View source for 1966 RAC Tourist Trophy

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The '''1966 RAC Tourist Trophy''' saw the world’s oldest motor race, organised by the [[Royal Automobile Club]], return to [[Oulton Park]] on 29 April, for the 31st running of the [[RAC Tourist Trophy|RAC International Tourist Trophy Race]] sponsored by ''[[Daily Express]]''. The [[RAC Tourist Trophy|TT]], was the second round of the [[1966 British Sports Car Championship season|British Sports Car Championship]].<ref name="Wsrp.ic.cz">{{cite web |url=http://www.wsrp.ic.cz/bscc1966.html#2 |title=World Sports Racing Prototypes - British Sports Car Championship 1966 |publisher=Wsrp.ic.cz |accessdate=2014-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221082826/http://www.wsrp.ic.cz/bscc1966.html#2 |archive-date=2014-02-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="racingsportscars1966">{{cite web |url=http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Oulton_Park-1966-04-29.html |title=Tourist Trophy 1966 |publisher=Racing Sports Cars |date=1966-04-29 |accessdate=2014-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204165330/http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Oulton_Park-1966-04-29.html |archive-date=2013-12-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Report==

===Entry===
Despite the race being dropped from the World Sportscar Championship, the event still attracted a total of 30 sports cars, across two classes. However, just 21 took part in qualifying.<ref name="racingsportscars1966"/>

===Qualifying===
The [[Formula One]] (F1) regular, and winner of the previous year’s [[RAC Tourist Trophy|TT]], [[Denny Hulme]] took [[pole position]] for the Sidney Taylor team, in their [[Lola T70|Lola-Chevrolet T70 Mk.2]], averaging a speed of {{convert|102.012|mph|abbr=on}}, around the {{convert|2.761|mi|abbr=on}} circuit.<ref name="racingsportscars1966"/>
Dick Protheroe lost his life at the wheel of a [[Ferrari P|Ferrari 330P-64]] following an accident during a practice session.<ref>{{cite web|author=Geoff Protheroe |url=http://www.myitshere.co.uk/DProtheroe/e_cut7/HH2005.html |title=Dick Protheroe Raceing History |publisher=Myitshere.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2014-02-13}}</ref>

===Race===
The race was held over 140 laps of the circuit, split into two heats of 70 laps. Hulme took overall victory, winning with an aggregated time of 4hrs 06:11.200mins., averaging a speed of {{convert|94.760|mph|abbr=on}}. Second place went to [[Tony Dean (racing driver)|Tony Dean]], in his [[Brabham]]-[[Coventry Climax|Climax]] BT8. The podium was completed by [[Peter Sutcliffe (racing driver)|Peter Sutcliffe]], in his [[Ford GT40]]. As Sutcliffe was also the [[Group 6 (racing)|Group 6]] class winner, he was awarded The Oulton Trophy. For Hulme, this victory was his second Tourist Trophy, he would go on and win a further two, the last being in 1986.<ref name="Wsrp.ic.cz"/><ref name="racingsportscars1966"/>

