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Canon RAC Tourist Trophy

Silverstone, Northampton, Great-Britain

Date: 11/9/1983
Track length: 4.719 m
Attendance: 8.500
Entries accepted: 69
Starters: 44
Finishers: 27 classified

Pole position: Walkinshaw/Nicholson in 1.39,05
Fastest lap: Soper in 1.40,19 = 169,54 kmh

Distance: 107 laps, 504,933 km
Average speed: 159,82 kmh
Weather: Rain
Ruleset: Group A
Car info: 1983 Cars

Pictures

Rover last won the Tourist Trophy in 1907, so it has been a long wait; but Sunday's victory for the Hepolite Vitesse of Steve Soper and René Metge will go down as one of the best ever. The Anglo-French combination led from the start, but they deserved the fullest praise for their success. Soper was conclusively the fastest man on the track and he was not in awe of anyone, including new European F2 Champion Jonathan Palmer, who briefly moved into the lead when Soper stopped for dry weather tires. The 107-lap race had started wet but after a few lap, a dry line formed and Palmer, bring the second man to change onto slick, held the lead for a while at mid-distance.
With teammate James Weaver in a French BMW 635 CSi, he managed to finish second, the latter surviving a few clashes with the second Rover of Jeff Allam and Peter Lovett which finally ended up in the barriers. Third place was taken by Czechoslovakians Vojtech and Enge in another BMW 635 CSi.
This latest edition of Britain's oldest motor race was thrilling from start to finish and confirms the ETCC as perhaps the healthiest series in Europe. (MN)


