- 5/2/2025
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00:00Now it's time for touring cars and the opening day of a new season, a sport which has grown enormously in popularity over the last few seasons.
00:09Races tend to be won on the track rather than in the pitch, as is so often the case in Formula One.
00:14Excitement virtually guaranteed. This is the first round of the new British Touring Car Championship season.
00:19Let's join Murray Walker at Donington Park.
00:21There's a holiday atmosphere at Donington Park and the British Touring Car Championship has clearly lost none of its allure over the winter.
00:30The crowd is pouring in to see the year's first non-stop tin-top action that never fails to turn them on.
00:38Vauxhall's reigning champion John Clelland from far-off Gala Shields is his usual cheery self, but will the Audi newcomers damp his ardour?
00:47German champion Frank Bieler will certainly be trying to in his superb four-wheel drive Audi A4, which has been dismaying the opposition in the winter testing and qualifying.
00:58Yes, of course, it was a very good weekend and the qualifying yesterday went quite well.
01:03First qualifying, I was a bit surprised that I lost 10s compared to Rydell, but in the second qualifying it went really good and we are on pole for the second race.
01:14It's quite OK, the main work is still to do.
01:17The Swedish Volvos seem to be the main threat to Audi and Ricard Rydell's in pole position as he was 13 times last year.
01:25But will his starts have improved?
01:27I had a problem with it in the middle of last year and I think it should be OK now.
01:32Today, we stand next to the four-wheel drive Audi, of course, they have a lot of traction,
01:36but I also think his practice start today didn't look too good, so I'm quite positive.
01:42Well, Ricard's going to need a super start here to out-drag the four-wheel drive Audi as Bieler revs up for his first race in the world's finest touring car championship.
01:51Row two on the grid, Bert's Volvo, Leslie's Honda.
01:55Joe Winklehock's BMW next with Hoy's Renault.
01:59Then it's Manu's Renault and Clelland's Vauxhall Vectra.
02:02James Thompson, Vauxhall.
02:04Newcomer John Binkliffe's Audi.
02:07Revalia BMW, Radiceach Ford.
02:10Ailes and McCauley's Nissan Primeras.
02:12One second covers the first ten and now it's time for go in 1996.
02:18The green light and it's away down to Redgate and Frank Bieler leads.
02:24He's past Rydell, that's exactly what Ricard didn't want to happen.
02:28Hoy has a look, Bert is third as they go into Redgate.
02:34Now from Redgate down through the Crane of Curves, building up to 120 miles an hour.
02:39Frank Bieler leads, Rydell is second.
02:42And look at Bert and Leslie together round the left-hander.
02:45Into the old hairpin, the right-hander, here they are.
02:48Couldn't be closer and Rydell drifts wide.
02:52Leslie's hit him, hit him at the front, hit him at the back.
02:55Rydell spins out and he must have stalled the engine.
02:58He's stationary, on they go.
03:01So now Bert is second, then the two Renaults, Hoy and Menuh, Cleland is fifth.
03:05John Binkliffe is in sixth position in the second Audi.
03:09From Maclean's up to Coppice.
03:11Round Coppice the right-hander.
03:13And Ricard Rydell is out.
03:17What a way to start the season.
03:19That's David Leslie.
03:21And boy, is he angry.
03:23Bieler's gone already, so it's Volvo, Renault, Renault, Vauxhall.
03:27That's Frank Bieler starting as he means to continue.
03:31Bert is second.
03:32And Radisic is off.
03:33Collision with John Binkliffe.
03:35Paul Radisic, the double world champion in the Ford Mondeo, out of the race, down to the Melbourne hairpin.
03:41Hoy is going for second, past Kelvin Bert.
03:44Through on the inside.
03:45Menuh is coming up.
03:46There he is in the background.
03:48He's gone through and moved up into third position.
03:50It's all action.
03:52So, Bieler, Hoy, Menuh.
03:54The two Renaults are together as they go round the left-hander at Goddard.
