[BTCC] 2024 BTCC Round 2 - Brands Hatch

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Ingram, although finished 19th, did set the fastest lap, and I assume got a point for that.

I do believe so according to the summing up at the end of the programme.

[InYourMirrors45]

Was trackside today. Anyone know what Hills issues were in race 2? Dropped like a stone and then appeared to just go straight in at druids?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by InYourMirrors45

Was trackside today. Anyone know what Hills issues were in race 2? Dropped like a stone and then appeared to just go straight in at druids?

Steering snapped at Druids. Steering wheel was completely loose.

[Mike Harte]

I commented after the meeting at Donington about drivers coming back on to the track after losing control of their cars, and how dangerous it can be.

During the second Porsche race, the car with Green Recycling (I think it was) went off along the Cooper Straight, then shot across the track out of full control I would think, before the driver gathered it all up and returned to the track. However, when doing so, other cars had to take avoiding action so as not to collide with him.

In the MS-UK's Blue Book it says in 12.21.13, and I paraphrase, that if a driver leaves the circuit for any reason, then he rejoin but do so when it is safe to do so. But far too often drivers don't do so in a safe manner, yet nothing ever seems to be done about it.

It does annoy me that drivers are penalised for, sometimes, really trivial matters but an unsafe rejoin doesn't seem to merit any action.

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Moffat not pleased! “Shambles. Who wanted a podium anyway? Sitting p3 with an easy shot at p2 as was saving tyres and hybrid for later stages. Shame the boost pipe came off, after it also came off on the way to the grid. Embarrassing.”

He wasn't best pleased with the team yesterday either, suggesting that they hadn't made any changes to his car which caused his Q1 exit.

Once again (as has happened regularly in recent years) Speedworks Toyota come out of a weekend with very little. We all know that Speedworks are a very good team with very good drivers, but it seems that since Ingram left in 2020 they just can't seem to find any results consistency and have atrocious luck (like with the mechanical warning flags in R2). The Toyota Corolla programme hasn't delivered any championship silverware (Drivers', Constructors', Teams' or JST) and once again they are adrift in the Constructors' standings.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Pit Lane Lurker

I’m surprised nothing more has been said of Chiltons move on ATS in race 3 - I thought that had penalty written all over it tbh!

Aron came over in Chilton’s post-race interview to congratulate him and say it was a great move, so guess he wasn’t fussed.

[Pit Lane Lurker]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Aron came over in Chilton’s post-race interview to congratulate him and say it was a great move, so guess he wasn’t fussed.

I’m not sure how sincere that was but maybe.

Looked like a blatant punt to me - have seen much less obvious things penalised in the past.

[InYourMirrors45]

Originally Posted by Pit Lane Lurker

I’m not sure how sincere that was but maybe.

Looked like a blatant punt to me - have seen much less obvious things penalised in the past.

Spectating from paddock it looked to me that he was almost fully alongside but I haven’t seen it back.

[JDMROB]

I don’t think ATS was being sincere. Chilton was a bit unsettled by it and then had to defend himself on the interview.

It was like a Sutton/Ingram move from Wish.

I’m not going to complain though as it looks like they are being a bit more lenient with the contact this year and it is making some better, more touring car like racing.

[Greem]

All three of the BTCC races were good. They were however massively overshadowed by the final Legends race, which is one of the best races I've ever seen.

[Sodemo]

Well it seems on the surface at least that BMW have gotten more of a handle on their rear tyre wear? So often they would drop back in races over the last two years.

[Craner Curves]

Surprised about the lack of praise for young Ronan Pearson, what a move at the end of the first lap and doing so well to keep it out front.

Also the first race winner born in the 2000s. He was 3 days old when that epic Plato and Muller title finale happened at Brands in 2001. I'm now going back to my rocking chair with a cup of cocoa and a blanket.....

[redshoes]

The changes to hybrid boost and option tyres seem to have the desired effect of mixing up the race order, but some things never change. Top three in the championship are Sutton, Turkington, and Ingram. Feels like this year it will comedown to not who has the most race wins but who has the least DNFs.


Other than that epic last Legends race, anyone else feel that the support races seemed a bit subdued this weekend? None of them felt especially memorable.

[Pit Lane Lurker]

Originally Posted by redshoes

The changes to hybrid boost and option tyres seem to have the desired effect of mixing up the race order, but some things never change. Top three in the championship are Sutton, Turkington, and Ingram. Feels like this year it will comedown to not who has the most race wins but who has the least DNFs.


Other than that epic last Legends race, anyone else feel that the support races seemed a bit subdued this weekend? None of them felt especially memorable.

Do you think maybe, just maybe, that the championship order might be reflecting the three best drivers on the grid?

I’d be scratching my head somewhat if the top three read as DeLeon, Sumpton and Osborne.

