Are there no cars that George Newton hasn't had his hand in preparing?

Flat Out Farr · 15 Apr 2006, 17:05 (Ref:1582936)

As today's results have filtered through, with Jason Watkins getting on the
3rd row of the grid, and getting 4th O/A, Les Beer also being right up there mixing it with the Big boys, plus the likes of Graham Richardson, et all, who George has prepared their cars, does this quiet un-assuming very likeable guy have some magic wand? The cars are all relaible and provide, when driven right, good results for their drivers. Look at Jason today; his practice times at Snetterton had him only 3 secs a lap slower than the Touring Cars!!
And look at who he was ahead of today! Not bad for a 18+ year old 1600cc CVH Fiesta?

avro · 15 Apr 2006, 17:38 (Ref:1582951)

So what times did he do at Snetterton ?

Flat Out Farr · 15 Apr 2006, 17:42 (Ref:1582956)

Jason did 1.21.5, on a cold dry day, last month

**Tim Falce** · 15 Apr 2006, 18:23 (Ref:1582972)

George Newton, unasuming, Pah, the bugger woke me up today as I was dropping off into a nice sleep.

avro · 15 Apr 2006, 19:00 (Ref:1582989)

Honda Accord Super Tourer last weekend at Snetterton again cold and dry 1.14.444, now when I was at school that was a gap of around 7 seconds not 3 !!!

Still good though.

R59 · 15 Apr 2006, 22:28 (Ref:1583129)

Avro, that's a proper touring car, not a barry-fied Astra/Seat/MG/Honda, with carlos fandango wheelarch extensions, and a fairly bog standard engine.

I was amazed by the pace of Mr Watkins 1:45.864 - I wonder if some datalogging has been going on there, with some in-depth analysis.... I would if I did his job! Blindin'!

Nice to see Les going well. And staying on the track too.

Rob

avro · 16 Apr 2006, 07:47 (Ref:1583358)

Racing 59 I agree its a great time from that car, but its wasn't me that made the association with the time being only 3 secs off of the Touring Cars !!!!!

**Tim Falce** · 16 Apr 2006, 08:16 (Ref:1583365)

No disrespect to George but Eric Falce's Fiesta (running on a mixture of tyres due to a puncture earlier) was only 2/10ths of a second slower than Les Beer's car and Jason's car is very trick indeed.
F O F, how much has George paid you to post on here or are you his PR guru?

R59 · 16 Apr 2006, 09:06 (Ref:1583386)

Quote:

Originally Posted by avro

Racing 59 I agree its a great time from that car, but its wasn't me that made the association with the time being only 3 secs off of the Touring Cars !!!!!

I should have edited to say that "Now you're talking about a proper touring car....."

Looks like LMA's turning into Formula Saloons with all those super tourer's - I must come and have a look sometime.

Rob.

Flat Out Farr · 16 Apr 2006, 10:27 (Ref:1584861)

George has paid me nothing! He is very good at what he does. Many of you guys are in business to earn the bread to race. If you don't promote your skills, how do you get work? You have to sell yourself. If you want to see how it is done correctly, talk to Les, the consumate professional salesman.

Jason's car is not a trick car. There is nothing tricky about it. Yes Jason has an advantage in so much as his day job has him working with all the top teams in the BTCC, WTCC, Sports cars, Le Mans cars etc; He only does what I always advocate in life, "if you don't know, ask someone who does! carefully look and listen and learn".

As a professional structural engineer, I have been over Jason's car to see how George has built it. He has applied the same principles to Les's car, Graham's car and my new Fiesta. Jason spoke to SEAT's suspension engineers to find out how to get his car to handle correctly. IMO, it has worked, as his results yesterday have showed!

Just to clarify AVRO's comments, I was talking about the cars at the back of the Touring car field, but I am sure he really realised that!
Now put Jason in something like David Leslie's old Accord or even Cleland's last Cavalier, and I think he would be very quick.

I will be out in May, to play, once the doc gives me the all clear after my Op that I had the other day. I cannot wait!

avro · 16 Apr 2006, 10:47 (Ref:1584881)

If Jason fancies a go in a Super Tourer I know a nice car that will be up for rent on a meeting by meeting basis !!!

Alan Cherry · 16 Apr 2006, 13:51 (Ref:1585016)

George is a bloody nice bloke, But I for one couldn't afford to keep him in pies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Tim Falce** · 16 Apr 2006, 14:10 (Ref:1585028)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flat Out Farr

Jason's car is not a trick car. There is nothing tricky about it. Yes Jason has an advantage in so much as his day job has him working with all the top teams in the BTCC, WTCC, Sports cars, Le Mans cars etc; He only does what I always advocate in life, "if you don't know, ask someone who does! carefully look and listen and learn".

