International “Britax” Touring Car Race - British Grand Prix support race

Track length: 4.710 m

Entries accepted: 37

Finishers: 17

Pole position: Salmon
Fastest lap: Baillie and Salmon in 1.50,0

Distance: 20 laps
Average speed: 151,92 kmh
Weather: Dry
Ruleset: Group 2

Both the saloon practice sessions were without any real drama. Most surprising time recorded was a lap in 1.54,8 credited to John Lewis's Alexander-prepared Mini Cooper S. The Mustangs weren't trying that hard, being more or less assured of the front row. Both Mike Salmon and Sir Gawaine Baillie were running replacement engines - Salmon having blown his in private practice while Gawaine's had gone during the first session. The works lotus Cortinas of Sears and Whitmore had the 1600 cc section all their own way, getting down to 1.51,8 and 1.52 respectively. Whitmore's car obviously wasn't quite as fast, for when Sears and Jimmy Clark tried it they couldn't do better than 1.52,6.
Apart from Lewis, the other Minis seemed fairly matched, Warwick Banks, Tony Lanfranchi, Harry Ratcliffe and Steve Neal all doing around 1.56. The Anglias of Chris Craft and mike Young weren't fast enough, Mike young's fastest lap being 1.58.

Alan Hutcheson had wretched luck when a chafed tyre blew at a critical moment and he put the big Galaxie into the bank at Copse. Unfortunately it was too badly damaged to be repaired in time for the race.

The start of the 20-lap Britax Trophy race was enlivened by Roy Pierpoint flicking out the tail of the Alan Brown Mustang, just touching Sir John Whitmore's Lotus Cortina, which was coming through fast from the second row. At Copse the three Mustangs arrived simultaneously, Michael Salmon emerging ahead in Dawnay's dark blue car. Behind, Pierpoint was ahead of Sir Gawaine Baillie, the latter being passed by the works Cortinas of Jack Sears and John Whitmore before they passed the pits at the end of the first lap.

This was to be a race of mechanical failures, the first of which befell Roy Pierpoint who headed straight for the pit road after a single lap - the Mustang boiling merrily as the fan belt had gone missing. With Pierpoint's demise from the scene, Salmon forged ahead, Sir Gawaine Baillie getting the better of the works Lotus two laps later and moving up into second place some 5 seconds behind. The works Cortinas were secure in third and fourth overall placings circulating only feet apart in hair-raising slides, ahead of Fletcher's similar Cortina. A little further back Andre Baldet was getting away from John Lewis's Alexander-prepared 1300 Mini-Cooper which was easily leading its class.

Baillie was now really getting to grips with his Mustang, going great guns, and steadily closing on Salmon. Just after half distance Gawaine put in a couple of quick laps in the region of 1.50 and went past Salmon into the lead. Farther back, Sears and Whitmore were really giving the crowd their money's worth, swapping places at the most unlikely angles. Tom Fletcher was doing very well in the Coundley-entered Cortina, keeping the works cars in sight. Baldet had now shaken off Lewis, the latter still easily leading the now somewhat depleted Mini class. John Fitzpatrick had blown up in a big way just past the pits, Warwick Banks had retired the works car with a very rough sounding engine and Steve Neal had his engine seize when he lost his fan belt. Tony Lanfranchi, who together with Banks and Fitzpatrick so often provides the excitement, was well back, his engine suffering from shot piston rings. Christian Nellemann added to the Mini retirements by putting his car into the wall at Stowe, fortunately without personal injury. Mike Campbell-Cole was yet another to lose a fan belt, and retired with overheating, not surprisingly!

Gawaine maintained his advantage till the finish, although Salmon succeeded in equalling his new class record in his endeavours to close the gap. Sears and Whitmore crossed the line in a perfect dead heat. in order to perform this last manoeuvre Whitmore had to take to the grass as Sears was monopolising the rest of the road. Fletcher took a well deserved third place in this class ahead of André Baldet, both having faultless runs.

John Lewis won the Mini class by some 16 seconds, although Rauno Aaltonen put in a couple of quick laps just before the finish and closed up considerably in Don Moore's 1300.

One of the best dices of the race was between the Trustram Anglias of Mike Young and Chris Craft and the yet unsorted BMW 1800 TISA entered by Alan Foster and very ably conducted by Keith Greene. These three had a splendid carve up, with the BMW pulling out a 2 seconds advantage in the last couple of laps.

Source: Autosport

Wyniki.

Klasa B-D.
1. #42. Gawaine Baillie (GB) - Ford Mustang.  20okr.
2. #41. Mike Salmon (GB) - Ford Mustang.
3. #36. Jack Sears (GB) - Ford Lotus Cortina.
4. #37. John Whitmore (GB) - Ford Lotus Cortina.
5. #30. Tom Fletcher (GB) - Ford Lotus Cortina.
6. #33. Andre Baldet (GB) - Ford Lotus Cortina.
7. #21. John Lewis (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
8.  #7.  Rauno Aaltonen (SF) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
9. #16. Harry Ratcliffe (GB) - Morris Mini Cooper S.  -1okr.
10. #38. Keith Greene (GB) - BMW 1800 TiSA.
11.  #2. John Young (GB) - Ford Anglia Super.
12.  #3. Chris Craft (GB) - Ford Anglia Super.
13. #17. Tony Lanfranchi (GB) - Morris Mini Cooper S.
14. #18. Gordon Spice (GB) - Morris Mini Cooper S.
15. #22. Tony Rutt (GB) - Morris Mini Cooper S.
16.  #5.  David Wansborough (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
17. #11. Anita Taylor (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
18. #10. Ken Costello (GB) - Morris Mini Cooper S.  -5okr.
19.  #9.  Peter Pilsworth (GB) - Austin Mini Cooper S.
20. #24. Warwick Banks (GB) - Morris Mini Cooper S.  -6okr.