Audi wins BTCC @ Thruxton...

[AUDIDUDI@delphi.com]

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER  
RAC TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP  
Thruxton 6/5/96  

FRANK BIELA and the Audi Sport team put their qualifying 
problems behind them to notch up another impressive Auto Trader 
RAC Touring Car Championship performance at Thruxton this 
afternoon (Mon). Biela romped home to a decisive victory -- his 
fourth in five races -- in the first of the day's encounters, with his 
talented young British team-mate John Bintcliffe following him home 
for second place and his best result of the season. 

And Biela took a stunning third place in round six of the 
championship despite the enormous handicap of starting from the 
back of the grid with a 10-second penalty, a legacy of his crash in 
Saturday qualifying. The 31-year-old German virtually destroyed his 
four-wheel-drive Audi in the accident, and his team had to put in 40-
plus hours of work to rebuild it for today. Said Biela, who now enjoys 
a 35-point championship lead: 'The car was perfect today. I have to 
drive it, but it was my team who did all the work to enable me to win 
the race. They did a brilliant job' 

Round six was won by Biela's countryman Jo Winkelhock, the 1993 
Champion, who led home team-mate Roberto Ravaglia for a BMW 1-
2. 

Biela dominated round five, blasting into the lead away from pole 
position, ahead of Winkelhock, the Renault of Swiss star Alain Menu 
and David Leslie's Honda. Winkelhock's challenge was to last but 
half a lap -- he spun out of contention after a touch from Menu. 
Leslie took up the chase of Biela until lap three, when Bintcliffe 
sprang an attack from fourth to pass both Menu and the Honda and 
take up position behind his team-mate. As Leslie slipped back in the 
confusion, a nudge from the Volvo of Kelvin Burt sent him spinning 
down the order. 

Menu charged hard in third place, right on Bintcliffe's tail, for the 
next 10 laps. But the Englishman didn't crack under the intense 
pressure and instead it was Menu who struck trouble, spinning out on 
unlucky lap 13 and handing third to Rickard Rydell's Volvo. 

The drive of the race came from reigning champion John Cleland, 
who recovered from a poor start in his Vauxhall Vectra which left 
him back in 11th place at one stage to pass in the closing laps his 
team-mate James Thompson, Will Hoy (Renault), Ravaglia and Burt. 
Cleland locked on to Rydell's tail on the final lap but had to give best 
to the Volvo man. Top Total Cup privateer was Lee Brookes 
(Toyota), who finished 11th. 

Round six proved to be a BMW benefit, with Winkelhock assuming 
command immediately from pole position, ahead of Ravaglia, Hoy 
and Rydell. But as the BMWs swept into the distance all eyes were on 
Biela. Frank's cause was boosted by the arrival on the track on lap 
two of the safety car, brought out after Steve Robertson's Ford left the 
circuit and came to rest in a dangerous position. That allowed the 
field to close up and, when the safety car was withdrawn two laps 
later, Biela was in the perfect position to capitalise.

Eleventh on the sixth lap, the Audi man made up positions on each 
successive lap, hitting the top six by lap 11. He made short work of 
James Thompson's Vauxhall and Leslie to take up position on the tail 
of third-placed Cleland with seven laps to run. The reigning 
champion used every ounce of his experience and skill to keep his 
Vauxhall in front but, two laps from the chequered flag, he had to 
capitulate. Said Biela later: 'I never expected to make the podium in 
this race. It was the safety car which helped me...'

Winkelhock finished just over a second clear of Ravaglia, with Biela 
a further second down ahead of Cleland, Leslie and Thompson. 
Brookes was again leading Total Cup Privateer. Notable casualties of 
the race included Hoy, whose charge was hindered by overheating 
problems, and Menu, who failed even to make the start after his 
round-five crash. Tim Harvey's Peugeot was sidelined with crash 
damage after a lurid two-car spin at the chicane which also involved 
Bintcliffe.

After the race, Cleland appealed for the weight differential between 
the all-conquering four-wheel-drive Audis and the two-wheel-drive 
opposition -- including his own Vauxhall Vectra -- to be increased. 
Said the Champion: 'I don't think Biela has even had to try hard yet; 
nobody has challenged him. The Audi domination is a worry for the 
championship.' 

RESULTS   
Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship, round 5 
19 laps -- 44.764 miles 
1  Frank Biela (Ger), Audi A4, 25m 20.70s, 105.97mph / 170.54kmh; 
2  John Bintcliffe (GB), Audi A4, +2.97s; 
3  Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, +5.69s; 
4  John Cleland (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +6.21s; 
5  Will Hoy (GB), Renault Laguna, +8.19s; 
6  Kelvin Burt (GB), Volvo 850, +11.53s; 
7  Roberto Ravaglia (It), BMW 320i, +11.70s; 
8  James Thompson (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +14.49s; 
9  David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, +25.48s; 
10 Owen McAuley (GB), Nissan Primera, +49.24s. 
Total Cup Privateers: Lee Brookes (GB), Toyota Carina E, +51.34s. 
Fastest lap: Biela, 1m 17.86s, 108.93mph / 175.31kmh (record). 
Pole position: Biela, 1m 16.676s, 110.61mph / 178.01kmh. 

Round 6 
21 laps -- 49.56 miles 
1  Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, 30m 38.01s, 96.90mph / 155.95kmh; 
2  Ravaglia, +1.07s; 
3  Biela, +2.37s; 
4  Cleland, +4.17s; 
5  Leslie, +11.51s; 
6  Thompson, +18.73s; 
7  Bintcliffe, +18.83s; 
8  Rydell, +22.07s; 
9  James Kaye (GB), Honda Accord, +26.03s; 
10 Patrick Watts (GB), Peugeot 406, +26.41s. 
Total Cup Privateers: Brookes, +36.36s. 
Fastest lap: Winkelhock, 1m 17.81s, 109.00mph / 175.42kmh 
(record). 
Pole position: Winkelhock, 1m 16.820s, 110.40mph / 177.68kmh. 

CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS   
Drivers: 1 Biela, 80 points; 2 Winkelhock, 45; 3 Rydell, 42; =4 
Bintcliffe & Alain Menu (Switz/Renault), 35; 6 Ravaglia, 34; 7 
Cleland, 31; 8 Will Hoy (GB/Renault), 30; 9 Kelvin Burt 
(GB/Volvo), 19; 10 Thompson, 13, etc. 
Manufacturers: 1 Audi, 80; 2 Renault, 60; 3 BMW, 58; 4 Volvo, 56; 
5 Vauxhall, 47; 6 Honda, 27; 7 Peugeot, 21; 8 Ford, 16. 
Total Cup Privateers: 1 Brookes, 67. 

Next rounds: Silverstone, May 19. 
-- 
Official BTCC website:
Best in British Motor Sport
http://www.demon.co.uk/racing