Oh, my mistake then but if Jason's and Les's cars are the same then the difference must be down to driver ability.
I agree about if you don't ask you don't find out and I am not knocking George's ability or helpfulness, he's one of the nicest and most helpful blokes in the TRC series.

R59 · 16 Apr 2006, 18:01 (Ref:1585200)

Quote:

Originally Posted by avro

If Jason fancies a go in a Super Tourer I know a nice car that will be up for rent on a meeting by meeting basis !!!

I tell 'ee wot! He' do well in a Super Tourer, like a duck to water. He has what's needed to drive one - precision, commitment, and above all, smooth.

Where : Rough and ready = tyrewall.

Rob.

Eric Falce · 16 Apr 2006, 19:11 (Ref:1585280)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flat Out Farr

As today's results have filtered through, with Jason Watkins getting on the
3rd row of the grid, and getting 4th O/A, Les Beer also being right up there mixing it with the Big boys, plus the likes of Graham Richardson, et all, who George has prepared their cars, does this quiet un-assuming very likeable guy have some magic wand? The cars are all relaible and provide, when driven right, good results for their drivers. Look at Jason today; his practice times at Snetterton had him only 3 secs a lap slower than the Touring Cars!!
And look at who he was ahead of today! Not bad for a 18+ year old 1600cc CVH Fiesta?

I must admit that I have had a helping hand in getting George to the stage he is at now in car preparation. He was sitting under a tree trying to work out how to get a certain Fiesta out of the gravel at Silverstone last year and to get it to go around the bend instead of straight on when a bag of rice fell on his head. At that point he decided to dump the green one and get the black one back.

On a more serious note George is the most helpfully and pleasant character in the series with the exception of Sue. The whole set up makes an OAP who hasn't raced for 40 years feel very at home, in fact I can honestly say that most of the competitors in the series do, like myself, drive as if they also haven't raced for 40 years, that is what makes Jason seem so quick

. Well done Jas, excellent drive, and to all the others who finished behind me, well done.

Flat Out Farr · 17 Apr 2006, 15:54 (Ref:1585876)

Brilliant comment Eric! I have just laughed so much, reading your posting, that my painful bits hurt even more now!

With the number of Pasties, Jason eats, he should be slower, but they don't seem to affect him; maybe there be something special in those Cornish Pasties!?!?

graham bahr · 17 Apr 2006, 21:57 (Ref:1587140)

got to say those little ol fiestas are quite impressive, they dont seem to have to slow down for the twisty bits. it took me a while to pass them, almost an embrassingly long time considering my power advantage.

i've been reading the comparisons with the touring cars and yes on the face of it the fiesta's are amazingly quick considering they have 1.6 160bhp cvh's, BUT they are roughly half the weight of a BTCC cars so its not so suprising they can post similar lap times

Al Weyman · 17 Apr 2006, 22:25 (Ref:1587162)

HT Racing was getting over 175 bhp out of them years ago.

Flat Out Farr · 18 Apr 2006, 09:30 (Ref:1587456)

Arron is still getting around that. Les's new engine has shown circa 165bhp on Sanspeed's rolling road; I believe Jason's one was slightly more, on the same rollers, but they are both identical engines.

Jason drives his car differently to Les. Jason is smoother and drives it like a single seater. Les drives all his cars, single seaters and saloons the same way, he wrings their necks, bit like trying to control a bull mastif!

But then I have been accused(especially by the instructors at Brands Race school, many moons ago), or driving a race car like a rally car. Hey, but who cares, as long as we are all having fun!!!!

Eric Falce · 18 Apr 2006, 17:19 (Ref:1587794)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flat Out Farr

Arron is still getting around that. Les's new engine has shown circa 165bhp on Sanspeed's rolling road; I believe Jason's one was slightly more, on the same rollers, but they are both identical engines.

Jason drives his car differently to Les. Jason is smoother and drives it like a single seater. Les drives all his cars, single seaters and saloons the same way, he wrings their necks, bit like trying to control a bull mastif!

But then I have been accused(especially by the instructors at Brands Race school, many moons ago), or driving a race car like a rally car. Hey, but who cares, as long as we are all having fun!!!!

Ask Jason about the time he came past me at Graham Hill so far side ways that even I braked expecting him to end up in the main grandstand, plus he doesnt need two back wheels,one would do as the other one is always so far in the air it serves no purpose at all,plus he sells tyres that puncture

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