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BTCC Memorable Drives: Cleland vs Bailey [Knockhill 1993]
Smokin’ Jo Winklehock dominated the BTCC in 1993. Image Credit: thecheckeredflag.co.uk
Welcome back one and all to ‘BTCC Memorable Drives’. My opening salvo into the memorable history of the Touring Cars took a delectable selection of moments and laid them out for your eyes to see. As this mini series moves on however, it is time to take a deeper look into some of these special moments, as chosen by you. The first of these is a moment that had passed me by for the many years I have spent watching the season reviews of years gone by. Let me take you back to 1993 and to Scottish soils; the scene of a weekend long battle royale.
For those of you who may not be aware of what I speak, here presents itself video evidence of that great weekend:
BTCC 1993 Rounds 10/11 at Knockhill
The car on its roof, is a Toyota! Silverstone hadn’t been great for Toyota. Image Credit: SpeedHunters,com
Knockhill played host to the 10th and 11th round of the 1993 Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship. Up until this point, the 1993 season had been very much a BMW affair, with team mates Joachim Winklehock and Steve Soper sharing the spoils. It was only with the return of the mighty Ford team of Andy Rouse and Paul Radisich that a challenge presented itself to the BMW team. The round preceding Knockhill was the F1 support round at Silverstone which saw the Toyota team rocket into the commanding positions. They were leading the field comfortable until the moment where Julian Bailey made the unfortunate mistake of making a move on team mate Will Hoy which ended with him on his roof and off the track. Rather embarrassing if you ask me!
So as Knockhill came around, it was important for Toyota and Bailey in particular to make amends in any way he could. I will go out on a limb here and say as the Knockhill weekend came to a close, he had nearly made up for his previous errors! Qualifying for the first race saw Bailey place his Toyota on pole, surprisingly alongside Patrick Watts in his distinctively coloured Mazda.
The title story (literally) of the weekend was the on going battle between Soper and Winklehock; Soper was trying to close the gap on his team mate who had pulled out a points lead. But for those who were at the event, many would have even forgotten the BMWs were there at all, apart from maybe the absolute demon starts of Winklehock. If this had been happening in the last few years, I would be willing to put money on a certain driver complaining that the BMW got too much of an advantage as a RWD car and a penalty should be imposed. Good job he wouldn’t be in the championship for the next 4 years…
It was all about two men. The local hero vs the man in search of redemption
At his home track, Cleland gave a stunning performance. Image Credit: TouringCarTimes.com
Whatever happened behind was of little concern to John Cleland and Julian Bailey. Throughout the entire weekend they dominated the entire field. After an initial red flag brought out by various incidents in the field, the race started again to see Patrick Watts charging into a lead that was quickly taken by Julian Bailey and John Cleland. For the rest of the race, Bailey chased down Cleland and the two fought hammer and tong until the checkered flag. To the delight of the Scottish crowds, the win went to John Cleland followed closely by Julian Bailey. It was Cleland’s first race victory of the year and he could not have had a more popular win.
Race two saw the battling pair continue their feud from race one, after Winklehock was forced to retire after a broken clutch. Behind Bailey and Cleland, Will Hoy managed to get past the persistent Patrick Watts and get into 3rd position by the end of the race. Almost as if to make up for not securing victory in race one, Bailey eventually got past the determined Cleland and took a commanding victory by the time the checkered flag dropped.
Julian Bailey was a man on a mission at Knockhill. Image Credit: Flickr.com
For many people, the Bailey-Cleland duel of Knockhill may be easily forgotten, but for me it has so many of the qualities that define not only the BTCC, nor even touring car racing, but motorsport in general. For both races at Knockhill, John Cleland and Julian Bailey managed to have a weekend long dog fight for ultimate victory without having to resort to dirty tactics. That is something rather rare in this day and age. My go to example on this is Giovanardi who has always decided that when he cannot overtake traditionally, he will simply spin the car in front out the way. Oh and on a completely unrelated note, which driver gained the most penalties and endorsements in the 2014 BTCC season? Let me remind you, the answer is in no way related to anything I have spoken about already..
