I’m going for first - The race that put BTCC on the map

1992, the year Bill Clinton was elected as US president, Jay Leno debuted his famous talkshow, Nigel Mansell won the Formula One World Championship and BTCC had a dramatic title decider, that put the series on the worldwide map for obvious reasons. In this video, I talk about that infamous race.
DISCLAIMER: Special mention to all the original sources of certain clips used in my videos. Please do check out their content for the full videos.
Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. There are certain scenes from the Formula 1 calendar where race footage is used. All those rights are property of FOM. Other photos and news elements are used solely for the purpose of assisting the original content and to illuminate a more in depth story.

[@samuelgarrod8327]

These fourteen minutes is more entertaining than the entire 2023 BTCC season so far.

[@lyntonryan4766]

This is when Touring Car was existing , back then if someone got in the way you just crashed them out the way and if there wasn't a gap you just created a gap by shoving a car out the way I watched Steve Sopper before the second race of the day and he said " I think everyone is being too nice to each other out there I will have to go and have a word with them all" , John Cleland called Steve Sopper"an animal" 👍 !

[@marcorozema2]

Should check Clio Cup nederlands...

[@ThatCyberpunkGuy]

​@@lyntonryan4766Ayrton Senna would be proud

[@Jae2k7]

toyota....was that the Camryolla? lol i dont remember seeing that car on uk roads ever lol

[@StevePhoenix]

@@Jae2k7 It was a 2nd gen Carina. Not that popular of a car, so no surprise you haven't seen many of them.

[@terryjacob8169]

John Cleland still races a Vectra in historic touring car races; an absolutely fascinating man to talk to.

[@DjDolHaus86]

The British Tactical Crashing Championship

[@benrobertsuk]

The best BTCC years Ever!❤ 🇬🇧

[@duncanhamilton5841]

Remember watching it live. Remember also marvelling at the sheer hypocricy of Cleland stating 'this is clean' 🤣🤣

[@richmacer2108]

Yes- mans was a muppet.

[@alanhindmarch4483]

The super touring era was the best and most exciting. John Cleland was the man.

[@Tbence-kv6pw]

How could I miss stuff like this from you Jo? Good to see that you take your friends to a historical trip down memory lane.

[@legoferrari14]

Imagine if a GTE-Am Team won the WEC outright because class specific points also counted towards the overall championship. That would be an outrage today.

[@DISCO__COWS]

I have never in my life heard of the BTCC and this is the most enthralled I’ve felt about racing in a long time your energy is on fire

[@dave1the1deer1hunter]

Mid 90's BTCC was brilliant. the only thing I've seen recent which matches it is the Aussie V8 Touring cars.

[@karlstannard662]

Bumped in Steve Soper a few months back in our local dentist waiting room. Yes I was there on that corner watching from the disabled concrete platform it was a good viewing area camera in hand

[@garysmith6267]

I was at that race and was on the outside of the corner they crashed at. It was as deliberate a move as I've ever seen. Steve Soper did it deliberately absolutely no question about it.

[@ledgendsrus]

The man’s an animal

[@goosegog]

I was really looking forward to watching this but it's verging on unwatchable due to all the silly clips and text. I got to 3:32 and closed the tab.

[@awestruck9075]

Soper was retaliating the previous corners, but not far enough up the inside to be call clean. On this occasion Soper should have been penalized.

[@C2JZ]

Cleland started it dirty, Soper finished it dirty. They both made equal moves. Blame cannot be given to only one of them.

[@AfroMyrdal]

The fact that you only have 319 subs is absolutely criminal! Now you have one more, and may there come many others! 😁

[@theant9821]

Do you have breathing difficulties or record this while desperate for the toilet. You should put commas and full stops in your script, not have paragraph long sentences without a breath in the middle.

[@flamintasty]

What a prat!! Perhaps you should have used a question mark while you were trying to be clever. 🙄

[@immortalisuk4625]

Totally understand what you mean, struggling to breathe just listening to it 😅 not a bad video but I only made it halfway through before having to just leave it. I love Motorsport videos but I can't listen to the higher pitch F1 speed commentary.

