30 laps / 59m21.8s
2./ #5 / Carvell, Allam / Potter / A / Rover Vitesse / 30 laps / 59m29.6s – fastest class A lap by Allam
3./ #66? / Hodgetts, Needell / Hodgetts / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 30 laps / 61m09.8s – fastest class D lap by unknown driver
4./ #3 / Scarborough, Abbott / unknown / A / Rover Vitesse / 29 laps
5./ #67? / Needell, Hodgetts / Hodgetts / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 29 laps
6./ #4 / Leech, Innes / Leech / A / Rover Vitesse / 29 laps
7./ #? / Wiffen, Hales / Drury / B / Ford Escort RS Turbo / 28 laps
8./ #31 / Dooley, Kirby / ARDT / B / Alfa Romeo 75 TE / 28 laps
9./ #77 / Kimber-Smith, Marshall / Kimber-Smith / D / Toyota Corolla GT / 28 laps
10./ #? / Minshaw, Lee / Minshaw / C / VW Golf GTI 16V / 27 laps
11./ #45 / Saunders, Blackburn / Saunders / C / Renault 5 GT Turbo / 26 laps – fastest class C lap by unknown driver
NC/DNFs
#8 / Harvey, Leslie / Maguire / A / Rover Vitesse / 26 laps / not classified
#7 / O'Brien, Brabham / Docking / A / Holden Commodore VK / 26 laps / differential
#33 / Sytner, Smith / Sytner / B / BMW M3 / 19 laps / misfire / fastest class B lap driver unknown
#6 / Goode, Percy / Goode / A / Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth / 19 laps / differential
#2 / Hall, Rouse / Rouse / A / Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth / 3 laps / electrics
DNS
#38 / Hales, Dowsett or Hathaway / Drury / B / Ford Escort RS Turbo / halfshaft
#55 / Pearcy, Taft / Pearcy / C / MG Metro Turbo / turbo

It seems as if some guest drivers received points while only the regular driver of other entries was handed points.
It seems that the two Terry Drury Escorts were intended for their regular drivers Mark Hales and Lionel Wiffen as lead driver in their usual cars. Technical issues with the Hales car meant that the line up was altered for the race, but who was Phil Dowsett supposed to partner and who was Graham Hathaway supposed to partner?

Jesper