Vauxhall BTCC news - Vauxhall bows out of BTCC - 2009

Here at Top Gear, we like the BTCC, and occasionally borrow some of its drivers. So it's with slight sadness that we report its death. Sort of.
 
On Sunday, Vauxhall took this season's manufacturer's title, then quit the series. That means there are no more official, full-blown, factory-backed manufacturer teams left in the championship. And that makes us sad. Remember the days of Mansell in his Mondeo, with Murray getting all excited in the commentary box? What happened to all that?
 
Still, things aren't all bad. Sunday's races at Brands were as frenetic as ever, with Colin Turkington taking the drivers' title. Behind him, a man from something called Fifth Gear finished second, while Vauxhall's Fabrizio Giovanardi had to make do with his team's championship victory after he, erm, didn't win enough to take the driver's title.
 
So it's an end of an era. And if that's got you feeling a little sad and nostalgic, watch Richard’s affectionate look at more than five decades of lightly organised crashing: