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1988 : Nissan domination, part 1

It would be the season of changes. In addition to a rules change introduced by John Bishop in order to even everyone's chances, it was clear that the series was on the move. The biggest news was the arrival of the works TWR Racing Jaguar XJR9s. The Porsche fleet had to face a much stronger opposition than in the previous years. With a two car team, the British entry would begin the season with an outstanding victory at Daytona, but it was Nissan who took the Victory Lane honors by the end of the season. Electramotive had worked very hard to improve the ZX Turbo GTP machine and Geoff Brabham was the man to beat throughout the season. He won a record eight races in order to capture his first GTP title. Running for the first time with air restrictors on turbochargers, the aim of the sanctioning body was clear : more action while pushing the normally aspirated cars. The biggest disappointment of the season was the somewhat dull season of the Hendricks Racing Chevrolet Corvette GTP. Looking quite unable to fight for the win, the car appeared to be somewhat outdated. A third place at Watkins Glen was the best the team could manage at the end. Many private entries were registered in 1988, with the likes of Spice, Fabcar, Ford or March adding diversity to the biggest GTP field ever produced in the series. The GTO class saw a consistent fight between Lincoln Mercury, with the new Merkurs, entered by Roush Racing, the AAR Toyota Celicas and the Protofab Chevrolet Corvettes. Scott Pruett emerged as the GTO Champion driving a Mercury Merkur XR4Ti, defeating the defending Celicas. The Roush team had successfully switched to lightweight racing Merkurs, replacing their ageing Mustangs. The GTU Class was an upset victory for the all new Chevrolet Beretta. Mazda and Datsun were defeated by Tom Kendall who made it three in a row in the car entered by Car and Concept.
The very first race, which was run at Daytona, was to feature a big battle between Porsche and Jaguar. The new regulations were supposed to slow down the turbocharged cars, yet it was still a Porsche in front at the end of the qualifying sessions. Eight 962s were entered by different teams. The usual top teams were Bayside Motorsport, Holbert Racing, Busby Racing, Foyt Racing, Dyson Racing and Brun Motorsport. They had to face a trio of Jaguar XJR9s entered by Tom Walkinshaw Racing. These three racers were driven by Martin Brundle, John Nielsen and Raul Boesel on the first car. Jan Lammers, Davy Jones and Danny Sullivan on the second one, and Eddie Cheever, Johnny Dumfries and John Watson on the third one. Tom Milner entered two Ford Probes, which were the former Zakspeed cars.

Tom Milner entered two Ford Probes. They enjoyed little success. This one was driven by Arie Luyendijk, Tom Gloy and Tom Pumpelly.