03:59Kelvin Bert in the Volvo.
04:00There he is, down to fourth position, down the weak cross-straight.
04:04So, Bieler leads.
04:05There he is.
04:06But hang on.
04:07The safety car's out.
04:09That car with the flashing light on the roof is the safety car.
04:14So, he's obviously gone out because of Ricard Rydell's Volvo.
04:17They'll be recovering it from...
04:19Yeah, there it is.
04:21Rydell's Volvo being recovered.
04:22Now, here's a replay.
04:25Rydell goes wide.
04:27Look for David Leslie in the background.
04:28He's got nowhere to go except onto the grass.
04:31Hits the front of the Volvo.
04:32Hits the back of the Volvo.
04:34They are both out of the race with two very damaged motorcars.
04:38Rotten luck for David Leslie.
04:40Now, we're inside Rydell's Volvo.
04:42Bieler ahead.
04:44He's lost it.
04:45There's Leslie.
04:46Bang, bang.
04:48And out goes the Volvo.
04:50Came round the corner.
04:51Ricard was a bit late in to the corner.
04:53And I lost the back of the car and spun it.
04:55He's sitting across the circuit where I was.
04:57I had Kelvin right beside me.
04:59I know where to go about it to him.
05:00But now the safety car is pulling in.
05:10The race is restarting.
05:11Frank Bieler is leading the two Renault Lagunas into Goddard, the left-hander, to start another lap.
05:18So, Audi, Renault, Renault, first, second, third, down to Redgate.
05:24Kelvin Burt in the Volvo is fourth.
05:26Look for the vector of John Clelland.
05:28He's in fifth position.
05:30There it is.
05:32John Bickliffe in the Audi is sixth.
05:34Then it's Winklehobb.
05:34James Thompson, Revalia in the BMW, James Kaye in the Honda, and the rest of them go through.
05:43And now we're with Paul Radiceat in the Ford Mondeo.
05:46That's his teammate Steve Robertson, and he spins.
05:50Robertson spins, and Paul Radiceat hits him.
05:54The two teammates have hit each other.
05:57My goodness, that's about the worst thing that could possibly happen.
06:00And both Ford Mondeo's brand-new cars out of the running, and there's a lot of damage there.
06:06Radiceat out of the car.
06:07Steve Robertson on the right.
06:09It's his first touring car race.
06:11What a way to begin.
06:12And Bieler leads.
06:13Poi is second.
06:14Venu's third.
06:15There's Burt.
06:16Clelland.
06:17Bickliffe still in sixth position.
06:19Winklehobb and Thompson together around the right-hander.
06:23And Patrick Watts in the Peugeot 406.
06:26That's another of the new cars in today's race.
06:29Down to the S's.
06:30This is the battle for eighth.
06:31James Thompson in the Vauxhall Vectra.
06:34Revalia in the BMW.
06:36Behind them, James Kaye in the Honda Accord.
06:40Through the S's.
06:41Now down to the Melbourne hairpin.
06:43This is about 120 miles an hour.
06:45Hard onto the anchors.
06:47Into the hairpin.
06:49James Thompson.
06:50Just about the youngest man in the race.
06:53Just recovering from a very nasty eye injury last year.
06:57In the works, Vauxhall.
06:58And there he is.
07:00Into Goddard.
07:01That's Roberto Revalia, who's won just about everything.
07:07Touring cars only world champion.
07:09The German touring car champion.
07:11The Italian touring car champion.
07:13He'd like to be the British touring car champion.
07:16But he won't be unless he moves up further than this.
07:18Now we're with James Kaye in the Honda as we go into Redgate.
07:23Now out of it.
07:24Building up to 130 miles an hour.
07:26Through the craner curves.
07:28Look for the apex.
07:29There it is.
07:30Now down to the old hairpin.
07:32Back into fourth gear.
07:3390 miles an hour.
07:34There's the BMW ahead and ahead of that.
