NISSAN PRIMERA SUPER TOURER
Flat-out in a white, Ray Mallock Limited-run Nissan Primera is probably how Reid is best remembered in the BTCC.
The groundwork was laid in Germany in the 1996 STW, despite modest results. Reid, along with Nissan Motorsport Europe and figures such as Alex Poole, Derek Gardner and Richard Divila, developed the P11 version of the car, turning it into the Super Tourer he wanted.
“For the first time, I had the opportunity to put my DNA into a racing car programme,” recalls Reid. “It was built around what I was looking for.”
Reid and Nissan came to Britain and joined forces with RML in 1997. The combination became the BTCC’S fastest in 1998, with 11 poles and seven wins going Reid’s way. Both stats were more than anyone else managed, but early season reliability problems with the AER engine meant he couldn’t quite catch Rickard Rydell.
“There’s no single thing that makes a winning combination, it was all the details,” says Reid. “The Nissan had a strong engine and the chassis gave you what you wanted. I like a car that is predictable and gives you great confidence. My speed comes from corner entry and that car had everything I required.”
Reid moved to Ford for 1999 and Laurent Aiello finally took the drivers’ crown for Nissan in the Primera. The Prodrive-built Mondeo became arguably the fastest Super Tourer in 2000, but Reid felt more comfortable in the Nissan.
“For me that was the ultimate experience – working with Ray Mallock, NME and a car that suited my style,” he adds. “It was the zenith of what motor racing is all about. It gave me what I was looking for as a driver – the ultimate race car.”