Are you heading to Super Touring Power this weekend at Brands Hatch? If so, here are a few things to look out for over the course of the weekend!
Lesser Spotted Super Tourers Making an Appearance
There is a vast array of Super Touring machinery making an appearance at Brands Hatch this weekend & whilst there are a number of models that are still seen regularly enough on circuits today, there are a number of cars that have not been seen in public for quite some time, such as Alain Menu’s 1993 Renault 19 and the iconic Volvo 850 Estate that debuted in the BTCC in 1994.
Alain Menu
Talking of Alain Menu, the Swiss legend will be in attendance at the circuit for both days. Whilst he won’t be driving, he will be meeting fans, signing autographs and reminiscing about the glory days of the BTCC. The double champion has also agreed to sit down with the 1990sBTCC.com team for an exclusive chat about his time in the series, so keep your eyes peeled for that one!
TOCA Touring Car Championship
Did you ever play TOCA Touring Car Championship or TOCA 2 on Playstation or PC? The critically acclaimed game by Codemasters was a real hit in 1997 & 1998 & introduced a LOT of fans to the world of touring cars.
Brands Hatch have set up a simulator area for the weekend, where you can play both games and really immerse yourself in the nostalgia of the late 90s!
Action on Indy and GP Layouts
This unique weekend has another unique twist, as both circuit layouts will be used over the 2 days. The action on the Saturday will use the GP layout, whilst on the Sunday the races will be held on the Indy circuit, which allows spectators the unique opportunity of being able to see almost the whole circuit during races!
The Return of Paul Radisich
The double World Champion returns to Brands Hatch near enough thirty years after taking Ford’s first BTCC win with the Mondeo at the very same circuit. He will be racing the same chassis that he took to World Championship glory at Donington Park in 1994.
Andy Rouse
The BTCC legend will be in attendance at Brands Hatch on the Saturday of the weekend, giving fans a chance to meet the driving and engineering star whilst telling tales of his days behind the wheel in the BTCC. There will also be a number of Andy Rouse prepared cars at the event, so Rouse fans are well covered this weekend!
The Return of the “Voice of the BTCC”
Charlie Cox became the voice of the BTCC in 1996, when he joined Murray Walker in the commentary box for occasional races. The gig became permanent in 1997 and when Walker left the BTCC commentary booth at the end of the 1997 season, Cox became the lead commentator of the TV coverage and was joined by former Grand Prix winner, John Watson.
The pair were a match made in heaven – Watson became known for his strong views on driving standards, with Cox becoming well known for his hilarious one-liners.
Cox will be attending Super Touring Power on Sunday & is sure to be a hit with the fans, telling tales from in car and in the commentary booth with his unique brand of wit.
Anthony Reid Back on Track
Anthony Reid will take to the track in two of his former Super Tourers over the course of the weekend. He will be racing his 1998 Nissan Primera in the four Super Touring races over the course of the weekend, but alongside that, he will be running some demonstration laps in the Mondeo he raced for Ford in that iconic Rapid Fit livery.
A “Magic” Mazda
One of the more mysterious cars of the Super Touring era of the BTCC was the Team Magic entry in 1995. The Roger Dowson built car was due to be raced by Slim Borgudd, however, sponsors pulled out of the deal, which subsequently left the team with no budget and therefore couldn’t race the car.
This led the team to look for a different driver to bring the funds to run the car, or to sell the car totally. Sadly, neither happened and the car was parked up and never raced in the BTCC. Before his death, Roger Dowson claimed to be convinced that would have been a race winner and argued that it was the finest car developed by the company, despite never racing in period.
The car is due to be raced by Allan Scott on the weekend & it will be the first time many have ever set eyes on the car in person.
Stories From SuperTouring
The Stories From SuperTouring team will be at Brands Hatch, interviewing drivers, fans and many other personalities in and around the paddock. We will be recording a special show from the weekend, so if you want to be a part of it all – come and find us and you could feature on Stories From SuperTouring!
Are you heading to Super Touring Power? Send your photos and comments to editor@1990sBTCC.com and you could get featured in our report after the event!