- 5/2/2025
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00:00The Auto Trader Touring Car Championship teams really want to win, and there are 22 cars on the track in front of the huge Grand Prix crowd.
00:11And a new manufacturer on pole position at Silverstone, Honda with a new, more powerful engine propelling David Leslie and the Accord to the head of a truly international field.
00:20Roberto Ravaglia from Venice, second on the grid in his BMW, head of Sweden's Riccardo Rydell in the Volvo, while double brands hatch winner Alan Menuh from Switzerland is fifth in the Renault.
00:32Championship leader Frank Bieler in his four-wheel drive out, he's got ground to make up from seventh, while flying Scotsman John Clelland, the reigning champion, is ninth in the Vectra.
00:44So on pole position, David Leslie and the Honda for the first time, with Ravaglia alongside him.
00:49Then it's the two Volvos, Riccardo Rydell and Kelvin Burt on row two, Alan Menuh and Joe Winklehock on row three.
00:55Frank Bieler's Audi lines up on row four with James Thompson beside him, then it's John Clelland on row five with Will Hoy, James Kaye in the second Honda on row six with Tim Harvey's Peugeot, then Steve Robinson and Paul Radisic in the two Mondeos.
01:08John Binkliffe down on row eight in his Audi alongside Patrick Watts, then the non-works team with Richard Kaye and Lee Brooks heading the pack.
01:15Alongside me, Charlie Cox provides the voice of experience, while on the track we've got 15 laps, 3.15 mile circuit, and the lights go to green.
01:25And David Leslie spins his wheels, it's Ravaglia makes the best start in the BMW.
01:30Leslie tucks into second place, then it's the two Volvos, Rydell and Burt.
01:34Joe Winklehock right down the pit wall on the left side of the screen.
01:37But it's Ravaglia in the lead, then Leslie, Rydell, Bieler, Burt, Winklehock, Thompson, and John Binkliffe's in trouble.
01:45He's gone wide, but that four-wheel drive will get him out of the gravel, all right.
01:49So, Binkliffe rejoins at the tail of the field, but it's Roberto Ravaglia at the head of it.
01:54Former world touring car champion, the Italian driving the German BMW.
01:59Then it's the Honda driven by the Scotsman, David Leslie.
02:01Then the all-Swedish line-up, Richard Rydell at the Volvo, ahead of Kelvin Burt.
02:06Through Beckett, now on to the long hangar straight.
02:10They'll be touching almost 150 miles an hour down the hangar straight here,
02:13towards the Stoke corner on the first lap around.
02:15Leslie's already having a look, but no, Ravaglia's got to hold him back, I think.
02:18Leslie will be kicking himself about that start.
02:20Ravaglia made a great start, but Leslie's was equally slow.
02:23He bogged it down, and quite frankly, very lucky to hang on to second.
02:28Down into the veil, now breaking hard for club corner.
02:31Leslie closes in, Rydell closes in on the tail of Leslie,
02:35and the BMW's pulling away out of club.
02:37Not for long, though, that Honda's really got a good line out of that corner.
02:40The BMW's getting well sideways, has run wide, the Honda's up on the inside.
02:44Leslie's got a fabulous run out of there.
02:46There's going to be a real dice into this tight left-hander.
02:49One person only can get through first.
02:50He's got the line, he's got the line, he's through on the inside.
02:52But Bagnia holds the lead.
02:54But Leslie, boy, is he getting some squirt out of this Honda?
02:57He's all over him.
02:57Honda fitted a new engine to the Accords for this race,
03:02and boy, oh, boy, is it working.
03:04Leslie's having a look down the outside.
03:05He'll take the long way around.
03:06No, he tucks in, and here comes Rydell.
03:08He wants to get in on the act as well.
03:10Three car scrap for the lead.
03:11Rydell's pushing Leslie.
03:13Leslie's sideways.
03:15Oh, tremendous car control, but he's lost a lot of ground.
03:18There might be car control.
03:19He's now going to need self-control.
03:21He'll be furious.
03:22There'll be a red mist, and Leslie will be thinking,
03:24don't get angry, get even.
03:25Riding with Joe Winklehock in sixth place.
03:27Leslie now fighting for fourth.
03:29Kelvin Burt there on the inside.
03:31But ahead of Leslie now goes Frank Bieler,
03:35and look at Winklehock right down the pit wall.
03:37He's making his move.
03:38He's trying for that fourth place.
03:40But look at Leslie right across the boughs of the BMW.
03:43He regains the place.
03:45Joe takes to the gravel, and look at James Thompson
03:47right around the outside.
03:49Superb driving in the Vectra.
03:51Kelvin Burt now in sixth place.
03:53Winklehock, he's been forced down to seventh,
03:55and now the menu's making a move too in the Renault.
03:57Winklehock really in the thick of the action.
04:01He's got a Renault either side of him now.
04:03Menuh in front.
04:04Wilhoy behind.
04:05Joe's really been shuffled back through this last couple of corners.
04:08The old edit, slow in, fast out.