07:37The Vauxhall Vectra of James Thompson.
07:40That is Frank Bieler.
07:41Will Hoy.
07:42Alan Manu.
07:43Calvin Burt.
07:44John Cnellen.
07:45John Binkliff.
07:46Right with him.
07:47His number 22.
07:48Smoking Joe Winklehop.
07:50The 1993 champion.
07:52We're in his car now.
07:53Look for the light.
07:54When the last light goes on, it's time to change gear.
08:00There he goes.
08:01Upper gear.
08:02Going down to the S's at 140 miles an hour.
08:06He's behind Binkliff and he's going for the place.
08:08Out from under the Audi's wing.
08:11Through on the left.
08:13And that is experience.
08:15The 1995 champion of Germany says,
08:18Thank you John.
08:19And away I go.
08:21Down to the hairpin.
08:22Now he's chasing John Cnellen's Vauxhall Vectra.
08:25That's it.
08:26Fifth place.
08:28Winklehop sixth.
08:30Binkliff seventh.
08:31Climbing up to Goddard.
08:33This is it.
08:34And Frank Bieler leads in the four-wheel drive Audi A4
08:39as he exits the corner.
08:41Goes down the Winkcroft straight.
08:43Down towards the right-hander at Redgate.
08:46Out goes the board to Winklehop.
08:48To tell him he's in sixth position.
08:51And there is John Cnellen in the new Vauxhall Vectra
08:54being chased by Joe Winklehop.
08:56Now, John Cnellen, last year's British champion,
09:00in a brand new car.
09:01It's displaced the Vauxhall Cavalier.
09:03There's a lot of work to do on it,
09:05but it's undoubtedly going to be a very good motor car
09:07later on this year.
09:09As Joe Winklehop chases it through the old hairpin.
09:13Now climbs up towards McLean's.
09:15Listen to that BMW engine.
09:21Cnellen, Winklehop, Vauxhall, BMW,
09:25out of McLean's, up to Cobbis again.
09:29Alan Menuh goes through.
09:31Burt fourth.
09:32Now it's the dash down the Starkies straight to the S's.
09:38Can Joe Winklehop take John Cleland as they get to the S's
09:41as he took John Binkliffe on the previous lap?
09:44Oh, John Cnellen's having none of it.
09:47He keeps the door closed, keeps tight into the apex.
09:51Goes right.
09:52And Winklehop goes off.
09:54Winklehop spins.
09:56He's lost the back of the BMW out onto the grass.
10:00Well, he lost the engine there, but he's restarted it immediately.
10:03He rejoins.
10:04He's lost a lot of places.
10:05He was sixth when he went off.
10:07He rejoins in 11th position.
10:09And here's a replay.
10:11Turns it left.
10:12That's John Cnellen ahead.
10:14And Winklehop gives it just a bit too much welly,
10:17a bit too soon.
10:19Off he goes.
10:21Fires up the engine.
10:22Sticks it into gear.
10:23Rejoins the race.
10:24And that is Richard Cave running very wide indeed.
10:27Stays on the tarmac.
10:29Gets back in the race.
10:31Lost a lot of speed.
10:32Now, those are the two Peugeot 406s, the new cars.
10:35Tim Harvey passing his team-mate Patrick Watts,
10:38who's obviously in trouble.
10:41We're with Patrick now.
10:43And he's very clearly touring in to retire.
10:47Oh, they were a bit late getting the Peugeot ready,
10:50so it's not altogether surprising.
10:52But he's been passed by car after car.
10:54That's Owen McCauley.
10:56Lee Brooks right behind him is Rob Gravitt.
10:58They're battling for the top privateer Total Cup honours.
11:02Brooks, we're with him in the Toyota Corina,
11:08but ahead of him is Owen McCauley's Nissan Primera.
11:11That's the blue car going up towards McLean.
11:14Right behind Brooks is Rob Gravitt.
11:18There he is.
11:20That's Rob, the 1990 British champion.
