Mark Hales Explained

Mark Hales
Nationality: British
Birth Date:7 November 1950
Birth Place:Birmingham, England
Last Series:British Saloon / Touring Car Championship
Years Active:7
Teams:Terry Drury Racing
Chris Hodgetts Motor Sport
Arquati Racing Team
ICS plc
MIL Motorsport
John Maguire Racing
Starts:58
Wins:0 (8 in class)
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:7
Best Finish:2nd
Year:1987
Titles:British Touring Car Championship - Class B
Title Years:1987

Mark Hales (born 7 November 1950) is a British auto racing driver and instructor. He is best known for finishing as runner-up in the 1987 British Touring Car Championship season.[1]

Career

He was a class B winner in 1987 with his Ford Escort RS Turbo. He switched to the Group N Production Championship in 1988, winning his class in a Ford Sierra in 1989. This led to him being hired for the 1990 BTCC by John McGuire Racing team, running a works backed Mitsubishi Starion. His final season in the BTCC was in 1991. He stayed with Mitsubishi, and was the sole driver for the works driver.[2] He competed in a Mitsubishi Lancer in the first part of the season, switching to a Mitsubishi Galant for the second part. He got one championship point at Snetterton. He raced in the TVR Tuscan championship in 1993 and 1994, winning the title in both seasons for Team Rallytech.[3] Most recently he has competed in historic racing, winning the Historic Six Hours of Spa in 2004. He was also a contributor and track-tester for the British motorracing magazines Evo and Octane. He also writes for the Daily Telegraph, and has published a book co-written by Nick Mason, called Into The Red.[4]

Racing record

Complete British Saloon / Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1973–1990 in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap – 1 point awarded ?–1989 in class)

YearTeamCarClass123456789101112131415DCPtsClass
1983Mark HalesFord Capri III 3.0SSILOULTHRBRHTHRSILDONSIL
19
DONBRHSILNC0NC
1985Terry Drury RacingAlfa Romeo GTV6SILOULTHRDONTHRSILDON
10
SIL
8
SNE
9
BRHBRHSIL19th96th
1986Terry Drury RacingFord Escort RS TurboSIL
Ret
THR
Ret
SIL
Ret
DON
Ret
BRH
18
SNE
5
BRH
10
DON
5
SIL
Ret
12th205th
1987Terry Drury RacingFord Escort RS TurboSIL
7
OUL
7
THR
8
THR
9
SIL
8
SIL
Ret
BRH
14
SNE
Ret
DON
10
OUL
7‡
DON
9
2nd511st
Chris Hodgetts Motor SportToyota Corolla GTSIL
9†
NC
1988Chris Hodgetts Motor SportToyota Corolla GTSILOUL
11
THRDON
21
THRSIL
DNS
30th86th
Arquati Racing TeamFord Sierra RS500DON
Ret‡
NC
ICS plcSIL
Ret
MIL MotorsportToyota Supra TurboSIL
Ret
BRH
NC
SNE
11
BRHBIR
DNQ
DON
18
1990John Maguire RacingMitsubishi StarionOUL
Ret
DON
Ret
THR
Ret
SIL
Ret
OUL
16
SIL
17
BRH
9
SNE
9
BRH
15
BIR
12
DON
15
THR
17
SIL
Ret
18th2811th
1991John Maguire RacingMitsubishi LancerSIL
17
SNE
10
DON
16
THR
16
SIL
DNS
BRHSIL23rd1
Mitsubishi GalantDON
1

14
DON
2

Ret
OUL
14
BRH
1

13
BRH
2

Ret
DON
Ret
THR
11
SIL
Ret

‡ Endurance driver.

† Ineligible for points.

Complete European Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BTCC :: Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship . 2009-12-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716071908/http://www.btcc.net/html/history_standings.php?season_id=30 . 2011-07-16 . Official 1987 BTCC standings
  2. Web site: The British Touring Car Championship.
  3. Web site: Our Management Team . rallytech.co.uk . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100302225412/http://rallytech.co.uk/index.php/about-us/our-management-team . 2010-03-02.
  4. http://www.markhales.com/sub-pages/about-sub.html Writing Career