Jeff Allam

Last updated

Jeff Allam
Jeff Allam - 2017 BTCC Knockhill (Sunday).jpg
Allam in 2017
Nationality Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British
Born (1954-12-19) 19 December 1954 (age 68)
Epsom, Surrey, England
British Saloon / Touring Car Championship
Years active16
TeamsAllam Motor Services
Triplex Esso Motor Team
Tom Walkinshaw Racing
R.A. Potter Racing Developments
Trakstar Motorsport
Vic Lee Motorsport
Dave Cook Racing Services
Ray Mallock Ltd.
Starts146
Wins17
Poles9
Fastest laps23
Best finish4th in 1977, 1982, 1992

Jeffrey Frank Allam (born 19 December 1954 in Epsom, England), is a former British racing driver who made his name in Saloon Car racing. He now works as Head of Business for Allam Motor Services in Epsom which are a Skoda sales and service and Vauxhall servicing dealership.

Contents

Racing career

Starting in kart racing he soon progressed to saloon car racing winning regularly in Vauxhalls. He first entered the British Saloon Car Championship in 1978 driving a Ford Capri 3.0, finishing 2nd in class. In 1979 he repeated this with another 2nd place in class. In 1981 he drove a TWR Rover Vitesse, taking Rover's first overall win in the championship. Allam continued to drive for TWR Rover again in 1982, this time winning the class title. He was paired with Frank Sytner for the 1982 season, but Sytner left the team partway through the year. The following year saw Allam partnering Steve Soper and Pete Lovett in the Rover team, and the three drivers dominated the year, easily winning the manufacturers championship and Soper winning the drivers' title. [1] However, the success was short-lived, as the Rovers were found to be in breach of the regulations regarding the engine installation, and TWR was thrown out of the championship, handing victory to Andy Rouse. [2]

His success continued afterwards, winning the new Group A class at the 1984 Bathurst 1000 in Australia driving a TWR Rover partnered by regular ETCC co-driver Armin Hahne from Germany. This was followed in 1986 when he won the prestigious ETCC Tourist Trophy at Silverstone in a TWR prepared Rover along with co-driver, former Formula One World Champion Denny Hulme. He was then champion in the TVR Tuscan Challenge in 1989. [3]

Allam continued to be a regular at the Bathurst 1000 after his 1984 class win. In 1985 he was lead driver in the 2nd TWR Jaguar XJS with Aussie Ron Dickson, qualifying a fine second behind team boss Walkinshaw, but was out on lap 3 after broken headlight glass found its way into the Jaguar's V12 engine causing enough damage to stop the car. TWR itself dominated the 1985 race with the team's 3rd car (driven by Hahne and Aussie John Goss) winning with Walkinshaw and Win Percy finishing 3rd in the lead car after late race problems which saw a split oil line. [4] He missed both 1986 and 1987, before returning in 1988 with Walkinshaw to drive the new Fuel injected Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV. The race ended early for the duo when the suspension collapsed under the Boss after just 5 laps. After driving a Rover, Jaguar and a Holden in Australia's Great Race, Allam drove a Ford Sierra RS500 in 1989 for Dick Johnson Racing. He finished 8th in 1989 (team boss Dick Johnson and regular team driver John Bowe won the race), before recording his best finish in 1990, again in a Johnson Sierra, when he partnered Kiwi racer Paul Radisich to second place. Ironically, the winner of the 1990 Bathurst 1000 was the Holden Racing Team VL Commodore SS Group A SV driven by Allan Grice and Allam's long time TWR teammate Win Percy. The Winning Commodore was in fact the same car (rebuilt) that Allam was to drive with Walkinshaw in the 1988 race. [5]

In 1990 Allam returned to the British Touring Car Championship (formerly the British Saloon Car Championship) driving a BMW M3 in the 2.0l class for Vic Lee Motorsport, placing 6th in the series. In 1991 he drove for the works Vauxhall team in a Vauxhall Cavalier finishing sixth. He stayed with the Vauxhall team a further three years, partnering John Cleland, finishing in 4th place with two race wins in 1992 and a 9th-place finishing in 1993. [6] In 1994 he placed 10th overall and was replaced the following year by James Thompson. He made a one-off comeback to the BTCC in 1995 replacing the injured Thompson at Knockhill.

