Had it not been for a small mistake by Kent Baigent just after the halfway mark, its quite likely this car would have won the race. Neil Lowe made an early pit stop on lap 20 due to a fluctuating oil pressure light, but the team did a quick check, and came to the conclusion it was a signal fault, not an oil pressure issue. The stop dropped the car one lap down, but it made up ground when the others made their first stops. Eventually, Lowe/Baigent worked their way into the lead, which they then lost when they picked up a puncture. But the car was quick, and with others also having issues, this pair eventually moved back in front.

Just after the halfway mark, with Baigent at the wheel, the oil light came on again, distracting Baigent for a moment, and he missed his braking point, got on the marbles, and slid into a concrete kerb. This punctured another tyre, but also damaged the suspension, which lost the team several laps. At the time the car was leading, and the Sytner/Morton car was running second, but both these drivers struggled as their stints went on, because the Metro magazine BMW didn't have power steering, and the Baigent/Lowe car was consistently faster.

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Martin Smith photo