Dean stays clear of the scrapping hordes

Richard Dean was on pole, and he blasted away at the start never to be seen by the rest of the field again. He was helped in this by a clash at the first corner between ex-Peugeot touring car driver Eugene O'Brien and Jeremy Cotterill, O'Brien side-swiping Cotterill, allowing Stephen Day into second.

Cotterill was down in the pack, but the anger induced red-mist gave him that extra lift, and he set about storming back through the field.

There was chaos further back at the final hairpin, Brian Heery, Ian Sommerfield and Mark Hazell all making contact. Hazell was the unlucky one, being collected by Sommerfield as he slewed across the track after a tap from Heery. The end result left Hazell's car in the wall as the rest continued, Hazell's front end shortened by several inches. Eugene O'Brien was in second, followed by Stephen Day. Into Redgate corner, and Richard Hann went rally crossing, taking a shorter distance wise but longer time wise route inside the apex of the corner, dropping a couple of places as a result. He rejoined in a close train of cars fighting for fourth downwards.

Jeremy Cotterill was on the move, and unlike some others he was on the move cleanly, passing Alistair Lyall at the Melbourne Hairpin. Things were settling down a bit now, although Martin Bell tried Hann's trick at Redgate, but to no advantage. Next lap, and Cotterill was past Day, and into fourth place. He was no at the head of a train of five cars, but was slowly pulling away.

The scrap for fifth was now hotting up, cars everywhere at the Melbourne Hairpin. They all got around it, and continued nose to tail. Stephen Day dropped a place to Hann as he went wide at Old Paddock, and the places were constantly changing as they outbraked each other at each corner. This allowed Hann to pull away.

With one lap to go, Cotterill dived past O'Brien on the inside at Melbourne Hairpin, his favourite overtaking spot. Thus the positions were set for the flag fall. Credit must go to Ian Sommerfield though, who crossed the finishing line with his car looking like a 'mobile shed', to paraphrase Colin McRae. The passenger side doors were severely out of shape, and the front number plate was at an extremely odd angle. The repair bill would be large, too.

Results

1	Richard Dean	22:17.11, 80.77mph
2	Jeremy Cotterill	+ 5.40
3	Eugene O'Brien	+ 6.50
4	Richard Hann	+10.87
5	Alistair Lyall	+13.12

Fastest Lap: Dean, 1:50.76, 81.25mph

Championship

POS	DRIVER	PTS
1	Cotterill	125
2	Dean	122
3	Lyall	110
4	O'Brien	93
5	Day	88