BTCC Mondello Race Weekend Thread

[rdjones]

The first session has just finished and the time look like this:-

1 HINES 1:58.268
2 NEAL 1:58.512
3 TURKINGTON 1:58.518
4 PICKFORD 1:58.626
5 MULLER 1:58.778
6 EAVES 1:59.094
7 CHILTON 1:59.095
8 SMITH 1:59.109
9 PLATO 1:59.363
10 COLLARD 1:59.628
11 KAYE 2:01.136
12 CURLEY 2:02.390
13 HUGHES 2:03.364
14 LEGGATE 2:05.398
15 PROCTOR 2:07.997
16 WILLIAMS 2:18.052

OMG Luke Hines was fastest

[Hazard]

Forget that...

16 cars! Woohoo!!!

[rdjones]

I know that but still Luke Hines is fastest, sorry am I seeing things.......

[Hazard]

Well, it's just practice. Lets see if he's still there at qualifying.

[rdjones]

and your 2nd session times look like this:-

1 MULLER 1:57.472
2 CHILTON 1:57.897
3 TURKINGTON 1:58.083
4 PLATO 1:58.619
5 COLLARD 1:58.906
6 PICKFORD 1:58.908
7 SMITH 1:58.981
8 EAVES 1:59.055
9 HINES 1:59.389
10 NEAL 1:59.709
11 KAYE 2:00.250
12 HUGHES 2:01.569
13 LEGGATE 2:03.831
14 WILLIAMS 2:04.209
15 CURLEY 2:05.021
16 PROCTOR 2:06.298

[Hazard]

Well, looks like Hughes is nicely going to fit into the lead of 'class 2'. Of course he had some good runs overall last year.

Hines postition much more ordinary there. Otherwise, a nice mix. Looks like the Dynamics cars are sandbagging a bit in the second session I think.

(If I'm reading MST and the timings from the support sessions right, looks like it's a wet qualifying session anyway - just like the practices).

[Hazard]

Final qualifying times, Muller leads another all VX Racing front row!

 1 Yvan Muller		Vauxhall Astra SH	1:56.537
 2 Colin Turkington	Vauxhall Astra SH	1:56.969
 3 Luke Hines		Seat Toledo Cupra	1:57.162
 4 Jason Plato		Seat Toledo Cupra	1:57.410
 5 Matt Neal		Honda Integra Type-R	1:57.441
 6 James Pickford	Seat Toledo Cupra	1:57.761
 7 Tom Chilton		Honda Civic Type-R	1:58.049
 8 Gavin Smith		Vauxhall Astra SH	1:58.126
 9 Rob Collard		MG-ZS			1:58.228
10 Dan Eaves		Honda Integra Type-R	1:58.793
11 Jason Hughes		MG-ZS			1:59.350
12 James Kaye		Honda Civic Type-R	2:00.853
13 Ian Curley		Lexus IS200		2:01.818
14 Fiona Leggate	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	2:02.930
15 Mark Proctor		Vauxhall Astra Coupé	2:03.207
16 Richard Williams	Lexus IS200		No time

Looks like Luke was quick afterall! Must be he likes rain.

[rdjones]

Interesting grid and that man Hines is there again

[touringlegend]

Muller's pace looks worrying over half a second quicker than the nearest Seat, however they are in pretty good positions to pounce!

[BootsOntheSide]

Rain's going to be an advantage for an ice racing champion, he'll be hoping for wet races I'm sure. A nice surprise to see Jason Hughes out there, especially as he's not that much slower than Collard in the other MG.

[FIRE]

Why did have Smith OPC on his car instead of VXR?

OPC - Opel Performance Center - is Opels version of VXR.

[Ian Sowman]

I'm not sure whether you are answering your own question there or not. If not, I imagine it is a marketing thing as (I think) Vauxhalls in Ireland are badged as Opels.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Ian Sowman

I'm not sure whether you are answering your own question there or not. If not, I imagine it is a marketing thing as (I think) Vauxhalls in Ireland are badged as Opels.

Didn't know that. That's probably the reason.

[MagnetON]

Weather was a serious factor today, and the number of red flags was through the roof, apparently there were over 22 red flags today.

