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30 Sep 2020, 16:42 (Ref:4007639) | #7851 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 18,692
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Be a shame to see TOC go before one last runaround, but I can’t really blame him if he’s not getting the results
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__________________
He who dares wins! He who hesitates is lost! |
30 Sep 2020, 17:00 (Ref:4007644) | #7852 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,968
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Thinking about it again, when Lewis Kent says 'last 3 rounds' does he mean 3 meetings (9 races) or 3 races (1 meeting) ? Possibly it's the latter
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30 Sep 2020, 19:02 (Ref:4007670) | #7853 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,751
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30 Sep 2020, 19:05 (Ref:4007671) | #7854 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,751
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I don't rate Mark Howard as bad. He wasn't fast, granted, but he kept his nose clean most of the time. I don't believe there was any malice in any of his ontrack "getting friendly" with other drivers - just misjudgements. I honestly don't think that's the case with the unspeakable one.
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30 Sep 2020, 19:25 (Ref:4007679) | #7855 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,096
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But - if I remember correctly - Howard was often on the grass, causing SC intervention on a number of occasions. But maybe I've got a memory like a sieve!
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30 Sep 2020, 19:32 (Ref:4007681) | #7856 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 3,395
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30 Sep 2020, 20:00 (Ref:4007690) | #7857 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,968
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Quote:
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30 Sep 2020, 20:32 (Ref:4007693) | #7858 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,751
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Quote:
He was humble enough to admit he was out of his depth. Although last time I looked his website still said he was the best Mark Howard. Alex Martin was similarly not able to cut it in BTCC. Not too shabby in other series to be fair. |
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30 Sep 2020, 21:23 (Ref:4007704) | #7859 | |
Veteran
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 4,533
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30 Sep 2020, 22:42 (Ref:4007713) | #7860 | |
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 102
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Howard always struck me as being badly out of his depth (much like Stewart Lines), but Alex Martin seemed to me to be reckless - he's the driver I've been happiest to see leave the series in recent years.
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1 Oct 2020, 08:21 (Ref:4007747) | #7861 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,037
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1 Oct 2020, 08:55 (Ref:4007748) | #7862 | |
Racer
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 427
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I think the fact even someone like TOC can't pedal that Passat CC to a decent position says a lot about how poor that car has become. Even worse than the MGs
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1 Oct 2020, 09:21 (Ref:4007752) | #7863 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 11,292
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I must admit I have been proven badly wrong. I thought TOC would be able to drag that CC up the grid a fair bit. I am not certain what has changed so much on them CC's. They were race winners in 2015.
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1 Oct 2020, 09:40 (Ref:4007755) | #7864 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 18,692
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Maybe they have reached the end of their development life? It’s probably just as well they are switching to the Cupra next season
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__________________
He who dares wins! He who hesitates is lost! |
1 Oct 2020, 09:57 (Ref:4007760) | #7865 | ||
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,320
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HARD will be running them on a shoestring budget so parts may well be a lot older than they are on other cars. Things like shock absorbers on the HARD cars have probably done more miles than on any other car on the grid. HARD are great for being able to get people onto the grid on a smaller budget - but in doing so you have to accept that the cars won't be as good as those with more money thrown at them. Dynamics use new brakes for every race for example - there's no way HARD do that.
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1 Oct 2020, 13:10 (Ref:4007783) | #7866 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 1,051
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Now confirmed that Snetterton and Brands Indy will be run behind closed doors (as if we didn't already know)
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1 Oct 2020, 13:19 (Ref:4007784) | #7867 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,751
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Quote:
I would guess the parts budget, the quality and quantity of people involved in their upkeep and running plus drivers are the reasons. I doubt the chassis itself is the problem. JP and Colin are top notch as where their race engineers. BMR spent good money. These are the reasons why I think why they were up there and are now making the numbers up. Goffy and TOC are good, but if your Michelin chef only has mediocre ingredients he/ she can only do so much. The other thought I have is the suspension change which happened after the BMR days, maybe budget or lack of talent means the development driving/ sweet spots with setup were never found? As an aside the MGs were awful the year they ran from the farm on a peanuts budget; Shaun Hollambys mob took them, threw money and talent at them and they were completely rejuvenated that year. I don't think I was alone in believing Mr H had lost the plot when it was announced he'd acquired them. Absolute chalk and cheese between those two seasons. I bet the same could be done with the CC, but I doubt that's a project anyone will be taking on - everybody else has good cars for starters. |
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1 Oct 2020, 13:25 (Ref:4007785) | #7868 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,751
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Covid restrictions are tightening in the North East, so I'm starting to wonder if Croft may be subject to some stricter rules or maybe not happen. Hopefully it will and I'm just being pessimistic.
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1 Oct 2020, 13:27 (Ref:4007787) | #7869 | ||
Racer
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 180
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Quote:
They won’t race in the BTCC beyond Brands Hatch |
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1 Oct 2020, 15:32 (Ref:4007803) | #7870 | |
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
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darlington is currently under no restrictions, and the btcc paddock being exclusively a workplace i think it would have to hit the fan very badly to be cancelled.
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__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
1 Oct 2020, 17:04 (Ref:4007826) | #7871 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,751
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Hopefully Bella hopefully. Darlington is on watch and the dreaded R is climbing. My hometown of Hartlepool and neighbouring Middlesbrough have just seen their restrictions increased. Nothing like the previously applied Leicester lockdown that stopped outsiders coming in thankfully.
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1 Oct 2020, 17:19 (Ref:4007828) | #7872 | |
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: Dec 1998
Posts: 16,760
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it’ll be right. just make sure you keep your pubs and kebab shops open
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__________________
devils advocate in-chief and professional arguer of both sides |
1 Oct 2020, 17:35 (Ref:4007833) | #7873 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,422
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Quote:
I think we'll be fine for completing the season, but I worry about the guys who are struggling with budget because they've sold X number of hospitality places to help them race. |
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1 Oct 2020, 20:36 (Ref:4007850) | #7874 | |
Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,592
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Teams have been told that they can't have anyone at Croft who lives in Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, Tyneside, Northumberland or Gateshead.
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1 Oct 2020, 20:49 (Ref:4007852) | #7875 | |
Racer
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 382
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