TOCA Shootout: 1992-1994
An end of season non-points scoring race, the TOCA Shootout was a showpiece event for the BTCC held at Donington Park that ran for three years in the early Super Touring years. Offering a substantial cash prize for the winner, the event consisted of a single race that was filled with unusual gimmicks that sound more at home in a Need for Speed game than real motorsport.
Gradually over the course of the race, the car running in last place would be eliminated from the race until only six drivers remained, who would then complete the race to see who won. Race control also had the ability to throw safety cars out whenever they felt like it (i.e. if someone got a little too far out in front), regardless of if they were actually required.
With it being a non-points race, obviously it was all meant to be a bit of fun; but it’s fair to say it wasn’t an event for the purists. Still, there were some interesting driver/car/team combinations that popped up, as well as some drivers (and a car) that never actually raced in the BTCC itself.
Aside from the gimmicks, the TOCA Shootout is probably best remembered for its crashes. In particular, Kieth O’dor’s enormous barrel roll over the catch fencing at the Old Hairpin in 1992, along with Nigel Mansell’s nasty shunt under Starkey’s Bridge the year after on his guest outing in a Mondeo.
For its final iteration in 1994 the TOCA Shootout ran as a support race for the FIA Touring Car World Cup, which itself would only last another year. Despite its fairly short run, the TOCA Shootout has endured as a popular part of the BTCC’s Super Touring golden era.