1988/1989 BTCC championships

[kusee pee]

When visiting my parents this week I popped into the local 'reclamation centre' and discovered to my delight two videos of the 1988 and 1989 BTCC championships. Two hours long each and they cost me 40 pence for the two! Never have I had so much fun for so little money. Some awesome racing - those RS500s were something else - flames everywhere and oversteer every lap. Touring Car racing needs to bring back RWD, manual gearboxes and alot more power...!

To add to this delight, I was at a trackday at Brands Hatch yesterday and had the fortune of sharing a pit-garage with the original Lawrence Bristow 1989 RS500 in all its 550bhp glory, in original livery! It's been a good week

[Tim Netherton]

I flogged the same two vids off last autumn for about the same price - a golden era of TC's in my opinion.

[deevlash]

what is this "videee-oh" of which you speak?

[EDLT]

deevlash said:

what is this "videee-oh" of which you speak?

Its a big round black thing, works like a manual DVD player.

[Black Sport 160]

The Rouse / Soper battles of 1988 were particularly exciting. The way the pair of them attacked the Brands Hatch GP circuit (Round 8) in changeable conditions was a sight to behold.

[heebeegeetee]

Tis true though, a bit like WRC, I find the current cars difficult to get excited about. I guess they're just too efficient to be exciting.

[hot metal]

Got these too ,Frank Sytner was a nut

[pikeyboy]

hot metal said:

Got these too ,Frank Sytner was a nut

he still is slightly bonkers.....

[kusee pee]

hot metal said:

Got these too ,Frank Sytner was a nut

True! When told that Mike Smith had stolen a point for fastest lap at Snetterton by putting slicks on Frank shouts 'who put the fking tyres on the car?!'. Great stuff.

[stifler]

Why not put it up on youtube?

Disclaimer: this is not what the poster would recommend.

[smiller]

Joyous stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X77ozcS4Xgc

Lovely looking things, those Sierras as well.

[hot metal]

"Andy Rouse can see Steve Soper in his mirrors and Steve Soper can see Andy Rouse ahead" Murray you weren`t half a tool sometimes

[kusee pee]

hot metal said:

"Andy Rouse can see Steve Soper in his mirrors and Steve Soper can see Andy Rouse ahead" Murray you weren`t half a tool sometimes

I laughed at that same comment yesterday - genius!

[FourWheelDrift]

Sytner was a pussy cat compared to Dave Brodie

Thuxton early in 1987 - http://www.dailymotion.com/michto93/M3/video/xdpwm...

[kusee pee]

FourWheelDrift said:

Sytner was a pussy cat compared to Dave Brodie

Thuxton early in 1987 - http://www.dailymotion.com/michto93/M3/video/xdpwm...

If you look closely you can see the tongue in his cheek - he pulls it off very well though!

[FourWheelDrift]

It's also 1987, the title is wrong on the video. I think the person recorded it as a review programme in March 88, but it was the previous seasons race, as Gravett & Smith were RS500 team mates only in 87.

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Sunday 22 February 12:00

[kusee pee]

FourWheelDrift said:

It's also 1987, the title is wrong on the video. I think the person recorded it as a review programme in March 88, but it was the previous seasons race, as Gravett & Smith were RS500 team mates only in 87.

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Sunday 22 February 12:00

Weren't Gravett and Smith RS500 team mates only in 1989? In 1988 Smith was in an M3 team mating Sytner?

[FourWheelDrift]

That is definitely 1987 the first year he competed, but I forgot the Trakstar year with Smith and Gravett in 1989. Then with a limited budget they could only run Gravett in 1990.

[cobylu]

Great personal memories from that time included a weekend at Silverstone for the Tourist Trophy involving those from the BTCC, ETC and from Australia, a high class field if I remember rightly 88 or 89 I think.

Bumped into Andy Rouse in paddock on the Saturday, was very pleasent (think he'd just put it on pole) and signed an autograph for me and my dad.

The highlight though was turning up on the Thursday night in the car and caravan and asking at the main entrance where the nearest campsite was, they asked if we had outr passes, said no and they waved us on over the bridge into the cicuit to the area where all the marshalls and teams were camped. didn't pay a penny all weekend for entrance and had great access to the infield and paddock. I think we made a donation to the marshalls fund of some sort.

Great times, tried the same again the year after but were directed round the corner to the public site.

[Chris Sideways]

What sort of lap times would these cars be donig? Much faster then todays cars i guess??