[rdjones]

Race 1 Result:-

1 MULLER 14 Laps
2 PLATO + 2.876
3 NEAL + 3.189
4 TURKINGTON + 6.587
5 COLLARD + 7.396
6 EAVES + 14.251
7 SMITH + 18.348
8 KAYE + 22.237
9 CHILTON + 23.066
10 HUGHES + 23.585
11 PICKFORD + 32.956
12 HINES + 53.499
13 LEGGATE + 1:05.096
14 PROCTOR +1:17.472
15 WILLIAMS + 1:22.38
16 CURLEY + 1:23.974

I hate Telewest why can't they show Motors

[E46]

Hines disappointing again. Why did he lose such a lot of time?

[gwyllion]

He had to come in because his left door was open and needed to be closed (with tape).

[Hazard]

A fairly processional race, but the first one always is.

Plato looking on his own for the Seat's...Hines & Pickford need to get set-up for race three.

Hughes running with Chilton & Kaye to the end, nice work

[Gaz]

Plato's stinging criticism of his team mates made me smile...they'e been getting away with their shocking performances for far too long now.

Nowt much too get too excited about to be honest, few good moves at the final corner on Turky but that was about it.

Anybody else get the impression that there isn't exactly thousands there? I remember last year when I went to Mondello it being dead in comparison to other meetings and it seems its even quieter this year. I see the logistical and marketing reasons for going to Ireland, but why play to 5-6,000 and travel all the way over the Ireland when you could race at Rockingham infront of 30,000 + ?

[rdjones]

Race 2 Results:-

1 TURKINGTON 14 Laps
2 EAVES +5.143
3 NEAL + 11.626
4 COLLARD +27.498
5 HINES +33.373
6 MULLER +51.295
7 HUGHES +57.187
8 CHILTON +57.394
9 PICKFORD +1:02.705
10 PLATO +1:05.069
11 CURLEY + 1:45.380
12 WILLIAMS + 1.46.086
13 LEGGATE +1 LAP
14 SMITH + 2 LAPS
15 KAYE -10 LAPS
16 PROCTOR -10 LAPS

Race 3 looks like it might be interesting

[touringlegend]

Hines also had a clutch problem that slowed him down in the first race.

I had to watch in admiration of the car control in race two when those with wets on the rear started to slide about.

[Rich R]

well that was a violent 3rd race, good tv i suppose but the driving standards were pretty poor from most people

[ascarmarshal]

Originally Posted by Rich R

well that was a violent 3rd race, good tv i suppose but the driving standards were pretty poor from most people

I agree. Most of those cars should have been penalised for corner cutting ie all four wheels over white line as according to the Blue Book (they will be penalised at Brands Hatch) which governs the BTCC. It looked more like a banger race. It was dangerous not only to the drivers but the marshals. The BTCC is just a joke. The top drivers are just inflated egos who can't seem to pass without contact. Will it take a death for drivers to clean up their act? I hope not!

Rant over

[rdjones]

Race 3 - Plato I hope they throw the book at him as his driving is getting worst and it about time they did some thing about it. I think the Clark of the Course will be in for a long old evening sorting out that lot. Man of the race for me has to be Rob Collard he was attacked from all directions but drove a fantastic race to claw his way back up the 3rd.

[Gaz]

Originally Posted by ascarmarshal

I agree. Most of those cars should have been penalised for corner cutting ie all four wheels over white line as according to the Blue Book (they will be penalised at Brands Hatch) which governs the BTCC. It looked more like a banger race. It was dangerous not only to the drivers but the marshals. The BTCC is just a joke. The top drivers are just inflated egos who can't seem to pass without contact. Will it take a death for drivers to clean up their act? I hope not!

Rant over

Quite correct ascrmarshall. Some banging and boring is ok but that third race took it WAY to far. It was kinda like if you couldn't pass them correctly you would just ram them out of the way. But for so, so long drivers have been getting away with this so why not? Until the clerk of the course actually does their job then drivers will continue because they know they can get away with it.

The most worrying thing was last week walking around Croft and hearing many people talking about how they couldn't wait for drivers to start taking each other off. It worried me that this is how the BTCC is starting to pull in the punters....