Johnny Cecotto, the former double world motorcycle champion and Formula One Grand Prix driver, has been confirmed as the final star driver to sign up for the British Touring Car Championship’s eagerly-anticipated BTCC Masters race at Donington Park, Leicestershire on 26 September.
Venezuelan Cecotto raced in the BTCC for BMW in 1995, having already won the Italian and German touring car titles. Prior to that, he competed in F1 for the Theodore and Toleman teams – the latter as team-mate to future three-times world champion Ayrton Senna until being forced out by a terrible accident at Brands Hatch in 1984.
By then, though, Cecotto was already one of the most famous names in world motor sport, having won the 350cc and 750cc world motorcycling titles in 1975 and 1978 respectively.
The BTCC Masters race will be for 16 former champions and heroes of the British Touring Car Championship’s golden two-litre era that started in 1990 and held over 20 laps of Donington’s National circuit with each driver at the wheel of identical SEAT Cupra Championship cars. It will take place straight after the new Green Flag British Touring Car Champion has been crowned, for Donington that day also hosts the final three rounds of this year’s BTCC.
The winner of the Masters will nominate a charity to which proceeds from the race day will go.
Johnny Cecotto (VEN): BTCC racer 1995 (BMW 318iS) “It’s going to be great fun racing against some of the drivers on this grid. It’s a charity race so I’m happy to take part and also come back to England and see my old friends. There’s no driver I want to be beat more than anyone else – I want to beat them all!”
Entry List: 2004 BTCC Masters
Name (NAT), BTCC History Frank Sytner (GBR), Champion 1988 / two-litre class champion 1990 John Cleland (GBR), Champion 1989 & 1995 Robb Gravett (GBR), Champion 1990 Tim Harvey (GBR), Champion 1992 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA), Champion 1994 Frank Biela (GER), Champion 1996 Alain Menu (SUI), Champion 1997 & 2000 Jason Plato (GBR), Champion 2001 Paul Radisich (NZL), Race-winner 1993-1998 Jeff Allam (GBR), Race-winner 1974-1994 Kelvin Burt (GBR), Race-winner 1990-2004 Julian Bailey (GBR), Race-winner 1991-1995 Johnny Cecotto (VEN), Racer 1995 Patrick Watts (GBR), Racer 1992-1997 Matt Neal (GBR), Race-winner and independents champion 1991-2004 Anthony Reid (GBR), Race-winner and championship runner-up 1997-2004
