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BTCC Profiles from the Past: Patrick 'Perseverance' Watts
Patrick Watts and the Peugeot. Image Credit: btccrazy.co.uk
Perseverance – Noun
persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success
The British Touring Car Championship is often remembered through its champions, its glorious victories and those heroic comebacks. However, there has always been more to the BTCC than just the winners. Something that has always made the championship so special is the combination of characters that comprise the field each year. Patrick Watts was always one of those characters, competing in the BTCC between 1992 and 1997. He also made a spectacular return to the BTCC Masters Race in 2004, and continues to compete in the HSCC Super Touring Trophy. He may not have ever had any championship success, but without Mr Watts the BTCC would not have been the same. The personification of perseverance could only ever be Patrick.
Patrick Watts flirted with the BTCC in the 1980s when he made numerous appearances in cars spanning the different classes (with the exception of Class A); his best performance came in 1984 when he competed in a few races in an MG Metro Turbo (Class B), finishing as high as 6th at Silverstone. It was only in 1992 when Watts decided enough was enough and it was time to tackle the BTCC head on. Back in 1992, the championship was in its infant years of the 2.0 litre Super Touring regulations and as such many drivers, teams and manufacturers were still finding their feet. So when Patrick Watts entered with a Mazda 323, no one really battered an eyelid.
As any lifelong fan of the BTCC, watching back the old season reviews is a must, even if only to relive just how truly great the 90s were for touring car racing. Personally speaking, 1992 has always been one of my favourite years to watch due in the most part to the non-stop action from the get-go. As a result of this, the poetic narration of Murray Walker will forever remain in my head; from my recollections Patrick Watts was never often spoken of too highly. The combination of ‘Patrick Watts’ and ‘gravel’ spring to mind. Looking over his 1992 statistics, Watts failed to finish 50% of the races, with a highest finish of only 11th. In his defence however, it was the first year in the championship for Mazda and they were running an under developed car that was almost consistently running off the pace.
A true hero of BTCC. Image Credit: Peter Still
As 1993 rolled around, Watts and Mazda refused to see a repeat of the previous season. Not only did they develop a Mazda Xedos 6 into a competitive car, but they adorned it with a striking livery just to announce to the world that they were there and they meant business. There was however one problem. When it comes to touring car racing, a graph could be drawn charting driver aggression and grid position. Funnily enough, the further up the order you go, the more you experience the wrath of the aggressive driver. 1993 was therefore an equally disappointing year for Watts, although unlike the previous year he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He may not have finished 7 of the 17 races, but he did achieve three 4th place finishes and numerous front row starts. His bad luck was most apparent at the famous Snetterton race where the entire field appeared to crash in the opening seconds; Watts was one of the few cars that got a clean start but lost control in the first corner and ruined his car. Such hope, such opportunity, lost.
Distinctive livery just makes for an easy target. Image Credit: en.mazda-club.eu
The end of 1993 also ended the partnership between Watts and Mazda; Mazda would not continue as a works entry in the BTC apart from a semi-works outfit that competed in half the 1994 season. From 1994 to 1997, Patrick Watts joined the Peugeot team which is how I will always remember him. 1994 saw the ever persistent Patrick finally manage a competitive season, finishing 8th in the overall standings. In 21 races, he would only retire 3 times, would in the majority of cases finish easily within the top 10 and he even achieved two podiums at Brands Hatch. In addition to this impressive year, something happened in 1994 that would cement his place in the touring car history books. In a time before Plato, it was Patrick Watts that quite clearly would go on to like Shaggy. The phrase ‘It Wasn’t Me’ was one uttered by the bespectacled gentleman on numerous occasions. The most famous occasion was at Brands Hatch where approaching Druids, Watts had a certain Paul Radisich in the Ford in front of him, and appeared to push him out the way and into the gravel. Watts however denied the whole thing and argued that he did not push. This continued until the end of his BTCC career at the end of the 1997 season.
Sadly, the relative successes of 1994 were to become a mere candle in the wind. As Peugeot Sport became Total Team Peugeot in 1995 and 1996, Watts would return to his old ways once more. He did however manage a 2nd place at Snetterton and a 3rd at Thruxton in 1995. It would be a fair statement to say “the less said about 1996 the better”. In a season of 26 races, Patrick Watts would only cross the finish line on 10 occasions. So that is a grand total of 16 races he did not finish. His best result was an 8th place at Brands Hatch. Therefore it did not come as much of a surprise that Total left Peugeot as a title sponsor at the end of the year.
