After 25 laps of Snetterton, there was just one place to find Peter Hall: in the bar. The Industrial Control Services boss had taken his first ever Group A victory, and was toasting his success. The race had been the best of the series so far, the Brands GP numbers weren't in evidence, but the race saw three different leaders, and dicing down the classes. It was a recipe warmly received.
Snetterton, then, for the sixth round of the BSCC. And the horrendous drag up the A11 stuck behind coach loads of tourists. Still, you get there in the end... Something, certain Ford Escort drivers seemingly didn't want to do. Indeed, this was rather an exclusive club: not only did you have to survive a heart-stopping moment, but it had to happen at Russell.
Paul Taft's Brooklyn/ECS car went for a huge slide broadside on the exit of Russell, Taft finding his now all Dunlop Kevlar shod car a lot quicker but a mite unpredictable. Richard Belcher, flat in fourth on the approach to Russell, suddenly had the right front wheel fold under when the track control arm broke free of the hub. A 90 degree left ensued. Belcher emerged chastened but unhurt.
Similarly, there was another club for broken motors. "I've found the reason for my car's noncooperation this weekend," muttered Rob Kirby from beneath his Alfa 75. "It's got something to do with this hole in the block..." Fortunately for the John West driver, there was the spare. Not so fortunate was Tony Crudgington, the Clausthaler man staring forlornly at his busted unit, rendering the Corolla a non-starter.
Starting from the front, however, were the boys in blue, Andy Rouse on pole, ICS team mate Hall alongside. Making up the front row was O'Brien, Mike much more at ease the Castrol/ Connells Vitesse. Heading the B-men was Richard Longman, the Datapost/Esso RST suffering loss of turbo pressure on Sunday morning. Mark Hales (Duckhams/Motor RST) was now shod with Kevlar Dunlop, but missed the first session when the heavy duty gearbox broke. Also out on Kevlar's was John Dooley, his 75 fitted with new de Dion tubing. Hodgetts (Team Toyota/Duckhams Corolla) proved indecently quick, Chris' efforts putting the C-car sixth on the grid! So to the race. The grid was 3-2-3 formation, something not to Mike Newman's liking. The Burlington BMW is always a flier at the start (Mike, incidentally, awaiting new pistons for his Schnitzer engine package), and he foresaw problems from his second row slot. The Alfas are quick off the mark, too, and had a Toyota and an RST (neither so swift at the green) in front. The squeeze into Riches would be interesting. In fact, the squeeze into the startline barriers proved more of a problem. Newman made a flier, moving over to the left, brushing Longman, and smacking the equally quick-of-the-mark Brian Chatfield. The red Capri was sent scything up the grass sideways before scrabbling back onto the tarmac. At Sear, Mike then went for the space between Hall and the apex, but Pete shut the door; and got it smacked! Up at the front, though, O'Brien showed the way, the V8 striding over the Russell kerbs with Rouse and Hall hounding him. Next lap, and Andy was in the lead, these two opening up a small advantage, the pair battling mightily, until lap 7, when Hall came back at O'Brien. Now Rouse had the advantage of some air, the two Rovers embroiled in a muscle race. But as they rounded Coram for the 11th time, the Sierra slowed, pitward bound. O'Brien and Hall were past, Rouse in to change a puncture. The stop was slick, and with lights on, out went the Sierra again, to start a superb - but eventually fruitless - climb back up the field.
So Rovers 1-2, but on the 14th lap we had yet another leader. Hall had passed O'Brien, opening up a 6s lead. But the Connells car was destined to retire on the 20th, leaving Hall an easy winner. Meanwhile, Rouse's progress had been prodigious. On lap 21 he swept past Newman into second, but then, rounding Coram for the very last time, the Ford was crawling, with no drive. Andy peeled off right, a pit communication breakdown leading him to believe there was another lap. Andy's bitter disappointment was plain when he realised the mistake.
Longman led home a Datapost 1-2 in the B-class, Richard pleased with his new construction Avons. Team mate Curnow, on the older rubber, found a delamination problem, Hales (with a punctured front left) just held off Dooley in an absorbing dice for third.
Back in the C division, Taft led for over half distance, before Hodgetts closed in for the kill, the pair running nose-to-tail (with Kirby) most of the way. Further back, Belcher and Alan Minshaw's Demon Tweaks Corolla enjoyed themselves, while Tony Lanfranchi spent the race waving everybody past to scoop Class D in the absence of any opposition. (MN)