BTCC croft

[dj choc ice]

hiya people,

well for the first time in a good 6 weeks the BTCC is back underway on what is one of the best tracks for close racing of the season but a lot could have happened in this 6 week period, for a start vauxhall may have sorted out the chronic tyre problem that they are having with the astra VXR which means we could see tom C domination hahaha , or will things be same old same old and we will see tom C showing huge pace at the start of races and then dropping back because the astra has gorged itself on its tyres again and what car will do best at croft?

it seems to me a pretty even race and i cant see any car having an advantage over one another maybe the vauxhalls in the early stages of the race but other than that i can really only see the seat's having an advantage if the VXR team have not sorted the car's tyre problem out but tom chilly all the way for me

[cos]

First practice session:

1. James Thompson	 SEAT Sport UK	 SEAT Leon	 1min 25.604secs 
2. Matt Neal	 Team Halfords	 Honda Integra 1min 25.711secs I
3. Jason Plato	 SEAT Sport UK	 SEAT Leon	 1min 26.245secs
4. Rob Collard	 Team RAC	 MG ZS 1min 26.285secs I
5. Tom Chilton	 VX Racing	 Vauxhall Astra	 1min 26.336secs
6. Mike Jordan	 Team Eurotech	 Honda Integra 1min 26.495secs I
7. Colin Turkington	 Team RAC	 MG ZS 1min 26.593secs I
8. Gavin Smith	 VX Racing	 Vauxhall Astra 1min 26.707secs
9. Gordon Shedden	 Team Halfords	 Honda Integra 1min 26.771secs I
10. Dave Pinkney	 Motorbase	 Honda Integra 1min 27.222secs I

11. Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing	 Vauxhall Astra	 1min 27.319secs 
12. James Kaye	 Synchro Motorsport	 Honda Civic Type-R 1min 27.443secs I
13. Jason Hughes	 Kartworld Racing	 MG ZS 1min 28.277secs I
14. Eoin Murray	 Team Quest	 Alfa Romeo 156 1min 28.498secs I
15. Fiona Leggate	 Thurlby Motors with Tech Speed	Vauxhall Astra Coupe	1min 28.770secs I
16. Adam Jones	 Xero Competition	 Lexus IS200	 1min 29.265secs I
17. Mark Proctor	 Fast-Tec Motorsport	 Honda Civic Type-R 1min 29.387secs I
18. Martyn Bell	 Geoff Steel Racing	 BMW 320i E46 1min 29.534secs I
19. Erkut Kizilirmak	VX Racing	 Vauxhall Astra	 1min 30.676secs
20. Mark Smith	 In-Front Motorsport	 Alfa Romeo 156 1min 30.807secs I

Second practice session:

1. Matt Neal	 Team Halfords	 Honda Integra 1min 25.953secs I
2. Gordon Shedden	 Team Halfords	 Honda Integra 1min 26.331secs I
3. Jason Plato	 SEAT Sport UK	 SEAT Leon	 1min 26.359secs
4. Colin Turkington	 Team RAC	 MG ZS 1min 26.459secs I
5. James Thompson	 SEAT Sport UK	 SEAT Leon	 1min 26.581secs 
6. Rob Collard	 Team RAC	 MG ZS 1min 26.738secs I
7. Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing	 Vauxhall Astra	 1min 26.779secs 
8. Tom Chilton	 VX Racing	 Vauxhall Astra	 1min 26.873secs
9. Dave Pinkney	 Motorbase	 Honda Integra 1min 26.883secs I
10. Mike Jordan	 Team Eurotech	 Honda Integra 1min 27.032secs I

11. Gavin Smith	 VX Racing	 Vauxhall Astra 1min 27.328secs
12. James Kaye	 Synchro Motorsport	 Honda Civic Type-R 1min 27.628secs I
13. Eoin Murray	 Team Quest	 Alfa Romeo 156 1min 27.650secs I
14. Jason Hughes	 Kartworld Racing	 MG ZS 1min 28.346secs I
15. Adam Jones	 Xero Competition	 Lexus IS200	 1min 28.545secs I
16. Mark Proctor	 Fast-Tec Motorsport	 Honda Civic Type-R 1min 28.603secs I
17. Fiona Leggate	 Thurlby Motors with Tech Speed	Vauxhall Astra Coupe	1min 29.252secs I
18. Erkut Kizilirmak	VX Racing	 Vauxhall Astra	 1min 30.318secs
19. Martyn Bell	 Geoff Steel Racing	 BMW 320i E46 1min 30.738secs I
20. Mark Smith	 In-Front Motorsport	 Alfa Romeo 156 1min 31.392secs

[safc_fan89]

Fabrizio Giovanardi is still not on the pace. I know many of the tracks are new to him, but he's had half a season to get to grips with the cars now. He really needs to start getting the results.

All the usual suspects seem to be on the pace so it should be another excellent 3 races. Good weather up here too

[Knowlesy]

Fabrizio has a slight problem in that he is driving a Vauxhall.

[safc_fan89]

He has been outperformed by Gavin Smith and Tom Chilton so far, though.

