Nigel Mansell -- I have been fortunate enough to have several conversations with him -- as he was getting ready to play in a celebrity Golf Pro-Am I volunteer at. Geez his knowledge of motorsport is beyond compare, his passion for F1 still strong and yeah he wants to win at golf also.
Read his autobiography. It is the best sporting autobiography I have read. The struggles and sacrifice's he and his wife made only add to a magnificent tale.
It was this race that introduced me, a 4 year old from Tamworth, to Nigel Mansell. To this day, I still get goosebumps just thinking about it, and it made me one hell of a fan if Il Leone. Even now, he is still one of my heroes, and watching those old F1 races from the 1980's and early 1990's only recently, it made me realise what such a special driver he is, and why there'll never be Mansell-mania again.
I was at the Donington race and stood at Old Hairpin so had a view of the complete crash. I even bumped into Tiff Needell in the paddock and exchanged pleasantries. Oh the days of easy to obtain press passes.
Even looking at the name list you've put up sent shivers down my spine as these blocks are the total pinnacle of TCR during the 90s. Names like Anthony Reid, Matt Neal, Alain Menu, Jason "Baked" Potato (Thanks Clarkson), Tim Harvey, John Cleland, Rickard Rydell and Yvan Muller (He still wasn't famous then but he absolutely is now in TCR world) would definitely shock whatever track they land themselves in.
TBH as an Aussie my knowledge of TOCA and the BTCC was a TOCA touring car game that I only played because it had Bathurst (was the first game to ever feature it I think as the V8 Supercar games weren't a thing yet) and that video of John Cleland going for first...
I race in the BARC Classic Touring Car Championship and I was lucky enough to race this year against the Super Tourers of Cleland, Reid and Turkington in their actual Vecta, Primara and MG as well as the Rydell Volvo V40 and Accord of Thompson (with other drivers in them). I race a Honda Civic EP3 and so was outgunned by these legends in period cars who were NOT driving a demonstration. They were balls to the wall, as you'd expect! And as I had hoped. I'm old enough that these guys were my heros in period and I shared a pit garage with Cleland and Reid and they were pure gentlemen all weekend out of the car and animals in them! Best weekend ever! Something I'll never forget
Big thanks for this Aidan! For me the 90's BTCC was some of the best racing ever. Oulton Park was my local track and I saw some amazing bumper to bumper action there. It's a shame we can't go back to this era.
As an Australian I remember watching some of the BTCC around this time and wishing our local V8 Supercars series was a bit more like it, with all the banging into each other and hard racing that they did. But then I went to a couple of events where the Super Tourers were running on the same weekend as the V8s and I quickly realised the speed difference didn't allow for much in the way of bumping among the V8s. The V8s were just so much faster, and the limit of adhesion was SOOO much higher - any little bump during fast cornering and someone was going to be looking at a complete rebuild of a million dollar car, or a hospitalised driver, or both. We saw it whenever the BTCC drivers headed down under and competed in V8 races - there were a couple of exceptions of course (Win Percy and John Cleland adapted pretty well) but most of them were out of their depth when it came to proper hard V8 racing. Not surprising really, BTCC cars and V8 Supercars were/are about as different as it's possible to be and still be a car. Still, it's all motor racing and I love it all. I'm off to watch the race this video is about now. Cheers for that Aidan 🙂
Until one of your earlier BTCC videos I'd entirely forgotten about the fluorescent strips. Orange and yellow for the two drivers. Ah the high tech Velcro solution.
My first BTCC race day at the age of 14. It was a very wet day! Memories include an over amorous couple, saying hello to Nigel and Gianni Morbidelli in the paddock between races, also a multi car smash in Formula Ford with Jenson Button winning (laughed at his name but became a fan once he was in F1). Happy memories, thanks for a good story time Aidan! Keep up the good work
I was lucky enough to be at Donnington for this. My favourite memories were Our Nige stuffing it in the sprint race right in front of us, and meeting the big man for an autograph during the paddock walk. I was very confused as to the whereabouts of his moustache!!!
Great video. Il Leone was a true racer, I actually watched this race on TV and couldn't believe the overtakes he was pulling off before he faded. Was gutted he didn't win.
Most weekends for a lot of the year during my child hood were spent listening to my dad shout 'Come on Nige!' at the telly!! His book is fascinating, too. Well worth a read.
We need more Mansells. Not just in motorsport, but all sports, all public life. Less ego, less politics, no crybabying, just relax and do what they are paid to do. and dp it well.
