A guest driver for the BTCC - you choose

[Carrie]

Well, here we are in darkest coldest January. That time of year when drives are still to be finalised and the start of the season still seems too far away, so how about filling a bit of the time with a purely hypothetical question. If you could choose a guest driver for a round of the 2002 BTCC who would it be? I'm not placing any limits here. It can be any driver from any race series and there's no limit on time either, so you can choose your favourite driver at the peak of their career if you wish. Just give a bit more than a name, lets here why you'd choose that particular driver.

[nicker less]

I would choose Ralf Schumacher, so we could see how badly he does and hear how many drivers he moans about!

[silverfox]

After reading Colin Mcrae's book(during my lunchtime at W H Smiths)I would love to see him do a guest drive.
If Steve Neal isnt around he should be safe to return

[AndyF]

I would like to see Mansell return (again), only because most of the times he has appeared, he has been pretty useless, and we could laugh at him

[Chris Y]

On the subject of rally drivers, get Gwyndaf Evans behind the wheel again - he made an otherwise dull Elise race at Silverstone (the year before last) very interesting

[redshoes]

Good call Mr Y. Not for the first time this week I was going to post exactly the same, except I couldn't remember how to spell his name.

Isn't Gwyndaf driving for MG now.... hmmmm....

[DNQ]

Alain Prost. Why not. He's had such a torrid time managing Prost, so why doesn't he come back to motor racing...as a driver?

He's not too old, he's a proffesional driver, whom I think would actually do quite well.

[touringlegend]

MG Rover
Later in the year Terry will also be expanding his display to include a replica MG ZS EX259 Touring Car.

Terry Grant and Gwyndaf as stand in Touring car drivers?

Alain Prost would be a good choice, he did want a Renault drive a few years back.

[markedmundb]

I'd Like to see Laurent Aiello back behind the wheel of a BTCC car...

(Seeing as Jason Plato hasn't got a drive yet, how about him as well?)

[Chris Y]

Originally posted by redshoes
Not for the first time this week I was going to post exactly the same, except I couldn't remember how to spell his name.

I already told you, Reds - it's my turn for the brain this week

[Radisichrox]

Nigel Mansell. He always attracts a crowd wherever he goes, and he's also a lot of fun to watch, if not the most fun to watch.

[Carrie]

Originally posted by Chris Y
On the subject of rally drivers, get Gwyndaf Evans behind the wheel again - he made an otherwise dull Elise race at Silverstone (the year before last) very interesting

Yeah, yeah, just rub it in why don't you, who was the person stuck creating an 18th century loomshop that weekend I would have loved to have seen Gwyndaf in that Elise race, so I'll agree, the idea of letting him loose in the BTCC could be interesting
Otherwise, I'd just choose two favourites, Martin Brundle or Stirling Moss. Or I could just do the usual and say bring back Cleland!!!!!!!!!!

[Owy's No1 Fan!]

Noel Edmonds and Mike Smith.

[Suzy]

Give Mika H a go! (Yes, I know I'm biased). But he did okay when he had those two "Guest" outings in the Porche supercup races back in 1993. He'd never sat in a Porche before the Monaco practice session and I seem to recall that for both Monaco and Hungary, he took pole position and won both races too.

In fact, in 1995 when Jan Magnussen broke his leg, Mika was lined up to take his place in the DTM for a while (with no practice) but McLaren blocked it at the last moment. Norbert Haug (who'd suggested it in the first place - and Mika had agreed) was rather upset to say the least...

[MichaelC]

I'd personally love to see Jeremy Clarkson have a go. On a more serious note, someone like Gwyndaf Evans would certainly be interesting.

Colin McRae ran in a BTCC Race at Knockhill in 1992 for a bit of a laugh. He was hopeless in the first race, but it rained horizontally in the second and he did rather well for a while. Richard Burns ran in the celebrity car in the Porsche Supercup in 99 or 00, and was going quite well until he rolled it...

[Radisichrox]

Originally posted by MichaelC

Colin McRae ran in a BTCC Race at Knockhill in 1992 for a bit of a laugh. He was hopeless in the first race, but it rained horizontally in the second and he did rather well for a while.

Sure, until he hit Matt Neal off and was disqualified!

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Carrie


............................, Martin Brundle or Stirling Moss. Or I could just do the usual and say bring back Cleland!!!!!!!!!!

Can't think why you'd bring back a useless old jock like Cleland. However your other choices were interesting because (and one of your tender years wouldn't remember) Brundle and Moss were team mates in the "works" Audi 80 team in (I think) 1980.

[Carrie]

Oi, just you watch it with your comments about JC, Mr Mallett
I'd love to have seen Moss and Brundle racing in the Audi, but I was only 5 years old in 1980, a little bit too young to find my way to a racetrack

[Asp]

Stick Muzza in a BTCC car - he always liked commentating on them! Or Watty, so he knows exactly how these cars feel.

[Carrie]

Better still, stick a passenger seat in one of the cars, lets say Muller's Astra, and let Murray do a race commentary from there

If we have to have Watty in there, can we ensure he gets lost somewhere round the circuit and please let him take Mansell along with him

Richard Burns was quite entertaining in the Porsche, at least he was when he was sliding the car through Luffield

[TimD]

Originally posted by Carrie

I'd love to have seen Moss and Brundle racing in the Audi, but I was only 5 years old in 1980, a little bit too young to find my way to a racetrack

Once again, Carrie's incisive ability to make me feel really ancient strikes!

I'll get me zimmer-frame.

I do recall Stirling and Martin aboard the Audis, and it was interesting to watch the difference in styles. Stirling was quicker, but his inherent smoothness didn't help him when doing battle with the hordes of the BTCC.

My choice for guest drivers? How about some of those Aussie bruisers of legend, Peter Brock, Jim Richards or Dick Johnson? As long as they were given something really wild to drive, they'd bring the house down.

[Carrie]

Originally posted by TimD


Once again, Carrie's incisive ability to make me feel really ancient strikes!

I'll get me zimmer-frame.

Now Tim, you know I only posted that because I knew some old folks would find their way into this topic eventually
You know I'm only jealous really, I'd just love to have seen it and that was one of my reasons for choosing those two.

[MrTTraces]

ok heres my list of possibles

Paula Cook (purely for comical value and as she never manages to finish a race garenteed, we could liven it up with a betting sweep stake on which lap she crashes out on and what corner).

Chris Rea
Damon Hill
Mansell
Lee caroline (from the Uk Pickup series)



rm.......can't think of any others at the mo....

[Carrie]

Originally posted by MrTTraces
Paula Cook (purely for comical value and as she never manages to finish a race garenteed, we could liven it up with a betting sweep stake on which lap she crashes out on and what corner).

I know she never managed to do anything in the BTCC, but wasn't Paula's best placed finish in the Lotuses actually a second place. I've got a vague recollection that it was at Donington, but someone who's better at remembering stats will have to confirm whether or not I just imagined it.

[redshoes]

Lee Caroline is another good idea, although I'm not sure that many BTCC fans would actually know who he was. Remember seeing him at Donington in the pick-ups late last year ad he was in a league of his own.