Apart from his stand out ’94 season, Patrick struggled with the Peugeot team. Image Credit: supertouringregister.com
The 1997 season was the first year of the Esso Ultron team, and who better to spearhead the campaign than Patrick Peugout Watts. Unfortunately, unlike in 1993 where a striking new livery brought improvement, 1997 was sadly nothing to write home about for Patrick. He would finish the year in 16th place with only 26 points to his name. This goes some way to explain why this would turn out to be his final season in the BTCC. The saddest part was that in Germany the same car was an all conquering winning machine, but the British team were wrought with financial woes and internal struggles. The following year would see Watts replaced by former Ford driver Paul Radisich, who arguably struggled even worse than Watts. Peugeot were never really cut out for the BTCC. Poor, poor Patrick.
What I have always loved about Patrick Watts (as you may have guessed by now) is his passionate determination in the face of adversity. In 1999, he decided that he was not yet done with the Peugeot 406, and entered the opening rounds of the Australian Super Touring Championship. And finally, after years of trying everything paid off; he got himself two 2nd places and one victory. It is just a shame that he did not enter the full season; his pace was so competitive that he could have challenged for the title.
At the final meeting of the 2004 BTCC season, the championship hosted a ‘Masters’ event that brought back the big names from the British championship from the last 20 years or so. It was only fair that Patrick got himself a drive, it just wouldn’t be the same without him. In an almost classic-Watts style, he would finish the race classified as DNF, after a collision with modern ‘It Wasn’t Me’, Jason Plato. Typically neither would except blame for the collision. After all, it wasn’t them.
The 2004 BTCC Masters is definitely worth a watch! Image Credit: btccpages.com
The magic that makes the BTCC so special can be defined only as vibrant variety; a combustibly wonderful combination of characters, teams and drivers that contribute to the championship we all know and love. The world of BTCC would not be the same if it was not for Patrick Watts, who is the true embodiment of determination. He may never have got the success he deserved, but he fought on gallantly doing what he clearly loves. His success in 1999 is proof that perseverance does pay; through hard work and determination, anything is possible. Well, maybe not a touring car championship, but all in good time. I did always feel sorry for Patrick Watts; he had everything that a champion needed yet luck was never quite on his side. He would always be in the wrong place at the wrong time, often getting caught in the aftershock of collisions.
If everything I had said so far was it, then that would be enough. But the final cherry atop the icing of the beautiful cake that is Patrick Watts is the fact that in the last few years he has brought his 90s dream to fruition. He has entered his Peugeot 406 from BTCC days into the HSCC Super Touring Trophy and has been achieving notable successes against the likes of historic foes such as John Cleland. The development of his car has led to him finally becoming ‘THE man to beat’ in the historic field.
Patrick Watts: the man, the legend, the perseverance.
May you continue your legendary chapter in the eternal history books of the BTCC.
Finally, 2014 saw the Peugeot 406 dominating the ex-BTCC field. Image Credit: motorsportvision.co.uk
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Keep Driving People
Peace and Love!
Cars In Literature: Where Are They All?
Over 110 years ago (3 June 1914, to be exact), an American journalist named Stephenson Browne boldly wrote that “the motorcar, or the automobile, as one pleases, will probably take the place of the horse in fiction.” Looking back across the past century of fiction, was this prediction printed in the Boston Globe correct?
Well, the answer is probably “no”. Fiction certainly does have some iconic cars – no doubt about that. It’s rather hard to imagine James Bond without his Aston Martin (although, if you want to get really picky, this is not the only make he drives in either the books or the movies). It’s also hard to imagine Mr Toad without his string of unnamed motor cars (all of which have horns that go poop-poop!). But is there really a literary equivalent of, say, the Black Stallion, My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead or Black Beauty, where the life story of the car is central to the plot rather than providing the protagonist with a means of transport?
Only two or three cars seem to be literary protagonists: the completely imaginary Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the nasty Plymouth Fury Christine of the Stephen King novel called, surprise, surprise, Christine. Very honourable mention also has to go to Val Biro’s Gumdrop, protagonist of a series of children’s picture books about a 1926 Austin 12 that sort of does for cars what Thomas the Tank engine does for steam trains.
Usually, stories that include cars are usually more about the driver and the journey rather than the car itself. On the rare occasions where a car’s make and model is actually specified, this is usually the author’s way of letting you know something about the character who drives it. Not that makes and models make it in all that often.
However, cars have made a few good cameos in various works of fiction. Here’s a selection:
- In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a glamorous yellow Rolls-Royce (a symbol of the hedonistic Bright Society portrayed in the novel) is involved in a hit-and-run accident; as this car is easily recognised, it leads to the death of the title character.