Came back from Donington Park that day caked to almost Glastonbury standards with Nigel Mansell's signature and buzzing from seeing the BTCC at it's most brilliant.
I was there that day at Donnington in the pouring rain, Mousse T Horny was playing over and over again we were cursing Tiff, and we had fun in the quagmire in my uncle’ XR4x4 Sierra trying to leave. Great day, can’t believe it was nearly 25 years ago!
I just watched the race and it was fantastic, just what a shame the video is missing the last 8 laps, but still amazing race from all of them, and here is an Italian that grow watching Giovanardi, Larini and Co. What an amazing stuff
I was there with my father in 1993 to see Tiff Needell push him into the bridge. he was moving up fast before then. ironically Chris Rear (rock star) also started that race but fell off into the gravel early on.
Was at this race and we didn't know if Nige would make the second race after crashing out in the first race but he made it just in time. What came next was one of the best drives ever and Nige made all the regular drivers look like schoolboys as he was in a totally different league. Its why he was a F1 champ, indycar and why they drive tin tops.
I was -10 or so at the time so shock horror i didn't see them live but that crash and Kelvin Burt's at Oulton Park make me whince everytime i see them.
Chris Rea was in that race too and we had his fan club of middle aged mums standing behind us. Every time he passed us they’d scream his name like teenage kids…!
One of my ex bosses was in that race driving a Vauxhall Cavalier. And he used to tell many a story about that weekend especially about Nigel not being happy about many things that weekend and the second being how tough it was on his arms driving a touring car and having his arms in bowls of ice as he'd been driving Clio"s in the Euro Clio Cup
For anybody who never watched any of this: BTCC through the 80's, 90's and early 00's (before it basically became one make racing) is some of the greatest motorsport you will ever see. Seek it out, plenty of it on UA-cam, plenty of documentaries too. WRC of this era is also amazing. Motorsport as a whole was at it's peak in those 3 decades, it's all po-faced now.
i always remember this race we where at the pub ( greg murphy's (LAP OF GODS) parent's owned) mother was their best friend at the time.and was sitting in the corner of the pub watching this on a sunday whole pub yelling,smoking you name it because he was there amazing always a great memory for me
Nigel was Indycar champion when it was sanctioned by CART. He was not a CART Series champion. The CART Series came along in 1997, but Nigel won in 1993.
BTCC is not very popular here. Had a watch at the race you linked and it reminded me of something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Then I remembered that those were the "racing liveries" in GT2 for those cars. The racing looks absolutely wild.
BTCC during the Super Touring era really was special. A grid with fully paid drivers and 8 manufacturers throwing endless amounts of money just to win a national touring car championship that at the time was rivaling f1 in popularity. As much as i enjoy current BTCC i do miss the more colourful and standout liveries 1998 had. The 406 was a total shitbox but it looked incredible with the gold and yellow livery.
Have you done one for Nic Hamilton at Donington in 2023 yet? If not, I recommend that you do in time, I see it as the Hybrid-era's answer to the Mansell race!
I remember in the Autosport Grand Prix review Nigel's reason for dnf'ing in Spain 95 was "Gave up". As someone who was a big fan of his as a kid it was quite a surprise and a let down. He was too big for that car and with his back issues it's no surprise he didn't mesh with that McLaren.
@@kevinprior3549 I think everyone was more interested in the financial chaos than the racing. I was expecing high-speed sporting thrills, what I got was a slow-motion sporting trainwreck.
I can remember Charlie Cox talking about the Fords making good floats on wet race days. The BTCC was so special in the supertourer years. I really think Murray Walker, Charlie Cox & John Watson really added to the races they made great combos in the commentary too.
I loved watching those races they were brilliant. I loved how every year they had euro guys drive surfers paradise. Annoys me how they changed the rules on the co-drivers killed one of my fav weekends of the year.
