1982 Tricentrol RAC British Saloon Car Championship - Discussion & Results

[WOCCOWAYCER]

I found this photo in my archive,of John Morris in his Mk1 Golf at Donington, with Tony Dickinson's? RS2000 also in the shot.
I do not recognize the Mazda,anyone ?

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by WOCCOWAYCER

To continue the JM link I found this photo in my archive,of John Morris in his Mk1 Golf at Donington, with Tony Dickinson's? RS2000 also in the shot.
I do not recognize the Mazda,anyone ?

Nice shot of the Group 1 cars (more welcome!). The Mazda is one of the TWR cars, likely pedalled either by Chuck Nicholson or David Palmer.

[WOCCOWAYCER]

Richard Longman vs Steve Soper Metros + Rover snout, looks like the Patrick Motors car,driven by ?
Soper again with a Corolla in the background ?
John Morris + dickinson + Dolomite ?

Get your thinking caps on folks !

Enjoy.

[KA]

Originally Posted by WOCCOWAYCER

Chunterer,your wish is my command,more of the same.

Richard Longman vs Steve Soper Metros + Rover snout, looks like the Patrick Motors car,driven by ?
Soper again with a Corolla in the background ?
John Morris + dickinson + Dolomite ?

Get your thinking caps on folks !

Enjoy.

Patrick Motors Rovers? IIRC Brian Muir and Rad Dougall come to mind?

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by KA

Patrick Motors Rovers? IIRC Brian Muir and Rad Dougall come to mind?

Yes, looks like it's 1982 in these shots?

The Datapost and Hepolite Metro's suggest so, as do the Dickenson RS2000 and what looks like Hamish Irvine's Dolly Sprint? (Makes me wonder whose RX7 that was a few posts back?!!)

I'm thinking it could be time for a 1982 Tricentrol Grp 1 thread along the lines of the ones from '83 onwards so we can keep this one specific to JMR cars?

Would anyone object if I moved these across to start such a thread (WOCCOWAYCER, you could then continue to post similar piccies in that?)

[KA]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Yes, looks like it's 1982 in these shots?

The Datapost and Hepolite Metro's suggest so, as do the Dickenson RS2000 and what looks like Hamish Irvine's Dolly Sprint? (Makes me wonder whose RX7 that was a few posts back?!!)

I'm thinking it could be time for a 1982 Tricentrol Grp 1 thread along the lines of the ones from '83 onwards so we can keep this one specific to JMR cars?

Would anyone object if I moved these across to start such a thread (WOCCOWAYCER, you could then continue to post similar piccies in that?)

Works for me! It's a couple of years before I started to really watch racing, so don't have any pics- might be able to muster the odd race result and report though...

[WOCCOWAYCER]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Yes, looks like it's 1982 in these shots?

The Datapost and Hepolite Metro's suggest so, as do the Dickenson RS2000 and what looks like Hamish Irvine's Dolly Sprint? (Makes me wonder whose RX7 that was a few posts back?!!)

I'm thinking it could be time for a 1982 Tricentrol Grp 1 thread along the lines of the ones from '83 onwards so we can keep this one specific to JMR cars?

Would anyone object if I moved these across to start such a thread (WOCCOWAYCER, you could then continue to post similar piccies in that?)

Chunterer,
A few more piccies from the same meeting,

Dennis Leech Rover SD1,with holed headlight.

Vince Woodman Capri, I'm not sure about the Sanyo Rover,my first guess would be Jeff Allam ? looks like his helmet.

The red Capri would most likely be Gordon Spice ? is it #8 ?

The last picture,of the Spice Capri was taken at a small racing car show at Central Milton Keynes at the end of 1982.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by WOCCOWAYCER

The red Capri would most likely be Gordon Spice ? is it #8 ?

The last picture,of the Spice Capri was taken at a small racing car show at Central Milton Keynes at the end of 1982.

Good shots again there! Woodman really looks hard on the gas coming out of the chicane!

