Roger Dowson Engineering

Roger Dowson Engineering was established in 1982 by Roger Dowson, initially to build Group A specification MG Metros (in naturally aspirated and turbocharged form.){{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97430 |title=Long-time BTCC team owner Roger Dowson dies aged 67 |publisher=Autosport |date=8 February 2012 |access-date=30 June 2013 |first=Gary |last=Watkins}} The turbocharged Metros had a claimed maximum power output of {{convert|190|hp|kW PS|0|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.carclassic.com/scripts/show_image.asp?StockID=102435&Thumb=1 |title=Computervision Group A MG Metro Turbo |publisher=Computervision |access-date=30 June 2013}} They ran the cars in the British Saloon Car Championship in 1983 under the "Unipart with Daily Express" banner, initially entering Patrick Watts in a naturally-aspirated MG Metro in round two, before entering Tony Pond in a Metro Turbo from round four onwards. Watts switched to the Metro Turbo from round eight onwards, whilst Martin Brundle was entered in the final round in a Metro Turbo. Watts took two fourth places in Class C whilst driving the naturally-aspirated Metro, whilst Tony Pond took a Class B victory in the Metro Turbo.{{cite web |url=http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120491 |title=1983 Trimoco RAC British Saloon Car Championship - Discussion & Results |publisher=10-Tenths Motorsport Forum |date=1 December 2009 |access-date=30 June 2013 |author=Jesper OH}} For 1984, the team entered two Metro Turbos for the first six rounds of the series, driven by Robin Brundle and Watts under the "Computervision Racing with Esso" banner, although Austin Rover had withdrawn their works support.{{cite web |url=http://www.touringcarracing.net/Pages/1984%20BSCC.html |title=Trimoco RAC British Saloon Car Championship - 1984 |publisher=Touring Car Racing History |access-date=30 June 2013 |first=Frank |last=de Jong}} Watts took three Class B victories in the first four races, with Brundle taking the other.{{cite web |url=http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120490 |title=1984 Trimoco RAC British Saloon Car Championship - Discussion & Results |publisher=10-Tenths Motorsport Forum |date=28 November 2009 |access-date=30 June 2013 |author=Jesper OH}} The team only competed in the season opener of the 1985 BSCC season, with Steve Soper driving a Metro Turbo. He failed to finish, due to a carburettor issue.{{cite web |url=http://www.touringcarracing.net/Races/1985%20Silverstone%20Int.html |title=XXXVII B.R.D.C. International Trophy - 1985 BSCC round 1 |publisher=Touring Car Racing History |access-date=30 June 2013 |first=Frank |last=de Jong}}

