BTCC: Donington Park report

• Nick Carter
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Tue Sep 10 21:56:44 EDT 1996

NEWS FROM THE AUTO TRADER 
RAC TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP 
Donington Park, 8/9/96 
 
Audi claimed the Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship 
triple crown at Donington Park this afternoon (Sun), clinching the 
manufacturers' and teams' championships to add to the drivers' title 
won last month for the German manufacturer by Frank Biela. 
 
But Audi and its all-conquering four-wheel-drive A4 saloons were 
forced to give best in both of today's races at the Derby track, Rickard 
Rydell winning round 23 for Volvo and David Leslie taking the 
honours in round 24 in his Honda Accord. Fourth and third places in 
the respective races was good enough for Biela to complete Audi's 
clean sweep of the championship titles -- appropriately at the same 
circuit where he opened his championship campaign in April with a 
double win. 
 
Rydell's round 23 victory was achieved with apparent ease, his Volvo 
assuming total command of the race after the Swede made an 
impeccable start from pole position. He was pursued into Redgate 
Corner by his team-mate Kelvin Burt, who had made an even better 
start from fourth on the grid, with Will Hoy's Renault, Leslie's Honda 
and Alain Menu's Renault in line astern. Jo Winkelhock established 
an unfortunate pattern of luck for the BMW team with a first-corner 
spin from which he rejoined the race dead last. 
 
By lap three Rydell had built up a three-second lead over Burt, but 
the second Volvo driver was in a far less comfortable position with 
Hoy, Leslie and Menu clinging to his rear bumper. Hoy looked 
determined to find a way through and into second throughout the 
early stages; he made his move at the Goddards hairpin at the end of 
lap 10, Burt fighting back -- the almost inevitable collision delayed 
both men badly and let Leslie, Menu and Biela (Audi). Hoy rejoined 
fifth but poor Burt was demoted to 12th. Hoy was later fined by the 
stewards, as were Cleland and Bintcliffe. 
 
By lap 12 Rydell was eight seconds to the good and had already 
smashed the lap record, leaving Leslie a lonely run to second place, 
untroubled by his pursuers Menu, Biela and Hoy. The battle for sixth 
was won by 1995 champion John Cleland (Vauxhall), who had 
demoted John Bintcliffe's Audi after a lap 10 clash at Redgate. 
Winkelhock recovered to seventh, ahead of Bintcliffe, Burt and Tim 
Harvey (Peugeot). 
 
BMW's woes continued with Roberto Ravaglia dropping out of sixth 
with mechanical problems and Peter Kox forced out of seventh and 
into the pits for fresh tyres. 
 
The second race of the day was again settled on the run down to 
corner one, but this time it was Leslie who outgunned the rest to 
claim the lead. Too much wheelspin from pole-sitter Rydell meant he 
had to settle for second behind Leslie, with Menu just clinging on to 
third ahead of a charging Biela. 
 
Rydell's misery was compounded on the third lap when he peeled into 
the pits and retirement with transmission problems; Menu moved up 
into second, with Biela third, Hoy fourth and Ravaglia leading his 
BMW team-mates Winkelhock and Kox. 
 
Leslie maintained a two-second advantage over Menu all the way to 
the chequered flag, with Biela a confident third ahead of Hoy, who 
challenged the Audi man for the duration but could not find a way 
past. The BMWs finished fifth, sixth and seventh, Ravaglia holding 
off the close attentions of Winkelhock and Kox, with Cleland 
overcoming team-mate Thompson for eighth. 
 
The battle for honours in the Total Cup for Privateers remains 
unresolved as title protagonists Lee Brookes (Toyota) and Richard 
Kaye (Vauxhall) head for the final Auto Trader Championship 
rounds at Brands Hatch in a fortnight. Kaye took first place in round 
23, Brookes won round 24 after brake problems struck the Vauxhall 
man. 
 
After the races, Biela said: 'For me, the most important title to win 
was the drivers' championship but I am delighted for Audi that we 
have added both the teams' and manufacturers' crowns.' 
 
Menu, who trails Rydell by 14 points in the fight for second place in 
the drivers' championship, said: 'I wasn't too disappointed to see 
Rydell pull into the pits in the second race but I am still quite a long 
way behind. However, it's a gap I can still close at Brands.' 
 
RESULTS 
Auto Trader RAC Touring Car Championship, round 23 
18 laps -- 45.00 miles / 72.36km   
1  Rickard Rydell (Swe), Volvo 850, 29m 32.21s, 
91.41mph/147.11kmh; 
2  David Leslie (GB), Honda Accord, +7.19s; 
3  Alain Menu (Switz), Renault Laguna, +10.39s; 
4  Frank Biela (Ger), Audi A4, +17.75s; 
5  Will Hoy (GB), Renault Laguna, +19.57s; 
6  John Cleland (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +24.31s; 
7  Jo Winkelhock (Ger), BMW 320i, +31.16s; 
8  John Bintcliffe (GB), Audi A4, +33.45s; 
9  Kelvin Burt (GB), Volvo 850, +43.19s; 
10 Tim Harvey (GB), Peugeot 406, +49.91s; 
13 & Total Cup Privateers: Richard Kaye (GB), Vauxhall Cavalier, 
+1m 07.33s. 
Fastest lap: Rydell, 1m 37.29s, 92.50mph/148.87kmh (record). 
   
Round 24 
18 laps -- 45.00 miles / 72.36km   
1  Leslie, 29m 34.64s, 91.28mph/146.91kmh; 
2  Menu, +2.70s; 
3  Biela, +8.09s; 
4  Hoy, +8.44s; 
5  Roberto Ravaglia (It), BMW 320i, +8.86s; 
6  Winkelhock, +10.12s; 
7  Peter Kox (Neth), BMW 320i, +10.57s; 
8  Cleland, +11.50s; 
9  James Thompson (GB), Vauxhall Vectra, +12.40s; 
10 James Kaye (GB), Honda Accord, +19.10s; 
15 & Total Cup Privateers: Lee Brookes (GB), Toyota Carina E, +1m 
14.28s. 
Fastest lap: Winkelhock, 1m 37.37s, 92.43mph/148.75kmh. 
 
CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS 
Drivers: 1 Biela, 266 points; 2 Rydell, 188; 3 Menu, 174; 4 
Winkelhock, 146; 5 Ravaglia, 145; 6 Leslie, 143; 7 Bintcliffe, 110; 8 
Cleland, 97; 9 Hoy, 92; 10 Thompson, 83. 
Manufacturers: 1 Audi, 275; 2 BMW, 234; 3 Volvo, 232; 4 Renault, 
218; 5 Honda, 183; 6 Vauxhall, 167; 7 Ford, 74; 8 Peugeot, 65. 
Teams: 1 Audi Sport UK, 370; 2 BMW Team Schnitzer, 289; 3 
Williams Renault, 262. 
Total Cup Privateers: 1 Brookes, 288; 2 Richard Kaye, 272. 

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