Yes, the Super Touring race was the official ARDC (Australian Racing Driver's Club) Bathurst 1000 after a spat between V8 Supercars and the ARDC over television broadcast rights. ARDC had a deal with Channel Seven, V8 Supercars had a deal with Channel Ten. V8 Supercars, or the "Australian Vee Eight Supercar COmpany" aka AVESCO, was a newly formed company in 1997 -- held 50% by a media company, and 50% by the ATCC team owners association (TEGA, as opposed to the UK's TOCA!). When the 5000cc Group 3A (V8 Supercar) rules were drawn up for the ATCC in 1992, they were **supposed** have only about 400-450hp and do about the same lap times as 2000cc cars as raced in the UK, so that you'd have 2L and 5L cars racing door handle to door handle (much like the E30 M3s against the Group A Commodores) -- this went horribly wrong of course as far too many freedoms were given to the 5000cc class, and the ATCC hence became a closed shop for Falcon and Commodore. Therefore the 2000cc class entrants, like the BMW team, formed a new series from 1994 called the Australian Super Touring Series (the BMW team did stick with the 2.5L E30 M3 EVO for the 1993 ATCC season, but the M3s weren't very competitive anymore -- in the end, the BMW team raced both Commodores in the ATCC and BMWs in the ASTC). This Australian Super Touring Championship is the one that gladly stepped in to race at the ARDC Bathurst 1000km when V8 Supercars (or the ATCC) choose to abandon the event. With some international entrants from the BTCC as well, of course. Stubbornly, the V8 Supercar category simply organised **another** 1000km race at Bathurst within a few weeks of the official ARDC race (the unofficial Bathurst 1000km is the one that continues to this day, with the ARDC race being dead), and unfortunately most of the fans simply turned up for the unofficial V8 Supercar race instead. You can visibily see that the crowds were quite slim at the super touring Bathurst 1000 races unfortunately. A lack of attendance is a problem that still afflicts the Bathurst 12 hour or Bathurst Easter race meeting to this day. Despite the world coming down for the 12 hour (as they did for the Super Touring 1000km), it doesn't seem to interest fans as much as the V8 Supercar race. 🤨
"And nigel mansell... leads. this. race. The guys in the Ford garage can't believe it... Talk about hero." Ah nige, the nexus of racing and entertainment. Never surpassed. Best memory of that was the commentators literally struggling the catch their breath.
I was there, soaking wet 12 year old me with my best mate for my birthday. And yes the best BTCC race, maybe one of the best races I’ve ever seen. Nice trip down memory lane. Loved it.
In addition to the BTCC, there were also rumors that year that Mansell would return to the US & do a few races in the IRL or in NASCAR. The IRL rumor died quickly because Mansell found racing on ovals (especially in an IRL machine) to be terrifying, especially after his wreck in 1993 at Phoenix in CART. As for the NASCAR rumor, Mansell wanted to do the Watkins Glen weekend in the #35 Tabasco Pontiac. However the owners of the #35 team did not want an open wheel driver in their car because they feared that the regular NASCAR fan would not recognize him. Instead they went with NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip (their regular driver at the time).
I remember a magazine quoted Alain Menu, when asked about his preferred team-mate. He made reference to "the guy with the moo-stache". Maybe Nige or maybe Will Hoy? We'll never know.
Merc *Wanted* someone lower profile - but Ole Nige' was too big for the mp410 - I guess missing a coupla races can hurt your profile? Then to crash in one of the next two events... I assume by then, his profile had suddenly become irreparably too small? Amazing how that happens/d.
I recall Mansell causing that crash and blaming everybody else, especially Tiff. He was terribly critical of that McLaren F1 car and caused a spat with Ron Dennis and co
this brings up an interesting point. if a current or recent f1 driver was going to compete in touring car racing who would it be? i could see Riccardo or Vettel having a go, maybe even Alonso. i couldnt see Hamilton, Russell or Verstappen trying it. i dont think it would interest Hamilton or Russell but i could imagine Verstappen enjoying it, but he doesnt have any reason to go for it.
I completely agree with you on all those assessments. Alonso thinks he still has unfinished business in F1 so maybe not yet but Riccardo and Vettel would be great to see in touring cars next year. Kimi too.
Danny Ric has said a few times he's keen to have a drive in something at Bathurst, if that counts. Now he's out of a full time F1 gig it might actually happen, who knows. I think he'd be more likely to get a drive in a GT car at the 12 Hour than in a Supercar at the 1000, either would be fine with me! 🙂
Looking at the late 90's BTCC lineup and thinking they'd be no competition for an F1 world champion is like looking at Wimbledon FC's crazy gang and assuming they'd be no match for any of the first division teams of the time. It's a different game and they play by different rules.
It’s funny if you try and find the 1998 btcc race on UA-cam, people just label other years as 1998 probably to get views. I just watched like 4 different 1998 donington btcc races and none were from 1998 lol and nobody in the comments can tell. They’re all like omg this was such a good year I remember this race! ITS NOT EVEN THE RIGHT YEAR! WHAT ARE YALL REMEMBERING 😅
I was there in 98 Nigel destroyed two Ford Mondeos two engines and due to his crash failed to drive in the TVR race however the TVR was built to win a very expensive weekend for Ford
I have a question about the race this weekend, when Sergio or anybody gets a lap time deleted during the race, why don't they lose the lap? If the lap time is deleted how does it exist?
