Your favourite year/race

[KPC]

Being fairly new to this forum I spose this subject has been done to death before, but as I notice there are quite a few rookie/racers, and as time is always moving on, thought I'd throw it in as the pre-season news is a bit quiet just now. After some heavy debate I could do with a bit of lighthearted posting also......



As we've all been stuck indoors over winter I decided to have a look at the reviews from 88 to last year. I would have to say that 99 really does it for me, with Neal's Donnington victory being a favourite race and the Silverstone decider where you'd have been hard pressed to get a fag paper between Hoy, Neal and Muller, etc. Third would have to be the Mansell race at Donnington, but for sheer thrills, not coz Nige was in it for any particular reason.

On the day I would have to say, although I was the coldest I think I've ever been in 36 years, the 2001 Brands final rounds will take some beating....

[touringcarnut]

I would have to say the Silverstone 1992 finale! that was such a great race. I loved Donnington '98, that was when i was a bit off the touring car series, but that certainly got me interested again! there's been some very good racesd in 2001 and 2002, but i would still have to say that silverstone 1992 is the race i remember to be a classic!

[KPC]

That was infamous coming together with Soper and Cleleand wasn't it? Soper admitted to that one in 2001...

[touringcarnut]

yep, that's the one. there was loads of good races in 1992 now i think about it! the early 90s were the best years for touring cars.

[KPC]

The Birmingham race was always a good one.

[KA]

Originally posted by touringcarnut
yep, that's the one. there was loads of good races in 1992 now i think about it! the early 90s were the best years for touring cars.

92 was a classic year- drama from start to finish- the new BMW being uncompetitive at the start of the year, several classic Steve Soper drives from the back of the field after incidents/problems, the Toyota teammates taking each other out at Brands, Cleland racing at Donington with broken ribs after a testing shunt, and then that final race- 3 drivers in contention for the championship, all the championship contenders starting down the grid ending up with the Soper/Cleland incident...

[KPC]

I always remember the obligatory marshall trip/slip when faced with an emergency when the Toyota's went off at Brands.

[KPC]

Most people say 2000 was a dull year due to the lack of entries, etc. But watching the review I became hooked.. no fast forwarding or anything. And again, a down to the wire decider. It was a shame Anthony Reid didn't get it. I'm all for everyone having a share and Menu and Rydell had been there. Reid was deserving in those days.... these days I think he's a a bit of a bully. Hero to zero in my books.

[racer69]

Race 1 from Snetterton in 1996 was a cracker.

Andy Rouse and Steve Soper's battle on the Brands Hatch GP circuit in 1988 was a beauty.

Not strictly BTCC but in the Tourist Trophey at Silverstone in 1988 where Dick Johnson and John Bowe dominated until retiring, and Steve Soper's drive in the wet in the same event in 1983.

[KA]

Originally posted by racer69
Andy Rouse and Steve Soper's battle on the Brands Hatch GP circuit in 1988 was a beauty.

Not strictly BTCC but in the Tourist Trophey at Silverstone in 1988 where Dick Johnson and John Bowe dominated until retiring

I remmber Johnson & Bowe at the TT well- we expected Rouse to be on a par with the Eggenberger cars for speed based on his encounters with Soper during the BTCC that year, but Johnson's pace was a real bolt from the blue- that car was FAST......- if they hadn't hit trouble (seem to remember they actually finished, but something like 20th) I don't think anyone would have caught them all day.....

[touringlegend]

Can't say I've remembered any cracker of races since beginning watching the BTCC in 1999. But from the reviews I'd say Snetterton 1996 was entertaining. A lot of the races around the mid-nineties were good too, but there's so many I can't pick the best ones out.

[Jonny Apex]

That TT race was fantastic. I've still got the Grandstand half-hour highlights. Brilliant to watch. What a grid!

I always thought 96 Snetterton was something else. Baking hot weather, incredibly close dicing among so many world-class drivers in some amazing cars, so many different leaders. The ultimate?

92 Silverstone is also a race I'll never forget. What a finish to arguably the closest season of all time. Pretty much anything from 1991-94 produced very good racing.

Last year's final two rounds at Donington were also something pretty special, particularly the first four laps of the final round. Some seriously hard racing while it lasted and, hopefully, a sign of what we are in store for this season ...

[daz90]

my favourite year would be 95, and 92 and 94 not far behind, but 95 cause cleland won the title, it was such a close season. favourite race would be the 92 finale tied with the 98 donnington race with mansell and cleland

[rdjones]

1998, Donnington Race 2 - Mansell v Cleland the best race ever?

[speedy king]

I really enjoyed watching the 1994 season

[Jimeth]

for me i'll never ever forget Croft 97, my first ever meeting i went to, and both Honda's crashing at the same point, everyone wondering what happened up at tower. Classic.

[Radisichrox]

Originally posted by KA
92 was a classic year- drama from start to finish- the new BMW being uncompetitive at the start of the year, several classic Steve Soper drives from the back of the field after incidents/problems, the Toyota teammates taking each other out at Brands, Cleland racing at Donington with broken ribs after a testing shunt, and then that final race- 3 drivers in contention for the championship, all the championship contenders starting down the grid ending up with the Soper/Cleland incident...

Absolutely-Couldn't have said it better!

Snetterton 1996 was a fantastic race, Brands Hatch 1993 (where Radisich won) was great, The Mansell races in 1998 were fun too, 2000 as a whole was quite a good year in terms of competition, and 2001's action was very exciting.

[dretceterini]

via books: 1947 Mille Miglia

in person: 1969 LeMans

[racer69]

Originally posted by KA
I remmber Johnson & Bowe at the TT well- we expected Rouse to be on a par with the Eggenberger cars for speed based on his encounters with Soper during the BTCC that year, but Johnson's pace was a real bolt from the blue- that car was FAST......- if they hadn't hit trouble (seem to remember they actually finished, but something like 20th) I don't think anyone would have caught them all day.....

Reudi Eggenberger was really put in his place that day wasn't he. I don't think he ever got over being hosed by Johnson and Rouse that day. He kept on coming to Bathurst with Sierra's (Through Allan Moffat) until 1992, the last year of Group A in Australia (even though in 1991 and 1992 he was running Opel's), trying to beat Johnson on his home ground. Despite a pole in 1990 through Neidzweidz, he never succeeded in that victory.

I've only seen bits of the race on the '88 ETC review, but that was the round of the season (both race and entry quality wise).

The last race of 1999 in the rain, the battle between Muller, Radermecker, Neal and Hoy was great.

[alesi95]

I have to say anything between 92-95 is v good

[Smokey 6 litre]

iu cant remember waht year it was but one of the first night races at Snetterton was a great experience.

[Spaced Invader]

you went with me in 2000.

the first night race at Snetterton in the 90's was the best though. i can remember standing at the bomb hole and seeing Muller get it sooooo side was in the Vauxhall and then somehow correcting it. great stuff.

[AndyF]

I would have to say either 1994 or 1995. Full grids with some great racing

[gfm]

Best saloon race I've ever attended was at the Nurburgring when Tom Walkinshaw's Jags trounced the BMWs on home soil. His two up victory at Spa 24 Hours with Duedonne (sorry) in the Mazda again over BMWs was a wet 24 Hour sprint. Brilliant.

[touringcarnut]

oh the memories! The golden age of touringcars was the early to mid nineties. I remember the battles between soper and cleland, the battles between so many of the great drivers of the time. It just makes me sad that two of my fav drivers are no longer with us. poor Will Hoy and Keith O'Dor