btcc results thruxton. biela wins the championship!

[Dave Eaton <dave.eaton@minedu.govt.nz>]

Race report: rounds 21 and 22

Thruxton, August 26



FRANK BIELA clinched the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship drivers' crown after a pair of thrilling races watched by a huge Bank Holiday crowd at Thruxton. The Audi -driving German ace, who has led the series since its April start, finished second and third in respective races to put his points tally beyond the reach of any of his rivals. 

With German Touring Car Championship and FIA World Cup titles already on his CV, the new BTCC Champion was delighted by his victory: 'It's been a long, hard and difficult year,' he said. 'The Auto Trader Championship is a fantastic series and I hope very much to be back to defend my title next year. Now the pressure is gone and I can concentrate on winning some more races before the end of the year...' 

Biela very nearly added an eighth race victory to his tally in round 21 at Thruxton; he chased David Leslie's Honda all the way to the chequered flag, mounting several overtaking challenges along the way. At flag fall Leslie headed Biela by just 0.17 of a second. 

The pattern of the race was decided at the first corner, Allard, where BMW's Jo Winkelhock attempted to force his way past the front-row grid men, Alain Menu and Will Hoy, both in Renaults. Winkelhock and Menu made contact, Menu spun across the track and collected his team-mate and triggered an accident which accounted for both Renaults, Winkelhock, Kelvin Burt's Volvo, the Ford of Paul Radisich and James Thompson's Vauxhall. None of the drivers was hurt. 

Several drivers were slowed by the incident but Leslie managed to pick his way through the debris to assume the lead, pursued by Biela, Roberto Ravaglia (BMW), Rickard Rydell (Volvo) and Peter Kox, making his BTCC debut for BMW. Leslie pulled out a three-second lead over Biela but this was reduced to nothing on lap four when the Safety Car was brought out while the Allard accident was cleared. Leslie managed to cling on in front at the restart, but Ravaglia was caught napping by Rydell, who snatched third. 

Although he knew that second place was enough to guarantee his title, Biela never let up in his fight for the lead with Leslie. Time and again Audi pulled alongside Honda, but Leslie had his sights set on a second '96 BTCC victory and wasn't to be denied. Rydell held on for third despite intense late-race pressure from Ravaglia, with John Cleland's Vauxhall joining in the fight in the closing stages after he had overcome Biela's Audi team-mate John Bintcliffe for fifth. 

The Total Cup for Privateers honours fell to Toyota's Lee Brookes, whose only real rival was Matt Neal (Ford) after Richard Kaye's Vauxhall failed to start with mechanical problems. 

Round 22 was an even more dramatic affair, with Winkelhock making up for his earlier disappointment by claiming the lead away from pole position. Rydell and James Thompson (Vauxhall) led his pursuers. Leslie put paid to his chances of a repeat win when he spun to the back of the field on the opening lap. 

Winkelhock's tenure of the lead lasted for seven laps, but continued pressure from Rydell saw the BMW man run wide into the tricky Cobb corner. Rydell saw his chance and seized it, shooting past and into the lead. 

Clearly furious at his error, Winkelhock pursued the Volvo with vigour -- his efforts to regain the lead culminated in an attack at the chicane at the end of lap 14 which saw the BMW nose in front. Rydell was not be denied, however, and Winkelhock's failed bid cost him dearly as Thompson, Ravaglia and Biela bumped him down to fifth. 

Thompson closed on Rydell in the remaining distance but, at the chequered flag, Volvo headed Vauxhall by just half a second. Behind, there was further action as Menu -- 10th on the opening lap -- fought through the field to take up station in sixth place behind the two BMWs. He disposed of Winkelhock and Ravaglia in the final three laps to take fourth, right on Biela's tail. 

The top 10 was completed by Ravaglia, Winkelhock, Cleland, Leslie, James Kaye's Honda and Kox, who recovered from a stop to repair a puncture and set a new lap record in the process. 

Richard Kaye's repaired Vauxhall was the Total Cup victor, ahead of Brookes. 

With four rounds remaining, there's still plenty to play for in the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship -- the manufacturers' and teams' championships are still to be decided, Audi defending a large but not unbeatable lead in both over BMW. 



RESULTS
Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship, round 21 21 laps -- 49.48 miles / 79.63km
1  David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, 29m 43.30s, 99.87mph / 160.73kmh;
2  Frank Biela (Ger), Audi A4, +0.17s;
3  Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, +4.61s;
4  Roberto Ravaglia (It), BMW 320i, +4.87s;
5  John Cleland (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +5.40s;
6  John Bintcliffe (GB), Audi A4, +13.69s;
7  Peter Kox (Neth), BMW 320i, +21.98s;
8  James Kaye (GB), Honda Accord, +25.24s;
9  Lee Brookes (GB), Toyota Carina E, +58.51s;
10 Matt Neal (GB), Ford Mondeo, +1m 10.15s;
11 Gary Ayles (GB), Nissan Primera, 20 laps;
12 Ian Heward (GB), Vauxhall Cavalier, 20 laps.

FASTEST LAP
Leslie, 1m 18.01s, 108.72mph / 174.97kmh.

