THE POWER OF XEDOS

Not every race car was destined to be a winner. For every McLaren MP4/4 dominating the pointy end of the pack, or Skyline GT-R monstering the podium, there’s a woefully under-engineered Minardi or an outdated, outgunned VL Commodore rattling around the lower mid pack, hitting apexes as consistently as it can and literally living the lyrics of Cake’s ’96 hit, “The Distance”.

It’s not to say that these vibrant characters that could be termed a supporting cast are by any means less interesting. If anything, as time passes it’s these mid-pack warriors that generate tales just as engaging, and arguably more relatable, as those of their superstar peers.

During the bulk of the 1990s, the revitalised British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) proved no exception to the above. With the two-litre class 2 regulations — which evolved to be what we know and love as super tourers — replacing waning, outdated, expensive Group A touring car grids, manufacturers flocked to the BTCC of the ’90s, ensuring capacity entry lists. Grids were stacked with the mundane transformed into