[BTCC] Round Nine, Donington Park 09-10 Oct, Races 25,26&27

[crmalcolm]

The penultimate meeting of the season is upon us, and we head to Donington Park for this one.
With several titles still on the line, this is the event that drivers and teams will be hoping to use to set them up for finals day.

The Goodyear Wingfoot Award currently stands:
1-Colin TURKINGTON-96
2-Jake HILL-87
3-Rory BUTCHER-82
4-Josh COOK-77
5-Dan ROWBOTTOM-75
6-Ash SUTTON-71
7-Tom INGRAM-68
8-Tom OLIPHANT-63
9-Senna PROCTOR-62
10-Aiden MOFFAT-59
With 40 points up for grabs, then any of the top ten could still take the trophy.

The Jack Sears is currently being led by Dan Rowbottom:
1-Dan ROWBOTTOM-419
2-Sam OSBORNE-327
3-Carl BOARDLEY-301
Theoretically Boardley could still catch Rowbottom, but the likelihood is that Rowbottom could have this one wrapped up before they head to Brands.


The Independent Teams’ title sees Laser Tools with a gap ahead of Ginsters, BTC Racing and Halfords have an outside chance.
1-Laser Tools Racing-389
2-Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com-355
3-BTC Racing-334
4-Halfords Racing with Cataclean-331
5-Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing-293
6-Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport-292
Car Gods and Adrian Flux will probably fall out of contention early at Donington, and a strong weekend from BTC is needed for them to be candidates come Brands.

The Independent Drivers’ title is forming into a two-horse race between Sutton and Ingram.
1-Ash SUTTON-326
2-Tom INGRAM-295
3-Josh COOK-260
4-Aiden MOFFAT-256
5-Adam MORGAN-228
6-Dan ROWBOTTOM-223
7-Gordon SHEDDEN-214
8-Senna PROCTOR-212
Cook is realistically the only other driver in with a chance, with Moffat potentially acting as a rear-gunner if needed.

The Teams’ Championship also looks like Laser Tools have one hand on the trophy:
1-Laser Tools Racing-484
2-BTC Racing-412
3-Team BMW-384
4-Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com-377
There is a strong chance that Laser Tools will wrap this one up before the final weekend.

The small field and scoring system in use for the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ Championship means that gaps can be bridged quickly (37pts available per race):
1-BMW-702
2-Motorbase Performance/Ford-620
3-Toyota-538
BMW should have this one wrapped up early though.

And finally, the Drivers’. Theoretically, twelve drivers are still in the race:
1-Ash SUTTON-285
2-Tom INGRAM-249
3-Jake HILL-247
4-Colin TURKINGTON-245
5-Josh COOK-222
6-Aiden MOFFAT-196
7-Rory BUTCHER-187
8-Senna PROCTOR-165
9-Gordon SHEDDEN-165
10-Dan ROWBOTTOM-164
11-Adam MORGAN-159
12-Stephen JELLEY-155
I would rule out Moffat, Proctor and Jelley as they would probably be needed as rear-gunners if Sutton was looking like being caught. Realistically, Sutton needs a terrible weekend and one of Ingram/Hill/Turkington to capitalise for the title to go down to the last race.


So, to the venue. Donington Park first made an appearance on the BTCC (BSCC) calendar when it reopened in 1977. Winners that day were Bernard Unett, Brian Pepper, Tony Dron and Stuart Graham.
Donington Park was the setting for arguably one of the most significant moments in BTCC history on April 5th 1999 when British Touring Car Championship supremo Alan Gow dangled the carrot of a £250,000 bonus to the first of the series’ privateers to win a race outright during 1999, veteran independent Matt Neal took the bait.



The circuit has undergone a lot of development off-track, but the national circuit used by the BTCC in 2021 is very similar to the layout used in 1977:


2021:




The first time a full field of NGTC cars competed, seven of the nine podium slots were taken by a Honda Civic, with only Plato in an MG and Turkington in his BMW joining the Honda party.
By 2020 things looked a lot different for NGTC machinery – four podiums and two wins for RWD cars meant that the Honda dominance was a thing of the past. The late start to the season meant that this was an August date though, so will the temperatures take the circuit away from the RWD contenders? Sutton’s rivals will be hoping so – he set the FL in all three races in 2020.


Qualifying will be on the ITV Hub at www.itv.com/btcc, with the Sunday coverage on ITV4.
BTCC races start at 11:55, 14:35 and 17:20.


Saturday, October 9
09.05 – 09.20 Qualifying Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship
09.30 – 10.10 Free Practice Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
10.30 – 10.50 Qualifying Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup Championship
11.00 – 11.30 Qualifying The Mini Challenge
11.40 – 12.00 Qualifying F4 British Championship
12.10 – 12.50 Free Practice Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
12.50 – 13.20 Lunch Break
13.20 Race Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship
13.55 – 14.25 Qualifying Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
14.35 – 15.20 Qualifying Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
15.30 Race The Mini Challenge
16.05 Race Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup Championship
16.35 Race F4 British Championship
17.10 Race Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship


Sunday, October 10
09.10 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
09.50 Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup Championship
10.30 The Mini Challenge
11.05 F4 British Championship
11.40 BTCC Pit Lane Opens
11.55 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
12.35 Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship
13.00 – 13.40 Lunch break
13.05 – 13.35 BTCC Drivers Parade
13.40 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
14.20 BTCC Pit Lane Opens
14.35 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship
15.15 Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup Championship
15.55 The Mini Challenge
16.30 F4 British Championship
17.05 BTCC Pit Lane Opens
17.20 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship



Early weather forecast shows that the weekend forecast is for 14deg temperatures with a 80% chance of rain at some point.

[Greem]

I'll be there, with the Big Coat and overtroos

[S griffin]

Can’t wait for this one, although shame I won’t be there. It’s always been a great spectator venue. Maybe next year

[VIVA GT]

I am usually invited to Donington (even last year) but unfortunately I will be travelling home from Cornwall that weekend so will have to rely on recording ITV4 as normal.

[Evantra]

Team HARD with a driver announcement tomorrow at 8... instagram photo includes BTCC logo but could be supports

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Team HARD with a driver announcement tomorrow at 8... instagram photo includes BTCC logo but could be supports

No, it's definitely BTCC.
This should probably be in the 2022 thread though...

[Robshillito1990]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Team HARD with a driver announcement tomorrow at 8... instagram photo includes BTCC logo but could be supports

Taylor-smith staying for another year.

[porsche962fan]

any weather forecast ?

Sutton will probably effectively wraps the title given that he is very strong on this track

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Sutton will probably effectively wraps the title given that he is very strong on this track

Unless Sutton has a disaster in race 1 he should be pretty much home and dry shouldn't he.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Unless Sutton has a disaster in race 1 he should be pretty much home and dry shouldn't he.

sutton is 36 points ahead

20 points for a race win = 60 points available at donny and 60 at brands plus pole and fastest lap points

so he is a long way from home and dry
he would have to leave donny a huge 63 points ahead of second to wrap it up

[porsche962fan]

that's why I mean effectively ,

anyone remember 2019? Turkington was spun around in all 3 final meetings, by Butcher at Knockhill , by Collard at Silverstone and by Neal at the final but Sutton didn't have this bad luck at all and the one time he had a poor weekend his main opponents also had it

[S griffin]

It's looking good for him, but it all could so easily have been different

Of course it was different in 2019. Turkington somehow still wrapped up the title, despite colliding with others. If only he could have been not so far down the grid in some, but that's racing. And let's not forget Sutton has had his bad luck in the past, he wasn't in the title fight 2018-19

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by touring fan01

sutton is 36 points ahead

20 points for a race win = 60 points available at donny and 60 at brands plus pole and fastest lap points

so he is a long way from home and dry
he would have to leave donny a huge 63 points ahead of second to wrap it up

Who's going to take huge points off Sutton if he doesn't have a disaster in race 1? The challengers are going to maybe take a handful of points of him in each race but Sutton has a big enough gap to afford that (and if he does lose out in race 1 and 2 he'll claw some of it back in race 3 on the reversed grid). All he's got to do is stay out of trouble and cruise to the title.

[BTCC frog]

I think Sutton just needs a clean weekend at Donington to effectively be 'home and dry', although it is very unlikely he will have actually won the title before we go to Brands Hatch. And deservedly so, he and the team have been the class of the field in 2021.

Traditionally, Turkington tends to go well around here, so I predict that he will win race one and will leave the meeting second in the championship, but then will lose it again to Hill (2nd) and Ingram (3rd) after Brands Hatch, where he doesn't usually go as well. I think (and hope) it could be a good weekend for all the BMWs.

I was planning on finally returning to Donington for the first time in six years this weekend, although it looks like coronavirus may deny me at the last minute If not, where would be the best place to sit? I was thinking either Hollywood or Starkey's viewing would be good, but if anyone has any other suggestions that would be useful. Last time I sat on the start-finish straight but don't have grandstand tickets this time.

[Greem]

They'd all better be on their best behaviour as I'm starting a new notepad and I've got new pens for this one

If you're going both days, spend Saturday roaming around a bit. I'm assuming that if the paddock is open, the paddock tunnel will be too which will make accessing the infield far easier than walking all the way round to Coppice and then through the tunnel there! The reinstated infield hillside above the Old Hairpin/Starkey's Bridge/Schwantz has great views from Hollywood all the way up to McLeans (and Coppice if you stand up top), as has the opposite side although that loses the cars as they pass the bridge and climb through Schwantz.

Redgate and Hollywood will be silly busy as (again, I assume) you'll be coming in through the gates there, or if coming via the paddock it's the first place you get to see the track.

As I said, take the time to have a wander, and see what you like the best for Sunday!

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

any weather forecast ?

Yes, lots of it.

[Greem]

Forecast right now is for mainly dry, cloudy, 16 or 17 degrees both days.

[BTCC frog]

Originally Posted by Greem

They'd all better be on their best behaviour as I'm starting a new notepad and I've got new pens for this one

If you're going both days, spend Saturday roaming around a bit. I'm assuming that if the paddock is open, the paddock tunnel will be too which will make accessing the infield far easier than walking all the way round to Coppice and then through the tunnel there! The reinstated infield hillside above the Old Hairpin/Starkey's Bridge/Schwantz has great views from Hollywood all the way up to McLeans (and Coppice if you stand up top), as has the opposite side although that loses the cars as they pass the bridge and climb through Schwantz.

Redgate and Hollywood will be silly busy as (again, I assume) you'll be coming in through the gates there, or if coming via the paddock it's the first place you get to see the track.

As I said, take the time to have a wander, and see what you like the best for Sunday!

Thanks for the advice.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

Thanks for the advice.

You're welcome. If you (or in fact any other Tenthers!) make it up the hill to McLean's, I'll be the guy in the Le Mans overalls on post 14. Can't speak to you while the track is live, obviously, but between sessions feel free to give me a shout and introduce yerself

[BTCC frog]

https://www.btcc.net/2021/10/08/btcc...aunched-today/

Cool! Interesting odds here, and I wonder why Jason Plato isn't there. You'd think he'd be one who lots of people would want to bet on.

[Pickles]

So some drivers already have concerns about the tyre stacks that have been apparently placed on the final chicane...

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Pickles

So some drivers already have concerns about the tyre stacks that have been apparently placed on the final chicane...

But nothing bad has ever happened with tyre stacks at that corner before...? Oh wait

[Robshillito1990]

Looking at the new sponsors on the side of each Team Dynamics car it looks like they've lost most of their Halfords sponsorship

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Robshillito1990

Looking at the new sponsors on the side of each Team Dynamics car it looks like they've lost most of their Halfords sponsorship

The brands on the car belong to Halfords.

https://www.halfordscompany.com/news-and-media/press-releases/halfords-news/halfords-enters-software-market-with-launch-of-avayler/

[Robshillito1990]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

The brands on the car belong to Halfords.

https://www.halfordscompany.com/news-and-media/press-releases/halfords-news/halfords-enters-software-market-with-launch-of-avayler/

Fair enough