11:23And he's coming up to Coppice in the Ford Mondeo.
11:27The team dynamics car, and he rockets through.
11:30Now, can he catch McCauley?
11:33Gravitt has passed Brooks.
11:34But this is the race leader, Frank Bieler,
11:40commandingly on his own in the Audi.
11:43But behind him, look, Joe Winklehock in the white BMW
11:47is fighting back after the spin,
11:48straight past James Thompson's Vauxhall Vectra,
11:52as though he was standing still.
11:54Thank you, James, says Joe.
11:56Up towards McLean's.
11:59But I don't think he's going to get any more places.
12:01Winklehock, Thompson.
12:04Into the long straight.
12:09And at Goddard, Frank Bieler is making it look like a country drive.
12:15So smooth.
12:18There's the Renaults behind him,
12:19but he's keeping them well back.
12:22Out goes the board to tell him,
12:23and there's a happy man.
12:25That's Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich, the Audi team manager,
12:28watching his man leading home.
12:31Will Hoy, second.
12:32Alan Menuh, third.
12:33And look back.
12:34That's the gap to Kelvin Burt's Volvo, fourth.
12:38John Clelland in the yellow Vectra, fifth.
12:40John Minkliffe, sixth in his first race for Audi, number 44.
12:45Even the two Lagunas can't catch Frank Bieler.
12:49But, look, Brooks has caught McAuley's Nissan, and Owen, number 15, is going off.
12:55He's been passed by Rob Gravid already.
12:58In the Nissan Primera, McAuley, the Xbox All Lotus champion, rejoins the track.
13:0415 going all right.
13:05And James Thompson and James Kaye are fighting for eighth position.
13:09Round Redgate, on car with James Kaye, in the Honda Accord, into the Crane of Curves again.
13:17That drop down to the old hairpin.
13:21It's right on the razor's edge of adhesion here.
13:25And through.
13:26Oh, he's barging his way through.
13:28Kaye pushes his way past Thompson, up into eighth position.
13:32And this is the last lap.
13:34Frank Bieler, out of Melbourne, up to Goddard for the last time.
13:39So calm and in charge.
13:42And it looks as though he's taking it easy.
13:44It's a crushing debut for Audi.
13:47He beats the Renaults.
13:49He beats Will Hoy.
13:50He beats Alan Menuh.
13:52And Frank Bieler wins for Audi.
13:56His first race in the British Championship.
13:58His first win, and it certainly looks as though it's not going to be his last.
14:02BMW won the championship in 1993.
14:06Alfa Romeo did it in 1994.
14:08And now Audi are ahead after the first race this year.
14:13So, well done, Frank Bieler, and well done, Audi.
14:15Second and third for Renaults Will Hoy and Alan Menuh.
14:19Fourth for Berks Volvo.
14:20Fifth for Cleland's Vauxhall.
14:21And a really fine sixth for first-timer John Bindcliffe.
14:25Time now to reflect on a seemingly effortless and historic win for Frank Bieler.
14:30Yeah, the start of the race was very good.
14:35But that's one thing, or one advantage I think of the Quattro.
14:39Because from the line it's very, very good.
14:43And even the first lap we can warm up our tyres very, very soon.
14:47Very, very early.
14:48But at the end, the first time you know where you are is the first race.
14:52And I'm very happy to win the first race.
14:55But I have to say that Renault was pushing very hard.
14:58And Ricard went off in the first lap.
15:00So that made life probably a bit easier.
15:03But it's a very big challenge.
15:05And it's a nice thing to do.
15:09Had a SEED British Touring Car Championship.
15:12Round one going to the world champion, Frank Bieler of Germany.
15:15In very convincing fashion in the Audi.
15:17Let's see how he fares in round two.
15:19Once again, back to Donington and Murray Walker.
15:22Top men, Alan Menuh, David Leslie and Patrick Watts are in trouble for race two before it even begins.
