Steve Soper


Steve Soper is a racing driver from Surrey, England, born in 1951.
He raced in major sports car and touring car categories in the 1980s and 1990s. He won the 24 Hours Nürburgring in 1987, the 24 Hours of Spa in 1995 and the Guia Race in 1997 – many of which through his longest association, with BMW.

Career

Across just over two decades Soper won three major races: the 24 Hours Nürburgring in 1987, the 24 Hours of Spa in 1995 and the Guia Race in 1997.
Soper had been successful in one make series, before making his BTCC debut in 1982 in a Metro. His talent was spotted by Tom Walkinshaw and he joined TWR in 1983. He won the championship in his first season with the works Austin Rover team but rival Frank Sytner protested the TWR team and his Rover Vitesse was later deemed illegal due to an issue with the engine installation. TWR was disqualified and the title was awarded to Andy Rouse. He later joined Eggenberger Motorsport and finished as runner-up in the series in 1988 in a Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, enjoying many on-track battles with Andy Rouse in the process.
Soper would challenge for the title in 1991, finishing 4th and in 1993, finishing as runner up behind teammate Joachim Winkelhock for BMW. Soper had led the championship for most of the season but a run of bad luck towards the end of the year damaged his title challenge. During the season finale of the 1992 championship, Soper was involved in the infamous collision with John Cleland, which cost Cleland the title and famously led him to label Soper 'an animal.' 1995 saw Soper race in the Japanese Super Touring championship for Schnitzer BMW, winning the championship outright that year. Soper raced in the German Super Tourenwagen Cup in 1996, challenging for the title until an incident late in the season with his team mate ended his championship chances. He finished second overall to Emanuele Pirro. In 1997 he came second in the FIA GT Championship. Soper finished fifth driving a Ford Sierra for Eggenberger Motorsport in the one-off World Touring Car Championship in 1987 run under Group A regulations. That year, he won the Bathurst 1000, but was later disqualified for a technical infringement
Soper was offered a works drive for BMW, and competed in the night European, Japanese and German Touring Car Championships. During the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, he expressed dislike of the 24-hour classic race, established in the early 20th century.
By 2000, Soper fell out of favour with Gerhard Berger, who was in charge of BMW's motorsport operations and retired from racing as he was solely interested in racing BMWs and acquired a BMW dealership in Lincoln. For 2001, he reluctantly made a surprise return to the British Championship for Peugeot. The car's build rendered it less successful than the Vauxhall Astra. He finished 6th in a thin field and was advised to retire on medical grounds after a heavy crash in the final round.
In 2013, Soper, who had earned the nickname "Soperman" from his fans during his career, announced plans, on medical clearance, to race.
Soper was voted the greatest saloon car driver ever by readers of Motor Sport.

Racing record

Complete British Saloon/Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCarClass1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526DCPtsClass
1982Team Sanyo Racing with EssoAustin Metro 1300 HLSSIL
?		MAL
Ret†		OUL
6†		THR
12		THR
Ret		SIL
Ret		DON
10		BRH
?		DON
9		BRH
6		SIL
14		3rd652nd
1983Team Sanyo Racing with EssoRover VitesseSIL
1		OUL
3		THR
7		BRH
1		THRSIL
1		DON
Ret		SIL
1		DON
1		BRH
2		SIL
2		DSQ68DSQ
1984Team Sanyo Racing with EssoRover VitesseDON
2		SILOULTHRTHR
1		SILSNEBRHBRHDONSILNC0NC
1985Roger Dowson EngineeringMG Metro TurboSIL
Ret		OULTHRDONTHRSILDONSILSNEBRHBRHSILNC0NC
1988Eggenberger MotorsportFord Sierra RS500SILOUL
DNA		THR
1		DONTHRSILSILBRH
2		SNEBRHBIR
C		DON
2		SIL15th216th
1989BMW Team FinanceBMW M3OULSILTHRDON
11‡		THRSILSILBRHSNEBRHBIRDONSIL43rd410th
1991BMW Team FinanceBMW M3SIL
18		SNEDON
1		THRSILBRHSIL
1		DON
1
2		DON
2
Ret		OUL
3		BRH
1
6		BRH
2
Ret		DONTHR
1		SIL4th96
1992M Team Shell Racing with ListerineBMW 318isSILTHR
5		OUL
8		SNEBRH
3		DON
1
17		DON
2
3		SILKNO
1
4		KNO
2
6		PEM
2		BRH
1
Ret		BRH
2
5		DON
2		SIL
Ret		6th77
1993BMW Motorsport TeamBMW 318iSIL
1		DON
3		SNE
1		DON
3		OUL
Ret		BRH
1
4		BRH
2
1		PEM
3		SIL
Ret		KNO
1
12		KNO
2
8		OUL
2		BRH
3		THR
6		DON
1
Ret		DON
2
5		SIL
5		2nd150
1994BMW Motorsport Team SchnitzerBMW 318iTHR
4		BRH
1
10		BRH
2
6		SNE
8		SIL
1		SIL
2		OUL
4		DON
1		DON
2		BRH
1
4		BRH
2
14		SILKNO
1
3		KNO
2
1		OULBRH
1
5		BRH
2
4		SIL
1
22		SIL
2
5		DON
1
12		DON
2
Ret		7th102
2001Peugeot Sport UKPeugeot 406 CoupéBRH
1
7		BRH
2
4*		THR
1
Ret		THR
2
Ret		OUL
1
16		OUL
2
Ret		SIL
1
11		SIL
2
6		MON
1
4		MON
2
Ret		DON
1
6		DON
2
5*		KNO
1
Ret		KNO
2
4*		SNE
1
20		SNE
2
4		CRO
1
12		CRO
2
Ret		OUL
1
Ret		OUL
2
Ret*		SIL
1
20		SIL
2
8		DON
1
20		DON
2
Ret		BRH
1
Ret		BRH
2
DNS		6th93

  1. – Race was stopped due to heavy rain. No points were awarded.
† Events with 2 races staged for the different classes.
‡ Endurance driver.

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar1234567891011DCPoints
1987 Ford Texaco Racing TeamFord Sierra RS CosworthMNZ
DSQ		JAR
ovr:5
cls:6		DIJ
ovr:3
cls:1		NUR
Ret		SPA
Ret		5th193
1987 Ford Texaco Racing TeamFord Sierra RS500BNO
ovr:2
cls:2		SIL
ovr:13
cls:5		BAT
DSQ		CLD
ovr:1
cls:1		WEL
ovr:3
cls:2		FJI
ovr:5
cls:3		5th193

* Overall race position shown. Registered WTCC points paying position may differ.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete Japanese Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718DCPts
1994BMW Team SchnitzerBMW 318iAUT
1
Ret		AUT
2
7		SUG
1
3		SUG
2
1		TOK
1
6		TOK
2
9		SUZ
1
2		SUZ
2
2		MIN
1
1		MIN
2
1		AID
1
9		AID
2
3		TSU
1
Ret		TSU
2
DNS		SEN
1
1		SEN
2
1		FUJ
1
Ret		FUJ
2
7		3rd132
1995BMW Team SchnitzerBMW 318iFUJ
1
10		FUJ
2
5		SUG
1
4		SUG
2
4		TOK
1
3		TOK
2
3		SUZ
1
2		SUZ
2
1		MIN
1
9		MIN
2
2		AID
1
3		AID
2
9		SEN
1
3		SEN
2
1		FUJ
1
1		FUJ
2
2		1st124

Complete Bathurst 1000 results