[BTCC] Round Five, Croft 25-26 Jun, Races 13,14&15

[crmalcolm]

For the fifth round of the season, the BTCC reaches the halfway point with a visit to Croft for a late June meeting.

First appearing on the BTCC (then BSCC) calendar in 1968, Croft’s history saw a period of time when there was no tarmac surface, and Rallycross was the main category raced at the venue. 1997 saw a major revamp though, and BTCC returned that year with Alain Menu dominating proceedings. Matt Neal also took an Independent win that day in a period when such occasions were rare.
There is a widely held view that the circuit favours RWD cars. This in part due to the Hairpin and tight changes of direction. The first time that constructor NGTC cars raced there though, Honda took a 1st and 3rd, sandwiching the BMW of Collard. The other two races that day also went to FWD machinery.

2013 saw Turkington take two wins and a second, seeming to underline the view that the circuit favours RWD. A feat he almost matched in 2014. 2015 saw a BMW 1-2-3 in the first race, and RWD cars take all three wins. RWD success continued through the rest of the NGTC era, with FWD cars only seemingly getting results in the 3rd race reverse grid. This was the case when the series visited in 2019, with Jordan taking two wins in his BMW, before the Focus of Chilton managed a R3 win.

In 2020 FWD ruled the roost. Josh Cook took the first two wins in his BTC Honda that day, with Ingram taking the third race in the FWD Toyota. Turkington got the only RWD podium with a race one 3rd.
2021 was a mixed bag of results. Aiden Moffat got a RWD win in race one, and Turkington took race three. Five of the nine podiums went to FWD cars though.

Going into the meeting, Sutton and Lloyd’s points scoring streaks ending now means that Josh Cook is the only driver to have scored in each round this season. When you go back into 2021, he now has scored in 18 consecutive races.

At just over 2.1 miles in length, Croft is one of the longer circuits on the BTCC calendar, with a technical nature and tight corners, particularly the final hairpin that sees cars sometimes 3 or 4 abreast coming onto the start/finish straight. Following the recent resurfacing, Jordan set a new Qualifying lap record in 2019 of 1m21.734s, with Turkington setting a race lap record of 1m21.781s in 2020. The layout seems particularly suited to hybrid gains, and when you also consider that BMWs are in 4th, 5th and 8th – the conditions seem set for early RWD results over the weekend.


The early weather forecast suggests a wet qualifying with rain through the majority of the day, and then Sunday looks clearer.

Final TV broadcast details are still to be confirmed. The current timetable is:

Time	Activity	Championship	Laps
Saturday 25 June
09.30 – 10.10	Free Practice	Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
10.25 – 10.45	Qualifying	ROKiT F4 British Championship
10.55 – 11.25	Qualifying	The Quaife MINI CHALLENGE Trophy
11.35 – 11.55	Qualifying	Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge
12.05 – 12.45	Free Practice	Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
12.45 – 13.45	Lunch Break
13.45	Race	ROKiT F4 British Championship	20 mins
14.20 – 14.35	Free Practice	Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship
14.45	Race	The Quaife MINI CHALLENGE Trophy	20 mins
15.20 – 15.50	Qualifying	Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
16.00 – 16.30	Qualifying	Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge Great Britain
16.40	Race	Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge	20 mins
17.15	Race	ROKiT F4 British Championship	20 mins
17.50 – 18.05	Qualifying	Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship
Sunday 26 June
10.30 – 11.05	Pit Lane Walkabout / Autograph Session
11.50	BTCC Pit Lane Opens
12.05	Race	Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship	15
12.45	Race	Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge Great Britain	15
13.20	Race	Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship	20 mins
13.50	Race	ROKiT F4 British Championship	20 mins
14.20	BTCC Pit Lane Opens
14.35	Race	Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship	15
15.15	Race	The Quaife MINI CHALLENGE Trophy	20 mins
15.45	Race	Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge	20 mins
16.15	Race	Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge Great Britain	15
16.50	BTCC Pit Lane Opens
17.05	Race	Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship	15
17.40	Race	Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship	20 mins

[redshoes]

Can't remember where I read it but the investigation into the race 3 crash at Oulton will be held over until Croft. I'm sure there will some naughty boy pints to be handed out.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by redshoes

naughty boy pints

Oh that'll result in some interesting driving!

I really wouldn't be surprised if Lloyd wasn't on the grid. Shame, being his local round.

[porsche962fan]

isn't Turkington the King Of Croft ? he needs to score strongly here to recover that 29 points gap to Cooky

Hill is on the verge of exiting the title contenders if he does't score really well

[Craner Curves]

No mention of the knowledgeable Croft crowd?

Look forward to watching this, always good overtaking around the back half of the circuit.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

No mention of the knowledgeable Croft crowd?

Is that knowledgeable in the sense of knowing how best to block a view with a gazebo?
Or knowledgeable in the sense of knowing how to get bogged in the car park mud?

[coppice]

Knowledgeable eh ? That will be the gormless hordes who never visit the circuit except for this meeting , seem to struggle with the concept of litter bins and confuse BTCC with pantomime . Actually, maybe they have a point? Cue cries of 'Oh no they don't !'

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Is that knowledgeable in the sense of knowing how best to block a view with a gazebo?
Or knowledgeable in the sense of knowing how to get bogged in the car park mud?

Hmm, I don't know the answer to that.