04:10He's done the reverse.
04:12But now out in front, it's still Roberto Rabagli
04:14who leads Richard Rydell.
04:15Then Frank Bieler in the Audi third.
04:17And look at Joe Winklehock, makes his move on a menu.
04:20Lunges down the inside.
04:22But menu closes the door.
04:25Through Stoke Corner, down into the veil.
04:27Menuh stays ahead.
04:29But look ahead at the Renault.
04:30Kelvin Burt's making a move in the Volvo 2.
04:32He's determined to find a way past James Thompson.
04:35And he's done it.
04:36Brilliant pass.
04:36He really, really held the inside line there tight
04:39and carried the momentum.
04:40He hasn't lost anything from that pass.
04:42He's getting out of this club corner really well now.
04:44The Volvo's handling brilliantly.
04:46Riding with Alan Menuh in the Renault.
04:48Still in seventh place.
04:49Burt now fifth.
04:51James Thompson sixth.
04:52And it's Menuh.
04:52Into the new chicane at Abbey.
04:55Two wheels on the kerb.
04:57Balancing the car.
04:58Then clip the kerb on the other side.
05:00The dirt's thrown up by the cars ahead.
05:02120 miles now.
05:03Through Bridge Corner.
05:04Down into the complex.
05:05And here comes the Volvo.
05:07Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water.
05:09It's back.
05:10All over.
05:11All over the back of that BMW.
05:13Boy, is it menacing.
05:14And it's really handling.
05:16Much tighter through the complex.
05:17As you can see, it's ducking and diving.
05:19It's getting through this complex without any problem at all.
05:21And still sticking with this BMW on the way out.
05:24The tighter line doesn't seem to hurt it.
05:26It's still being able to hang on to the back.
05:28Now the legs of the BMW are starting to work.
05:30It's stretching up the lead as we come down the pit straight.
05:33Past the pitfall.
05:34Into the really tight cobs.
05:36Roberto Revaglia holds on ahead of Riccardo Rydell's Volvo.
05:39But watch the tail of the rear-wheel drive BMW.
05:42It's twitching.
05:43Revaglia is working very hard indeed inside that car.
05:47But the race is over for Matthew Neal.
05:49He's limping into the pits in his Mondeo.
05:52And that looks like the race well and truly over for the Midlands driver.
05:57But it's the Venetian, Roberto Revaglia.
05:58Out in front from the Swede, Riccardo Rydell.
06:01The German, Frank Bieler.
06:02And we take a look back now at that opening lap.
06:06Looking back from Revaglia's car, we've got Leslie coming right up behind us.
06:09Rydell behind him.
06:10Starts the push.
06:12Bang.
06:12Straight into the corner pocket for the Honda.
06:15And Leslie holding on well there to recover in fourth place.
06:18But also out of the race, it's Patrick Watts pulling off the track,
06:22parking up in the new Peugeot.
06:24There's no body damage there, Steve.
06:26Obviously, something's broken.
06:27The race goes on for Revaglia in the BMW.
06:30Pursued by Rydell and Bieler.
06:32All three cars right on the limit.
06:34A new lap record for the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.
06:37And you can see, Frank Bieler, beautiful, classical four-wheel drift in the four-wheel drive Audi.
06:44Flat out now, 140 miles an hour.
06:46The run up to the Abbey chicane.
06:48Then hard on the brakes down to second gear from the left and the right.
06:52Top three locked together.
06:53Revaglia, Rydell, Bieler.
06:54Then it's David Leslie, fourth.
06:56Then Kelvin Bird heads the pack in fifth.
06:59It's a car, Patrick.
07:02Let's see what's under here.
07:05And the battle's on between Alan Menuh and James Thompson for sixth.
07:08Menuh looks down the inside.
07:09Oh, and Thompson leaves him some room, but he's quicker.
07:13Another Menuh's car kicking off the smoke, but he's running wide.
07:16Thompson's fighting.
07:17Joe Winklehock gets a nudge at the back.
07:18That'll be Will Hoy and the Renault clipping the tail of the BMW.
07:21It's a real four-way dogfight, side by side, out of Laffield.
07:27Menuh on the outside, Thompson on the inside, trading paint across the line, up to 130 miles an hour.
07:34And it's still side by side on the run down to Copts.
07:37Now Winklehock takes a look down the inside.
07:39Later on the brakes, can he hold it?
07:41Yes, this time he's through.
07:43Second time proves it.
07:44He muffed that manoeuvre last time, and it's worked for him.
07:46This time he's held them out.
07:48And Will Hoy's challenging his team-mate Alan Menuh.
07:50But he's got the outside line now into Beckett's.
07:54Two Renault Lagunas, side by side.
07:56Menuh goes again, takes the place, eighth position.
07:59Brilliant, brilliant, Parson.
08:00Up behind Thompson now.
08:02Look at the back of that Vauxhall, jumping around like popcorn in a pan.
08:06He's hanging onto it, though.
08:07Fearless, fearless, James Thompson.
