TOCA Shootout

[Craig]

I mentioned the TOCA Shootout at Donington in an earlier post this morning and I got to thinking - do you think that this would work again in the future ? Or, if not the idea of blackflagging the last position car every lap or whatever it is, some other form of 'end of season party' ?

It was great how we used to get other drivers in the cars from the usual ones. Well I thought it was anyway

[Carrie]

I've got to admit that the only section of the TOCA Shootout I've ever seen is the bit with Mansell hitting the Starkeys Bridge. Don't really know what it was all about.

[Bring Back The Cavaliers]

Those were pretty good end of season parties. No one cared about panel damage, lots of bumping and a few big shunts. Putting the grids in reverse also added to the spectacle. Good to see different drivers as well. Even Chris Rea drove a Dynamics BMW.

[Eddie_harasym]

Yeah it would be great to have another TOCA shoot out at the end of the year.

I was watchin the race of champions the other day and thought about it then.

It would perhaps be possible too, as BMP seem to want to get stars to drive in the championship.

Just hope they hold it at donno again.

Mansall, WATCH THAT BRIDGE SON!!!

[vauxhall]

can someone please explain the toca shootout to me!!!!!!!!

does it happen @ the end of each year!

and how do i find out the dates for 'em?

[Peter.S]

Been scrolling through the old chat.

The 'TOCA Shootouts' were great.

On a freezing weekend in either October or November crowds would gather at Donington Park to witness regular and 'would-be' touring car racers qaulify, only to take up their grid positions in reverse order (that mean that the fastest starts at the back) a bit like stock car racing.
After a set amount of laps the car running in last place was black flagged.
When there were 4 cars left it was a sprint to the finish, normally after the pace car had found a reason to come out and bunch up the field.
Those were the days!!!!

[hunttheshunt]

I don't remember the TOCA shootout, but i do remeber the Tourist Trophy at Donington in '97-there were two sprint races, one with the grids in reverse order, and then a third, and final, 'feature' race-i remember loads of people came over to join the BTCC regulars-Aaron Slight, Kris Nissen, Christian Abt, as well as one Yvan Muller giving the FWD Audi A4 its debut. That rocked!

[KA]

The TOCA Shoot-Out was run three times- 1992/3/4- always at Donington. 1992 was won by John Cleland, and is remembered for the late Kieth Odor's lucky escape when his Nissan went off at the Old Hairpin and went over the fence into the spectator area. 1993 was won by David Leslie, if I remember correctly, and is best known as the year that Mansell hit the bridge... It was also the year of the 'guest' drivers- Mansell, Derek Warwick, Chris Rea and Tiff Needell being the best known (Mansell blamed Tiff for causing the shunt...). 1994 was run as one of the support races for the Touring Car World Cup race- both races going to Paul Radisich.
I was at all 3- the first one produced the best race, but they were all good fun!

[KA]

Originally posted by hunttheshunt
I don't remember the TOCA shootout, but i do remeber the Tourist Trophy at Donington in '97-there were two sprint races, one with the grids in reverse order, and then a third, and final, 'feature' race-:

They ran the Tourist Trophy at Donington twice- 1996 & 7. 1996 was a single race, something like 80 laps, and was pretty dull- I think Menu won, but can't remember. The 3-race format in 97 was better (as was the entry)- qualifying for the race with the reversed grid was a laugh as the likes of Menu Reid and Leslie all tried to go as slow as possible, to ensure being at the front of the grid for both races.....

[Guy Goddard]

93 Toca shoot out was a classic, had Mansell not lost it and hit the bidge he proberbly would have won.
Run it again in 2001 and have Mansell back but please don't invite Tiff Needall who has have habit of punting off other drivers..

[KA]

Although Mansell blamed Tiff for the shunt, from our vantage point (inside of the Old Hairpin)it wasn't particularly Needell's fault.
Nigel had been right on the ragged edge and beyond at the Old Hairpin on several occasions, and had got the Mondeo very sideways a number of times. The final one, he possibly clipped the kerbs on the outside,and the car went sideways- Mansell caught the slide, but over-corrected sending it the other way and went across the front of Needell (running with Steve Soper I think, who just missed him). Tiff stood on everything, but locked up and had nowhere to go.
The only difference that the collision really made was to the angle at which Nigel went off- probably causing him to hit the bridge rather than the barrier before it- he was already going off the track before Tiff intervened