15:28They start from the back as a penalty for their car ride heights being too low.
15:32But Frank Bieler is in great shape with his Audi in pole position this time.
15:37Ahead of Ricard Rydell's Volvo.
15:39So, Audi first on the grid, Volvo second.
15:42Wilhoi's Renault third, Joe Winklehock's BMW fourth.
15:46John Bintcliffe an excellent fifth in the second Audi ahead of Bert's Volvo.
15:50Revalia, BMW seventh, Thomson's Vauxhall eighth.
15:54Then Paul Radisic Ford, Clelland's Vauxhall.
15:57Richard Kaye and Gary Ailes, followed by Lee Brooks and Owen McCauley.
16:02Eighteen laps and Frank Bieler's hot favourite for an Audi double.
16:09Red, green, action.
16:12It's another superb start by Bieler.
16:15Hoy and Rydell are fighting for second.
16:17And Hoy in the yellow Renault has got it into Redgate.
16:22And ten agonising seconds later, off go the six penalty men, led by Lesley and Menuh.
16:32And at the front of the Crainer Curves, it's Bieler leading.
16:36Hoy second, Rydell third.
16:38Bintcliffe in the second Audi is fourth and Winklehock is behind him.
16:42Round the old hairpin, we're with Winklehock.
16:44That's Bintcliffe's Audi ahead, 125 miles an hour, up to McLeves.
16:50Audi leads, it's Bieler.
16:52Hoy second, Rydell, Bintcliffe fourth.
16:55What a charge.
16:56Winklehock fifth.
16:58Up to Coppice.
16:59Here they come.
17:01There's the Audi.
17:02Renault, Volvo, Audi, BMW, Volvo.
17:05That's Kelvin Birtz, down the Starkey Street, 140 miles an hour.
17:10And it's the run down to the S's where Smoking Joe Winklehock excels.
17:15Look for the BMW.
17:17He's trying to pass Bintcliffe.
17:19Into the left-hander.
17:21Bintcliffe holds his line.
17:23Winklehock runs a bit wide.
17:25We're with him now.
17:27That's Bintcliffe ahead, down to the Melbourne hairpin.
17:29And there goes Birtz, Volvo, past the BMW.
17:33Kelvin Birtz moves ahead.
17:35Birtz up to fifth.
17:37Round the Melbourne hairpin.
17:39It's nose to tail behind.
17:41Up to Goddard.
17:43Bieler, Hoy, that's Rydell.
17:4544 is Bintcliffe.
17:47And James Thompson, number seven, is going through inside Winklehock and Goddard.
17:52He's done it.
17:53He's got the Boxall Vectra ahead.
17:55Winklehock has lost two places.
17:57Down to Redgate now.
18:00There's the leader, Bieler.
18:02Renault, Volvo, the second Audi.
18:06Winklehock, number 22, round Redgate.
18:09Inside the BMW.
18:10James Thompson ahead.
18:12The Vectra's going well in only second race.
18:15And Winklehock is in an all-new BMW.
18:19Down to the old hairpin.
18:21Winklehock and Revalia are behind the Audis, behind Hoy's Renault, behind two Volvos and a Vauxhall.
18:27There they are, climbing to McLean's.
18:30The leader goes through.
18:32Bieler, Hoy, Rydell, Binkcliffe, Burt and the rest of them.
18:36Look at the pack.
18:3721 is Revalia up to Coppice.
18:41It's a bit of a gentle climb round the very quick right-hander.
18:45This is it, into the Starkey Street, which is 140 miles an hour.
18:50Down to the Esses.
18:51Now, is Winklehock going to have another go at James Thompson?
18:54There's the yellow Vectra.
18:56Behind it is the white BMW.
18:58This is where Winklehock attacks.
19:00There he is, crouching low in the cockpit.
19:02And he biffs Thompson, who slides wide but holds the place.
19:08And Winklehock is losing places.
19:10Revalia's going through.
19:12Thompson's up there.