08:10Out on to Hanger Straight, fastest part of the circuit.
08:13The speed building up towards 150 miles an hour.
08:16And just watch how late they break for Stowe Corner.
08:20Less than 100 metres from the corner.
08:22Hit the brake pedal.
08:23And look at the sparks from under the spoiler of Menuh's Renault.
08:26That's a big flowing corner, and they actually run in under brakes here,
08:29carrying the speed through.
08:30That's why you're seeing those sparks.
08:32And there's pieces of trim hanging off.
08:33Kelvin Birch, fifth place Volvo.
08:35Then it's Joe Binkloch in sixth.
08:36James Thompson in seventh.
08:37Alan Menuh and Will Hoy, eighth and ninth.
08:40They're riding with Menuh, eighth position.
08:42The Vectra ahead.
08:45And the Vectra seems to have the straight line speed.
08:48Starting to pull away a little bit there from the Renault Laguna.
08:52Menuh again, very quick on the brakes.
08:54The Renault's got one of the best chassis in the Touring Car Championship.
08:57Very quick through the corners.
08:58You can see him hauling Thompson in.
08:59That's the kerbs at the exit of Abbey.
09:03Now flat out, sixth gear as you go under the bridge,
09:06through bridge corner, tiptoeing on the power and gets the run on Thompson.
09:09Thompson's not giving up too easily, though.
09:11You can see Menuh's leaving a bit of a room
09:13as Thompson stays on the outside of him,
09:15side by side, all the way through the complex.
09:17Menuh moving wide now, chops the line off.
09:20He's got it covered, and Thompson has to stay in back.
09:23Menuh's got Winklehawk in his sights,
09:24and things are looking better for the Renault's,
09:26because Hoy's challenging too.
09:27He's past Thompson.
09:28Thompson lost momentum, perhaps.
09:31Absolutely right.
09:32Once Menuh moved wide on the second part of the complex,
09:34Thompson obviously lost the run out of it,
09:36and as often happens, that's allowed Hoy to sneak up the inside as well.
09:40And a little bit of tyre smoke there from the front of Hoy's car.
09:42Perhaps he touched the back of the Vector on his way through.
09:45It's frantic in the midfield, but it's just as tense out in front.
09:49It's still the game of cat and mouse, Roberto Rabaglia and Ricard Rydell
09:52starting to pull away now from Frank Bieler in third place.
09:55And it's the Italian in the BMW, right on the limit.
10:00Again, big armfuls of lock in the BMW.
10:03Volvo seems to have the better handling,
10:05but the BMW's the car that's out in front,
10:07and David Leslie's closing in on Frank Bieler now,
10:09down hanger straight.
10:10So it's Honda in fourth place, Audi third,
10:12Volvo second, and BMW in the lead.
10:15And Volvo's really monster in the back of the BMW,
10:17and gee, isn't it handling well?
10:19Absolutely brilliant.
10:20He's being able to turn in very early and get his power on early.
10:23It seems to me that Rydell can pick any line he likes
10:26and still stay on to the back of that BMW in front.
10:29Three totally different driving styles.
10:31The rear-wheel drive, tail-happy BMW,
10:33the front-wheel drive Volvo,
10:35and the classic four-wheel drive,
10:37four-wheel drift from Frank Bieler in the Audi.
10:40Now we're on the front bumper of John Clelland's Vauxhall Vector.
10:4212th place, Tim Harvey in the Peugeot ahead.
10:45Big belch of flames from Harvey's car.
10:47That's the overrun on the fuel.
10:49They put a lot of fuel through these cars
10:50as they lift on the throttle.
10:52Bang, the unburnt fuel just goes straight out of the exhaust system.
10:55Great shot here from Clelland's car.
10:57He's having a look up the inside with Harvey.
10:59Hard under brakes. He can't do it there.
11:03Puts on the power out of the chicane.
11:05Yeah, as you can see, you're actually going slightly uphill here.
11:07Now he's on the inside for the run into bridge.
11:09This will be interesting.
11:10Ah, he's having none of it.
11:11Harvey's actually going to hold the inside line.
11:13And Clelland will probably look to go wide in
11:15and then cut left sharply on the inside.
11:18He's having a look,
11:18but the straights are too short through the complex.
11:20He can't do it.
11:21More smoke and unburnt rubbish coming out of the back of the Peugeot,
11:24which is running pretty rich.
11:25He has a look down the inside now.
11:28A very good look.
11:30Big kiss from Clelland as we move back onto the straight.
11:32He's got to fall back into line behind the Peugeot,
11:35so he gets a proper run.
11:36If he tries to look down the inside,
11:37then he'll lose momentum.
11:39As you can see, he didn't.
11:40He's all over the back of Harvey.
11:42And it's not just Clelland chasing Harvey for that 10th place.
11:44Behind John Clelland are the two Mondeos,
11:46Paul Radisic and Steve Robertson.
11:48Then John Binkliffe in the Audi,
11:49the privateer cavalier of Richard Kaye.