==Classification==

===Aggregate Results===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
! Pos.
! No.
! Group
! Driver(s)
! Entrant
! Car - Engine
! Time, Laps
! Reason Out
|-
!  '''1st''' 
| '''4'''
| '''Gr. 7'''
| {{flagicon|New Zealand}} '''[[Denny Hulme]]'''
| '''Sidney Taylor'''
| '''[[Lola T70|Lola-Chevrolet T70 Mk.2]]'''
| '''4hrs 06:11.200'''<br />'''140 laps'''
| 
|-
! 2nd 
| 14
| Gr. 7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Tony Dean (racing driver)|Tony Dean]]
| Race Proved by Willment
| [[Brabham]]-[[Coventry Climax|Climax]] BT8
| 135
| 
|-
!  '''3rd''' 
| '''48'''
| '''Gr. 6'''
| {{flagicon|GBR}} '''[[Peter Sutcliffe (racing driver)|Peter Sutcliffe]]'''
| '''[[Peter Sutcliffe (racing driver)|Peter Sutcliffe]]'''
| '''[[Ford GT40]]'''
| '''134'''
|
|-
!  4th
| 58
| Gr. 7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Geoff Breakell]]
| [[Geoff Breakell|G.H. Breakell]]
| [[Brabham]]-[[Coventry Climax|Climax]] BT8
| 132
| 
|-
! 5th 
| 18
| Gr.7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Tommy Weber (racing driver)|Tommy Weber]]
| Vegantune Engineering
| [[Lotus 23|Lotus-BRM 23]]
| 131
| 
|-
! 6th 
| 36
| Gr.6
| {{flagicon|South Africa|1928}} [[Peter de Klerk]]
| Porsche Cars (GB) Ltd.
| [[Porsche 906]]
| 131
| 
|-
! 7th 
| 26
| Gr. 7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[John Coundley]]
| John O. Coundley
| [[Elva (car manufacturer)|McLaren Elva]] M1A [[Oldsmobile]]
| 126
| 
|-
! 8th 
| 24
| Gr. 7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Peter Gethin]]<br />{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Derek Bennett (racing driver)|Derek Bennett]]
| Robert Ashcroft Racing Ltd.
| [[Crosslé Car Company|Crosslé]]-[[BMW in motorsport|BMW]] 9S
| 125
| 
|-
! 9th 
| 38
| Gr. 6
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[David Piper (racing driver)|David Piper]]
| [[David Piper (racing driver)|David Piper]]
| [[Ferrari P|Ferrari 365 P2]]
| 123
| 
|-
! 10th
| 56
| Gr. 7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Peter Sadler]]
| [[Peter Sadler]]
| [[Lotus 30|Lotus-Ford 30]]
| 122
| 
|-
! 11th
| 50
| Gr. 6
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Alan Rees (racing driver)|Alan Rees]]
| Maranello Concessionaires Ltd.
| [[Ferrari P|Ferrari 250 LM]]
| 119
| 
|-
! 12th
| 20
| Gr. 7
| {{Flagicon|GBR}} [[Mike Garton]]
| Vegantune Engineering
| [[Lotus 23|Lotus-Ford 23]]
| 114
| 
|-
! 13th
| 28
| Gr. 7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Brian Redman]]
| Red Rose Racing Team
| [[Lola T70|Lola-Chevrolet T70 Mk.2]]
| 111
| 2: Final drive
|-
! DNF
| 54
| Gr. 7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Malcolm Wayne]]
| Malcolm Wayne
| [[Elva (car manufacturer)|Elva-BRM]]
| 
| DNF
|-
! DNF
| 6
| Gr.7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Hugh Dibley]]
| Racing Partnership (Jersey) Ltd.
| [[Lola T70|Lola-Chevrolet T70 Mk.2]]
| 
| 2: Oil pressure
|-
! DNF
| 30
| Gr. 7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Keith St. John (racing driver)|Keith St. John]]
| Radio London Racing
| [[Elva (car manufacturer)|McLaren Elva-Ford]] Mk II
| 
| DNF
|-
! DNF
| 16
| Gr.7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Mac Daghorn]]
| Felday Engineering Ltd.
| Felday-[[British Racing Motors|BRM]] 4
| 
| Mechanical
|-
! DNF
| 8
| Gr.7
| {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Frank Gardner (racing driver)|Frank Gardner]]
| [[Alan Brown (racing driver)|Alan Brown]]
| [[Elva (car manufacturer)|McLaren Elva-Ford]] Mk I
| 
| DNF
|-
! DNF
| 2
| Gr.7
| {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Jack Brabham]]
| [[Brabham|Brabham Racing Organisation Ltd.]]
| [[Brabham]]-[[Repco]] BT17
| 
| 2: Oil Leak
|-
! DNF
| 32
| Gr.7
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[David Prophet]]
| [[David Prophet]]
| [[McLaren]] [[Elva (car manufacturer)|Elva]]-[[Chevrolet]]
| 
|DNF
|-
! DNF
| 42
| Gr.6
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Mike Parkes]]
| Maranello Concessionaires Ltd.
| [[Dino (automobile)|Ferrari Dino 206 S]]
| 
|1: Ring & pinion
|-
! DNS
| 44
| Gr.6
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Dick Protheroe]]
| [[Dick Protheroe]]
| [[Ferrari P|Ferrari 330 P-64]]
| 
| Fatal accident in practice
|-
! DNS
| 46
| Gr.6
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Richard Bond (racing driver)|Richard Bond]]
| [[Nick Cussons]]
| [[Ford GT40]]
| 
| 
|-
| colspan="8" style="text-align:center;"| Source:<ref name="Wsrp.ic.cz"/><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Oulton_Park-1966-04-29.html| title = Le Mans 24 Hours 1923 - Race Results - Racing Sports Cars}} </ref>
|}
* Fastest lap: [[Denny Hulme]], 1:37.400secs. (102.646&nbsp;mph)   <ref name="racingsportscars1966"/>

==References==

{{reflist|30em}}

[[Category:1966 in British motorsport|RAC Tourist Trophy]]
[[Category:April 1966 sports events in the United Kingdom|RAC Tourist Trophy]]
[[Category:RAC Tourist Trophy]]