Mike Smith

[BDunnell]

It is worth noting the death yesterday of a former BTCC race winner — broadcaster Mike Smith, who took an outright victory alongside Robb Gravett in a two-driver event at Brands in 1990. A better driver, I would say, than he was often given credit for.

[steveaki13]

Yes I saw this news.

Personally didn't know much about his racing career

[BDunnell]

Yes I saw this news.

Personally didn't know much about his racing career

He was a regular competitor in production saloons, and won the 1986 Willhire 24 Hours when it was a pretty big deal. His first full-time BTCC drive was with BMW in 1988; competing in Class B, he finished fifth overall in the championship. That year he was on course for a quite superb overall result at the soaking British GP support race, beating several of the Sierra Cosworths that were in a class above, until he threw the M3 off at Copse. That was perhaps Smith's drawback — he could be rather wild. But he was fast, as a couple of his performances in the Trakstar Cosworths in 1989-90 proved.

This was probably his most (in)famous moment in touring cars — spoiling his team-mate Frank Sytner's day at Snetterton in 1988. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeUclUMcEMY

[GravettFan99]

Very sad to hear. He had one of the best personalities of that era in touring cars. R.I.P Mike Smith.