Could be a tough ask to get another champion into BTCC given Ford would have had deep pockets to pay Mansell and the attitude to money being "budget cap? Never heard of her" back then, but definitely a "never say never".
Would this be the time when he drove a car costing way way way more then the competition 🤔, nigel is one of my favourites of all time but ive raced against money its a hard slog.
I saw a video of Mansell playing some sim racing game, complete with pedals a steering wheel. He had no practice and took a lap or so to get the feel. Soon he was tearing round the track and passing everything that came his way. I think he ended the game in first and walked away dismissing the experience, saying it was nothing like real racing. It's fair to say it shows how quickly he could adapt to any competition involving a track with bends (it was Brands Hatch so he did have some knowledge) and a racing car, real or otherwise, depending on your opinion. On another note, Nigel Mansell's autobiography is, in my opinion, the greatest autobiography by a racing driver, by a long way. The sacrifice's that he and his wife made to keep Nigel racing, at all levels, read like insanity as only Nigel and his wife believed he had what it takes to compete. When lesser men would crawl out of a hospital bed and into retirement, knowing they had done their utmost, Nigel dusts himself off and takes greater risk to promote his career. It is a true tale of heartbreak to hero ( and ultimately to heartbreak again )!
Nigel Mansell -- I have been fortunate enough to have several conversations with him -- as he was getting ready to play in a celebrity Golf Pro-Am I volunteer at. Geez his knowledge of motorsport is beyond compare, his passion for F1 still strong and yeah he wants to win at golf also.
I met him at the London Classic Car show in 2017 - a really lovely guy.
Read his autobiography. It is the best sporting autobiography I have read.
The struggles and sacrifice's he and his wife made only add to a magnificent tale.
@@michaellavery4899 I have read it - wholeheartedly agree.
@@TC10193 Pleased you have read it and agree 👍.
He'll want to win at EVERYTHING. That's why he's a world champion.
It was this race that introduced me, a 4 year old from Tamworth, to Nigel Mansell. To this day, I still get goosebumps just thinking about it, and it made me one hell of a fan if Il Leone. Even now, he is still one of my heroes, and watching those old F1 races from the 1980's and early 1990's only recently, it made me realise what such a special driver he is, and why there'll never be Mansell-mania again.
I was at the Donington race and stood at Old Hairpin so had a view of the complete crash. I even bumped into Tiff Needell in the paddock and exchanged pleasantries. Oh the days of easy to obtain press passes.
Even looking at the name list you've put up sent shivers down my spine as these blocks are the total pinnacle of TCR during the 90s. Names like Anthony Reid, Matt Neal, Alain Menu, Jason "Baked" Potato (Thanks Clarkson), Tim Harvey, John Cleland, Rickard Rydell and Yvan Muller (He still wasn't famous then but he absolutely is now in TCR world) would definitely shock whatever track they land themselves in.
Muller would find his peak when it became the Vauxhall show at the turn of the century.
Even as an American, this BTCC was awesome. I watched all these races on the old speed vision channel. Such great racing back then.
Getting some serious nostalgia, think racing enthusiast millennials have a lot to thank BTCC and the old Toca games for
Toca and that Top Gear piece have skewed just how violent the super touring era
Wasn’t.
BTCC is partly responsible for my undying love of motorsport, I think i fall into the category of racing enthusiast millennial
1998 was peak BTCC, and Toca 2 was peak PS1 racing games
TBH as an Aussie my knowledge of TOCA and the BTCC was a TOCA touring car game that I only played because it had Bathurst (was the first game to ever feature it I think as the V8 Supercar games weren't a thing yet) and that video of John Cleland going for first...
Yep, I remember him on TOCA 2
I feel like Racing Mustache Ratings are:
1.) Graham Hill
2.) Nigel Mansell
3.) (tie) about 2/3rds of the Nascar field in the 80s and early 90s
I race in the BARC Classic Touring Car Championship and I was lucky enough to race this year against the Super Tourers of Cleland, Reid and Turkington in their actual Vecta, Primara and MG as well as the Rydell Volvo V40 and Accord of Thompson (with other drivers in them). I race a Honda Civic EP3 and so was outgunned by these legends in period cars who were NOT driving a demonstration. They were balls to the wall, as you'd expect! And as I had hoped. I'm old enough that these guys were my heros in period and I shared a pit garage with Cleland and Reid and they were pure gentlemen all weekend out of the car and animals in them! Best weekend ever! Something I'll never forget
Must have been mega! Amazing those guys were monsters.
