Brilliant Racing Videos

Pete05
As Anthony says, nine different manufacturers at the peak of the category, and most of them had a realistic shot a winning every time they rolled the cars out of the transporters.
If that isn't the peak of touring car racing in the world, then I don't know what is.
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"Most" of them having a shot at winning is maybe a little generous, but I am in absolute agreement that this was the peak era of BTCC. Arguably (like many other peak motorsport moments) not financially sustainable, but just an incredible era.

Wish I'd been a little bit older at the time to truly appreciate this (and several other 90's motorsport disciplines).

The Super Touring interview video that Goodwood R&R have up with Jason Plato, Steve Soper, Anthony Reid and Patrick Watts is a good watch as well.
 
tbtstt
"Most" of them having a shot at winning is maybe a little generous, but I am in absolute agreement that this was the peak era of BTCC. Arguably (like many other peak motorsport moments) not financially sustainable, but just an incredible era.

Wish I'd been a little bit older at the time to truly appreciate this (and several other 90's motorsport disciplines).

The Super Touring interview video that Goodwood R&R have up with Jason Plato, Steve Soper, Anthony Reid and Patrick Watts is a good watch as well.
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Feel free to review how many of the manufacturers, that took part in the Super Touring era of the BTCC, didn't win a race.
I think you'll find that most of them did. Maybe not in every season, but what badge did?

The interviews with the former drivers were very interesting and thoroughly entertaining.
Their insights into the engineering developments of the cars, and the volumes of money being spent are a real eye-opener.
 
Pete05
Feel free to review how many of the manufacturers, that took part in the Super Touring era of the BTCC, didn't win a race.
I think you'll find that most of them did. Maybe not in every season, but what badge did?
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How I remember it is possibly (unfairly) swaying my opinion; I don't remember any season (and I admit I was fairly young when watching), where every team/manufacturer involved looked like potential champions. The further we got into the Super Touring era, the more I remember every year having two or three who were always favourite over the rest.

That isn't to say that others didn't take the odd - as you have said - win or two, but even in the earlier years I don't remember a single year when you had every manufacturer involved with a car/driver package capable of being champion...

...all of that said though, I should reiterate that I love it!
Pete05
Their insights into the engineering developments of the cars, and the volumes of money being spent are a real eye-opener.
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Yeah, as I said in my previous post, the spending had got to a level that wasn't sustainable and, as one of the drivers says in that interview (can't remember who!), manufacturers were spending all that money to not win.
 
05XR8
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If Patrick Watts is to be truly believed with his comments about the Peugeot factory racing budget, he and some of the other drivers on the roster raced well above their position over the years.
 
I had always heard that either the aero package was different between the UK and continental Peugeots or that it was the same but strictly favoured the continental teams under Peugeot's direct control. Same for the Vectras as well, hence Vauxhall's immediate dip in form in 1996 and especially awful 1997.

It's nice to hear something more concrete from one of the Peugeot drivers involved.
 
Touring cars from that era looked so cool. There's something about your everyday family sedan slammed on the floor with huge wheels peeling out from underneath the wheel arches, and dinnerplates for rear wheels that hits all the buttons for me.
 
Liquid
I had always heard that either the aero package was different between the UK and continental Peugeots or that it was the same but strictly favoured the continental teams under Peugeot's direct control. Same for the Vectras as well, hence Vauxhall's immediate dip in form in 1996 and especially awful 1997.

It's nice to hear something more concrete from one of the Peugeot drivers involved.
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The Vectra was an all new body for the GM teams to work with from 1996, so that goes someway to explaining such a sharp drop in form after five years of tuning the previous shape to the best they could.

Also, you are correct about the Peugeots.
The difference between a car built in France and the U.K was one of the biggest, only beaten by the Ford Mondeos built by Rouse versus the German cars

I do recall the opposing arguments between the U.K and continental Europe when it came to the aero kits.
The British teams wanted downforce for their mostly tighter tracks, while those over the channel wanted slippery shapes with low drag for the faster layouts they raced on.
I think there may have been a bit of mix and match with what individual parts had been homologated - think '96 rear wing with '97 front air dam - but I don't recall which teams and where it was tried.
The effect of aero on the racing, and arguments above, are the things I remember hating the most about allowing wings.
 
Loved the cars without aero. Just big wheels, negative camber and slammed to the ground. I'd say 92-94/95 BTCC and JTC were best years in terms of suped up street car look for the track.
 
