|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
20 May 2002, 11:01 (Ref:290133) | #1 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,081
|
DTM @ Doni
A grid of driving talent the BTCC would surely die for. And it's easy to see why these boys are doing DTM. Money. From three real giants: Merc, Audi & Opel. It talks. Just look at the paddock hospitality suites. Jeez! Huge two-tier constructions built of steel and glass and wood - no poles and canvas awnings here. Now that's what you call looking after sponsors. Plus an extravagant, purpose-built travelling media centre that made journos gulp before entering.
Plus, as Menu said: very dramatic cars, both to drive and to look at. Doesn't mean to say the racing is any better, however. Sure, there were good battles throughout and the TV screens helped us all follow the action, but it wasn't that close. And hard racing is what we want to see at the end of the day. 21,000 they said was the gate. Let's see what the BTCC finale in September brings. With good regular ITV coverage, the crowds are already back up and regularly pushing the 20,000 mark ... |
|
|
20 May 2002, 11:04 (Ref:290136) | #2 | |
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 377
|
Final count was just short of 25,000 - some what leaves most other sports in the dark
|
|
__________________
GOOD BYE EVERYONE |
20 May 2002, 11:40 (Ref:290174) | #3 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 664
|
An interesting fact is that in hte dtm warmup session the whole field was within 1.5% of the quickest time, how the btcc owners would love for a field that close.
|
|
|
20 May 2002, 11:43 (Ref:290177) | #4 | |
Veteran
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 1,083
|
I think the races showed that the DTM is the top touring car competition currently
|
|
|
20 May 2002, 16:10 (Ref:290573) | #5 | ||
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 11,003
|
Quote:
Now, I'm sure if I got used to it my opinion would improve but, although the cars were noisy and fast, there was a real lack of panle bashing and close racing... something very much in evidence in the old DTM or BTCC... shame really to say it, but I was disappointed in the DTM... |
||
|
20 May 2002, 16:25 (Ref:290596) | #6 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 3,919
|
I guess the reason you don't see much bumping/bashing anymore is b/c the BTCC/DTM has budget constraints now!
I think that the US is supposed to get TV coverage of the DTM in '02 as well! |
||
|
20 May 2002, 16:29 (Ref:290603) | #7 | |
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 11,003
|
I'm talking about the DTM, kmchow... the BTCC is full of it... perhaps a little too much at times, but at least the cars get to race each other. If the DTM wasn't promoted as a touring car series, it would probably be considered one of the world's best sportscar series... because the cars are probably closer to sportscar than they are to tourers...
|
|
|
20 May 2002, 17:19 (Ref:290628) | #8 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 498
|
I though the race was an anti-climax, the cars though were the dogs....The drivers.... special...
|
||
|
20 May 2002, 17:25 (Ref:290629) | #9 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,971
|
Have to agree with Jonny. Big, loud, fast, dramatic for sure but was the racing actually that good? I'm not overly convinced.
I don't believe the 25000 spectators either. Maybe over the three days but definately not on Sunday. In fact I was surprised it wasn't busier. Giant TV was a bonus but will someone please turn up the wattage on Donington's radio system. I could barely get a signal standing in the pit lane. At Starkey's it was so faint I gave up, which meant I didn't really have a clue what was happening. |
|
|
20 May 2002, 17:39 (Ref:290639) | #10 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 610
|
Racing was poor due to poor qualifying and stop and go penalties. Had Schneider, Alzen, Winklehock, Aiello and Abt had good qualifying I have no doubt that it would have been better.
But for once I really felt sorry for Menu, he was closing up on the two, Mercs from 5secs to 2.2secs, got a wrose pit stop than them, dropped back to about 3.5 behind, but had a bad set of tyres which grained sommet awfull, still closed up to 1.8 behind, but his tyres decided enough was enough and one delaminated. Sad really because he seemed, talkative and cheerfull in the paddock, and drove extremely well. |
||
__________________
"If a bar man tried to give you that you'd hit him wouldn't you" - Richard Madeley |
20 May 2002, 18:35 (Ref:290704) | #11 | ||
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 3,797
|
I enjoyed the racing. Unfortunate that Winkelhock was victim of a bad startline shunt, which precluded any further involvement, but the spectacle of the DTM field was most pleasing.
The Audis are madder in real life than they seem in pictures. Skittish, gaudy and raucous, definitely best viewed close up. I agree with those who see the current DTM as more akin to Sportscar racing. The pitlane walkabout had me expecting to see Porsches and Vipers any second. Fortunately, I like sportscars! All in all, an interesting day out. If they come back, I think I'll be there. |
||
|
20 May 2002, 21:15 (Ref:290842) | #12 | |||
Racer
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 469
|
Quote:
If it is panel bashing you want get down to the essex arena or wimbledon, they really know how to panel bash... The panel bashing you see in BTCC is primarily down to poor driving standards and ettiquette frequently demostrated by the cheque book racers. In DTM on the other hand most if not ALL drivers do NOT pay for there rides and are of much much higher caliber! |
|||
|
20 May 2002, 21:57 (Ref:290885) | #13 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 610
|
You could say that, But for all that money, only Abt, Ekstrom, Jager and Tomzeck were entertaining, and they all pay or employ themselves.
The BTCC has Pannel banging due to intense competition and determination. The pannel banging is usually controlled and just racing rather than incompetance. Although there are 1 or 2 exceptions, which I won't name, so that I don't dig up old arguements. |
||
__________________
"If a bar man tried to give you that you'd hit him wouldn't you" - Richard Madeley |
20 May 2002, 22:00 (Ref:290890) | #14 | ||
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 3,797
|
Ditto that - the arguments about whose drivers are more able are getting somewhat wearisome.
DTM has proved - to me at least - to be every bit as good as it suggested on the television. Even if this weekend didn't have shunts as big as the Avus 1994 incident... ...oops. |
||
|
30 May 2002, 13:22 (Ref:300385) | #15 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 464
|
OK, firstly, Opel is Vauxhall. Maybe if they had a bit of serious competition in the BTCC again, instead of there being only one real works team... just a thought
Secondly, the DTM fell flat on its face once before because costs spiralled out of control - as they were doing in the BTCC and the European Super Tourers. Thirdly, WTF was with all those stop and gos??? |
||
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Doni F3 - Race 1 | piquetfan | National & International Single Seaters | 65 | 15 Apr 2004 13:49 |
Doni F3 predictions | Jonny Apex | National & International Single Seaters | 22 | 4 Apr 2004 09:17 |