11:52But out in front, it's still Roberto Revaglia
11:54heading the field in the BMW.
11:57Then Richard Rydell in the Volvo.
11:58Frank Peeler in the Audi third.
12:00David Leslie fourth in his Honda.
12:02We're riding now.
12:03Steve Robertson, 14th place.
12:05Radisic ahead of him, his teammate.
12:06Oh, and it's all gone wrong.
12:08Steve Robertson has actually lost it into that right-hander.
12:12Stuck in the gravel.
12:13That'll be the end of it.
12:14He's just clipped the kerb on the way through.
12:16Beckett should carry a lot of speed through there,
12:18just back into fifth gear from sixth.
12:20And Revaglia's still got his mirrors full of Volvo and Audi
12:24with David Leslie closing in in that fourth position in the Honda.
12:27The car right on the pace.
12:29If he hadn't had that nudge,
12:30who knows what might have been for the Scotsman.
12:32Meanwhile, Tim Harvey's got his mirrors too full.
12:34Another Scotsman, it's John Cleland on the left-hand side of the Peugeot.
12:37These two are still going hammer and tongs,
12:39banging wheels as they go down into Stowe Corner
12:42at the end of the long straight.
12:43Side by side, neither of them known for giving way.
12:46This will be really interesting to see
12:47who actually sorts out whom into the next corner.
12:50Into club and it's three abreast.
12:52Paul Radisic joins in as well.
12:53Oh, Harvey loses the shuffle there.
12:56But Cleland's got the inside line through club.
12:59Vector hopping on its suspension.
13:01Radisic trying as hard as possible
13:03and Harvey comes back.
13:05Brilliant stuff.
13:07But it's Cleland who comes out in front.
13:08He's got that tenth place behind James Kay's Honda.
13:13And the pressure really is on now.
13:15Roberto Revaglia.
13:16Rydell again far quicker into the complex
13:19through Brooklyn's corner.
13:20You can see the rear-wheel drive.
13:22BMW's tail stepping out when it goes on to the power.
13:24Volvo closes in again.
13:29That more precise handling.
13:31The Tom Walkinshaw racing team
13:32really have got that Volvo 5-cylinder 8.50
13:36handling superbly.
13:38The BMW with Revaglia at the wheel.
13:39Still out in front.
13:40Just over half distance now.
13:44And it's only 0.23 of a second in it for the race leaders.
13:48Kelvin Burt there in fifth position.
13:50There's Joe Winklehock, sixth.
13:51Alan Menuh, seventh.
13:52His teammate Will Hoy in eighth place
13:53ahead of James Thompson.
13:55Then James Kay.
13:55And Tim Harvey back at the front of that scrap
13:59for the top ten.
14:02You make your own arrangements, mate.
14:03We're out of here.
14:04We're going to go and check the thermos.
14:06Marshall's running for cover
14:07as the pack arrive
14:09past Steve Robertson's stricken car at Beckett's.
14:12And Joe Winklehock through Beckett's
14:14has closed right up on the tail of Kelvin Burt's
14:17fifth-place Volvo.
14:19So the pack have closed in on Burt.
14:21Maybe Burt has a problem with his tyres
14:22but the BMW obviously much quicker in the straight line.
14:25Yeah, look at the power.
14:26He's absolutely reeling him in
14:28down towards Stowe Corner.
14:29You'll get him under brakes there by the look of it.
14:31No, Burt's not very interested in that.
14:33He'll stay wide.
14:35Winklehock uses the kerbs.
14:36That doesn't help enough.
14:37Burt's not interested at all.
14:39Down towards the left-hander again.
14:40Let's try this on the other side.
14:42He has got the line this time, Joe.
14:44Yeah, nice, smooth, easy pass.
14:45Interesting now to see how they actually come
14:47through this club corner under the straight
14:49because the BMW has been a little bit more difficult
14:52to get around there.
14:53We've seen it with Revalia.
14:54And similarly there, Joe's running wide.
14:56Thanks very much.
14:56You've let me through.
14:57But it was a much wider line that he took them the Volvo.
15:01Winklehock then heads Kelvin Burt.
15:03Still trailing the trim from his Volvo.
15:05Now Alan Menuh right on the tail of the Volvo.
15:08Wilboy in the second round are dropping back a little bit.
15:10He's got John Clever right behind him.
15:12Now Menuh has to find a way past Kelvin Burt.
15:15Wearing a bit more momentum through Bridge.
15:17Looks down the inside.
15:18Into Priory.
15:19Oh, up on the kerbs, onto two wheels.
15:21Comes back down onto four, though.
15:23Threw into that sixth place.
15:25Kelvin Burt, though, from fifth to seventh in just two corners.
15:29Into the pits now, James Kaye.
15:30Look at the water pouring from their Honda at the front.
15:32Roberto Ravagli, though, continues to soak up the pressure
15:35from Richard Rydell in second.
15:36Frank Bieler in third.
15:37David Leslie in the Honda in fourth place.
15:39Then it's Joe Binklehock, fifth, ahead of Alan Menuh in the Renault.
