1981 British Saloon Car Championship Explained

The 1981 RAC Tricentrol British Saloon Car Championship was the 24th season of the championship. Win Percy won his second consecutive drivers title in his Mazda RX-7.

Teams and drivers

Team Car Drivers Class Rounds Gordon Spice Racing Ford Capri III 3.0S 1 Gordon Spice 1–4, 6–11 2 Stuart Graham align=center rowspan=2 1–2 Phil Martin-Dye 3–11 Equipe Esso VMW Motors Ford Capri III 3.0S 3 Vince Woodman All 4 Jonathan Buncombe 2, 4, 6–7, 10 CSH Racing with Esso and the Daily Mirror Ford Capri III 3.0S 5 Charles Sawyer-Hoare 1–4, 6–11 6 Andy Rouse All Patrick Motorsport Rover 3500 S 7 Brian Muir All 8 Rex Greenslade All 63 Rad Dougall 11 TWR – Daily Express Mazda Motorsport/TWR Team BP Rover 3500 S 9 Jeff Allam All 10 Pete Lovett 1, 5–11 Mazda RX-7 20 Win Percy 1–10 25 Barry Sheene align=center rowspan=2 1 Chuck Nicholson 8–11 Audi 80 GLE 42 Martin Brundle All 43 Stirling Moss All Bestmoor Silencers Ford Capri III 3.0S 11 Graham Goode 1, 3–4, 6–8, 11 Dennis Leech Ford Capri III 3.0S 13 Dennis Leech 2–5, 8–10 Track Marshall Ford Capri III 3.0S 15 Chuck Nicholson 1–7 Richard Grant Racing Ford Capri III 3.0S 16 Mike Kimpton 1, 3–8 47 Nick Whiting 1–8, 10 Carroll Shelby Ford Capri III 3.0S 19 Wayne Wainwright 2–5, 8 Unknown Ford Capri III 3.0S 40 Tony Sugden 8 Castrol Denmark Ford Escort RS2000 96 Erik Høyer 5 John Bishop Triumph Dolomite Sprint 79 John Bishop 5, 7, 10 Mike Buckley Ford Escort RS2000 66 Mike Buckley 1–7, 9–11 James Burrows Toyota Celica 2000 LB 74 James Burrows 3–4, 6, 8–11 Terry Nightingale Triumph Dolomite Sprint 92 Terry Nightingale 5–9 Ian Stirling Talbot Avenger 23 Ian Stirling 8 Hughes of Beaconsfield Toyota Celica ST 40 Chris Hodgetts All Toyota Corolla GT 79 Jonathan Buncombe align=center rowspan=3 8 Gordon Mayers 9 Dave Brodie 10–11 Morris Vulcan Ltd. Volkswagen Golf GTI 44 John Morris All Napolina Alfa Romeo Dealer Team Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint 51 Rob Kirby 2–9, 11 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti 81 Jon Dooley All Unknown Mitsubishi Lancer GSR 56 Barrie Williams All 57 Dave Morgan All Andy Driver Volkswagen Golf GTI 66 Andy Driver 1, 3–6, 9, 11 Peter Buxtorf Volkswagen Scirocco GTI 69 Peter Buxtorf 1–8 Demon Tweeks Volkswagen Golf GTI 54 Alan Minshaw 2, 5–8, 10 Robin Carlisle Toyota Celica LB 76 Robin Carlisle 5, 8–9, 11 Bill Postins Volkswagen Scirocco GTI 62 Bill Postins 8 John Spiller Talbot Sunbeam TI 82 John Spiller 1–2, 4, 6, 8–9 John Tait Toyota Celica GT 84 John Tait 1–2, 6, 8–9, 11 Terry Watts Talbot Sunbeam TI 48 Terry Watts 8 Team Datapost Racing with Hepolite and Esso Austin Metro 1300 HLS 70 Alan Curnow All 77 Richard Longman All 57 Tim Goss 10 P.J. Green Racing Mini 1275GT 74 Tim Goss 1–8 Julian May Racing Ford Fiesta 1.3 80 Terry Nightingale 1–2, 4 Alex Moss 5 Julian May 8 Haynes Ford Fiesta 1.3 99 David da Costa 1–7, 9–11 Everest Double Glazing Austin Metro 1300 HLS 74 Neil McGrath 5–9, 11 Stuart Fowler Ford Fiesta 1.3 85 Stuart Fowler 9 David Grimshaw Ford Fiesta 1.3 39 David Grimshaw 7–9 François Hamon Simca Rallye 3 76 François Hamon 8 Colin Hawker Ford Fiesta 1.3 42 Colin Hawker 2, 4–5 Sigma Austin Metro 1300 HLS 87 Roger Saunders 2–10

Icon Class Under 1300cc 1301–1600cc 1601–2500cc 2501–3500cc

Calendar and winners

All races were held in the United Kingdom. Overall winners in bold.