Additionally, it was great to see two very different drivers in two very different cars having such a close fought battle. It’s a testament not only to touring car racing but to what made the 2.0 litre formula in the BTCC so very special. The regulations were devised in such a way that encouraged diversity but also extremely close racing. Finally, no one can forget the context in which this battle took place. British race circuits are a thing of beauty, and Knockhill is just one example of that. Knockhill has something that so many of the modern race tracks (I am looking at you Tilke) are just lacking; character. When you hear the name Knockhill, you think of the rise and falls, the twists and turns, the wind and the rain and the tight final hairpin. British race tracks are more than just pre-planned bits of tarmac; they come to life and have their own personality.
I hope you enjoyed this latest issue of BTCC Memorable Drives! I shall return soon for more of the races, the seasons or even the incidents that define the worlds greatest touring car series. These are the moments; these are the drives of racing history.
What other moments define the BTCC for you?
Don’t forget to get in touch to submit your memorable drives on Twitter
@lewisglynn69
#BTCCDrives
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
Porsche Carrera Cup GB 2015: A Return to Form?
Image Credit: Paddock42.com
Since 2003, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB has become a staple succulent side dish to the mouth watering main course that is the British Touring Car Championship. As the fastest single-make GT series in the UK, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB has made a name for itself as a major stepping stone for drivers hoping to move into the glamorous world of international GT series. Some famous entrants include Tim Harvey (the current voice of BTCC on ITV4), newly signed WSR driver Sam Tordoff, Faithless singer Maxi Jazz and Porsche works driver Richard Westbrook. 2014 was a close fought championship that went down to the wire at Brands Hatch, but the series was beginning to suffer. But hope remains. After a change in championship regulations for 2015, new teams are flooding to the championship.
Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship 2015 Overview
Rounds 1 + 2: 4/5 April – Brands Hatch (Indy), Kent
Rounds 3 + 4: 1/2 May – Spa, Belgium (FIA WEC support race)
Rounds 5 + 6: 6/7 June – Oulton Park, Cheshire
Rounds 7 + 8: 27/28 June – Croft, North Yorkshire
Rounds 9 + 10: 8/9 August – Snetterton, Norfolk
Rounds 11 + 12: 22/23 August – Knockhill, Scotland
Rounds 13 + 14: 26/27 September – Silverstone (National), Northamptonshire
Rounds 15 + 16: 10/11 October – Brands Hatch (GP), Kent
Categories: Pro, ProAm1, ProAm2, Rookie (brand new for 2015)
Prize Money:
Pro – Winner – £15,000 plus fully-expensed drive in Porsche Supercup supported by Porsche Motorsport engineers
ProAm1 – Winner – £7,000 plus loan of Porsche 911 for a year and opportunity to spend 0.5 days at the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone with a Porsche Works driver
ProAm2 – Winner – £5,000 plus either loan of a Porsche 911 for a year or ‘money can’t buy’ opportunity to participate in a one day ‘Masterclass’ with a Porsche LMP1 driver at Silverstone
Rookie – Winner – £50,000 2nd – £20,000 3rd – £10,000
Josh Webster came out the 2014 season on top. Image Credit: total911.com
The revised 2015 format has attracted a raft of new teams that are interested in taking up the Porsche challenge. Some of these new teams include Credit4Cars which will enter multiple cars led by Iain Dockerill and the highly experience G-Cat team (who have previously competed in various sports car and historic championships) who will provide cars for Peter and Shamus Jennings. This new wave of entrants comes at what I believe is a vital time for the championship.
When the championship first started back in 2003, there were always packed grids and high-speed racing from first down to last. Some of my fondest memories include wheel to wheel racing between Richard Westbrook and Tim Harvey, while Maxi Jazz proved there was more to him than just music fighting it out in the midfield. However, my experiences in 2014 were somewhat less exciting. The central issue I believe was the severe lack of cars on the grid across the year. Technically speaking there were a total of 28 entries, although little over 9 actually competed in more than half the races in the season. On top of that, there felt like that were almost as many classes as there were cars, so there was no real competition. In many cases, after only a few laps the field had spread out to the point where races became processional and somewhat lackluster. I have always been a fan of multi-class racing such as that of the World Endurance Championship or even the classic BTCC of the 80s. It began to feel as if the Porsche Carrera Cup was nothing more than a filler to kill time before the BTCC. This is meant to be the premier single make GT series of the UK; it should not feel like that.
