BTCC @ Brands (spoilers possible)

[MonkeyHanger]

Munter said:

I'm confused. I'm assuming your on sky and dont get ITV4? Otherwise why pay for Setanta when it's on ITV4 and ITV1... (All i've got is a freeview box....)

A few reasons..

1. Full, live coverage of ALL of the races. (BTCC, Clio Cup, Seat Cupras etc)

2. This is the first meeting that ITV have shown anything other than race 3 live.

3. Setanta don't have Louise "Flasher Mac" Goodman and Ted "I take personality lessons from James Allen" Kravitz.

[SKR]

houlbt said:

Tom Chilton just isn't good enough in my opinion... plus I don't think that interview/bio think he did was much cop - came across poorly I thought.

Chilton said;

" My parents brought me up to believe that it is not all about winning but the taking part that counts, but in motorsport it is all about winning, second place is the first of the losers"

Chilton said 2 mins later;

" Racing in touring cars is not all about winning "

I have always thought he was a bit of a cock, a bit to much to soon. Although I do enjoy the pit lane pantomime that touring cars has become.

[snotrag]

It IS getting a bit like WWF recently isnt it?


Knockhill next weekend, Plato cruised past Giovanardis pits on a Harley flicking the bird...

[FourWheelDrift]

Usual crap standards of racing.

Here are a few choice incidents.

Big pile up in race 1 - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=owWrdJMq-Vc

Start of race 2 - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QDIx5ExQO04

Matt Allison's crash - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq6vJGOU7sY

Giovanardi takes out Jordan - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=blea1ZMogic

Onslow-Cole/Jones incident - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RTqw0Wwg-7w

[kenthardy]

What a complete shambles - this is supposed to be the UK's premier race series.

Racing is supposed to be non contact but the officials let them all get away with banger racing tactics and plain stupid manoeuvres - Mat Jackson - outside of paddock always optimistic - in the wet totally stupid - did he think the SEAT would just mildly let him in?

Should be banned not just penalised a few grid places - go back to club racing and learn a little more about how to race Mr Jackson.

At least Giovanardi had the grace to say sorry to Mike Jordan whereas Gormless Jackson just tried to justify his position.

Crazy - MSA Officials need to get a grip but as BTCC promoter Alan Gow is also top man in the MSA we should expect this to filter down not be cleaned up!

[micron750]

Bloody typical really i'd planned to go but something from work turned up so decided i needed the money more,i don't think any spectator could have asked for a better three races they had everything a race should have,crashes plenty of overtaking, incidents and all free on itv4 and itv1 excellent

[Chris Sideways]

That driving is not just Mickey Mouse but dangerous,someone is going to get really hurt or killed soon if they carry on driving like that!!

Chris.

[kevin ritson]

Does make me chuckle, loads of posts on F1 being dull and then after a BTCC race a load of posts about there being too much action! Anyway, for those that enjoyed it, here's some pics of the day, I swear they were going for the World Record of most crashes:

The moment just before all hell broke loose:



Matt's Civic becomes a Ka.



Never seen a car delivered to the pit garage like this before



Dave Pinkney's Alfa (which hit Neal's Civic) wasn't too clever, either



Moment of muppetry in race 2









Chilton thinks his Vectra is fine after his clash at Surtees with Plato...



Giovanardi getting it all wrong at Paddock in race 3:



Synchronised spinning



How did he recover that??



And the moment Plato scored a very lucky 5th place in race 3:









As I said, incidents weren't just confined to the BTCC, note the odd one out in this pic...



...as it all ends in tears



Then round at Graham Hill (this is still lap 1!!)







The race was stopped to clear the carnage. On the green flag lap for the restart one of them spun out of Graham Hill and stacked it (2 other cars has spun on the first green flag lap, one taking out part of the tyre wall...and it wasn't even wet!). The stewards sent them all home as punishment...

And even the Porkers can't behave:



All in all an incident-packed day

[snotrag]

Great pics. I really must go to Brands one day, it looks like you get an excellent view as a spectator.

[FourWheelDrift]

kevin ritson said:

Does make me chuckle, loads of posts on F1 being dull and then after a BTCC race a load of posts about there being too much action!

Action is fine, just as long as the drivers use race craft to overtake not barging techniques. I think the main protagonists (Plato, Chilton and Neal plus any other you like to name) must have all watched Days of Thunder as children and actually believed that "rubbing is racing" bullshit.

[Munter]

FourWheelDrift said:

kevin ritson said:

Does make me chuckle, loads of posts on F1 being dull and then after a BTCC race a load of posts about there being too much action!

Action is fine, just as long as the drivers use race craft to overtake not barging techniques. I think the main protagonists (Plato, Chilton and Neal plus any other you like to name) must have all watched Days of Thunder as children and actually believed that "rubbing is racing" bullshit.

But it does make it an exciting spectical. Theres no way I'd want to be a private entry in the series because you'll be broke just paying for body parts. But looking at it puerly from an exciting TV point of view it's an excellent show and ITV are probably loving it!

[Bagman]

snotrag said:

Great pics. I really must go to Brands one day, it looks like you get an excellent view as a spectator.

Went there earlier this year for the first time. The TV does not to justice to the elevation changes. Facilities are also pretty good for spectators in my view.

Back to the racing. Damn shame about Jordan, looks as though his son took a whack in the Clios.

Worth pointing out that BTCC has been 300bhp dodgems for years. Anyone in any doubt should dig out the 1992 season.

