Stories from Super Touring. Hello and welcome to this week's
episode of Stories from Super Touring.
Now we've got another BTCC guest lined up for us this week.
And this guest spent two years in the championship towards the
end of the era. And let's say he didn't have the
easiest of introductions, jumping into the lion's den at
Volvo with the reigning champion.
It's 1999 and 2000 touring car, BTCC racer Vincent Rademacher.
Vincent, thank you so much for joining us on Stories from Super
Touring today. How are you doing?
Yeah, Thank you. Thank you very much to to get
the memory backs on a long time that it was.
It's a long time ago now, but I already enjoyed that, that time.
So I'm happy to speak about that.
Brilliant. I mean, Can you believe it's
2526 years ago? Yeah.
No, no, the BTCC. Can't believe that it's it's
it's still feel quite close. But yeah, all the all the lands
is quite a long long. So where did where did the
motorsport bug bite for you? What?
Where did you get your interest in cars and motorsport from?
Not easy to say. My family is not.
It's not in that business by far.
I think I start to be interested by Formula One working on TV and
some magazine and I, I learned that the Formula One driver was
start starting karting. So I also bit interested in
karting. But I stopped very late at 18
years old because I, my family didn't have the money to, to, to
make me doing karting. So I had to, to walk and to have
some money myself to, to start it.
So I spent very little time in karting, only two years and 1/2
in Belgium only. And that's it.
And I don't really know exactly where it starts.
OK. Yeah, very, very difficult to
say. Interesting.
I mean you, you say you started karting at 19.
That's a. That's a relatively late start
compared to some others. Isn't.
It yeah, I know, I know. It was not easy I.
Find it really hard to understand because obviously I
I'm an ex racer and I started karting when I was 8 years old
and I've got three children 11/9 and and eight years old.
Sorry 8:00 and 7:00 and I look at my young children now and I
think much of my parents. What were you thinking?
But what were you thinking to to start karting that, you know,
that young because they're so tiny.
But obviously you started karting at 19.
But I'd, I'd pretty much, I'd finished karting at that point
and I'd started my car. So we thought, yeah, completely
different. And obviously, you know, most of
you, you know, you learn a lot of your race craft.
Don't you mean karting? And obviously you did that for a
very short period of time. So yeah, you did it for.
Yeah, but I, I really enjoy it straight away and I, I spend all
my time about doing that and, and, and trying to understand
mechanically or how it works. I did all the mechanics myself
except the engine, of course. And yeah, I was going to race
with the Toyota starlet of my father and a little stuff behind
the car to, to make the cutting on on it.
And I do found Lieber championship and and regional
championship for two years and a half and that's it.
And after that I was really looking for racing cars.
But again, no money for doing that.
So I did some drivers driving school and for example, I
finished seconds behind the Loja Yellow and I've got a shot for
Formula Three driving school and but he won some free Formula
Three race, but I have nothing finished seconds.
So I jump back again and karting and do another driving school in
Belgium, Formula Four. That's one and I won it.
And so I had a free Formula four first years I was free drive so
I didn't have to bring money for that one.
And that's make me starting in racing, in racing cars.
Yeah. It's very, very similar.
And obviously we don't really see that now in terms of these
scholarships. You know, we had.
It's a shame that you don't see that now after the world.
It's a very different place now. Yeah, it's yeah, yeah, yeah.
It changed a lot. The, the, yeah, the, the, the,
the people start very, very young in karting now.
And I think it's very difficult at actually at the moment to
start so late in racing. Yeah, maybe in touring car you
can if you do. Yeah.
Cleo Cup stuff like that. Small, small category and if you
are doing well, I think you can jump into a professional touring
car racing, but it's not easy I think at the moment.
It was not easy at that time also.
But you find a way and it's. Never.
Been easy yeah, you need some luck sometimes and to meet some
good people that's helped you and yeah, it's, it's very
strange that's at the end it it works.
I I have have a good professional life.
Not the best one or not the the one I wanted when I was really
young because I wanted to be a Formula One driver, but but
that's it. And and I don't regret anything.
It's it's I enjoy every every stuff I did and with some good
memories, some walks memories, of course, like like even every
year recently, yeah. But still still good, yeah.
So you say that you won the you won the Formula 4 championship.
Was that the one in 91? Yes, yes.
So the, the first years was 1990, that was the car from the
driving school, but the car was not really good.
And so I if not really good results.
But in 1991 I did again the Formula 4 Benedo championship
was a good team and I spend a little bit of money.
I I went to the bank asking for €10,000 to do 4 races at that
time and and I did 4 is this I won I think three of them.
And Marlboro, Belgium was looking for young driver and
they give me some price money during that years.
And the price money I won in the racing and my bank money was was
enough to do the the four years. And after that Marlboro support
me fully for three years. Formula Ford or Pablo Tus and
Formula 3? You mentioned earlier, Vincent,
obviously that that dream of being an F1 driver.
I think obviously a lot of the drivers we speak to probably
shared that dream and, and they, they fell into touring cars,
GTS, all of that later on with that was that very much still,
especially when you were finding your feet in, in Formula 4,
Benelux and and then in the UK was that very much still the
dream few even despite starting so late into motor sport?
Yeah, because I was just only meet.
I think at that time you can reach Formula One at 2627 years
old, it was still OK. It's not possible anymore today,
but I think that's it was still OK at that time.
But I I need it when when I start Formula Four, I need it to
be very quick in every categories.
