Group A Ford Sierra RS500

[KA]

Originally Posted by racer2_uk

Hi KA and all,

The Rouse car that went to Bathurst in '87 came back and was converted to LHD and then went to France, this car more recently was owned and raced by Martin Johnston re-painted in ANZ livery, this car has now gone back to Australia, Martin still has the Tim Harvey Labatts car and the '87 Graham Goode car, he did have the Bristow Thundersaloon car but may have sold it, he also sold the Texaco Eggenberger car that came from Japan, that went to Oakfields.
Martin is the man to ask about the European built car's.

Andy

Thanks- I'd forgotten that the Ferte Ford France programme was '88, not '87. I remember seeing the pics that Martin posted of his collection of RS500s, but hadn't realised he had the Bristow Thundersaloon as well. I'd seen an Eggenberger car was being advertised by Oakfields, but hadn't realised it was Martin's car...
http://www.motorsportads.co.uk/race-...ars/13355.html

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by KA

I thought the Hodgetts car was built and run by Brooklyn- think they may still have it, I'm sure I''ve seen pics of it in one of the Ford mags at some point

Indeed, some years ago I had to drive to Brooklyn's in Kidderminster for some reason or other and parked round the back. As I was walking past one of their storage garages the doors were slightly ajar and I caught something out of corner of my eye buried amongst road cars. I turned to look and there was the red Hodgetts car!

If it was snew build fair enough, I was just thinking laterally. Red car, Rouse and Hodgetts being local to each other at the time and all that.

Shame we never got to see Chris with a regular competitive drive in the top class. He was very good! The JQF car he drove for bit in '89 wasn't all that good with it's unleaded fuel and the MIL Supra's never got developed properly like they did in Japan.

[Jesper OH]

Some more Japanese RS500 entries. This time 1989:

The races
1989.03.19 – Mine
1989.05.21 – Sendai
1989.08.20 – Tsukuba
1989.09.10 – Sugo
1989.09.23 – Suzuka
1989.11.12 – Fuji

#1 Trampio RS500 (rounds 1-6)
Hisashi Yokoyama and Masahiko Kageyama driving the entire season.
R1 – 19th o/a, 6th in class
R2 – 5th o/a, 5th in class
R3 – 2nd o/a, 2nd in class
R4 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class
R5 – DNF
R6 – DNF

#2 unknown team RS500 (rounds 1-6)
Kazuo Shimizu and Hideshi Matsuda driving the entire season.
R1 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class
R2 – 7th o/a, 7th in class
R3 – DNF
R4 – 2nd o/a, 2nd in class
R5 – 2nd o/a, 2nd in class
R6 – 4th o/a, 4th in class

#9 Cosmo Oil RS500 (rounds 1-6)
Keiichi Tsuchiya and David Kennedy driving the entire season.
R1 – 12th o/a, 5th in class
R2 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class
R3 – 6th o/a, 6th in class
R4 – DNF
R5 – 5th o/a, 5th in class
R6 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class

#13 Dunlop (unknown team) RS500 (rounds 1-6)
Naoki Nagasaki and Maurizio Sandro Sala driving all six rounds. Jeff Krosnoff added for rounds 2, 3 and 6.
R1 – Victory
R2 – DNF
R3 – DNF
R4 – DNF
R5 – DNF
R6 – DNF

#30 unknown team RS500 (rounds 2-4, 6)
Suguru Akaike and Kauro Iida driving.
R2 – DNF
R3 – 5th o/a, 5th in class
R4 – DNF
R6 – 8th o/a, 6th in class

For the Fuji Intertec 500 finals three teams visited the series.

#31 unknown team RS500
Stig Blomqvist, Stefan Johansson and Robb Gravett was the drivers lineup. Stig was racing his usual Swedish Jan-Åke Söderqvist RS500 at Macao that same year, so I suspect this is the team and car.
R6 – 5th o/a, 5 in class

#32 unknown team RS500
Kaj Bornebusch and Shunji Kasuya driving. This is likely Bornebusch’ car far from home.
R6 – 25th o/a, 7th in class

#39 Allan Moffat RS500
Klaus Niedzwiedz and Allan Moffat winning. This was Niedzwiedz’ third on the trot and supposedly Moffat’s last ever race.
R6 – victory

Two wins, three seconds and a third – Nissan had upped the game from ’88.

Jesper

[Jesper OH]

1990

“Godzilla” has arrived and the RS500 definitively been relegated to secondary status.