It used to be a staple of Pre-Croft press releases which mentioned a knowledgeable crowd. I assumed they were quizzing them as they entered the gate.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Hill is on the verge of exiting the title contenders if he does't score really well

In my opinion, Hill's shown this year he's not yet ready to be a champion. Too many unnecessary fights, errors and much too inconsistent. Still needs some time before he can beat Turkington in the same car.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

It used to be a staple of Pre-Croft press releases which mentioned a knowledgeable crowd. I assumed they were quizzing them as they entered the gate.

I think it is just another example of lazy journalism.

In honesty - the most common reference to a knowledgeable crowd I have seen relates to Chennai and cricket.

However, that said, I think the following are examples related to Croft:

'Unfortunately the knowledgeable crowd was deprived of seeing Gary McWilliams’s rapid Toyota Starlet in full-flow'

Harry Vaulkhard [2007] : "The crowd at Croft is always really enthusiastic and knowledgeable and hopefully I will be able to put on a bit of a show for them tomorrow."

Alan Gow [2005] : "Croft is always a favourite venue for our championship and never fails to draw one of the largest, most enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowds of the year,"


In terms of a TOCA crowd, maybe Croft lost the crown as being the knowledgable crowd sometime before the NGTC regs, and Knockhill is now the holder of that title?

2022 - "With a knowledgeable and enthusiastic local crowd, the atmosphere at Knockhill always leaves an impression, matched only by the commitment and skill required to excel on-track."

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

It used to be a staple of Pre-Croft press releases which mentioned a knowledgeable crowd. I assumed they were quizzing them as they entered the gate.

You know that's a pretty low bar when so many fans can't even get their head around setting a series-link on the right channel

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by redshoes

You know that's a pretty low bar when so many fans can't even get their head around setting a series-link on the right channel

I guess the question is: Knowledgeable for a BTCC crowd, or knowledgeable for a Motorsport crowd in general?

In general, I think there is plenty of evidence to suggest the bar for being a knowledgeable BTCC follower is fairly low....

[S griffin]

I think they just love the BTCC this crowd, although I'm sure they enjoy other motorsports too. I think you will see evidence of that this weekend

[coppice]

They do love BTCC , undeniably , but at least 95 % of them never come to other meetings. And they love BTCC cos it's on telly innit

[crmalcolm]

Lloyd is looking doubtful for Croft, and the rest of his season is also in jeopardy according to reports.

The remainder of the season is speculation, but not an unreasonable conclusion to reach based on what Dan has said: “It was a serious incident and it’s made a huge impact to my budget – I’ve got a meeting with the team first thing on Tuesday to discuss options, and the goal is to be out for the next round at Croft, but it’s not a good situation financially at the moment.”

[S griffin]

If he is forced, I wonder who they could replace him with? Proctor? Possibly. I think though we could rule out Goff and Jordan!

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by S griffin

If he is forced, I wonder who they could replace him with? Proctor? Possibly. I think though we could rule out Goff and Jordan!

If it is financial, then whoever replaces him will need to provide a budget.
If that budget is to cover the repair bills, they would rightly expect to driver the car for the remainder of the season.

[Mike Harte]

Am I right in thinking that Collard helped him into the spin that caused the mayhem that followed? If so, one would hope that he or his backers would do the decent thing and help financing the costs of repairs.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Am I right in thinking that Collard helped him into the spin that caused the mayhem that followed? If so, one would hope that he or his backers would do the decent thing and help financing the costs of repairs.

That depends on how you view the responsibility for the incident.

The current argument against Collard being apportioned any blame is based on the fact that if you have a car alongside (even partially) you have to give them room. Collard already had one wheel on the white line when Lloyd moved across - so there is a widely held view that Lloyd was entirely at fault.

Backed up by Lloyd's admittance that he was at fault, and Collard's statements about Lloyd's actions.

The other part lies in - where do you stop? Does Collard have a responsibility for supporting Turkington and Crees' repair bills?

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Am I right in thinking that Collard helped him into the spin that caused the mayhem that followed? If so, one would hope that he or his backers would do the decent thing and help financing the costs of repairs.

Motorsport has everr been so , it sets a dangerous president although didn't Andy Neate stump up after his Thruxton fiasco? Where would it all end? Would Collard also have to cover the Turkington damage - it might be argued his Dad already has!

[Mike Harte]

Apologies, wasn't aware that Lloyd had admitted that he was to blame.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Apologies, wasn't aware that Lloyd had admitted that he was to blame.

Maybe not fully - but definitely accepted some responsibility:
"I’m devastated about what happened on track,” he said. “It was avoidable on my part but as soon as some contact was made I was stuck and couldn’t turn out of it."


On the other hand - Collard's comments were of a different tone:
"What Dan Lloyd just done out there on that track [...] that is some disgusting driving [...] that's just disgusting what happened at the start"

[crmalcolm]

TV Coverage now confirmed:

Sat 25 Jun - itv.com/btcc/qualifying-live - from 3:15pm
Sun 26 Jun - ITV4 - 11:30am-6:35pm

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Can't remember where I read it but the investigation into the race 3 crash at Oulton will be held over until Croft. I'm sure there will some naughty boy pints to be handed out.

It's mentioned in Autosport and probably other places.

Lloyd was discussing his future day before yesterday with Excelr8. Or rather his lack of a future if my info is correct.

So who's got a few quid and fancies a ride in a Hyundai?

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Hmm, I don't know the answer to that.

It used to be a staple of Pre-Croft press releases which mentioned a knowledgeable crowd. I assumed they were quizzing them as they entered the gate.

Knowledgeable probably meant they could correctly name one of Matt Neal or Jason Plato from photographs. Without too much prompting...