THE DRIVER
The driver is Joss Ronchetti, the Managing Director of The Masters Group. Joss raced Production Motor Bikes with some success before moving into Saloon Car Racing in 1986. He started with a Sunbeam Lotus taking many race wins and lap records and becoming the Lydon Hill Road Saloon Championship winner and holder of the Bristol Street Motors Saloon Car Challenge Trophy. He then moved onto a 330 BHP Rover Vitesse in the ’Slick 50’ Road saloons once again taking many wins and lap records.
From there he moved into Production Saloon Car Racing with backing from ‘Swan Lite Lager’, the low alcohol version of Swan Premium, the sponsors of World Champion Wayne Gardener's 500cc Grand Prix Bike, in a new Peugeot 205 1.9Gti.
Joss was consistently one of the quickest Peugeot’s along with the likes of Janspeed's Keith Odor in this very competitive and professional Championship.
In 1989 with more backing from ‘Swan Lite Lager’ Joss raced the newly released Vauxhall Astra 16 valve in the production saloons.
Vauxhall were supporting their own Astra in the championship using the vast experience and successes of their driver Tony Lanfranci.
Despite this Joss was the quickest Astra all year and finally took the first win at Mallory Park for the new Astra mid season.
This way celebrated by Vauxhall in the press as it was the first time in four seasons that the all conquering VW Golf GTI 16 Valve had been beaten. The following season Joss raced the Astra in the ‘Modified Production’ Class winning the Class B championship and had the honour of being a guest of Vauxhall at the their awards ceremony and receiving a Vauxhall ‘Award of Excellence’ for his achievements that year along with John Cleland for the British Touring Cars, Louise Atkin-Walker for winning the ‘Ladies World Rally Championship’ and Mika Hakkinen in the Vauxhall Lotus Championship.