The races:
1990.03.18 – Mine
1990.05.20 – Sugo
1990.07.01 – Suzuka
1990.08.19 – Tsukuba
1990.09.30 – Sendai
1990.11.11 – Fuji

#2 Advan RS500 (light blue, white and gold)
Keiichi Tsuchiya and Takao Wada doing the entire season.
R1 – DNF
R2 – 6th o/a, 6th in class
R3 – 6th o/a, 6th in class
R4 – DNF
R5 – 4th o/a, 4th in class
R6 – DNF

#3 unknown team RS500
Yojiro Terada and Suguru Akaike driving.
R1 – 8th o/a, 7th in class
R2 – DNF
R3 – 10th o/a, 8th in class
R4 – 2nd o/a, 2nd in class
R5 – 22nd o/a, 10th in class
R6 – 4th o/a, 4th in class

#8 F.E.T. Racing Team RS500 (white and blue)
Hiyoshi Misaki and Kazuo Mogi driving.
R1 – 6th o/a, 6th in class
R2 – 4th o/a, 4th in class
R3 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class
R4 – 14th o/a, 6th in class
R5 – 7th o/a, 7th in class
R6 – 21st o/a, 9th in class

#11 Trampio RS500 (white and two tone blue)
Hisashi Yokoyama and Masahiko Kageyama did the first four rounds together, with Yokoyama and Hideshi Matsuda completing the season.
R1 – 4th o/a, 4th in class
R2 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class
R3 – 5th o/a, 5th in class
R4 – DNF
R5 – 6th o/a, 6th in class
R6 – 5th o/a, 5th in class

#13 Dunlop RS500 (yellow, red and black)
Jeff Krosnoff and Mauro Martini driving.
R1 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class
R2 – 5th o/a, 5th in class
R3 – 7th o/a, 7th in class
R4 – DNF
R5 – 11th o/a, 8th in class
R6 – DNF

#22 Piumini Trampio RS500 (rounds 1-4)
Kazuo Shimizu and Hideshi Matsuda driving. Sister car to #11.
R1 – DNF
R2 – DNF
R3 – 4th o/a, 4th in class
R4 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class

#43 City Life 43 RS500 (Black?)
Naoki Nagasaka and Takashi Yorino driving the first four rounds as drivers before Chris Hodgetts replaced Yorino for the final two races.
R1 – 12th o/a, 8th in class
R2 – DNF
R3 – DNF
R4 – 7th o/a, 4th in class
R5 – 5th o/a, 5th in class
R6 – 9th o/a, 7th in class

Two European and one Australian teams visited the Fuji finals.

#20 Trakstar RS500
Stefan Johansson and Robb Gravett partnered up once more, but this time in a British RS500. Paolo Barilla was also part of the driving squad.
R6 – DNF

#99 CMS RS500
Father and son team of Kurt and Christer Simonsen in their Swedish RS500.
R6 – 6th o/a, 6th in class.

#91 Allan Moffat RS500 (ex-Eggenberger chassis #99269)
Klaus Niedzwiedz and Gregg Hansford doing the deeds for Moffat.
R6 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class

Only six podium finishes in 1990, with a single second the best result. The days of the RS500 in Japan was definitely over.

Jesper

[Jesper OH]

1991

The races:
1991.05.19 – Sugo
1991.07.07 – Suzuka
1991.08.18 – Tsukuba
1991.09.01 – Sendai
1991.10.13 – Autopolis
1991.11.10 – Fuji

#8 F.E.T. Racing Team RS500 (rounds 1-5)
Hiyoshi Misaki and Naoki Nagasaka driving. F.E.T. converted to the Skyline GT-R for '92 and '93.
R1 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class
R2 – DNF
R3 – 16th o/a, 5th in class
R4 – DNF
R5 – DNF

#33 Playboy Trampio RS500 (round 1 only)
Yasuo Muramatsu and Takahiko Hara driving.
R1 – DNF

#66 CMS RS500
The Simonsen family paying a second visit with Finn Heikki Salmenautio along. This was the only RS500 at the Fuji Intertec final and the last RS500 ever to race in the All-Japan Touring Car Championship.
R6 – 26th o/a, 7th in class

Jesper

[Mike_Wooshy]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Indeed, some years ago I had to drive to Brooklyn's in Kidderminster for some reason or other and parked round the back. As I was walking past one of their storage garages the doors were slightly ajar and I caught something out of corner of my eye buried amongst road cars. I turned to look and there was the red Hodgetts car!