Copyright Mike Birch

Gianpiero Moretti had two March 86G Buick powered. He drove the first one with Michael Roe, while Steve Phillips and Jeff Andretti were at the wheel of the other car. A host of Spice Pontiac GTPs were attempting to prove they were able to fight for a top five position. Steve Durst and Michael Brockman had a V6 powered car. A very competitive GTP field was displayed to 30000 spectators. The Lights class was up to its counterpart with Spice Fieros entered by Huffaker Racing, Charles Morgan and Whitehall Motorsport. The race would see the first race for the brand new Spice 88, entered by Scott Schubot, who was co-driven by Linda Ludeman. Two very reliable Fabcar Porsche could do well in such a race. A Puerto Rican Royale Porsche was aside a Tiga Chevrolet and two Argo JM19 Mazda, amongst which Jim Downing had bvery high hopes for the class win. In GTO, Roush Racing, who entered two new Mercury Merkurs, was facing the AAR Toyota Celicas, which were newly crowned. Chris Cord was the defending GTO Champion, but the opposition was getting really tough. The new Protofab Chevrolet Corvettes were here and it was not to play second fiddle. Tommy Riggins and Greg Pickett were the team's hot shoes. Bill Adam, Chip Mead and Tommy Archer were another top team of drivers. Not to forget the tri-rotor Mazda RX7 entered by Roger Mandeville, and the Skoal Bandit Chevrolet Camaro, purchased by Buzz MCall, and Tommy Kendall, later to be aided by Jack Baldwin. The GTU was the less exciting one, with the Mazda RX7s scarcely threatened by a bunch of Porsche 911s, and a very fast Nissan 300ZX driven by Bob Leitzinger, Chuck Kurtz and son Butch. This latter car appearing very lonely too. Amos Johnson was searching for a new class victory, and he finally did it!
Seventy six cars showed up for the start. Mauri Baldi, who was running his first ever Daytona 24 Hour race, had stuck the Uniroyal Goodrich Porsche 962 on the pole, but Price Cobb, followed by Al Holbert, decided to pull away from the rest of the field. The Jaguar were running at a more sedate pace. While the Holbert Racing car held the lead for many hours, the team experienced turbocharger problems, which necessitated a very lengthy pit stop. The car would resume the race many laps behind the leaders. After a brief intermezzo by the Jaguar driven by Davy Jones, Danny Sullivan and Jan Lammers, who retired with engine problems, another Jaguar took the lead. It was Eddie Cheever, John Watson and Johnny Dumfries who led, but the car who tangle with a Porsche 962, who was fighting for the lead, the Busby Racing car, which was driven by Brian Redman. Both cars had to pit for minor repairs. In fact, the Busby Porsche 962, now driven by Bob Wollek, would take back the lead. This car would be challenged by the last Jaguar, driven by Martin Brundle, John Nielsen and Raul Boesel. The battle both cars would engage would last for many hours, and according to Jim Busby, 'It was one of the most incredible sprint races in IMSA history'. While it would last for many hours, suddenly things would accelerate, with Mauro Baldi stopping with a cut tire and brake problems. The race was over and Jaguar won the first race it entered in 1988.

Martin Brundle, John Nielsen and Raul Boesel drove this Jaguar XJR9 to an outstanding victory at Daytona.