And so Opal Lotus was a good year.
So I was a runner up. Formula 3IN only one years I was
runner up. Of course Jan Magnuson dominates
that that years, but I still want to race this finished
seconds. And I I think I signed my
contract in March or something like that.
So very late. I didn't have winter testing in
Formula Three before the years and so it was reasonable results
and I was normally waiting for Marlboro support for Formula
3000 and Marlboro bad jumps stop the, the, the, the, the, the,
yeah, the figure. And that's, that's called the
end of our Singer seater. I did some races in Germany 4-5
races years after, but not in a in good good condition so.
When he was winning Formula Three in the UK, obviously Dick
Bennett was he A-Team boss at the time.
Dick Bennett, as we know, has has got a, you know, hugely
successful career. How was that working for him or
racing? Not, not very easy sometimes he
was, yeah, he had a lot of experience with with many, many
different driver and very good point Akinen by kerosene.
So it was not a lot of big name, did you?
Feel that pressure immediately going into the team because a.
Little bit, yeah, a little bit in the beginning of of the years
I was asking for some some different of way to set up the
car and he was not really, really, really listen to me.
I think that's that's part of the years and finally we find a
bit better set up that suit my driving style and and that was a
bit better on the second part, but it was very late to catch up
Jan. And I think we have some issue
and some bad ways that we lost the contact completely and and
maybe a bit of the confidence and another point.
I think that's yes make me at the moment I didn't feel it.
But when I look back I said maybe that's was a big problem.
Also, for example, I didn't have a road car because the money
from Marlboro was for the car and for the team.
I didn't have salary. So I I was really looking for
making my living a normal reading.
And for example, I didn't have a road car.
So I play with Prescott from Belgium, from Renault and from
Peugeot, because I knew some people there and I was really
travelling a lot between Belgium and England.
And I think I lost a little bit of of not confident, but losing
a little bit of energy to to do that.
And that's also I think can't a little bit.
And there are some results, some not really good results that's I
can be maybe make a bit better. But again, at the end of the
year, it was second in the championship.
For example, Dao Franchitti will make a very good in US finished
four. So yeah, that that was was still
a good weather for sure. I was going to say you, you
mentioned Dario Franchitti there.
That was a strong feel because obviously, as you said, Jan
Magnussen there, you had Ricardo Reset who made it to F1.
You had Warren Hughes who made a career in it as well.
There was even Zac Brown. And owner Christian Horner.
Yeah, Christian Horner, Pedro de La Rosa.
He was in the baby Ross. You had Tommy Erdos.
There was there was some good good.
So to, to to, as you say, Yan dominated, but you were, you
know, that was a good result to, to, to finish second runner up.
And it's a shame that he didn't get the support.
Paul Steward Wrestling was a really, really big team with a
big, big money in behind them. And so they were, they were
really up to the game at that time of.
Course that was not long before they got into the F1 team,
wasn't it? So yeah, yeah.
So at at what point did you feel that you obviously lost, as you
said you lost the Marlborough back in?
At what point did you think of touring cars and saloon cars as
a possible alternative? Because yeah, when I try again
the 1995 for German championship, I I have battle
and now the the result was not so good because the the car was
not there and the team or so. And so I decided to stop with
them and they were starting to ask money and I didn't have any
money. So I, I really said to them now,
OK, we stopped there and I was still looking for nearly one
years and a half. I did some testing with Formula
Three oil engine. I did Tom's Toyota testing, I
have a contact for Japanese Formula 3 championship or so,
but again, no money to go there and it was very difficult on
Monet's side. And after nearly one years and a
half looking for that to to try again in single seaters, I
decide to to say stop with the single seaters and to stop
dreaming about Formula One. It was over and but I want to
make a living to have to be paid and professional driver and and
fortunately Peugeot Belgium was looking for a new driver in the
Belgium Poker Championship with Peugeot and we did a shut out
between 4 driver. It was Mark Gossan's myself,
Eric Gallery, the French guys and the Belgium guys.
Stefan the go out with now quite a star in the in the in the
French movies and stuff like that.
Yeah, he's a comedian. He's a comedian and he's he's
making a really good car here in France.
Oh wow. OK.
And I won that shot out so the the Peugeot can give me a
contract and I start really to be professional driver.
I on the on the way that I receive money for my my job.
Yes, formula three and stuff like that.
You don't receive you don't have some or doing that and yeah, I
have some money. So it's I was looking for that
to to stay professional driver and so I did super touring 46.
The championships are learning a little bit of one wheel drive
car and stuff like that and touring car, which is different
beats beast tender than formula three, of course, and I stay for
pervert Yeah, that's years. I have first contact with TWA at
the end of 97, but they choose morbidly because X Formula One
driver and blah blah, blah. And so I keep going with Peugeot
in three or six group and yeah, and and cars or very, very
little car compared to superstoin cars, but still a
contract with them and keep in touch with Steve Dubravira on
last year's 98. And by the end of the years they
start asking me maybe to do a test.
But so it was a long time waiting during your full winter,
but in February I think something like that.
So they call me again or to make an appointment to do a test in
Pembrey. But I was already engaged more
or less with Peugeot for another years in Belgium.
Yeah, but my team manager, Mark van Dalen, the Cornos manager, I
was really, really scared to speak about that with him
because I can lose the Peugeot. And that's it.
Yeah, I. Didn't have.
Yeah, I didn't. Have be left with nothing, yeah.