That's the oft discussed car that Brian Chatfield bought, and interestingly, the last pic you've posted of no 8 is highly likely the other one he bought at the end of 1982/early 1983.

Keep the pics coming chap, most valuable. We can start to get down to talking about the season shortly I guess folks?

Mallory Park was the season opener IIRC?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by WOCCOWAYCER

Chunterer,your wish is my command,more of the same.

Richard Longman vs Steve Soper Metros + Rover snout, looks like the Patrick Motors car,driven by ?
Soper again with a Corolla in the background ?
John Morris + dickinson + Dolomite ?

Get your thinking caps on folks !

Enjoy.

Seeing the Hepolite and datapost Metro's reminds me of the time they entered a combined team at the Donington 500 and were (unofficially) known as Team Hepopost...

[KA]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Good shots again there! Woodman really looks hard on the gas coming out of the chicane!

That's the oft discussed car that Brian Chatfield bought, and interestingly, the last pic you've posted of no 8 is highly likely the other one he bought at the end of 1982/early 1983.

Keep the pics coming chap, most valuable. We can start to get down to talking about the season shortly I guess folks?

Mallory Park was the season opener IIRC?

I've got one or two results from 1982- I'll sort them out. Anyone know the calendar? I don't have the dates, but think this might be partly right...

Round 1- Mallory?
Round 2-???
Round 3-Oulton
Rounds 4-7- ???
Round 8- Brands
Round 9- Donington
Round 10- Silverstone

[Jesper OH]

Originally Posted by WOCCOWAYCER

Chunterer,
A few more piccies from the same meeting,

Dennis Leech Rover SD1,with holed headlight.

Vince Woodman Capri, I'm not sure about the Sanyo Rover,my first guess would be Jeff Allam ? looks like his helmet.

The red Capri would most likely be Gordon Spice ? is it #8 ?

The last picture,of the Spice Capri was taken at a small racing car show at Central Milton Keynes at the end of 1982.

The presence of Dennis Leech indicate this was round 7 held on 4 July 1982. I have a complete year of 1982 Autosport providing full qualifying times for all rounds (I think), top-10 overall results and top-3 in the classes. I'll have a look in the relevant issues and post some results.
Oh, the red Corolla must be none other than the recently surfaced Chris Hodgetts!

Jesper

[Jesper OH]

I have most of the results, but no car numbers or team/entrant names in my file. Help will be much appreciated before I post any results.

Class A (2500-3600 cc)

#	Driver	Team	Car
	Andy Rouse		Ford Capri 3.0S
	Charles Sawyer-Hoare		Ford Capri 3.0S
	Gordon Spice		Ford Capri 3.0S
	Graham Goode		Ford Capri 3.0S
	Jonathan Buncombe		Ford Capri 3.0S
	Vince Woodman		Ford Capri 3.0S
	Brian Muir (AUS)		Rover 3500 V8
	Dennis Leech		Rover 3500 V8
	Frank Sytner		Rover 3500 V8
	Jeff Allam		Rover 3500 V8
	Peter Lovett		Rover 3500 V8
	Rad Dougall		Rover 3500 V8
	Tom Walkinshaw		Rover 3500 V8

Class B (1601-2500 cc)

#	Driver	Team	Car
	Jon Dooley		Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5
	Erik Høyer (DK)		Ford Escort RS2000
	Mike Buckley		Ford Escort RS2000
	Tony Dickinson		Ford Escort RS2000
	David Palmer		Mazda RX-7
	Gordon Bruce		Mazda RX-7
	Mike Kimpton		Mazda RX-7
	Terry Nightingale		Mazda RX-7
	James Burrows		Toyota Celica
	Arne Riis (DK)		Triumph Dolomite Sprint
	Hamish Irvine		Triumph Dolomite Sprint

Class C (1301-1600 cc)