Reading about the changes to the 2015 season and the resulting increase in entrants already has given me a brief glimmer of hope. With the ever increasing popularity returning to the BTCC, the television and race day audiences are growing, which will be nothing except attractive to potential teams. Not only that, 2015 sees a closer connection with the international Porsche Motorsport team, such as supporting the World Endurance Championship at Spa in May and the Porsche works drives for championship winners.
Ragnar Schulte, General Manager, at Porsche Cars GB, commented:
“I am pleased to welcome the new teams and drivers to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB for 2015, and also thank our continuing teams for their long-standing loyalty. Next season, a new chapter of Carrera Cup GB begins. In addition to our proud role in support of the exciting TOCA British Touring Car Championship programme, we also look forward to the season highlight of two races at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, on the same weekend our Porsche Motorsport colleagues will be participating in the World Endurance Championship around the iconic track.”
Additionally, the new Rookie category allows younger drivers (between 17 and 24) to get behind the wheel of the monstrous rear-engined, 460 hp ‘Type 991’ Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. As a starting point for a career in GT racing, there are not many other opportunities that match the caliber of this one. Although the full entry list will not be confirmed until the New Year, one of the definite new arrivals comes in the form of 2013 Renault Clio Cup Champion Josh Files, who races with the brand new team #RacingforHeroes; a team who are supporting our injured veterans through motorsport. Josh Webster will face a much tougher season in 2015, who will return to defend his 2014 title.
Josh Files will be heading the #RacingforHeroes entry for 2015. Image Credit: #RacingforHeroes
The increased grid for 2015 should inject some fresh new energy back into the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, although I hope the increased number of race categories does not result in less competition between drivers. Perhaps the future could see a reduction in categories to simply Pro and Rookie, to truly make the most of these amazing cars.
The TOCA package has become the best race series across Europe with top class drivers competing at the highest standard. The new look 2015 Porsche Carrera Cup GB should do nothing but emphasise this quality. After a slightly disappointing 2014, it is time for the Porsche Cup to return to form. Home grown talent competing alongside international names such as Gelzinis and Jimenez will make for a truly great year.
Now if only April would hurry along!
Follow me on Twitter for more motorsport news and views @lewisglynn69
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
Click Here to Buy Now: The BTCC Sponsorship Game
The distinctive eBay BMWs became a BTCC staple. Image Credit: BTCC.net
As the depths of winter begin to tighten its cruel grip, the great motorsport machine must go into hibernation until the Spring. The race tracks may have fallen silent, the crowds may have returned to their homes, but the racing world is anything but silent. As the colossal roar of the engines lay dormant, the media world ignites in with fierce intensity. The close season is a time of rumour, conjecture and long-awaited announcements. For the BTCC, there have already been a string of news updates regarding the 2015 season, including new teams, new drivers and possibly even new tracks. The most recent headline to hit the virtual shelves has been the sad announcement from West Surrey Racing that their title sponsor eBay has decided to end its 5-year partnership with the team. This follows the news from the Motorbase ranks that came at the close of the 2014 season, which saw the end of their sponsorship from Airwaves. Within the motosport auto-verse, sponsorship is one of the most vital aspects of the entire enterprise. It really is much more than a fancy logo on the side of your car. The ‘BTCC Sponsorship Game’ is a game with very few rules but one clear aim; get the money in the bank.