Big thanks for this Aidan!
For me the 90's BTCC was some of the best racing ever. Oulton Park was my local track and I saw some amazing bumper to bumper action there.
It's a shame we can't go back to this era.
As an Australian I remember watching some of the BTCC around this time and wishing our local V8 Supercars series was a bit more like it, with all the banging into each other and hard racing that they did. But then I went to a couple of events where the Super Tourers were running on the same weekend as the V8s and I quickly realised the speed difference didn't allow for much in the way of bumping among the V8s. The V8s were just so much faster, and the limit of adhesion was SOOO much higher - any little bump during fast cornering and someone was going to be looking at a complete rebuild of a million dollar car, or a hospitalised driver, or both. We saw it whenever the BTCC drivers headed down under and competed in V8 races - there were a couple of exceptions of course (Win Percy and John Cleland adapted pretty well) but most of them were out of their depth when it came to proper hard V8 racing. Not surprising really, BTCC cars and V8 Supercars were/are about as different as it's possible to be and still be a car. Still, it's all motor racing and I love it all.
I'm off to watch the race this video is about now. Cheers for that Aidan 🙂
Until one of your earlier BTCC videos I'd entirely forgotten about the fluorescent strips. Orange and yellow for the two drivers. Ah the high tech Velcro solution.
My first BTCC race day at the age of 14. It was a very wet day! Memories include an over amorous couple, saying hello to Nigel and Gianni Morbidelli in the paddock between races, also a multi car smash in Formula Ford with Jenson Button winning (laughed at his name but became a fan once he was in F1). Happy memories, thanks for a good story time Aidan! Keep up the good work
I was lucky enough to be at Donnington for this. My favourite memories were Our Nige stuffing it in the sprint race right in front of us, and meeting the big man for an autograph during the paddock walk. I was very confused as to the whereabouts of his moustache!!!
It must have gained sentience
Great video. Il Leone was a true racer, I actually watched this race on TV and couldn't believe the overtakes he was pulling off before he faded. Was gutted he didn't win.
Any chance of more 1990s BTCC content, I grew up with it? Love the video as always 👍👍
Thanks for the link - quite a race! Much agricultural racing on that very wet day...
THIS!!! i watched this live with my jaw on the floor!
Most weekends for a lot of the year during my child hood were spent listening to my dad shout 'Come on Nige!' at the telly!! His book is fascinating, too. Well worth a read.
Me & my mates got together & watched that race on the box, still talk about it from time to time. Cracking race.
Gianni Morbidelli drove for Ferrari in F1, in addition to 69 (nice) other starts as well. I met him at Road America when he was driving a GT1 Viper.
Tankyou to talk about btcc. The rainy race whit Nigel 💯
I was there too, my dad was working on Nigel car and I got him to sign my copy of his autobiography in the pit garage
Thanks for this video and for the link. Nostalgic and wonderful to watch!
Is there a possibility for a video on the Paris-Dakar soon?
We need more Mansells. Not just in motorsport, but all sports, all public life. Less ego, less politics, no crybabying, just relax and do what they are paid to do. and dp it well.
Came back from Donington Park that day caked to almost Glastonbury standards with Nigel Mansell's signature and buzzing from seeing the BTCC at it's most brilliant.
U mentioned tiff .... That man is a role model to me ... I have watched his since I was a kid and would love to have him do more shows ...
Tiff does youtube these days on @lovecarsTV
@@ForburyLion I know ... I watch that... But there has been less content recently
I was there that day at Donnington in the pouring rain, Mousse T Horny was playing over and over again we were cursing Tiff, and we had fun in the quagmire in my uncle’ XR4x4 Sierra trying to leave. Great day, can’t believe it was nearly 25 years ago!
I have all the supertouring races on DVD..loved the whole series
original footage
I just watched the race and it was fantastic, just what a shame the video is missing the last 8 laps, but still amazing race from all of them, and here is an Italian that grow watching Giovanardi, Larini and Co. What an amazing stuff
I was there with my father in 1993 to see Tiff Needell push him into the bridge. he was moving up fast before then. ironically Chris Rear (rock star) also started that race but fell off into the gravel early on.
