BTCC: Knockhill report

• Nick Carter
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Sun Jul 28 23:32:09 EDT 1996

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER   
RAC TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP   
Knockhill, 28/07/96   
  
FRANK BIELA edged closer to the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car
Championship drivers' title with a win and a second place for Audi at a
spectator-packed Knockhill this afternoon (Sun), with Volvo's Rickard
Rydell winning his second BTCC race of the season to re- establish his
claim to the overall runner-up spot.

Biela's victory -- his sixth of the season -- came in round 17 of the   
country's premier motor racing series, on the tight and twisty Fife     
circuit which was always going to favour the four-wheel drive system of 
his Audi A4.                                                            

With eight rounds remaining, German ace Biela enjoys a 58-point         
advantage over Rydell in the fight for the drivers' championship.       
Rydell said after his round 18 win: 'To win the championship now I need 
Frank not to finish the next three of four races, as well as a lot of   
luck. I shall try my best to win the next races [at Oulton Park] and    
then we'll see...'                                                      

Round 17 of the championship saw Rydell assume command from pole        
position, pursued by Biela, the BMWs of Roberto Ravaglia and Jo         
Winkelhock, and John Bintcliffe in the second Audi. Bintcliffe made the 
earliest move of the race, displacing Winkelhock from fourth at the end 
of the first lap.                                                       

The top five circulated bumper-to-bumper until half-distance, when
Rydell -- apparently beginning to suffer tyre deterioration -- slipped
into Biela's clutches at the Hairpin and the Audi took the lead. The
following lap, Bintcliffe followed his team leader's example and passed
Ravaglia for third. After a further 10 laps on Rydell's tail, Bintcliffe
moved past to make it an Audi 1-2.

The Volvo team's woes were compounded two laps from the end when        
Kelvin Burt was forced into retirement with accident damage; the same   
lap, Rydell lost third place to Ravaglia. At the flag, Biela was        
two-and-a-half seconds clear of Bintcliffe, with Ravaglia, Rydell and   
Winkelhock in close attendance. Silverstone winner David Leslie (Honda) 
was sixth and top Scot on home turf.                                    

The championship's other Scottish frontrunner, reigning champion John   
Cleland, was a disappointed non-finisher, spinning out on lap four      
after his Vauxhall collected a puncture.                                

Round 18 saw Rydell again hold the advantage from pole position -- but  
this time he held off Biela's advances all the way to the chequered     
flag. The two were never separated by more than a bumper's width        
throughout the 35-lap event, and finished just 0.35s apart. Said        
Rydell, who only just made it on to the grid after lengthy revisions    
were required to his Volvo: 'We made it into the race with only five    
minutes to spare. And I don't think I have ever driven such a close     
race.' Biela added: 'Rickard drove a very good race, with no mistakes.  
I couldn't have passed him without having an accident.'                 

Ravaglia finished third for BMW, ahead of Bintcliffe and Winkelhock.    
Cleland reversed his fortunes of the earlier race to displace Leslie    
from sixth four laps from home.                                         

The weekend's events were a disaster for the Renault team and Alain     
Menu, who previously had held second spot in the championship. A        
succession of engine problems blighted his testing and qualifying runs, 
and his Laguna expired from round 18 at mid-distance with another       
powerplant failure -- the team's sixth in Scotland.                     

The Total Cup for Privateers battle was won by Richard Kaye in round    
17; Kaye led again in round 18 until spinning almost within sight of    
the flag and handing honours to Matt Neal, the reigning Total Cup       
Champion claiming his first victory of the year.                        
  
RESULTS   
Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship, round 17  
35 laps -- 45.5 miles / 73.15km  
1  Frank Biela (Ger), Audi A4, 31m 52.62s, 85.64mph/137.82kmh;  
2  John Bintcliffe (GB), Audi A4, +2.46s;  
3  Roberto Ravaglia (It), BMW 320i, +5.76s;  
4  Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, +6.58s;  
5  Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, +8.06s;  
6  David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, +13.99s;  
7  Paul Radisich (NZ), Ford Mondeo, +34.53s;  
8  James Kaye (GB), Honda Accord, +40.87s;  
9  Alain Menu (Switz), Renault Laguna, +43.57s;  
10 Will Hoy (GB), Renault Laguna, +44.40s.  
Total Cup Privateers: Richard Kaye (GB), Vauxhall Cavalier.  
Fastest lap: Biela, 53.51s, 87.46mph/140.75kmh (record).  
  
Round 18  
35 laps -- 45.5 miles / 73.15km  
1  Rydell, 31m 44.90s, 85.95mph/138.38kmh;  
2  Biela, +0.35s;  
3  Ravaglia, +1.00s;  
4  Bintcliffe, +1.42s;  
5  Winkelhock, +22.87s;  
6  John Cleland (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +25.72s;  
7  Leslie, +29.72s;  
8  James Kaye, +30.68s;  
9  Radisich, +32.08s;  
10 Kelvin Burt (GB), Volvo 850, +32.60s.  
Total Cup Privateers: Matt Neal (GB), Ford Mondeo.  
Fastest lap: Bintcliffe, 53.52s, 87.44mph/140.72kmh.  
  
CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS   
Drivers: 1 Biela, 198 points; 2 Rydell, 140; =3 Menu & Winkelhock, 
118; 5 Ravaglia, 117; 6  
Bintcliffe, 100.  
Manufacturers: 1 Audi, 208; 2 BMW, 193; 3 Volvo, 175; 4 Renault, 
163; 5 Vauxhall, 126; 6 Honda,  
114; 7 Ford, 59; 8 Peugeot, 54.  
Total Cup Privateers: 1 Lee Brookes (GB/Toyota), 214; 2 Richard 
Kaye, 200.  

-- 
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http://www.demon.co.uk/racing