It was just a test with you where you are so and but he, he
was really happy for me and he came with his mate to help me in
the, in the talking with business part of the of the of
the of the job for that one. So we did a test in Pembrey
which was quite good. So I think if my memory is good,
I was only 110th and a half slower than regards on on the
same car. And so they get interest, but
they didn't sign me there. They asked me to do another test
in GIS Yeah. And I think again, it's my
memory is good. So Matthew, Matthew O'Neill did
a test on two or three days before me and I jumped in the
car, but it was raining and I didn't know how jealous track.
And in the rain, I was not there.
I think I was nearly 2 seconds of recap lap time.
But yeah, my manager, manager Mark Van Dallan, we did enough
contract together, but he was really helpful while speaking
with the team manager. Yeah.
And after that test and the at the evenings, they said that
they will sign me for the BTCC, but we were already beginning of
March or something like that. Yeah.
So again, very late. Very late into the programme.
Yeah, yeah, very late. Same.
What one thing I I love to know with these with with drivers
such as yourself, who instead of racing in front wheel drive
touring cars since the start started in single seaters and
then moved to the front wheel drive.
I mean, it's, it's a big, how did you find that switching to
such a different style of car? Again, when you know, you know
how to drive a racing car, it's, it's quite easy to be at the
pace. Yeah, but the the the last, the
last part of the pace, which is very, very difficult to to find.
And you need to work with the engineer to understand your
driving style and that that's make the car squeaker and stuff
like that. It's, it was big jump.
I learned quite a lot in Belgium, but when I came in
England it was another level with a, with a, with a big, big,
big difference on the professionalism, on everything.
I'm engineer on the testing and development and the racing also.
It was really, really big, big, big difference.
Yeah, of course. Did you know much about the the
championship before you got to it?
Yeah, of course. Yeah, it was very popular.
Yeah, very, very popular. Championship, if I have a
regrets, this may be to not be able to be there two or three
years before to run, to run a little bit more and to be able
to to fight for, for women for championship with more
experience. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Yeah. It's it's not a regret because
it it was like that. But at the end of the day, yeah,
it could be a big difference. With that 99 year at Volvo you
mentioned, obviously you got that drive quite late in the
season, more late in the preseason rather.
Do you think that was a harder challenge to overcome than
slotting into a team that that really have been Ricard's team
for for five years up to? Yeah, of course, of course.
Yeah, it was to, to, yeah, to jump into a big team or on
Ricard who was there from the beginning, I think.
Yeah, not easy of course, but the, the difficult inputs is to
yeah, to make the team and the engineer believing in, in my
inputs and my my commentary about the cars.
But fortunately with Ricard, I think we had quite similar
driving style and the cars suit my driving style quite well.
The biggest difference I feel with Ricard it's was his
capacity in using the tyres into qualifying.
He was always very fast in qualifying.
So that is a big help in Tory car to start on the front that's
make a big difference. And he used the car you you feel
his experience about 400 drive car and how the diff have to
work somehow to set up the diff for working on different track.
And he was really, really spot on on that one with his left
foot breaking techniques also he was really, really good.
And before that, for example, I know I know of no more
techniques or right foot breaking.
But when the engineer saw that he was a bit better with this
left foot breaking, they asked me also to do that.
And I I had up quads quite well on that techniques.
It doesn't bother me or doesn't make me.
Thinking too much about that's but CFS, yeah, you have the itch
on the, on that techniques. And I, I again, I have no
experience on it and I need it to understand it.
And I and that's in, in, in two years, it's very difficult to
change something on your driving style and on on your way to
drive cars. And yeah, it maybe if I had a
full winter testing, maybe I can do some, some stuff.
But unfortunately we are it's quite on in 1999.
It's still a lot of private testing and a lot of testing,
free testing, free practise before the the weekend.
So we had six hours on Thursday, six hours on Friday.
So that's yeah, because on 2000 it was a lot less testing before
the race. Yeah, actually.
Coming from coming from former 3 Vincent obviously been a non
contact sport and obviously coming into the coming into the
BTCC. Sometimes we want some contact.
Yeah, we know it's quite a physical championship, just to
put it mildly. Were you prepared for that prior
to to you joining the championship?
Probably become as a bit of a shock to you when you started to
realise. Yeah, in Belgium it was not so
easy to go sometimes. We have some some specialist on
that one. That's why, yeah, you, you feel
always when it's against you or you feel you've, you've been
attacked and you feel not really happy for that.
And when it happened on the opposite direction, the it's the
other driver who is not happy with you, but he did the same
the, the the race before. So you said, OK, let's, let's
go, let's go. And then we'll be another one.
Yeah. Yeah, then there's a very
British sign. You have to give as good as you
get. So if you receive it, you've got
to, you've got to distribute it because otherwise you'll just
get bullied. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Or more. Let's see.
It's it's never with it by purpose, but sometimes in in the
fights. You elbows out, Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or you you brace a bit late and
and touched a little bit the car and you think it's it's by
purpose, but it's not. It's not always by purpose, no.
And always. Sometimes, yeah, not always.
For example, I remember 11 in the Houghton Park with Srikat.
You, you start in front of me and it was the Small world Uton
pack. So we did.
I think it's Cascade. Yeah, I can't remember.
And it's a quick left corner before breaking for a nap in or
a molex nap in. And I I wasn't preparing my
summer for an attack there before the start of the race.