Was at this race and we didn't know if Nige would make the second race after crashing out in the first race but he made it just in time. What came next was one of the best drives ever and Nige made all the regular drivers look like schoolboys as he was in a totally different league. Its why he was a F1 champ, indycar and why they drive tin tops.
I was standing right by the bridge that day, I’ll never forget the noise of the impact. He was lucky to survive it….
I was -10 or so at the time so shock horror i didn't see them live but that crash and Kelvin Burt's at Oulton Park make me whince everytime i see them.
Chris Rea was in that race too and we had his fan club of middle aged mums standing behind us. Every time he passed us they’d scream his name like teenage kids…!
Some of the great racing mustaches of the 90s, Mansell, Fellows and Earnhardt.
don't forget Juha Kankunnen
@@Ramtamtama "Black round Pirellis"
One of my ex bosses was in that race driving a Vauxhall Cavalier. And he used to tell many a story about that weekend especially about Nigel not being happy about many things that weekend and the second being how tough it was on his arms driving a touring car and having his arms in bowls of ice as he'd been driving Clio"s in the Euro Clio Cup
Was your boss Derek Warwick or John Cleland? 😊
Impressive for a man who spent all his time off the racetrack ruthlessly and mercilessly bashing nonces.
Great stuff. This should be handed out to people of a certain age on prescription. On these long winter nights it gets you through. Thank you
Your vocal intonation is excellent. You sound perfect for narrating…anything. Great job. Well done…and I wish you a Very Happy Christmas.
Good recap, that was very interesting 👍🏻
Thanks adian another fantastic informative piece sir 👏 👍
That linked video was excellent! Thanks for this video as wel
For anybody who never watched any of this: BTCC through the 80's, 90's and early 00's (before it basically became one make racing) is some of the greatest motorsport you will ever see. Seek it out, plenty of it on UA-cam, plenty of documentaries too. WRC of this era is also amazing. Motorsport as a whole was at it's peak in those 3 decades, it's all po-faced now.
i always remember this race we where at the pub ( greg murphy's (LAP OF GODS) parent's owned) mother was their best friend at the time.and was sitting in the corner of the pub watching this on a sunday whole pub yelling,smoking you name it because he was there amazing always a great memory for me
Nigel was Indycar champion when it was sanctioned by CART. He was not a CART Series champion. The CART Series came along in 1997, but Nigel won in 1993.
BTCC is not very popular here. Had a watch at the race you linked and it reminded me of something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Then I remembered that those were the "racing liveries" in GT2 for those cars.
The racing looks absolutely wild.
BTCC during the Super Touring era really was special. A grid with fully paid drivers and 8 manufacturers throwing endless amounts of money just to win a national touring car championship that at the time was rivaling f1 in popularity. As much as i enjoy current BTCC i do miss the more colourful and standout liveries 1998 had. The 406 was a total shitbox but it looked incredible with the gold and yellow livery.
Have you done one for Nic Hamilton at Donington in 2023 yet? If not, I recommend that you do in time, I see it as the Hybrid-era's answer to the Mansell race!
I remember in the Autosport Grand Prix review Nigel's reason for dnf'ing in Spain 95 was "Gave up". As someone who was a big fan of his as a kid it was quite a surprise and a let down. He was too big for that car and with his back issues it's no surprise he didn't mesh with that McLaren.
This Mondeo was so cool!!!
Great stuff, I miss the glory days of the BTCC. How about a video on the slow descent into disaster that was A1GP?
A1GP just didn't capture the imagination did it
@@kevinprior3549 I think everyone was more interested in the financial chaos than the racing. I was expecing high-speed sporting thrills, what I got was a slow-motion sporting trainwreck.
awesome video
I can remember Charlie Cox talking about the Fords making good floats on wet race days. The BTCC was so special in the supertourer years. I really think Murray Walker, Charlie Cox & John Watson really added to the races they made great combos in the commentary too.
Cox and Watson > Murray.
@Aidan Millward yeah i would have to agree they did a great job. So many funny 1 liners
A video on the 1998 amp Bathurst 1000 would be good. Where the BTCC stars races against the best in oz.
I loved watching those races they were brilliant. I loved how every year they had euro guys drive surfers paradise. Annoys me how they changed the rules on the co-drivers killed one of my fav weekends of the year.
