Race Report: Oulton Park, 8 September 1973

Only 16 cars arrived for the latest round of the Lombard North central Championship, it was originally hoped that there would be several French runners taking part but when it was found that the race only had a British National permit this came to naught.

Alan Jones took pole position in his DART GRD with a sub-record lap time, a minor off in the closing stage of practice at the Esses meant some steering damage but it was repaired in time for the race. Russell Wood was in trouble with a broken wing on his Chequered Flag March which took some time to repair and restricted his lappery, Ian Taylor didn’t even make it out as he was still suffering from the ear infection that had recently troubled him.

Richard Roberts made the best start from the middle of the front row to head Tony Brise, Jones, Mo Harness, Masami Kuwashima and Larry Perkins. “Teleco” was out at the first corner when his March hit the barrier hard and Pedro Passadore spun his GRD at Knickerbrook causing some consternation to those behind especially Mike Wilds whose March ran over the GRD’s front wheel. Passadore was an immediate retirement but Wilds was able to continue, albeit out of contention.
Robarts was soon under heavy pressure from Brise who was happier with his Kent Messenger March now some suspension adjustments had been made to compensate for his damaged kinked tub. Brise made his move at Esso on lap 2 passing Robarts without problem and moving into the lead he would hold to the end, gradually pulling away from the rest to win by seven seconds. Although unable to stay with Brise Robarts held onto his second place, his job being made easier when Jones began to have trouble selecting top gear, possibly as a result of a tweaked gear linkage following his practice accident. Kuwashima had passed Harness and the pair of them now closed in on the troubled Jones, on lap 11 taking his courage in both hands Kuwashima passed Jones around the outside at Knickerbrook in a very exciting manoeuvre. Jones tried to regain his lost position but the continuing problems with top gear left him 0.4 seconds back at the finish. Harness and Perkins were next up in fifth and sixth ahead of a distant Wilds who never made up for his first lap incident with Passadore.

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