BTCC Race Report: Menu claims maiden victory for Ford but Aiello still leads championship
16 August 1999
Knockhill, Scotland - 16/8/99
Rounds 19 & 20: Knockhill, 15 August 1999
Alain Menu claimed his and Ford's first victory of the 1999 Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship at Knockhill this afternoon, with a dominant performance in an incident-filled Feature race. Laurent Aiello had taken the chequered flag in similar fashion in the earlier Sprint race for his eighth success of the season and the Frenchman now leads the championship by
19 points from Nissan team mate David Leslie with just six rounds remaining.
SPRINT RACE - Round 19
Laurent Aiello's path to victory in round 19 was as clear as the view from the picturesque Fife circuit. Holding pole position, the championship leader made a faultless get-away to lead the Honda of returning former champion Gabriele Tarquini. From the very first lap it was clear that nothing would impede the Frenchman's progress to the chequered flag and although the Italian pushed hard, Aiello took a comfortable victory by a margin of more than six seconds.
Behind the front runners, however, chaos reigned all around the narrow circuit. The pack had not even reached the first corner before David Leslie, starting an unaccustomed seventh in the second Nissan, found himself in the gravel after contact with Rickard Rydell. The Scot rejoined last, but a storming recovery brought Leslie ninth place, earning him two richly deserved points.
Meanwhile, the field had continued towards the chicane, but more contact between Rydell and his rivals ended with both regular works Hondas collecting one another. Thompson pitted for a new wheel, rejoining a lap down, while Kox was able to continue temporarily until his accident damage was deemed too severe and his race ended on the eighth lap. Jason Plato had also become involved in the chicane shenanigans and was forced to retire with broken suspension.
As the top two pulled clear, the resurgent Mondeos of Anthony Reid and Alain Menu became embroiled in their own personal battle for third place. Reid initially held the advantage, having started from the front row, but Menu's superior race pace began to tell and by the end of lap six the Swiss driver was right with his team mate. The following lap Menu pulled alongside approaching the hairpin, Reid graciously conceded the place and the Blue Oval was happy to pick up a podium finish. Better was to follow later.
Matt Neal, having lost his power steering, finally came through in seventh place to take yet another class win and in the process wrapped up the 1999 Michelin Cup for Independents title.
Aiello: It was very important to lead from the front. I got a good start and was then able to look after my tyres to ensure that Gabriele couldn't get too close. I am pleased to have put some more points between myself and my rivals for the championship.
Tarquini: I made a great start but Laurent was uncatchable today. I was really pleased to finish second. I love the BTCC and the racing is really exciting. I was third last time I was at Knockhill, second today, so maybe next year I'll win!
Menu: I should have qualified higher than sixth, but I found myself fourth and in touch with Anthony. I was quicker than him so he let me past without any problem. It's good to get back on the podium.
Neal: I am always looking for an excuse to party and now we've got a great one for tonight. I'm delighted to win the Michelin Cup - that's been my target all year, now I want more podiums.
FEATURE RACE - Round 20
Alain Menu's second pole position of 1999 presented the Prodrive-run Ford team with a gilt-edged invitation to claim the Blue Oval's first success of the season. The 1997 champion was not inclined to pass up the opportunity, but a sluggish start threatened to let former team mate Jason Plato through in his Laguna. Having held his line through the opening corners, however, Menu looked secure and proceeded to extend his advantage at will.
Menu's task was made considerably more straight-forward by the six-way battle that then ensued for second place. Plato was under pressure from earlier victor Aiello, who, with Boullion for company, found himself the meat in a Renault sandwich. Leslie completed a neat formation in the second Nissan but, unable to pass the Laguna, the Scot was vulnerable to a strike by Rydell.
The first lap had again produced drama. Matt Neal and James Thompson collected one another and danced each other into the tyre barrier, completing a torrid weekend for James that brought no points at all. The Safety Car circulated for two laps while the track was cleared of the debris from Thompson's shattered dreams of a title challenge.
By lap 10, Aiello had grown tired of shadowing Plato, but his attempted passing manoeuvre succeeded only in allowing Boullion through. It was a further ten tours before the champion-elect was able to regain the lost place and two laps later Leslie spied a chance to take Boullion as well. Alas for the Nissan, a wide line presented fifth and sixth places to the stalking Kox and Rydell.
