Best Super Touring driver ever

[krt917]

Hi all,

We've recently been putting together a special issue on the Super Touring two-litre era of tin-tops. Discussions in the office inevitably led to 'who was the best driver?'

In the end, we decided to go and ask as many ex-Super Touring drivers as possible what they thought and then added their lists together to get a final list. We're going to publish that on Thursday (in Aug 15 mag and online), but I wondered what other people thought.

So, who was the best? Only rules are that the driver has to have competed in at least one season of the two-litre era (known as Class 2 in Europe and Super Touring here from about the mid-1990s): 1991-2000 in the case of the BTCC. And we mean best in Super Touring rather than people who appeared in it and were mega elsewhere.

I think my personal choice would be Laurent Aiello, given his success across different championships.

It'd be interesting to see how the fan vote compares with the driver one!

Regards,
Kevin Turner
Autosport Features Editor

[RacerRich]

Steve Soper. End of.

[krt917]

Yeah, he's definitely up there for me as well. It's a shame he rarely had a full crack at the BTCC.

[PorscheFanNo1]

Smokin' Joe, Menu, Biela, Rydell, Aiello would be my top 5.

[Sodemo]

John Cleland, no question.

[davec]

Originally Posted by PorscheFanNo1

Smokin' Joe, Menu, Biela, Rydell, Aiello would be my top 5.

I would have to agree with these as a good starting point.

Although there are others I prefer these 5 would be at the top for pure ability. Other's are Radisich, Leslie, Hoy and Cleland who had a certain quality that made them approachable in a way that maybe Menu and Biela were not. For me Joe Winklehock always had that twinkle in his eye that said he was up to something.

[LeonidasBL]

Yvan Muller, Rickard Rydell, James Thomson, Gabriele Tarquini and I think Huffy is up there with the best of them.

[NaBUru38]

Old thread

What I posted was:

BTCC 1992-2000:

1. Alain Menu
2. Rickard Rydell
3. John Cleland
4. James Thompson
5. Jason Plato

[Mr Pink]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Old thread

What I posted was:

BTCC 1992-2000:

1. Alain Menu
2. Rickard Rydell
3. John Cleland
4. James Thompson
5. Jason Plato

Off topic comment alert I have to type this or my brain will explode! For some reason I read James and Jasons names as one, James Thomato Thanks for reading, you've been a wonderful audience. Don't forget to try the veal and tip your waitress. We now return you to the topic

[NaBUru38]

Other outstanding drivers: Yvan Muller, Laurent Aïello, Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Paul Morris, Brad Jones.

[Cesco44]

The best in the Super Touring Era was without doubt Alain Menu

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Rickard Rydell was amazing, but Soper takes it for me.

Keith Ódor was hugely underrated though. I still think he could've beaten guys like Frank Biela to the 1995 STW title. And he outdid the legendary Win Percy in the Janspeed Nissan. His 1 BTCC win was nowhere near as many as it should've.

And of course, by far and away the best Independent driver was Matt Neal...

And why were guys like Soper and Andy Rouse not included in the best drivers not to race in F1? I know they never really tried single-seaters, but they had as much talent as the F1 crop.

[kipper]

For me it has to be Laurent Aiello.

As an aside, I think the drivers I enjoyed watching in the BTCC the most were Jo Winklehock and Roberto Ravaglia.

[Craner Curves]

Aiello without a doubt.

[Hazard]

Added poll with all (eligible) options discussed so far.

[Aysedasi]

Soper for me.

[Metzo]

Laurent Aiello


why no Johnny Cecotto?

[Madd_Dogg88]

I cast my vote, but personally would have gone for Radisich. Probably the unluckiest Supertouring driver ever, too!

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

I was going to say, where is David Leslie, Will Hoy, Paul Radisich, etc. Keith Ódor?!

[Andrew Abbott]

Originally Posted by Metzo

Laurent Aiello


why no Johnny Cecotto?

Agreed, Cecotto should probably be added to the poll.

[chunder]

The guy that won in differet sorts of cars in different championships, three in fact Aiello. And the won DTM too. Different class to anyone on the list really.

I would say Soper was perhaps the quickest in the UK, but only ever in Beemers, and often outpaced by team-mates.

Pirro gets a look in as he was quick wherever he raced.

But my favourite overall would be Smokin Jo, proper character and a great driver.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

Rickard Rydell was amazing, but Soper takes it for me.

Keith Ódor was hugely underrated though. I still think he could've beaten guys like Frank Biela to the 1995 STW title. And he outdid the legendary Win Percy in the Janspeed Nissan. His 1 BTCC win was nowhere near as many as it should've.

And of course, by far and away the best Independent driver was Matt Neal...

And why were guys like Soper and Andy Rouse not included in the best drivers not to race in F1? I know they never really tried single-seaters, but they had as much talent as the F1 crop.

I know it's hardly F1, but Andy Rouse did initially race Formula Ford before switching to Tin Tops.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I know it's hardly F1, but Andy Rouse did initially race Formula Ford before switching to Tin Tops.

I do know this, and he finished I believe a lucky 13th in the Brit FF standings in 1971(?), but surely looking back on his tin top career he would've been a frontrunner the following season if he could do what he did in the tin tops.

Soper, meanwhile, never raced a tin top in his life, and was at the pace (even above) of Nelson Piquet Sr, Roberto Ravalgia, Marc Duez, JJ Lehto and some other big names in the McLaren F1 GT-R.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

And I'm pretty sure that some Win Percy and Andy Rouse fans out there would be disgusted that arguably the 2 best touring car drivers ever have been left out of the poll, despite taking part in Super Touring championships...

[BtccLee]

John Cleland. Champion in arguably the most cometitive year of the BTCC ST era in 1995 and always consistent. And winning in the dog of a car that was the Vectra in the late 1990's. A legend of the BTCC in my mind and a legend of touring cars in general.