Jason Plato, wrong or right

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by Peat

ahem..... aaaaaand again.

I'd almost forgive him the Collard incident in race 2.....but I can certainly understand how Shedden feels.......absolutely blatant push....

And Plato blames Shedden for braking early....after he'd been pushing him all the way down the straight

[garcon]

Old Potato Head really doesn't make it easy to defend him does he?!

Of course, Shedden would say Plato should be DQ'd - him being a direct competitor for the title.

[barnettracing]

Well. I was enjoying the BTCC races up until them. I'll admit I was wrong and most of the overtaking moves were clean. Race 3 was especially brilliant up front, Plato was pulling off some very nice, clean moves.

And then he goes and pulls something so ridiculous like that! And has the audacity to blame it on Shedden for driving defensively and braking early. Last time I checked, driving defensively was allowed and he would've had to brake early because of the huge push he had been getting all the way from the exit of Coppice.

I would be absolutely fuming if I were Shedden (and it appears he is). I would imagine Plato will get something like a 2 second penalty to place him in third and promote Shedden, but I agree with Flash. He needs to either be disqualified or a 20 second penalty applied. That way it acts as a proper deterrent for dirty tricks such as that.

Plato was covering himself in glory this weekend, dragging some very good performances out of the MG6. However, it seems that in the last lap of a race (and especially when against equally talented opposition) he gets a rid mist and decents to just punt them off.

I'm sure people will be here to tell me I'm wrong and continually Plato-bashing but I don't understand it. He passes the backmarkers (read slower runners) cleanly. Then he comes up against Shedden, Neal, Jordan etc and feels the need for contact.

[Minicross424]

My god, does Jason ever admit he is in the wrong?
He just pushed Flash until he was in the gravel!
Well done JP on keeping this thread going for another week or so!

[codename_47]

Originally Posted by barnettracing

Well. I was enjoying the BTCC races up until them. I'll admit I was wrong and most of the overtaking moves were clean. Race 3 was especially brilliant up front, Plato was pulling off some very nice, clean moves.

And then he goes and pulls something so ridiculous like that! And has the audacity to blame it on Shedden for driving defensively and braking early. Last time I checked, driving defensively was allowed and he would've had to brake early because of the huge push he had been getting all the way from the exit of Coppice.

I would be absolutely fuming if I were Shedden (and it appears he is). I would imagine Plato will get something like a 2 second penalty to place him in third and promote Shedden, but I agree with Flash. He needs to either be disqualified or a 20 second penalty applied. That way it acts as a proper deterrent for dirty tricks such as that.

Plato was covering himself in glory this weekend, dragging some very good performances out of the MG6. However, it seems that in the last lap of a race (and especially when against equally talented opposition) he gets a rid mist and decents to just punt them off.

I'm sure people will be here to tell me I'm wrong and continually Plato-bashing but I don't understand it. He passes the backmarkers (read slower runners) cleanly. Then he comes up against Shedden, Neal, Jordan etc and feels the need for contact.

He was also pretty much 100% to blame for his race 2 crash and he took it on the chin and blamed.......the sausage kerbs at the chicane.

[Peat]

Ahhh, i see. Shedden obviously deserved that for doing 'motor racing'n'stuff'. My mistake.

[awrb]

Plato didn't even make the chicane himself on the last lap. So he can blame Shedden for braking too early, but Plato didn't brake enough at all. It was clearly his fault and really did ruin what was, overall, a good days racing.

[robbie_crewe]

Something really needs to be done about all of the contact in BTCC, its becoming a joke and it seems that Plato is taking it to a whole new level. Why can't they give out penalties like they do in F1?
It would clean it up and actually give proper racing!!!

[graham bahr]

one of the commentators summed it up interviewing sheddon when he said "it makes good tv!"

[gregc]

Oh me oh my, and to think that after race 1 I was thinking "well, that should help"...

Just got back from the circuit so I haven't seen as much coverage as those who watched on TV (though we did have the big screen this year, nice one Donington).

My thoughts - race one was great, plenty of hard, clean racing, no lack of action, almost my perfect BTCC race.

Then race 2 (and please bear in mind I'm no fan of Plato) - I honestly think the Plato/Collard crash was pretty much 50/50, and a racing incident. Collard was overly optimistic trying to follow Neal past into the chicane, ended up in a 2 into 1 won't go scenario side by side with JP, and got spun out on the exit. Plato was too aggressive on the exit, but Collard created the situation. TBH the incident that bothered me more was Griffin/James - watching the replays I thought Griffin was way out of order, which made his reaction even more unpalatable.

Then race 3. A great race up to the final corner of the final lap, and that move was completely out of order. We now know that JP has had a 2 second penalty (as someone correctly predicted earlier) putting him back behind Shedden, but I really don't think that's enough. The most frustrating thing is that Plato had spent the rest of the race making clean, effective overtakes in one of the classic drives through the field only to spoil it all, and give his critics yet another piece of ammunition, by letting the red mist descend.

Sent from my Galaxy S2 using Tapatalk, which means that despite TT itself being great it's taken forever to type because of stupid touchscreen keyboards.

[graham bahr]

We now know that JP has had a 2 second penalty (as someone correctly predicted earlier) putting him back behind Shedden, but I really don't think that's enough.

agreed, it means just means he didnt loose anything by trying the move, he was in 3rd until the move and ended up back in 3rd, if it had been a 10 second penalty so he dropped right back in the final results he might think twice in future, but i doubt it, he will just moan how unfair it is!

