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00:00...staging its final round of the season.
00:04It's a competition, of course, we've been following throughout the year.
00:07And the major honours, they've already been claimed by Frank Bieler and Audi,
00:11but the action at Brands Hatch certainly proved that there was still a fair bit of spice left in this competition.
00:17Murray Walker now describes the action.
00:21Brands Hatch is in festive mood.
00:24The weather's good, and the crowd is fired up for the last two races of a great season.
00:28Especially the Audi fans.
00:31And there's their man, Frank Bieler, champion in his first season.
00:3578 points behind him, the battle today is for second place in the championship
00:40between Volvo's Ricard Rydell from Sweden and Renault's Swiss driver Alan Menuh.
00:48But next season is on Rydell's mind too, and he's already tested his new car, the stunning Volvo S40.
00:56It's so competitive now in British touring cars, so you can't just come out with a car a month before the start of the season
01:02and try to win the championship.
01:05We obviously aim to be there from next year.
01:08We want to be able to win the championship next year and just be in a good position.
01:12And to do that, you need to develop the car properly, and you have to start, like now, September.
01:17The privateers can't do that, though.
01:19They fund and drive their own cars.
01:22Richard Kaye, Matthew Neill and Lee Brooks have been fighting for the lucrative Total Cup all season.
01:28And it looks as though Brooks is going to come out on top today.
01:31Because Richard Kaye's had his problems, like this one.
01:34Ex-Total Champion Matthew Neill's been struggling with unreliability this year,
01:43but Richard Kaye and Brooks have had some great battles,
01:46which have seen Kaye on the podium more often than not.
01:51Matthew Neill and his father, Steve, have opted to develop a very special Ford Nondeo,
01:56but it's been frighteningly expensive.
01:59Really, the development cost has been far exceeding what we can afford,
02:04and we just haven't had the time, the manpower,
02:06everything to design and build the cars and run them as well.
02:08So this is when you need the test team and the test cars,
02:12which we just haven't been able to compete on that level.
02:1516 points ahead, with 32 points to be won from today's two races,
02:20Lee Brooks started the day with a comfortable cushion,
02:23but then disaster for second place Richard Kaye.
02:26A massive crash in practice has crumpled his voxel.
02:30There'll be no racing and no points for Richard today.
02:33So, easy for Brooks this year?
02:36Yeah, we could have done with a few more guys out there for definite,
02:39to spice it up a little bit, but at the end of the day,
02:42I know that the points system's not a big difference between first and second,
02:46but Richard's won more races than me,
02:48and I've ended up nearly winning the championship.
02:50So, you know, if I manage to win it, it's Richard's fault.
02:53You know, there might have been two of us out there at most times,
02:56but you have to finish to win it.
02:58Heading the grid, it's Joe Winklehock's BMW,
03:01with alongside him Alan Menuh's Renault Laguna.
03:05Italy's Roberto Revalia is next, with Leslie's Honda,
03:08then Kaye's Honda, Cox's BMW,
03:11Thomson's Vauxhall, Rydell's Volvo,
03:14John Cleland's Vauxhall Vectra,
03:16and champion Beeler's Audi.
03:19Wilhoi's Renault is 11th,
03:20Radicic's Ford 12th,
03:22followed by Kelvin Burt's Volvo,
03:24John Bidcliffe's Audi.
03:27So, standby for action.
03:29And Winklehock up front on his own,
03:30Menuh's Laguna on the right.
03:33Away they go.
03:34It's a bad start for Winklehock.
03:36Revalia goes through on the inside.
03:39Menuh is coming up on the left.
03:40Leslie's got through as well,
03:41as they turn into Paddock, the right-hander,
03:44climb up Haylewood Hill,
03:45and Menuh off!
03:47Revalia off!
03:48The two leaders off!
03:50There's Menuh stuck at the bottom of the hill,
03:51and that's Harvey going off!
03:53My goodness!
03:54It's a multiple collision!
03:56They're going to have to stop!
03:59That's Leslie!
04:00David Leslie's stopped!
04:02Pulling off the course,
04:03there's Winklehock coming through!
04:06Well, what an incredible start!
04:09Joe Winklehock limping down the hill in his BMW,
04:13and this is Radicic!
04:14There's a P Super inside his Ford Mondeo!
04:17He's going to have to stop!
04:22Paul Radicic pulling in again!
04:25And he's stopping again!
04:27And they're stopping the race!
04:29Now, there's a surprise!
04:31Tim Harvey!
04:3316 is Robertson's Ford Mondeo!
04:36There's Alan Menuh touring in in the Renault Laguna!
04:40David Leslie stuck up on the bank in the Honda Accord!
04:45Red flags!
04:46They've stopped the race!
04:48Now they're going to have to remove the debris!
