I know that we live in a time where it seems like we get to see every bit of racing that we want to, but the truth is that a ton of it is behind a pay wall now that means seeing all of it is expensive, if not hard. But in the 1990s and early 2000s there were cable tv channels that had shows and racing coverage about every kind of racing you could imagine. One of the hottest series in the world, and one that intrigued those of us in North America to no end, was the British Touring Car Championships. The cars, mundane 4 door sedans that were relatable to most Europeans, were turned into incredibly capable race cars that could often be seen with at least one wheel in the air going around corners. But that wasn’t what made it exciting.
What made BTCC exciting was the door handle to door handle racing that very, very often including trading paint and off-track excursions. It was a riot to watch because you took 4-door sedans and raced them in a way that was arguably more aggressive than any other wheel to wheel racing in existence at the time. And I might argue that this was some of the most aggressive racing in motorsports history.
It was awesome, fun, and I couldn’t stop watching. And either could anyone else.
Video Description:
If you were a motorsport fan in the ’90s, you’ll probably agree with us that the Super Touring era is THE era for the best racing action. A series that was so relatable to the average motorsport fan. The salesman rep car parked on their drive was the bedroom poster car on the weekend. People were making genuine car purchasing decision based on seeing that Vauxhall Vectra or Nissan Primera shunt its way to a paint-swapping victory. Those unfamiliar with Super Touring might just see a casual Ford Mondeo and wonder what all the fuss was about. What they didn’t know was that Mondeo was closer to an F1 car than it was to the car that cut them off on the M25.
To properly reminisce about this era, we invited four Super Touring legends to Goodwood. Jason Plato, Steve Soper, Anthony Reid and Patrick Watts sat down for a trip down memory lane as they reveal all the untold stories of the era. If you’re a motorsport fan of any kind, sit back, relax and enjoy.
If you want to see the Super Touring cars in action, there are limited Sunday tickets available at the 83rd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport available.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the Shoot-Out finale of a lifetime.
