Tamara Aller: “Here is a toast to another 20 years!”

In the pre-Alonso era, TV images from car racing were very scarce in Spain, and didn’t go beyond a bit of Formula 1 and world Rally. Following other categories was an act of faith, having to wait for your weekly printed magazine to read a short paragraph on selected competitions, which included the now long gone Spanish Touring Car Championship (CET by its original acronym).

In 1994, a major improvement came to our home: we installed our first satellite dish, having access to European TV channels, with a wide coverage of motorsports. A few days later, we were greeted by the Eurosport special 1993 BTCC season review… A bunch of twenty something cars “going for it”, bumping into each other, side by side, from the green lights to the chequered flag. Later that year we were also able to enjoy the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterchaft for the first time, with the dominance of the red Alfa Romeo of Nicola Larini, starting a new chapter in the story of my love relationship with motor racing.

Moving to the UK in 1999 added a new spin on things, being able to visit the BTCC at Silverstone, Donington, Oulton Park and Brands Hatch. Back then, a very young Andy Priaulx landed in Towcester starting a very successful career in Touring Cars, at the same time that Matt Neal made his name known as a BTCC Independents’ champion.

After a professional hiatus for family reasons, which included a return to living in Spain, 2010 marked the beginning of my involvement in the World Touring Car Championship as a reporter, where I met Neil Hudson, the Managing Director of TouringCarTimes, which I regarded as the main source of updated and contrasted information about my beloved “tin-top” car races. I also started visiting the DTM, which had been reborn in 2000 as the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

In the recent years, I have had the chance to work with Spanish drivers Javier Villa and Pepe Oriola in the WTCC, as well as his younger brother Jordi in the ETCC, also reporting about DTM and, since last year, the new TCR Series.

Touring cars not only provide exciting races, but also paddocks full of fun and great people, including drivers, team members, series’ organisers and fellow reporters. Looking back, I remember fun times and an ever growing list of friends.

Last August, an opportunity opened for me to join the TouringCarTimes team as a DTM reporter, a task that has set a new challenge that I thoroughly enjoy. It’s an honour to be part of such a prestigious media, and working for TcT sets new and higher targets every day.

Here is a toast to another 20 years!