The cream will always rise to the top.

The racing has been superb thus far.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Other than that epic last Legends race, anyone else feel that the support races seemed a bit subdued this weekend? None of them felt especially memorable.

F4 was pretty good. Don’t think much happened in the Minis. The Porsches have an excellent grid but seemingly struggle to overtake around Brands Indy, and goes on a bit.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Other than that epic last Legends race, anyone else feel that the support races seemed a bit subdued this weekend? None of them felt especially memorable.

I feel like the support package suffered with the loss of Ginetta. But I do enjoy those as part of the Brit GT SRO package now.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Pit Lane Lurker

Do you think maybe, just maybe, that the championship order might be reflecting the three best drivers on the grid?

Yes, that was my point

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Greem

All three of the BTCC races were good. They were however massively overshadowed by the final Legends race, which is one of the best races I've ever seen.

The other two Legends races were good, but the final race was absolutely excellent. Lot of the crowd had left by that point, but was good to still see some people still spectating, so glad I was there until the end!

Originally Posted by redshoes

Other than that epic last Legends race, anyone else feel that the support races seemed a bit subdued this weekend? None of them felt especially memorable.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I usually really enjoy the Porsche races, but wasn't drawn in to either of them yesterday... I think the Legends are to blame: so much happens in those races that the other support seems mundane in comparison!

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by SSmith

He wasn't best pleased with the team yesterday either, suggesting that they hadn't made any changes to his car which caused his Q1 exit.

Once again (as has happened regularly in recent years) Speedworks Toyota come out of a weekend with very little. We all know that Speedworks are a very good team with very good drivers, but it seems that since Ingram left in 2020 they just can't seem to find any results consistency and have atrocious luck (like with the mechanical warning flags in R2). The Toyota Corolla programme hasn't delivered any championship silverware (Drivers', Constructors', Teams' or JST) and once again they are adrift in the Constructors' standings.

Crazy that Huff is 14th in the standings! Obviously a lot of bad luck accounts for that, but even so.

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Crazy that Huff is 14th in the standings! Obviously a lot of bad luck accounts for that, but even so.

Yes, it is a surprise to see him that low in the order. Watson is only 13th and 2pts ahead of him so at least he's not the only one floundering.

The same atrocious luck affects the Speedworks British GT programme as well. I don't think the Supra GT4 has finished a race without a problem this year.

On the standings point, after 6 rounds we have ended up with quite a fragmented championship order. You can almost categorise it as Classes A, B, & C.

"Class A"
Sutton - 95
Turkington - 93
Ingram - 85

"Class B"
Hill - 59
Cook - 52
Moffat - 51
Chilton - 47
Rowbottom - 46
Cammish - 44
Morgan - 41
Taylor-Smith - 41
Pearson - 38
Watson - 32
Huff - 30
Doble - 21

"Class C"
Osborne - 9
Smiley - 8
DeLeon - 6
Halstead - 3
Sumpton - 2

[billy bleach]

The same atrocious luck affects the Speedworks British GT programme as well. I don't think the Supra GT4 has finished a race without a problem this year.

More than just a coincidence? On the TV it looked like all of the Toyotas had rear bumpers falling off!

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

The other two Legends races were good, but the final race was absolutely excellent. Lot of the crowd had left by that point, but was good to still see some people still spectating, so glad I was there until the end!

my guess is cos the cars are (very) narrow and the relative low tech with no real aero grip which creates great racing

total opposite to say the Porsches

[antnee]

Is it just me, or did there seem to be a lot of push to pass moves happen throughout the weekend? Maybe the layout of Brands makes it more prominent but it seems a shame that drivers are resorting to contact when they don't have the pace/skill to pull a clean move.

Also, who else thinks that Speedworks might be looking at options to strengthen their rear bumpers?

[Mike Harte]

I think that due to the nature of the track, and it being covered in the around 57 seconds, that there were a few, I would say, unintentional taps and that no advantage was taken on those occasions. However, I also think that there were some doubtful taps, but I cannot recall anyone of them resulting in a pass.

I believe that Ian Watson, the permanent Clerk of the Course for TOCA, does monitor this pretty keenly, and in fact another Watson, Andrew in this case, was given a time penalty in Race 1 for gaining an unfair advantage.

There may have been other incidents in the other series, but that was the only one for that infringement in the BTCC races.

[ScottS]

I don't know what everyone else's opinions are, but ITV's coverage of Brands felt very waffley and padded out. It feels like there has been a change because in previous years they would've put a Saturday highlights race in any gaps/lunch break. But this year it almost feels like they either don't have the highlights from races from Saturday or they just cannot use it due to rights issues/some change in contract.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the punditry, but I feel like they were stretching out conversations longer than they needed to be in order to fill time during the broadcast.