Reid a villain, but only just.

It wasn't quite Nixon meets Kennedy on the televised debates front, but nevertheless, Speed Sunday on British terrestrial television station ITV1 this past - you guessed it - Sunday was plenty of fun for BTCC fans.

Guests on the show were BTCC stars Anthony Reid, James Thompson, Matt Neal and Tom Chilton. Add presenter Jason Plato into the mix and there was certainly potential for fun.

The big question, of course, was how would drivers Thompson, Neal and Reid react to each other after their various comings together at Silverstone in the last round of the series.

But first we were given a treat, a re-run of Anthony Reid post race with the lovely Vicki Butler-Henderson. Seconds after being interviewed by Vicki - live on satellite channel Motors TV remember - Peoples' Champ Matt Neal walks over to Mr Reid to question the validity of Anthony holding a racing licence...

Whilst Neal might come in at 6'6" and the tallest driver in the series, the Peoples' Champ didn't quite stand his ground like The Rock when attacked by the Chris Benoit-like ferocity of Reidy's verbal attack on Neal when the Team Dynamics driver came into the WSR driver's sights.

Viewers of ITV's Speed Sunday saw the post race coming together more than once, and despite the far from expansive bleeping over, it was obvious that Anthony is well versed in transitive expletives.

Now for the debate on TV, and it looked like Reid had done his homework. Immaculately presented with slick-backed hair - well, what's left of it - Reid cited a number of other incidents, and also the trouble he was in with the wife for his late return home from Silverstone after the numerous appeals and counter appeals at the track late into Sunday night.

Neal, in contrast, didn't look a happy man on the show. Citing the MSA blue book is enough to cause all but the most sad of race fans to rush off with hair-washing commitments, let alone hold attention on national TV on a Sunday afternoon.

Third player in the show was James Thompson, though he did look slightly worse for wear. Surely not another night on the town with that man Plato? You'd have thought he'd have learnt by now...

"He is a fierce competitor at the end of the day but he's also a rascal," said Thommo of Scotsman Reid. "He does things he shouldn't do and he knows it." Reid smiled at this compliment.

Viewers were also treated to the coming together in parc ferm? last year between Yvan Muller and Anthony Reid. This saw Muller in combative mood, and Reid walking away, before ending up on the bonnet of a Proton, and that night was another missed dinner date for Mr and Mrs Reid.

Regarding the Reid/Neal on track incident, wise sage and, as we learnt later in the show, 'own-brand' toilet paper using Plato surmised that a 'mountain had been made of a molehill;' but it sure was fun.

This weekend the BTCC protagonists are in action at Oulton Park, a twisty, challenging circuit that lends itself to contact. "I'm going to give my mates some more heat," said Anthony on the show, whilst Matt reckoned the MG driver should be locked up. "As long as we lock this manic in the garage we'll have a good time!" Neal quipped.

Viewer participation in the form of an sms straw poll saw 43% vote Reid a hero, whilst 57% side with Matt Neal and James Thompson in branding the driver a villain.

All in all, getting the boys up on national TV is a great idea and the action on, and off track, is exactly what the series needs.

Matt Neal, meanwhile, did look slightly happier at the end of the show, but maybe that was because he had his hands tight around Reidy's neck.

Oulton should be interesting...