Friday 12th October 2007

Plato v Giovanardi

BTCC heads to Thruxton for thrilling finale

---

Keep it on the green stuff

Often ‘Shed of the Week’ features an ex-touring car from the good old days of the 90s, with such various cars as Rickard Rydell’s Volvo 850 Estate, Alain Menu’s Renault 19 or Rob Gravett’s Ford Sierra Sapphire, shed has a lot to choose from.

Roll on to present day and wonder if the current batch of touring cars will make ‘Shed’ iconic status in ten to fifteen years time, particularly remembering this year’s title battle between Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi.

Going into this weekends final rounds the championship couldn’t be closer with 9 points separating the two drivers - Plato 265, Giovanardi 256 - at a Thruxton track that proved successful for Vauxhall earlier on in the season.

At Thruxton - mid week on a very wet day - Giovanardi drove round the track in a road version of the Vauxhall VXR “You have to be smooth round this track, slipstreaming is important, but I plan to get out front and stay there.” Another complication to the mix for this weekends race is the addition of ringers “Alain Menu will be driving for Vauxhall, I got on well with him, he will be good for Vauxhall” added Giovanardi.

Jason Plato – who suffered burns in a filming incident this week driving the Caparo T1 for Fifth Gear – was bullish about his chances this weekend. “I’ll have to dig deep, but I’m still looking forward to the BTCC finale this weekend. It’s been a hard-fought season and I’ve led the drivers’ championship almost unbroken since winning the opening round, so this isn’t going to stop me winning the title on Sunday.” Jason’s viewpoint on the ringers – Tom Coronel, WTCC Independent’s Champion for Seat - was not as supporting as Fabrizio’s “I do not want anyone else out there. I wish it was not the case.”

Whichever way the championship goes this weekend we will see a bit of shed future on fold, Seat Leon or Vauxhall VXR?

[ScoobieWRX]

Go Plato ))))))

I like JP, he's a good guy, an awesome driver and he's been really good for Seat. Good luck to him and i hope he buries Giovanardi

[10 Pence Short]

Shouldn't Plato be driving a dodgem car these days?

[stockhatcher]

10 Pence Short said:

Shouldn't Plato be driving a dodgem car these days?

he already is...

[mollytherocker]

What channel is this on this weekend? I want to see it!

[RacingPete]

Checking the latest version of Autosport they say:

Saturday 14:30 - 16:00 BTCC on Setanta Sports 2
Sunday 12:30 - 14:00 BTCC on ITV4 (Live)
Sunday 15:30 - 16:55 BTCC on ITV1 (Live)

[Wolfracer]

mollytherocker said:

What channel is this on this weekend? I want to see it!

ITV somewhere - ITV 1,2,3! and highllights on Men and Motors i believe.They show the first few races recorded and the last 1 live.
Got tickets FOC through VX for this weekend so having a drive down to watch it "LIVE!"

[flattotheboards]

come on plato!!

[fastcars_hardy]

Plato will win it hands down and thats even with his hands being burnt from his car going up in flames the other day

[tps23]

i think the picture caption should be 'keep it on the BLACK stuff' not 'green'.
[Maybe someone has been smokin green?]

p.s. come on Jason, burn him up (couldn't resist sorry)

[MonkeyHanger]

RacingPete said:

Checking the latest version of Autosport they say:

Saturday 14:30 - 16:00 BTCC on Setanta Sports 2
Sunday 12:30 - 14:00 BTCC on ITV4 (Live)
Sunday 15:30 - 16:55 BTCC on ITV1 (Live)

The 14:30 Saturday programme on Setanta 2 is a repeat of the Knockhill highlights show.
Thruxton is live all day Sunday from 10:50am on Setanta Sports 1.

Superbikes from Brands on Sunday afternoon too

[rubystone]

I guess it must be public now somewhere?...but just in case it isn't, but a friend just told me that Tom Chilton had told him VX hadn't retained him for next year

[taffyracer]

rubystone said:

I guess it must be public now somewhere?...but just in case it isn't, but a friend just told me that Tom Chilton had told him VX hadn't retained him for next year

hardly suprising IMO, i used to really rate Chilton but this season he has been very poor. I think Vauxhall will be strong, the Seat is not ideal for Thruxton but Plato is a racer so i'm hoping for a battle

[Lushman]

I shall be going to see this with a few friends and can't wait.