19:13And Radisic is moving up as they come down to the Melbourne hairpin.
19:17It's jostle and push everywhere.
19:21Thompson's dropping back.
19:23Climbing up to Goddard.
19:25Binkcliffe, Burt.
19:27Cleland is sixth.
19:28Thompson is down to seventh and he's bent his bumper.
19:3121 is Revalia.
19:34Out of Goddard.
19:35Thompson's bumper damaged.
19:37Fleeling away at the front of the car.
19:39Down to Redgate.
19:40Battle for sixth.
19:41Cleland, Thompson, Radisic.
19:43There's Cleland.
19:44There's Thompson.
19:45There's Radisic in the blue and white court.
19:47Number six.
19:49And we're with New Zealander Paul Radisic now in the Shoebell Mondeo.
19:54James Thompson is ahead.
19:55Ahead of Thompson is Cleland.
19:57And you can see that loose trim on Thompson's voxel flapping as he goes through the crane of curves.
20:03Down to the old hairpin.
20:05Brakes hard.
20:0590 miles an hour.
20:06Fourth gear.
20:07Accelerates away.
20:08Up towards McLean.
20:10Under Starkey's bridge.
20:11Five of them as one coming up to McLean's.
20:15One, two, three, four, five.
20:17It's a terrific fight.
20:19That's James Thompson.
20:20And here's a replay.
20:24Winklehock chasing Thompson down to the S's.
20:27Turns in.
20:28Bang!
20:29Thompson slides wide.
20:30Holds it beautifully.
20:32Keeps his pace.
20:33Winklehock is in trouble.
20:35And at the S's.
20:36Alan Menuh is flying in the Renault from the back of the grid.
20:40Up to 11.
20:41Past Gary Ailes.
20:43We're with Menuh now.
20:44And the next target is Winklehock, number 22, behind Revalia, behind Radisic.
20:51Up to Goddard.
20:54Cleland, six, Thompson.
20:56There he is in seventh position.
20:58There's the Ford of Radisic, the two BMWs.
21:01And Alan Menuh in 11th place in the Renault.
21:05What a charge.
21:06Here he is, chasing the two BMWs.
21:09He's up from 17th place to 11th.
21:12P10 is Winklehock's Ford.
21:14How much longer is he going to be there?
21:17Into Redgate.
21:20Thompson is edging away a bit from Radisic.
21:24And Radisic has got three cars right behind him.
21:27Now there's Thompson.
21:28There's Radisic.
21:30Behind him, Revalia in the white BMW.
21:33Winklehock in the white BMW.
21:35And Alan Menuh in the yellow Renault.
21:37The four of them together.
21:38With Menuh, three hard men ahead.
21:43Radisic, Revalia, Winklehock.
21:45They are all champions.
21:49Into McLean.
21:50Ford BMW, BMW Renault of Alan Menuh from Switzerland.
21:55He's going for Winklehock.
21:57He's going for Winklehock.
21:58He passes the BMW into Coppice.
22:00Moves up into 10th position.
22:02Alan Menuh is flying down the Starkey Strait.
22:06Cleland, Thompson, there's Radisic.
22:10Behind him, Revalia.
22:11Then, in the yellow car, it's Menuh.
22:15Behind him, Winklehock into the S's.
22:18Ford BMW, Renault, BMW, Winklehock.
22:22Win Menuh.
22:24Revalia ahead.
22:25And it's late braking.
22:28Incredible.
22:30Menuh just nudges Revalia.
22:33Moves through into 9th position.
22:36This is a fantastic drive by Alan Menuh in the Renault Laguna.
22:41Ford Renault.
22:45Radisic and Menuh down the Wheatcroft Strait.
22:49And the Williams crew are all agog.
22:51They're watching Alan Menuh.
22:53Checking on the meteoric Alan Menuh.
22:56Down to Redgate.
22:58Ford, Renault, BMW, BMW.
23:01There's Menuh.