My dad said Brooklyn In kidderminster used to be an RS dealership, he says he remembers the car being there when he picked up his car, I heard rumours (from those who worked inside Brooklyn) [Was Lookers IIRC ??] that the car was sent to vospers Ford in Plymouth as it was one of the last RS dealerships in the country ........ how true that is I don't know

[racer69]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

#39 Allan Moffat RS500
Klaus Niedzwiedz and Allan Moffat winning. This was Niedzwiedz’ third on the trot and supposedly Moffat’s last ever race.
R6 – victory

Thats the common story (even Allan says so), but he raced two weeks at Macau in an "all-stars" race, all in Mazda MX-5's from memory.

[Jesper OH]

A case of selective memory from the part of Mr. Moffat, then!

Thanks for pointing that out.

Jesper

[William Dale Jr]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

1990

#91 Allan Moffat RS500 (ex-Eggenberger chassis #99269)
Klaus Niedzwiedz and Gregg Hansford doing the deeds for Moffat.
R6 – 3rd o/a, 3rd in class

Not sure I agree about the chassis number. According to http://www.motorsportads.co.uk/race-...ars/13355.html that event was that chassis number's last race. However, I believe the car used at Fuji was one of the two Moffat ANZ cars, which is backed up by the photos on this page: http://amagawa.hp.infoseek.co.jp/90-GroupAR6.html

If, according to the ad, this was that chassis' last race, that chassis could not have been one of the two Moffat Sierras as those two cars were used in 1991 and 1992.

[Jesper OH]

Good point, because how many RS500s did Moffat had ad his disposal over the years? Either 99269 was the actual car from the Intertec 500 '90, but it wasn't it's last race - or Moffat simply replaced it with another RS500 for the '91 and beyond. The last scenario would associate Moffat with at least four different RS500s: The Rouse/ANZ car of Bathurst '87, the Eggenberger Bathurst '88 car which had a third car added for the two car Bathurst '89 assault and beyond to the end in 1992. If one of these last two cars were retired, a forth car must have replaced one of the '88-'90 cars.

Jesper

[William Dale Jr]

AFAIK, Moffat only ever 'had' two RS500s. The first was acquired in 1988, the second in 1989, both Eggenberger cars. I don't believe either of these two cars was chassis number 99269. The only other RS500 Moffat was associated with was the Rouse car that he leased for the two Australian WTCC rounds in 1987.

Where did you find a link between Moffat and chassis 99269?

[Jesper OH]

Don't know to be honest. Probably from a previous sales add for 99269. When I saw the link to the latest add for the car, I looked at my database to see what car it could have been, only to discover that I already had the data added!

Jesper

[drbob]

[U]Rouse/ Moffat 1987 Bathurst car[/U]

Rouse says this car was built in 1987 for the World Touring Car Championship. It was his No. 2 team car. He only had funding for one car so it wasn't used initially.

Its chassis number was RSCA 00587

It did run at the Spa 24 Hour race in August 1987 driven by Alain Semoulin, Jesus Pareja and Thierry Tassin. It finished 6th. The Rouse no. 1 car DNF. Rouse ran 2 Sierras at the Silverstone round of the WTCC but I don't know if this car was one of them

Moffat leased the car for Bathurst and Calder in 1987, both rounds of the WTCC. Drivers were Rouse, Moffat and Tassin
At Bathurst Rouse hit a stray dog on Mountain Straight on the Wednesday - dog DOA On the Thursday Rouse was quickest in official practice and second fastest behind Ludwig on the Friday. After hardies Heroes Rouse was second on the grid behind Ludwig in the Texaco car. Rouse led for the first 3 laps but retired on lap 26 with a broken gearbox.

Calder 1 week later on 11 October same 3 drivers. DNF lap 21 with blown head gasket. Moffat did not get to race at Bathurst or Calder.

The car went back to England. It was converted to LHD and Rouse and Alain Ferte raced it in the French Touring Car Championship in 1988. Other than winning its class I do not know the results.