Round		Circuit	Date	Class A Winner	Class B Winner	Class C Winner	Class D Winner
1	A	Mallory Park, Leicestershire	22 March	align=center colspan=2	Not contested.	Win Percy	Andy Rouse
	B			Jon Dooley	John Morris	align=center colspan=2	Not contested.
2		Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire	29 March	Alan Curnow	Martin Brundle	Mike Buckley	Andy Rouse
3	A	Oulton Park, Cheshire	17 April	align=center colspan=2	Not contested.	Win Percy	Gordon Spice
	B			Jon Dooley	Chris Hodgetts	align=center colspan=2	Not contested.
4		Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire	20 April	Richard Longman	Chris Hodgetts	Win Percy	Vince Woodman
5	A	Brands Hatch, Kent	25 May	align=center colspan=2	Not contested.	Win Percy	Nick Whiting
	B			Neil McGrath	Barrie Williams	align=center colspan=2	Not contested.
6		Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire	21 June	Neil McGrath	Chris Hodgetts	Win Percy	Pete Lovett
7		Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire	18 July	Jon Dooley	Chris Hodgetts	Win Percy	Pete Lovett
8	A	Donington Park, Leicestershire	16 August	align=center colspan=2	Not contested.	Win Percy	Pete Lovett
	B			Richard Longman	Chris Hodgetts	align=center colspan=2	Not contested.
9		Brands Hatch, Kent	31 August	Richard Longman	Chris Hodgetts	Win Percy	Jeff Allam
10		Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire	20 September	Richard Longman	Martin Brundle	Win Percy	Jeff Allam
11		Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire	4 October	Jon Dooley	John Morris	Mike Buckley	Jeff Allam

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

Points were awarded on a 9, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis to the top six finishers in each class, with one bonus point for the fastest lap in each class. In races where a class had less than four starters, points would be awarded to the top two finishers (6 & 4 respectively) with one point for the fastest lap. A driver's best nine scores counted towards the championship, dropped scores are shown in brackets. Positions are shown as overall/class.