04:51Ah, now here's a replay of the start!
04:52Let's see what happens!
04:53Winklehock gets away very slowly!
04:56Revalia comes through on the right!
04:58Menuh tackles him on the left!
05:00Leslie dives through in the Honda Accord!
05:03So Menuh tucks in behind Revalia's BMW!
05:06They must have hit each other!
05:08Yeah, there it is!
05:09Revalia goes off to the right!
05:11Menuh spins in the middle of the track!
05:13So that's Cox taking the lead in the BMW!
05:18And then, immediately, as that happens, Harvey dives off to the right!
05:21Someone's hit his Peugeot!
05:23There is Radisic's Ford Mondeo!
05:25That's what caused all the smoke!
05:27A bit of light engineering now on Menuh's Renault!
05:32Joe Winklehock didn't have a good start at all!
05:35And Ravelia overtook him on the right-hand side!
05:37And I went on the left!
05:39And then turned in for paddock!
05:40And I was right behind Ravelia!
05:41And somebody hit me at the back!
05:43And in turn, I hit Ravelia!
05:44And he spun round!
05:45And we both spun!
05:47And then, I don't know, they all hit each other at rates, I guess!
05:50But you didn't see it!
05:51When I got to Druids, turned in, the back came round, and I spun it because of cold rear tyres!
05:57Going round the first corner, both, I think it was Ravelia and Menuh, did the same thing!
06:03They spun going down the hill again because of rear tyres!
06:06But I actually hit Ravelia on the side and then set up up the hill!
06:11I don't know what happened behind me!
06:13There was one BMW spinning in front of me down to coming out of paddock bend!
06:18But that was not really a problem!
06:20And then in Druids, David Leslie spun in front of me, so I touched him a little bit!
06:25But also, no problem for me!
06:27But behind us, there was a bigger accident!
06:29I don't know why and I don't know who was involved!
06:31Well, it looks like half a field was involved!
06:34That's Robertson's Mondeo, Ayles' Primera on the right, Thompson's Vectra, that's in a mess!
06:40Is your car on the mess?
06:42Scrap!
06:43There?
06:46So busy, it was like running circles around Piccadilly Square!
06:50Yeah, it was just cars spinning everywhere and I managed to sort of weed through them,
06:54but unfortunately just got caught on the last ring of the ladder and somebody slammed in the side of me!
07:01We may be able to get a fix and get out there if they hold it up long enough!
07:03I think it was you that caused that, I was watching it!
07:06I think you're a lunatic, you know what I'm saying?
07:08But it's paying off, he's on pole!
07:09No, no, I'm on pole!
07:10Look!
07:11And there's nobody between pole position and me!
07:14By the time you get to there, it will be!
07:17But I'm going to be flat out!
07:18I'm going to be in six years when I pass the pole position!
07:20No, no, no, I'll be in front of you, cos I'm coming out!
07:23There's the BMW mechanics at work!
07:25New engine!
07:26New engine!
07:27Before there was the green light for the start, already there, I had some engine problems,
07:32so we don't know what exactly the problem is, but now we changed the engine for the second race
07:37and I hope they can finish the car to prepare for the second hit.
07:41So do we, Joe.
07:42Now, four cars out from the front of the grid, Menuh is in front, Lesley is behind him,
07:49and behind him is Peter Cox and it's Menuh leading into the right-hander paddock.
07:53No problems this time, I hope.
07:55David Lesley in the Honda Accord is second, then it's the BMW in third position.
08:00Frank Bieler in the Audi is in fourth place as they climb up to Druids.
08:04Menuh, Lesley, look for Cox in the BMW, there's Bieler, all the rest of them sweep round together,
08:11now the drop down to Graham Hill Bend, and there's a terrific scrap for fifth place,
08:16it's Ricard Rydell who's leading his team-mate Kelvin Burt, there's Volvo, Volvo, the Vauxhall Vectra,
08:23round the left-hander at 30s, and Harvey goes off, Harvey goes off onto the grass, into the tyres,
08:30one Peugeot out.
08:32Wow, what an afternoon this is.
08:36So, this is the battle for second. Peter Cox is ahead of David Lesley, Bieler is in fourth position,
08:43number 45 in the Audi, round paddock. Harvey rejoins in a slightly battered Peugeot.
08:51Well done, Tim, get him back in the race.
08:55Now, here's a replay, let's see if we can find out what happened to Harvey, he's the red car on the left,
08:59well, Bidcliffe hits Coy, then he hits Harvey, it's what you'd call a knock-on effect,
09:06and it knocks off Tim Harvey, straight into the tyre wall, but back into the race just a few moments later.