- Dorothy Sayer’s aristocratic detective Lord Peter Wimsey is as passionate about his fast cars as he is his first editions and fine wines. Mrs Merdle (his Daimler Twin-Six) makes a number of cameos in the various novels, including a dramatic interruption to a late-night illegal road race (a small excerpt opens our review of the Jaguar XJ8 ).
- An enchanted Ford Anglia comes to the rescue of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley on several occasions in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – notably rescuing them from (spoiler alert) the gigantic spider Aragog.
- Fleur Beale’s Slide the Corner contains quite a lot of rally driving as a car-loving misfit finds out where he really belong. Inflicted on teenagers as class novel to study in New Zealand classrooms, alongside an unnamed banger in a Patricia Grace short story called It Used To Be Green Once.
- (really scraping the bottom of the barrel here): numerous vehicles are mentioned by make and model in the Twilight saga, notably the VW Rabbit restored by Jacob Black and the yellow Porsche 911 stolen by Alice Cullen. Apparently, the author’s brothers are motor enthusiasts; hence how these books get a bit more brand-specific than your average Mills & Boon.
- One of the lead characters in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is named Ford Prefect. However, this character is a humanoid alien rather than a vehicle, more’s the pity.
But it’s still hard to find a more recognisable fictional motorist or a more beloved celebration of the addictive pleasure of driving than Wind in the Willows:
“… with a blast of wind and a whirl of sound, that make them jump for the nearest ditch, it was on them! The ‘poop-poop’ rang out with a brazen shout in their ears, they had a moment’s glimpse of an interior of glittering plate glass and rich morocco, and the magnificent motor-car, immense, breath-snatching, passionate , with its pilot tense and hugging his wheel, possessed all earth and air for the fraction of a second, flung an enveloping cloud of dust that blinded and enwrapped them utterly, and then dwindled to a speck in the far distance, changed back to a droning bee once more.”
If you have any favourite fictional cars – from books, not movies, TV shows or films – let me know the good ones!
Happy driving (and reading),
Megan
The Car Industry in Australia – a Timeline
Like any industry, cars in Australia have had their ups and downs, but they remain an important part of the nation’s industrial and manufacturing heritage.
We look at the car industry in Australia in this interactive timeline
Inspired by and with thanks to On Four Wheels – a wonderful timeline which new information is being added to and amended thanks to a passionate and local following.
If you like our timeline please share on Facebook or Twitter!
BTCC Drivers 2015: Return of the Priaulx Powerhouse
The new look WSR BMW 125i M Sport for Andy Priaulx. Image Credit: BTCC.net
The Autosport International Show 2015 is underway and very much in full motorized swing, revealing all the latest developments ahead of the new season. As the years roll by, one of the highlights for me has always been the BTCC announcements, and this year is most definitely no exception. As I tuned myself in on the first day, Dick Bennetts of West Surrey Racing took to the stage to reveal that multiple champion Andy Priaulx MBE would be returning to the championship. Andy Priaulx has not c0mpeted in the British championship since 2002, but he has always been one of my favourite touring car drivers. For a man that has achieved so much, here his driver profile ahead of the 2015 BTCC season.
What many people probably do not know about Priaulx is that his earliest time in the spotlight came as far back as 1995 when he took the British Hillclimb Championship in spectacular form. This young gun definitely had something to prove and the talent to go with it. After a couple of slightly low-key years in the world of single seaters (with a break to completely dominate the Renault Spider Championship in 1999), Andy got a guest drive in the BTCC in 2001 at Oulton Park in the Egg Sport Vauxhall. It was then that the touring car magic truly began.
Andy Priaulx was one of the standout drivers of 2002. Image Credit: mattsalisbury.co.uk
In his first touring car drive, he managed to leave the jaws of the championship regulars firmly set on the floor by storming to both pole positions, leaving the weekend with a well deserved 2nd place and one retirement. 2002 saw Andy signed by the returning Honda team in their new Civic Type-R. Recently, I have started a compilation of BTCC Memorable Drives and there was no way I could start such a list and not include Priaulx and his staggering 2002 drive. As a rookie to the championship, he delivered solidly across the year, achieving a much deserved win at Knockhill (after nearly throwing it all away in the closing laps). He ended the year 5th in the standings; not bad for a new driver. As the car was developed more, he was one of the few drivers who took the fight to the dominant Vauxhall team and pushed that car to its limits. It may have been a small car, but Priaulx made it a massive contender. Following his BTCC successes, it was time for Priaulx to move on up to the European and World rankings. It was time for the British motorsport empire to return to power.
