BTCC Oulton Park Race Thread

[Hazard]

Practice 1 results:

1	Dan Eaves	 Honda Integra 	 	1:28.641  +36kg
2	Luke Hines	 SEAT Toledo Cupra 	1:28.694  
3	Matt Neal	 Honda Integra 	 	1:28.826  +45kg
4	Jason Plato	 SEAT Toledo Cupra 	1:28.892  +18kg
5	Colin Turkington Vauxhall Astra SH 	1:28.978  +9kg
6	Gavin Smith	 Vauxhall Astra SH 	1:28.991  
7	Rob Collard	 MG ZS 			1:29.108  
8	Yvan Muller	 Vauxhall Astra SH 	1:29.229  +27kg
9	James Pickford	 SEAT Toledo Cupra 	1:29.636  
10	Tom Chilton	 Honda Civic Type-R 	1:29.691  
11	James Kaye	 Honda Civic Type-R 	1:30.053  
12	Richard Williams Lexus IS200		1:34.400  
13	Ian Curley	 Lexus IS200 		1:34.684  
14	Mark Proctor	 Vauxhall Astra Coupe 	1:39.805

[Hazard]

Practice 2 Results:

1	Jason Plato	  SEAT Toledo Cupra	 1:28.712  
2	Matt Neal	  Honda Integra		 1:28.823  
3	Luke Hines	  SEAT Toledo Cupra	 1:28.990  
4	Tom Chilton	  Honda Civic Type-R	 1:29.128  
5	Dan Eaves	  Honda Integra	 	 1:29.286  
6	James Pickford	  SEAT Toledo Cupra	 1:29.481  
7	Rob Collard	  MG ZS	 		 1:29.592  
8	Yvan Muller	  Vauxhall Astra SH	 1:29.811  
9	Gavin Smith	  Vauxhall Astra SH	 1:29.893  
10	Colin Turkington  Vauxhall Astra SH	 1:30.243  
11	James Kaye	  Honda Civic Type-R	 1:30.323  
12	Richard Williams  Lexus IS200	 	 1:34.370  
13	Ian Curley	  Lexus IS200	 	 1:34.507

[touringlegend]

Promising pace from the SEAT's this weekend, it'll be good to have them finally win a race if they can manage.

[BootsOntheSide]

Plato doesn't have too much extra weight for race 1 so it's posisble, but don't be surprsied to see him aim to finish 10th in race 2. Dynamics still look like the team to beat though.

[Hazard]

Qualifying:

1	Jason Plato	  Seat Toledo Cupra	 1:28.958  
2	Matt Neal	  Honda Integra	 	 1:29.089  
3	Dan Eaves	  Honda Integra	  	 1:29.185  
4	Gavin Smith	  Vauxhall Astra SH	 1:29.323  
5	Yvan Muller	  Vauxhall Astra SH	 1:29.344  
6	Tom Chilton	  Honda Civic Type-R	 1:29.351  
7	Luke Hines	  Seat Toledo Cupra	 1:29.356  
8	James Pickford	  Seat Toledo Cupra	 1:29.486  
9	Colin Turkington  Vauxhall Astra SH	 1:29.491  
10	Rob Collard	  Mg Zs		 	 1:29.981  
11	James Kaye	  Honda Civic Type-R	 1:30.168  
12	Richard Williams  Lexus Is200		 1:34.408  
13	Mark Proctor	  Vauxhall Astra Coupe	 1:34.419  
14	Ian Curley	  Lexus Is200		 1:34.694

[touringlegend]

Plato's average lap speed was 90mph, everyone else was under 90mph.

Just thought I'd throw that useless fact I noticed in..

[Kicking-back]

4 or 5 more cars and we'd have a grid

[maximus]

Who cares? The racing will be ace as usual.

[BootsOntheSide]

I've lost my hang-up about the grid size now - there are 8-10 potential race winners, and they aren't afraid to run side-by-side and really create some fierce racing. A few mroe cars later in the season will be nice, but there's already more action than the WTCC has with twice as many cars.

4th to 9th are seperated by 0.15 seconds, and that includes all 3 Vauxhalls, which is amazingly close. Kaye in 11th is little over a second off the pole, which is quite something.

[Kicking-back]

I agree the racing is good - and better than the WTCC.

Maybe a few of their excess cars could come over here

[luke]

We'll have Gareth hopefully for Croft so the future's bright. The future's Orange.

[Wilbo]

And Fiona for Croft.

Anyway I'm convinced too, the cars are awesome, sound and look the part and the racing is top quality.

Any fewer cars though and it is in trouble, but anyway it isn't and it's British and it's good!

PS. I'm blumin sunburnt!!!

[Knowlesy]

Yes, well pun aside, the future won't be considerably brightened by the addition of one car!

I can't understand where everybody went this year!

[E46]

"With any luck our two thousand and five touring car campaign starts here!", said Plato yesterday. He seemed to be correct.

[Kicking-back]

Good race one that, well done JP.

[SeaneyC]

I need satellite

[Kicking-back]

And an excellent win by Matt Neal in race 2.

Plato finishes tenth, so he'll have another pole for race 3.

[luke]

Big welll done to Neal

[SeaneyC]

Finally some TV after listening to the radio all day! Go Collard!

[touringlegend]

It's bucketing down now, started after the end of the 2nd race, the Porsche race was started and stopped several times, the FRenault's aren't out, I presume all priority is the 3rd BTCC race, for live ITV coverage. I hope there isn't any bother in the race going ahead, at the moment they have one of those roadsweeper type trucks out trying to clear as much water as possible.


Last years BSB at Knockhill was very similar, track was absolutely standing in water, trucks were out clearing it up, marshals brushing water off track etc.

It is nice to see that it absolutely chucks it down in England now and again!!

[SeaneyC]

Gad don't remind me, i got stuck underneath the commentary tower in the middle of the circuit at Knockhill last year on the Saturday, stayed for another hour, then it got rained off! Never been so glad to step onto a warm train in my entire life! Must be grim north syndrome, i'm sat here nursing my mild sunburn in the sunny south!

[Kicking-back]

It was hot and sunny at Oulton this morning.

Anyway cars are now on track.

[luke]

Wow, true BTCC opening lap. Poor Plato.

Collard and Chilton 1-2 at the moment, only one Vauxhall running now safety car.

[pitcrew]

lottery time, nice to see WSR with the MG in front again.

[Kicking-back]

Hopefully Proctor is hit with some sort of punishment - going off under yellow is inexcusable.