The car was then sold to Frenchman Jean Paul Becker. The car was logbooked as a Group A car and had Yacco sponsorship. I do not know the history in his hands.After being stored for some years by another owner Martin Johnston (UK) bought it.
The car returned to Australia in 2006.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Mike_Wooshy

My dad said Brooklyn In kidderminster used to be an RS dealership, he says he remembers the car being there when he picked up his car, I heard rumours (from those who worked inside Brooklyn) [Was Lookers IIRC ??] that the car was sent to vospers Ford in Plymouth as it was one of the last RS dealerships in the country ........ how true that is I don't know

Brooklyn were definitely an RS dealership as I remember- they ran Escort RS1600is (Hodgetts, John Morris Alex Moss, in a 3-car team in '85, then later a single car for Paul Taft I think) and later the Hodgetts RS500 in the BTCC.

They were also very active in rallying- one or more of the Brooklyn managers or mechanics rallied an RS1600i and then a Group N Sierra XR4x4 and Cosworth (the Escort was pressed into service as a BTCC car at one point after two of the regular cars were shunted at Thruxton in 85), and they were one of the first teams to rally the Cosworth.

In '86, before the Cossie was homologated, Ford ran a Sierra Cosworth challenge on UK national events- half-a-dozen cars, all registered in the C2xxHVW series (as were the early press demonstration cars as I remember) entered by selected RS dealers- Brooklyn's was driven (and probably prepared, as he had his own operation running Escorts and Opels) by Phil Collins.

That car has an interesting history if it still exists, as it was driven by no less than Ayrton Senna as part of a rallycar test Senna did in Wales for Cars & Car Conversions magazine in 1986/7!

Collins later drove a very distinctive pink Cosworth on BRC events for Brooklyn- backing came from a carpet warehouse in the West Midlands, 'Mr Tomkinson Carpets' or something like that (think they were one of the original sonsors of the Hodgetts RS500). There's a famous piece of film from the TV coverage of the 1987 or 88 RAC of Collins losing the car while going over a bridge on one of the first day spectator stages (Chatsworth maybe?) and endng up sideways across the bridge, stuck between the kerbs and parapets....I think Gwyndaf Evans also drove for them at one point


Can't find a pic of the Hodgetts RS500, but here's the ex-Hodgetts Brooklyn RS1600i, recently restored I believe
http://www.rs1600i.net/brooklyn/rear.jpg
http://www.rs1600i.net/content.php?view=brooklyn

[KA]

Originally Posted by drbob

[U]Rouse/ Moffat 1987 Bathurst car[/u]

Rouse says this car was built in 1987 for the World Touring Car Championship. It was his No. 2 team car. He only had funding for one car so it wasn't used initially.

Its chassis number was RSCA 00587

It did run at the Spa 24 Hour race in August 1987 driven by Alain Semoulin, Jesus Pareja and Thierry Tassin. It finished 6th. The Rouse no. 1 car DNF. Rouse ran 2 Sierras at the Silverstone round of the WTCC but I don't know if this car was one of them

Moffat leased the car for Bathurst and Calder in 1987, both rounds of the WTCC. Drivers were Rouse, Moffat and Tassin

I suspect '00587' might not be the second TT car- that ran in ICS colours for Pete Hall/Win Percy, so could well have been Hall's regular BTCC chassis

1987 TT, Rouse/Tassin
http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-09-06-008.jpg
Hall/Percy
http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-09-06-011.jpg

'00587' at Spa, Semoulin/Pareja/Tassin
http://www.racingsportscars.com/etcc...-08-02-017.jpg

[Jesper OH]

Originally Posted by drbob

[U]Rouse/ Moffat 1987 Bathurst car[/U]

Rouse says this car was built in 1987 for the World Touring Car Championship. It was his No. 2 team car. He only had funding for one car so it wasn't used initially.

Its chassis number was RSCA 00587

The car went back to England. It was converted to LHD and Rouse and Alain Ferte raced it in the French Touring Car Championship in 1988. Other than winning its class I do not know the results.

This car was hired by Ford Denmark for the Grand Prix of Denmark at Jyllands-Ringen on August 27th and 28th 1988. Regular Spice C2 driver Thorkild Thyrring finished third after a spin, winning his class in this one-off effort.

Jesper

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by KA

Brooklyn were definitely an RS dealership as I remember- they ran Escort RS1600is (Hodgetts, John Morris Alex Moss, in a 3-car team in '85, then later a single car for Paul Taft I think) and later the Hodgetts RS500 in the BTCC.

They were also very active in rallying- one or more of the Brooklyn managers or mechanics rallied an RS1600i and then a Group N Sierra XR4x4 and Cosworth (the Escort was pressed into service as a BTCC car at one point after two of the regular cars were shunted at Thruxton in 85), and they were one of the first teams to rally the Cosworth.