15:42Kelvin Burt in the Volvo.
15:43Wilhoy in the second round is eighth.
15:44Then it's the two vectores, James Thompson and John Cleland.
15:48Reigning champion, John Cleland, the number one car,
15:50but he's running down in tenth place behind his teammate.
15:54And Roberto Ravaglia hurls the car over the kerbs at Beckett's.
15:58He really is right on the limit.
16:00He hasn't had a single chance to relax all the way through this race.
16:04He's been driving it very, very hard.
16:06It's not a comfortable drive for him at all.
16:07He seems to be able to hold everybody at bay with the power he's got.
16:10But as soon as he deals into those fast corners,
16:12that Volvo starts to eat him alive.
16:13But Leslie's not out of this as well.
16:15He's moving up with the Volvo and the Audi.
16:18And David Leslie really must be sick as a parrot
16:20after that nudge on the opening lap.
16:22That really did spoil his chances.
16:24Yeah, he'll still be fuming.
16:25He might have simmered down a little bit, but not enough.
16:27In car now at Alan Menuh.
16:28Not having such a good race here as he did at Brands Hatch.
16:32Silverstone's not quite as friendly a Renault circuit as Brands Hatch is.
16:35Sharper corners here with long straights.
16:37So it doesn't allow Menuh to carry the speed.
16:39Now we've got Thompson having a look at the other.
16:41Watching pretty carefully that he doesn't wreck his run onto the straight
16:44when he's trying to get past Hoy.
16:46He's having a look down the inside.
16:47It's a long straight, but that's the wrong side to be on.
16:49No, have a look up the other side now.
16:51He's weaving.
16:52He's trying to frustrate and put Hoy off.
16:53And at the same time, see if he can find a gap.
16:55No way.
16:56Hoy's too far in front there.
16:58Also on the run-up to Abbey.
16:59The fast-moving John Binkliffe makes his move on Tim Harvey.
17:02Oh, and Harvey didn't see him.
17:04Oh, they're heavy, those Audis, aren't they?
17:05Bang, he's bounced straight off us.
17:08Well, Harvey's got out of the gravel trap, but it looks like he's...
17:11I think Paul's taking driving tips from his teammate there, unfortunately.
17:14Both of them up.
17:14I don't know if he was helped.
17:16Let's have a look at this incident now between Harvey and Binkliffe
17:18coming up into the old Abbey left-hander.
17:21Binkliffe takes a look down the inside.
17:22He runs straight to the apex quite wide.
17:25Harvey's driven straight into the side.
17:26He must have been unsighted, that's all,
17:28because of the deep line that Binkliffe had taken.
17:30But that's absolutely wrecked the front of Harvey's car.
17:32He's skipped across the gravel, but I assume turning in that hard...
17:36We'll have a look at it from Harvey's car.
17:37Oh, yes, when you're turned in like that,
17:39the most likely thing to hit Binkliffe's car
17:40is your front-wheel turn that wrecks your steering.
17:43As you can see, he's getting out of the car.
17:45It won't work now, forget it.
17:48Back with the leaders, though, and it's still Roberto Ravaglia
17:50with his mirrors absolutely full of Volvo, Audi and Honda.
17:55And Paul Radisic is heading for the bit lane.
17:57He's made the track, but the race is going no further for him.
18:00But just one second covering the top three cars.
18:02It's Ravaglia, Rydell and Bieler.
18:04And it's Lesley ahead of Joe Binklhawk, Alan Menuh.
18:06And the race-long battle continues between Will Hoy and James Thompson
18:10in the Renault and the Vauxhall.
18:12Through Stowe, into the Vale.
18:13It's Hoy that's got the advantage, but Thompson's taking a look.
18:17Hoy takes the tighter inside line,
18:18forcing Thompson to go the long way round.
18:21Can't do it this time.
18:24Both the cars right in the kerbs,
18:25and Thompson up onto two wheels there at club.
18:28The Yorkshireman's right on the limit,
18:29but it's Hoy still ahead.
18:32And Lee Brooks is catching Owen McCauley at Abbey.
18:34McCauley turns...
18:35I don't know what that's all about.
18:36He's turned in and covered him.
18:38McCauley's going off backwards.
18:40Oh, straight into the bunker.
18:41What a race.
18:43Owen McCauley will be very frustrated about that.
18:45The car axle-deep in the gravel trap.
18:48Going to get his feet dirty getting out of that one.
18:51It's well and truly beached.
18:52He'll have his engine box full of dirt as well.
18:55Let's have a look at that again.
18:56You've got McCauley on the outside.
18:57Brooks has a look down the inside.
18:59McCauley goes to cover.
19:00Pretty wide manoeuvre, if you ask me.
19:02And there's the end result.
19:03These two have been racing each other all season.
19:06Everywhere they go, brands netted in.
19:07They're always banging wheels, swapping paint with each other.
19:10They're having a fabulous old time together.
19:12This time, McCauley's actually come off much worse.
