Winterbottom needs to get tougher

kowalski the lone driver · 15 May 2010, 10:44 (Ref:2690811)

Today's racing only confirmed what I have thought for ages - Mark Winterbottom makes it too easy to pass and never really has a good go. When has anyone actually seen him make an aggressive passing move? Today he was making it seem really easy for people to pass him...at least Jnr Johnson put up some fight with Lowndes...Winterbottom seems way too soft...needs to find some mongrel....

TSR · 15 May 2010, 10:55 (Ref:2690817)

Quote:

Originally Posted by kowalski the lone driver

Today's racing only confirmed what I have thought for ages - Mark Winterbottom makes it too easy to pass and never really has a good go. When has anyone actually seen him make an aggressive passing move? Today he was making it seem really easy for people to pass him...at least Jnr Johnson put up some fight with Lowndes...Winterbottom seems way too soft...needs to find some mongrel....

As much as I like Frosty, I do concur, he seems to have a bit of the Gelnn Seton nice guy about him

Chris - Melb · 15 May 2010, 11:30 (Ref:2690835)

If you don't have a fast car and/or a good set of tyres then it can be easy for others to pass.

Just ask Tander and Will Davison after today's race.

The fact that Winterbottom held off most people until the last couple of laps, despite only changing his rear tyres at the pitstop, was rather remarkable.

It will be interesting to see how he goes with two extra tyres in his tyres bank on Sunday.

Remember also that the FPR Falcons don't have good power-down out of corners, which makes passing people more difficult, something I reckon they need to change.

Their setup is great, if the car is way out in front of the field, but otherwise...

Driver TBA · 15 May 2010, 11:49 (Ref:2690841)

[QUOTE=kowalski the lone driver;2690811]at least Jnr Johnson put up some fight with Lowndes.[QUOTE]

Jnr has been guilty of being to soft for years when another car comes up behind him. Might have been because DJR were on a shoestring budget for years and prior to that Radisich used almost the entire crash budget.

While he knew Lowndes was going to get him, at least he made Lowndes earn it while giving his teammate some valuable extra 10th's to his lead. Was certainly great to watch.

I don't think Winterbottom was soft today, he was in damage control mode at the end of the race and was doing okay until Webb went kamikaze on him.

Micklegend · 16 May 2010, 01:20 (Ref:2691217)

I've observed this about frosty for some time, great racer from the front but does not not do the come from behind thing well, YET. FPR need to put a stronger machine under him, give him more confidence in his ride.

I'd love to see him in the #17 when Jnr gives it away, as clearly FPR cant deliver the whole package for their drivers. Or else, put him in the #4.

**gomick** · 16 May 2010, 07:04 (Ref:2691287)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micklegend

I'd love to see him in the #17 when Jnr gives it away, as clearly FPR cant deliver the whole package for their drivers. Or else, put him in the #4.

Agreed - both those drives would be good... FPR with 2 new drivers in 2011 would be good!

**GTRMagic** · 17 May 2010, 04:37 (Ref:2692193)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomick

Agreed - both those drives would be good... FPR with 2 new drivers in 2011 would be good!

Three?

Trevor · 17 May 2010, 06:45 (Ref:2692239)

We were saying yesterday, that he is like Seto, too nice a guy, he needs to have more mongrel in him. Nice guys finish last

yap · 17 May 2010, 06:49 (Ref:2692240)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Three?

Are there some whispers around the powder room regarding Frosty?

Maybe a shift down a car number

**GTRMagic** · 17 May 2010, 07:01 (Ref:2692247)

Quote:

Originally Posted by yap

Are there some whispers around the powder room regarding Frosty?

Maybe a shift down a car number

It would be good for everyone on the Ford side... the driver himself doesnt seem to think that he is wanted by SBR, presumably a reason (amongst other things) to re-sign at FPR.

Frosty in an SBR car would be a more consistent player than the current location

The bit I cant fathom at FPR is that they test at Winton, get the thing fairly percolating at the test day, tell everyone their cars are rockets looking for a launch pad.. then race weekend comes, they struggle in practice, change everything that can be changed before qualifying, ace a top 10, but have issues in the race with tyres losing performance, handling issues, getting bumped out of the way by more aggressive bods..

It is an inconsistency in the program seemingly since conception..

The solutionis arguably simple... bring back the pre-race warm up, test the changes made in qualifying/for qualifying, before actually committing to race setup. It would put the cars on the track for another 20 minutes a day, fill in what is becoming an increasingly sparse program, and perhaps even improve car performance...

Just an idea

STEALTHY · 17 May 2010, 07:13 (Ref:2692256)

If were picking sides, i'd much rather frosty go to DJR (or in a perfect world, WD wouldn't have left)

yap · 17 May 2010, 07:18 (Ref:2692258)

Frosty left SBR on good terms didn't he GTR?

Axeman444 · 18 May 2010, 03:56 (Ref:2693019)

i thought he was placed at LMS to get main game experience more than anything, with the intention to give him an SBR maingame seat if one became available, and that Contracts end dates never lined up timewise with seat availability before he became firmly entrenched at FPR. Can't see there being an issue from SBR...

...however that long term deal he signed with FPR could be an issue. And considering his colleagues performance, i very much doubt FPR would allow their one decent driver to leave.

racer69 · 18 May 2010, 06:48 (Ref:2693075)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Axeman444

i thought he was placed at LMS to get main game experience more than anything, with the intention to give him an SBR maingame seat if one became available, and that Contracts end dates never lined up timewise with seat availability before he became firmly entrenched at FPR. Can't see there being an issue from SBR...

Dates surely lined up at the end of 2005, when Ambrose and Winterbottom was looking for a new drive after 2 years at Larkham... but SBR went with the relatively untried Courtney and Winterbottom went to FPR

anthony81901 · 18 May 2010, 07:34 (Ref:2693092)

Logically he would have taken over the #4 drive when Ambrose left at the end of 2005, but SBR opted for Courtney. Winterbottom was contracted to LMS for 2006, but after FPR came knocking, LMS agreed to release him. Can’t see FPR letting their best asset go.

Axeman444 · 19 May 2010, 00:37 (Ref:2693686)

Quote:

Originally Posted by anthony81901

Logically he would have taken over the #4 drive when Ambrose left at the end of 2005, but SBR opted for Courtney. Winterbottom was contracted to LMS for 2006, but after FPR came knocking, LMS agreed to release him. Can’t see FPR letting their best asset go.

i wonder if SBR new of the impending doom and gloom, and sale, of LMS, and if they didn't would they have made a phonecall to Larko, or if they did know, why they didn't make a phonecall to Larko...

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