In 1987, Roger Dowson Engineering ran the ESSO Metro Challenge, a one-make series for MG Metro Turbos.{{cite web |url=http://www.psychoontyres.co.uk/esso-celebrity-challenge-car-mg-metro-turbo/ |title=ESSO Celebrity Challenge Car – MG Metro Turbo |publisher=Psycho on Tyres |date=26 February 2013 |access-date=30 June 2013 |author=Ralph}} They also made the kits used to prepare the cars for racing. 1987 also saw Roger Dowson Engineering enter the new British Touring Car Championship, running Jerry Mahony in a Class A Ford Sierra RS Cosworth in round six and round seven. The venture was not initially successful, as Mahony retired in both races.{{cite web |url=http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120494 |title=1987 Dunlop RAC British Touring Car Championship - Discussion & Results |publisher=10-Tenths Motorsport Forum |date=4 December 2009 |access-date=30 June 2013 |author=Jesper OH}} The team remained in the series for 1988, now under the "Arquati Racing Team" banner, with Mahony entering all 12 events in a Ford Sierra RS500. Mahony won the season opener at Silverstone, his first, and only, overall BTCC victory. Mahony also took four third-place finishes, and finished second in Class A (seventh overall) at the end of the season.{{cite web |url=http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120488 |title=1988 Dunlop RAC British Touring Car Championship - Discussion & Results |publisher=10-Tenths Motorsport Forum |date=9 January 2010 |access-date=30 June 2013 |author=Jesper OH}} The team entered Mahony under the "Arquati Racing Team" banner again for 1989, but with less success; Mahony took one solitary podium, and finished 15th in class (41st overall).{{cite web |url=http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120638 |title=1989 Esso RAC British Touring Car Championship - Discussion & Results |publisher=10-Tenths Motorsport Forum |date=25 January 2010 |access-date=30 June 2013 |author=Jesper OH}}{{cite web |url=http://www.btcc.net/html/history_standings.php?season_id=32 |title=1989 standings |publisher=British Touring Car Championship |access-date=30 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030111908/http://www.btcc.net/html/history_standings.php?season_id=32 |archive-date=30 October 2013 |df=dmy-all }} Mahony left the team for 1990, and joined BRR Motorsports, leaving Roger Dowson Engineering without a driver (or main sponsor - Mahony took the Arquati sponsorship with him.){{cite web |url=http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120658 |title=1990 Esso RAC British Touring Car Championship - Discussion & Results |publisher=10-Tenths Motorsport Forum |date=26 January 2010 |access-date=30 June 2013 |author=Jesper OH}} For 1990, Roger Dowson Engineering built the cars used in that year's Mazda MX-5 UK Cup, a series won by Patrick Watts.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tqnLfwPXxJMC&q=Roger+Dowson+Engineering&pg=PA49 |title=Mazda MX-5 Miata: The Book of the World's Favourite Sportscar |isbn=9781845840563 |publisher=Veloce Publishing Ltd |first=Brian |last=Long |page=49 |year=2007}}

In 1992, Roger Dowson Engineering ran the works Mazda cars in the British Touring Car Championship, under the "Shell Mazda Racing Team" name. Watts was entered in a Mazda 323F, but the season would not prove to be particularly successful; Watts finished 18th overall in the driver's standings, and Mazda finished sixth, and last, in the manufacturer's standings. For 1993, the team replaced the 323F with a Xedos 6, under the "Mazda Racing Team" banner. It would be a much more successful partnership; Watts finished in 15th place, with 24 points more than he'd gained the previous season, although Mazda still finished last in the manufacturer's standings.{{cite web |url=http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1993/points93.php |title=BTCC >> 1993 >> Final Championship Standings |publisher=TouringCars.net |access-date=30 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611124444/http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1993/points93.php |archive-date=11 June 2012 |df=dmy-all }} Watts also qualified on pole for the first, and only, time in his BTCC career, in the Snetterton round of the championship.{{cite web |url=http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=2529 |title=Snetterton: out with the old |publisher=British Touring Car Championship |date=3 August 2011 |access-date=30 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230232513/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=2529 |archive-date=30 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }} For the 1994 BTCC season, Dowson collaborated with Team Dynamics to run the works Mazdas, and expanded to a two-car effort; with David Leslie and Matt Neal driving under the "Team Mazda" banner.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedhunters.com/2009/01/retrospective_gt_gt_mazda_and_european_tin_tops/ |title=RETROSPECTIVE>> MAZDA AND EUROPEAN TIN-TOPS |publisher=Speedhunters |date=23 January 2009 |access-date=30 June 2013 |first=Andy |last=Blackmore}} 1994 would prove to be less successful than 1993 had been; Neal was forced to withdraw from the series, after suffering injuries from a big crash in the sixth round at Silverstone,{{cite web |url=http://www.btcc.net/html/driver_detail.php?id=193 |title=BTCC Drivers - Matt Neal |publisher=British Touring Car Championship |access-date=19 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624183332/http://www.btcc.net/html/driver_detail.php?id=193 |archive-date=24 June 2013 |df=dmy-all }} whilst Leslie withdrew halfway through the season due to budgetary problems.{{cite web |url=http://www.motorsport.com/btcc/news/btcc-team-petronas-signs-david-leslie-for-2002-campaign/ |title=BTCC: Team Petronas signs David Leslie for 2002 campaign |publisher=Motorsport.com |date=13 December 2001 |access-date=19 June 2013 |archive-date=31 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231001143/http://www.motorsport.com/btcc/news/btcc-team-petronas-signs-david-leslie-for-2002-campaign/ |url-status=dead }} Leslie's best finishes were a pair of eighth positions at the first two rounds,{{cite web |url=http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1994/rd1.php |title=Results - BTCC - 1994 - Thruxton Round 1 Results |publisher=TouringCars.net |access-date=19 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129042249/http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1994/rd1.php |archive-date=29 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web |url=http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1994/rd2.php |title=Results - BTCC - 1994 - Brands Hatch Indy Round 2 Results |publisher=TouringCars.net |access-date=19 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514051022/http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1994/rd2.php |archive-date=14 May 2012 |df=dmy-all }} whilst Neal's was a tenth at Snetterton.{{cite web |url=http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1994/rd4.php |title=Results - BTCC - 1994 - Snetterton Round 4 Results |publisher=TouringCars.net |access-date=19 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514051137/http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1994/rd4.php |archive-date=14 May 2012 |df=dmy-all }} Neal finished 23rd in the championship, level with privateers James Thompson and Nigel Smith, whilst Leslie finished 20th.{{cite web |url=http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1994/points94.php |title=Results - BTCC - 1994 - Final Championship Standings |publisher=TouringCars.net |access-date=19 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129042826/http://www.touring-cars.net/results/1994/points94.php |archive-date=29 January 2013 |df=dmy-all }} Mazda were classified tenth, and last, in the manufacturer's championship.

