F3 History

The marshals managed to quickly clear the track and at the front it was Walker from von Opel, Sutcliffe, Jochen Mass, Damien Magee and Roger Williamson who was making up ground after a poor grid position due to a fire and a blown engine. Lap 2 saw Williamson with problems again as he arrived at the chicane and found his GRD brakeless, he half spun the car loosing four places in the process. Meanwhile von Opel was leading a group consisting of Walker, Sutcliffe, Mass and Magee. Walker moved to the front on lap 4 and he and von Opel found themselves with a clear lead on lap 6 after Mass touched Sutcliffe at the chicane. The GRD skated off onto the infield, Sutcliffe regained the track in 13 place with a damaged tub but retired shortly after with engine problems.
For the rest of the race it was all about the two Ensigns with Walker doing most of the leading, starting the last lap they were nose-to-tail at Church when they came up to lap Cavan Riley who stayed well to the right. As Walker pulled out to overtake von Opel who had used the double tow to good effect went to the inside of Walker, as von Opel (with one wheel on the grass) pulled level Walker closed the door a little too hard. Walker hit von Opel and half spun and then hit him again, Walker then found himself spinning down the track and into the ditch whilst an undamaged von Opel was able to keep going and win the race easily. After the race both drivers blamed the other and team boss Mo Nunn blamed them both.
Behind the battling Ensigns Mass and Magee had been having a good clean fight, the verdict going to Mass in the STP March who finished in what was now second place, Williamson bought his brakeless GRD into fourth just ahead of Russell Wood and Randy Lewis.