BTCC Races 28,29,30 Brands Hatch GP

[Adamcas87]

Not a fan of platos but I feel it was a Shame the last race wasn't the classic I was expecting after results of race 2,
drivers moving out the way and even indicating out the way at one point (Jordan) to let shedden past, bit disappointing shedden didn't have to work that hard to get through the field but neither the less shedden does deserve it he has been a quality all year so well done shedden

it does Make you wonder what would of happened if menu hadn't got a puncture early on

[Jiiiiiiim]

Still buzzing after that epic final, certainly ended a great year in the most spectacular style, what a drive by Flash and JP did all he could in that race, but definitely think the title went to the right man. You couldn't write a better scrip even if you tried

[porsche962fan]

Script ?

you mean like in Wrestling with Plato the heel and Flash the babyface? and everything is Kayfabe ?

[thlbtcc]

Still staggered by Plato's comments after Race 2. No doubt the vast majority of people where cheering on Shedden after that!

[porsche962fan]

Plato deserves many negative adjectives, heck even his own team mates didn't want to help him and most other drivers were probably in the "everyone but Plato" mentality

this happens when your peers start to really dislike (or even hate) you , you have no allies

[S griffin]

Obviously Smith hasn't forgotten Plato's "lad should have his licence taken away" rant from a few years ago.

[BertMk2]

Just got back from Brands - what a days racing! Kudos to the saftey car drivers who I think probably lead more laps than anyone else I'm no Plato fan but how he didn't get slung out of race 1 I don't know - punt at Druids, punt at Graham Hill, punt at Surtees, ridiculous driving. Glad Shedden took the title (and it seemed popular with everyone I was near out on the GP loop).

[cerdic]

I was watching at the start/finish line. During the last race everyone seemed to be cheering Plato AND Sheddon, just enjoying an epic race!

[airbusA346]

Originally Posted by S griffin

And a great title by Sutton, despite pressure from a newbie throughout

Who?

[GregoryDG]

Shame for Plato, if Smith and Turkington had let him through in the first race, he would be the new champion.

Still Shedden deserved to be champion, more than Plato IMHO.

[fergus_r]

Originally Posted by airbusA346

Who?

Paul Streather, first weekend in Clio Cup, coming up from the older model Clio series.

[Jiiiiiiim]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Script ?

you mean like in Wrestling with Plato the heel and Flash the babyface? and everything is Kayfabe ?

Lol! Yes 'Script' I meant (shouldn't use my phone for posting). Had you said before the weekend Flash would be champ I think most would of agreed but after R2, well! I bet Mr Gow was rubbing his hands with joy & rightly so

[GT6]

Well that was a great weekend, pity about the numerous safety cars and red flags but overall a great time, weather was good but got a bit chilly later on both days, sorry to be different but i was routing for Jason but sheddon had a great race and deserved the title, however i am still not in favour of drivers giving up places like mat neal did, it makes a mockery of racing IMHO

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by fergus_r

Paul Streather, first weekend in Clio Cup, coming up from the older model Clio series.

That's him couldn't remember his name

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by GT6

Well that was a great weekend, pity about the numerous safety cars and red flags but overall a great time, weather was good but got a bit chilly later on both days, sorry to be different but i was routing for Jason but sheddon had a great race and deserved the title, however i am still not in favour of drivers giving up places like mat neal did, it makes a mockery of racing IMHO

Neal didn't need to give up his place; if he had stayed in position, Sheddon would have still won by a single point. The fact that Neal did so is a testament to the team ethics, and the relationship between the two drivers. And, in my opinion, it would have been no more of a travesty than a team mate just backing up cars behind so that the mate could catch up and pass the opposition. It's called taking one for the team.

And Plato should have punished for his blatant push-to-pass. I am of an age when if we had tried a similar tactic in saloon car racing, we would have been black-flagged immediately. It's about time that the MSA enforced the rule that in circuit racing, it is a no contact sport. Yes, accidents will happen, but that is totally different to using your car as a battering ram in order to overtake the car in front. Is it going to take a serious injury to happen before the MSA crack down on this behaviour?

[auroan]

I might be going against most people's opinions here, but I don't think Sheddon deserved the championship based on his "unspectacular" race through the pack in race 3.

Let not glorify it. MOST people just let him through. Major examples of this are Cole just easing off and letting him through and Jordan actually indicating to let him past as if it's a track day session.

That's not racing through the pack !! that's having it easy.

And those people having ago at Plato's "push to pass" in race 2... What about Sheddon pretty much punting Menu off with not one but two biggish hits around Druids... which most probably also caused Menu's puncture.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by auroan

I might be going against most people's opinions here, but I don't think Sheddon deserved the championship based on his "unspectacular" race through the pack in race 3.

Let not glorify it. MOST people just let him through. Major examples of this are Cole just easing off and letting him through and Jordan actually indicating to let him past as if it's a track day session.

That's not racing through the pack !! that's having it easy.

And those people having ago at Plato's "push to pass" in race 2... What about Sheddon pretty much punting Menu off with not one but two biggish hits around Druids... which most probably also caused Menu's puncture.

Based on a 3 strike rule, Sheddon would've gotten 1 warning for hitting Menu. 2 if you count those are separate incidents. Plato would've received 3 warnings for his hitting of Shedden in 3 consecutive corners. So he should've been penalised for that and we wouldn't have had Shedden needing to race through the pack anyway.