19:14And the battle of cat and mouse goes on at the head of the field.
19:18Roberto Ravaglia still covering every single move that Riccardo Rydell makes.
19:23Rydell must be very aware that time is running out for his challenge.
19:26Frank Bieler, he's happy there to sit there in third place.
19:29Maybe the two in front will take each other off.
19:31Either way, he's in for championship points.
19:33I don't know if he's so happy to sit there.
19:35I think he's actually driving the doors off this Audi.
19:37So is Ravaglia with his BMW.
19:39He's really, really pumping hard.
19:41The car drifts wide there.
19:42You can see, once again, the Volvo holds a better line.
19:44He's now all over the BMW.
19:46Up the inside, having a look.
19:48One side, then the other.
19:49Thinks he'll have a bit of a munch on the back of it.
19:51But once again, the BMW pulls away under power.
19:53Opens up a gap.
19:54Volvo closes up again under brakes.
19:57The Volvo's really handling well.
19:58The BMW seems to be quite tail-happy.
20:00If you look at the attitude of the car when you get a side shot,
20:02you can see it's quite high in the tail.
20:04That helps the car turn in pretty well, but it also makes it more lively.
20:08The Volvo is a dead-level car.
20:10It hasn't got what they call rake in the handling,
20:12which is where the front is lower than the back.
20:14Now we're looking at the other BMW to see how that handles,
20:16and that's from a Renault point of view, and that's a good handler.
20:19The Renault's regarded as the best handling chassis in the championship,
20:21but Winklehock's still keeping his BMW in fifth place,
20:24ahead of Alan Menuh.
20:26Closes the door again, but he's leaving it a little bit wide.
20:28Menuh has a chance.
20:29Winklehock again uses that BMW's power.
20:33You can see it pulling away through Woodcourt Corner,
20:35up to 130 miles an hour across the start-finish line.
20:38This is Roberto Revaglia, the race leader,
20:40still with Richard Rydell right on his tail.
20:42Then Bieler, then David Lesney.
20:43Then Joe Winklehock with Menuh's Renault right behind.
20:47And it's on to the last lap.
20:48There are only a dozen corners left for Richard Rydell from Sweden
20:52to pull the trump out to actually get his way past Roberto Revaglia.
20:57Revaglia is one of the most experienced touring car racers in the world,
21:01the only touring car world champion.
21:03He's been the German touring car champion,
21:05the Italian touring car champion.
21:07Now he's got his sights set on British Touring Car Championship honours as well.
21:11But amazingly, if he makes it to the chequered flag today,
21:14this will be the first ever British Touring Car Championship win
21:17for Roberto Revaglia.
21:19And it looks as if he is heading that way.
21:22He's pulled out a little bit of a gap on Richard Rydell,
21:24but it could be Rydell's cooling his tyres down
21:26for a last lap lunge through the complex.
21:30Through club corner, half the lap remaining.
21:33Rydell takes a little bit of a breather.
21:35Bieler's dropped back a little bit.
21:36David Lesney's keeping up the pressure
21:38and Joe Winklehock is closing in on the Honda as well.
21:41The top six cars just covered by a handful of seconds,
21:44heading up to the chequered flag.
21:47Into Abbey for the last time.
21:49And Rydell is closing.
21:51Clips the kerbs in the Volvo.
21:53This is now into the slower stop-start part of the circuit.
21:56Through bridge.
21:57Now into the complex.
21:58This is where the Volvo had the advantage.
22:00Let's see if it closes in.
22:01Oh, and he locks his wheels.
22:03Rydell right on the limit.
22:04And he is closing in.
22:06Right on the tail of Revaglia.
22:08Through the left-hander of Brooklands.
22:09Now the two right-handers at Laffield.
22:11After that, it's just Woodker Conrad.
22:13And the sprint to the finish.
22:15Through Laffield too.
22:17The BMW steps out of line.
22:18He's on the kerbs.
22:19Rydell's closing in.
22:20Up to 100 miles an hour.
22:22It's not going to be enough though.
22:23Rydell is going to be right on the bootleg.
22:25But it's going to be Roberto Revaglia
22:26takes his first touring car win
22:28in the British Touring Car Championship.
22:30And look at Clelland and Hoy.
22:32Clelland gives Hoy the hip and shoulder.
22:33Blam!
22:34Take that, Clelland.
22:35You're not getting away with punting me off, matey boy.
22:38So, last lap dramas for reigning champion John Clelland.
22:41But a fine victory for Roberto Revaglia.
22:44Leads from start to finish
22:45after the most incredible pressure from Richard Rydell.
22:49Revaglia will be a very happy man at Silverstone.
22:52Victory by just 0.19 of a second.
22:55Frank Bieler in third place.
22:56David Leslie recovering to finish fourth in the Honda.
22:59Joe Winklehock was fifth ahead of Alan Menuh in sixth.
23:01Kelvin Burt seventh.
23:03James Thompson eighth.
23:04And the battling Will Hoy and John Clelland
23:06round out the top ten.
