[BTCC] BTCC 2017 - Rounds 13, 14, 15 - Croft

[Peter Mallett]

Agreed.

[crmalcolm]

Regardless of what the cost is, does the lease/ownership of the cars mean BMR are obliged to run the existing chassis'?

[S griffin]

I think basically it's the end of the 11 season run of Plato still being in the title fight at the final meeting of the season. Ash is the one who can drive the car best, so the team needs to be behind him from now on

[auroan]

Willy Pool built the Levorg Chassis (chassis as in shell and roll cage).

Each car was north of £60K just for that work alone (not including the shell supply).

[Moneyseeker]

Don't forget this is not the old days of 'manufacturer teams', the likes of BMR are trying to be manufacturer teams on independent team budgets. This all looks good value and glossy when the car maker is a getting a 'works team' for the cost of a few shells, parts and paying the entry fee, where it starts to unravel is when the team can't afford to replace cars that are too accident damaged to keep competitive.

[Alfisti]

My money is firmly on JP departing BMR. I strongly suspect a big breakdown in relationship between he and Mr Scott, possibly initially becoming fractious after the Oulton coming together with Colin - I think Plato wanted blood there and then, he was not a happy bunny. Not to mention the unsubtle "sack him suggestion" (call it what you will) to dump Aron at Brands in 2015.

Further I don't believe Plato and Ian Harrison were on each others Christmas card lists, and that rescue by Scott seems to have finished the finances.

Maybe this is me being too simplistic, but the other option if a new car was too expensive surely would have been to swap Plato and Prices cars would it not? Or does the young man bring funds so vital to BMR they dare not upset the apple cart?

Damn good job Ash Sutton is such a hot prospect - him at the front is their best chance of attracting new sponsorship I think... assuming JP and his backers decamp elsewhere.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

My money is firmly on JP departing BMR. I strongly suspect a big breakdown in relationship between he and Mr Scott, possibly initially becoming fractious after the Oulton coming together with Colin - I think Plato wanted blood there and then, he was not a happy bunny. Not to mention the unsubtle "sack him suggestion" (call it what you will) to dump Aron at Brands in 2015.



Further I don't believe Plato and Ian Harrison were on each others Christmas card lists, and that rescue by Scott seems to have finished the finances.



Maybe this is me being too simplistic, but the other option if a new car was too expensive surely would have been to swap Plato and Prices cars would it not? Or does the young man bring funds so vital to BMR they dare not upset the apple cart?



Damn good job Ash Sutton is such a hot prospect - him at the front is their best chance of attracting new sponsorship I think... assuming JP and his backers decamp elsewhere.

Bit cynical there, but I can sorta see where you are coming from with those points

[Rob877]

Sorry to dredge up the Subaru issue again. Read an interesting Q and A with Rob Austin on the dreaded friendface earlier tonight and he made some slightly off the wall remarks about the Subaru situation. Basically suggesting that Sutton us benefiting from more boost than Plato. Can't say I noticed really, but I guess he's in the best position to see these things. Here is the link if anyone is interested https://m.facebook.com/groups/316615...50695128431478

Be warned there is quite a lot of drivel to scan through!

[S griffin]

In today's Autosport there's an article by Matt James, in which he says Plato is struggling with the turn in, while Sutton is managing fine. Maybe that does suggest something is wrong with the car, but it's still an amazing fall from grace by Plato

[Tracsmart]

Originally Posted by S griffin

In today's Autosport there's an article by Matt James, in which he says Plato is struggling with the turn in, while Sutton is managing fine. Maybe that does suggest something is wrong with the car, but it's still an amazing fall from grace by Plato

What amazes me is that with the sophistication in todays equipment we use in the crash repair industry. Body jigs are able not only to identify where there is any misalignment but how much correction is required. This applies to either laser jigs or jigs requiring brackets for measurement.
The fact that touring cars have a separate front and rear sub frame assemblies would make no difference in enabling any misalignment to be identified.
Mysterious!

[Akrapovic]

If you don't want to hurt Suttons chances, why can't they swap Plato and Price? Would that not show the issue?

[AdrianM]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

If you don't want to hurt Suttons chances, why can't they swap Plato and Price? Would that not show the issue?

