Gravett and Smith established Trakstar in 1989 with the aim of competing as a privateer entrant in the British Touring Car Championship. In that debut year, Gravett finished second in the Sierra RS500 class, behind Andy Rouse's works-supported Ford Sierra RS500. The experience gained during 1989 laid the groundwork for the team's championship assault the following year.
The 1990 BTCC season ran a two-class format, with separate points tallies for different categories of cars, though one overall champion was crowned. Gravett won nine races in the sole Trakstar RS500 and dominated the Sierra RS500 class throughout the campaign, engaging in a fierce on-track rivalry with Andy Rouse. Despite operating on a shoestring budget with no permanent major sponsorship, Gravett secured the outright championship title — the only driver to win the overall BTCC crown in a Ford Sierra RS500.
A significant competitive advantage came from Trakstar's tyre choice. While most of the field relied on Dunlop rubber, Trakstar fitted Yokohama tyres that proved more durable across race distances, giving Gravett a consistent edge over rivals in the later stages of races.
Alongside the championship campaign, Gravett made two starts in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) during 1990 but did not score any points. Trakstar also built the Honda Civic run under the PG Tips Racing banner for driver Ray Armes that season, demonstrating the team's capability to build and prepare machinery for other competitors.
The BTCC moved to a single-class format in 1991, which required Trakstar to field a more competitive package. The team secured official manufacturer backing from Ford, running a Ford Sierra Sapphire with sponsorship from Shell Oil and engines prepared by Mountune. A second car bodyshell was constructed but never completed, so only one car entered the championship.
The season was undermined from the outset when the Sierra Sapphire arrived late and had not turned a wheel before the opening round at Silverstone. This set in motion a difficult development period; the team tried various engine configurations, gearbox setups, and even experimented with four-wheel drive in an attempt to make the car competitive. Power remained deficient and the car was difficult to set up consistently.
Results improved toward the end of the year, but it was too late to mount a meaningful points challenge. Critically, despite the official Ford relationship, the manufacturer was not funding the team's car development costs. Trakstar was unable to secure a new title sponsor to cover the financial shortfall, and by the end of 1991 the team was forced into administration. Ford withdrew from the BTCC for 1992 before returning in 1993 with Andy Rouse Engineering.
Trakstar's 1990 championship success stands as a notable achievement in BTCC history. Gravett and the team demonstrated that a resourceful privateer outfit, running without major corporate sponsorship, could outperform better-funded rivals through strategic tyre selection and consistent race-day execution. Robb Gravett remains the only driver to have won the outright BTCC title in a Ford Sierra RS500. After the team's collapse, Gravett continued racing as a factory Peugeot driver in 1992 and 1993, and later won the 1997 Independent BTCC Championship.
Gallery · 4 related images