To many people (including me in my younger years). sponsorship in motorsport was nothing more than the name and logo on the side of a car, as well as the explanation as to why I kept seeing big name racing drivers appearing in adverts for said company. I am pretty sure that Jenson Button would not voluntarily want to appear in a Santander advert unless it was a contractual obligation. With all these adverts and media prostitution by the F1 drivers especially, is it any surprise that Lewis Hamilton moved to Mercedes whose sponsors strangely do not use the ‘F1 fast car’ angle in their advertising. But I digress. Getting a sponsor in motorsport is probably the single most important thing to the success of the team. It is very much as the same as completing a PhD; one can either attempt to fund it themselves or find someone to sponsor them, for something in return. I know which I would prefer. Well, depending on what I had to do in return of course. Without the money, you cannot even make it to events, let alone develop the car to make it into a race winner.
The 1990 champion Gravett nearly pulled out due to lack of sponsors. Image Credit. forums.autosport.com
Into the History Books…
Within the BTCC, the sponsorship problem was even apparent in the late 80s before the exponential rise in costs at the dawn of the Super Touring era. The example of Robb Gravett in 1990 proves that even the top teams can suffer the unbridled wrath of financial woes. In Class A, it was a straight fight between Andy Rouse and Robb Gravett; however Robb and his Trackstar team nearly had to pull out due to a lack of sponsors for the car. Luckily, a last minute deal was made and a sponsor was found. The result was Robb Gravett taking not only Class victory but overall victory in the championship. As the years went on, the sponsor of certain teams became the more prominent name associated with the team, including the Kaliber Sierras, Vodafone Nissan, the Rapid Fit (and most recently Airwaves) Fords, the KX Momentum Tesco Clubcard (or whatever their ridiculously long name happens to be) MGs and of course the eBay BMWs.
If you compare the car liveries from the 1990s and the modern championship, it would not take long to notice that these days the cars are more heavily covered in sponsors than they were in the 1990s. Money; it was always going to be about money. Towards the end of the 1990s, the factory support was so substantial that sponsors did not hold such a high priority. As I sit here watching the 1998 BTCC review, one of the things you notice is teams such as Ford, Audi, Honda and Volvo are an almost factory-livery whitewash. The same explanation can be used to explain the looks of cars today and in fact back in the 80s with the era of multi-class racing; most teams are running from what is essentially an independent backing so must therefore display their sponsors who are near funding the entire operation.
The Kaliber Sierra of Andy Rouse became synonymous with late 80s BTCC. Image Credit: Gary Walton (Flickr)
Don’t Forget the Politics
In more recent years, there has been a significant intertwining of the sponsorship game with that of BTCC politics. The best example I can muster happens to be something contemporary. Among the ‘old timers’ in the current crop of drivers, it would be hard to ignore the name Jason Plato as somewhat of a legend in the championship. He has worked his way up from his Renault days in the 90s, to winning the 2001 championship, taking a break to become a television personality before returning once more to compete in the BTCC. As a known media name and two time championship winner, Jason Plato now carries a considerable weight when it comes to potential sponsors. For the most part, sponsors are attached to entire teams unless of course you are a high profile driver that is. In the case of Mr Plato, he carries with him his own sponsors that will follow him to the team he drives for.
It is at this point where everything begins to get a little on the complicated side. As much as Plato does have his own set of sponsors, they are not totally promiscuous customers; they will not settle for just anyone. This explains why statements released by Jason Plato have presented a message of uncertainty regarding team choice for next year, if he will even compete next year at all. It is with no doubt that he would get an absolute flood of offers from almost every team on the grid (apart from Honda, a team where a mutual feeling of mistrust and dislike is present), but until there is a team that the sponsors are happy with he cannot settle. The likelihood is that Plato will join forces with WSR, who have of course just lost their eBay as their title sponsor. Plato is one of the names associated not only with the KX Academy, but Tesco Clubcard Fuelsave (whatever it is) so his move to WSR would most definitely fill the eBay shaped void. His sponsors will be looking for a high profile team for him to move to, so as to make them look as good as possible. What better place to move to than the current championship winning team?
How beautifully ironic would it be for Plato to move to WSR and into a BMW, a car that he often complained about in 2014 for having RWD? Bets on him complaining that the new first gear ratio be changed back again? However, if Plato moved to WSR he may want to bring the KX Academy drivers along with him, which might then force WSR to get rid of their current drivers. Can a deal be made? Will it even happen? All very complicated really.
