BTCC Brands Hatch Thread

Hazard · 4 Jun 2005, 10:08 (Ref:1319824)

Matt Neal fastest in practice 1, with Collard & Plato behind.

A 2005 record people...14 cars running (in practice at least). Both the Lexii have been able to move around a bit today - and the Fast-tec Astra is back.

luke · 4 Jun 2005, 11:10 (Ref:1319854)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazard

Matt Neal fastest in practice 1, with Collard & Plato behind.

A 2005 record people...14 cars running (in practice at least). Both the Lexii have been able to move around a bit today - and the Fast-tec Astra is back.

Great to see 14 cars again, it wan't nice seeing 10 or 11 cars at Thruxton, although that doesn't mean for no exciting racing.
And Thruxton turned out to be a great days racing.

This is going to be again exciting races, and I'm predicting 3 different manufacture winners in the 3 races.

BootsOntheSide · 4 Jun 2005, 12:48 (Ref:1319900)

Really we've got a top 10 entries which are simialr in stature to last year's, although it's a shame Reid and Thommo are gone, but a lack of teams to fill the grid, adn the lack of the Indy Cup. It's a shame, but as long as there's plenty of action at the front it isn't rally noticeable on TV, and the guys at the track are seeing plenty of much bigger fields in the support events anyway.

I'd love to see WSR take a win this weekend, but Neal, Eaves, Mulelr, Turkington and Plato are all obvious contenders - and the other guys might be able to use the ballast and reverse grid systems to create an opportunity.

**touringlegend** · 4 Jun 2005, 15:19 (Ref:1319984)

Qualifying Results: http://www.msttiming.com/singlesessi...nd=round03.gif

Neal takes pole, and Dan Eaves will line up alongside since Tom Chilton is relegated 6 places as a punishment for an incident at Thruxton.

Dissapointing qualifying session for SEAT, 8th(7th), 9th and 10th

SPARK Msport · 4 Jun 2005, 15:52 (Ref:1320002)

Noticed there was no second Lexus out during Qually, I take it only one will take to the grid tomorrow?

Alfa Fan · 4 Jun 2005, 16:53 (Ref:1320028)

No, both will race.

P.Cummins · 5 Jun 2005, 12:49 (Ref:1320473)

The seats didn't go too well in qualifying. I'd say Chilton, Collard and Team Dynamics will be the ones to beat today.

**touringlegend** · 5 Jun 2005, 13:16 (Ref:1320489)

A good race for Matt Neal this morning, taking a win followed by Turkington and Muller. The top 8 were very close indeed towards the end.

Bad race for Dan Eaves though, locking up at Paddock when he was following Muller very closely.

Results: http://www.msttiming.com/result.asp?...nd=round03.gif

speedy king · 5 Jun 2005, 13:58 (Ref:1320515)

Second race looked interesting on MST (Thats all i have!!) Looked like Turky, Pickford and maybe Chilton got in some incident? The safety car came out and Chilton was out of the race. Ah well, only an hour now until i see it on TV!

Hazard · 5 Jun 2005, 14:10 (Ref:1320519)

Think that's all we all had. Good race, everyone's driving banana's and it's not even race three!

Plato whining as usual, Collard driving well and then not. Muller frustrated. Bring on race three!

SPARK Msport · 5 Jun 2005, 14:13 (Ref:1320521)

Is Kaye on pole for race 3? As I thought if you finished 10th with a DNF the pole goes to the 9th finisher...am I correct?

BillyT · 5 Jun 2005, 14:20 (Ref:1320523)

He must of been doing well as he had the 2nd fastest lap of the race.

speedy king · 5 Jun 2005, 14:21 (Ref:1320524)

We have a Lexus on Pole, lets hope he makes the start!

Kaye will be 9th or 10th i think. I too thought he'd be on pole but i checked on MST and they say otherwise

speedy king · 5 Jun 2005, 14:22 (Ref:1320526)

Jeees i wish i had gone today. Sounds like the support races have been very good too

Hazard · 5 Jun 2005, 14:27 (Ref:1320529)

Indeed, only the top ten finishing cars are reversed...so we'll probably see a lot of Lexus' on pole in race three this year. When they finish that is.

Hazard · 5 Jun 2005, 16:27 (Ref:1320587)

14 cars looks alright as a grid size when they're all rolling...not so bad.

Great job by Muller, these Honda's are going to be trouble. Poor Smith, always gets punted off doesn't he?

Alfa Fan · 5 Jun 2005, 16:53 (Ref:1320604)

14 cars is acceptable, yes. Shame Jason Hughes hasn't appeared, hopefully we'll see the Kartworld car out later in the year.