Division 1, 2 and 3
Pos Pos in class # Team / Entrant
Car- Engine
Drivers, Nationality Engine
vol. (cc)
Engine
Type
Group Distance,
time
Qualifying position Qualifying time Fastest lap Reason out,
remarks
1 1 20 Hepolite Glacier Racing with Esso
Rover Vitesse
Steve Soper, GB
René Metge, F
3532 V8 Div. 3 107 laps, 3:09.31,73 2 1.39,06 1.40,19  
2 2 14 Autosport & Design
BMW 635 CSi
Jonathan Palmer, GB
James Weaver, GB
3475 L6 Div. 3 107 laps, 3:09.48,93 5 1.40,00    
3 3 10 Hartge Motorsport
BMW 635 CSi
Zdenek Vojtech, CS
Bretislav Enge, CS
3475 L6 Div. 3 107 laps, 3:10.38,41 4 1.39,88    
4 4 8 Lucky Strike Team
BMW 635 CSi
Michel Delcourt, B
Barrie Williams, GB
(Jean-Marie Baert, B)
3475 L6 Div. 3 106 14 1.41,48    
5 5 3 Schnitzer
BMW 635 CSi
Dieter Quester, A
Hans Heyer, D
(Walter Brun, CH)
3475 L6 Div. 3 106 10 1.41,05    
6 6 1 Eggenberger/BMW Italia
BMW 635 CSi
Helmut Kelleners, D
Umberto Grano, I
3475 L6 Div. 3 106 6 1.40,03    
7 7 2 Eggenberger Motorsport
BMW 635 CSi
Marco Vanoli, CH
René Hollinger, CH
3475 L6 Div. 3 106 16 1.41,58    
8 8 11 Hartge Motorsport
BMW 635 CSi
Herbert Hartge, D
Zdenek Vojtech, CS
Milos Bychl, CS
? Rolf Hartge, D
3475 L6 Div. 3 106 20 1.42,32    
9 9 7 TWR
Jaguar XJ-S
Pierre Dieudonné, B
Enzo Calderari, CH
Tom Walkinshaw, GB
5344 V12 Div. 3 105 3 1.39,33    
10 10 29 Grace International Racing
BMW 635 CSi
Frank Sytner, GB
Brian Muir, AUS
3475 L6 Div. 3 104 11 1.41,05    
11 11 24 Gordon Spice Racing
Rover Vitesse
Gordon Spice, GB
Neil Crang, AUS
Mark Hales, GB
3532 V8 Div. 3 104 13 1.41,47    
12 12 25 Equipe Esso / Daily Mirror
Rover Vitesse
Charles Sawyer-Hoare, GB
John Brindley, GB
3532 V8 Div. 3 104 15 1.41,54    
13 13 38 GM Dealer Sport
Opel Monza 3.0E
John Cleland, GB
Tony Lanfranchi, GB
2998 L6 Div. 3 103 24 1.42,68    
14 1 41 Scuderia Autolodi Corse S.r.l.
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Rinaldo Drovandi, I
Emilio Rodriguez Zapico, E
2491 V6 Div. 2 102 25 1.42,94    
15 14 35 Burlington Wallcoverings Ltd.
Ford Capri III 3.0S
Mike Newman, GB
Tony Sugden, GB
2993 V6 Div. 3 102 22 1.42,50    
16 15 37 Team Toyota GB
Toyota Celica Supra MA61
Win Percy, GB
Tony Dron, GB
2759 L6 Div. 3 101 18 1.42,03    
17 2 46 Luigi Racing
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Maurizio Micangeli, I
Marco Curti ("Spiffero"), I
2491 V6 Div. 2 101 36 1.46,13    
18 3 42 Jolly Club Milano
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Giancarlo Naddeo, I
Lella Lombardi, I
2491 V6 Div. 2 101 28 1.43,59    
19 16 19 TWR
Rover Vitesse
Jeff Allam, GB
Pete Lovett, GB
3532 V8 Div. 3 100 8 1.40,37   Accident
20 17 15 Dominique Fornage
BMW 635 CSi
Dominique Fornage, F
Jeremy Shaw, GB
3475 L6 Div. 3 100 29 1.43,63    
21 4 52 Linder Rennsport
BMW 323i
Winfried Vogt, D
Siegfried Müller Jr, D
Rainer Braun, D
2330 L6 Div. 2 100 38 1.46,55    
22 5 48 Alfa Romeo Deutschland
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Mario Ketterer, D
Toni Fischhaber, D
2491 V6 Div. 2 100 35 1.45,75    
23 6 44 Jolly Club Milano
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Gianfranco Brancatelli, I
Antonio Palma, I
Dagmar Suster, YU
2491 V6 Div. 2 100 31 1.44,26    
24 1 82 Richard Longman
Ford Escort RS 1600i
Richard Longman, GB
Rex Greenslade, GB
1598 L4 Div. 1 98 43 1.48,00    
25 2 64 RAS Sport/Belgian VW Club
VW Scirocco GTI
Daniël Herregods, B
Manfred Trint, D
1596 L4 Div. 1 98 40 1.47,74    
26 3 83 Royal Mail Datapost
Ford Escort RS 1600i
Richard Longman, GB
Alan Curnow, GB
Rex Greenslade, GB