In 2004 he was selected to drive in the BTCC Masters event at Donington Park. a race which was set up by the director of TOCA Alan J. Gow featuring former champions and legends. Driving the same SEAT Leon Cupras, he finished 8th out of a field of sixteen drivers.

In May 2011 Jeff Allam was appointed as Driving Standards Advisor to the BTCC, assisting the Clerk of the Course in investigating on-track incidents between competitors. He previously held this role in the mid-late Nineties. [7]

Racing record

Complete British Saloon / Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1973–1990 in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap – 1 point awarded ?–1989 in class)

YearTeamCarClass12345678910111213141516171819202122232425DCPtsClass
1977 Allam Motor Services Vauxhall Firenza Magnum C SIL
5
BRH
5
OUL
8†
THR
10
SIL
8
THR DON
4†
SIL
7
DON
5†
BRH
5
THR
7
BRH
4
4th292nd
1978 Allam Motor Services Ford Capri II 3.0s D SIL
4
OUL
4†
THR
4
BRH
7†
SIL
3†
DON
3†
MAL
3†
BRH
1
DON
1†
BRH
3
THR
7
OUL
Ret†
NC0NC
1979 Allam Motor Services Ford Capri III 3.0s D SIL
3
OUL
5†
THR
5
SIL
1
DON
2
SIL
6
MAL
8†
DON
Ret
BRH
Ret
THR
2
SNE
1
OUL
2†
8th452nd
1980 Triplex Esso Motor Team Rover 3500 S D MAL
Ret†
OUL
5†
THR
5
SIL
?
SIL
DNS
BRH
1
MAL BRH
?
THR
3
SIL
Ret
NC18NC
1981 Tom Walkinshaw Racing Rover 3500 S D MAL
8†
SIL
4
OUL
Ret†
THR
5
BRH
3†
SIL
Ret
SIL
2
DON
Ret†
BRH
1
THR
1
SIL
1
7th502nd
1982 Team Sanyo Racing with Esso Rover 3500 S D SIL
1
MAL
1†
OUL
5†
THR
4
THR
Ret
SIL
1
DON
2
BRH
3
DON
1
BRH
3
SIL
5
4th601st
1983 Team Sanyo Racing with Esso Rover 3500 S A SIL
2
OUL
1
THR
2
BRH
2
THR
2
SIL
Ret
DON
Ret
SIL
3
DON
Ret
BRH
4
SIL
1
DSQ53DSQ
1986 TWR – Herbie Clips Rover Vitesse A SIL THR SIL DON BRH
1
SNE BRH DON SIL 18th96th
1987 R.A. Potter Racing Developments with Castrol Rover Vitesse A SIL OUL THR THR SIL SIL BRH SNE DON OUL
2‡
DON SIL 25th711th
1989 Trakstar Motorsport Ford Sierra RS500 A OUL SIL THR DON
2‡
THR SIL SIL BRH SNE BRH BIR DON SIL 36th613th
1990 Vic Lee Motorsport BMW M3 B OUL DON THR
8
SIL
8
OUL
11
SIL
10
BRH
8
SNE
10
BRH
9
BIR
7
DON
9
THR
11
SIL
9
6th1243rd
1991 Vauxhall Sport Vauxhall Cavalier SIL
2
SNE
4
DON
5
THR
2
SIL
2 1
BRH
5
SIL
8
DON
1

5
DON
2

Ret
OUL
Ret
BRH
1

8
BRH
2

Ret
DON
6
THR
10
SIL
8
6th80
1992 Vauxhall Sport Vauxhall Cavalier SIL
3
THR
3
OUL
3
SNE
6
BRH
2
DON
1