Copyright Michael Crews

Porsche lost its first Daytona race since 1976. In GTO, Roush Racing won again, but it was a very uneasy race. The Skoal Bandit Chevrolet Camaro lost the race in the closing laps, when Jack Baldwin, who was driving the car, had to stop to have an internal heat problem fixed. Toyota was again running very strong, but the cars suffered from transmission troubles and they retired later in the race.
The Lights class saw a very unexpected victory for the Tiga GT286 Chevrolet driven by Tom Hessert, David Loring and David Simpson. They outlasted the favorite car, which was the Argo JM19 Mazda driven by Jim Downing, Howard Katz and Hiro Matsushita. The Spice Fieros, while fast, finished only third and fourth. The GTU class saw another victory by Amos Johnson, who made it four in a row. Dennis Shaw and Buddy Lazier co-drove him to a fifteen laps victory over the Porsche 911 driven by Gary Auberlen, son Bill, Adrian Gang and Cary Eisenlohr. Their reliable car was serviced by a very small crew, which proved one private team could still make miracles in such a race.
The next race was due to happen at Miami, which had become a usual fixture on the IMSA circuit. Thirty eight cars were entered, with twenty GTPs fighting up against fifteen Lights cars. Three Jaguar against seven Porsche 962s would become your classical show. Not to forget the very competitive Nissan ZX T GTP, entered by Electramotive, and driven by Geoff Brabham and John Morton. A pair of Spice Firebirds was to be seen, with a semi-official car driven by Bob Earl and Jeff Kline. Gianpiero Moretti fielded again his two March 86Gs, with some new hopes. John Gunn was here with a home built car, powered by a Chevrolet engine. The Phoenix would add diversity to the field. Albert Naon, a local driver, formely seen at the wheel of Porsche Carreras and BMW M1s, would drive the Tiga GT285 Ford entered by Roy Baker. The all new Fabcar GTP was to debut here at Miami, driven by Chip Mead. The Hendricks Motorsport had two Chevrolet Corvette GTPs entered for the first time. Elliot Forbes Robinson and David Hobbs drove one car while Sarel van der Merwe and Bobby Rahal drove the other one. Tom Milner again entered the cars which were seen at Daytona, but enjoyed little success. The Lights class displayed a wide array of machinery, with many cars now able to fight for the win. Gaston Andrey had a very fast Alba which was powered by a Ferrari engine. The car could challenge the best. Four Spice Fieros were entered, with Whitehall Motorsport entering two cars for the first time, the second one being driven by a French pair of drivers, Claude Ballot Léna and Jean Louis Ricci. Two Fabcar Porsche which were improving with time, a BMW powered Gebhardt and four Tigas made this field more than attractive. The practice sessions would confirm the Nissan's ability to run very fast. Geoff Brabham took the pole, just ahead of Hans Stuck, who drove the Bayside Disposal Porsche 962. The race would not be so fortunate for Nissan, as the car would be sidelined and ended up eighth overall. As per usual, the race was finally hampered by numerous yellows, and it ended up in a final sprint race between Price Cobb and Martin Brundle. As a result, the Porsche was first by 0.004s, which was the closest margin of victory ever in IMSA history! The Lights class was utterly dominated by the very quick Alba AR 6 Ferrari, which won by a three laps margin over the Daytona winning Tiga GT286, now powered by a Buick powerplant, which again proved its mettle. Tom Hessert drove it with David Loring.
The next race was scheduled on a the third week of march, and located in Sebring, Florida. The enduro attracted a very interesting field of cars, with GTPs, Lights, GTOs and GTUs mixed together. Sixty five cars were entered, with a new Porsche-Jaguar duel. Nissan  had chosen not to compete in this very costly event, which was very tough on the material. The Hendricks Corvette GTP was here instead, which was a good thing, for the sake of diversity.
It was however a very good field, and Porsche was eager to take revenge. Seven Porsche 962s were to take the start of the race, led by Chip Robinson, who took the pole on the Holbert Racing Miller High Life Porsche 962. He broke the previous year record by an astonishing seven seconds! Second was the Dyson Racing Porsche 962, which proved that the 962s were still very fast. Third was the first Jaguar XJR9, which was driven by Martin Brundle, just ahead of the Bayside Motorsport Porsche 962. The second Jaguar was following, while Sarel van der Merwe had powered his Chevrolet Corvette GTP in sixth position. The Lights class would be treated quite the same way, with Guido Dacco posting a four second faster lap. Unable to explain such an improvement, every driver would argue from the fact the track coating was a bit too new the previous year, so? The practice session would be the last one for Bob Copeman, whose Porsche 911 unfortunately hit the wall, killing him in the process. The GTO class would again feature a Mercury-GM-Toyota battle, with Tommy Riggins fastest in practice. In the GTU class, Mazda seemed not to meet any opposition.

A J Foyt was partnered by Hurley Haywood at Sebring. They finished fourth overall at the wheel of the Copenhagen Porsche 962.

Copyright Mark Windecker

The start was given under a somewhat nice weather, which followed a night long rain. Three cars would immediately take the lead, and build a consistent lead upon their opponents. Chip Robinson, Price Cobb and Hans Stuck would fight for three laps, when the pace car suddenly would enter the track, after a Fabcar caught fire in turn one. At the restart, Martin Brundle, who suffered from a puncture, had to pit : he would restart dead last. Price Cobb was still in the lead, while Chip Robinson was a few seconds down in second place. Hans Stuck was third, followed by Jan Lammers. John Nielsen, on the other Jaguar, retired on lap thirty one, but he would be hired on the #61 car. Chip Robinson would then experience an off-course, and he would lose fifty minutrs to get back the car to the pits and have it repaired. Klaus Ludwig and James Weaver were quarreling for the lead while the only valid Jaguar was one lap down. In fact, until the seventh hour mark, things would remain unchanged, but then, the Dyson car would stop with  gearbox troubles. As the remaining Jaguar seemed to suffer from an identical trouble, it seemed that the Bayside Motorsport Porsche 962, who was running very smoothly, would easily win the race. The closest opposition was now seven laps down. It was the Joest Racing car, which was driven by John Winter, Paolo Barilla and Frank Jelinski. A somewhat easy race for Hans Stuck and Klaus Ludwig, who cruised to a neat victory for Porsche. A sweet revenge for the German make, who placed five cars in the top five positions. The best Jaguar was seventh overall, bested by the top GTO finisher, which was the Chevrolet Corvette entered by Protofab, which defeated the Roush Racing small fleet.