Pos Driver Class MAL SIL OUL THR BRA SIL SIL DON BRA THR SIL Pts 1 Win Percy 2/1 (Ret) 1/1 4/1 2/1 4/1 4/1 1/1 2/1 2/1 78 2 Chris Hodgetts (Ret) Ret 1/1 11/1 8/4 12/1 ?/1 1/1 8/1 ?/4 7/2 74 3 Jon Dooley 4/1 13/2 4/1 ?/2 6/3 ?/2 ?/1 (10/4) (16/3) ?/3 10/1 65 4 John Morris 1/1 8/2 ?/? ?/2 5/3 13/2 ?/2 2/2 9/2 (?/3) 6/1 60 5 Richard Longman Ret 15/3 13/5 ?/1 7/4 ?/? ?/2 6/1 14/1 ?/1 11/2 58 6 Pete Lovett 5/4 4/3 1/1 1/1 2/1 3/2 3/2 2/2 52 7 Jeff Allam 8/7 4/4 Ret 5/4 3/2 Ret 2/2 Ret 1/1 1/1 1/1 50 8 Andy Rouse 1/1 1/1 3/2 3/3 Ret 3/3 3/3 3/2 5/4 5/4 Ret 49 9 Alan Curnow Ret 12/1 6/2 ?/3 ?/? ?/4 ?/6 7/2 15/2 ?/2 12/3 48 10 Gordon Spice 11/9 2/2 2/1 2/2 2/2 Ret 5/4 4/3 7/6 Ret 38 11 Vince Woodman 3/2 3/3 4/3 1/1 7/6 5/4 Ret Ret Ret 4/3 4/4 35 12 Neil McGrath 3/1 18/1 ?/3 8/3 DNS 13/4 33 13 Dave Morgan Ret 24/? 9/6 18/4 2/2 16/4 ?/4 3/3 12/3 ?/2 9/4 33 14 Mike Buckley 10/2 ?/1 Ret ?/? 8/2 NC Ret 23/3 ?/3 17/1 31 15 Martin Brundle 2/2 6/1 12/8 ?/5 Ret Ret Ret 4/4 DSQ 10/1 Ret 30 16 Barrie Williams Ret Ret 3/3 14/3 1/1 Ret ?/3 5/5 13/4 Ret 8/3 30 17 Nick Whiting 4/3 Ret 5/4 6/5 1/1 6/5 5/4 6/5 16/? 25 18 David da Costa 5/2 ?/4 ?/? ?/4 4/2 ?/? Ret 17/4 ?/6 16/5 24 19 Stirling Moss 3/3 22/6 2/2 Ret Ret 15/3 22/7 9/6 DNS ?/5 14/5 20 20 Roger Saunders 26/? 10/4 ?/6 10/5 ?/3 ?/4 ?/5 19/5 ?/5 19 21 Chuck Nicholson 8/2 6/2 8/2 Ret 18 22 Tim Goss 7/4 ?/6 7/3 ?/? 11/6 ?/? ?/5 ?/? ?/4 14 23 Rob Kirby ?/3 5/4 ?/? 9/5 ?/5 ?/? ?/? 18/5 15/6 14 24 Peter Buxtorf ?/4 ?/4 8/5 ?/? ?/? ?/? ?/5 Ret 10 25 James Burrows ?/2 ?/? DNS Ret Ret DNS 21/2 9 26 Terry Nightingale 6/3 ?/5 ?/5 8 27 Terry Nightingale 14/4 ?/2 NC DNS Ret 7 28 Brian Muir Ret Ret 7/6 9/8 11/8 Ret ?/? 4/3 Ret Ret Ret 6 29 Jonathan Buncombe 5/5 ?/? Ret 6/5 6/5 6 30 Charles Sawyer-Hoare 9/8 7/6 Ret 10/9 9/8 7/6 7/6 11/7 9/7 5/5 5 31 Alan Minshaw 21/5 14/6 ?/? ?/6 ?/? ?/6 5 32 John Bishop 9/3 NC Ret 4 33 Rad Dougall 3/3 4 34 Ian Stirling 14/3 4 35 Phil Martin-Dye 11/10 ?/? 6/5 10/9 Ret 10/8 7/5 ?/? Ret 4 36 John Spiller ?/5 DNS ?/6 ?/6 ?/? 21/7 4 37 Chuck Nicholson 6/5 ?/? 9/8 7/6 13/10 7/6 ?/? 4 38 Mike Kimpton ?/? ?/? ?/? 5/4 14/10 ?/? Ret 3 39 Rex Greenslade Ret 14/? 6/5 ?/? 10/7 8/7 ?/? Ret Ret Ret Ret 2 40 Erik Høyer 15/5 2 41 Graham Goode 7/6 10/9 8/7 ?/? ?/? 9/7 Ret 1 42 Robin Carlisle ?/? ?/? 20/6 18/7 1 43 John Tait ?/6 25/? ?/? ?/? 24/8 20/9 1 44 Dennis Leech ?/? 12/11 ?/? ?/? 13/11 10/6 Ret 1 45 David Grimshaw Ret ?/? 22/6 1 46 François Hamon ?/6 1 47 Wayne Wainwright DNS 8/7 ?/? 12/9 12/10 0 48 Andy Driver DSQ 11/7 ?/? DSQ ?/? Ret 19/8 0 49 Colin Hawker DNS ?/? 12/7 0 50 Alex Moss 13/8 0 51 Tony Sugden 11/9 0 52 Gordon Mayers 25/9 0 53 Stuart Graham Ret ?/? 0 54 Dave Brodie ?/? Ret 0 55 Jonathan Buncombe ?/? 0 56 Bill Postins ?/? 0 57 Terry Watts ?/? 0 NC Barry Sheene Ret 0 NC Stuart Fowler Ret 0 NC Julian May DNS 0 Pos Driver Class MAL SIL OUL THR BRA SIL SIL DON BRA THR SIL Pts

Bold - Pole in class Italics - Fastest lap in class

Notes:

1. – Class A pole position for round 2 is unknown.

2. – Class A & B pole positions for round 3 are unknown.

External links

• Touring Car Racing History – 1981 BSCC