How long.......

[Danielsun]

...... have you all been fans of our favourite form of motor racing, Touring Cars? This is just to see whether the 'oldies' have been fans for a time relative to their age, or do they not have as much fuel in their blood as the younguns?

I'll start the ball rolling (or the engine running)... I've been an avid fan since 1988. My first ever live racing came at Lakeside for the ATCC. DJ and JB in Sierras, Brock and Richo in M3s, Larry and company in big VL Commodores...

So, how long have you been into it?

[Heeltoe6]

Mid 90s, when "the deuce" used to carry various European series. Got really into it when the Since 96 when the NATCC came into existence(albeit very briefly). Then I got SV on cable who picked up the british and aussie touring cars, and became even more hooked.

[JMeissner]

Have to say it was when Volvo enterd BTCC 1994 with the estate. And when Swedish Television started to transmit the BTCC races there was no return...

So, since 1994 I guess..

[Bring Back The Cavaliers]

Since i got the season review at the end of 1990. Been an avid fan ever since, though i've yet to get down over the border to sample the other tracks other than Knockhill.



CLELAND!!!!!

[Crash Test]

Daniel: Now you have a few years on me right? Well my first ever race meeting in the flesh also happened to be the Lakeside ATCC from 1988....it's a small world after all...

I was always a fan, you know TV and sometiems going to the track, but i guess the but bit me really hard at the Gold Coast Indy, 1993.

Right nowi probably don't have a favourite, but i guess it would have to be the sport sedans, especially after going to the National round at Oran Park the other week..

[TimD]

Round about 1973, I reckon, when the BTCC was Chevrolet Camaro Z28, BMW 3.0, Opel Commodore GSE, Vauxhall Magnum and Ford Capris. Oh, and the Mopar sponsored Hillman Avengers - remember them? My grandfather had a Hillman Avenger, which is why I latched on to it.

To be honest, I sort of drifted away about 1996-7. ST was never quite the thing, I thought, when previous years had Sierra RS500s, Rover Vitesses and Maserati Biturbos....

[TheShadow]

As a teenager I followed the Capri vs BMW wars as best I could. Autoweek had good coverage back then.

Began following touring cars again in the late eighties.
The M-3 and Ford battles were great fun.

The DTM was and is my favorite. Though now more of a tube frame GT coupe series, it still has great looking cars and top level pros at the wheel.

Shadow

[DAVID PATERSON]

I've always been a touring car fan, since the early '70s. I remember watching Bathurst and the ATCC in the old Group C days. I nagged and nagged my parents to take me to a race, they never did. In 1985 I was old enough to go on my own and I've hardly missed a meeting since.

[TimD]

Wa-hey! Bathurst '85. Wasn't that the year of the TWR Jaguar XJ-S, and the JPS-sponsored BMW 635CSi?

That was a sensational year. David you're a lucky man!

[Danielsun]

"...a few years..." Mr Test, you make it sound like I'm an old git like Craig! I'm only twenty...

I take it, then, that you would well remember the fiery crash of about 1990 or so under the Dunlop Bridge? Terry Finnegan, Glenn Seton, et al...

Mr D, Bathurst 1985 was indeed the year of the cats - TWR came, saw and conquered (could swear I've heard that before...) the Mountain. The gorgeous old 635CSi was in its second last run at the track.

I'll also go along with TheShadow in his comments about the DTM. Even though in Australia we only received minimal coverage of it, still the series was - and will again be - brilliant. Can't claim that anything beats Group A, however...

So how long have the 'old buggers' (to the Forums, I mean!) been fans? Dave? Craig? Lorna?

[Crash Test]

Ahckkk...20...thats old!

It was in 1989...what a heck of a weekend that was!

Firstly a prod car went through the fence on the exit of the Karussell (where we were standing), so we were all told to nick off. Sadly however, I left my green Dick Johnson flag tied to the fence
Then a Formula Ford rolled right in front of us (after the race finish...) and then all hell broke loose. Myself and my aunt were sitting next to a transporter in the paddack, when we heard this almight crash, then saw the black smoke...We made our way over there and there were people and cars all over the race track. Most of the fires had been put out, but the cars were still going past at full tilt, thered flag hadn't been put out yet...amazing...

The storied of this shunt are ledgendary...talking to a flaggie at the scene the other week, and they were at the track filing reports until 8pm....