Classic Touring Car Racing Capri

Mallett RACING

British Touring Car Racing – A Brief History

Brief outlines of the seasons from 1976 can be found by clicking on the following links. Apologies if there is a slight Ford slant to these.

1976 1978 1980

Whilst motorsport in Britain and Europe started out using normal road cars such as the early Renault, Delage, Mercedes Benz, Bentley and MG sports cars, it was not until the 1950’s that Saloon car racing began. The development of the saloon car by manufacturers such as Ford, Morris, Austin, Vauxhall etc. opened motoring up to a new marketplace. Production techniques reduced the cost of car purchase (although as ever governments tried to tax the public out of ownership) to levels where more and more individuals could afford to buy and run a family car.

An important factor in the development of Saloon Car racing came with the opening of Silverstone and other ex-airfield circuits such as Snetterton, Castle Combe and Goodwood. Now there was somewhere to race rather than rally. With the burgeoning racing car industry in the UK mostly concentrating on sports cars and single seaters, the average car owner had very little in common with the racers of the day. But these cars could provide competition for lesser cost than a C type Jaguar or Fraser Nash sports car.

In the 1960’s drivers like Alan Mann would drive to a circuit, qualify, race and drive home.

Alan Mann continued in Saloon and Touring Car racing throughout the sixties and early seventies as a team manager. He was notable for his allegiance to Ford throughout this period. His gold and red team colours were seen on the Mark 1 and Mark 2 GT and Lotus Cortina and the Escort 1300 GT and Twin Cam. The latter being Group 2 cars.

Formula one drivers would often be seen three wheeling a Lotus Cortina or drifting a Ford Galaxy on non-GP weekends and even in GP support races. Something unheard of these days. The teams also became famous as the championship became more professional. This was the time for the big US muscle cars. There was the Ford Galaxie, a car so large it appeared to be able to swallow a mini whole! Jim Clarke became BTCC Champion in 1964 in a Lotus Cortina. But the name on everybody's lips at that time was Frank Gardner.

The Laconic Australian took to the UK circuits in a variety of Ford machinery Here he is at Brands Hatch in the Alan Mann Lotus Cortina.

Picture provided by Dave Marshal

The 1970’s brought us racing from the likes of Andy Rouse (the winningest driver in BTCC history), Tom Walkinshaw, Win Percy, Gerry Marshall, Gordon Spice, Vince Woodman, John Dooley, Jeff Allam and Holman Blackburn, in a variety of cars including Triumph Dolomite Sprint, Ford Capri marks 1 to 3, Alfa Romeo GTV, Toyota Celica, Mazda RX7 and others. In Group 2 Dave Brodie and John Fitzpatrick (among others) raced their Escorts and Capri’s in both the UK and Europe.

By 1975 the British regulations were brought into line with the other European domestic series and Group 1 was adopted. The cars were showroom spec but suspension components and engine/gearbox internals could be modified.

This period saw the dominance of the 3.0s Capri although Andy Rouse won his class and the Championship with a Dolomite Sprint and an Alfetta. The class system means that even if you don’t win overall you could still be champion by winning your class. In 1983 the RAC finally dropped Group 1 regulations in favour of the European wide Group A. Although still running to a class system the homologation requirements were less than that for Group 1. Rover brought out its Vitesse SD1 in Group A form and dominated its class until the arrival of the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. Andy Rouse and Robb Gravett won the Championship in an RS Cosworth in 1985 and 1990.

This picture taken by Steve Jones at the April 2002 Mallory Classic gives a sample of the cars which were racing at that time.

By 1990 the class system was causing concern to the RAC and so new 2 litre regulations were developed. These became known as Super Touring and between 1991 and 2000 these regulations were the norm for touring car racing throughout the world. These regulations attracted the manufacturers and each year the bar would be raised. BMW with its rear wheel drive was deemed to have an advantage over the front wheel drive cars (which is the most popular configuration). After being given weight penalties to reduce the advantage BMW withdrew from the BTCC (as the British touring Car Championship was now known).

2001 saw the introduction of new rules with Super Touring being made cheaper by the implementation of standard gearboxes and other components it then became known as “Touring Class”. The class system then came back because in an effort to fill the grids a class entitled “Production Class” was introduced. This allowed cars from the re emerging National Saloon Car Championship to enter the BTCC. This is the current structure of the BTCC and it is interesting to note that the class system has returned.

Picture courtesy of Carrie Hill at www.motorsportphoto.co.uk