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| Steve Soper | |
|---|---|
| Name | Steve Soper |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 3 June 1951 |
| Birth place | Cambridge |
| Teams | TWR, RML, Ford, BMW, Nissan Motorsports, Alfa Romeo |
| Championships | British Touring Car Championship (race wins) |
| Notable wins | Bathurst 1000 (1988, race wins), Spa 24 Hours (class), European Touring Car Championship victories |
Steve Soper is a British professional racing driver noted for an influential career in touring cars, sports car endurance events, and international touring championships. Renowned for racecraft with major stints at teams such as TWR, Ford, BMW, and Nissan Motorsports, he achieved prominent victories in marquee events like the Bathurst 1000, Spa 24 Hours, and rounds of the European Touring Car Championship. Soper's aggressive yet tactical driving established him among contemporaries including Andy Rouse, Tiff Needell, Gabriele Tarquini, and John Cleland.
Born in Cambridge, Soper began motorsport in karting, progressing through junior ranks that frequently fed talent into programs run by organizations such as RAC MSA and teams connected to figures like Ron Dennis and Ayrton Senna's early contemporaries. In karting he competed against drivers who later advanced to Formula One and international touring car series, sharing circuits with future stars from British F3, Formula 2, and national single-seater championships. Early contacts with constructors and team owners led to opportunities in saloon car racing with manufacturers including Ford and BMW.
Soper's touring car career encompassed major campaigns in the British Touring Car Championship, European Touring Car Championship, and high-profile international events. Driving for works and semi-works operations like TWR, RML, and factory-backed entries from Nismo and Alfa Romeo, he contested cars including the Ford Sierra RS500, BMW M3 E30, and Nissan Skyline GT-R. His tenure with Tom Walkinshaw placed him alongside and against rivals such as Julian Bailey, Rickard Rydell, Will Hoy, and Robbie Francevic, producing memorable wheel-to-wheel battles at circuits like Brands Hatch, Donington Park, and Silverstone. Soper also campaigned in the World Touring Car Championship rounds and in national series across Germany's DTM, Italian Superturismo, and Australia.
Beyond touring cars, Soper showed versatility in sports car endurance racing, contesting events such as the Spa 24 Hours, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and long-distance races organized by FIA and IMSA. He partnered with endurance specialists and factory programs including crews from TWR and Nismo, racing platforms like Group A and GT machinery. Notable teammates and co-drivers included drivers from Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin programs, linking him to personnel who also raced in championships such as the FIA GT Championship and World Sportscar Championship. His sports car experience enhanced his reputation in mixed-class traffic and multi-stint strategies at circuits like Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Magny-Cours, and Bathurst Mount Panorama Circuit.
Soper's résumé features high-profile triumphs and race victories across touring and endurance disciplines. Among his celebrated results are overall and class wins at the Spa 24 Hours and multiple race victories at the Bathurst 1000, including memorable performances in the late 1980s. He secured race wins and podiums in rounds of the European Touring Car Championship and made substantial contributions to team successes in national series such as the British Touring Car Championship and international outings in Australia and continental Europe. Throughout his career he scored wins against factory campaigns from BMW Motorsport, Ford Sporting Division, and Nissan, often driving for constructors led by team principals like Tom Walkinshaw, Adrian Reynard-era contemporaries, and other prominent figures.
Soper earned a reputation for razor-sharp qualifying pace and uncompromising racecraft, characteristics often compared with contemporaries like Derek Warwick, Martin Brundle, Nigel Mansell, and Gabriele Tarquini. His aggressive overtaking and defensive maneuvers produced both dramatic victories and controversial incidents, leaving a lasting impression on peers including Andy Rouse and John Cleland's generation. As a mentor and measured competitor, he influenced younger drivers who progressed into BTCC professionalism, World Touring Car Championship entries, and endurance programs. Histories of touring car evolution cite his role in the era of Group A, super touring, and the transition to modern GT machinery, connecting him to the development arcs of manufacturers such as BMW, Ford, Nissan, and Alfa Romeo.
Off-track, Soper has maintained links to motorsport through coaching, testing roles, and occasional media appearances on motorsport broadcasts and specialist programs produced by outlets that covered series like the British Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. He has collaborated with automotive brands and historic racing events organized by institutions such as Goodwood and participated in guest drives at heritage meetings featuring cars from TWR and other iconic outfits. Soper's career is frequently cited in motorsport literature, documentaries, and features alongside profiles of drivers from the 1980s and 1990s touring car golden era.
Category:British racing drivers Category:Touring car drivers Category:1951 births Category:Living people