BTCC Driving standards

BTCC Driving standards

Author
Discussion

V40Vinnie

Original Poster:

863 posts

119 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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Have we reached that stage where the driving standards are worse than in the Supertouring Era? or even the BTC/S2000 era?

Will More manufacturers result in an increase in those standards or has it always been this bad? Is it a side effect of an 'affordable' series?

Adrian W

13,870 posts

228 months

Monday 1st August 2016
quotequote all
The standard of driving is exactly what the organisers want, otherwise they would have done something about it, Collard or Sheddon repeatedly smacking into the back of Plato to get past makes good TV for anyone not actually interested in motor racing.

We have all got it wrong, It is a contact sport, for those that have the resources, and if you cant afford it find something else, accept that and life's wonderful.

R8Steve

4,150 posts

175 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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V40Vinnie said:
Is it a side effect of an 'affordable' series?
Some people certainly don't see it that way - http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dan-welch-and-the-goo...

aeropilot

34,576 posts

227 months

Monday 1st August 2016
quotequote all
Adrian W said:
The standard of driving is exactly what the organisers want, otherwise they would have done something about it, Collard or Sheddon repeatedly smacking into the back of Plato to get past makes good TV for anyone not actually interested in motor racing.
An accurate analogy I would say.....sadly.

This could be easily stamped out, if they chose to, and so clearly that's not really a direction they want to take.

Janesy B

2,625 posts

186 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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The argy bargy has produced the most memorable races since the late 80's, light 'nudging' rubbing etc is part of Touring Cars and part of the reason why Collard didn't seem all that bothered because he knows he would have done the same thing. I imagine there's a little bit of skill involved with grazing/nudging lightly enough to get past without causing a huge collision.

A line has been crossed at the back of the grid where the backmarkers try to get their elbows out and it always ends in tears because they lack the experience and talent to do so without causing a massive collision.

It's always the same drivers and the same 'victims' who surely should have learnt their lesson but but sadly haven't.

Adrian W

13,870 posts

228 months

Monday 1st August 2016
quotequote all
Janesy B said:
The argy bargy has produced the most memorable races since the late 80's, light 'nudging' rubbing etc is part of Touring Cars and part of the reason why Collard didn't seem all that bothered because he knows he would have done the same thing. I imagine there's a little bit of skill involved with grazing/nudging lightly enough to get past without causing a huge collision.

A line has been crossed at the back of the grid where the backmarkers try to get their elbows out and it always ends in tears because they lack the experience and talent to do so without causing a massive collision.

It's always the same drivers and the same 'victims' who surely should have learnt their lesson but but sadly haven't.
you cant have one rule for the front and one for the back, contact is contact..............end of

Janesy B

2,625 posts

186 months

Monday 1st August 2016
quotequote all
Adrian W said:
you cant have one rule for the front and one for the back, contact is contact..............end of
Didn't suggest that.

Push to pass - 5 seconds added to your race time
Causing a collision/stoppage - drive through (to be served in the next race if the car is recovered or cannot continue) or back to the grid for the next race (not that it makes much difference for some drivers)

3 of either in a race meeting and you have to sit a race out at the next round.

If you stop the clowns from coming out it will hurt them because they have to explain to sponsors that their driving standards have stopped the car from going on the grid, and it will hurt them - so there's the incentive to stay out of trouble.

Keith ctr

233 posts

174 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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You also need penalties or some kind of yellow card system for the drivers who just seem to consistently go off whether in collision or not, Martin and Depper spring to mind.

Janesy B

2,625 posts

186 months

Monday 1st August 2016
quotequote all
Or Lines.

I think they painted his car green to save them time polishing out the grass stains.

BTCC Donington Park April 2016 by Bryan Janes, on Flickr

Altrezia

8,517 posts

211 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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Do you lot think that if BTCC was held to the same rules as the rest of us club/national racers, the issues may stop?

Are things like track limits and light rubbing being left un-checked causing the drivers to push even harder on the imposed limits?

In my view, Collard yesterday was a liability when he tagged the back of Sheddon. Rob was off track & on the grass, and then re-entered the track (at full speed) and hammered into the back of Gordon in an attempt to re-take position. If I did that to a competitor, I'd have points on my licence, and most likely excluded from the weekend! It wasn't even mentioned post-race?

Adrian W

13,870 posts

228 months

Monday 1st August 2016
quotequote all
Altrezia said:
Do you lot think that if BTCC was held to the same rules as the rest of us club/national racers, the issues may stop?