09:14End of the lap, Menuh leads, there's going to be 15 points for him if he can stay where he is,
09:20and that's good for his second place in the championship. Cox is second, Lesley's third,
09:24Bieler is fourth, bit of a gap, there's Ricard Rydell, fifth, his team-mate Burt is sixth,
09:29Cleland is seventh, Will Hoy there is eighth in the second of the Renault Lagunas.
09:33Up Hailwood Hill, here's the fight for fifth, that's Cleland, now we're with him, building up to 90 miles an hour for the left-hander at Graham Hillbend,
09:46he's chasing Kelvin Burt into bottom straight, although it's not very straight, 120 miles an hour here, this is 30s, that is Rydell, there is Burt, now into clearways,
09:59long, sweeping right-hander, Frank Bieler in the four-wheel drive Audi, and the leaders have caught Tim Harvey's Peugeot,
10:07that's Cox, ahead of him is Alan Menuh, there is Harvey, he's about to be lapped, coming up to the right-hander at Druids, Harvey gives way, that's a good bit of driving,
10:18gave way to the leaders, sold them in his rear view mirror, down to Graham Hillbend.
10:23So, it's a battle between Alan Menuh's Renault, there it is, tucked up behind him is Peter Cox in the BMW,
10:31into clearways, fine drive by Peter Cox, he's new to the British Touring Car Championship, got a bit of trim stuck on his left wing, I see, through to the end of the lap.
10:41So, here's the leader, lights ablaze, Alan Menuh, up behind him, the white BMW 320i of Peter Cox, Tim Harvey has been lapped, there is Lesley,
10:56Bieler, coming towards us now, Ricard Rydell, Burt, now Burt has got John Clelland right behind him, we're with Clelland now, 7th position, climbing Hailwood Hill, 115 miles an hour,
11:10back to 45 miles an hour, second gear for the right-hander at Druids, now up to third, dropped out of Graham Hillbend, 90 miles an hour, out of Graham Hillbend, into the bottom straight,
11:22fifth gear, 120 miles an hour, up to 30s, this is it, and there is Clelland, number one, right up behind Kelvin, Burt's front-wheel drive, Volvo, and he's going through.
11:34John Clelland goes through, just moves through on the inside of Kelvin, Burt's Volvo, Burt is fighting back, but Clelland has got the inside line for the right-hander of Paddock,
11:44which is at the end of the lap, or the beginning of the next lap, rather, this is it, and sure enough, John Clelland moves up a place.
11:52Sixth position, we're with him, thank you very much. Now, can he catch Ricard Rydell? I rather doubt it from the gap between them, but it's out of Druids.
12:04So, Volvo, Vauxhall Vectra, the yellow and white car, then another Volvo, there's Rydell fifth, Clelland sixth, Burt is seventh, into clearways again, out of clearways,
12:19and how far ahead are the leaders as they end? Here they are, Alan Menuh, look how close Peter Cox is to him now.
12:27Cox is the BMW test driver, he's an ex-single-seater racer, the 1993 Dutch touring car champion,
12:35they're coming up to catch Lee Brooks now, the man who is leading the privateers' championship in his Toyota.
12:40If he gets in the way, it could make things good for Peter Cox, he might be able to dive through and take Alan Menuh.
12:53They're right up with Brooks now, oh, and he's moved over, well done, just like Tim Harvey did.
12:58And, hello, this is Roberto Revalia going back onto the track.
13:04Well, at least he's trying to go back onto the track, the marshal won't let him.
13:08I don't know why.
13:10And they're getting a bit agitated.
13:13They're getting very agitated.
13:15That's Charlie Lamb, who is the team manager of the Schnitzer BMW team, they're holding Revalia, number 21,
13:23the ex-world champion, out he goes in his BMW.
13:26Rejoining the track, and that's John Wickham in his wall paint, his Audi wall paint, he's the Audi team manager.
13:36And there is Revalia disappearing into the background as, through to complete the lap,
13:42go Alan Menuh and Peter Cox as Revalia joins the track behind them.
13:49So, out of panic, up to Druids.
13:52Menuh leads, Cox is second, there he is.
13:54David Leslie's third in the Honda, in the background, fourth is Beeler in the Audi, fifth is Rydell, sixth is Cleland.
14:03So, it is six different makes in the top six places.
14:07They go round 30s.
14:09And Beeler is attacking David Leslie for third position, that's Beeler, number 45, the champion of 1996.
14:19Menuh goes through, he's starting his last lap now, seven times a winner last year.
14:25He's won three times this year, and two of those wins were here at Brands Hatch.
14:30So, he's looking good for another one.
14:31Climbs Haleward Hill, well, 15 certain points in it for Alan Menuh now.
14:39He's only got about half a lap to go now.
14:43Out of Graham Hillbend for the last time, coming up to 30s.