Why should they? Price has paid for a straight car not a bent one. In testing it doesn't really matter but for the actual meetings it would be grossly unfair to Price to do that and I have no doubt that JP would think the same.

[S griffin]

Yeah, it's been a difficult start for Price, it would have been worse to be given a bent one, as he is slowly improving

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by AdrianM

Why should they? Price has paid for a straight car not a bent one. In testing it doesn't really matter but for the actual meetings it would be grossly unfair to Price to do that and I have no doubt that JP would think the same.

I'm not saying they should, I'm saying if everyone is so absolutely sure that it can't possible be anything but a bent car, and Sutton is looking at race wins, then the option they have is swap Plato and Price chassis for a weekend and see what happens.

[peebee2]

"Hello mate, you know that drive you're paying four hundred grand for?"

"Yeah."

"We think one of the cars is no good, so we're going to swap you into that one - OK?"

"Sure, no problem!"

[thlbtcc]

Spare chassis having work done over at Team HARD - https://twitter.com/tonygilham34/sta...51115400691714

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by peebee2

"Hello mate, you know that drive you're paying four hundred grand for?"

"Yeah."

"We think one of the cars is no good, so we're going to swap you into that one - OK?"

"Sure, no problem!"

"Hey mate. We know you're paying for a drive, but this is a team effort and we need your help. Jason insists the car is bent. Can we swap it over for a practice session or two at the next event and see what you think?"

The team has 3 bloody cars and they still don't appear to be able give Jason a run in a car that doesn't have his sticker on it. At some point you've got to start questioning if something else is going on. It should not take this long to even determine if the car is broken, or give someone else a run in it.

[luckn002]

Originally Posted by thlbtcc

Spare chassis having work done over at Team HARD - https://twitter.com/tonygilham34/sta...51115400691714

Insignia in the back too.

Knowing that Gilham wanted to expand to 4 TBLs / cars this year (I believe Gow(?) said no) and that a few teams have cars needing replacing or heavy repairing, could we see HARD expand for the rest of this season or next?

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

"Hey mate. We know you're paying for a drive, but this is a team effort and we need your help. Jason insists the car is bent. Can we swap it over for a practice session or two at the next event and see what you think?"

"Are you serious mate? It works out at forty grand a weekend. Do you want to give that back to me. It's disappointing you are not taking our contract more seriously and this is a big blow to me. Maybe I think about that offer I had from XYZ team after all?"

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

The team has 3 bloody cars and they still don't appear to be able give Jason a run in a car that doesn't have his sticker on it. At some point you've got to start questioning if something else is going on. It should not take this long to even determine if the car is broken, or give someone else a run in it.

What good would it be letting Plato run in a different car. It might prove that there is a problem with his own car, but they already know that.

It won't tell them anything they didn't already know and won't go any way to fixing the problem

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by redshoes

What good would it be letting Plato run in a different car. It might prove that there is a problem with his own car, but they already know that.

It won't tell them anything they didn't already know and won't go any way to fixing the problem

That was what the team suggested earlier this year - he'd get a run in another car. That was quietly shelved after Sutton closed the championship gap. If they are worried about hurting Suttons chances then there is another car in the team. Pay driver or not, it really isn't beyond the team to run it for a couple of free practice sessions.

Or maybe Jason isn't the star he once was, and isn't worth trying to hang onto.

[CaptRustyNail]

Originally Posted by thlbtcc

Spare chassis having work done over at Team HARD - https://twitter.com/tonygilham34/sta...51115400691714

Looks like the guy in the background is doing something to the Insignia too, Wonder what they will do with it.

[pimmy]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Pay driver or not, it really isn't beyond the team to run it for a couple of free practice sessions.

Drivers are only allowed to drive one chassis per weekend, so that can't happen. There's no reason why they couldn't have swapped during a test session though.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by CaptRustyNail

Looks like the guy in the background is doing something to the Insignia too, Wonder what they will do with it.

Erm I'm sure that's a 2013 photo. I stand to be corrected of course!

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by redshoes

What good would it be letting Plato run in a different car. It might prove that there is a problem with his own car, but they already know that.

It won't tell them anything they didn't already know and won't go any way to fixing the problem

One of the most sensible post on here.

If he tries another car and goes better, what do they do then?

If he tries another car and doesn't go better, what do they do then?