In '86, before the Cossie was homologated, Ford ran a Sierra Cosworth challenge on UK national events- half-a-dozen cars, all registered in the C2xxHVW series (as were the early press demonstration cars as I remember) entered by selected RS dealers- Brooklyn's was driven (and probably prepared, as he had his own operation running Escorts and Opels) by Phil Collins.

That car has an interesting history if it still exists, as it was driven by no less than Ayrton Senna as part of a rallycar test Senna did in Wales for Cars & Car Conversions magazine in 1986/7!

Collins later drove a very distinctive pink Cosworth on BRC events for Brooklyn- backing came from a carpet warehouse in the West Midlands, 'Mr Tomkinson Carpets' or something like that (think they were one of the original sonsors of the Hodgetts RS500). There's a famous piece of film from the TV coverage of the 1987 or 88 RAC of Collins losing the car while going over a bridge on one of the first day spectator stages (Chatsworth maybe?) and endng up sideways across the bridge, stuck between the kerbs and parapets....I think Gwyndaf Evans also drove for them at one point


Can't find a pic of the Hodgetts RS500, but here's the ex-Hodgetts Brooklyn RS1600i, recently restored I believe
http://www.rs1600i.net/brooklyn/rear.jpg
http://www.rs1600i.net/content.php?view=brooklyn

Here's a picture taken at the 2005 RS Owners Club meeting at Donington Park of the Brooklyn RS500. Although many of the old Touring Cars were seen out on the track, the Brooklyn car was a static display only.

KA is also correct about Brooklyn's motor sport involvements, they were very active for a Ford RS dealership.
The Phil Collins incident in the pink Mr Tomkinsons Carpets Cosworth rally car I think gained them more TV coverage than they could ever have hoped for! I remember asking Phil about this, and his recollection was very amusing (he's a natural raconteur,and could make the telephone directory sound funny). Apparently, he'd started to 'lose' the car during the S bend preceding the bridge, with the car getting further and further out of shape. Unfortunately the bridge was only slightly wider than a Cosworth is long, so he was stuck there for quite a while!

[davyboy]

Here are some pictures I took at Silverstone in 1990 during the British GP support race - all RS500s.

Lawrence Bristow


Graham Goode


Denis Leech


Robb Gravett


Andy Rouse


Mike Smith

[KA]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

Here's a picture taken at the 2005 RS Owners Club meeting at Donington Park of the Brooklyn RS500. Although many of the old Touring Cars were seen out on the track, the Brooklyn car was a static display only.

KA is also correct about Brooklyn's motor sport involvements, they were very active for a Ford RS dealership.
The Phil Collins incident in the pink Mr Tomkinsons Carpets Cosworth rally car I think gained them more TV coverage than they could ever have hoped for! I remember asking Phil about this, and his recollection was very amusing (he's a natural raconteur,and could make the telephone directory sound funny). Apparently, he'd started to 'lose' the car during the S bend preceding the bridge, with the car getting further and further out of shape. Unfortunately the bridge was only slightly wider than a Cosworth is long, so he was stuck there for quite a while!

Great stuff-haven't seen a picture of that car for a while

[KA]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Here are some pictures I took at Silverstone in 1990 during the British GP support race - all RS500s.

Lawrence Bristow


Graham Goode


Denis Leech


Robb Gravett


Andy Rouse


Mike Smith

Brilliant stuff- I should have some Cosworth pics from 1988-90 around- I'll see what I can find

[racer2_uk]

Donington RSOC 2005

Rouse built Brock RS500, notice it has no Ford badges, Brock was really a Holden man.

And

[racer2_uk]

DJR 5, Dick Johnson's 1989 Bathurst winning car.

Andy

[davyboy]

Just looking at my own pictures from Silverstone there again and in particular the posture of the Group A RS500 on the straight. They seem to be particularly low at the front and high at the back. From memory I took those pictures on the hangar straight where the cars were pretty much at full chat. I would have thought that they would have been under maximum downforce at the rear there as well. Anyone know why they were so high at the rear ?

[davyboy]

I feel we need a bit of action now. Here's Tiff Needell's piece from Top Gear back in 1989.

Group A RS500 on Top Gear

[racer2_uk]

Hi Davyboy, the Silverstone pictures look low at the rear to me, it shows the level of downforce.

Andy