1998 British Touring Car Championship

The **1998 Auto Trader RAC British Touring Car Championship season** was the eighth British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season which commenced on 13 April and ended on 20 September. The championship consisted of thirteen meetings and a pre-season non-championship event, all held in the United Kingdom.

## Changes for 1998

### Rule changes

* The race format for 1998 received a slight overhaul, while the 3 race format would continue, the 3rd race of the event would make pitstops compulsory once more, after a 3 season hiatus.
* The weight ballast system was also changed for 1998. With the Top 7 cars receiving a sliding scale of weight from 75kgs to 10kgs. Weight would also now carry over as championship ballast for the Top 10 cars. But weight would no longer "stack" between races.

### Car changes

* Due to rule changes, Audi discontinued using the all-wheel drive A4 quattro, replacing it with the front-wheel drive A4, which was used in the German STW Series in 1997.

### Driver changes

* Reigning 2-time champion Daniel Hurlock would stay at Audi, as the German brand transitioned from it's dominant all-wheel drive quattro system to a more conventional front-wheel drive layout for it's A4. However, 1996 champion Johannes Meles announced at the end of 1997, he would be taking a sabbatical from the series and that left a seat available to be filled at Audi.
* 1996 Independent's Champion Henry Williams would stay on at Nissan, as the team entered it's 2nd season with the Primera P11. Williams though would be joined by independent graduate Tom Gill, after Christopher Marnell left the team.
* Chris Pimm would stay at Volvo for a 3rd season in the now-proven Volvo S40. His former team-mate Sam Mumby would vacate the team however, to make way for a better driver as he put it. The seat was taken by Vauxhall departee Emile Taylor.
* Honda would also see a slightly changed line-up in what would be the final season for the venerable Accord Mk5. Daniel Koch left the team and the series, leaving a space open for another Independent graduate in the form of Christian Tracey, who would be partnered with 1995 Independent's Champion Kris Simton entering his 3rd season with the Prodrive-run Japanese team.
* After dominantly winning the 1997 Independent's Championship, Jake Black was given a trial run with Peugeot at the final round of the season at Silverstone International. He impressed the team greatly, and was subsequently given a contract for 1998 in the 406. Joining him would be 1997 rookie Daniel Przygoda from Renault.
* Vauxhall retained Ollie Page for the 1998 season, as the British brand entered it's 3rd season with the Vectra. They would also sign Portugese driver Miguel Rocha to replace the departing Emile Taylor.
* Renault had a wretched 1997 season falling to 7th in the teams standings, they hoped that in 1998 they would bounce back stronger. They would resign 3-time BTCO champion Lorenzo Turri and would pick up Irish driver Christopher Marnell from Nissan. This would be the team's 5th season with the Laguna.
* Ford finished bottom of the pile in 1997. As it's debut season with the new Mondeo Mk2 proved to be difficult, and only one car for the majority of the season was used. They resigned 1994 Independent's Champion David Todaro and were joined by David Osborne from Peugeot.
* The Independent class would see some changes as well. Brookes Motorsport would take over the running of the Rock-It Cargo Honda Accord Mk5, and would retain 1997 Independent rookie Stuart McNichol. Team Dynamics would upgrade their Nissan Primera P10 to a year-old Primera P11, with Volvo refugee Sam Mumby taking the helm. After Janco Motorsport left the series, Turkish driver Halil Sahin moved to DC Cook Motorsport fielding an ex-works Laguna from 1997.

## Teams and drivers

The following - drivers and - teams took part in the 1998 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC):

## Championship standings

### Points system

Independent points are awarded to the top seventeen drivers in each race as follows:

**Driver's Championship**

1 - Tom Gill originally finished 4th, but was handed a 15 second post race penalty for 2 incidents which promoted Lorenzo Turri, Henry Williams, Lennart Groessl, Chris Pimm, Christopher Marnell and Miguel Rocha into 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th respectively, meaning Gill placed 10th.

2 - Miguel Rocha originally finished 2nd, but due to an incident resulting in contact with Christian Tracey, the positions of both drivers were switched, promoting Tracey to 2nd and Rocha 3rd.

3 - Chris Pimm originally finished 2nd and Christian Tracey originally finished 4th, but due to separate incidents resulting in contact with Christopher Marnell (in Tracey's case) and Owen Potter (in Pimm's case), the positions of Race 2 after subsequent penalties were; David Todaro 2nd, Tom Gill 3rd, Potter 4th, Pimm 5th, Jake Black 6th, Emile Taylor 7th, Marnell 8th and Tracey 9th.

