2024 BTCC Round One - Donington

[Adamcas87]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Someone is saying no track action until ‘after lunch’

Not heard anything, but with heavy rain here for next hour it wouldn’t surprise me

[redshoes]

Overall I think the new qualifying system worked pretty well, although I'll reserve judgement until we see what happening in less changeable conditions.

I've seen a few comments elsewhere that drivers eliminated in Q1A were unfairly disadvantaged compared to those eliminated in Q1B, Those times set the grid for positions 13 onwards and drivers from Q1A will be at the back as their session was held in wetter conditions. To me that's just the luck of the draw. It would be no different to when we had single lap shootout where the track could change significantly between the first and last cars to go out.

[AJD]

Originally Posted by TinTopGrumpy

I misread his post. He means the people finishing outside of the top six in each position where time does become a factor.

Luck of the draw in the end. It will balance out over a season I would think.

Ah that's fair I've gotten the wrong end of the stick there too as well.

[BtccLee]

Originally Posted by Adamcas87

Start delayed

Another circuit inspection due at 10am

Conditions are genuinely horrific, almost Croft 08 levels at present.

Fingers crossed we get some action in an hour or so.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Adamcas87

Not heard anything, but with heavy rain here for next hour it wouldn’t surprise me

My weather app rain radar says heavy rain until midday.

As the Donington statement inferred, the parking is probably a bigger issue than track conditions, they will literally have thousands of cars arriving and grass parking will soon be unusable.

Sent from my SM-T736B using Tapatalk

[Greem]

Average monthly rainfall at Donington in April is about 30-40mm.

Just down the road in Loughborough we've had that since midnight!

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by AJD

Exactly, bizzare comment. Everyone in the qualifying group is qualifying in the same conditions.

True that everyone in the group has the same conditions. But, if group 1 is dry, then it is wet for group 2. If it stays wet, then group 2 have gained more experience and are more 'dialled in' for the wet.

[AJD]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

True that everyone in the group has the same conditions. But, if group 1 is dry, then it is wet for group 2. If it stays wet, then group 2 have gained more experience and are more 'dialled in' for the wet.

Yeah but they're only more dialled in against their group who should also be more dialled in.

Or do you mean the 3 who already ran in the wet have more against the 3 who maybe didn't in their group?

I misread the original point anyway which was the ones who miss out on the final 6 are at a bit of a disadvantage in the changing conditions.

I'm getting way too confused!!!!

[Evantra]

“Officials have been out to look at the circuit but we're not currently able to issue a further update on @BTCC track activity.

Next track inspection will take place at 11am.”

[Greem]

10am inspection - next inspection 10.30
10.30am inspection - next inspection 11.00

It's not looking good.

[thetool]

Rather dumb that ITV still don't stream race day on Youtube, especially after showing the qualifying on there the day before. Not sure how many casual viewers they might have picked up yesterday are going to bother signing up for ITV Hub or whatever it's called these days.

[thetool]

Only thing showing on the TSL Live Timing so far is #999 TSL TEST Ford Transit

[v8supes]

It doesnt look very promising for any action today, the rivers running down the banks onto the track look quite big.

[Greem]

11.10am conditions still not suitable for racing after inspection by officials and BTCC drivers. Updates to follow.

Some of my friends in orange have posted videos of running water pretty much everywhere (behind tyre walls, in gravel traps, on the track), especially at the Old Hairpin. Conditions look really grim.

[Robin Marriott]

Does BTCC have an F1 style reduction in points if a race distance isn’t completed?

[thetool]

Given there's heavy rain in the area until mid-afternoon, they perhaps need to be thinking about making a decision as to whether any racing will be possible today.

Not much fun for marshalls/spectators to be stood about in these conditions for hours on end before it being abandoned later on.

[thetool]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

Does BTCC have an F1 style reduction in points if a race distance isn’t completed?

It's not really relevant. About 50% of the time allocated to a BTCC race is faffing around with procedure. With a typical race being just over 20 minutes, there isn't really much scope to save significant amounts of time. (i.e. shortening the race to 10 minutes would still mean the total time for it would be over 30 minutes, as opposed to just over 40 minutes for a 20 minute race. Not much of a saving really).

[Greem]

They could drop the grid shenanigans though. Exit garage, lap to grid, form up, green flag lap, form up again and go.

However that would really upset the apple cart in terms of sponsors and hangers-on not getting their 10 minutes of yakking on a mobile while waving at their mate at home!

[Matt K]

10-min practice session in half an hour. Wonder what's next? They're already out of time for all the racing today.

[Adamcas87]

Originally Posted by Matt K

10-min practice session in half an hour. Wonder what's next? They're already out of time for all the racing today.

3 touring car races should be fine but support races is anyone’s guess now
Am sure they can get one race each in before curfew at 7pm

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by Matt K

10-min practice session in half an hour. Wonder what's next? They're already out of time for all the racing today.

The warm-up session will be followed by the Mini Challenge.

[WestHam92]

It's looking pretty ominous, even from watching on TV. Hate to think what it's like there.

If racing is possible later, would they sacrifice the support races just to get at least one BTCC race done?

[thetool]

Originally Posted by WestHam92

If racing is possible later, would they sacrifice the support races just to get at least one BTCC race done?

Yes. They'd scrap all the support program and run the BTCC races back-to-back if it came to it.

[BtccLee]

Questions for anoraks - When was the last time a warm-up featured on a BTCC Sunday? And is this the longest timetable delay we’ve had in the last 10/15-years? I’m leaning toward yes…

[Sodemo]

I went to my fair share of Donington wash outs. 2007 and 2018 spring to mind. In 2007 I think we barely saw a racing lap. Every small window of dry weather there was no track action and by the time they got a grid assembled it started to pour again.