Friday 21st September 2018

Reid vs. Rydell, 20 years on: Time For Coffee?

It's now two decades since Rickard Rydell won the 1998 BTCC - time to relive it

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Oft-repeated phrase though it is, the Super Touring era of BTCC really was magnificent. Big grids, big budgets and big name drivers all conspired to create some truly memorable racing and hours of entertainment. One or two rather cool cars, too...

Everyone will have their favourite season, but 1998 lingers fondly in the memory for a number of reasons. First is simply that Super Touring was in decline after that; for 1999 Peugeot and Audi dropped out, then in 2000 - the final year of those regulations - just three manufacturer teams entered. Throughout the 90s there had been huge manufacturer support, with eight factory teams a regular fixture every season - 1998 would be the final year in history that Britain's premier tin top championship enjoyed such widespread investment.

What a season it was, too. With the Audis no longer able to run four-wheel drive for 1998 all cars were front-wheel drive. While there were victories for '97 champ Alain Menu in his Laguna, the Vauxhall Vectra driven by John Cleland, Will Hoy (Ford Mondeo) and James Thompson (Honda Accord), it was Anthony Reid and Rickard Rydell who proved the class of the field.

Reid's Nissan Primera and Rydell's Volvo S40 could always be found somewhere near the front of the pack, most notably at Brands Hatch when the two came to blows both on and off the track. Rounds 25 and 26 would decide who took the title, because nobody else could at this point, and it was the Swede's to lose.

As can be seen in the video, it's proper BTCC end-of-term carnage. Anthony Reid attempts perhaps a move never seen outside of TOCA Touring Cars, Alain Menu fights both Hondas numerous times and even David Leslie gets involved in a skirmish. More than that it's genuinely tense racing, James Thompson always lurking with the potential to turn things on their head.

Of course that didn't happen, and Rydell won the championship in that glorious, five-cylinder S40. In fact he won the BTCC on 20th September 1998, so here it is to mark 20 years (and a day) since that triumph. What a win. What a car. What a series...

 

 

[DanG355]

Aaah the 90's Super Touring era. My favourite time for the BTCC - saloon cars that could take a battering, lots of ramming each other to make passes, hot headed drivers (John Cleland was my pantomime villain) and a grid of cars that looked like the road cars with larger wheels and spoilers.

Fond memories of watching these live on the BBC and I think I remember Murray Walker commentating although that could be a different era. Every race was a slam fest of tit for tat bumping, blatant use of the "ram another car rather than use your brakes to slow down at a hairpin" method and yet I don't remember many driver reprimands - what happened on the track stayed on the track!

Looking back at it now I'm not sure the large manufacturers would back such antics on track but my word it was great to watch.

I still enjoy the BTCC today but by these standards it just feels a little more like a lower formula despite the progress in technology and no doubt faster lap times.

Might watch more tonight to see Volvo estates on track, Alfa Romeos flipping over umpteen times, Smokin Joe in the BMW, Mansell taking out Needell and an angry Scotsman giving an irate interview after coming off worse in a demolition derby!

Edited by DanG355 on Friday 21st September 09:54

[GiveItSomeWellie]

I remember getting the 1998 season review as a gift for my 8th birthday on VCR. I don't think I've ever watched something quite so much, I'm fairly sure I could recite most of the results!

This was really what got me into racing. F1 was cool, but my parents had a Vectra and I could see it going racing with my next door neighbors Nissan Primera, and my parents friends Volvo V40, there wasn't anything better to an 8 year old!

The feature race at the 2nd Donington meeting has to go down as one of the most exciting races ever held, I still love watching it to this day.

[Pintofbest]

Most of my company car history on that grid - loved that series.

[The Brummie]

So much more fun than today’s BTCC. Super Tourers really were the dogs bks.

[DanielSan]

I may have to get the season review out this afternoon.... It was great to see Rydell driving his S40 at Silverstone Classic this year, so many memories came back. And always great to see John Cleland out in the Vectra at the historic touring car rounds. It’s like being 12 again

[BricktopST205]

Ah the 90's BTCC, WRC and F1 all in its prime. It's is a sad state of affairs when you look at them now.

[Lord_Howit_Hertz]

This Era of racing really was brilliant, although as was the E30's and Sierra's of the time before to be fair.

Lunch time on Saturdays waiting for BBC to show 'the days' schedule hoping there was more Tourers & Rally X races than horse racing and at what times I needed to be back in the house.

As someone else mentioned though, this Era was more about the fact I was watching my Dads 3 Series compete with my neighbour's Laguna and my best mates dads Alfa whilst the old bloke across the roads dog carrier of a volvo mixed it up a bit.

[mp3manager]

Things were better in the past shocker!

Slow news day?