Are things like track limits and light rubbing being left un-checked causing the drivers to push even harder on the imposed limits?

In my view, Collard yesterday was a liability when he tagged the back of Sheddon. Rob was off track & on the grass, and then re-entered the track (at full speed) and hammered into the back of Gordon in an attempt to re-take position. If I did that to a competitor, I'd have points on my licence, and most likely excluded from the weekend! It wasn't even mentioned post-race?
Surely that applies to both of them, did you see how many times Sheddon hit Collard to get past?

Altrezia

8,517 posts

211 months

Monday 1st August 2016
quotequote all
Adrian W said:
Surely that applies to both of them, did you see how many times Sheddon hit Collard to get past?
I'm sure it applies to most of the drivers - but I didn't see him actually actively try to push him out the way - just nudging (which I also dislike for the record).

ribiero

548 posts

166 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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It's motorsport entertainment and a pinch of salt at best, at worst it's influencing the kind of driving seen among club racing.

That sirocco binning @ brands in the VW Cup springs to mind. The shrewd drivers are taking the their own budget into the SRO/GT3/Creventic sphere.

RumbleOfThunder

3,554 posts

203 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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Collard is shocking from the races I've seen. I've watched little this season but this is hardly surprising news.

EngageSportMode

41 posts

138 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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BTCC has always had contact, to a degree, but it certainly seems worse at the minute.

You've got grids absolutely rammed with cars, relatively close performance levels, and varying degrees of talent throughout. That makes for better TV, but at a cost.

Given the nature of the championship now, it is very much "pay-to-play" if you've got the money to spend. Compare that to the Supertouring era with the enormous manufacturer budgets and world-class drivers and it looks like a very different landscape.

DanielSan

18,786 posts

167 months

Monday 1st August 2016
quotequote all
Janesy B said:
The argy bargy has produced the most memorable races since the late 80's, light 'nudging' rubbing etc is part of Touring Cars and part of the reason why Collard didn't seem all that bothered because he knows he would have done the same thing. I imagine there's a little bit of skill involved with grazing/nudging lightly enough to get past without causing a huge collision.

A line has been crossed at the back of the grid where the backmarkers try to get their elbows out and it always ends in tears because they lack the experience and talent to do so without causing a massive collision.

It's always the same drivers and the same 'victims' who surely should have learnt their lesson but but sadly haven't.
Collard said at the end his soft tyres were dead, think he part outbraked himself when he ended up on the grass, but he gave as good as he got when he came back on to the track.

The guys at the front push and shove as is the way with any touring car series whether it's btcc, v8sc's or even dtm to an extent but they've mastered the art of nudging rather than ramming. None of them complain because they all do it and give as good as they get.

The muppets at the back though are downright dangerous especially the 2 Ford's, VW and one TV personality in a Chevrolet. All 4 are so out of their depth it's dangerous.

Leithen

10,882 posts

267 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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It's always been a glorified version of Stock Car Racing IMO.

People seem to love both, so no surprise that contact remains.

covboy

2,576 posts

174 months

Monday 1st August 2016
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By and large the word seems to be that "contact" is all part a parcel of the series now - What happens if someone has to stand up in a Coroners court and justify it ? (Yesterdays incident could well have come to that)

MG CHRIS

9,083 posts

167 months

Tuesday 2nd August 2016
quotequote all
covboy said:
By and large the word seems to be that "contact" is all part a parcel of the series now - What happens if someone has to stand up in a Coroners court and justify it ? (Yesterdays incident could well have come to that)
It be the same what goes on when a rally car hits/kills a spectator which has happened before motorsport is dangerous everyone excepts the risks. The driving standards haven't been to bad this year think the last round with standard this poor was Donny back in 2011. Snetterton has always seen big crashes specially off the line as its so narrow, with 31 cars if anything happens it doesn't end well.

Now there are some drivers that don't really need naming that keep on being involved with these accidents/spins/causing yellow flags and safety car or even red flags. We could get down to 25 cars without actually missing anything.

coppice

8,606 posts

144 months

Wednesday 3rd August 2016
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People don't 'accept the risk' - despite the 'motor racing is dangerous ' disclaimers; if a spectator is hurt or killed by somebody's (eg BTCC driver) negligence then they or their estate have a legal remedy. Nothing new- law has said as such for decades.

I long ago gave up on BTCC - the inverse of the old Brooklands mantra- 'The wrong crowd and too much crowding ' .