BTCC: Knockhill

[Kicking-back]

Disagree.

The rule has led to great racing.

[BootsOntheSide]

A better change would be to adjust the factors used to ballast the ETCC cars - total fastest lap from across the 3 races, for example.

Just reversing the race 3 grid is another option, as is imposing a 10-second penalty (thus pushing them down to about 14th) on anyone whose final lap is more than 3 seconds off their fastest lap (without a recognisable technical problem)

Alternatively, reverse the race 2 finsihing order to produce the race 3 grid - meaning that anyone racing for 10th in race one would lose out by having to start 10th for race 3.

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
Disagree.

The rule has led to great racing.

Not going to disagree that jumbling up the grid has the effect of creating some intereting racing, it's just that it's a bit too blatantly artificial. If I could think of an alternative way of working it, I would - but I can't!

[alfanano]

Although the reverse grid idea isn’t good from a purist’s point of view, it certainly helped to improve race one yesterday. The usual fairly dull thing at the front with people settling for position rather than risking damage with two races to go, but the race to come tenth was incredibly absorbing. They were all going slower and slower and it was fascinating to see whose nerve broke first. I’m sure Neil was trying to slow Plato down to let Hughes get into tenth spot!

[morry306]

Originally posted by touringlegend
The Honda should be OK. It certainly looked it, I don't know how it did though!

Here is a picture (courtesy Triple Eight) that shows the damage. There's probably a good 2 feet at least, off that. Not sure if it damaged the alignment of the wheels, back left was seized when they put it on the tow truck.

He managed to do alot of dammage on race day i know i have his back bumper

[touringlegend]

This championship is Reid's now.

I didn't think the 10th place battle was slow, far from it, Hughes forced the other two to speed up.

[Craig]

Go Reidy! (never thought I'd say that! but I'm right behind the boy now - especially after the entertainment he provided us with at the start of the year!!!)

We do realise that Vauxhall have now gone eight races without a win, don't we? Excellent - almost enough to tempt me back to the tracks!

[redshoes]

Just to go back to the qualifying accident for a second, Thompson had pulled off just after the chicane and was just on the point of undoing his belts and climbing out when Matt Neal came round and lost it on some fluid (left from Thompson's engine, got sideways, and hit the Astra. Not much Neal could have done in the circumstances.

By the time we left at about 6pm on Saturday, VX had removed the engine and stripped out all the running gear. Straps were attached front and rear which were connected to a pair of flatbed recovery trucks, who then played tug-of-war with tne car to try to stretch it back into shape. Not a pretty sight. From trackside the following morning if you didn't know you may not even have noticed the damage.

Much respect to the VX boys who worked to the wee small hours, and also much respect to Thompson. To jump straight into a car which that much repair work not knowing exactly how it will handle and then to throw it around Knockhill in the manner he did takes some guts.

[Sodemo]

I must say, I haven't watched the BTCC really since 2000, but that Knockhill race was superb, fantastic action.

[touringcarnut]

Reid proved that the sandbagging approach doesn't always work, even on a tight circuit like Knockhill. He gave it his all, and got two race wins, while Plato only won race 2.

[Les]

see Reid has been given a one race suspended ban for the move on Chilton at the hairpin which took off his own team mate

[MikeH]

What about Muller taking Chilton off by stupidly regaining the track in the middle of the chicane? That was the daftest move of the day by far yet it seems to have been ignored by the organisers.

[Davie-c]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by redshoes
Matt Neal came round and lost it on some fluid (left from Thompson's engine, got sideways, and hit the Astra. Not much Neal could have done in the circumstances.

How can they say Matt hit oil when the Marshals on post never put any cement down at the chicane only at the area where the cars stopped on track.I was on one of the wreckers that went to the incident and heard on radio the observer on chicane being asked if they put cement down at chicane and he said they hadn't.

[redshoes]

I wasn't at the corner at the time but was told that by someone who was. The fluid could have been coolant which wouldn't have needed treating with cement as it would have evaporated.

[Chris Y]

Just watched some of the TV footage from the weekend. When Thommo slows down, the next car through is Muller, who gets very sideways, then the camera focuses on Thommo, who then gets a whack from Neal.

I was sitting at the Glenvarigill chicane, and you could tell there was something down on the track, as it was glistening, but as Redshoes said, it was probably coolant rather than oil.

[ADnet]

see Reid has been given a one race suspended ban for the move on Chilton at the hairpin which took off his own team mate

Whats Your Source On This? - Theres Nothing On tocatour.co.uk / btcc.net

[touringlegend]

Yes there is. Just have a good look.

[touringcarnut]

Originally posted by Knockhill Fan
What about Muller taking Chilton off by stupidly regaining the track in the middle of the chicane? That was the daftest move of the day by far yet it seems to have been ignored by the organisers.

And Chilton's shove on Thommo perhaps? I'm amazed that went unpunished, daring to challenge a vauxhall....

[rdjones]

I have finally got my photos from the weekend sorted out and they be found here for Saturday and here for Sunday

[Les]

Chilton was punished I believe

[rdjones]

I think something was said on Radio Knockhill about him having a vist to the "headmaster office" between race 2 and 3.