Vauxhall was truly spoiled for talent in the 2002 British Touring Car Championship. Following reigning champion Jason Plato’s departure, James Thompson had moved across from Egg Sport to join Plato’s defeated adversary Yvan Muller in the works Triple Eight Astra Coupes, with Super Touring independent ace Matt Neal and Production class graduate Paul O’Neill forming an all-new line-up at T8-run Egg.
The latter couldn’t have hoped for a better trio of drivers to learn from - between them, Thompson, Muller and Neal won each of the next five BTCC titles, Neal adding a third crown in 2011 to his 2005-2006 brace.