23:03One wheel up as he goes round the right hand.
23:05And now he's going for 8th position.
23:07That's Paul Radisic ahead in the Ford Mondeo.
23:10It's an all-new car.
23:12So is Alan Menuh's.
23:12Who is going to come out on top as they exit the old hairpin?
23:18Well, Radisic is.
23:19And Menuh's gaining.
23:20Made Menuh's right alongside the Ford Mondeo.
23:23And he's going through to 8th position.
23:25We're with Radisic.
23:26Look for Menuh on the right.
23:27There he is.
23:28He's passed.
23:29Up into 8th position.
23:31Sensational.
23:32McLean's.
23:33Menuh 8th.
23:33Radisic 9th.
23:35Revalia 10th.
23:36Winkelhock is 11th.
23:37And they are all catching James Thompson's Foxall Vectra.
23:42Now.
23:43Now are Starkies.
23:45There's Thompson.
23:45All on his own.
23:47Cleland in front of him.
23:49Menuh bearing down on him.
23:50Who's got the Ford behind him.
23:52And the two BMWs behind him.
23:54Into the S's.
23:56Beautiful line.
23:58Clips the curve.
23:59Clips the curve.
24:01Accelerates up to 120 miles an hour for the descent to Melbourne hairpin.
24:06It's hard on the brakes.
24:07Down through the gears.
24:08Menuh turns in.
24:09And he's pulling away from Radisic.
24:14Which he's gaining on Thompson.
24:16You can see it.
24:17End of the lap.
24:18These are the leaders.
24:19Frank Bieler.
24:20Audi.
24:21Behind him.
24:21Will Hoy.
24:22Renault.
24:22Behind him.
24:23Ricard Rydell.
24:24Volvo.
24:25And Bidcliffe is still fourth in the second Audi.
24:29Superb.
24:30That's Thompson's board.
24:32Place seven.
24:332.8 seconds behind Cleland.
24:35But Menuh is catching the Vauxhall.
24:37And there's the proof.
24:38And the Menuh turns into Redgate.
24:40Frank Bieler, though, in the Audi A4, is on his way to win number two.
24:50It looks as though nothing can stop him now.
24:52Climbing to McLean's.
24:53Followed by Will Hoy.
24:58Looking good.
25:00In-cut with Menuh.
25:01He's catching Thompson.
25:03And he goes past.
25:04Thompson's in trouble.
25:06Menuh has gained ten places.
25:08Can he catch John Cleland ahead and take sixth?
25:13Alan Menuh exits Coppice.
25:16The head of James Thompson, who's slowing down.
25:19There he is in the background.
25:21He's going to be caught by Radisic and the two BMWs before very much longer.
25:27Down to the S's.
25:29Thompson goes through.
25:31And as one, Radisic.
25:34Revalia.
25:36Wickelhock.
25:38In car with Paul Radisic.
25:43Thompson ahead.
25:45Radisic goes through into eighth position.
25:47Thompson is definitely in trouble.
25:49Both the BMWs have passed him.
25:51He's gone down two places.
25:53Oh, and he's peeling off.
25:54He's going into the pits.
25:55James Thompson's race is over.
25:57And a Goddard.
25:59Bert is fifth.
26:00Cleland is sixth.
26:01Now, this is a terrific scrap.
26:03The British champion of 1995, John Cleland, was in a Vauxhall Cavalier last year.
26:09This year, it's the new Vauxhall Vectra.
26:12And he's chasing Kelvin Bert's Volvo 850.
26:15Kelvin fairly new to touring car racing.
26:18He came up from Formula 3 as British champion.
26:21He's taken to a duck to water.
26:23Look, he's ahead of no lesser man than John Cleland.
26:26As he goes into the old hairpin.
26:29Puts down the power.
26:31Stays ahead of the Vauxhall.
26:33And that is Alam Menuh.
26:36And it looks to me as though he's slowing down.
26:38Because, look, Radisic and the BMWs are gaining on him.