Wally Dallenbach and John Jones repeated their 1985 Sebring win, this time driving a Protofab Chevrolet Corvette

Copyright Mark Windecker

Wally Dallenbach and John Jones easily won their class. The second place GTO car was the Mercury Merkur driven by Lyn St James, Pete Halsmer and Deborah Gregg, which was sixteen laps down! The next car was the Lights class winner, which was again the Tiga GT286 Buick driven by Tom Hessert and David Loring. They had a perfect streak, winning three races out of three. The Tiga GT286 Ferrari, entered by Gaston Andrey, finished second, with Uli Bieri, Angelo Pallavicini, Martino Finotto and Paolo Guaitamacchi at the wheel. The GTU class was won by Amos Johnson and Dennis Shaw who were two laps ahead of Tom Kendall and Tom Frank, who drove the CCR Racing Mazda RX7.(to be continued)

1988 : Nissan domination, part 2

The next race was to take place on a very fast track, which was Road Atlanta. Thirty one entries were to be registered. Only five Porsche 962s were entered, which the lowest figure so far. Holbert Racing had Chip Robinson and Derek Bell while Dyson Racing had the strong pair Price Cobb and James Weaver running. The three remaining cars were less potent ones, as the Kalagian Racing entry for Jim Rothbarth and Doc Bundy, the Hotschkis Racing car for John Hotschkis and Jim Adams and the Shelton Racing car for brother Steve and Tom Shelton. Jaguar entered two cars with John Nielsen and John Watson pairing on the first one while Davy Jones and Andy Wallace drove the second car. Nissan had opted to enter two cars but finally chose to run one for Geoff Brabham and John Morton. Two Spice Firebirds were entered, with the Collins & Aikman semi-works car driven by Bob Earl and Jeff Kline and the Ball Bros car, driven by Steve Durst and Michael Brockman. Two Ford Probe GTPs, driven Tom Pumpelly and R K Smith, and the other one by Pete Halsmer, a new Fabcar Chevrolet, driven by Chip Mead and Jack Baldwin, as well as a single Momo March 86G Buick, rounded off the GTP entry list.

Chip Mead and Jack Baldwin shared the wheel of the Fabcar Chevrolet at Road Atlanta. They retired after fifty seven laps.

Copyright Mark Windecker

The remainder of the field was made up with Lights cars. This class was led by the Gaston Andrey Alba AR6 Ferrari, driven by Martino Finotto and Ruggero Melgrati. Jim Downing entered two cars for the first time. He drove the first one with Howard Katz, while John Maffucci shared the wheel of the second car with Hiro Matsushita. A bunch of Spice Fieros as well as the new Spice SE88C could have an important part to play in this race. Not to forget the surprisingly fast and reliable Tiga GT288 Buick driven by Tom Hessert and David Loring, who were the current Lights class leaders. Starting with the backup car, Geoff Brabham had to start from the back of the pack. John Nielsen was an early leader on a Jaguar XJR9. Running faster than everyone, Geoff Brabham took the lead on lap twenty five. He was able to maintain his position for a while, but he had two lengthy pitstops, which made him drop to second place. He was still second on lap ninety one, which was his very last pit stop. Running like wildfire, he was able to recover the lead eight laps from the finish. At the end, he was 3s75 ahead of John Nielsen. It was the very first Nissan overall win, and many were to come by. The Lights class was dominated by the powerful Alba AR6 Ferrari driven by Martino Finotto and Ruggero Melgrati. Instead, they built up a two lap lead over the second place finisher, which was Jim Downing Argo JM19 Mazda. The sister car took a third place.