Fiona Leggate, and the Griffin 307s should be joining at Oulton, so that will fill the grids out a bit, and then there's the GA Alfa Romeo coming soon.

Don't know if we're going to see a second WSR car this year now. Shame really, as I still don't rate Collard as being anything special.

Nice to see both Lexus finally runnings, they've now already exceeded what TMSR managed in 2001.

Next few rounds could be very intesting - I hope SEATs pace continues to improve though, they have been a bit disappointing I think.

**touringlegend** · 5 Jun 2005, 17:26 (Ref:1320631)

Who's going to stop the TD Hondas though! They are mega fast and seem such nimble small cars.

Pickford was involved in a few dodgy race 3 incidents though, first tapping Collard into a slide then just being crazy and driving through Smith till he was off the circuit! Won't be surprised to see some action from Clerk of the Course, keeping in mind Collard was punished for an earlier race incident.

Slightly worrying though that the Safety Car wasn't called when Luke Hines car was beached at Paddock, but it was for Collard's MG. The demands of live TV coverage, I wonder ?

cos · 5 Jun 2005, 17:27 (Ref:1320632)

Bit suspicious that the safety car wasn't deployed for Hines' car, yet it was when Collard's MG was in exactly the same place! Is this a case of TV scheduling taking priority over safety?

**edit - great minds think alike touringlegend!

BootsOntheSide · 5 Jun 2005, 17:37 (Ref:1320635)

The ITV programme finished 5 minutes late as it was, due to the first safety car period, so I think you're right. 2 cars went off in the same place, so clearly a third could have done. Maybe some of the tenthers who were marshalling there can comment on the situation?

Pickford's driving was extremely reckless throughout, he was involved in 3 incidents that were all his fault in race 3 alone. Rob really deserved better from the weekend, having showed genuine pace but been repeatedly unlucky in situations he wasn't to blame for. I felt sorry for James Kaye going off near the end in race 2, especially as he would have taken pole if he'd rejoined and finsihed 10th. The rules are a little confusing there, although I doubt TOCA envisaged that we'd have races with so few fully-prepared cars, and a risk of less than 10 finishing.

The racing was superb at the front, action all over the place and some tremendous driving. All too fotne you could throw a blanket ver 4-6 cars that are runnign right together, so the smaller field is hardly noticeable, especially at such a short track.

Good coverage from ITV as well, although Tim Harvey grates sometimes - I'm annoyed that he's copied James Allen's trait of referring to a big slide as a 'tankslapper' - it's meaningless drivel when you're talking about cars.

Gaz · 5 Jun 2005, 17:48 (Ref:1320649)

I have to say particulary after today I think James Pickford is out of his depth at this level driving for a works team.

Last year by this point in the season Rob Huff had proved himself worthy of a works seat in a championship as prestigious as the BTCC. Mr Pickford isn't even worthy of polishing a works car nevermind driving it!

He has been off the pace more times than not and has been so far beaten by both Plato and Hines. Now having Jason quicker than him is obviously no surprise but Hines is a very average racer himself and James can't even match him the majority of the time.

His driving in race 3 was absolutely disgraceful. The Collard incident was needless but the incident with Smith was absolutely absurd! The guy couldn't cope with the pressure of driving at the front, did you see how many times he outbraked himself, ran wide etc ... he just couldn't cope with the pressure!

I feel Seat will regret the fact that it was Pickford rather than Tom Boardman that won this prize last season and I feel that unless things change rapidly (and I really can't see it!) Mr Pickford will be out on his arse by the end of 2005 if not before!

Steve Gibson · 5 Jun 2005, 18:09 (Ref:1320673)

I see the driving standards were as poor as ever, when are the powers that be going to do something about it, or are they waiting for the inevitable massive accident to kick start thier arses!

cos · 5 Jun 2005, 18:17 (Ref:1320680)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Gibson

I see the driving standards were as poor as ever, when are the powers that be going to do something about it, or are they waiting for the inevitable massive accident to kick start thier arses!

They are cracking down - Chilton got a fine, endorsements and a good telling off form his antics at Thruxton and he was very well behaved today...

Steve Gibson · 5 Jun 2005, 18:47 (Ref:1320706)

Shame about the others then, this has been endemic for years now and still every race the same type of bad driving incidents go on, in fact a few of these drivers could teach stock car boys a thing or two. No doubt Mr Chilton will keep his head down for a couple of meetings and then wait and see, in the meantime the rest will keep on doing it.

luke · 5 Jun 2005, 18:49 (Ref:1320707)

Dan Eaves had a good recovery once again.

Glad Matt Neal won twice.

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