Will we be seeing this livery on a BMW in 2015? Image Credit: BTCC.net
HOT OFF THE PRESS
As I write this, a statement has been issued by Colin Turkington that says with the departure of eBay from WSR, it makes his inclusion in the team difficult and as a result he is looking for drives with other people. This is a similar situation to 2009 where RAC pulled out the championship following his championship victory. He was then left without a drive until 2013 when he returned with eBay motors. This may suggest that with both eBay and RAC, they were giving him direct backing instead of the team itself, so with the departure of these sponsors he was left without the funds to compete in the championship.
Speaking hypothetically, with the eBay departure it may now have indeed paved the way for Plato and KX to move in on WSR leaving Turkington without a drive. One of the true annoyances of the silly season (as is now becoming desperately clear) is the rise of rumour and conjecture. Everything I have suggested may be spot on, or it may be a complete fabrication. When there are only brief statements to work with, the conclusions can never be considered concrete.
What is the future for Plato and KX Momentum/Tesco?
Does Turkington need a big name sponsor to be able to race? Does he need to follow Plato’s route and establish specific driver-sponsors for himself?
Why Sponsor a BTCC Team Anyway?
People have often wondered why you would want to sponsor a team in the first place; is it not just a drain on money? The obvious answer to that question is market exposure; if you have your brand name on the side of a car in a successful and well-covered championship the result can only have a good effect on potential customers. What is always really helpful is when you happen to be sponsoring a car that is a proven race and championship winner. Vodafone have always enjoyed such luxuries in their previous support of McLaren in F1 and the Nissan team in the 98/99 BTCC season.
In addition to this, you can build the race team into your company’s advertising as well as tapping into the legions of loyal race fans. Airwaves were always good at bringing in their BTCC involvement into their advertising, using the BTCC Ford of Mat Jackson to show how much of a ‘kick’ Airwaves can give you, even when you are stuck in traffic on the way to work. At the end of the day, most people love a good race car so it would be silly for companies to ignore this obvious advertising route if they have the joy of sponsoring a team in the best championship in Europe.
As well as the benefits in the public sector, there are obvious corporate benefits when sponsoring a race team. If you happen to be needing to impress potential clients, is there any better way to do so than make them VIP guests of a BTCC race team; meet the drivers, fancy hospitality and general schmoozing sounds like the perfect method to me!
Most importantly, sponsors get a direct involvement with a race team; they get to experience the thrills of the sport from the inside. The exciting narrative that is a BTCC season; the highs, the lows, the shocks, the thrills and potential glory all made more personal to those who have invested.
When you play most games, you have a clear idea of the rules and the overall objective. In the case of ‘The BTCC Sponsorship Game’ the only rule is that there are no rules, and the objective is simple. You want the sponsors to sign on the dotted line and the money in the bank. Along the way you will encounter some obstacles in the form of political decisions and clever movements, but at the end of the day you want more business for your company. It will involve some clever branding, advertising and even some corporate schmoozing, but at the end of the day, it is all worth it.
And as a motorsport fan, I am very grateful for this. We bow down to you, great sponsors. You make my passion possible!
Let me know what you think: @lewisglynn69
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
The Vodafone Nissan Primera. Image Credit: Piston Heads
A New Beginning And New Thinking For Luxury: Hyundai Genesis,
I was fortunate enough to be one of the drive team for the launch of a new entrant into the luxury car field, the Hyundai Genesis. Yes, Hyundai Genesis. Don’t laugh because you’ve read Hyundai and luxury car in the same sentence, it is a remarkably well engineered, thought out and produced vehicle, topping out at just $82000. It’s a big car with a massive interior, thanks to a 5 metre length and 3 metre wheelbase. There’s design elements for the exterior reminiscent of some other brands, with the front being commented on most as being Aston Martin. That’s perhaps due to the winged emblem front and centre on the panel edge leading into the bonnet. There’s only one indication of who the maker is, with the Hyundai H on the bootlid. There’s three models in the range, starting in the mid $60K bracket, with the Sensory and Ultimate pack offerings being the trio.