Geoff Brabham had an outstanding race at Road Atlanta, starting from the back of the pack with his backup car, he managed to overtake everybody and finally won the race.

Copyright Mark Windecker

The next race was scheduled at West Palm Beach, which was yet another track located in town. And the track's layout appeared to be ill chosen. Many off courses were due to happen during the practice sessions, so everyone could foresee what would happen during the course of the race. Thirty one cars would take the green of a race which had a thirty thousand spectators attendance. It was to be a Nissan-Jaguar battle, with Porsche and Chevrolet ready to pounce. In fact, Geoff Brabham would put the Nissan on the pole, just in front of John Nielsen's Jaguar XJR9. The two of them being the sole drivers under the sixty second mark per lap. Jan Lammers followed next, with Bob Earl and Jeff Kline surprisingly fast on their Spice Firebird GTP. John Nielsen was again in fifth position, but it was clear that the car #66 would not run. Chip Robinson was in sixth place and the highest Porsche qualifyer. The shape of things to come? Obviously, the German make was suffering from not having a more powerful car. Though heavily updated, the cars were ageing ones. Fortunately, the teams could rely on some very strong drivers. The Lights class was led, in practice, by the French pairing Claude Ballot Léna and Jean Louis Ricci, who drove a Spice Fiero. They were just ahead of the similar cars driven by Charles Morgan and Dominic Dobson, and the Huffaker car driven by Terry Visger and Paul Lewis. The Alba Ferrari was a little farther, while Tom Hessert would start dead last. The race would be a new Nissan-Jaguar duel. While Jan Lammers could jump in the lead,  Geoff Brabham would follow closely, waiting for the right occasion. John Nielsen was keeping the best Porsche 962s at bay. The Oscar Larrauri-AJ Foyt collision would bring a new caution period. The most part of the race would feature a battle between Jan Lammers and Geoff Brabham. A last caution period, following the Sarel van der Merwe puncture. The Nissan ZX T GTP was ahead of everybody. Seven minutes were left before the chequered and Davy Jones was beaten by a mere seven seconds. Price Cobb would finish third after John Nielsen's retirement with a broken gearbox. Bob Earl and Jeff Kline took a very encouraging fourth place overall. The Lights class was dominated by the Whitehall Promotions Spice Fiero driven by Claude Ballot Léna and Jean Louis Ricci, who had built up a two lap margin over their pursuers. Unfortunately, a Fabcar driver would send Claude Ballot Léna into the wall. Then it would be a new confusion as the race was to be fought between Tom Hessert, who drove his Tiga GT288 Buick, and the Martino Finotto Alba Ferrari. After the chequered, it looked like the Italian machine had packed it up, but it seemed that the officials were mistaken, and the Tiga was declared winner of a very unpleasant race. It was the general feeling left by this event.
The next event was scheduled at Lime Rock Park. The twisty little track had a twenty six car field, which was not a bad figure, according to the fact that the best could lap the track in forty five seconds or so. Martin Brundle and John Nielsen would set the Jaguar XJR9 on the pole, while Geoff Brabham would place the Nissan ZX T GTP outside the front row. He would run the car solo. Chip Robinson followed next, with James Weaver alongside of him. Sarel van der Merwe put his Chevrolet Corvette GTP in fifth place on the grid, with Jan Lammers only sixth in the second Jaguar. A unfamiliar car to be seen was the March 84G Buick entered by Jim Briody, who was co-driven by Bob Nagel. The car was not very competitive and was in twenty fourth position on the grid. Charles Morgan led the Lights class entry list, followed by Greek driver Costas Los in a similar car. Once again, the race would feature the now classical battle between Nissan and Jaguar. Geoff Brabham had put the Japanese rocket in the lead, but he was consistently hounded by the two chasing Jaguar XJR9s. Never to be really threatened, Geoff Brabham drove a neat race, and ended up as the winner of the race. Martin Brundle and John Nielsen were second, followed by Jan Lammers and Davy Jones, while Chip Robinson was fourth, on the Holbert Racing Porsche 962. The four of them finished on the same lap, which could sum up the fact that the racing was kind of close.