Regarding Tom Chilton, not at all impressed with him in tin tops but he does seem rather quick in an LMP1 Prototype. Perhaps he should have raced at SPA this weekend in the LMS,

[996 Nobbys]

kenthardy said:

What a complete shambles - this is supposed to be the UK's premier race series.

Racing is supposed to be non contact but the officials let them all get away with banger racing tactics and plain stupid manoeuvres - Mat Jackson - outside of paddock always optimistic - in the wet totally stupid - did he think the SEAT would just mildly let him in?

Should be banned not just penalised a few grid places - go back to club racing and learn a little more about how to race Mr Jackson.

At least Giovanardi had the grace to say sorry to Mike Jordan whereas Gormless Jackson just tried to justify his position.

Crazy - MSA Officials need to get a grip but as BTCC promoter Alan Gow is also top man in the MSA we should expect this to filter down not be cleaned up!

think that is very hard on matt. he is a good driver and made a little mistake. as for saying he should go back to club racing he has far to much talent for that

[runway78]

BTCC went down hill when kncoking someone out of the way became an ok pass. There was one moment today when a place was taken by just hitting the other guy up the rear and going through. The commentors got excited and said that is touring car racing. The same way the cock gets excited by a "pass" in F1 using pit stops.
I remeber watching early 90's touring cars where "clean" racing was the order of the day and with no sign of a wheel of fortune to decide the grid (really!) Okay there was contact but it was not the norm and was looked down upon. Now hitting someone out of the way is ok.
BTCC is awful now, my pennies worth!

[mattrm]

Well you can't say it is dull can you. Does strike me that some of them just barge people off cause they can. Which isn't cricket old chap.

[MonkeyHanger]

runway78 said:

I remeber watching early 90's touring cars where "clean" racing was the order of the day and with no sign of a wheel of fortune to decide the grid (really!) Okay there was contact but it was not the norm and was looked down upon. Now hitting someone out of the way is ok.
BTCC is awful now, my pennies worth!

I think you might want to remove those rose-tinted specs.

The likes of John Cleland, Steve Soper, Tim Harvey and co were capable of exactly the same sort of games that everyone whinges about today. It's for the Authorities to sort out with a few points chopped off here & there. Until they develop some balls it'll carry on as it always has.

I totally agree about that "wheel of fortune" nonsense though. Dump that and get rid of "Success ballast" and let the best teams & drivers just fight it out.

[kenthardy]

996 Nobbys said:

kenthardy said:

What a complete shambles - this is supposed to be the UK's premier race series.

Racing is supposed to be non contact but the officials let them all get away with banger racing tactics and plain stupid manoeuvres - Mat Jackson - outside of paddock always optimistic - in the wet totally stupid - did he think the SEAT would just mildly let him in?

Should be banned not just penalised a few grid places - go back to club racing and learn a little more about how to race Mr Jackson.

At least Giovanardi had the grace to say sorry to Mike Jordan whereas Gormless Jackson just tried to justify his position.

Crazy - MSA Officials need to get a grip but as BTCC promoter Alan Gow is also top man in the MSA we should expect this to filter down not be cleaned up!

think that is very hard on matt. he is a good driver and made a little mistake. as for saying he should go back to club racing he has far to much talent for that

Talent has to have brains too and they seemed absent to me this afternoon especially when in two interviews (neither real heat of the moment) he seemed unable to make any connection with his 'little mistake' and two drivers being taken to hospital! (and didnt ask after them either).

Out of his depth.

[996 Nobbys]

kenthardy said:

996 Nobbys said:

kenthardy said:

What a complete shambles - this is supposed to be the UK's premier race series.

Racing is supposed to be non contact but the officials let them all get away with banger racing tactics and plain stupid manoeuvres - Mat Jackson - outside of paddock always optimistic - in the wet totally stupid - did he think the SEAT would just mildly let him in?

Should be banned not just penalised a few grid places - go back to club racing and learn a little more about how to race Mr Jackson.

At least Giovanardi had the grace to say sorry to Mike Jordan whereas Gormless Jackson just tried to justify his position.

Crazy - MSA Officials need to get a grip but as BTCC promoter Alan Gow is also top man in the MSA we should expect this to filter down not be cleaned up!

[/quote


think that is very hard on matt. he is a good driver and made a little mistake. as for saying he should go back to club racing he has far to much talent for that

Talent has to have brains too and they seemed absent to me this afternoon especially when in two interviews (neither real heat of the moment) he seemed unable to make any connection with his 'little mistake' and two drivers being taken to hospital! (and didnt ask after them either).

Out of his depth.

he is anything but out of his depth. he is as good as any driver out there. would you be saying the same if matt neal had hit the back of Turkingtons car when he spun in the same place as matt jackson.

Edited by 996 Nobbys on Sunday 19th August 22:35

[foreright]

runway78 said:

BTCC went down hill when kncoking someone out of the way became an ok pass. There was one moment today when a place was taken by just hitting the other guy up the rear and going through. The commentors got excited and said that is touring car racing. The same way the cock gets excited by a "pass" in F1 using pit stops.

This is it exactly - 'tapping' someone off into the gravel is hardly a good way of passing :P Matt Neal is one of the worst culprits for this, being seemingly unable to make a clean pass.

[phatgixer]

I was at Brands with John George, and was amazed they repaired his car. Until I saw Matt Allison's come back out. How they got that going, heaven only knows!

Hodgetts got a sarcastic ripple of applause for his second nerf in the same place during the warm up laps in the Clios! He is a talent, but he'll have to live that one down...

Hopefully Matt and Dave Pinkney are unhurt.