[@toineleuverink9905]

same here....I stopped watching. @@immortalisuk4625

[@stemartin6671]

I think you and Mr Immortal need to get a grip of yourselves, total soyflakes getting emotional over commentary on a YT vid. 😅

[@joeyc8546]

Nice analysis, was a talking point for a few seasons after that. Good to have the backstory on it and the old class info too, what a muddle that sounded.

[@jyrr123]

I think you will become big with this channel. Great quality again

[@nigelpogson5411]

I never got over the fact that Cleland won the championship in an Astra! As a big Soper fan at the time the incident was clearly Clelands fault and he deserved it Lol!

[@GFY127]

Soper did it on purpose. He cut across the grass. 100% blatant. In the end they both admitted liability and were disciplined by former racer Win Percy and both got a slap on the wrist. To bann either of them would've been detrimental to the championship. They are 2 of the best ever. Very entertaining. BTCC 1991 TO 2000... WHEN TOURING CARS RULED THE WORLD 🚘🏁🌎

[@stuartleckie]

I thought Soperman was one of the absolute best drivers of the time. But I’m Scottish, so I’m always going to root for my countryman. (I was at the Knockhill race with Colin McRae shredding his tires going very sideways) IMHO, Soper could of avoided taking himself and Cleland off, so while I wouldn’t say he deliberately took Cleland off, he certainly was responsible for ending his race.

[@Chunkychucky]

True, however the way Cleland went in to Brooklands (the left hander before), clipper the kerb and went up on 2 wheels, he’d have run off on the exit of that corner at the very least had Soper’s E36 not been there to stop them 😂 Proper red mist moment for Johnboy the way he flicks ‘the bird’ at Soper then almost rolls his car at Brooklands!

[@gothicpagan.666]

Ah the old CCC column

[@ForburyLion]

I've lost count the number of times I 've re-watched this season on VHS and DVD, At the time I used to watch this on BBC's Grandstand at whatever random times they chose to broadcast it. As a kid it was relatable as these were cars you saw everyday and they kept crashing which was great to see (at that age it didn't occur to me someone could get killed, but as it was all pre-recorded highlights you already knew that wasn't going to happen)

[@statto300]

Another top class video Joe! Knew nothing about the 1st Points system, and my god its an absolute mindfuck 😂 My head spins thinking about it. I'm leaning towards that Soper knew what he was doing with the clash with Cleland. I really do, but only Soper knows if he meant it or not 🤷

[@lyntonryan4766]

Soper definitely meant that crash , John Cleland said of Soper "the man's an animal" 🤣😂🏁 !

[@richmacer2108]

Of course he meant it- Cleland had already punted him a few times, and in providing defence of his team mate (who was nowhere near as quick as Soper,)(nobody was as quick as Soper) he finally lost it with Cleland (who felt he had a god given right to be in Daddy's cars and win everything,). I know, I was standing on the outside of the corner where Soper finally delivered the biggest "fuck you" moment (and it had been coming) in British motor racing for many years.

[@rayeardley7618]

I've watched that incident many times and still am of the mind that Soper is entirely at fault for all of it - he left the gap Cleland goes for, realises it's happening and reacts too late shutting the door forcing Cleland onto the kerb to lift his car like it did, then runs off track and unsafely rejoins to spear him into the wall and end his race and title. Absolute filth.

[@seebarry4068]

I was at the Brands Hatch round this particular season on a VIP pass. Dad worked for Vauxhall. I had pit passes a few years previously to this. Good times.

[@BarbaricAvatar]

Of course Soper took Cleland out deliberately. But not to help his team mate, just as revenge for the barge that Cleland gave him the corner beforehand.

[@jonntischnabel]

I was 15 that year , remember going to the donington and brands hatch race with my dad😊

[@petermitchelmore2592]

Soper taking out Cleland made him tremendously unpopular.

[@richmacer2108]

I loved Soper even more after that.

[@DavidDavid-kl4ru]

Soper was a class above. Brilliant driver

[@richmacer2108]

Correct. Cleland lives in his shadow. Cleland's father became head of the competition department and gave him all the juicy drives...

[@rayeardley7618]

Really classy spearing the championship leading car into a wall for daring to go for a gap he left in his arrogance assuming he was too quick to be passed back. Soper was quick, but he was also arrogant on track and dirty with it. Should've been penalised earlier in the race for trailing the bumper that eventually fell off on track then this incident. He was at fault for his own spin early on too. I've never understood the adoration of the guy personally.