#	Driver	Team	Car
	Andrew Thorpe		Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint
	Robin Brundle		Audi 80 GLE
	Jock Robertson		Ford Fiesta XR2
	John Spiller		Talbot Sunbeam ti
	Terry Watts		Talbot Sunbeam ti
	Tony Dickinson		Talbot Sunbeam ti
	Pete Hall		Toyota Celica
	Robin Brundle		Toyota Celica
	Chris Hodgetts		Toyota Corolla
	John Tait		Toyota Corolla
	Tony Crudgington		Toyota Corolla
	Win Percy		Toyota Corolla
	Alan Greenhalgh		VW Golf GTI
	John Morris		VW Golf GTI
	Tony Lanfranchi		VW Scirocco GTI

Class D (Under 1300 cc)

#	Driver	Team	Car
	Jon Dooley		Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.3
	Rob Kirby		Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.3
	Alan Curnow		Austin Metro
	Neil McGrath		Austin Metro
	Richard Hurdwell		Austin Metro
	Richard Longman		Austin Metro
	Roger Saunders		Austin Metro
	Steve Soper		Austin Metro
	Stewart Fowler		Ford Fiesta
	David da Costa		Vauxhall Astra

A lot of familiar names for future British Saloon/Touring car years to come.

Jesper

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by KA

I've got one or two results from 1982- I'll sort them out. Anyone know the calendar? I don't have the dates, but think this might be partly right...

Round 1- Mallory?
Round 2-???
Round 3-Oulton
Rounds 4-7- ???
Round 8- Brands
Round 9- Donington
Round 10- Silverstone

Mallory was early March I think?

Thruxton would've followed Oulton over the Easter weekend I reckon?

I'll look out some results etc too...

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

I have most of the results, but no car numbers or team/entrant names in my file. Help will be much appreciated before I post any results.

Class A (2500-3600 cc)

A lot of familiar names for future British Saloon/Touring car years to come.

Jesper

A small addition of numbers in class A.

Were the TWR Rovers no's 19 & 20. Not sure why I think that but..

Drat I've only gone and mucked up the table Jesper, it seems to have cut out the cars at the end when I edited in the entrants??!!

[Jesper OH]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Mallory was early March I think?

Thruxton would've followed Oulton over the Easter weekend I reckon?

I'll look out some results etc too...

R1 - 21 March, Silverstone
R2 - 28 March, Mallory Park, 1 x 2 races
R3 - 9 April, Oulton Park, 1 x 2 races
R4 - 12 April, Thruxton
R5 - 31 May, Thruxton
R6 - 13 June, Silverstone
R7 - 4 July, Donington Park
R8 - 18 July, Brands Hatch, British GP
R9 - 15 August, Donington Park
R10 - 30 August, Brands Hatch
R11 - 3 October, Silverstone

I believe 1982 to be the last time Mallory Park has been used for a round of the BSCC/BTCC. Why was Mallory dropped from future dates?

Jesper

[chunterer]

Yes, that's true. I'm sure someone will tell us why the Hinckley track was dropped, I always thought it was because Mallory couldn't hold a full grid of cars, after all the last few years of Group 1 had seen split races for Classes A&B and then C&D?

Few more preambles about Class A.

Frank Sytner started the season with TWR but couldn't get the car going to his liking, so Peter Lovett returned to the team. TW practiced a 3rd Sanyo car at the Whitsun Thuxton round but didn't race. He was tyre testing as the season was troublesome for TWR even if they did win the class title, switiching from 3 different brands during the year!! They started on Avons which didn't work, tried Michelins and settled for Dunlops I believe?

All this of course played right into the hands of the Capris, particularly Vince Woodman who was unlucky not to win the class overall after a couple of late season Rover induced accidents lost him some vital points.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

I have most of the results, but no car numbers or team/entrant names in my file. Help will be much appreciated before I post any results.

Class A (2500-3600 cc)

Class B (1601-2500 cc)
|Erik Høyer (DK)||Ford Escort RS2000
Class C (1301-1600 cc)

Class D (Under 1300 cc)

A lot of familiar names for future British Saloon/Touring car years to come.