Pete05
The Vectra was an all new body for the GM teams to work with from 1996, so that goes someway to explaining such a sharp drop in form after five years of tuning the previous shape to the best they could.
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I did some digging after watching the Watts and Reid videos and it turns out that Vauxhall even used their 1996 car for most of 1997, the struggle was that great; only after more than half of the season at Knockhill did they actually use a new car that year.

Their 1998 car had a much revised aero package, whether on par with the STW or not, and it did allow Cleland to have an Indian summer with his final competitive season and two wins.

Aero did go some way to killing the supertouring that we loved, as much as we can wax lyrical about it. Watch the pre-1995 BTCC and the cars slip and slide with much greater freedom.
 
05XR8
Loved the cars without aero. Just big wheels, negative camber and slammed to the ground. I'd say 92-94/95 BTCC and JTC were best years in terms of suped up street car look for the track.
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The liveries were so much better than 90% of the generic decal stuff we see on todays grid. They are so boring.
 
Gingerale
The liveries were so much better than 90% of the generic decal stuff we see on todays grid. They are so boring.
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For the times, big money being spent to sell cars. Had to make the manufacturer look good. ;)

The times were fresh too, back then. JTC HKS Primera, BTCC Securicor Carina, FINA E36, JTC JACCS EG9 & EG6. Bright colours. Even the wheels were bright instead of everything black today. Maybe about a handful of teams have colored wheels in any factory GT and touring series.
 
05XR8
:)


Love Ruapuna. Makes me want to boot up PC2.
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Sure that is the same car that I saw at Brands Hatch last year. As has been said there were so many cool cars/liveries in that era that I completely forgot about that Accord until I saw it roll out onto the track!
 
05XR8
:)


Love Ruapuna. Makes me want to boot up PC2.
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I watched this yesterday and had to have a laugh.
I think the guy in the B&H Sierra would be prone to nightmares about Honda's.
I pictured him just being beaten to the queue at the checkout by some guy wearing a Honda polo shirt and losing it 😂
 
05XR8
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Hot for all the right reasons.
So good to see it back and so happy it wasn't lost forever.
Looking at the fire footage, I suspect the fuel pump and/or the kill switch wasn't switched off?
Easiest way to lose a racecar with a fuel fire.
 
05XR8
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The Group C period of Sportscar racing was the best period that I got to see and follow as a then current class.
And that Mazda 787B was the wildest of the lot thanks to its quad-rotor motor.
Of the Japanese entrants at Le Mans in 1991, Mazda were the last expected to get up for the win over everyone else. It was a major shock.
With everything of the 26B being unique, I would hope the Mazda Motorsport team have taken the most accurate measurements of every individual part, so that they can replicate and reproduce when the need arises one day.
These unique and crazy cars should never fall silent and be enjoyed well into the future.
 
Only time I got to see that era live was if I was lucky enough to be in a place that had satellite. I did buy and build me some Group C Tamiya models back then.

It has begun.
 
05XR8
Only time I got to see that era live was if I was lucky enough to be in a place that had satellite. I did buy and build me some Group C Tamiya models back then.

It has begun.
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We had the two races at Sandown in '84 & '88, the later being televised.
Any other Group C race i got to see was either Le Mans, or a season highlights VHS as it was back then.
Most memorable of all was my mind-bending favourite, In Car 956.
Of course, it all went to pot at the whim of one Bernard Ecclestone and the stroke of a pen when they outlawed the turbo.
Sure, it gave us marvels like the Jaguar XJR-14, Peugeot 905 & Toyota TS010, but they were gone just as quickly as they arrived. The 905 hanging around long enough to snag a Le Mans in '93.

Like you @05XR8 I built the 1/24 model kits too some 35+ years ago.
They all went to the bin eventually as parts got damaged, broke off or they just deteriorated with age & neglect.
Thing is, I have more now in my stash than I ever had back in the day.
I just have to get around to building them one day.
 
Pete05
The Group C period of Sportscar racing was the best period that I got to see and follow as a then current class.
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I try not to look at these things with rose-tinted spectacles too much but, as much as I have enjoyed (and still do enjoy) every era of top level GT/endurance racing, Group C is further proof that things peaked in the 90's*.

I just wish I had been a little older at the time to truly appreciate it!


* see also Touring Cars and rallying.
 

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