[@user-jo6ew3pz3s]

I have to say that this years BTCC has been very dull...Its almost impossible to distinguish between the cars and manufactures. I loved the Sierras Cavaliers Primeras and dont forget The Xedos...

[@gothicpagan.666]

Soper went from hero to zero in one foul swoop. John was a bit of a sod, but that move was just gormlesness of the first order. Harvey was never quick enough to win a championship without others having problems

[@KrytenChannel]

I was there! i won tickets in a work raffle. I've been a fan of the series since.

[@mortenfrosthansen84]

Such a nice livery on that Securicor M3

[@jammog2000]

Harvey finished 2nd in race 1 at Knockhill, Allam took the win before finishing 2nd in race 2

[@JWTalksMotorsport]

Ah I didn't know that, cheers for that. Generally thought Allam only won one race. Learn something new everyday I guess.

[@jammog2000]

I’ve been a fan of the BTCC for a long time and I know a lot about the series history I still watch it today and saw the last nine races of the 2023 season This years champion won four of those races and took the championship with two remaining BMW, which Harvey drove for in 1992 won the first 3 championships of the single class Super Touring formula in 1991, 1992 and 1993 Harvey came from 67 points down with seven races to go to win the title The first time Vauxhall won the title outright in the single class format was 1995 with Cleland in what was the Cavalier’s last season Cleland’s 1989 championship in the last year of the four class format was the first of many titles for Vauxhall as they also won four consecutive in the BTC-Touring era from 2001 until 2004 with an Astra and then two consecutive with a Vectra in 2007 and 2008 during the Super 2000 era (which was introduced in 2004)

[@fontheking5]

Cleland did not struggle with cold tyres at Oulton Park in 1992, but the reason he crashed was that his rear brakes locked up very badly every time he hit the brakes, and that was the reason why he crashed out on lap 1.

[@JWTalksMotorsport]

Didn't know that, from what I researched it said cold tyres but appreciate the extra info.

[@cloudstrife1983]

Ah the Supertouring days were the best

[@tescoshortage]

1992 was just a damn good year for motor racing.

[@Jae2k7]

tim @6:02...what happened? ive had a quick google. ....Nothing :/

[@Miata264]

Great video

[@paulmckinstry6374]

Yet again, proof that even bad publicity is good publicity...

[@garyskippracing]

The man’s an animal!

[@amazulu3401]

Cleland was robbed, no argument. Great,great times though, the best, and never to return.

[@bobz1736]

Good job 👏

[@Scorpio19110]

Let’s bring it to 60k

[@neilsowden800]

BTCC was awesome. Such a shame. Look at the crowds

[@efferington]

Very curious about the tim harvey / zandvoort / white powder comment!!

[@JWTalksMotorsport]

Nothing to do with Tim, more the team owner Vic Lee.

[@cms1138]

Breath!

[@Phil144gbp]

Remember this like yesterday 💪

[@honestmcgyver]

I had to stop watching. You make a good story just drop all the move clip weird quotes

[@animaltvi9515]

Is it a coincidence that you put mr bean at tge end ? Seeing as john Clelend looks like Mr bean

[@JWTalksMotorsport]

Pure coincidence actually lol

[@deanothemanc5281]

Team orders from Soperman.

[@thewalrus1968]

The b role memes are cringe. Totally spoil the video

[@truthoverlies1820]

Great content..TERRIBLE SPEAKING VOICE

[@RedneckSwede]

Sooooo, Cleland's kamikaze attack on Soper was all good then? Get real you motor journalist wannabe. Embarrassing.

[@richmacer2108]

Yes spot on.

[@rayeardley7618]

He leaves the gap assuming he's to quick to be passed back, realises and tries to close the door too late and forces Cleland onto the kerb sending the inside of the car up in the air and him running off track in the process to then unsafely rejoin and spear him into a wall... Yeah it's clearly the other guy's fault. 🙄

[@robair67]

@@rayeardley7618 so by "gap", you mean a half car width? The "track limits" lecture is given to every driver before every event! Cleland would have been more at home in a Mitsubishi Zero...