History of the Super Touring Championship
July 2009 and the David Leslie Memorial Trophy was the catalyst for what became The Super Touring Championship. Jane Leslie asked the BRDC to put on a race for Super Tourer's in David’s memory.
The organisers struggled to get a full Super Touring grid and the race went ahead with a mixture of Super Tourers and other older era Touring Cars taking part.
The race didn’t feature again until 2012 when Dave Jarman (owner of an ex Matt Neal 97 Nissan Primera), was approached to revive the event.
Dave got in touch with Jonny Westbrook who was busy rebuilding the 1996 FUJIFILM Cavalier, and in October 2011 after much lobbying by Dave and Jonny the race was again included in the programme.
Jonny was keen to help (having a vested interest in getting the Cavalier to race) and a format was agreed based on a 'genuine car's' only route. (for cars raced between 1997 and 2000)
The two owners formed TCRE (Touring Car Racing Europe) and raised £30,000 in less than 6 weeks and the 2012 Fujifilm Super Touring Trophy race at the Silverstone Classic was the end result.
It's been difficult getting the cars accepted into the Historics series but after the overwhelming success of the format (in particular at the Silverstone Classic Weekends) it looks as if TCRE have now succeeded.
Dave and Jonny asked the HSCC to run some additional races following on from the success at the 2012 Silverstone Classic. With the race attracting some big names from the past (John Cleland, Tim Harvey & Patrick Watts to name but 3) the Silverstone Classic races now regularly achieve grids of over 30 cars.
2014 saw the Series expand to full Championship status taking in many iconic race tracks and prestigious Historic meetings. The Masters and SuprPrix at Brands Hatch, the Gold Cup at Oulton Park, Historic Festival at Donington Park and the Silverstone Classic.
Also, in a massive coup for the series, we have been invited to support the current British Touring Car Championship series on more than one occasson.
From small beginnings, with new cars entering, the series has truly arrived and intends to continue to be a permanent fixture on the British Racing calendar.
For the 2018 season, the Series has been taken under the control of the HSCC with Dave Jarman as Chief scrutineer.