[RuthlessGK]

I remember my nans window cleaner telling me to collect the Auto Trader mags for like 4/5 weeks and you sent off for the VHS Tape. The only year i did it i received the 1998 season. I watched this over and over again. I loved it. That S40 was a monster. I remember the Mondeo MK2 looking sweet. In fact most of the field was great looking. I remember them going on about Yvan Muller in the Audi A4 and Nigel Mansell aquaplaning while in 1st place lol
Gosh i wish racing was still the same as this lol

Zaff

[Seb27]

Fantastic! I was there, as an 8 year old, the first race meeting I remember going to. I remember driving down in my dads Triumph Acclaim and leaving 3 cans of coke on the passenger seat, which when we returned had exploded all over the headlining and the beige velour seats as it was so hot that day.

My favourite driver was Mr Cleland and I had made a cardboard sign with 'Go Go Go Cleland' in black marker pen, covered in pictures of his car that I had cut out of Autosport magazines and PVA glued on. I queued up in the pit lane to meet the drivers, and John took his time to look at my sign, ask if I had made it myself, and wrote a little message on it and signed it. I remember holding it up every time his car went past. It is still hidden away in my parents loft somewhere. The circuit was so busy with spectators, it seemed like an absolutely massive event especially to an 8 year old.

It was the day that made me decide whatever type of life was ahead of me, I was going to race something myself at Brands one day myself and I told my dad that on the way home. 11 years later I found myself sitting on the grid in a very rotten Toyota MR2 mk1 race car which promptly blew its head gasket 4 laps in.

[Billiewhiz]

Cleland v Soper v Harvey.

This was one I will never forget, had driven to Silverstone in my Cavalier, to watch Cleland win the Championship!!! Stood up on the bank at Woodcote and this happened right in front of us.

"the mans and animal" !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GUHJ2N2GbQ

[Jon_S_Rally]

The Super Tourers and WRC got me into motorsport. While rallying is my thing these days, I still look back fondly at this era. Was even watching some videos on YT last night. A fantastic era, with great drivers, great cars and great racing. The BTCC has lost its way a bit these days in my view. They do put on a show, granted, but the NGTC regs go against everything the BTCC is about in my view.

[Matt Bird]

mp3manager said:

Things were better in the past shocker!

Slow news day?

It was marking the 20th anniversary too!

[Hol]

Matt Bird said:

mp3manager said:

Things were better in the past shocker!

Slow news day?

It was marking the 20th anniversary too!

And... some things WERE better in the past.

It was watching the BTCC and support races that got me into track days. (We'll that and the local Banger circuit closing).

I do think it was better before Alpha Romeo turned up with their F1 sized lorries and comparatively big budget in 1995.

[Venisonpie]

The teams were all manufacturer backed or based and the sponsors secondary, therefore you knew who to get behind from a marque perspective and what to "buy on Monday".
Now, who knows?

[Mr-B]

Fantastic era of BTTC! Cars that looked like you could buy them and real characters that raced them, and a no holds barred approach meant a cross between circuit racing and a demolition derby, brilliant!

[GroundEffect]

I'm a Super Touring obsessive, but really, are the cars today objectively any worse?

They're faster over a lap; still look like the road-going equivalents; produce close racing and are so much cheaper than the STs ever were.

What's missing might be the top-flight drivers - the rest is just nostalgia.

Always had a soft-spot for the Lagunas though:

[BricktopST205]

GroundEffect said:

I'm a Super Touring obsessive, but really, are the cars today objectively any worse?

They're faster over a lap; still look like the road-going equivalents; produce close racing and are so much cheaper than the STs ever were.

What's missing might be the top-flight drivers - the rest is just nostalgia.

Always had a soft-spot for the Lagunas though:

How much faster over a lap? Not much if any. I do not really have a comparison but at the Goodwood FOS they had a touring car shootout this year and 2016. Most were around mid 50's up the hill. Anthony Reid did it in 50 seconds in his Primera Super Tourer years earlier.

Super tourers were 900kg all motor 320 ish BHP. NGTC is what 400kg's heavier with a turbo motor only putting out around 30-40BHP more. Aero was more impressive on the super tourers as well. Also please do not forget we are talking about a 20 year gap as well!

Edited by BricktopST205 on Friday 21st September 13:37

[stuninho]

This takes me back! Proper racing by hairy chested men.

Any other links to videos that might be worth a watch? Could waste a day watching Cleland's crazy antics.

[VTECMFR]

I think simple reason I've felt out of love with Touring Cars, is because they don't just look like your next door neighbours car with some alloys and stickers, they look bloody mental, but not in a good way, they are too far fetched, the wide body kits etc.

If they made the cars more simple, but still stripped out and with the power, I think it would be a great watch and would get more back into it.