[BTCC] rounds 28,29 & 30 brands hatch GP 2016

[850Estate]

What's this I'm hearing about an interview with Steve Neal where he slagged off Moffat? What was his issue there?

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by 850Estate

What's this I'm hearing about an interview with Steve Neal where he slagged off Moffat? What was his issue there?

Senility

[Craner Curves]

Yawn. Moan all season about parity and stuff, but at the end of the day, a blooming Honda still wins. Gutted for Tordoff, not as lucky as a certain poster thinks.

[porsche962fan]

I don't understand, Tordoff was ahead in a 18 kg lighter car, and he didn't seem to put that much of defensive fight at all !!

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Yawn. Moan all season about parity and stuff, but at the end of the day, a blooming Honda still wins. Gutted for Tordoff, not as lucky as a certain poster thinks.

WSR won the teams and manufacturers titles

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Shedden deserved the title. Tordoff would have too. There were too many great drivers across the whole season for only one to win the crown, but that's the nature of sport.

Some people (or maybe just the one...) on here clearly have preconceived ideas on which drivers and teams deserve success, whatever that's worth. At the end of the day, nobody deserves anything in sport, you have to earn it. Tordoff earned every point he gathered, Shedden - to his credit - just accumulated more.

[850Estate]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

Shedden deserved the title. Tordoff would have too. There were too many great drivers across the whole season for only one to win the crown, but that's the nature of sport.

Some people (or maybe just the one...) on here clearly have preconceived ideas on which drivers and teams deserve success, whatever that's worth. At the end of the day, nobody deserves anything in sport, you have to earn it. Tordoff earned every point he gathered, Shedden - to his credit - just accumulated more.

That seems like a very fair way of looking at it. Tordoff was the model of consistency, Shedden the model of how to win a Championship. Grafted for the small points when he had to, risked it all with some big moves when he had too. Before that final race was the most nervous I've ever felt for a race where I'm not involved in someway!

Going to be a very interesting 2017 - I know, I've started already - with Subaru competing at every event (you'd imagine) competitively, with Tordoff now more experienced in RWD and at the sharp end, with Honda going for the Civic (in its various guises) 6th title in 7 years - will it be the new Civic? With Motorbase continuing to look strong and (dare I suggest it) Triple Eight looking to build on a far more promising year.

Congratulations to Gordon. Commiserations to Sam. Congratulations to WSR and to Motorbase, to Andrew Jordan and to Ash Sutton. Now let silly season commence. Again.

It'll take a lot to top that year for drama!

[Sodemo]

Feel gutted for Sam, it would have been nice to see a new winner. The BMW just doesn't have the pace at certain circuits and Brands GP is one of them. I knew from the start that it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Tordoff, because the car just isn't the class of the field in terms of speed. I think Tordoff tried to win it by letting everyone else spin off around him, kinda how Alain Prost is amusingly said to have won his races / titles.

I guess Dick Bennetts has to go back to Alan Gow now with his begging bowl and see if he can get some of the sanctions lifted that was imposed on the cars after the 2014 season.

[Thundersports]

Looked to me like Tordoff was beaten before the start with no defense offered against Sheddon then he gave up!

[Sodemo]

Did Scott manage to complete a race without spinning off this year? What a waste of a top car.

[Minicross424]

Its been a great season and Sheds a worthy champion.
However there really are some out there what should not be and should hand the drives to better drivers.
Warren Scott tops my list.

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Did Scott manage to complete a race without spinning off this year? What a waste of a top car.

I assume a lot of the money behind the team is Scott's.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

I assume a lot of the money behind the team is Scott's.

I think there are far far less talented drivers than Warren Scott in BTCC; compared to team mates Plato and Turkington he is well off the pace, but those two are very good indeed.

Alex Martin, Mark Howard and Kelvin Fletcher all look way out of their depth to me at this level.

Stewart Lines hasn't shown well but that Focus wasn't very good a year ago at AMD and the old Avensis he had last year was terrible - their might be a good driver in Stewart if he has some decent kit to show what he can do.

Tony Gilham has had a hard time whilst filling in for Michael Caine - has anything been said about Michaels health lately? I hope he is on the mend.

Hunter Abbot seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time - I dearly hope he has some good luck next year.

I really would like to see Dan Welch in a competitive car next year - I believe his talent deserves better than that Proton.

Congrats to Flash and Dynamics, get well soon Matt - that was a pretty shitty way for his season to end.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Stewart Lines hasn't shown well but that Focus wasn't very good a year ago at AMD and the old Avensis he had last year was terrible

Jake Hill did alright with it. I think we're being too critical of some drivers. We've always had gentleman drivers at the back.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

I don't have much of a problem with true amateur drivers in BTCC (yes, I'd rather it was down to talent alone, but it isn't). I do have a problem when they are so amateur that they bring the UK's flagship domestic series (ok, that and British GT, which also suffers from this issue but deals with it more questionably imo) into disrepute by driving like total morons. It's worse when they are in a good car at a good team.