Jesper

Added those I know, although I'm not 100% of some- I'm working from notes taken 25 years ago, and don't have the original Autosports etc
I've included the ones chunterer had already filled in

[KA]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Yes, that's true. I'm sure someone will tell us why the Hinckley track was dropped, I always thought it was because Mallory couldn't hold a full grid of cars, after all the last few years of Group 1 had seen split races for Classes A&B and then C&D?

I always thought that was the issue with Mallory as well, but won't swear to it- as you say, it had seen split races for the classes for several years.

[Jesper OH]

I have found a preview for the opening round as well as the '82 season as a whole in Autosport 18 March 1982.

Class A (2500-3600 cc)

#	Driver	Team	Car
2	Jeff Allam	Team Sanyo Racing with Esso	Rover 3500 V8
3	Vince Woodman	Equipe Esso	Ford Capri 3.0S
4	Jonathan Buncombe	Equipe Esso	Ford Capri 3.0S
5	Rad Dougall	Patrick MotorSport	Rover 3500 V8
8	Gordon Spice	Gordon Spice Racing	Ford Capri 3.0S
9	Andy Rouse	Gordon Spice Racing	Ford Capri 3.0S
12	Dennis Leech	Dennis Leech	Rover 3500 V8
20	Charles Sawyer-Hoare	Charles Sawyer-Hoare	Ford Capri 3.0S
22	Frank Sytner	Team Sanyo Racing with Esso	Rover 3500 V8
	Graham Goode	Graham Goode Racing	Ford Capri 3.0S
	Brian Muir (AUS)	Patrick MotorSport	Rover 3500 V8
	Peter Lovett	Team Sanyo Racing with Esso	Rover 3500 V8
	Tom Walkinshaw	Team Sanyo Racing with Esso	Rover 3500 V8

Equipe Esso Capris prepared by CC Motorsport
Gordon Spice Racing Capris prepared by CC or Spice?
Dennis Leech's Rover was an ex-Patrick MotorSport car
Charles Sawyer-Hoare run by Andy Rouse.
Ford Capris allowed to drop 25 kilos compared to 1981.
Dougall and Muir Patrick MotorSport Rovers run by Martin Thomas.

Class B (1601-2500 cc)

#	Driver	Team	Car
25	Jon Dooley	Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team	Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5
26	James Burrows	James Burrows	Toyota Celica
27	Mike Buckley	Mike Buckley	Ford Escort RS2000
28	Arne Riis (DK)	Arne Riis	Triumph Dolomite Sprint
30	Terry Nightingale	Terry Nightingale	Mazda RX-7
31	Hamish Irvine	Hamish Irvine	Triumph Dolomite Sprint
33	Tony Dickinson	Tony Dickinson	Ford Escort RS2000
34		R & C Developments	Mazda RX-7
	Erik Høyer (DK)	Team Castrol	Ford Escort RS2000
	David Palmer		Mazda RX-7
	Gordon Bruce		Mazda RX-7
	Mike Kimpton		Mazda RX-7

#34 likely to be either Gordon Bruce or Mike Kimpton, but the preview says that Ray Ellis will be the likely driver
Erik Høyer was entered under the Team Castrol name in contemporary Danish racing
The Arne Riis car was a Broadspeed Dolomite that was bought at the end of 1980 BSCC season.
All three Mazdas were all ex-TWR cars. Four of these cars were sold of early in 1982, three of which appear here, while the final car ended in South America.