[Craig]

Was speaking with another driver recently and asked the question about Gio. He said he had asked Gio himself literally the day before how he was getting on over here. Gio seemed absolutely baffled by it and said he didn't know what was wrong at all although he said the problem was more in his own head than the car itself.

Not that the standard of the car is gonna help him, like...

[safc_fan89]

If you are a novice to BTCC and most of its tracks, admittedly this year's Vauxhall is hardly going to help him. Vauxhall don't appear to have improved much since the start of the season. I think they are missing Yvan Muller's influence, as last season it was him that carried their challenge mainly.

[Knowlesy]

I suspect Fabrizio won't be around BTCC next season, whoever's problem it is. I really think it is both. He hasn't adapted well himself and the car does not help. Plus BTCC is rather unforgiving at times, to say the least!

[safc_fan89]

I hope he sticks with it...perhaps in a second year when he has knowledge of the car, tracks and other drivers he would fare better.

Another point...the Seat's challenge this season. Jason Plato is the only driver that could seriously challenge for the title, yet his consistency has been poor. One race he wins, the next he retires. It's the consistent drivers that win championships and Plato at the moment doesn't seem able to do this. He's continued to get caught in needless incidents too, which may make for good viewing but it does no favours to his title chances. matt Neal's consistency once again is excellent so he looks odds-on for another championship.

The good thing is that everything can change though. it just takes one poor weekend.

[redshoes]

Good to see Murray put in a strong showing on his first time out in a new car. Looking at the qualifying times the race could be quite a battle between him, Kaye, Hughes and Proctor.

[rdjones]

I got back about half an hour ago. Murrey looked to be on pace stright away. I was impressed with the other new boy Erkut Kizilirmak (there seems to be train of thought that he will be in the car for the rest of the year) he drove quite well and quicker as the day went on. The Seat's are also running a new front splitter.

[rdjones]

I have just uploaded my photos from today and they can be found at http://www.rdj-pics.co.uk/Photos/200...Sat/index.html

[Hazard]

Really? Haircut was still outqualified by Leggate in a two year old Astra on Bio fuel! Didn't seem to end up that pacy

Murray on the other hand, very impressive for a first run.

WTCC championship 2nd place man Thompson takes a nice pole from a quick looking Vauxhall for a change though. Interesting.

[dj choc ice]

who's haircut? its probably tom isnt it lol

[andy_b]

Originally Posted by dj choc ice

who's haircut? its probably tom isnt it lol

Erkut

[racingdad]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Really? Haircut was still outqualified by Leggate in a two year old Astra on Bio fuel! Didn't seem to end up that pacy

give the guy a break.

He is carying 45kg 'new boy' ballast and has never seen the track before, know what set-up he needs or worked with this group of mechanics or team before. Fionna has raced here countless times, carries 0kg ballast and has a team built around her. I think Mr Murray's performance shows the difference with Fionna as he also has 45kg ballast (but at least knows the track and has experience with an english team and probably a very good idea of the set up required).

[touringcarnut]

The MGs are quite down on a circuit they are usually quick on, maybe they are finally showing their age?

[Hazard]

I will! Just qualifying 17th in your first race isn't going to turn heads, even if the Vauxhall is not as competitive. He's got three races which I can actually 'see' him in this afternoon rather than reading off the timing screen...to re-evaluate my evaluation.

Giovanardi doesn't know the track either don't forget.

[racingdad]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Giovanardi doesn't know the track either don't forget.

Fabrizio is a multiple euro saloon champ - hardly a fair comparison. The guy did OK IMO.

[phatgti]

and who said giovanardi was struggling with british circuits?

Great drive in 3rd race, pity he didn't pass Neal through the chicane,

[Craig]

erm, Gio did...

But great to see him pull his finger out and show what he's about. Shame there's only a handful of races left for him.

[redshoes]

That's more like the Gio I was expecting to see this year. Hopefully he's finally got his head around the car and we'll see more of that for the rest of the season.

Did you notice that Ben Edwards calls all the drivers by their surname except for Erkut, or 'our Turkish friend' as he used a few times. Seems I'm not the only one who doesn't know how to pronounce 'Kizilirmak'.

[Hazard]

Hehe, probably not many in the country know!

I'm afraid my first impression stands, Haircut has a long way to go - that was a pretty poor performance even for the Sport Hatch...granted he had some issues (brakes, solid objects) and limited testing time...still.

Murray on the other hand showed there is hope for an Alfa Romeo in the BTCC yet!

[Craig]

haha yeah that made me chuckle

What happened to him in the third race? I was out just after the first race and didn't get back until after the final race had finished.

Incidently, the silly bint doing the driver interviews is still annoying the hell out of me. Bring back Dawn McDaniel

[safc_fan89]

Well that was an interesting day's racing. Matt Neal still has a very healthy lead. I bet that James Thompson must be slightly disappointed that he isn't taking part in every race (although no doubt the WTCC takes priority for him), as his pace seems to be better than Plato's. It's now 2 races where Thompson has given way for Plato, and they are quite close in the overall standings too.

And no, I don't know how you pronounce that Turkish driver's name either. Can hardly even spell it