I was thinking so I will take a good breaking lead, breaking the
insides to try to rotate people and when I decide to go there,
he was just front of me and I break too late and bank into the
is a bumper and so he go white. But I I stay on track and I get
in the position and then he was really not happy with it's quite
half to the risk. That's really it was not my
purpose. It was with him, my mistakes
breaking too late with score tyres and that's, that's it's,
that's yeah, it's happened of course in that kind of race.
With, with that you, you mentioned obviously that that is
the Alton Park, which I remember very well.
And at the time I remember thinking, oh, that's, that's
Richard's team. They tended not to let anyone
challenge Richard And, and in fairness, you've jumped into the
team and you're immediately competitive already got a podium
at Thruxton. What, how happy were they for
you to challenge Ricard or was there very much Ricard's the the
number one here and you have to sort of follow?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you can. Yeah, of course you can fill
that. And and I was completely aware
about that is it was not surprised me about that.
But I think I have the same can the same treatment on the same
engine and stuff like that. I never feel that that was done
on the technical side, but he's and one yeah, sometimes I stay
behind him to protect him a little bit and I was a bit
quicker. OK, for me for what it is was I
was really happy to be there and I was on the running process and
on the learning everything. So I will I and and that's works
because normally Volvo was staying for another years in
2000 and they told me in July that I will stay with them if if
it was a case. But at the end it was not.
But but yeah, I think was was OK for me.
I mean, I was not upset about that.
And in my mind I was not going to win the championship.
That's yes, that's true. I was on on the learning
process. Sir Vincent Alex mentioned that
in 99 at Froxen you got a podium there quite early that that
season. You really loved backtrack
though. You had a second 2/3 and 1/4
that year. Was it just a personal
preference, the track, or was it the the combination of you and
the car and the track? What was the reason for being so
successful there? I quad like Troxen is my
favourite track in England. I strike.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's it starts in Formula
four than Formula 3 or so. And yeah, I quite like it.
And the Volvo was quite a good car around that track in the
first corner. The Volvo was really, really,
really good car. A bit, a bit bit worse in the
slow, slow corner and and that's in but on the first one and the
car was quite stable and quite easy to drive.
Yeah, yeah, I really like it. Yeah, of.
Course that year was the first year of the the night race that
they did at Snetterton and that was a great race meeting that I
was at and I really enjoyed the carnival atmosphere around the
track. Was that was that, Was that one
of the highlights for you? Oh, yes, yes, it was really
good, Good stuff. Yeah.
And they make it would be good, good, good, good, good, good,
good girl with that one. Yeah, it was really nice.
Yeah, you you got stuck into a really good battle in the in in
the second race as well with Laurent and Ricard and Jean
Christophe and Jason Plato. It was a brilliant battle that
eventually ended at the bum hole with Yeah, I think, I think
Ricard got the, the, the the bad end it.
Was yeah, because he was the fun.
Yeah, yeah. But yeah, that was that was one
of my favourite race meetings of that year and it was a great
year of British touring cars. It's often forgotten about a bit
because it followed 98, but it was a great season.
Sure. Which was the highlight for you,
Vincent, out of the seasons that you did in the BTCC?
Is there any particular real high moment that you thought,
yeah, that was the best weekend for me?
And was there any particular low weekend that you thought was a a
complete disaster? No, I really enjoyed the 99
years with the Volvo because again, the, the, the cast was
with my style and and it was my first years, of course, and I
discover everything. And so, yeah, getting to the
podium in some races was really, really good, good feeling.
And but no, I, I some ways, yeah, we have, I think where the
really bad weekends with the Volvo in Bransash in the track
where I have two DNF. And that was a shame because we
had a big burst coming from some supporter from Belgium because
Bransash was really, really easy for them to come.
And and so, yeah, that's maybe it was the low pounds of that,
yes, to have two DNF on the on that race, yeah, with all the
like jump support there there. Always the added pressure when
you've got friends and family or you've got supporters coming.
Yeah. For the driver.
I think the one DNF is a broken suspension on the kerbs, so we
resolve contact and the other one, I can't remember if it's an
engine or something that's not, I think pass through DNF, yeah.
That that year you mentioned that obviously TWR originally
told you in July that you were going to continue.
How late in the year did they then turn around and say,
actually we're pulling out? I think quite soon in August.
OK, OK, one months later. Yeah.
And immediately then I guess you started looking for another
drive obviously with within the championship was that tough
because obviously 3 manufacturers are pulling out at
that point. So the the drives were becoming
more and more sparse. Yeah, yeah, but the the good
years in the in the Volvo make me quite good on on some list.
Yeah, yeah, I got the Vauxhall the the other team bring very,
very experienced driver like Ford and and Vauxhall chose
chose me to to to be the number 3 and yeah.
There was, if I remember rightly at the time as well, there was
some talk that you could have possibly sat in a second Nissan
for Dynamics, but they were looking, they were.
Looking for one day, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And that's just it for you, was it?
Yeah, that's just a no go. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, it was the only choice. Yeah, or, or or going into
another championship, but it was the only chance to to stand the
BTCS. It was the voxel.
What what was it like going into that environment with two team
mates and a free car team? Because I'm guessing really
you've probably been used to 22 car teams.
What was it a different atmosphere?
Was it more competitive or more collaborative being with?
That was not was not easy. Well, not easy, of course, I and
a little bit better with even because we we have Commons
modern language and that type of lots and Jason, I didn't have
any any trouble with this and it was a good relationship.