Skeeter McKitterick had a very strong race at Lime Rock. He won his class at the wheeel of the Whitehall Motorsports Spice Fiero.

Copyright Mike Birch

The Lights class was won by Skeeter McKitterick, who had a strong race. He defeated Charles Morgan, who drove a similar car. Tom Hessert strengthened his points lead in the Championship by finishing third. It was the first victory by a Spice in the Lights class.
Next round was to happen at Mid Ohio. Once again, it would be a Nissan-Jaguar battle. This time, however, it seemed that Porsche was really willing to reverse the trend. Price Cobb had put the Dyson Racing on the first row and would start alongside the Electramotive Nissan, driven by Geoff Brabham, who was partnered by Tom Gloy. Bob Wollek had put the Busby Porsche 962 in third place, just beside the first Jaguar XJR9, driven by Jan Lammers and Davy Jones. Behind the top cars, came the semi-works Spice and the new Fabcar Chevrolet driven by Tim McAdam and Chip Mead. The best Lights car was the new Spice SE88 Buick driven by Scott Schubot, who had his best run ever, he was followed by the Spice Fiero driven by Charles Morgan and Dominic Dobson.

Scott Schubot and wife Linda Ludeman were new strong contenders in 1988. They fielded a brand new Spice SE88 Buick and finished seventeenth at Mid Ohio.

Copyright Mark Windecker

At the start, Geoff Brabham jumped in the lead, followed by the two Porsche 962s and the two Jaguar XJR9s. Geoff Brabham built up a consistent lead, and Tom Gloy could take the wheel of the car without losing too much time. Price Cobb, Martin Brundle and Jan Lammers had set up a great show, and the two Jaguar XJR9s could finally overtake the Porsche before the chequered. In the end, it was the newly created pair of drivers Geoff Brabham-Tom Gloy who won the race. Geoff Brabham captured the fastest race lap and Tom Gloy was awarded the Norelco Drivers Cup.
The Lights class was utterly dominated, throughout the race, by the Spice Fiero driven by Charles Morgan and Dominic Dobson. They finished two laps ahead of another Spice Fiero driven by Terry Visger and Jim Miller, while Jim Downing and Howard Katz captured third in their Argo JM19 Mazda.
Next round was scheduled at Watkins Glen, for a 500km race. The field was unusually short, but the plot would be as exciting as ever. Nissan had entered one car for Geoff Brabham and John Morton. The car had shown a great improvement on reliability, and was now the favorite. Again, the main contenders for the Japanese car were the two TWR Jaguar XJR9s, driven by Martin Brundle, who would run solo, and Jan Lammers-Davy Jones on the other car. Six Porsche 962s were entered, and Holbert Racing had the edge over their competitors. The team had won the last three events on that course and capitalized on her experience, so the car would be well suited to the track.
Dyson Racing was willing to perform well too and Price Cobb and James Weaver would wind up a third place on the grid, just behind Chip Robinson. It looked like Porsche could really do well on that course, with Bob Wollek on place four. The Lights class was displaying the Alba-Spice contest. Charles Morgan had the edge over the Alba in practice, while Skeeter McKitterick was in third place. The race was set, with Geoff Brabham again in front from the beginning. It looked like Jaguar would not be able to challenge the Nissan, as Martin Brundle retired after only twelve laps. While the other Jaguar had to fight against a trio of hard-charging Porsche 962s, it seemed that nobody could come close to the Nissan. And after fifty eight laps, things were over as Davy Jones retired. The big surprise of the race came from the Chevrolet Corvette GTP, who overcame a string of bad luck and would finish third overall, which was by far the best result for the team since a long time. Sarel van der Merwe and Elliot Forbes Robinson surely were happy with that! Skeeter McKitterick was partnered by Costas Los and captured the Lights class win, beating the very fast Alba AR6 Ferrari driven by Martino Finotto and Ruggero Melgrati, while Jim Downing again was third. It seemed that he would have things as easy as the three previous years. The Lights fields were now growing in strength, so races were more and more uneven.
The next race, scheduled at Road America, was another 500 Kilometer race, but this time, a big fifty three car field was to be displayed to the fans.  For the third time in the season, you could find your GTP-Lights-GTO-GTU mix of cars. That meant more cars on the track, and much more opportunities to get stuck or sent off course. The Nissan had to be at ease on such a track, but six Porsche 962s and two Jaguar XJR9s were eagerly willing to defeat the newly found favorite. And things were set in the practice sessions as Oscar Larrauri put the Brun Motorsport Porsche 962 on the pole. The qualifying system was a bit confusing and Geoff Brabham was sixth, despite being the fastest qualifier in 1m58s352.  The Lights was led by Scott Schubot, who placed his Spice SE88 Buick ahead of Claude Ballot Léna, while Terry Visger was third.