In the BMW UK car, Priaulx stormed to 4 titles in a row (ETCC/WTCC). Image Credit: Phil Volkaerts
As soon as Priaulx entered what was then the European Touring Car Championship, everything fell into place. In 2004 at the end of the final race, he and Dirk Muller were tied on points, but due to the higher number of wins for Priaulx, the championship was his. For 2005, the championship became known how it is today, as the World Touring Car Championship. And against foes such as Tarquini, Farfus Junior, Giovanardi and Coronel, Andy triumphed his way to 3 further titles. If that is not a sign of true greatness in a driver, then simply none other exists.
The key to success with Priaulx has always been consistency. He may not have the aggressive streak that many other drivers have, but he will consistently score throughout the season (often without actually winning) and find himself in championship contention come the closing rounds of the year. For example, his WTCC crown in 2005 came off the back of one solitary race victory throughout the year. Usually you would expect the overall winner to be a frequent victor. By hanging back and letting those in front fight it out, he could often cruise to high finishes with a lot less risk than those gunning for glory. Aggression is only one part of what contributes to a truly legendary driver. Motorsport requires a great deal of cunning, precision and in many cases, restraint.
Just to complete the touring car set, it only made sense for the Guernsey man to get behind the wheel in both V8 Supercars and DTM. It was only ever guest drives that Priaulx would get in the V8s, but he did record an impressive 2nd place partnering Craig Lowndes at Surfers Paradise in 2010. Rumours began to circulate that he would move to a full time in the Australian championship, alas nothing ever materialised. All that remained for Priaulx in the touring car world was DTM, however his 2012 and 2013 were not filled with much success.
So where do you go when you have made your way through the worlds greatest touring car series? Of course the next step can only be the worlds greatest sports endurance races, obviously.
DTM was not kind to Priaulx, although the car did look pretty good. Image Credit: andypriaulx.com
Priaulx has now become no stranger to endurance racing, having taken part in the Le Mans 24 Hour (and finished 2nd on the second occasion) as well as the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in which he completed the season 2nd overall. He even came away with a win at the 12 Hour Sebring Race. Most recently, Andy has been competing in what was the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) but has now become the United Sports Car Championship (ULSCC) in the GTLM BMW Z4 GTE. He finished 2014 in 8th, achieving a season best of 2nd at Laguna Seca (probably one of the hardest tests of any driver anywhere in the world).
To compete in one championship is hard enough for the best of drivers, but Priaulx will not only be taking part in the BTCC, but also the European Le Mans Series and the USCC for Team Turner. On his BTCC BMW, Priaulx has brought with him long term sponsor IHG. In recent seasons, Andy has been known to be sporting the Crowne Plaza sponsorship, so I was shocked when they were not revealed as the title sponsor for the BTCC car. The result of these multiple commitments is one clash at Rockingham which could prove to be fatal if he is fighting for the championship. Many people have doubted his ability to win races in his championship return, but in 2002 he managed to get a brand new Honda to the top step of the podium. I believe that in the BMW especially which has become the strongest car over the last year, he has a genuine chance at fighting for the championship.
Furthermore, BMW has been the car of choice for Priaulx for the most part of his racing career, so if there was any car that he would feel most comfortable in, it would be the RWD BMW 125i. Interestingly, I enjoyed the comments he made at the Autosport reveal, arguing that apart from the slight start line advantage, the RWD cars do not have that much of an advantage and even have to run on tyres made for FWD. I will be interested to see how a certain Jason Plato reacts to these comments.
In the official announcement at the Autosport Show, Priaulx said that he felt there was so much unfinished business in Europe, especially the BTCC after his 2002 debut season. The BTCC is fast returning to its status as the worlds premier tin top race series, and for a driver such as Priaulx it is an offer almost impossible to resist. With such a big name in Priaulx, I believe it ends any rumours that Plato may also may move to WSR. Plato quite famously likes being the big dog in his team of choice (or this may also be influenced by his sponsors).
Dick Bennetts also said that Priaulx would hold the number ‘111’ to represent his 3 World Touring Car titles. From his Hillclimb beginnings, Andy Priaulx has become one of the greatest living racing drivers. I cannot express just how excited I am to see one of my all time favourite drivers returning to my all time favourite championship.
Let me know your comments on this news on Twitter @lewisglynn69!
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
A true legend of racing. image Credit: gamepod.com
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