Also the interesting point. It was really two different
driving style. Ivan and Jason was completely
your friends and I was a bit in the middle to look which one can
shoot me a better. And and the car was was not to
my liking like the the Volvo was the years before.
So I struggle a bit to to to make the car to my liking.
And and that's well that that was a bit a bit a bit difficult
to end over on that years. Yeah.
And it was a bit disappointed because I had so good first
years, then the second years was was not so good.
Yeah, so. You, you.
You worked for two pretty strong characters.
Yeah, in Vauxhall you had Derek Warwick, who was a big, big
character. And they don't come much bigger
than Volvo's Tom Walkinshaw. I mean, what were what were they
both like to work for? Tom Walkinshaw, I didn't see him
during the year, I think. I think that maybe it's the best
one I. Think, I think I see him only
once during the year. OK, yeah, he was not really
involved into the, the racing stuff during the years there.
I was a lot more in the team. Yeah, of course.
But yeah, fine. I knew that it was not the the
perfect way to continue, but it was the only possibility.
So I, I, I can need to, to, to keep going as a professional
driver and to hand Monet for my job.
And, and I learned a lot, but not, not always the, the good
sides, but I learned a lot of also on the, on the bad sides.
And another big character in the team was Rudori Klakwa and the
race engineer of and the, the main engineer of the French guys
who it's really, really up on a on the, on the, on the team and
on the on the cars and with big, big reputation.
And he was also with his strong character.
And that's, yeah, it was more, more a fighting atmosphere than,
than the, the friendly atmosphere we had in, in Volvo
and TWVR. TWVR was, was a lot easier to
endow. And, and I never see somebody
excited or not happy at TWVR. And it's it's happened quite,
quite often in Triple H on that year, so.
With there was a, there was a moment at Thruxton in the
opening round at through the first round of Thruxton, because
they went there twice that year, I believe, where it was very
clear that Ivan was #1 Jason was #2 and obviously going by that
you were #3 was that, I mean, I know you're going to say it was,
it was your job. That was your contract.
Was that the tough pill to swallow sometimes?
Because I mean, it got even got to the point where you had to
come and they had to take your car off you to give to someone
else. I mean that that must.
Yeah, yeah, because it wasn't important.
Yeah. The, the, the, the principle to
do to do 3 guys was to use the test car that everybody have
normally on the on the 99 seasons and to make a that car
for, for a driver and make it into the race.
But yeah, it was, it was on my contract.
If a car was destroyed and the other driver needs my car, I
will have to step out and to give my car for a frame it up
and it's sent up on the other night race I think.
Yes, that's right. That's it.
That's the even drive my car because this car was damaged
also in the in the first race Dutch.
It was on my contract. And yeah, it's when you sign the
contract, you don't don't think about the, the, the, the weak
points. Of.
Course, yeah, your thing, yeah, you think everything will be
fine and will be working well. But yeah, at the end of the day
it's it's of course a bit difficult to handle The the only
chances was to have some other driver order manufacturer
between you and and your teammates and that's make a
difference. But so otherwise, yeah, yeah,
yeah then and I think just on the was also feel free tough
about that that situation, of course.
Yeah, sure. Obviously, him and Ivan famously
became very close. Yeah, I expand some discussion
in briefing and the debrief was about good but quite funny.
I could imagine, yeah. Did you do the debriefs together
as three drivers or did you have?
Or did you do your debriefs individually with your own
engineers 1st and then share your information?
Yeah, you do the debrief with CRS engineer and after all
that's where you, you have general debrief with everybody
there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Nearly all,
all that. Always like that, Yeah.
Was that quite colourful conversation most of the time
with with three different characters?
Yeah, yeah, sometimes was a bit difficult.
Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah.
It was again, more, more relaxing to do.
We're on that side. I mean, the good thing, I guess
is that it got worse the next year when you weren't there, so.
Unfortunately, in that year, 2000, you also had some pretty
nasty shunts for this quite a big one at Croft.
It's. A horrible one, that one.
Was that was that was it just a situation of pure bad luck or
was it you not getting on as well with the car as as you know
you mentioned not compared to Volvo, what what were?
Those it was making mechanical problem.
I I bought some stuff on the steering rack somewhere we don't
know exactly what exactly, but I lost completely the steering
into that that fast bends and have no steering to steer the
guy. That's that's one.
So what I hit the brakes was too late and I crossed the grass and
I hit the the barrier quite high, quite hard.
Yeah. And yeah, mechanical, it's the
worst accident in racing. It's one of mechanical stuff
abroad. You, you are passenger of the
car. And I remember I still have a
picture of the of the Marshall post and I saw the Marshall
looking at me, looking like what is occurring in this direction.
Yeah, I really remember that picture in my head.
And so I, I was really scared about the the hits.
But when it finished, I was on the side of the car and I
panicked a little bit about fire because I can't I can't exit.
I, I was not able to exit off the car by myself.
And I calm down very quickly when I saw every marsh on
coming. He was there extended Grayshore
and everything was there to to help me if it was a problematic
like life I so I calm down very quickly, but I have a big stress
for 30 seconds or one minute about that.
But it was OK mine mine I was not hurt so I didn't was bad
experience but nothing nothing new servers.
I remember another one that you you were turned around by
Thompson at Silverstone. Oh yeah, That was a nasty one.
And and went into the side of reading.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
But it's completely, Yeah, I think James was a bit hard on
that one and I can't again. I was a passenger.
He turned back up to the ones and.
And really, unfortunately Reed was turning into the corner and
I hit him quite badly by your back.