Yes, the Super Touring race was the official ARDC (Australian Racing Driver's Club) Bathurst 1000 after a spat between V8 Supercars and the ARDC over television broadcast rights. ARDC had a deal with Channel Seven, V8 Supercars had a deal with Channel Ten. V8 Supercars, or the "Australian Vee Eight Supercar COmpany" aka AVESCO, was a newly formed company in 1997 -- held 50% by a media company, and 50% by the ATCC team owners association (TEGA, as opposed to the UK's TOCA!).
When the 5000cc Group 3A (V8 Supercar) rules were drawn up for the ATCC in 1992, they were **supposed** have only about 400-450hp and do about the same lap times as 2000cc cars as raced in the UK, so that you'd have 2L and 5L cars racing door handle to door handle (much like the E30 M3s against the Group A Commodores) -- this went horribly wrong of course as far too many freedoms were given to the 5000cc class, and the ATCC hence became a closed shop for Falcon and Commodore. Therefore the 2000cc class entrants, like the BMW team, formed a new series from 1994 called the Australian Super Touring Series (the BMW team did stick with the 2.5L E30 M3 EVO for the 1993 ATCC season, but the M3s weren't very competitive anymore -- in the end, the BMW team raced both Commodores in the ATCC and BMWs in the ASTC).
This Australian Super Touring Championship is the one that gladly stepped in to race at the ARDC Bathurst 1000km when V8 Supercars (or the ATCC) choose to abandon the event. With some international entrants from the BTCC as well, of course.
Stubbornly, the V8 Supercar category simply organised **another** 1000km race at Bathurst within a few weeks of the official ARDC race (the unofficial Bathurst 1000km is the one that continues to this day, with the ARDC race being dead), and unfortunately most of the fans simply turned up for the unofficial V8 Supercar race instead. You can visibily see that the crowds were quite slim at the super touring Bathurst 1000 races unfortunately. A lack of attendance is a problem that still afflicts the Bathurst 12 hour or Bathurst Easter race meeting to this day. Despite the world coming down for the 12 hour (as they did for the Super Touring 1000km), it doesn't seem to interest fans as much as the V8 Supercar race. 🤨
Nice unique topic. Thanks! Me and the team would love to do some racing with you and your friends. Cheers!
"And nigel mansell... leads. this. race. The guys in the Ford garage can't believe it... Talk about hero." Ah nige, the nexus of racing and entertainment. Never surpassed. Best memory of that was the commentators literally struggling the catch their breath.
Was one of the best
I've been waiting for this one
Was a good one!
I was there, soaking wet 12 year old me with my best mate for my birthday. And yes the best BTCC race, maybe one of the best races I’ve ever seen. Nice trip down memory lane. Loved it.
In addition to the BTCC, there were also rumors that year that Mansell would return to the US & do a few races in the IRL or in NASCAR. The IRL rumor died quickly because Mansell found racing on ovals (especially in an IRL machine) to be terrifying, especially after his wreck in 1993 at Phoenix in CART. As for the NASCAR rumor, Mansell wanted to do the Watkins Glen weekend in the #35 Tabasco Pontiac. However the owners of the #35 team did not want an open wheel driver in their car because they feared that the regular NASCAR fan would not recognize him. Instead they went with NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip (their regular driver at the time).
ANY race that involves "Our Nige" is the greatest race of all time.
Yeah, it was a proper humdinger. An era where the cars looked different from each other and it was a proper dust up
I remember a magazine quoted Alain Menu, when asked about his preferred team-mate. He made reference to "the guy with the moo-stache". Maybe Nige or maybe Will Hoy? We'll never know.
They need to bring back the Toca Shoot out thing
Merc *Wanted* someone lower profile - but Ole Nige' was too big for the mp410 - I guess missing a coupla races can hurt your profile? Then to crash in one of the next two events... I assume by then, his profile had suddenly become irreparably too small? Amazing how that happens/d.
I recall Mansell causing that crash and blaming everybody else, especially Tiff.
He was terribly critical of that McLaren F1 car and caused a spat with Ron Dennis and co
Any chance of a video about another moustached driver, Keke Rosberg?
this brings up an interesting point. if a current or recent f1 driver was going to compete in touring car racing who would it be? i could see Riccardo or Vettel having a go, maybe even Alonso. i couldnt see Hamilton, Russell or Verstappen trying it. i dont think it would interest Hamilton or Russell but i could imagine Verstappen enjoying it, but he doesnt have any reason to go for it.
I completely agree with you on all those assessments.
Alonso thinks he still has unfinished business in F1 so maybe not yet but Riccardo and Vettel would be great to see in touring cars next year. Kimi too.
