Race Report: Thruxton, 24 March 1973

Practice for the first round of the Forward Trust Championship saw the Kent Messenger GRD of Tony Brise take pole position on a wet track from the ever impressive Palliser of Damien Magee, Alan Jones, back in his 1973 GRD, completed the front row.

There was a major problem at the start when the man with the Union Jack seemed to hesitate causing some confusion amongst the starters, the entire front row, Brise, Magee and Jones plus Russell Wood and Mike Wilds were penalised one minute for jumping the start. This harsh and undeserved penalty ruined the race for drivers and spectators alike.

It was Damien Magee who led from the flag in the still wet conditions from Tony Brise, Ian Taylor, Russell Wood, Alan Jones and Mike Wilds. Brise tried to get the lead from Magee at the chicane on lap 1 but spun at the exit leaving Magee with a comfortable 100 metre lead over Taylor and Wood with Brise continuing in third. Brise passed Wood on the next lap but promptly fell back again at the chicane. Lap 4 saw Taylor, Wood and Brise starting to narrow the gap to Magee and on the next lap Brise was up a place to third which was soon second as on lap 6 the unfortunate Magee hit the bank at Village rolling the Palliser several times, fortunately without personal injury.

It was now Taylor in the lead from a closing Brise who made his move on lap 8 the GRD taking the lead it would hold to the finish. Back in fourth spot Alan Jones was constantly changing places with the Ensign of Mike Wilds who had gradually homed in on the Australian. Russell Wood was out on lap 11 when the driveshaft on his March 733 sheared moving everyone from fourth up a place. At the finish therefore it was Brise who took the chequered flag in first place but his penalty dropped him to third, Andy Sutcliffe inherited second at the expense of the penalised Jones and Wilds with Masami Kuwashima in fourth despite a spin.

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