The Great Races.
Episode 1: BTCC Silverstone 1992, Finale.
I am going to start a separate feature within my blog here of great races that I have seen, these will be sorted into three different categories, live trackside, live / as live / highlights TV broadcast and discovered / viewed long after the event via DVD or YouTube for example.
We Start with one of the reasons the BTCC is as popular as it is today. The 1992 title showdown at Silverstone.
This race falls into the second category as I watched the race on Grandstand (remember that!) on BBC TV and probably as a recorded highlights programme.
The race itself is now a part of BTCC folklore and possibly the reason why many fans watch the series now.
3 drivers went to Silverstone that year looking to take the championship, defending champion, the late Will Hoy, John Cleland and Tim Harvey. However these guys would line up in the middle of the pack, Cleland 7th, Hoy 9th and Harvey 12th on the grid, whoever was going to win was going to have to work for it!
The pack got away cleanly with the championship protagonists almost ending up behind one another at the back end of the top 10, Harvey's BMW team mate Steve Soper was the man to watch at the moment however, starting 4th and halfway around lap 1, Soper challenged David Leslie for third going into Vale, got spun and the collected sending the jade green machine to the back of the pack, Soper would spend the next few laps climbing back up through the order.
Ahead of the incident Andy Rouse, Hoy's Toyota team mate was leading ahead of Clelands Vauxhall team mate Jeff Allam and the Ecurie Ecosse Vauxhall of David Leslie completed the top 3 with the championship challengers of Hoy and Cleland next, and Julian Bailey and Keith O'Dor between them and Harvey, O'Dor would quickly dispatch of Bailey and, a few corners later Harvey would try the same, light contact between the two at the Maggots, Becketts complex would see the ex F1 driver spin to retirement, Harvey is on the charge.
After O'dor had been dealt with Harvey and Cleland had quite a battle in 5th and 6th places as they reigned in Hoy, but behind them Soper was carving his way through the field, Hoy and Cleland had their team mates in front of them, Harvey's was coming to help. Harvey would eventually pass Cleland with a great move at Copse corner and begin to pull away from the Vauxhall as he chased down Hoy's Toyota and the prize that would go with it.
Just ahead of all this though Allam was fighting for the lead with Rouse as Leslie took full avantage of Allam's attack on the Toyota to move into second place himself. Steve Soper while this had been going on was now in 7th place and just behind John Cleland's Vauxhall...
Up front Leslie tags Rouse and takes the lead for a little under a lap as Rouse recovers, regains composure and repasses the Vauxhall on the run into Stowe on the next tour, this little incident at the front has bought Hoy to the back of the leading trio and the Harvey/Cleland/Soper train not far off of them...
Harvey has a look at Copse at passing Hoy's Toyota, the latter is pushed wide but the move also see's Harvey drop behind Cleland and team mate Soper's battered BMW.
Soper dives down the inside of Cleland at Vale and tries to help Harvey do the same but Cleland holds on, for now ahead of his title challenger, gesticulating to Soper ahead with his finger that he may well be aiming for 1st place! Harvey however makes a great move at Bridge corner to take Cleland and then sees Soper drift wide to allow him to move to 4th ahead of the second BMW and Clelands Vauxhall.
Cleland is not done and going into Brooklands leans on the BMW of Soper, Soper is not going to yield and the two - inevitably collide at Luffield, both in the gravel and both into retirement. Cleland's body language says it all as he approaches Sopers car, Soper is still in his BMW, the earlier contact has bent the door shut, and maybe very fortunatley.
Rouse starts the last lap ahead of Allam, Leslie and Harvey who looks set to take the BTCC crown.
At the flag, Rouse narrowly holds off Allam and Leslie but Harvey takes 4th and the title ahead of Hoy and Cleland. An unforgettable race for many, and the reason many watch and still watch the BTCC, I have the highlights of this event on DVD and still give it regular views, if you don't, haven't seen it for a while or simply have yet to see this for yourself here is a link to the race on YouTube. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzxLgAwfeIQ
I am going to start a separate feature within my blog here of great races that I have seen, these will be sorted into three different categories, live trackside, live / as live / highlights TV broadcast and discovered / viewed long after the event via DVD or YouTube for example.
