1985

Silverstone

Four out of six for the Ford Sierra and Andy Rouse. It shouldn’t have been that way. Dave Brodie had put his Mitsubishi Colt on pole by 2.5 seconds, but the car only lasted a lap and a half before a turbo failure. Once he was out the way Rouse just put his foot down for the 20 lapper. To take the win at a pace of almost 2.3 seconds a tour quicker than second placed Frank Sytner, who was finally getting some rewards from his ex-ETCC BMW. After a battering shunt at Thruxton, former Motorcycle world champ Barry Sheene was back in an older version of the Toyota Supra. His ‘new’ car had been written off, and the new one was still undergoing its build, but he added to his score to take a second podium of the year, six seconds ahead of Neil McGrath, who missed the podium for the first time in 1985.

1995

Brands Hatch

The Brands Hatch GP circuit was much like the Indy layout earlier in the year. It was wet. Again. Alain Menu had plonked his Renault Laguna on pole and held it at the get-go. Behind him the two Vauxhall Cavaliers of James Thompson and John Cleland did not have the getaway driver setting that they seemed to have in similar conditions at the track in the first visit of the season, this time Cleland saw two cars ahead make a run, then rub, with Thompson gaining a puncture. A smash and grab behind them saw a couple of cars fall to the back of the grid but up front Menu was away. Cleland slipped back a little and was chased by the Volvo of Tim Harvey, who edged past the Vauxhall at Druids, then the fashionable red flags came out thanks to Tim Sugden rolling his Toyota at Clearways. A five-lap aggregate run followed. Menu controlled that, Cleland came second and Harvey, despite being overtaken by Will Hoy in the second Laguna, was in the final podium place once the sums had been done. It was reds again at the start of race two. The re-gridded field tried again, and more reds came out. Third time lucky – after a talking to for the whole field on the start/finish line by the clerk of the course, and the rain was properly dropping buckets over the track now. This time the Vauxhall duo made mincemeat of Menu with Cleland getting into the lead from the off. The pair made off in unison to collect a one-two. Menu collected third for Renault with teammate Hoy coming behind. Tim Harvey finished fifth after challenging Hoy in the latter stages. The result gave Cleland a two-point lead over Menu in the standings.

Donington Park

The cornerstone of a famed championship title. John Cleland was simply on a superior level in the works Cavalier taking pole twice and running into the distance to win both races, while main title rivals Menu and Rydell were a bit hit and miss. In the opening laps Cleland was chased by fellow Scot David Leslie in the Honda Accord. Leslie made a move for the lead at the first hairpin, but Cleland had the line for the Goddards left hander, while Leslie ran wide with a little help from his countryman letting Rydell and Menu through. A protest on the move failed. James Thompson, after some brake problems brought the second Cavalier home fourth (after starting second, dropping down the order and climbing back up.) Paul Radisich and Julian Bailey followed the young Yorkshire lad home. Cleland led the Ford of second row starter Radisich off the line for race two with the other Mondeo of Burt dropping down to third, which is how the top three would finish, with Menu, Thompson and Rydell rounding out the top six. The perfect weekend for Cleland of doubling up in wins, poles and fastest laps was more than a statement of intent – it was a ‘come catch me’ moment that extended his championship lead to 28 points over Menu.

2005

Brands Hatch

Matt Neal laid down his claim to a first BTCC title at Brands Hatch. On the Indy layout he put his car into an immediate lead as Dan Eaves battled his Honda with the Astra of Yvan Muller, with the Vauxhall driver diving into second. The top three would remain the same for ten laps before Eaves would end up in the Paddock Hill gravel. Colin Turkington passed his teammate Muller with a few laps left for second, which is how the top three crossed the line. Second time out Neal would take a second victory. The lead from the start had the Dynamics machine being chased by Muller, Turkington and Seat racer Jason Plato. The Leon was naturally heavy, being an S2000 car, But Plato pulled a solid move on Turkington, who was tipped by the MG of Rob Collard into the tyre barrier. After a safety car Neal got the jump on Muller at the restart, Plato started tapping the Vauxhall, but Collard muscled his way into third, then second while whacking Muller a number of times. The battle continued around the lap, letting Plato take advantage into third behind the MG, with Eaves also nicking a spot and dropping the Frenchman to fifth with two laps left. Collard lost it at Clearways with a lap and a bit to go, allowing Plato and Eaves to fill the podium with Muller in fourth. Collard tried the outside of the Seat of James Pickford for the lead into Paddock Hill at the start of race three, but was sent into the gravel and retirement for his efforts. On the restart Astra trio Muller, Gavin Smith and Colin Turkington began the hunt. Muller grabbed the lead with a classic Clearways move on lap eight, which would become a second victory of the season. Smith took second a half lap later at Druids, but on exit the Seat Leon sent the Astra into a spin and into retirement. A further lap later Eaves put one in the door of Pickford at Clearways to grab second, with Jason Plato following through.