1598 L4 Div. 1 97 44 1.48,32    
27 18 12 Giuseppe Briozzo
BMW 635 CSi
Georges Bosshard, CH
Giuseppe Briozzo, I
3475 L6 Div. 3   21 1.42,41    
DNF 4 63 Votex Team Seikel
Audi 80
Peter Seikel, D
Lothar Schörg, A
1596 L4 Div. 1   41 1.47,94    
DNF   26 Robert L. Kvist
Volvo 240 Turbo
Robert Kvist, S
Börje Thor, S
2141 tc L4 Div. 3   9 1.40,53    
DNF   23 Equipe Esso
Ford Mustang 5.0 GT
Vince Woodman, GB
Jonathan Buncombe, GB
4999 V8 Div. 3   12 1.41,14    
DNF   30 Cheylesmore BMW Motorsport
BMW 635 CSi
David Hobbs, GB
Christian Danner, D
3475 L6 Div. 3   17 1.41,81    
DNF   17 TL Racing AB
Volvo 240 Turbo
Thomas Lindström, S
Anders Olofsson, S
2141 tc L4 Div. 3   23 1.42,54    
DNF   18 IPS Racing
Volvo 240 Turbo
Per Stureson, S
Ingemar Persson, S
2141 tc L4 Div. 3   27 1.43,14    
DNF   56 Industrial Control Services Ltd.
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Phil Dowsett, GB
Andy Rouse, GB
2491 V6 Div. 2   30 1.43,73    
DNF   45 Luigi Racing
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Giorgio Francia, I
Marco Micangeli, I
2491 V6 Div. 2   32 1.44,43    
DNF   55 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Jon Dooley, GB
Rob Kirby, GB
2491 V6 Div. 2   34 1.44,86    
DNF   49 Alfa Romeo Deutschland
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Frank Jelinski, D
Rolf Döring, D
2491 V6 Div. 2   37 1.46,47    
DNF   61 RAS Sport/Belgian VW Club
VW Scirocco GTI
Pierre-Alain Thibaut, B
Philippe Ménage, B
1596 L4 Div. 1   42 1.47,99    
DNF   6 TWR
Jaguar XJ-S
Chuck Nicholson, GB
Tom Walkinshaw, GB
5344 V12 Div. 3   1 1.39,05   Accident
DNF   4 Schnitzer
BMW 635 CSi
Hans-Joachim Stuck, D
Walter Brun, CH
Dieter Quester, A
3475 L6 Div. 3   7 1.40,19   Lost wheel
DNF   43 Jolly Club Milano
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV/6
Roberto Marazzi, I
Duilio Truffo, I
2491 V6 Div. 2   33 1.44,49    
DNF   73 Volkswagen Sport
VW Scirocco
John Morris, GB
Cyd Williams, GB
1596 L4 Div. 1   39 1.47,18    
DNF   59 Unipart
MG Metro Turbo
Patrick Watts, GB
Tony Pond, GB
1275 tc L4 Div. 2   19 1.42,26   Head gasket
DNF   57 Hamish Irvine
Mazda RX-7
Hamish Irvine, GB
David Palmer, GB
2 x 573 R2 Div. 2   26 1.43,08   Accident
DNQ   72 R. K. Meacham
VW Scirocco
Bob Meacham, GB
Bill Pinkney, GB
1596 L4 Div. 1          
DNQ   78 MSC Rhön
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti
Herbert Lingmann, D
Ludwig Hölzl, D
1299 B4 Div. 1          
DNQ   79 Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team
Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti
Andrew Thorpe, GB
Michael Schryver
Rob Kirby, GB
1299 B4 Div. 1          
DNQ   67 Team Toyota Denmark
Toyota Corolla GT
John Nielsen, DK
Ulf Larsson, S
Erik Høyer, DK
1587 L4 Div. 1          
DNQ   68 AC Bad Honnef
VW Golf GTI
Hans-Jörn Ley, D
Josef Rietmann, D
1596 L4 Div. 1          
DNQ   69 Renngemeinschaft Sieglar
Audi 80
Hagen Arlt, D
Wolf-Dieter Feuerlein, D
1596 L4 Div. 1          
DNQ   58 Jean Vignon
BMW 323i
Jean-Claude Dubuisson, F
Jean Vignon, B
2330 L6 Div. 2          
DNQ   33 Michael Middelhaufe
BMW 528i
Michael Middelhaufe, D
Axel Felder, D
Helmut Gall, D
2799 L6 Div. 3          
DNQ   9 Lucky Strike Team
BMW 528i
Philippe Bervoets ("Davit"), B
Francois-Xavier Boucher, B
Guy Trigaux, B
2799 L6 Div. 3          
DNQ   53 Müller-Bräu Team
Mazda RX-7
Fritz Müller, D
Heinz Kühn-Weiss, D
2 x 573 R2 Div. 2          
DNF   62 RAS Sport/Belgian VW Club
VW Scirocco GTI
Alex Guyaux, B
Mario Hytten, CH
1596 L4 Div. 1     1.58,14   Accident in practice