The leading edge is an upright, bluff looking part of the car, sweeping over a long bonnet (housing the 3.8L V6, 232 kW/397 Nm powerplant) into an almost coupe like roofline before tapering off into a a short tail housing a good sized boot. It’s a cohesive and handsome design. The interior is a reflection of the outside, with deeply sculpted seats front and rear, with heating and cooling for the front, heating in the rear, full electric adjustment for driver and passenger plus memory seating, electric sunblind for the rear window, photochromatic glass for the sunroof 
and heated wing mirrors (which dip when reverse is selected). There’s adaptive cruise control to play with; 
think an extension of cruise control which merely has you travel at a preset speed, this uses a camera to track the vehicle in front to keep the Genesis at a set time gap (one to four seconds) behind the vehicle in front and will bring the Genesis to a stop at velocities up to 80 km/h. Over that, Genesis expects the human factor to come into play and steer the car out of trouble. There’s four other cameras as well; front, rear, with two in the side mirrors that will display a 360 degree view on the 9.2 inch 720p display screen, plus offer a choice of four angles front/side/rear. A downlight is the switchgear; although smartly and simply laid out, they lack the luxury look and feel expected, being of typical high quality but hard set Hyundai plastic; there’s also a harsh feeling pocket on the rear of the front seats, devoid of the same velour lining found in the door pockets and soft open/close clamshell centre console locker. The “entry level” Genesis gets plenty of tech such as Hill Start Assist, tyre pressure monitoring, the afore mentioned smart 
cruise control with the Sensory throwing in Head Up Display, rear cross traffic alert, the around view monitoring system and powered steering column whilst the Ultimate gets the panoramic glass sunroof, the sound proofed acoustic glass and more. A nice touch is a LED light that shines the Genesis logo from each wing mirror to the ground. There’s audio controls and front passenger seat controls in a fold down section in the rear seat, allowing those that prefer to be driven rather than drive themselves to move the seat for room and choose their own music. Both features are lockable via the menu system activated from the steering wheel buttons.
The eight speed transmission is Hyundai’s; smooth, fluid, seamless, imperceptible in gear changes unless the right foot is a heavy one. There’s a snarl from the front through the induction system but barely an exhaust note, thanks to the 
high level of exterior noise insulation. It will accelerate nicely, thank you muchly, with an almost double clutch feel to the changes when really pressed…again it’s a seamless transition with no sign of hesitation. On the roads chosen for the demonstration drives, a good mix of flat and straight roads versus speed humps and tight corners plus a few roundabouts, the Genesis is composed, compliant with a feel stopping short of sporty without compromising the comfort level of the ride. Variable ratio steering tightens up the turning, surprising many in the drive sessions with just how compact a turning circle the Genesis displays. Fuel consumption is quoted as 11.2L/100 km combined, with some urban legs about 13L/100 km. This is not unexpected and will trouble those only of the penny pinching persuasion. Hyundai says the target market is the affluent, professional style aged from 40 to 60; certainly the Genesis garnered plenty of attention, with 
the test cars in while, black, blue, silver and grey catching the eyes of many as we drove in convoy.
The hurdles Hyundai faces are not insurmountable, but they are well entrenched in the Australian automotive psyche. The mere mention of Hyundai still brings stifled giggles or remembrances of years gone by. Hyundai acknowledge this by offering a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty with service costs built into those five years. Hyundai will also offer a conditional buy back price (contact Hyundai for details). Naturally, the most criticism will come from those that 
haven’t and won’t drive it, as it’s “just a Hyundai”. That fact means there’s no great loss to Hyundai as they don’t need that clientele; what they will get are people willing to be open minded and see the Genesis for what it is. A New Beginning and New Thinking. Click here for details: http://www.hyundai.com.au/vehicles/genesis?gclid=COia6r6S78ECFQYwjgodRi0AmQ&gclsrc=ds#intro
A big thanks to Ian Luff’s Drive to Survive group for having me involved.
Level 2, 9 Help Street