Yeah. But yeah, that's his racing
incidence and maybe James can do it a bit less aggressively, but.
Yeah. No, that was a total passenger
in that one. Yeah, he can.
Yeah, on on the one years. I think it's happened to nearly
everybody. Yeah, I remember that Croft
meeting. It was quite, there was, there
was a, a picture of Derek Warwick just looking for lawn
because you had that big shunt and then Jason's throttle stuck
open and that was another scary shunt.
And I remember Derek Warwick saying, well, I don't even know
if we're going to be at the next race because we don't know if
we've got any cars left. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, it was really done. Yeah, it's already bad.
Bad race and bad race weekend. Yeah.
So with that 2000 car, I think it's fairly safe to say that you
prefer the Volvo from the Vauxhall from from what you've
been saying to us this evening. Yeah, I think they did a good
job on the on the Vauxhall. But yeah, it's happens to, I
remember that sort of we had some issue on the, on the front
axle of the car and we never put the finger on it.
And it disturbed me more I think than just on an even on, on my
way to drive the car. For example, it's difficult to
explain, but when you, you got the pores of the apex to the
exit of the corner and you put the power, the front wheel, of
course, pulling the car and, and sometimes I, I can't really know
by one of the person way of the car handing at the end of the
car. And I was always missing my
racing line for 404050 centimetres.
And that's happened quite early in the years from the car.
And I will, I complain about that.
So Ivan and Jason also complain about that.
And they never really find a solution on that point.
I don't, I don't know why exactly, but, and that's
disturbed me a bit more. And it was a bit more difficult
on some tracking than the others, of course.
But but yeah, it it was something there that's I really
don't like. It it was never really a truly
competitive super tour of the Vectra.
They nobody ever really got it winning regularly.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it was difficult to set up
the car well for it every time. Competitive cavalier, for
example, or the the vector in in in Europe, yeah.
Yeah, it was strange that's we, we struggled a bit to find the
the right setup in every track and the car was a bit difficult
to set up often. Yeah, true.
Moving towards the end of that year and and into early 2001, it
was a situation where Super Touring was was ending as we
knew it and we were going into the new regulations.
Vauxhall were the one team that actually stuck around for for
that part. Did you have any discussions
with them for staying around in 2001 or or was it was it budget
limited on on both sides there? Yeah, it was a bit did that and
and the years on high and and yeah, it was no, I never really
speak with them about that. So I have the badge of
championship was changing also the regulation for cigarette
cars. I have a good contact in upper
Belgium and yeah, we we we went to that direction and I didn't
really push with 888 to try to stay with them and and didn't
really push also to to keep me in the in abort.
So, so, yeah, we passed so without many problems, but it
was quite natural. Yeah, that's I think they were
not specially happy. I was not, I was not specially
happy and that's that was it. And they have a lot of driving
on the market on. On the yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, there there was talk. I mean, I don't know how true it
is, but at one point ABG Motorsport, who were running a
couple of Lexuses, they were talking about possibly putting
you with Tommy Udos, your old F3.
Never touch, yeah, I would touch with them.
I I went to England to speak with them and but never
happened. I never jumped in the car to to
test and I don't know is there a way also looking a bit for Monet
and stuff like that. So again, I was with you on a
professional mode of driving and not bringing Bridget on money
for that for for my job. Yeah, that is a job.
At the end of Super Touring, I mean, I guess you probably found
it really hard because all these manufacturer programmes, these
racing programmes were ending and all the, all the, the teams
coming forward were independent teams looking for money.
So I guess for you that must have been quite hard at that
point to to to find something that worked for.
You yeah, but this is it's something that's happened to me
in my career very often. So I have a part higher going up
and go down quite a lot. So go back again and go down
again. It's it's happened all the all
the time like that. So I had the singer sitters time
losing a lot of stuff. And I have touring cars with
Belgium and BTCC, yeah. And, and two, two good years
also in the Belgium Sidwell cars.
And the French championship also is Sidwell Siat Siat Toledo.
And after the French championship, I was also going
for another years in the French championship to try to win the
championship. And the team let me down to
Crystal Bushard because he was French into a French team and
not the Belgian, the Belgian guys.
So that's also make me again go up down.
And I had some good people in Belgium who are so doing some
racing team, but with some good money behind and they can afford
to pay me as a professional driver.
But it changed a little bit of the I since 2003, 2004 and so
on. I keep going racing, I keep
asking for money for my job, but I asked the money only for the
weekend race, weekends or testing or stuff like that.
But not a salary, a full salary for 40 years.
And I I find different way to make some money for my living,
driving school in Belgium and this job I am doing now some
sense of 15 years now developing cars for manufacturers and
mostly on the nosh life where I where I am at the moment.
Yeah, you, you raced quite a varied mix of cars since 2004,
didn't you? Really.
You've done, you've done a bit of GTS as well.
I mean it must have been quite the jump to go back into big
engine rear wheel drive cars after two litre tin tops.
Yeah, but but yeah, I hear a wheel drive I think sued my
style a bit better than front wheel drive car.
So I I was caught up here at Silwatt car, for example, was
really, really nice car how to walks on it and to race because
it was a real racing car. It was to build a chassis, the
real engine 38 hours V6. So it was really, really nice
car only 950 kilos. So it was really, really good
fun to, to walks on that car And and GT was the same as a big
car, a bit bit heaver, but but yeah, I, I like also to, to
understand different driving style, to understand the
different cars to work Swiss engineer to try to improve
stuff. And it's, it's part of the job
that I, I'd like. I'm so I'm not only for racing.