23:07So, Frank Bieler's third place
23:09keeps him 49 points ahead in the championship
23:11with Menuh second.
23:12But Richard Rydell closing the gap
23:14to be just three points behind.
23:16And David Leslie is in the top ten now
23:18with a fine fourth place in the Honda Accord.
23:20And victory in the total cup for privateers
23:22goes to Richard Kaye
23:23in the green and white box hall Cavalier
23:25after an incredible display
23:27of more than on-the-limit driving.
23:31But he's still second in the championship
23:33behind Lee Brooks and the Toyota.
23:3518 points ahead.
23:36And I'm joined here by afternoon now.
23:39Are you able to reflect more philosophically
23:41about the events of yesterday?
23:43It was an interesting day.
23:44I made a Richard Rydell style start.
23:47I went from ninth place to about fifteenth.
23:50And then spent the rest of the race
23:51trying to fight my way back through again.
23:53My car was very good,
23:54very consistent all the way through.
23:57And the tyres were excellent right to the end.
23:58And I was able to charge right to the very end.
24:01I passed James going through club.
24:04Got right on Will's boot lid
24:05as I was coming into the complex.
24:07And I sold him a bit of a dummy going under bridge.
24:11And into Priory.
24:12He ran a little narrow in there.
24:15And I just got down inside him
24:16between Priory and Brooklands.
24:18And he obviously decided that he didn't like the move.
24:21And sent me off grass cutting.
24:22I think we'll have to get some sponsorship from Flymo.
24:25You've got another race this afternoon
24:27after the Grand Prix.
24:30Form is balanced on a knife edge in this championship.
24:32What could change things?
24:33A little bit of rain might be around.
24:35I think if it rained,
24:36I start tenth in this round.
24:37And if it rained,
24:38four-wheeled Audis will for sure win the race.
24:41But we will be on the podium.
24:44Our car is excellent in the wet.
24:46In the dry,
24:47it's so competitive.
24:47A half a second
24:48is the difference between being tenth and being fourth.
24:51The trouble is,
24:52by the time you fight your way through
24:53as I was in that race there,
24:55from tenth place,
24:56by the time you get up to fourth or fifth place,
24:57the leaders have gone.
24:59So the idea is,
24:59if we can qualify a little better,
25:01then we can certainly race.
25:03That's not a problem.
25:04It's just finding that X a little bit here.
25:06Just a little bit here and there.
25:07We'll have highlights of that
25:08towards the end of the programme this afternoon.
25:10But you fellows have become big names
25:12in motor racing.
25:13Not quite rivaling the profiles
25:15of some of the Formula One boys.
25:16But how do you all relate together?
25:18Will you head back now
25:19and find a television set
25:21and watch it with the same enthusiasm
25:22as the rest of us?
25:23Yes, I've been at Grand Prix's now
25:26since 1989 as a competitor.
25:28And I don't think I've ever watched a Grand Prix
25:30actually live at the side of the circuit.
25:32I've always watched it on television.
25:33You can see much more that way.
25:35Yeah, we will go and watch
25:37and we'll be rooting for various different drivers.
25:39Because I personally would like to see David Coulthard win the race.
25:41But I think from...
25:41For geographical reasons.
25:43Yeah, for geographical reasons.
25:45Slightly patriotic reasons.
25:46But I suspect that Damon will have the upper hand today
25:49and that it's looking very much like it's Damon's day.
25:51And just going by the support that he has here today,
25:54if he can win on that alone,
25:55then the race is his now.
25:57But yeah, we'll go and watch with keen interest.
26:00And it's always good to watch the way
26:02that some of the drivers think in a race situation
26:04and working up to certain moves.
26:07And there's some drivers who do that in touring cars
26:09and some just seem to wake up to the fact
26:12that there's an opportunity there
26:13and they don't plan the moves too well.
26:15So it's very interesting to watch that.
26:16Saloon car racing and single-seater racing
26:18at the highest level.
26:19Are they contrasting arts
26:21or do they have a fast amount in common?
26:22Well, I think we've seen a driver as a driver
26:24no matter what he drives.
26:26But having said that,
26:26Nigel Mansell drove a touring car many years ago
26:29and unfortunately it didn't fare too well in it.
26:32Likewise, I think if I got in an F1 car,
26:34I wouldn't really do it justice either.
26:36It's everyone to their own sport.
26:38And I think what I do, I do very well.
26:41And what people like Damon Hill does is equally,
26:45it's an art and it's something that you learn to do
26:47and you learn to do well.
26:48I don't pretend to be a Formula 1 driver
26:50and I'm quite sure Damon wouldn't want
26:51to be a touring car driver.
26:53Well, enjoy watching the race
26:54and we'll watch you in action
26:55a little bit later in the programme
26:56in round 16 of the...
26:58...in practice.
26:59At the head of the field,
27:00it was a drag race off the line
27:02between Frank Bieler in the four-wheel drive Audi
27:04and David Leslie from pole position
27:06in the Honda Accord.
27:08Into Cop's corner,
27:09it was Bieler taking the advantage.