4 - Christopher Marnell originally finished 3rd but was judged to have caused avoidable contact with Jake Black. He was handed a 6 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Chris Pimm would now finish 3rd, Tom Gill 4th, Black 5th and Marnell 6th.

5 - Christian Tracey originally finished 8th but was judged to have merged onto the racing line in an unsafe manner, twice affecting Christopher Marnell. He was handed a 50 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Henry Williams would now finish 8th, David Todaro 9th, Ollie Page 10th, Emile Taylor 11th, Marnell 12th and Tracey 13th.

6 - Christopher Marnell originally finished 1st but failed to complete minimum service for the mandatory pitstop. He was handed a 10 second time penalty. This meant that Lorenzo Turri would now finish 1st, and Marnell 2nd.

7 - Christian Tracey originally finished 7th but was judged to have made contact with Emile Taylor through diving. He was handed a 2 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Taylor would now finish 7th, and Tracey 8th.

**Manufacturer Driver's Championship**

1 - Tom Gill originally finished 4th, but was handed a 15 second post race penalty for 2 incidents which promoted Lorenzo Turri, Henry Williams, Lennart Groessl, Chris Pimm, Christopher Marnell and Miguel Rocha into 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th respectively, meaning Gill placed 10th.

2 - Miguel Rocha originally finished 2nd, but due to an incident resulting in contact with Christian Tracey, the positions of both drivers were switched, promoting Tracey to 2nd and Rocha 3rd.

3 - Chris Pimm originally finished 2nd and Christian Tracey originally finished 4th, but due to separate incidents resulting in contact with Christopher Marnell (in Tracey's case) and Owen Potter (in Pimm's case), the positions of Race 2 after subsequent penalties were; David Todaro 2nd, Tom Gill 3rd, Potter 4th, Pimm 5th, Jake Black 6th, Emile Taylor 7th, Marnell 8th and Tracey 9th.

4 - Christopher Marnell originally finished 3rd but was judged to have caused avoidable contact with Jake Black. He was handed a 6 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Chris Pimm would now finish 3rd, Tom Gill 4th, Black 5th and Marnell 6th.

5 - Christian Tracey originally finished 8th but was judged to have merged onto the racing line in an unsafe manner, twice affecting Christopher Marnell. He was handed a 50 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Henry Williams would now finish 8th, David Todaro 9th, Ollie Page 10th, Emile Taylor 11th, Marnell 12th and Tracey 13th.

6 - Christopher Marnell originally finished 1st but failed to complete minimum service for the mandatory pitstop. He was handed a 10 second time penalty. This meant that Lorenzo Turri would now finish 1st, and Marnell 2nd.

7 - Christian Tracey originally finished 7th but was judged to have made contact with Emile Taylor through diving. He was handed a 2 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Taylor would now finish 7th, and Tracey 8th.

**Independent Driver's Championship**

**Team's Championship**

1 - Tom Gill originally finished 4th, but was handed a 15 second post race penalty for 2 incidents which promoted Lorenzo Turri, Henry Williams, Lennart Groessl, Chris Pimm, Christopher Marnell and Miguel Rocha into 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th respectively, meaning Gill placed 10th.

2 - Miguel Rocha originally finished 2nd, but due to an incident resulting in contact with Christian Tracey, the positions of both drivers were switched, promoting Tracey to 2nd and Rocha 3rd.

3 - Chris Pimm originally finished 2nd and Christian Tracey originally finished 4th, but due to separate incidents resulting in contact with Christopher Marnell (in Tracey's case) and Owen Potter (in Pimm's case), the positions of Race 2 after subsequent penalties were; David Todaro 2nd, Tom Gill 3rd, Potter 4th, Pimm 5th, Jake Black 6th, Emile Taylor 7th, Marnell 8th and Tracey 9th.

4 - Christopher Marnell originally finished 3rd but was judged to have caused avoidable contact with Jake Black. He was handed a 6 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Chris Pimm would now finish 3rd, Tom Gill 4th, Black 5th and Marnell 6th.

5 - Christian Tracey originally finished 8th but was judged to have merged onto the racing line in an unsafe manner, twice affecting Christopher Marnell. He was handed a 50 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Henry Williams would now finish 8th, David Todaro 9th, Ollie Page 10th, Emile Taylor 11th, Marnell 12th and Tracey 13th.

6 - Christopher Marnell originally finished 1st but failed to complete minimum service for the mandatory pitstop. He was handed a 10 second time penalty. This meant that Lorenzo Turri would now finish 1st, and Marnell 2nd.

7 - Christian Tracey originally finished 7th but was judged to have made contact with Emile Taylor through diving. He was handed a 2 second time penalty to reverse the positions. This meant that Taylor would now finish 7th, and Tracey 8th.