I am a Matt Neal fan so I should be against Plato, but it would be good to see him win it. It's been a long time coming and I drive a Cupra albeit a diesel.

[spectatorsam]

I hope fionna legover pushes over the big nosed c n u t off in every race. I foocking hate that pr*ck
forza Giovanardi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by spectatorsam on Friday 12th October 21:57

[DAVEVO9]

spectatorsam said:

I hope fionna legover pushes over the big nosed c n u t off in every race. I foocking hate that pr*ck
forza Giovanardi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by spectatorsam on Friday 12th October 21:57

would you like to tell us all why you hate Jason so much?

maybe you are all bitter and twisted cus you never got any further than trying to race Fleastas?

[minimatt1967]

i too dislike Plato.... he's sort of the dick dastardly of touring cars, always getting his team mate to do the dirty work! When he was at Renault (after A.Menu had departed) poor old JCB was forever playing tail gunner for him, oh yes and Rob Huff used to have to move over to let him win, 'yeah we had a strategy blah blah' no he had to move over before you threw the rattle out of the pram! It doesn't help the cockyness of him 5thgear! No doubting a talented driver.... I just can't stand him.
Rant over!
Off to THRUXTON myself now
May the best man win!!!

[Droptheclutch]

minimatt1967 said:

i too dislike Plato.... he's sort of the dick dastardly of touring cars, always getting his team mate to do the dirty work! When he was at Renault (after A.Menu had departed) poor old JCB was forever playing tail gunner for him, oh yes and Rob Huff used to have to move over to let him win, 'yeah we had a strategy blah blah' no he had to move over before you threw the rattle out of the pram! It doesn't help the cockyness of him 5thgear! No doubting a talented driver.... I just can't stand him.
Rant over!
Off to THRUXTON myself now
May the best man win!!!

^^^What he said!^^^
I used to support Play-D'oh! but he turned into a real arrogant tw@t so (much to his disgust I am sure, LOL) I stopped being a fan.

[fastcars_hardy]

sorry but cant see how you can say that about Plato when i can think of other drivers that are worse. I like Matt but come on all he used to do was use the size of his car and yes Giovanardi is a good drive but he is the same.

[spectatorsam]

DAVEVO9 said:

spectatorsam said:

I hope fionna legover pushes over the big nosed c n u t off in every race. I foocking hate that pr*ck
forza Giovanardi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by spectatorsam on Friday 12th October 21:57

would you like to tell us all why you hate Jason so much?

maybe you are all bitter and twisted cus you never got any further than trying to race Fleastas?

bitter and twisted??? what are you on about I dont like him, i'm not bitter about it
yes its true many in btcc are dirty but plato ( and Muller) were the biggest hypocrits out there ie pushing everyone off they could only to moan like a baby if anyone dared to do the same back.. he is without doubt the biggest tt out there he ling loves himself and for me that is unbearable to watch.
as for my Fleasta, what I spend on racing and what I COULD spend on racing are not to be confused, I have an engineering firm and 8 houses that i rent times are not hard, but thanks for asking.
what do you racethen? show pictures to prove it too.
I will then show pictures of my karting days Formula Ford days and my 106 days
oh by the way I am still young, buisness is booming and who knows what I will be racing next year ..... radicals look affordable these days???????

[MrKipling43]

spectatorsam said:

DAVEVO9 said:

spectatorsam said:

I hope fionna legover pushes over the big nosed c n u t off in every race. I foocking hate that pr*ck
forza Giovanardi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by spectatorsam on Friday 12th October 21:57

would you like to tell us all why you hate Jason so much?

maybe you are all bitter and twisted cus you never got any further than trying to race Fleastas?

bitter and twisted??? what are you on about I dont like him, i'm not bitter about it
yes its true many in btcc are dirty but plato ( and Muller) were the biggest hypocrits out there ie pushing everyone off they could only to moan like a baby if anyone dared to do the same back.. he is without doubt the biggest tt out there he ling loves himself and for me that is unbearable to watch.
as for my Fleasta, what I spend on racing and what I COULD spend on racing are not to be confused, I have an engineering firm and 8 houses that i rent times are not hard, but thanks for asking.
what do you racethen? show pictures to prove it too.
I will then show pictures of my karting days Formula Ford days and my 106 days
oh by the way I am still young, buisness is booming and who knows what I will be racing next year ..... radicals look affordable these days???????

Put your handbag away Sam - no one cars how many houses you've got and it's not cool to talk about money.