14:48Oh, there's Roberto Revalia.
14:50Well, he's dropped back a lot.
14:53Into the left-hander.
14:54And he's blocking Alan Menuh.
14:57He's in the way of Alan Menuh, and he's not moving over.
15:00Menuh hits him.
15:02Cox goes through, he's going to try and take the lead.
15:05But Menuh just chops him off.
15:07They both pass Revalia.
15:09Alan Menuh wins.
15:10Cox is in second position.
15:13David Leslie takes third place.
15:15Frank Beeler is full.
15:17But what an astounding finish.
15:19I have never seen anything like that before.
15:23It really looked as though Revalia was deliberately getting in the way of Alan Menuh.
15:29Well, whatever.
15:30Victory and 15 points for Menuh ahead of Cox, Leslie, Beeler and Rydell.
15:35So now, Rydell is only one point ahead of Menuh for second place in the championship.
15:40It's all down to the last race.
15:42First time this season.
15:44But they'd all be in the line-up for the last race of the year.
15:47The champion, Beeler, storming off the front row of the grid, leading Winkelhock into paddock.
15:53All safely round this time.
15:56But for Beeler, it wasn't going to be a routine final confirmation of his status,
16:00because Joe Winkelhock had other ideas.
16:03Winkelhock is attacking.
16:06And he's inside the Audi.
16:08He's got his front wing inside.
16:10Now, this is 130 miles an hour that they're building up to here.
16:15And Winkelhock has got the advantage.
16:17He's got the inside line as they come up to paddock.
16:19The right-hander, he's ahead of him, and he's going into the lead.
16:22But Beeler is attacking.
16:24And Winkelhock takes the lead.
16:27Magnificent.
16:27Climbing up Hellwood Hill, where we're Frank Beeler now.
16:30Four-wheel drive out.
16:31And he chases rear-wheel drive BMW.
16:34Winkelhock holds the lead.
16:37Keeps it into the apex.
16:38Down to Graham Hill, Ben.
16:39A retirement for Ford that typified their season.
16:44Paul Radisic suffering his toughest year in the British Touring Car Championship.
16:51Virgil, they've also had a tough year, and they had a tough final race.
16:54Patrick Watts, not helped by the tactics of John Binkliffe,
16:57who picked up his third endorsement of the year after that incident,
17:00now faces a ban.
17:03Winkelhock leads Beeler, but now all eyes on menu in fourth,
17:06because Rydell, in seventh position, was just about to concede the runners-up spot
17:11in the championship to Alain Menuh.
17:15Rydell, desperately unlucky, the victim of a mechanical failure
17:18in the last minutes of the season.
17:22The seemingly unbeatable cushion he'd had coming into Brands
17:25had completely disappeared.
17:27But up front, the champion still had something to prove.
17:31The leaders crossed the line.
17:33Revalia is looking for second place,
17:35but Biela is looking for first.
17:38We're with him.
17:40That's Joe Winklehock ahead.
17:41Right behind is Roberto Revalia.
17:45And Winklehock is sliding, sliding, sliding.
17:49Biela goes through.
17:50Four-wheel drive grip.
17:52Takes the lead.
17:54Frank Biela retakes the lead,
17:56and Roberto Revalia is going through it,
17:58taking second place from Joe Winklehock.
18:01What a fantastic race!
18:03And that's the order they finished.
18:06Frank Biela proving himself a true champion
18:08with a superb victory drive in the last race of the season.
18:13Biela from Revalia and Winklehock.
18:15The German finishing every race this year.
18:21Speed and consistency.
18:25That was an exciting last race, wasn't it?
18:28Yeah, it was fantastic.
18:29It's really good, you know.
18:30I won the first one and I won the last one.
18:32I think that was just fantastic.
18:33It was a really tough race.
18:35Tough race, but a dominant season for Audi.
18:37Biela takes the title by 92 points,
18:40but Menuh snatches second from Rydell by just three points.
18:44David Leslie in fourth.
18:45Below that, a bit of a transition year for Vauxhall and John Cleland.
18:49Last year's champion finishes eighth.
18:52Lee Brooks celebrates the Total Cup top prize check of £60,000.
18:56A season-long battle with Richard Kaye,
18:59but a damaged Vauxhall Cavalier had prevented Kaye mounting a last-day challenge.
19:03Such is the lot of the privateer.
19:05But at the other end of the spectrum,
19:07professional support, comprehensive backup and development,
19:10and Audi get it right for Frank Biela
19:12in their very first season
19:13in the Autotrader British Touring Car Championship.
19:17And as the likes of Alfa Romeo have learnt in the past,
19:19the second year can be very different.
19:21The challenges will be strong.
19:23Roll on, 1997.
19:26Hey, whoops!