BTCC greats star in top 100 list

British Touring Car drivers have figured heavily in a major public vote for motor sport’s top 100 heroes of all time.

A further 13 names who have either became BTCC regulars or who have raced in the championship at some stage in their careers also made it into the hallowed top 100 who are individually reviewed in the publication's Christmas edition which is now on sale.

Although admittedly more famous for his legendary status in Formula 1, Jim Clark (pictured above) was also the BTCC champion in 1964 and ended up third in overall chart.

Fellow Scot John Cleland, BTCC champion in 1989 and 1995, was 15th with Gerry Marshall, one of the series’ stand-out characters of the Seventies, right behind in 16th. Jason Plato, title-winner in 2001 and who was not even in the top 100 when the vote was last held in 1999, was 19th.

Familiar names to appear in the hall of fame also include former F1 star and 2009 BTCC racer Johnny Herbert (no.18), Sixties regular Graham Hill (no.23), four-times champion and 60-times race-winner Andy Rouse, current fans’ favourite Paul O’Neill (no.58), 2002 and 2004 champion James Thompson (no.67), 2003 champion Yvan Muller (no.69), Eighties and Nineties ‘hard man’ Steve Soper (no.81), 1997 and 2000 champion Alain Menu (no.90) and the much-missed David Leslie (no.99).

MN’s Racing Editor Matt James told btcc.net: “There are more BTCC names in our top 100 than ever before which speaks volumes for the championship’s popularity among fans. One thing that really struck us here in the office was Jason Plato in 19th – he wasn’t even in our top 100 the last time we held the vote in 1999 which really shows how the BTCC is on the climb.

“It gives the fans what they want like no other series – they can meet their heroes and then watch them put on a great show. The BTCC’s drivers are in tune with the public far more than in any other branch of the sport and guarantees entertainment every time. It is just a phenomenal show for people to watch trackside or on TV.”

Notably, the winner of the poll was rally legend Colin McRae who made a still much-talked-about one-off BTCC appearance at his home circuit of Knockhill in 1992.

Another name with strong ties to the BTCC to score highly among MN’s readers was Murray Walker – famed for his F1 commentary for some three decades, ‘Muzza was of course also the voice of the BTCC when it started gaining regular coverage on terrestrial TV in the late Eighties and Nineties and was readers’ choice number 28.

Other ‘heroes’ to have appeared in the BTCC and to get into the top 100 include: Nigel Mansell, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, Damon Hill, John Surtees, Andy Priaulx, Ian Flux, Dan Gurney, David Coulthard, Mike Hawthorn, Barry Sheene, Jack Brabham and Martin Brundle.