[VIVA GT]

OK, cards on the table.
1) I'm not a Plato fan.
2)I'm really a 1980 - 1990 BTCC fan.
3) I only saw Race three from lap 2 onwards (I was sent shopping for apple sauce to go with our roast pork by Mrs GT just before the race started!), and some of the build up.
Right.
So, I watched the race and was impressed with the racecraft displayed by one and all, including (and I was almost ready to log on to www.chocolate-hat.co.uk to buy one to eat publically) Mr Plato. Some great wheel to wheel racing, with apparent respect for their co-competitors.
Then we had the last corner, on the last lap, and the crass comments afterwards from Jason (my ego's as big as ) Pluto and all of my preconceived preconceptions were restored.
We have a saying in our house (which I'm sure will dodge the auto-censor) what a TWUNT!...

[Mark-e21]

I only got to see race 3 today and thought the racing was excellent. The display of defensive driving, in an obviously slower car, was what I think exemplifies a real racing driver. The deliberate punt by Plato, in order to get past at any length, was another shameful example of the kind of move that typifies his approach to overtaking other drivers. He then tries to justify the move by blaming Sheddon for braking early.
Plato is indeed a skilful driver, but he is also arrogant and lacking in humility and sportsmanship. It's no coincidence that wherever there is controversy, Plato isn't far behind. A 2 second penalty is pointless and is nowhere near as severe a penalty as he deserves. Especially now that Jackson has been disqualified.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Mark-e21

A 2 second penalty is pointless and is nowhere near as severe a penalty as he deserves. Especially now that Jackson has been disqualified.

This is the root of the problem, the penalties the stewards meter out are meaningless and no deterrent. The BTCC driving standards are filtering down to the support races - some of which (but not all) are turning into demolition derby's each weekend.

[pauln]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

The BTCC driving standards are filtering down to the support races - some of which (but not all) are turning into demolition derby's each weekend.

Which for me is a key reason why something needs to be done. The chaos seen in the Ginetta Juniors this weekend is completely unacceptable.

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by pauln

Which for me is a key reason why something needs to be done. The chaos seen in the Ginetta Juniors this weekend is completely unacceptable.

Lawrence Tomlinson's comment on ITV4 about that was along the lines of "maybe we need to be looking a little bit less at the touring cars".

[f1madmatt]

Plato is never going to change if he keeps getting meaningless penalties. A £750 fine from Brands hatch is pocket money for him, and a 2 second penalty is laughable. Exclude him from a race, then he'll stop deliberately punting people off

[Tom Bee]

Also if you look at the replay Shedden turns left (after being pushed) to get away from Plato. Plato could have stayed on the right but instead follows Shedden left so he can carry on pushing him!

A 2 second penalty is a joke!!!!!!

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Should have been disqualified. Plato's problem of being absolutely classless is excabarated by him like Neal believing all they need to do is smile and laugh to make it go away. If they want to be remembered as greats in the history of the championship they need to start acting like it.

[MarkG]

I suspect Gow is delighted with all the controversy caused by his star ugly sister of the pantomime.
Plato is a n*b. He obviously has the best car but still can't show any class, and he was talking out of his a**e to Louise Goodman after the race. He's probably dumb enough to love all this infamy on this forum.

The BTCC is exciting stuff but spoiled by timid officials not properly penalising n*b driving.
If you want to see how to race hard but with class, the Porsche racers show how it's done.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by MarkG

I suspect Gow is delighted with all the controversy caused by his star ugly sister of the pantomime.
Plato is a n*b. He obviously has the best car but still can't show any class, and he was talking out of his a**e to Louise Goodman after the race. He's probably dumb enough to love all this infamy on this forum.

The BTCC is exciting stuff but spoiled by timid officials not properly penalising n*b driving.
If you want to see how to race hard but with class, the Porsche racers show how it's done.

[Mark-e21]

Harvey sounded somewhat embarrassed at what he was commentating on and I think the fact that Potato kept his helmet on, when Louise Goodman approached him for his comments, hints at his own knowledge that he's overstepped the mark. He removed it eventually but his defence that Shedden was braking too early is laughable. If that were true why not try conventional overtaking?

I would also question Potato's use of Twitter and the like, in an effort to draw attention away from the facts. The sad thing is, Potato possesses the skills to be a great driver so why rob us of the spectacle by tarnishing his performances with moves belong on dirt ovals?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Mark-e21

Harvey sounded somewhat embarrassed at what he was commentating on and I think the fact that Potato kept his helmet on, when Louise Goodman approached him for his comments, hints at his own knowledge that he's overstepped the mark. He removed it eventually but his defence that Shedden was braking too early is laughable. If that were true why not try conventional overtaking?

I would also question Potato's use of Twitter and the like, in an effort to draw attention away from the facts. The sad thing is, Potato possesses the skills to be a great driver so why rob us of the spectacle by tarnishing his performances with moves belong on dirt ovals?

Maybe he kept his helmet on as the team spin doctor was offering advice on what to say when interviewed through his headphones? (I appreciate that the radio is generally unplugged before thay get out of the car, but I just think it's unlikely that he's capable of standing up, moving around, and thinking, all at the same time...)

[mark_l]

If Plato got a time penalty, why did he not get 3 points on his licence in line with MSA regulation (C) 2.1.7 (iii) Fine, time or place penalty – 3 points.

Page 68 of the Blue Book.

[wheelsportaddict]

O M G

Anyone would think some of you are blind........ If you watched Race 3 as I did, you can CLEARY see that Plato had a the faster car. I do not think that Shedden broke early, if anything he broke late in a desperate attempt to defend his position, but NONE THE LESS Plato was already nose-to-tail with him WELL before the breaking zone. Not only that, the line that Shedden was taking, would have compromised his exit anyway.

As for Race 2, Plato had taken the position therefore had EVERY right to take the racing line and Collard didn't give enough room when instead he should have relinquished and tried to retake the position (fairly) further round the track.

over.... For now!