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15 Jan 2018, 17:22 (Ref:3792945) | #1326 | |
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Aaah, Autosport International.
Fun interviews from the stage on the Autosport YouTube channel. Plato was there with his daughter, and then Shedden, Neal, Sutton, Turkington and Jordan several times as a group. Well worth a watch. Well, apart from when Neal had no idea about the new 2018 BTCC rules, swore on stage and called Sutton transgender. Muppet. |
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15 Jan 2018, 17:52 (Ref:3792949) | #1327 | |||
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15 Jan 2018, 18:00 (Ref:3792951) | #1328 | |||
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After his shunt at Brands the car went back to Willy Pooles so you can't blame the shell 😂 On Snett race weekend the mechanics swapped Jasons front subframe for a new one... so you cant blame the subframe.😂 At the Snet test in june or july Jason and Ash swapped cars... and Ash went faster in Jasons car 🤔 |
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15 Jan 2018, 18:18 (Ref:3792952) | #1329 | |||
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Jason had a new exciting team mate, who oozes raw speed, with a natural ability to drag the very best out of whatever he's got. Jason was over confident given his years experience with the car, over his new team mate. Jason lost both the best rear wheel drive driver, AND engineer over the winter, and some minor rule changes to the base is car....add all that together and maybe it and the shunt rattled him down a peg. Over |
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15 Jan 2018, 18:58 (Ref:3792955) | #1330 | |||
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15 Jan 2018, 19:07 (Ref:3792960) | #1331 | |
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While he was good mid season, some races he just seemed to have no fight, like in the finale at Brands Hatch. If he is back with BMR he may still win a few races, but can he win another title? Might be a step too far
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He who dares wins! He who hesitates is lost! |
15 Jan 2018, 20:09 (Ref:3792981) | #1332 | |
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Pit to Car radio "OK, so Ash is faster than you, can you confirm you understood that message"
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15 Jan 2018, 20:52 (Ref:3792990) | #1333 | ||||
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It's been a decline over the course of the last three seasons. The second half of 2015, he only got two wins after Oulton Park, both in reverse grid races where he started at the front. Yes he finished second in the championship, but the decline began that year. 2016 was the worst season of his career. Or it was until 2017 came along. Quote:
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15 Jan 2018, 21:04 (Ref:3792991) | #1334 | |
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So what's the conspiracy theorists suggestions for why Plato and Sutton would both say that the identically setup cars behaved totally differently from each other at the test then?
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15 Jan 2018, 21:47 (Ref:3792996) | #1335 | |||
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It could just be that identical set ups only really, as in REALLY give identical results with near identical driving styles and that we know they both do not have |
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15 Jan 2018, 22:23 (Ref:3793003) | #1336 | ||
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So in 2015 JP became very vocal about boost as the season progressed and grumbled about the TOCA engine. I'll call that true as it was slow where it should have been fast; slippery shape that VW. Damned near had the Championship, Flashs last race charge was astonishing. JP form = good.
16 was decent once Colin and he sussed the motors out - Oulton IIRC. Colin was better than JP IMO but lets face it - Colin is bloody brilliant. I presume their was sod all testing budget; certainly 3 of the 4 Subarus hadn't ran until Brands race weekend (again IIRC). JP form = good. 17 - iffy from the start. Plato seemingly done for at Brands after that shunt. Ash got better each meeting. No testing again; seemingly no pennies - possibly due to the 888 bailout and this is a popular rumour as to the falling out. If JP had had a car on track he might well have identified and sorted the car issues (and indeed any Plato issues). Yes, they did test at Snetterton but that was half a season wasted by that point. JP form = not like him at all. |
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16 Jan 2018, 08:33 (Ref:3793052) | #1337 | ||
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Driving style would only come into it if they set both cars up the same way and each driver stuck to the same car. |
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16 Jan 2018, 09:05 (Ref:3793056) | #1338 | |
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Remember there was a problem with the differential that was only discovered and fixed mid season, so it couldn't have been that.