Following the withdrawal from the BTCC, Team Dynamics and Roger Dowson Engineering fitted the running gear from the Xedos 6 into a Mazda 323F, with the intention of encouraging Mazda to return to the BTCC.{{cite web |url=http://www.supertouringregister.com/register/vehicle/131/ |title=Mazda Lantis / 323F » Vehicle Details - Entry #131 |publisher=Super Touring Register |access-date=30 June 2013}} Matt Neal was entered in the car for that year's FIA Touring Car World Cup, but without any real success - Neal finished 22nd, and a lap down on the leader.{{cite web |url=http://www.driverdb.com/standings/1190-1994/ |title=FIA Touring Car World Cup 1994 results |publisher=Driver Database |access-date=30 June 2013}} Slim Borgudd, who had won the Nordic Touring Car Championship in a Xedos 6 entered by Roger Dowson Engineering that season,{{cite web |url=http://slimracing.co.uk/history2.htm |title=History about Slim Racing and Slim Borgudd |publisher=Slim Racing |access-date=30 June 2013}} fared little better - finishing 21st. For 1995, Roger Dowson Engineering built another 323F, and intended to enter Borgrudd in the BTCC with the car, under the "Team Magic" banner. However, the car never raced in the BTCC, and sat in storage until 2000, when Nick Cresswell bought the car, and entered it in that year's Northwest Sports and Saloon Car Championship.{{cite web |url=http://www.supertouringregister.com/register/vehicle/130/ |title=Mazda Lantis / 323F » Vehicle Details - Entry #130 |publisher=Super Touring Register |access-date=30 June 2013}}

In 2002, Roger Dowson Engineering prepared the first ever hybrid rally car, based on a Toyota Prius, for Nik Berg and Tim Bampton.{{cite web |url=http://media.toyota.co.uk/2002/05/toyota-prius-to-make-motor-sport-history/ |title=TOYOTA PRIUS TO MAKE MOTOR SPORT HISTORY |publisher=Toyota UK |date=28 May 2002 |access-date=30 June 2013}} The car was entered in that year's Midnight Sun to Red Sea Rally, an event that ran from Östersund in Sweden to Aqaba in Jordan. The car finished in 15th, and became the first hybrid to finish an FIA-sanctioned event.{{cite web |url=http://www.carpages.co.uk/toyota/toyota_corolla_wrc_30_10_02.asp |title=Local Heroes: Nik Berg & Tim Bampton – Crew Of The World's First Hybrid Rally Prius |publisher=carpages.co.uk |date=30 October 2002 |access-date=30 June 2013}}

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Category:British auto racing teams

Category:British Touring Car Championship teams

Category:World Touring Car Championship teams

Category:Auto racing teams established in 1982