The British Touring Car Championship: We Were There

Jon Summers and co-host Mark Gammie discuss the British Touring Car Championship with a focus on its 1990s peak, while placing it in historical context from early British saloon car racing through eras featuring cars like the Ford Galaxie, Lotus Cortina, Vauxhall “Big Bertha/Baby Bertha,” Capris and Rover SD1s. They recall late-1980s/early-1990s battles between Sierra Cosworths and BMW E30 M3s, the excitement of Murray Walker’s commentary, and BTCC’s NASCAR-like contact on narrow UK club circuits such as Brands Hatch, Donington, Thruxton, Cadwell Park, Knockhill, and Snetterton. They cover the two-liter, 8,000-rpm formula, heavy manufacturer involvement, memorable moments involving Tarquini, Mansell, and Plato, the influence of the TOCA Touring Car video game, and how rising costs and aero/regulation changes reduced factory participation and spectator interest after 2000. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== 00:00 BTCC Origins and NASCAR Parallel 02:54 Jack Sears and the Ford Galaxie 05:56 Jerry Marshall and Vauxhall Berthas 09:38 Capris vs Rover SD1 + TV Era 13:22 First BTCC Memories Sierras and M3s 14:35 Murray Walker  16:27 Club Circuits Brands to Cadwell, Thruxton, and Goodwood 24:11 Nineties Contact and Iconic Crashes 26:12 F1 Cameos Chaos 27:02 TOCA Game Memories 27:33 BTCC Rules and Money: Why It Beat F1 33:47 Favorite Tracks And Cars 35:15 Renault Laguna Road Car Tales 41:20 Drivers And Skill Gap 43:53 Reg Creep And Decline 46:19 Everyman Cars, Taxi Driver, Wrap Up And Credits! ==================== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: Visit Our Website Become a VIP at: Patreon Online Magazine: Gran Touring Follow us on Social: Instagram Jon Summers is the Motoring Historian. He was a company car thrashing technology sales rep that turned into a fairly inept sports bike rider. On his show he gets together with various co-hosts to talk about new and old cars, driving, motorbikes, motor racing, motoring travel. Copyright Jon Summers, The Motoring Historian. This content is also available via jonsummers.net. This episode is part of the Motoring Podcast Network and has been republished with permission.