TOCA Shoot-out

[BDunnell]

I remember Ian Flux and Gary Ayles in Peugeots for the 1992 event as well, Flux in a Peugeot Talbot Sport machine (which I think became his 1993 RKR BTCC entry) and Ayles in a Peugeot Sport Italia entry.

I'm sure that Ayles didn't run in the 1992 Shoot-out, though he did drive the Italian-entered 405 in the final BTCC meeting of that season at Silverstone. It was Flux and Gravett in the two 405s, and both did superbly, Flux setting the fastest lap.

[BDunnell]

...from memory I think James Kaye used one of the TOM'S/Castrol cars, rather than his regular Carina

I think that's right.

[Iain]

I was only 11 at the time and have only seen the race once (in the end of season BTCC review on BBC2 that Christmas), so forgive me for being wrong sometimes.

I sure I remember Will Hoy driving the safety car at one of the shootouts though, I might be wrong, but it's something that sticks in my mind.

I'm still eagerly awaiting the rest of this race to appear on Youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8GjGPmzRygE

Notice that Andy Rouse is using an older Carina that was used by Thorkild Thyrring and Julian Bailey during the regular season. One of the 1991 Kaliber/ICS cars going by it's navy blue and white livery.

[BDunnell]

There was to have been a 1995 race, but it was cancelled. A shame, as Autosport reported Alan Gow as saying that he would have liked to have run it the opposite way round the Donington circuit!

[BDunnell]

I'm still eagerly awaiting the rest of this race to appear on Youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8GjGPmzRygE

Notice that Andy Rouse is using an older Carina that was used by Thorkild Thyrring and Julian Bailey during the regular season. One of the 1991 Kaliber/ICS cars going by it's navy blue and white livery.

It was partly that car's lack of pace that made that race so entertaining. Rouse had an incredible first lap and got in front very early on, but then, by his own admission, held everyone else up.

[Iain]

There was to have been a 1995 race, but it was cancelled. A shame, as Autosport reported Alan Gow as saying that he would have liked to have run it the opposite way round the Donington circuit!

I remember that! Donington being one of the few UK circuits to have a licence to run in the reverse direction. Knockhill and Mallory Park being the others that I know of.

[Coops]

There's no reason, with such a big field once again, not to run something similar to the TOCA shootout again. And the world cup, as the implementation of s2000 regulations has been rolled out across Europe for a while now. I suppose the WTCC kind of fills that void, but it'd be great to watch foreign cars and drivers go head to head with home grown talent again. I've just been watching the touring car world cup of the mid-nineties on youtube, fantastic seeing the Audi of Pirro getting stuck into familiar names.

The Oulton Park Gold cup used to be awarded to BTCC drivers (ala 1993), what series is it awarded to now? Brit GT or F3?

[LiamM]

It'd be hard to implement now especially for such a small audience (we may all like touring cars, but its a small minority in comparison). Bar two teams the field is full of independents, remember a few years ago when they tried to do a non championship race as a F1 support at Silverstone? It was rather quickly vetoed by the teams.

[Iain]

The Oulton Park Gold cup used to be awarded to BTCC drivers (ala 1993), what series is it awarded to now? Brit GT or F3?

It gets awarded at their annual big historic meeting in August now.

Liam, perhaps if there was a big money prize or a really good incentive to enter at stake, it would be successful.

[BDunnell]

I think there are several reasons why the Shoot-out probably wouldn't work now. Back then, it was a reverse grid race and offered a bit of novelty. Now, reverse grids are a matter of course. It also never attracted a great entry on its own. 1992's was very poor, but the race made up for it. Without Mansell, 1993's grid was average with just a few front-running cars (Radisich, Soper, Leslie, Needell, Gravett and Coyne, apart from Mansell) fighting it out. And the line-up in 1994 was bolstered by it being the support race for the World Cup.