Danny Ric has said a few times he's keen to have a drive in something at Bathurst, if that counts. Now he's out of a full time F1 gig it might actually happen, who knows. I think he'd be more likely to get a drive in a GT car at the 12 Hour than in a Supercar at the 1000, either would be fine with me! 🙂
Looking at the late 90's BTCC lineup and thinking they'd be no competition for an F1 world champion is like looking at Wimbledon FC's crazy gang and assuming they'd be no match for any of the first division teams of the time. It's a different game and they play by different rules.
McClelland v Soper... still the best BTCC racing
Nigel with no moustache is seriously cursed
Great tale Aiden :) When do we get a Mario Andretti story???
iv been trying to find video of this race, part of it was on youtrube but its gone
It’s funny if you try and find the 1998 btcc race on UA-cam, people just label other years as 1998 probably to get views. I just watched like 4 different 1998 donington btcc races and none were from 1998 lol and nobody in the comments can tell. They’re all like omg this was such a good year I remember this race! ITS NOT EVEN THE RIGHT YEAR! WHAT ARE YALL REMEMBERING 😅
Have just tried to watch a video where the American presenter kept referring to Lancia as "Loncha". Appalling. This is much better.
I was there in 98 Nigel destroyed two Ford Mondeos two engines and due to his crash failed to drive in the TVR race however the TVR was built to win a very expensive weekend for Ford
I agree with the title. ( Cleland/mansell)
A video about Group 5 would be nice
and this video alone has confirmed Aidan's payment for yet another month.
And this proves one thing, John Cleland ALWAYS went for first
He’s waving his finger to say I’m number 1.
Dale Earnhardt also had a badass mustache
I thought Graham Hill and Dick Dastardly were the same person? Can't say I've ever seen them in the place together?! 🤔
dig it the most
I have a question about the race this weekend, when Sergio or anybody gets a lap time deleted during the race, why don't they lose the lap? If the lap time is deleted how does it exist?
It just means that lap doesn't count for the fastest lap of the race, which is worth points in the championship. No points for a deleted lap time.
Mansell had arguably the most famous moustache in the world. Freddie Mercury fans (of which I'm one), and Desmond Lyman fans may disagree.
I mean… there was a bloke in the mid 30s who had one that was rather recognisable.
Charlie Chaplin.
Thought it was a video of BTC racing not actually what it was
Didn't he race in this series after he won Indy Car?
the car was crap, he was fucking EPIC
Who would win in a fight Dale Earnhardt's mustache or Nigel Mansell's mustache?
Could be a tough ask to get another champion into BTCC given Ford would have had deep pockets to pay Mansell and the attitude to money being "budget cap? Never heard of her" back then, but definitely a "never say never".
What about Keke Rosbergs moustache?
If ya could see it through the smoke 😏🤣
I still say the 92 season finale is the greatest touring car race ever.
Dale Earnhardt Snr - he had a moustache!
Dick Dastardly or Graham Hill...surely they're one & the same person?
Would this be the time when he drove a car costing way way way more then the competition 🤔, nigel is one of my favourites of all time but ive raced against money its a hard slog.
Its not the full race but its most of it that I uploaded on my back up dailymotion channel
Well, thank you because when I first heard about this race I looked it up and only found your upload
@@aojracing4885 btw the night race from the following season is there too
I saw a video of Mansell playing some sim racing game, complete with pedals a steering wheel. He had no practice and took a lap or so to get the feel.
Soon he was tearing round the track and passing everything that came his way.
I think he ended the game in first and walked away dismissing the experience, saying it was nothing like real racing.
It's fair to say it shows how quickly he could adapt to any competition involving a track with bends (it was Brands Hatch so he did have some knowledge) and a racing car, real or otherwise, depending on your opinion.
On another note, Nigel Mansell's autobiography is, in my opinion, the greatest autobiography by a racing driver, by a long way. The sacrifice's that he and his wife made to keep Nigel racing, at all levels, read like insanity as only Nigel and his wife believed he had what it takes to compete.
When lesser men would crawl out of a hospital bed and into retirement, knowing they had done their utmost, Nigel dusts himself off and takes greater risk to promote his career.
It is a true tale of heartbreak to hero ( and ultimately to heartbreak again )!
Imagine Lewis doing a round of BTCC
No disrespect to Lewis but I doubt he is enough of an animal for touring cars.
@@philiptownsend4026 Still it'd be fun to watch
Who currently owns and runs the BTCC, Aiden??
TOCA, under their legal name BARC
Don’t know about Martin Schanche then Mr Rallycross