Class C (1301-1600 cc)

#	Driver	Team	Car
35	John Morris	Morris Vulcan Ltd/Tri-ang Toys	VW Golf GTI
36	Tony Lanfranchi		VW Scirocco GTI
37	Robin Brundle	Robin Brundle	Audi 80 GLE
40	Win Percy	Team Toyota GB	Toyota Corolla
44	Jock Robertson	Julian May Racing	Ford Fiesta XR2
50	John Tait	John Tait	Toyota Corolla
51	Alan Greenhalgh	Race Time Marketing Ltd	VW Golf GTI
52	Andrew Thorpe	Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team with Hampshires of Dorking	Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint Veloce
59	Nick Baugh	Mura Electronics Ltd	Audi 80 GLE
68	John Spiller	Stanfield & White	Talbot Sunbeam ti
	Chris Hodgetts		Toyota Corolla
	Pete Hall		Toyota Celica
	Robin Brundle		Toyota Celica
	Terry Watts		Talbot Sunbeam ti
	Tony Crudgington		Toyota Corolla
	Tony Dickinson		Talbot Sunbeam ti

Tony Crudgington and Chris Hodgetts running the same car, which might also have been the John Tait car.
#59 Nick Baugh never made it to the grid. Car was former Stirling Moss car.
#44 entered as Julian May Racing. Was this the outfit that ended as North Essex Racing?
#36 build by John Maguire, sponsored by VW Motorsport running a Swindon-engine by Lanfranchi himself.
#40 Team Toyota GB run by Hughes of Beaconsfield.

Class D (Under 1300 cc)

#	Driver	Team	Car
71	Alan Curnow	Royal Mail Datapost Racing with Esso	Austin Mini Metro 1.3HLS
72	Roger Saunders	Wadham Stringer/Team Castrol	Austin Mini Metro 1.3HLS
73	Neil McGrath	Everest Double Glazing with Linden Racing	Austin Mini Metro 1.3HLS
74	Steve Soper	Hepolite Glacier Racing	Austin Mini Metro 1.3HLS
75	Stewart Fowler	Stewart Fowler	Ford Fiesta
77	Richard Longman	Royal Mail Datapost Racing with Esso	Austin Mini Metro 1.3HLS
81	Jon Dooley	Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team	Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.3ti
82	Rob Kirby	Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team	Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.3ti
95	Andy Driver	Andy Driver	Austin Mini Metro 1.3HLS
99	David da Costa		Vauxhall Astra
	Richard Hurdwell		Austin Mini Metro 1.3HLS

#95 Andy Driver never made it to the grid
#71 and #77 both Richard Longman Racing prepared and run.

Jesper

[chunterer]

Good work guys!

From what i've managed to did up so far, Sytner ran as no 19 in the early season, and Lovett returned to replace him. As he won the big class in '81(suspect we'll have to continue our discussion series with 1981 soon....)he must've then ran as No. 1 and Allam as #2 on the cars? Certainly from your entry list they didn't start out like that! TW probably practiced the 19 car.

The red Corolla in WOCCOWAYCER's pics earlier could have been the John Tait car, although I think it was white early in the season.

I have a feeling that a driver from the smaller classes passed away sadly before the Whitsun Thruxton round and their car was either bought or borrowed by someone else, I can't recall who it was.

The list of Mazda's there is interesting as the only one's I can recall actually racing were Nightingale's which I believe was then taken over by Kimpton and Palmer's which might actually be seen in 'WOCCO's' earlier shot in the Maguire thread. (I'll copy it over to here). Apparently they were very difficult and incredibly expensive to run. I also doubt it's a coincidence that privateers found them to be, er herm, entirely different propositions to the cars they had seen dominate the second class in the previous 2 seasons.......

Plenty to investigate and discuss!!

[KA]

Yes, Julian May's team later ran as North Essex Motorsport. Sponsorship came from Pegasus Mouldings

[Jesper OH]

Originally Posted by chunterer

The list of Mazda's there is interesting as the only one's I can recall actually racing were Nightingale's which I believe was then taken over by Kimpton and Palmer's which might actually be seen in 'WOCCO's' earlier shot in the Maguire thread. (I'll copy it over to here). Apparently they were very difficult and incredibly expensive to run. I also doubt it's a coincidence that privateers found them to be, er herm, entirely different propositions to the cars they had seen dominate the second class in the previous 2 seasons.......

Plenty to investigate and discuss!!