5
DON
2

Ret
SIL
1
KNO
1

1
KNO
2

2
PEM
6
BRH
1

5
BRH
2

9
DON
14
SIL
2
4th137
1993 Vauxhall Sport Vauxhall Cavalier SIL
5
DON
6
SNE
DNS
DON
2
OUL
3
BRH
1

7
BRH
2

3
PEM
10
SIL
18
KNO
1

6
KNO
2

6
OUL
6
BRH
15
THR
13
DON
1

11
DON
2

12
SIL
9
9th67
1994 Vauxhall Sport Vauxhall Cavalier 16v THR
14
BRH
1

6
BRH
2

5
SNE
6
SIL
1

12
SIL
2

9
OUL
6
DON
1

6
DON
2

3
BRH
1

19
BRH
2

10
SIL
7
KNO
1

4
KNO
2

5
OUL
12
BRH
1

13
BRH
2

Ret
SIL
1

8
SIL
2

9
DON
1

9
DON
2

13
10th76
1995 Vauxhall Sport Vauxhall Cavalier 16v DON
1
DON
2
BRH
1
BRH
2
THR
1
THR
2
SIL
1
SIL
2
OUL
1
OUL
2
BRH
1
BRH
2
DON
1
DON
2
SIL KNO
1

8
KNO
2

12
BRH
1
BRH
2
SNE
1
SNE
2
OUL
1
OUL
2
SIL
1
SIL
2
25th3
  1. ^ – Race was stopped due to heavy rain. No points were awarded.

† Events with 2 races staged for the different classes.

‡ Endurance driver.

Complete European Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314DCPoints
1985 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tom Walkinshaw Racing Rover Vitesse MNZ
3
VAL
3
DON
3
AND
3
BRN
9
ZEL
Ret
SAL
5
NUR
Ret
SPA
Ret
SIL
Ret
NOG
3
ZOL
3
EST
4
JAR
4
8th140
1986 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tom Walkinshaw Racing Rover Vitesse MNZ
2
DON
4
HOC
Ret
MIS
Ret
AND
3
BRN
5
ZEL
19
NUR SPA
6
SIL
1
NOG ZOL
13
JAR
4
EST
3
13th130
1988 Flag of Germany.svg Wolf Racing Team Ford Sierra RS500 MNZ DON
Ret
EST
Ret
JAR DIJ VAL NUR
Ret
SPA ZOL NC0
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tom Walkinshaw Racing Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SIL
15
NOG

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCar1234567891011DCPoints
1987 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tom Walkinshaw Racing Holden VL Commodore SS Group A MNZ JAR DIJ NUR
Ret
SPA BNO NC0
Flag of Germany.svg Wolf Racing Team Ford Sierra RS500 SIL
ovr:9
cls:2†
BAT CLD WEL FJI

Not eligible for series points

Complete Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCar1234DCPoints
1988 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Holden Special Vehicles Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV BAT
Ret
WEL
Ret
PUK FJI NC0

Complete Australian Super Touring Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCar12345678910111213141516DCPts
1995 Ross Palmer Motorsport Ford Mondeo PHI
1
PHI
2
ORA
1

6
ORA
2

9
SYM
1

Ret
SYM
2

5
CAL
1

3
CAL
2

3
MAL
1

Ret
MAL
2

Ret
LAK
1

7
LAK
2

6
WIN
1

6
WIN
2

6
EAS
1
EAS
2
7th62

Complete Bathurst 1000 results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
1984 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mobil Rover Racing Flag of Germany.svg Armin Hahne Rover Vitesse Group A15212th1st
1985 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg JRA Ltd Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Dickson Jaguar XJS C3DNFDNF
1988 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Holden Special Vehicles Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tom Walkinshaw Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV C5DNFDNF
1989 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Shell Ultra Hi Racing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robb Gravett Ford Sierra RS500 A1588th8th
1990 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Shell Ultra Hi Racing Flag of New Zealand.svg Paul Radisich Ford Sierra RS500 Div.11612nd2nd
1994 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Moffat Enterprises Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrew Miedecke Ford EB Falcon A1578th9th

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
1983 Flag of Japan.svg Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Steve Soper
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg James Weaver
Mazda 717C C Jr26718th2nd

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References

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  3. "Jeff Allam". Motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
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  7. "Allam Returns to BTCC as Driving Standards Advisor – BTCC Crazy". Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.