Out of all the GT cars that you drove when you drove the
Corvette, I think the Nissan 350, Mosler, I think even a
Ferrari at one point. Yeah, I.
Mean. That's the good thing about the
GT cars. Obviously there is a good array
of of manufacturers, but what was there any particular
favourite for you during that period?
Yes and no it was some contacts that that's that's happened in
some places and some people who who are looking for driver for
example 24 hour spa. It was it was very difficult
because many team are asked for money except the the
professional driver from the manufacturers like OD driver,
poor driver and stuff like that. I I never been there.
So every time they will will ask some money.
So sometimes I drove because a gentleman driver pay for me.
Sometimes the IT was a free drive and stuff like that.
But I never bring money to to make me a driving racing cars
because it's when when you when you have that as the job and the
experience I have at that time, I don't see the points to bring
money to a team from from my my, my side of view is the team.
I have to find the money to to make the driver part of the
team. I always said that the mechanics
I paid the engineer, I paid it. I never understand why a driver
have to pay to do the job. For me, it's a job.
It's not, it's not to be a superstar or only being in my
overall also racing driver. I'm there to to make a job.
So to, to help to help the reserve, to help the engineer to
understand what's what we need to do in the car to improve it
and, and and and so on. So, yeah.
And and that is why also it's, it's become become to be a bit
difficult at this, this state now to to keep wrestling because
it's, it's, it's always, always about that.
You say about it's not about being a superstar, but one thing
I always wanted to, wanted to know was how surprised were you
about how big the championship the BTCC was when you were in
it? I mean, you guys were household
stars. They were computer games.
It was. And, you know, were you
surprised at just how big the series was?
Yeah. Of course you have the other
course session and the television stuff like that, but
it was still the BBC like has a high for every Sunday.
Yes, that's right. That's.
Making the big, big difference for of course, yeah, yeah, yeah,
sure. It was really, really, yeah.
I was really impressed by that. Yeah, of course.
But again, also as a racing driver, you are not looking for
that side of the of the of the racing.
You are looking for the reserve for the car, for the Android in
the, the, the the car and and do the job.
Yeah, yeah. You mentioned your work at the
Nurburgring now. Is it a situation a lot of
people go on about learning that tracking taken so long to learn
that track, Is it something, is it a special experience every
time you turn a lap of that track and have you learn every
quarter to the 100% now? Yeah, yeah, of course.
But it's, you know, I'm Belgium. Many, many people say that
Sparkle Kosher is the best track in the world.
I always no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
No. No, no, for me is the north,
like I fear in Germany. It's, it's really amazing track.
It's a challenge every time you go off on it.
It's a challenge. You Yeah, it's greenhouse.
So the, the, the, the, the, the, the weather is always changing
and it's always difficult. Of course, when you, you do
manufacturer development car, you don't have to push up the
limits all the time. So you need to be a bit on a
margin sometimes. But when you do that records
like I did for Jaguar or for Xiaomi beginning of this year's,
you have to be in the racing spirits and putting everything
under limits and and not crushing the car because again,
it's prototype cars and cost a lot of money if you have an
accident. So it's it's to find a balance
between the speed and the, and the, and the security and the
risk you take and then stay on the track.
But yeah, it's Amazon track. It's, you know, unbelievable.
It's something that they need to keep in life because it's it's
no, no where you can find there's so much enjoyment to to
drive on that car, on that on that strike with every car you
can drive for a small car, a small Rd car, you still enjoy
it. Yeah, yeah.
That's the big difference. I mean, it, it shows just how
much pull the, the, the North Schleifer has is you look at Max
Verstappen recently doing the, doing the, the, the GT race
there, you know, so it's got that pull that just everyone
wants to do it. It's an incredible, incredible
circuit. And, and many, many, many, many
of them are scary about it. Yeah, when you speak with with
amateur rival and you said, yeah, you have to come to Norse
live because they're so weird. When you ask, try and say, oh, I
still don't want to go on that one because they're scary.
Many, many people are scary. It's like motorcycle riders with
the Isle of Mountain TT. I think Rossi went there to
watch and even he said no, I'm not riding it.
You know, it's very strange because OK, it's but no one is
the racing is that so it's it's staying on the on the black
time. I can not not going off the of
the time. I can I think more than racing,
you know, that's it's also something that I don't like in
GT racing and the run off are we full of tarmac and no penalty
and people people make big mistakes and and they save the
car. I don't like that way to drive a
car. I want.
I wanted to to still dangerous. Not, not.
For your life, but dangerous about making mistakes that make
you out of the track and and and that cost you something.
And. That's yeah, yeah, I, I, I quite
stay on that side of racing. Driving have to be difficult and
and risky and at some point. I agree it takes a lot of the
skill level away and I think the difference in terms of risk
taking, but in a in a way where you can keep it on the track,
but there's risk taking where it doesn't matter if I get it
wrong. Because I'm actually.
Differently the next lap, you know, when we when we raced and
when I raced, you know, a lot of like Alton Park, you don't get
second chances. Yeah, exactly.
You don't really get second chances.
You know, Throuxton, you don't really get second chances.
But you know all this this. This is why your style?
Yeah, that's why your style, Yeah.
I really like the English track because it didn't change the
state. You might be like.
You got punished. You got punished.