The David Palmer car was mainly run in the ETCC with Holman "Les" Blackburn. This pairing even did the Brands Hatch Group C race late in the year. They continued in Group C in 1983 with a Mazda rotary engined Harrier C Junior becoming the first ever team to enter the catagory.

Here in Denmark Preben Kristoffersen raced an RX-7 beginning in 1981, but only by late 1982 had he got the car up to speed, which allowed him to win the national title in 1983.

Jesper

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

The David Palmer car was mainly run in the ETCC with Holman "Les" Blackburn. This pairing even did the Brands Hatch Group C race late in the year. They continued in Group C in 1983 with a Mazda rotary engined Harrier C Junior becoming the first ever team to enter the catagory.

Jesper

Yes, that's right, trying to remember the colour of the car. (Was it the basis for Blackburn's later Thundersaloon as well?)

There's a grey one in the Season review bearing no 34 I think. The shot was likely taken at the Silverstone International Trophy F2 meeting race?

However, the car in the Donington pic, now at the beginning of this thread, is still in TWR white and blue colours, from 1981.....

[Jesper OH]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Yes, that's right, trying to remember the colour of the car. (Was it the basis for Blackburn's later Thundersaloon as well?)

There's a grey one in the Season review bearing no 34 I think. The shot was likely taken at the Silverstone International Trophy F2 meeting race?

However, the car in the Donington pic, now at the beginning of this thread, is still in TWR white and blue colours, from 1981.....

The Palmer/Blackburn car was red - a color shot from that Brands Hatch meeting mentioned, made it into one of Janos Wimpffen's picture appendixes to "Time and Two Seats".
Discovered that Palmer was driving this white RX-7 during the 1985 Donington 500 and wonder if it is the same as the '82 car:
http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...Donington.html

The Gordon Bruce car is descriped as being ready wery late for the first round at Silverstone sporting "a delicate shade of grey primer". This seems to have been the only race Bruce did.

Mike Kimpton was the only RX-7 entry for the Donington July race, so it must be him in the white/yellow/blue car. I have found a note on this entry as being #30 Electroplan Racing.

Jesper

[KA]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

The David Palmer car was mainly run in the ETCC with Holman "Les" Blackburn. This pairing even did the Brands Hatch Group C race late in the year. They continued in Group C in 1983 with a Mazda rotary engined Harrier C Junior becoming the first ever team to enter the catagory.

Here in Denmark Preben Kristoffersen raced an RX-7 beginning in 1981, but only by late 1982 had he got the car up to speed, which allowed him to win the national title in 1983.

Jesper

Was Palmer's day job something fairly senior at Mazda UK- head of marketing or something like that from vague memory? He certainly seems to have appeared a lot in Mazda, or at least Mazda-engined cars

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

The Palmer/Blackburn car was red - a color shot from that Brands Hatch meeting mentioned, made it into one of Janos Wimpffen's picture appendixes to "Time and Two Seats".
Discovered that Palmer was driving this white RX-7 during the 1985 Donington 500 and wonder if it is the same as the '82 car:
http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jon...Donington.html

The Gordon Bruce car is descriped as being ready wery late for the first round at Silverstone sporting "a delicate shade of grey primer". This seems to have been the only race Bruce did.

Mike Kimpton was the only RX-7 entry for the Donington July race, so it must be him in the white/yellow/blue car. I have found a note on this entry as being #30 Electroplan Racing.

Jesper

The white car at Donington in '85 was entered by Jeff Williamson Rallying, and the entry seems to have been very much a one-off- it wasn't seen at any other race that season, and I don't recall Williamson being a BTCC entrant at any point- Could it be the ex-Palmer car, or one of the other UK-based cars? Hamish Irvine had one as late as 1984, which I think was the last RX7 to start a BTCC race

The info from the preview a few posts back lists Terry Nightingale as #30- was Kimpton using Nightingale's car at Donington, or is it simply a coincidence of race numbers?