26:41As he climbs out of the old hairpin.
26:43They are.
26:44We're with Menuh.
26:45He's definitely in trouble.
26:47Pass goes Radisic.
26:48Pass goes Revalia.
26:49Pass goes Wickelhock.
26:50And that is terrible luck for the Swiss driver.
26:54After a brilliant drive.
26:56Climbing up to Koppis.
26:58But I'm sure he's just coming in.
27:00And Radisic with Revalia and Wickelhock behind him.
27:04Has now got a fight on his hands.
27:06Joe Wickelhock behind the Italian teammate.
27:08And he is very angry.
27:11Move over Roberto.
27:12Let me through.
27:13I'm attacking.
27:15He certainly is.
27:15Look at him as he goes into the S's.
27:18Wickelhock thinks he can get past Radisic.
27:20If only he could get past Revalia.
27:23But Roberto's having nothing of it.
27:25Here's Donington Meister.
27:27Frank Bieler ruling the roost.
27:30Hasn't got power to go now.
27:34And it's a great, great day for the Audi men.
27:38Down to Redgate.
27:39He's already had the fastest lap in this race.
27:42But in race one he had a new lap record.
27:4592.03.
27:47Hoy second.
27:48Rydell third.
27:49Bidcliffe fourth.
27:50And at Goddard.
27:52Radisic has got Revalia attacking him.
27:55Radisic in the forward Mondale.
27:57Has got Revalia coming up alongside him as they come down to Redgate.
28:00Has he?
28:00No, he's back a bit.
28:01And Wickelhock is pushing his BMW team mate.
28:06And Menü is in the pits.
28:08Well, the engine suddenly lost power.
28:11Like the last two or three laps.
28:13And that last lap it was just like, it was just dead.
28:17So I just cruised back in the pits.
28:18It's the last lap and Paul Radisic is really under pressure.
28:24He runs wide.
28:25He runs wide.
28:2621.
28:27Roberto Revalia pulls up alongside him.
28:29Behind him is Wickelhock.
28:31And we're with the German as Revalia attacks and McLean's.
28:34He hits Radisic who just moves to the side.
28:40Revalia goes through.
28:41Wickelhock is past him up into eighth position.
28:44Radisic has lost two places as he goes round Coppice.
28:49Down the straight.
28:49Now, we're with Paul Radisic down to ninth place.
28:53He's not going to take kindly to that.
28:56The BMW ahead.
28:59And Radisic attacks into the S's.
29:02Inside Wickelhock.
29:03Hits the BMW off.
29:06Off goes Wickelhock.
29:08Well, that's no way, Paul.
29:10Poor Joe Wickelhock is out on the race.
29:13And it's two races, two wins for Brent Bieler and Audi.
29:17What a debut in the BTCC.
29:20Plus a pole position.
29:22Two fastest laps, one of them a record.
29:24Full house.
29:26Joe Wickelhock struggles back onto the track.
29:30And here's a replay as Radisic tries the impossible.
29:34Where with Wickelhock, Radisic behind.
29:37Thump.
29:38Pushes him sideways.
29:40Goes through.
29:41And Wickelhock's race is over.
29:44A magnificent double for Frank Bieler
29:46and his Audi A4
29:47with teammate John Bidcliffe a superb fourth
29:50and a lot of very worried men everywhere except Audi.
29:54To the winner, the very well-deserved spoils
29:57and Frank Bieler is the man.
29:59He came, he saw
30:00and he blew everyone else away
30:02with nonchalance and ease.
30:04It's a day that Audi will long remember
30:06as they savour the 24 races yet to come.
30:11Bieler leads Hoy by seven points in the championship
30:13with Will 10 ahead of Kelvin Burt.
30:16John Bidcliffe a very impressive fourth
30:18with two points more than John Cleland and Richard Rydell.
30:22And they've all got a lot to do
30:24to catch the German with his four-wheel drive masterpiece.
Recommended
30:39
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