“It opened up the series to those who didn’t want to spend huge amounts on getting their cars homologated,” continues Gow. “The prevailing direction for road car firms at the time was 2.0 litres, and that’s why that option was chosen. It simplified everything, it cleared the way for manufacturers to enter and, as a by-product, it made the racing simpler for the TV viewers to understand. The car that crossed the line first would battle for the title, which was the way it should be.”
In that inaugural season of 1991, there were four factory-supported teams. By 1994, in a mark of success of the regulations, the total had grown to 10: Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ford, Mazda, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volvo.
The driver market was in boom time too. From a smattering of plucky privateer entries and a handful of properly funded established stars, the expanding grid boasted ex-Formula 1 drivers, huge budgets and the latest technology, tempting tens of thousands trackside to enjoy the entertainment. The bubble was being inflated as each season passed.
John Cleland flew the flag for the home-grown talents among the influx of overseas talent. He prevailed in 1995 in his Vauxhall Cavalier, defeating rivals from seven different countries as well as the British regulars.
“It was actually an honour to race against all these highly feted drivers from around the world,” the Scotsman recalls. “I had come up through the UK ranks, where it was all ‘jolly good stuff’ and ‘after you’ type racing. When Johnny Foreigner came in to drive in the BTCC, they weren’t just any old foreigner – they were the German champion, the Italian champion, the French champion or ex-Formula 1 drivers.
I never felt like they were muscling in on my turf. It was such a change from the late 1980s, but I embraced it. It showed me – and the wider world too – that I could beat the best. So as far as I was concerned, the more the better.”
