BTCC: Oulton Park testing

• Nick Carter
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Thu Aug 1 23:13:12 EDT 1996

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER RAC 
TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP 
Oulton Park, 1/8/96 

SWEDE Rickard Rydell this afternoon (Thurs) became the first 
touring car driver to break the one-minute barrier on the Oulton Park 
Fosters circuit. In official testing for next weekend's (Aug 11) rounds 
of the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship he lapped the 
Cheshire track in 59.735s in his Volvo 850, outpacing his nearest 
rival -- Vauxhall's James Thompson -- by more than three-tenths of a 
second.

Rydell's pace underlines his regained form and status as the only man 
likely to break the Audi stranglehold on the championship as it enters 
its closing phase. However, title race leader Frank Biela was third 
quickest at Oulton today.

Tenth fastest was BMW's Dutch driver Peter Kox, who is expected to 
join team regulars Jo Winkelhock and Roberto Ravaglia in a three-
car squad for the rest of the season.

OFFICIAL TESTING TIMES
OULTON PARK FOSTERS 1/8/96 
1  Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, 0m 59.735s; 
2  James Thompson (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, 1m 00.048s; 
3  Frank Biela (Ger), Audi A4, 1m 00.094s; 
4  David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, 1m 00.111s; 
5  Alain Menu (Switz), Renault Laguna, 1m 00.136s; 
6  Will Hoy (GB), Renault Laguna, 1m 00.288s; 
7  Kelvin Burt (GB), Volvo 850, 1m 00.296s; 
8  John Bintcliffe (GB), Audi A4, 1m 00.349s; 
9  Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, 1m 00.481s; 
10 Peter Kox (Neth), BMW 320i, 1m 00.536s;
11 John Cleland (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, 1m 00.540s;
12 Paul Radisich (NZ), Ford Mondeo, 1m 00.542s. 

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