It seemed to me every time a problem was found and fixed, and the results didn't pick up a new one was found. Chassis, front sub-frame and diff ramps. |
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16 Jan 2018, 09:21 (Ref:3793062) | #1339 | ||
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16 Jan 2018, 14:30 (Ref:3793108) | #1340 | |
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Yes it's funny how he seemed to find some of that old magic again at Knockhill and Rockingham after the diff was sorted, although he was helped a bit in winning at Knockhill by being last man across the line in quali and thus getting pole. Then he seemed unable to support Ash at Silverstone and Brands
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He who dares wins! He who hesitates is lost! |
16 Jan 2018, 18:03 (Ref:3793144) | #1341 | |||
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Quote:
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Maybe somewhere between the repaired chassis damage from Brands, the diff, the subframe, and whatever was going on in JP's head, there was some gremlin that accounts for what Plato and Sutton said about the car- and maybe Sutton, with less experience of the Scooby, and therefore less 'baggage' about how it had handled in '16, found it easier to adapt when he tested JP's car? |
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16 Jan 2018, 18:25 (Ref:3793147) | #1342 | ||
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So, about that 2018 season...
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16 Jan 2018, 20:17 (Ref:3793170) | #1343 | |
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Hi guys, long time reader, but refrained from posting until now........
BMR, very interesting, one TBL sold already (before the November deadline), so maximum of 3 cars. Biggest issue being that unless Sutton & Plato (if he does indeed sign as expected) have strong legs and peddle Flintstone style, how they power the cars cold be interesting. Mountune haven't been paid so aren't planning on supplying them this year, so they either need a new engine tuner or will have to bolt a TOCA unit in! The latter however will do away with one of the supposed advantages of the boxer engine. Maybe JP's promised to bring money to pay the engine bill, so him and Warren have kissed and made up!?! Might as well come in with a BANG! |
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16 Jan 2018, 22:34 (Ref:3793203) | #1344 | |||
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The Boxer advantage was supposedly negated by the addition of weight to raise the centre of gravity - last years pre-season grumbles - so the TOCA unit may be no bad thing. Although they don't come free in boxes of cereal either, so $$$ will have to come from somewhere. Wonder who has the TBL - I wonder if it and the Handy Toyota have become a pair in Sandbach. |
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17 Jan 2018, 07:55 (Ref:3793263) | #1345 | |||
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Incognito: An Italian phrase meaning Nice Gearchange! |
17 Jan 2018, 08:20 (Ref:3793268) | #1346 | |
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They could take the boxer engines to Swindon
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17 Jan 2018, 08:25 (Ref:3793270) | #1347 | ||
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I've heard that rumour as well, but would expect Swindon to want paying for the engines, so wouldn't be so keen knowing that Mountune are still owed from last season... Let's face it, the engine were clearly very strong in the Subaru's last year.
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Incognito: An Italian phrase meaning Nice Gearchange! |
17 Jan 2018, 08:41 (Ref:3793273) | #1348 | ||
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Take the prize for one of the most interesting first posts ever!
Interesting that the reigning champion may not have an engine for this season, with all the knock on implications for testing etc, even if he does get one. Wonder if Mr Gow will get involved? |
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17 Jan 2018, 09:28 (Ref:3793278) | #1349 | |
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From a casual observer's point of view, it's always appeared that Plato brings the big money to the team. Turkington has a few personal sponsors, as does Cole (given the prominent Ticketmaster branding, maybe more so than the Irishman). Last year Sutton appeared to have even less personal backing as there were few extra stickers on his car.
Now assuming that Plato's sponsor deals are funding the whole operation, there's still a chance that the deals focus on his success, and with him doing so badly last year perhaps he's not met his part of the contract and sponsors are finding a get out clause to not stump up the cash, to put it simply... "Nut's to Sutton winning the championship, the deal was to see you (Plato) on the top step. That's not happened so you've not lived up to the deal!" etc etc Couple that with Plato/BMR's money being used to bail out 888 and give BKR's staff a job and you can see why things could be a little thin. You've also got to see if Subaru UK feel like they've got anything more left to achieve and whether it's worth the expense again. |
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17 Jan 2018, 10:39 (Ref:3793283) | #1350 | ||
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