I don't recall Stewart Lines doing much wrong this season, he largely kept his nose clean. No problem there in my book. The likes of Alex Martin however...

[porsche962fan]

and nobody mentioned poor Andy Jordan who won the Indy title by just 3 points from Mat Jackson !!

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

and nobody mentioned poor Andy Jordan who won the Indy title by just 3 points from Mat Jackson !!

And did so starting last on the grid.

[Ry44]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

I don't have much of a problem with true amateur drivers in BTCC (yes, I'd rather it was down to talent alone, but it isn't). I do have a problem when they are so amateur that they bring the UK's flagship domestic series (ok, that and British GT, which also suffers from this issue but deals with it more questionably imo) into disrepute by driving like total morons. It's worse when they are in a good car at a good team.

I don't recall Stewart Lines doing much wrong this season, he largely kept his nose clean. No problem there in my book. The likes of Alex Martin however...

Have to agree with you on this as there in my eyes are two classes of amateur driver. The ones that race around the tail end of the grid cleanly and fairly with little or no practice or testing . And the people who may have equipment capable of top 20 who may or may not abuse the rules constantly and causing significant damage to themselves or the people around them (mainly wth a surplus of cash and lack of experience )

[GT6]

Brilliant couple of days, weather was strange but racing brilliant, spent most of the time at druids that is a great view and always plenty of action, support races were mostly good and main races kept you interested right until the very end

[S griffin]

Congrats to Flash, he deserved the title. Bit gutted for Tordoff, the BMW seemed to not have to have the pace of the Honda, if only the engine hadn't failed before R3 at Snetterton, it probably would have been a different story. Hope it's not the last we've seen of him

Colin proves what a class act he was again. No one would give him a look in coming into the weekend, but he managed to pull two wins and have a chance coming into the final race. Shame the 75kg in the midfield was just too much for him, but after Thruxton who'd have thought he'd be in contention at all? And a lot of us thought at Silverstone starting at the back would be the end of his title hopes. Him and Jackson did well to secure the most wins. Jackson need not worry, Plato, Neal and Gio have showed in recent times you can still win titles in your 40s, so there's time.

Abbott yet again had the pace, but still unable to get rid of that black cat that runs in front of him every race. Moffat did a brilliant job in the final race to get a podium. And well done AJ for getting the indy title

As for the amateurs, they always have been in the BTCC and always will be. Just remember even the established stars have day jobs

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Jake Hill did alright with it. I think we're being too critical of some drivers. We've always had gentleman drivers at the back.

My memory must be getting worse, I had forgotten Jake had driven it; my memory was of Mike Bushell and Dave Newsham not having much joy with it.

Jake Hill really has impressed all season - I would love to see him in a top team like Dynamics or WSR. The old problem of money though :-(

[porsche962fan]

and after the Neate experience Dynamics would probably ask for money in advance...

looks like Moffat may not be on the grid next year

There’s a few things on the table in a few different places. I love being in a touring car, but you never know. We just need to make sure we make the best and most sensible decision

[Rob877]

Decent final weekend of racing from the entire package. Was rooting for Tordoff before the weekend, then I saw the rather strange interview preceding the races which I just did not get. Just seemed like he wasn't that bothered about the whole thing and quite apathetic towards the championship itself. Everyone else seems to live and breathe this championship, especially Shedden. A great driver to watch who is always right on the edge. Well deserved title number 3.

Was chuffed to see Matt Neil drop out of contention (glad he was unhurt), mainly because his dad is such a senile old moron. Everytime a microphone is stuck under his nose he says things which are just frankly ridiculous. He seems to have a fixation on Aiden Moffat at the moment, blaming him for when Matt Neil tried to remove him from the track at Silverstone. Old fool.

Gutted Mat Jackson couldn't drag himself in to contention bur I think the damage was done on Saturday.

Looking forward to next year already, with a few exciting announcements to come I'm sure.

[pimmy]

Matt & Steve are as bad as each other. I have no respect for either of them.

Tordoff's interviews and the VT that ITV ran on him proved to me that he isn't a real racer. His style isn't suited to touring cars and I'm not surprised he lost the title.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by pimmy

Matt & Steve are as bad as each other. I have no respect for either of them.

Tordoff's interviews and the VT that ITV ran on him proved to me that he isn't a real racer. His style isn't suited to touring cars and I'm not surprised he lost the title.

To be honest, Tordoff's style isn't that dissimilar to that of Turkington, Priaulx, David Leslie - drivers who want to keep it clean at all costs. Of those drivers I do think that Turks has a fraction more fire in his belly, ive seen a couple of nudges given very occasionally, however they are all massively clean drivers.