In You Apart Silverstone, who will make a big, big difference,
make big, big changements. But Doniton's still the same.
Rob Lansash. It's still the same track.
So it's, yeah. I think it's also something that
you have to keep in life doing, doing racing on that kind of
track, yeah. We've, we've mentioned Spa a
couple of times in the last few minutes and you did the 24 hour
race there quite a lot, didn't you?
Is is that? Not that much, not that much.
OK. And I have only twice the
possibility to warn it if it was touring car was the Peugeot 3 or
6? Yeah, which I did 1998 first
years of the Peugeot and of the group and regulation for the for
the 24 hours I didn't pole position.
That's it. I was on pole, but we have an
issue on the car during the race and I did also in 2000.
So the years I was running the Vauxhall in BTCCI have a free,
free weekend at that stage. And so Peugeot bring me back
into the into the race and again we had DNF because of something
on the car. Yeah.
So that's was the only two years I have a car and the team that's
was capable to win the race. Otherwise I drove it with small
car before that or with GT cars, but we're never in the peak team
and with with some Co driver that can can be a professional
once and win on the race Yeah. So at the end of the day, I
think I did more fun the 24 of Dubai than the 24 of Spa.
Yeah, it's strange, but this? Sometimes, yeah.
So I mean, we've talked about modern racing there and, and the
reliance these days on bringing money and, and do you get to do
much racing now? I know I stopped.
Two years ago, I stopped. Two years ago.
Yeah, I I did the TCR German championship back in 2023.
Yeah, but with an Opera Astra with the team that I won the
German championship back in 2006.
More Motorsports is a Swiss team, OK, really, really good
people and really family team. And but we didn't have the
budget and the and the testing to make the car working.
So we worked all years on the car to improve it.
By the end of the year, the car was close to the project, kept
every city, but we did, we did one years to develop that's and
to be able and the last race to fight for the project.
So and, and the team stop it after that year.
That's that was my last year and I'm not, I'm not pushing for
that. I'm not giving call to each one.
So if somebody think about me and ask me to do something and
can pay my rest or weekends, I will be very happy to do it.
But yeah, my, I don't need it anymore as, as professional way
of life. And, but I still are and I still
enjoy sitting in the car doing the job and, and that's part of
the of the weekends. But I hate all the rest on the
weekend, the travelling, the waiting, the, the, the
breathing, the checking of the overalls and stuff like that.
Yeah, that's just a bit boring. You spend a lot of time on the
race track for, for driving very short time at the end.
So and and a lot of disappointments very often
because in under ants race, you need very, very strong team and
stronger structure to to be able to to to go to the end of the
race without trooper. And you have many, many
disappointed weekend because of engine bork and gearbox or, or
something happened during the weekend and that's it's no
result at the end. Yeah, Oh yeah.
The the on dry mind is too short compared to the to the
disappointed. So looking back on your
professional racing career then, would you say there are any
particular highlights that you look back and think, yeah, that
was that was probably the best of it for me.
Is that is there anything in particular that you look back on
with particular pride or? I I would say that I don't drive
really much two years in the 1990 W studio where we are still
really, really good memories yeah and and for the high level
of professional professionalism is was done and that especially
with again the free practise 6 hour on top there 6 hour on
Friday 3 cars or test car. The race car the the
organisation in the team was really a high level.
So I enjoyed that high level of professionalism and I ordered
quite a lot also with the silhouette cars in French
championship because I was the only foreigner driver.
So it was all French driver. I was in the French team, but
and the French engineer, I wish I was working with him on that
years was really, really good to engineer.
I really enjoy driving, driving for him and walking with him to
make the car, to make the car working.
And we missed the championship by one point.
But yeah, we have, for example, I think it was 7 race weekends
and the first race weekend we finished the the the weekend
with our points. So we had, we had a big crush in
the beginning of the first race and the car was really destroyed
and it was big mess into the first corner and I was I was in
the middle and there we built the car for the next race.
I was P4 and we have an electrical problem on the car.
So we have two DNFS on the first weekends.
So we catch up during the years and we came in the last race
leading the championship, but by your little margin.
And we lost it by one point at the end of that weekend.
Oh yeah, it was. And the disappointment about
that is that normally I was going to another years and try
to win the championship, but the team chose another rival,
Christophe Boucher, who was French and he was, he was free
to do that. And the team manager for
Snobbeck, it was Snobbeck team and the team manager was friend
of Christophe Boucher. So when Christophe Boucher was
free to do it, he he bring it back into the team to to do the
championship. So I lost that drive on the
human. Yes, in the French championship
that was a bit disappointed. But the years walking on the
car, walking on the and the track also in France, in France
have some good track like Dijon Nogaro.
Yeah, we have quite a good, good secret or so I know also I was
learning new track because at that date you don't have a
simulator and stuff like that to learn or you have to to learn
against the French guys who was doing it from 10 years ago.
And and that's it was a challenge also to to be to be
competitive very, very, very quickly on on that.
That's, yeah. So yeah, I think 1999 and 2002
was quite a good sport, yeah. Vincent, I'd just like to say
thank you so much for spending your time with us this evening
to come on the episode, to come on the show.
It's been great having you. Thanks so much.
Thank you very much again. Yeah, yeah.
Thank you to to think about me again.
Oh, it's it's and. Thank you for listening to
today's episode from Stories from Super Touring.
And as ever, we'll be back next week for more stories from the
golden era of touring car racing.
We'll see you next week. Goodbye.