And if most of the paddock wanted Shedden to win so much that they made life easy for him, then I still think Shedden deserves it based on actually being a respectable character. Whilst it may not be the normal way of winning a title, it shows the opinion of the paddock.

No matter how you want to try and looking at it with ifs and buts, Plato got away with hitting cars (again) and still lost. If even Platos own team mates wouldn't help him, and other teams helped Flash, then that should be a wake up call to Jason.

And don't get me started on interrupting other peoples interviews just to give more TV time. And thumbs up to your mates whilst they interview other people? Have some professionalism.

[porsche962fan]

^ you think paddock who was on fence really got annoyed of what he ranted about Aron Smith and Colin post race 2 interview ?

Cole let him through, Jordan even blinked, the whole WSR team didn't put much of a fight really (and normally they are 3 tough to pass drivers !! ) , neither did A. Smith in race 3 actually , maybe Smith himself was releaved that Priaux also passed him so they couldn't force him to do stupid stuff to Shedden


thinking about neither J. Smith (we know why) and neither Morgan for that matter, the only one who did put a real fight was Jack Goff for his podium

[S griffin]

Fact is Smith did backup the field in race 2 like the team would have wanted. The fact that he didn't make it as hard for Flash in race 3 says to me he was not happy with Plato being an ungrateful git

[porsche962fan]

Plato just continues to rant about Smith like mad lunatic

Autosport has an article, at this rate no other driver wants to be his team-mate

and this quote is just mind blowing

"I'm not great friends with anyone in the paddock apart from a couple, because by definition we're all liars. That's been proven"

The two-time champion suggested on television after race one that his fellow Volkswagen CC driver had "got himself the sack" by not backing the lead pack up or dropping behind Plato and fellow Team BMR title protagonist Colin Turkington.

Plato won the final race of the day but lost out on a third title to Gordon Shedden by four points.

"Certain members of the team could have played it differently and helped me out as they said they were going to," he told Autosport after race three.

"I don't know. I'm not in their heads, they do what they like.

"I'm not great friends with anyone in the paddock apart from a couple, because by definition we're all liars. That's been proven.

"That's a team issue and I'm sure there'll be quite harsh words."

Smith was unhappy with his team-mate for the public slating and insisted he would not have deliberately hindered BMR's bid for the drivers' title.

"I was more than disappointed to read the comments the other driver made in interviews," he told Autosport. "Not a word was said to me unfortunately.

"I did the most I could. I feel like I've been here from the start and I've loved seeing the team grow. It's a privilege to be part of it.

"I still played the team game, it's just a shame it had to end the way it did because it certainly soured my working relationship there [with Plato]."

Team owner Warren Scott publicly backed Smith, taking full responsibility for what he called "a mistake somewhere in the team".

"It was a miscommunication or something," he said to Motorsport News. "I don't think anyone on purpose did anything wrong. It just didn't come out how it should have come out.

"It is a lesson for next year. I am proud of everyone involved in the team - everyone has done their job this year throughout the year perfectly and that gave us this opportunity.

"The disappointment is that when you make a mistake like that within the team, its magnitude is massive - it affected the whole championship in one day.

"As the team boss, I take full responsibility for it."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121302

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Plato just continues to rant about Smith like mad lunatic

Autosport has an article, at this rate no other driver wants to be his team-mate

and this quote is just mind blowing

"I'm not great friends with anyone in the paddock apart from a couple, because by definition we're all liars. That's been proven"

Well that seems to have been the problem - Shedden has more friends (or Plato more enemies?)

[auroan]

Well, it's disappointing to see that a championship can be won on friendships within the paddock rather than skilled driving.

Team work within a team yes... no problem, that is what a team is there for.

But as a spectator it's disapointing seeing a result fixed... because people weren't driving to the max of their ability against every other driver.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

I think Collard put up a decent fight.

But if I had been in the position of Cole, AJ, a WSR boy and certainly Árón Smith, I'd have let Shedden through. If I'd have been Smith I'd have basically 'run wide' in a corner just as Shedden came up behind.

Why? Because what Plato said is totally stupid, and shows his total lack of class when it comes down to it. Kudos to Scott for handling the issue properly and sensibly. Plato should be grateful Scott has given him a good car and a good team, with Smith's work last season paving the way for this season's successes. Being so arrogant and big headed in my opinion deserves a bigger punishment than Smith's car being on the racetrack.

[redshoes]

Andrew Jordan has been getting a lot of flack for letting Shedden through but take a look at the situation from his point of view, and weigh up the pros and cons.

He was 7th on the road at the time. His 5th in the championship was assured - he couldn't score enough points to take 4th and with Tordoff behind him he could drop to 6th. Likewise the team and manufacturer championship results weren't going to change regardless of where he finished. He couldn't even do anything to effect his teammate's position. So in effect there is nothing to be gained by keeping Shedden behind him, and nothing to lose by letting him pass.

You could argue it's the difference between a 7th or 8th place finish, but frankly for someone with that much experience it's a nothing result. Hardly something that's going to get pride of place on his CV.

It would be a different story earlier in the year but not at this point in the championship when there's nothing left to play for. Jordan and Shedden have a good amount of mutual respect so why not help out. He has been around long enough to know what comes around goes around, and who knows, the situation may be reversed one day.


Different situation for Jack Goff. He is still very early in his touring car career and podium finishes are still in short supply, so I would expect him to fight like hell for another one.

[porsche962fan]

indeed

and let's face it, Goff was blocked by Shedden for his maiden win at the very same track...