27:10Leslie forced to tuck into second place.
27:13Roberto Revaglia third
27:14and Richard Rydell in the Volvo fourth
27:16ahead of the pair of Williams Renaults.
27:18Alan Menuh and Will Hoy.
27:21On the run down to Beckett's though,
27:23it was David Leslie,
27:24the determined Scotsman,
27:25retaking the advantage.
27:27The Honda Accord
27:28leading its first British touring car championship race.
27:32But watch out at the tail of the pack.
27:33The red Mondeo of Rob Gravatt
27:35hits the boonies.
27:37Gravatt spins out on the opening lap.
27:41On the hangar straight
27:42and it's Leslie holding on ahead of the pack
27:44as Rob Gravatt, the 1990 champion, rejoins.
27:46I look back at that opening corner incident.
27:50Gravatt basically gets it sideways on cold tyres.
27:53But when he hits the grass,
27:53the Mondeo damages its suspension
27:55and he's headed for retirement.
27:58Behind the race leaders,
27:59the battle was on for sixth place too.
28:01James Thompson tackling Will Hoy in the Renault.
28:04But at the end of the opening lap,
28:07it was David Leslie,
28:08the Scotsman,
28:09soaking up the pressure
28:10of the international opposition right behind him.
28:13Honda Accord leads the Audi Quattro,
28:14the BMW,
28:15the Volvo and the Williams Renault.
28:17Meanwhile,
28:17Joe Winklehock was storming his way through
28:19past John Bindcliffe
28:20from the back of the grid
28:21to make the top ten.
28:24The German BMW driver
28:25had the crowd on their feet
28:26with his spectacular driving style.
28:28But the 1993 champion
28:30was determined to make up yet more ground.
28:38Meanwhile,
28:38at the head of the field,
28:39it was still David Leslie,
28:40out in front in the Honda.
28:42But with high track temperatures,
28:44it was a constant balancing act
28:45between maintaining the pace
28:47and maintaining the tyre wear.
28:50Leslie was able to pull out
28:51a small cushion
28:52over Frank Bieler in the Audi.
28:54But behind him,
28:54Roberto Rovaglia's BMW
28:56is now coming under increasing pressure
28:57from the Swede,
28:58Richard Rydell,
28:59in the Volvo.
29:01In a lonely fifth place,
29:02it was Alan Menuh,
29:03but he was heading for yet more
29:04valuable championship points.
29:09But Winklehock's storming day
29:10was coming to a premature end.
29:12The BMW suddenly slowed
29:14and Winklehock was dropping back
29:15down the field.
29:16Meanwhile,
29:17James Thompson was back
29:18in hot pursuit
29:19of Wilhoy's Renault Laguna,
29:21battling for sixth place.
29:24Winklehock was heading
29:25for the pit lane
29:26and his race
29:27was effectively over.
29:30That was far from the case
29:31for James Thompson, though.
29:32He was continuing
29:33his pursuit of Wilhoy
29:34right to the chequered flag
29:35and he was joined
29:37in that pursuit
29:37by Kelvin Burt's Volvo.
29:39It was now a three-car scrap
29:40for that sixth place.
29:45At the head of the field,
29:47the order stayed the same.
29:48David Leslie,
29:49Frank Bieler,
29:49Roberto Rovaglia,
29:51then Richard Rydell,
29:52with Alan Menuh in fifth.
29:53But James Thompson
29:54was still determined
29:55to change the order
29:56for sixth.
30:01Heading through the final stages,
30:03it was a last gasp
30:04dash to the chequered flag,
30:06but it was David Leslie
30:07still out in front,
30:08making history,
30:09saluting the crowd
30:10as they cheered on
30:12Honda's first British
30:13Touring Car Championship victory.
30:15And James Thompson
30:21was not relenting
30:22on his pressure
30:23on Wilhoy,
30:24taking the battle
30:25right to the chequered flag
30:26with a battered Kelvin Burt
30:28heading for eighth place.
30:30Behind them,
30:31it was ninth for Paul Radisic
30:33in the Ford Mondeo
30:34and John Binclyp
30:35getting tenth place
30:35and the final championship point
30:37in his Audi.
30:39But it would be the day
30:39to remember for David Leslie,
30:41the day he won
30:42at the British Grand Prix.
30:45Day to remember for Honda
30:49as well,
30:49long-awaited success
30:50in the Auto Trader
30:51British Touring Car Championship.
30:53David Leslie
30:53from Frank Bieler
30:55and yesterday's winner,
30:56Roberto Revalia
30:57coming in third.
30:58Rydell, Menuh and Hoy
31:00completing the top six there.
31:02This is the effect
31:03it has on the championship table.
31:05Well, important points
31:05for Frank Bieler
31:06who keeps a decent margin
31:08to second-placed Alain Menuh
31:10alongside Ricard Rydell
31:12with Joe Winklehock
31:13in fourth.
31:14Next round
31:15I'll begin
31:16with Joe Winklehock
31:16in fourth.
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