BTCC Race Results...

[AUDIDUDI@delphi.com]

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER 
RAC TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP 
Brands Hatch, 21/4/96 

FRANK BIELA and the Audi team this afternoon (Sun) strengthened 
their grip on the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship after 
another impressive showing with the four-wheel-drive A4 saloon. 
Biela stole the lead on the startline for the first of the day's races
at 
Brands Hatch and went on to claim another resounding victory -- 
three out of three for Biela. 

A relatively lowly fifth place on the grid for the fourth round of the 
championship meant that another win was beyond even Biela's grasp, 
but he still managed a fourth-place finish behind BMW victor Jo 
Winkelhock. Biela now enjoys a 19-point lead in the drivers' 
championship. 

Brands Hatch traditionally provides the Auto Trader RAC Touring 
Car Championship with some of the closest racing of the season, and 
so it proved as soon as the lights flashed to green for the start of 
round three. Biela made an absolutely storming start from third on 
the grid, his Audi's superior traction taking him past Winkelhock 
within yards. Pole man Alain Menu's Renault fell victim to the Audi 
attack as they entered Paddock Hill Bend and, within half a lap, the 
pattern of the race was established. 

However, Biela was under far stronger pressure at Brands than he 
endured on his double victory at Donington Park earlier this month -- 
Menu, Winkelhock and Rickard Rydell (Volvo) kept up immense 
pressure throughout, with less than a second covering the top four 
men for the first 25 laps of the 38-lap sprint around the Brands Indy 
circuit. At the chequered flag Biela was just six-tenths of a second 
ahead of Menu, with Winkelhock only a further three-tenths adrift. 

'We were very lucky today,' said Biela, 31. 'I made a very good start 
and the two guys ahead of me didn't. From then on all I had to do was 
to keep them behind! But it was never easy. I was worried about my 
tyres but they performed excellently.' Menu admitted that he had lost 
the race on the startline: 'My car was good enough to have won, but I 
made a poor start. And at this circuit it is impossible to overtake 
unless the driver in front makes a mistake.' 

Rydell claimed fourth place for Volvo ahead of a fierce duel for fifth 
between Paul Radisich (Ford), Roberto Ravaglia (BMW) and 
reigning champion John Cleland (Vauxhall). Volvo's Kelvin Burt 
and the Vauxhall of James Thompson had been a part of the battle, 
but the duo touched on lap 14 and spun off at Paddock. Will Hoy 
(Renault) also dropped from contention after a lengthy pit stop for 
attention to his power steering. Richard Kaye (Vauxhall) won the 
Total Cup privateers' battle ahead of Lee Brookes's Toyota. 

At the start of round four, John Bintcliffe attempted to emulate his 
Audi team-mate Biela, blasting away from the front row of the grid. 
But this time around pole man Winkelhock held the edge as the field 
entered Paddock, with Bintcliffe and Menu in close attendance. 

Bintcliffe wasn't beaten yet, however: as they rounded the Druids 
hairpin on the opening lap Winkelhock ran wide and Bintcliffe 
nipped past to lead for two laps. Winkelhock fought back with a 
robust manoeuvre at Druids on lap three, the BMW followed through 
by Menu to demote Bintcliffe to third. 

Winkelhock, the 1993 British Touring Car Champion, romped away 
to his and BMW's first race victory for two years, with Menu four 
seconds adrift at the chequered flag. Rydell hauled his Volvo into 
third ahead of Biela, Bintcliffe, Ravaglia, Thompson, Radisich and 
Hoy, who battled through from last after stalling on the grid. Richard 
Kaye was again the privateer victor. 

RESULTS  
Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship, round 3 
38 laps -- 45.60 miles / 73.34km 
1  Frank Biela (Ger), Audi A4, 29m 51.24s, 91.92mph / 147.93kmh; 
2  Alain Menu (Switz), Renault Laguna, +0.62s; 
3  Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, +0.97s; 
4  Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, +4.48s; 
5  Paul Radisich (NZ), Ford Mondeo, +17.94s; 
6  Roberto Ravaglia (It), BMW 320i, +18.19s; 
7  John Cleland (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +18.50s; 
8  Patrick Watts (GB), Peugeot 406, +21.92s; 
9  James Kaye (GB), Honda Accord, +28.64s; 
10 David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, +47.54s. 
Total Cup Privateers: Richard Kaye (GB), Vauxhall Cavalier, +1 lap. 
Fastest lap: Menu & Rydell, 0m 46.42s, 93.34mph / 150.22 kmh 
(record). 
Pole position: Menu, 0m 45.752s, 94.70mph / 152.41kmh. 

Round 4 
38 laps -- 45.60 miles / 73.34km 
1  Winkelhock, 29m 43.61s, 92.31mph / 148.56kmh; 
2  Menu, +4.19s; 
3  Rydell, +11.46s; 
4  Biela, +11.81s; 
5  John Bintcliffe (GB), Audi A4, +15.41s; 
6  Ravaglia, +15.72s; 
7  James Thompson (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +21.31s; 
8  Radisich, +22.59s; 
9  Will Hoy (GB), Renault Laguna, +23.18s; 
10 Tim Harvey (GB), Peugeot 406, +29.37s. 
Total Cup Privateers: Richard Kaye, +1 lap. 
Fastest lap: Winkelhock, 0m 46.31s, 93.56mph / 150.57kmh (record). 
Pole position: Winkelhock, 0m 45.983s, 94.22mph / 151.64kmh. 

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS  
Drivers: 1 Biela, 54 points; 2 Menu, 35; 3 Winkelhock, 29; 4 Hoy, 
26; 5 Bintcliffe, 19; 6 Ravaglia, 18. 
Manufacturers: 1 Audi, 53 points; 2 Renault, 48; 3 Volvo, 38; 4 
BMW, 37; 5 Vauxhall, 27; =6 Peugeot & Ford, 16; 8 Honda, 14. 
Total Cup Privateers: 1 Richard Kaye, 55 points; 2 Lee Brookes 
(GB), Toyota Carina E, 36. 

Next rounds: Thruxton, May 6. 


-- 
Official BTCC website:
Best in British Motor Sport
http://www.demon.co.uk/racing


     _             _             
    / l       l o l  \       l o   Jeffrey Goggin
   /__l l l / l l l  l l l / l l   * * * * * * *
  /   l l_l \_l l l__/ l_l \_l l   AudiDudi@delphi.com