British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) Season Reviews

The 1987 Dunlop RAC British Touring Car Championship was the 30th season of the championship. The series, previously the British Saloon Car Championship, had a new name and new sponsor. Chris Hodgetts successfully defended his drivers title with his class D Toyota Corolla.

The 1988 Dunlop RAC British Touring Car Championship was the 31st season of the championship. The drivers title was won by Frank Sytner, driving a BMW Team Finance BMW M3. Second place overall was Phil Dowsett who dominated class D. Andy Rouse finished third on points, winning nine races outright of the twelve rounds.

The 1989 Esso RAC British Touring Car Championship was the 32nd season of the championship. This season was the final year of the four separate class format, with the championship changing to just two classes for 1990. There were a total of thirteen rounds with the best eleven scores for each driver counting towards the championship. The title was won by John Cleland with a works Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V.

The first race was won by Andy Rouse in his Ford Sierra RS500. He also won the first 1 Hour endurance race at Donington Park GP with David Sears. The next race at Thruxton was won by Robb Gravett. Gravett also won the next six races including the second 1 Hour endurance race at Brands Hatch with Mike Smith. Rouse won the Birmingham Superprix. This would be best remembered for the last lap accident between Frank Sytner and John Cleland. It would be the last time that the BTCC would race on the track. Gravett then won at Donington. The last two races, at Thruxton and Silverstone, were won by Rouse and Gravett. It was Gravett who won the championship, despite the team's struggle to run through the season on a low budget with no main sponsor.

As Group A gave way to the Super Touring era, the stage was set for one of the most talked about periods of British Touring Car Championships. BMW, Vauxhall, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan were all represented, as well as defending champions Ford. Great names such as Will Hoy, John Clelland, Jonathan Palmer, Mark Hales and Robb Gravett were just a few of the stars to take to the track. The season was dominated by a back-and-forth tussle between BMW’s Will Hoy and Vauxhall’s John Clelland, but with notable appearances on the top step of the podium for Tim Harvey, Steve Soper and Andy Rouse. As you would expect from the BTCC, the result of the season wasn’t decided until the final race. Packed full of classic cars, top drivers and bucketloads of action, this is BTCC as you’d always wish to see it!

Thrilling action and fierce on-track rivalry between BMW, Ford, Alfa Romeo, Vauxhall, Renault and more made the 1994 British Touring Car Championship Britain’s biggest motorsport spectacle. This comprehensive summary of the season includes the very best action from all 21 rounds. Gabriele Tarquini’s domination of the early season races in the flying Alfa gave way to round-after-round of ultra-close battles between the Alfa team, reigning champion Jo Winkelhock (BMW), Paul Radisich (Ford), Alain Menu (Renault) and John Cleland (Vauxhall) - and that’s not forgetting Jan Lammers in the Volvo estate and Patrick Watts in the Peugeot! It was not surprising that the massive crowds enjoyed brilliant racing all the way to the last rounds. The makers of the official review excelled themselves in condensing all the best of the action into this brilliant three-hour review. All the leading cars carry on-board cameras, capturing the true drama of every race.

1st April 1995 saw the launch of another dramatic, all-action BTCC season at the start of a long, hot summer in which the world’s best saloon racers raised the temperature to boiling point. All 13 race weekends (apart from the British Grand Prix) featured two thrilling tin-top rounds and this terrific three hour review includes the very best of BBC TV’s extensive coverage, presented by Steve Rider, with commentary by the one and only Murray Walker. Exciting team changes in 1995 kept interest levels high with British Le Mans hero Derek Warwick diving into the Alfa seat previously held by reigning champ Gabriele Tarquini, Nissan pulled out and Honda stepped in, and Johnny Cecotto took over the reins for BMW. It was the sensational Vauxhall Cavaliers driven by determined Scot John Cleland and fiery young Yorkshireman James Thompson that dominated the leaderboard, consistently pulling the rug from under chief rivals Rydell (Volvo), Menu (Renault), Radisich (Ford).

Even before the green light went up on a packed 1996 schedule, the pundits were predicting this season could be the best ever for the world’s most prestigious Super Touring series - the British Touring Car Championship. And how right they were! Throughout the year, fans were able to witness every driver to have ever won the FIA Touring Car World Cup or the World Championship lined up on the grid in cars representing no less than 10 manufacturers. Cutting edge cars from Audi, Volvo, Renault, Honda, BMW and Vauxhall were piloted by drivers noted for spectacular displays of tin-top driving - Biela, Rydell, Menu, Leslie, Ravaglia and more - competing for one of the world’s most sought after motorsport titles. Add to this the most diverse range of machinery seen to date, featuring engines with four, five and six cylinders and transmissions providing front, rear and four-wheel drive and you have the ingredients for a cocktail of pure, explosive, motorsport!

Anticipation and excitement filled the air as the world’s premier tin-top race series revved into action for another season. Few were willing to predict the winner of the 1997 British Touring Car Championship. With entries from eight different manufacturers including Renault, Volvo, Honda, and Audi, steered by top drivers such as Rydell, Menu, Biela, Tarquini, Radisich, Harvey, Leslie and Warwick, there was only ever one certainty - everyone was going to fight until the final chequered flag, including the independent drivers who staged a thrilling year-long battle for their championship. With top speeds of up to 160mph, these war-painted roadsters were race-tuned and ready to roar into action - bumper to bumper!

The 1998 BTCC season saw one of the most potentially explosive competitions ever, with eight manufacturers, five former champions and three ex-F1 drivers lined up to battle for the title. After five rounds there were five different winners in five different cars. In all, nine drivers won races, representing six different manufacturers. Like all the best championships, this one went ‘down-to-the-wire’. As Rydell and Reid lined up on the grid for the final round at Silverstone, the record crowd were anticipating a dramatic and thrilling season finale. They weren't disappointed, and nor will you be as you watch the drama unfold in this official three hour season review.

1999 in the British Touring Car Championship saw the multi-million pound factory teams of Ford, Honda, Nissan, Renault, Vauxhall and Volvo battle it out over the 13 rounds at eight different tracks. However, it was a drive by privateer Matt Neal in a 1998 Nissan Primera that grabbed the headlines early on the season and highlighted why BTCC is so special. Matt picked up a cheque for £250,000 from series organiser Alan Gow for being the first privateer to take the chequered flag against the might of the big factories! Once the leading teams got over the shock it was Nissan (Laurent Aiello and David Leslie), Volvo (Rickard Rydell) and Honda (James Thompson) who would carry the fight through the season. Night racing added extra spice to the show during the summer - and proved popular with drivers and fans alike.

The full, official review of the 2000 Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship in super-sharp digital quality plus everything you need to know about this extraordinary season. Not only will the 2000 season be remembered for the last appearance of the Super Touring cars but also as a storming year for Team Ford Mondeo, culminating in a Championship-winning drive by Alain Menu. Here the ferocious track action at every round is recalled in fantastic film footage, captured from every conceivable angle including thrilling close-ups in and on the cars. BBC commentators Charlie Cox and John Watson deliver the detailed off-track analysis and many fascinating insights into the teams, drivers and pit crews.