It’s an oft-quoted opinion that the BTCC isn’t what it used to be. Whether you agree with that sentiment or not, old footage of the series in days gone by is still just as exciting to watch as it was in its time.
"I'm going for first" - according to Murray
This video dates from over 20 years ago – hard to believe, but true. What a classic it now is, though. The sight of Super Touring
and Toyota Carinas dicing with each other under any circumstances is enough to make most PHers a little gooey inside. And that’s before we even get to the fact that this was the final, deciding round of the 1992 championship.
And boy, was it a close-run thing coming into the event. Just one point separated Tim Harvey, then driving a BMW, and John Cleland for Vauxhall. Toyota driver Will Hoy was still in the championship race, too, but all three qualified badly, forcing them to fight their way through the pack. In the closing laps, Cleland found himself boxed in by the BMWs, with Harvey behind and his team-mate Steve Soper up ahead. Soper pinned Cleland back, invoking the Scotsman’s middle finger (and Murray’s even more famous explanation “’I’m going for first,’ says John Cleland”). Harvey then managed to get a run on Cleland, after which Soper allowed him through before slamming the door shut behind. What ensued was one of the most talked-about comings-together in the annals of BTCC history. Whose fault was it? Judge for yourself – but Cleland was incensed, trying to get into Soper’s car with view to... ahem... expressing his dismay, shall we say, and afterward describing Soper as ‘an animal’. The crash denied Cleland the championship, and allowed Harvey to romp home in fourth with the spoils. Take five minutes out of your day and relive that victory.