The excitement was not to end there. With just six laps remaining Plato, heading for an impressive second place, exited proceedings with an encouraging nudge from Aiello. Boullion's dreams of his second podium finish were short lived as a mistake let Kox and Leslie past. Aiello then made his own error, taking a trip across the grass at Duffus Dip and watching helplessly as Kox and Leslie assumed his position. Extraordinarily, he repeated the excursion the following lap, finally ending up sixth.
Menu sailed serenely on, taking the flag more than 20 seconds clear, to the very obvious and excusable delight of the Ford Team Mondeo outfit. He later dedicated the race to Prodrive mechanic Paul Mepham who lost a battle with cancer ten days ago.
Menu: I hope Paul can see what we have achieved today - he would be delighted. The car has been competitive all season and I really think we could have been in this position more times but for bad luck and some mechanical problems. It's great for everyone in the team to get this win.
Kox: We suffered in qualifying this weekend. We knew our race pace was good, but we just didn't start from the right places. We should have come away with at least a win this weekend.
Leslie: I was taken out in the first race, so I'm much happier to be on the podium. I went from second to seventh in the space of a few seconds, so I bided my time and waited for the others to fall off, which they did! It's good to see Ford back on the top step and I'm very pleased for them.
Blair: We only win when Matt doesn't finish. He didn't so we did! We seem to have got to the bottom of our engine problems and it's good to be back on the pace.
AUTO TRADER BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP Knockhill Circuit / 15 August 1999 Round 19 / 20 laps / 26 miles / 41.8 km 1. Laurent Aiello FRA Nissan Primera 17min 51.366sec 87.36 mph 2. Gabriele Tarquini ITA Honda Accord +6.331s 3. Alain Menu SWI Ford Mondeo +9.414s 4. Anthony Reid GB Ford Mondeo +12.686s 5. J-C Boullion FRA Renault Laguna +18.320s 6. Rickard Rydell SWE Volvo S40 +25.091s # 7. Matt Neal* GB Nissan Primera +26.335s 8. John Cleland GB Vauxhall Vectra +27.092s 9. David Leslie GB Nissan Primera +31.334s 10. Yvan Muller FRA Vauxhall Vectra +35.815s Michelin Cup for Independents winner: Matt Neal (GB) - Nissan Primera Fastest lap: Laurent Aiello Nissan Primera 53.024sec, 88.26mph # Results provisional pending appeal into possible exclusion of Rydell. Round 12 / 42 laps / 54.6 miles / 87.78 km 1. Alain Menu SWI Ford Mondeo 39m 00.056sec 83.99mph 2. Peter Kox HOL Honda Accord +22.443s 3. David Leslie GB Nissan Primera +24.811s 4. J-C Boullion FRA Renault Laguna +27.933s 5. Rickard Rydell SWE Volvo S40 +28.075s 6. Laurent Aiello FRA Nissan Primera +30.240s # 7. Gabriele Tarquini ITA Honda Accord +33.411s 8. Yvan Muller FRA Vauxhall Vectra +42.126s 9. Vincent Radermecker BEL Volvo S40 +42.850s 10. John Cleland GB Vauxhall Vectra +43.820s Michelin Cup for Independents winner: Mark Blair (GB) - Vauxhall Vectra Fastest lap: Gabriele Tarquini ITA Honda Accord 53.217s, 87.94mph # Results provisional pending appeal into possible exclusion of Aiello. Provisional Championship positions (after 20 of 26 rounds) Drivers 1 Laurent Aiello (Fra) 190 2 David Leslie (GB) 171 3 James Thompson (GB) 124 4 Rickard Rydell (Swe) 118 5 Jason Plato (GB) 109 6 Yvan Muller (Fra) 94 7 Peter Kox (Hol) 92 8 Matt Neal* (GB) 91 9 Vincent Radermecker (B) 91 10 Alain Menu (Swi) 82 Michelin Cup for Independents 1. Matt Neal (GB/Nissan) 272 2. Mark Blair (GB/Vauxhall) 147 3. Lee Brookes (GB/Honda) 78 Manufacturers 1. Nissan 390 2. Honda 236 3. Volvo 203 Teams 1. Vodafone Nissan Racing 151 2. Team Honda Sport 97 3. Williams 91 Michelin Racer of the Year 1. Mark Blair 59 2. Lee Brookes 24 3. Russell Spence 22