Oulton Park

Pole position for Jason Plato would develop into a first win of the season for the works Seat squad. The S2000 class saloon had been hampered weight wise compared to the new Astra and Honda Integra, and across the season there would be weight breaks, but the car and driver just seemed to suit Oulton Park in the early running. Dan Eaves got the better of his teammate Matt Neal at the start and the two Honda drivers would have the VX Astra of Yvan Muller chasing them down. They dropped the Astra and the Honda duo went to work with Neal grabbing second at turn one at half distance. Neal then closed the gap to Plato and was all over the leader in the closing laps, but had to settle for second. Plato, Neal, Muller and Eaves was the order coming out of turn one on the opening lap of race two. A gargantuan battle for the lead, from the entry to Lodge around to Cascades – all side-by-side – allowed Neal into the lead, but Plato was punted off by Muller, leaving Neal, Muller and Eaves to claim the podium with Plato in tenth. The third race was wet with Plato on pole. The Seat made a decent getaway, but sixth placed Tom Chilton shot through to second. Any chance of a win was thrown away by Plato when he ran wide at the hairpin, where Rob Collard made a move on Chilton to take the lead. The shift back came when Collard locked up at the hairpin and the leaders ran side-by-side over the hill, with Collard locking up at the chicane, allowing Chilton to take the lead. Collard the lost second to Neal and another slot to Eaves, before Eaves himself locked up, allowing a recovering Plato into third, to join Neal and Chilton on the rostrum.

2015

Oulton Park

Jason Plato made Oulton Park his own. The VW CC driver, coming off his 90th race victory at Thruxton plonked his car on pole, and duly won race one, then two, before adding a fifth in race three to jump to the top of the table, by three points over Honda racer Gordon Shedden. Matt Neal chased Plato in race one with Andy Priaulx finishing third after a red flag ended the race early with current TCR UK promoter Stewart Lines hitting the pitlane entry after a bit of biffing sent him flying. In the second encounter, even with a big chunk of ballast onboard, Plato moved into the lead quite easily, but once he caught backmarkers Shedden latched onto his rear, and the duo crossed the line 0.09 seconds apart. Andrew Jordan finished third. In the final race of the day Adam Morgan didn’t repeat his prior round race three victory. Creeping on the line gave him a jump start penalty, giving the lead to Matt Neal, who lost out to Sam Tordoff and Jordan after some cautious driving thanks to picking up some fluid on his tyres. Ricky Collard and Lando Norris were among the MSA Formula winners, Ash Hand picked up another Clio pot for top spot and Dan Cammish took an opening Porsche victory in the Carrera Cup GB.

Croft

The BTCC tender process was in full swing, and two main contenders were throwing their weight at the opportunity to promote the series with a five-year contract. As expected TOCA, with Alan Gow at the helm, were adamant that their stewardship and growth of the category over the previous two decades was the perfect pitch for continuity. MSV were the second bidders, with leader Jonathan Palmer praising TOCA for their stable approach, but with a claim that the circuit owners could do a much better job, and would grow the sport further, in a more spectacular style. On track it was a visit to the North East, where new faces were popping up in the BTCC. Max Coates made his debut (and to date only appearance) along with Nic Hamilton, but like everyone else, they’d suffer as the BMW contingent made sure the myth about their RWD superiority would remain intact at the venue by not only winning all three races, but also by taking the whole podium for race one. Andy Priaulx took the opening win after Sam Tordoff ran wide at the chicane and gifted him the position. Rob Collard followed the pair to the rostrum. Tordoff took race two, but his pursuant was one wise Jason Plato. For race one Plato – 12th on the grid – headed to the pits at the start, came out after a lap on soft tyres with the aim of getting a fast lap with no ballast for race two – it placed him third on the grid, but he couldn’t quite edge Tordoff from the lead. His more conventional VW CC teammate Colin Turkington followed the pair home. Collard ensured an equal share of winners trophies for the BMW drivers with a race three win. Priaulx and Shedden followed them home as Shedden re-took the championship lead over Plato by 195 points to 185 at the halfway point of the season. Future WSR BTCC race winner Tom Oliphant took two wins in the Ginetta GT4 series with Dan Cammish grabbing two in the Porsche championship. Ash Sutton and Ash hand grabbed a Clio win apiece.