British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) series organizer TOCA has announced that technical director Peter Riches will be retiring from his position at the end of the 2022 season.
Riches’ BTCC career spans an impressive four decades, and by the end of the year he will have worked at more than 320 race events, 820 races and over 30 seasons, playing a pivotal role in the implementation of technical developments within the BTCC. He will remain as a technical consultant to TOCA through 2020 and Sam Riches, who has also worked in the BTCC for two decades, will take over his role.
Commenting on his departure, Riches said, “This is something we’ve been preparing for, and I feel ready to retire, the world is so different now to where we started. I had a set of scales in the pit lane and a boost control system and that was it basically, and now we’ve got a 40ft trailer full of kit, the world has moved on!
“[As a consultant] next year, I’ll be in more of a guiding role, maintaining the things we’ve done in the past and ensuring the wheel doesn’t get reinvented and become square in order to have a smooth transition. What we don’t want to do is change the direction we’ve been going in, so my knowledge will still be there if required.”
Alan Gow, BTCC CEO, added, “Peter’s retirement will mark a significant change for the championship but I’m confident that it will be a successful transition as Sam takes the reins. Having been an integral part of the BTCC since 1993, Peter’s departure will be felt throughout the TOCA paddock, but we’re pleased to be retaining his services as a consultant throughout the 2023 season and wish him all the best in his retirement.”