We Start with one of the reasons the BTCC is as popular as it is today. The 1992 title showdown at Silverstone.
This race falls into the second category as I watched the race on Grandstand (remember that!) on BBC TV and probably as a recorded highlights programme.
The race itself is now a part of BTCC folklore and possibly the reason why many fans watch the series now.
3 drivers went to Silverstone that year looking to take the championship, defending champion, the late Will Hoy, John Cleland and Tim Harvey. However these guys would line up in the middle of the pack, Cleland 7th, Hoy 9th and Harvey 12th on the grid, whoever was going to win was going to have to work for it!
The pack got away cleanly with the championship protagonists almost ending up behind one another at the back end of the top 10, Harvey's BMW team mate Steve Soper was the man to watch at the moment however, starting 4th and halfway around lap 1, Soper challenged David Leslie for third going into Vale, got spun and the collected sending the jade green machine to the back of the pack, Soper would spend the next few laps climbing back up through the order.
Ahead of the incident Andy Rouse, Hoy's Toyota team mate was leading ahead of Clelands Vauxhall team mate Jeff Allam and the Ecurie Ecosse Vauxhall of David Leslie completed the top 3 with the championship challengers of Hoy and Cleland next, and Julian Bailey and Keith O'Dor between them and Harvey, O'Dor would quickly dispatch of Bailey and, a few corners later Harvey would try the same, light contact between the two at the Maggots, Becketts complex would see the ex F1 driver spin to retirement, Harvey is on the charge.
After O'dor had been dealt with Harvey and Cleland had quite a battle in 5th and 6th places as they reigned in Hoy, but behind them Soper was carving his way through the field, Hoy and Cleland had their team mates in front of them, Harvey's was coming to help. Harvey would eventually pass Cleland with a great move at Copse corner and begin to pull away from the Vauxhall as he chased down Hoy's Toyota and the prize that would go with it.
Just ahead of all this though Allam was fighting for the lead with Rouse as Leslie took full avantage of Allam's attack on the Toyota to move into second place himself. Steve Soper while this had been going on was now in 7th place and just behind John Cleland's Vauxhall...
Up front Leslie tags Rouse and takes the lead for a little under a lap as Rouse recovers, regains composure and repasses the Vauxhall on the run into Stowe on the next tour, this little incident at the front has bought Hoy to the back of the leading trio and the Harvey/Cleland/Soper train not far off of them...
Harvey has a look at Copse at passing Hoy's Toyota, the latter is pushed wide but the move also see's Harvey drop behind Cleland and team mate Soper's battered BMW.
Soper dives down the inside of Cleland at Vale and tries to help Harvey do the same but Cleland holds on, for now ahead of his title challenger, gesticulating to Soper ahead with his finger that he may well be aiming for 1st place! Harvey however makes a great move at Bridge corner to take Cleland and then sees Soper drift wide to allow him to move to 4th ahead of the second BMW and Clelands Vauxhall.
Cleland is not done and going into Brooklands leans on the BMW of Soper, Soper is not going to yield and the two - inevitably collide at Luffield, both in the gravel and both into retirement. Cleland's body language says it all as he approaches Sopers car, Soper is still in his BMW, the earlier contact has bent the door shut, and maybe very fortunatley.
Rouse starts the last lap ahead of Allam, Leslie and Harvey who looks set to take the BTCC crown.
At the flag, Rouse narrowly holds off Allam and Leslie but Harvey takes 4th and the title ahead of Hoy and Cleland. An unforgettable race for many, and the reason many watch and still watch the BTCC, I have the highlights of this event on DVD and still give it regular views, if you don't, haven't seen it for a while or simply have yet to see this for yourself here is a link to the race on YouTube. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzxLgAwfeIQ
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