Dennis Aase won the GTO class driving this AAR Toyota Celica T. It was some kind of resurrection for him as he was badly hurt and not sure he could drive again!

Copyright Kirk Hoffman

The GTO class was led by Scott Pruett, who drove a Roush Racing Mercury Merkur. He led his teammate Pete Halsmer and Jack Baldwin, who drove the Skoal Bandit Chevrolet Camaro. Next were the Toyota Celicas and the Chevrolet Corvettes. Tom Kendall did the same in the GTU class, with the new Chevrolet Beretta. Surprisingly, the two followers were the Full Time Racing Dodge Daytonas driven by Kal Showket and Dorsey Schroeder. The best Mazda RX7 was even behind the 74 Ranch Pontiac Fiero driven by George Robinson and Ray Evernham.
Oscar Larrauri led lap one, but had to let Martin Brundle go past him. The latter would pull away, with Oscar Larrauri, Jan Lammers, Geoff Brabham, Price Cobb, Chip Robinson and Sarel van der Merwe. Then Jan Lammers and Geoff Brabham would slide off the track and lose several places. Martin Brundle then lost the lead when he came to the fits for refueling, due to fuel pick up problems .It was Derek Bell who inherited the lead, leading James Weaver and John Morton, who was now at the wheel of the Nissan. A full yellow course would allow the Japanese car to jump in the lead, as it was superbly mastered. Then it was like a piece of cake for John Morton and Geoff Brabham, who won easily. Derek Bell and Chip Robinson managed to keep their position and were second, just ahead of Price Cobb and James Weaver. Next were the two TWR Jaguar XJR9s, who scored a disappointing result, as the two cars were plagued with minor troubles. The Lights class went to Terry Visger and Dan Marvin, who took the lead after Dominic Dobson, the early leader, crashed heavily during the second hour. The Argo JM16 Mazda driven by John Grooms had taken the lead, but broke a suspension later in the race. Tom Hessert finished fifth after borrowing a Tiga seat following his early retirement in his own car.
In GTO, it would be a harsh battle between the Toyotas and the Mercurys. Willy T Ribbs led early in the race, followed by Scott Pruett. The two of them would throw themselves back, when they came together. Dennis Aase would now be in the lead, followed by Pete Halsmer, who could not threaten the Toyota Celica, as he experienced turbo boost pressure problems. The final results would be Dennis Aase winning, followed by Pete Halsmer, Willy T Ribbs and Scott Pruett.

Amos Johnson had a fantastic race, starting from the back of the pack, after crashing heavily in pactice. He managed to climb up to third place after pitting on the first lap. He finished third in class, behind the two Dodge Daytonas.

Copyright Kirk Hoffman

The GTU class would see a premiere for Full Time Racing, who campaigned a pair of Dodge Daytonas. Dorsey Schroeder went on to win his first GTU race over his teammate Kal Showket, but the best race went to Amos Johnson, whose car crashed heavily in practice. He started dead last and had to pit for some more repairs. Then he would drive like hell, and finish up third overall, which was a fantastic result. He overtook in the process Tom Kendall, running on five cylinders in his Chevrolet Beretta. His fourth place finish allowed him to win his third GTU title in a row. (to be continued)