RETIREMENTS
Patrick Watts (GB), Peugeot 406, 19 laps; Tim Harvey (GB), Peugeot 406, 13 laps; 
Steve Robertson (GB), Ford Mondeo, 11 laps; Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, 3 laps; 
James Thompson (GB), Ford Mondeo, 1 lap; Alain Menu (Switz), Renault Laguna;
Will Hoy (GB), Renault Laguna; Paul Radisich (NZ), Ford Mondeo; Kelvin Burt (GB), Volvo 850, 0 laps.

RACE RESUME
Grid: Menu - Hoy - Ravaglia - Winkelhock - Rydell - Leslie - Cleland - Biela - Kox - Thompson - Bintcliffe - Burt - 
James Kaye - Radisich - Watts - Harvey - Robertson - Neal - Brookes - Heward - *Richard Kaye - **Ayles (*Non-starter; **10sec penalty).  

Lap 1: Winkelhock, Menu collide at first corner; Hoy, Burt, Radisich & Thompson become involved. Menu, Hoy & Burt out on spot; Radisich, Thompson & Winkelhock limp to pits and retirement. Leslie emerges from the chaos ahead of Biela - Ravaglia - Rydell - Kox - Bintcliffe - Cleland - Watts - Harvey - James Kaye. 

Lap 3: James Kaye takes Harvey for ninth. 
Lap 4: Safety Car on track to remove first-lap wreckage. 
Lap 6: Safety Car pulls in; Rydell takes Ravaglia for third at restart. 
Lap 8: Brookes takes Neal for 12th and Total Cup lead. 
Lap 10: Robertson takes Harvey for 10th. 
Lap 12: Robertson spins, retires (accident damage). 
Lap 13: Kox locks up, Bintcliffe & Cleland demote him to seventh. 
Lap 14: Cleland & Bintcliffe clash at Chicane, Cleland takes fifth. Harvey retires (electrics). 
Lap 20: Watts retires (wheel bearing). 
Lap 21: Chequered flag. 


Round 22 
19 laps -- 44.76 miles / 72.05km 
1  Rydell, 25m 08.88s, 106.80mph / 171.88kmh; 
2  Thompson, +0.53s; 
3  Biela, +0.75s; 
4  Menu, +1.37s; 
5  Ravaglia, +3.23s; 
6  Winkelhock, +4.23s; 
7  Cleland, +9.79s; 
8  Leslie, +15.41s; 
9  James Kaye, +21.91s; 
10 Kox, +32.25s;
11 Bintcliffe, +33.26s;
12 Harvey, +37.99s;
13 Ayles, +38.18s;
14 Robertson, +38.31s;
15 Richard Kaye, +54.25s;
16 Brookes, +57.38s;
17 Burt, +1m 43,06s;
18 Neal, +1m 45.83s;
19 Hoy, 17 laps.

FASTEST LAP
Kox, 1m 17.07s, 110.05mph / 177.10kmh (record). 

RETIREMENTS
Heward, 15 laps; Watts, 14 laps; Radisich, 6 laps.

RACE RESUME
Grid: Winkelhock - Rydell - Thompson - Hoy - Leslie - Ravaglia - Biela - Kox - Watts - Burt - Menu - Bintcliffe - Ayles - Radisich - Harvey - Cleland - James Kaye - Richard Kaye - Robertson - Brookes - Heward - Neal. 

Lap 1: Winkelhock leads away from pole; Leslie spins -- without contact -- to back of field. At end lap: Winkelhock - Rydell - Thompson - Ravaglia - Hoy - Kox - Biela - Menu - Watts - Burt. 

Lap 2: Burt takes Watts for ninth. 
Lap 6: Kox pits with puncture. 
Lap 7: Radisich retires (gearbox). 
Lap 8: Rydell takes Winkelhock for lead. 
Lap 13: Biela takes Hoy for fifth. 
Lap 14: Hoy pits with puncture. Winkelhock briefly takes lead from Rydell. 
Lap 15: Thompson takes Winkelhock for second; Ravaglia & Biela pass Winkelhock also -- Winkelhock fifth. Watts retires (tyres). 
Lap 16: Burt pits from seventh with puncture. Heward retires (gearbox). 
Lap 17: Menu takes Winkelhock for fifth. 
Lap 18: Menu takes Ravaglia for fourth. 
Lap 19: Chequered flag. 



CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS 
Drivers: 
1 Biela, 248 points; 
2 Rydell, 171; 
3 Menu, 152; 
4 Ravaglia, 139; 
5 Winkelhock, 137; 
6 Leslie, 116; 
7 Bintcliffe, 107; 
8 Cleland, 89; 
9 Thompson, 81; 
10 Will Hoy (GB/Renault), 78. 

Manufacturers: 
1 Audi, 257; 
2 BMW, 221; 
3 Volvo, 213; 
4 Renault, 196; 
5 Honda, 156; 
6 Vauxhall, 155; 
7 Ford, 66; 
8 Peugeot, 58. 

Total Cup Privateers: 1 Brookes, 263; 2 Richard Kaye, 245.