So... who deserves a gig?

[GTRMagic]

With so many non V8-regulars putting in brilliant performances at the weekend... it begs the question.... who would be a strong option for the main series...

There are a few names that spring to mind.....

David Besnard - Running to the SBR plan and still very quick, consistent... solid...
Allan Simonsen - A demon in the wet part of the race, 4th quickest lap!
Greg Ritter - Put the unfancied 2nd GRM car near the top of the timesheets in a number of sessions, quick, consistent...
Luke Youlden - Totally on the pace of his codriver.. and in the development series beat cars of much better specification
Marcus Marshall - Showed that the JDR Commodores are much quicker than their results have presented... was shattered after his crash...

Any more?

[GROUPA]

Ritter has been given an oppurtunity and failed along with Luff, Gurr and a number of others

Simonsen would be great as too Richard Lyons

[mayhem]

Alex Davison and Andrew Thompson, were very competitive all weekend, and had many 'regulars' behind them.

[Steve Holmes]

Originally Posted by GROUPA

Ritter has been given an oppurtunity and failed along with Luff, Gurr and a number of others

Simonsen would be great as too Richard Lyons

To be fair, Ritter wasn't really given much of an oportunity in the main game. He was the number 2 driver at FPR when an FPR Falcon was about the biggest pile of poo on four wheels. I thought he actually did really well against a much more experienced team mate at FPR. He is defintely one guy who deserves another shot in the main game.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by mayhem

Alex Davison and Andrew Thompson, were very competitive all weekend, and had many 'regulars' behind them.

Mr Thompson pumped out a number of low 9's and was very quick.... makes his move to PWR even sadder

[Wood-duck]

I reckon you could add Steve Owen to this list... looks like he will be out of a ride at seasons end and is one guy that has done absolutely nothing wrong, in fact his performances in the elderly Autobarn VZ should be commended. A sad day when a great driver gets moved aside for a chequebook.

Greg Ritter thoroughly deserves another crack, he just shows up year after year and upsets the team's main steerers. Give him a half decent car (like a GRM VE) and he can deliver.

You could probably find space for these two in the main game if a few current pilots recognised that they are out of their depth and stepped aside...

[mac]

You could stick any one out of:
- Lyons
- Simonsen
- Owen (a better ride at least)
- D'Alberto
- A.Davison
- Thompson
- Ritter
- Halliday
- O.Kelly
- Youlden
- Macrow
- Besnard

in the main game and they certainly would not disgrace themselves.

[Hazard]

What about Baird and the Rat for another go at the top flight somewhere? Better than their recent languishings at TKR and WPS?

[GT3 Cup]

Dave Reynolds deserves a chance. Didn't really get much of an opportunity in the V8 but his drive in race 3 of Carrera Cup was impressive.

[mac]

Absolutely. Reynolds is class too...

[Mickcals]

Alex Davison needs another shot - that two top tnen finishes with DJR in two years - he does deserve another shot at the main game

[Chatters]

Number 1 on my list would have to be Luke Youlden. I'm amazed he hasn't been able to secure a full-time drive in the main series! He deserves a chance. Andrew Thompson is another one, but it seems he will be driving next year. Add to that Alex Davison, David Besnard, Baird and Radisich (if we're counting them)...

What about Adam Macrow? Surprised his name hasn't been mentioned yet.

[Used Car]

I reckon Chatters should be a mod, with all that kind of logic.. that's a gig isnt it?

[Sultan]

You could also increase the grid capacity & franchises - at least then we'd see a decent size grid for Bathust again...

[Pro Racer]

Originally Posted by Used Car

I reckon Chatters should be a mod, with all that kind of logic.. that's a gig isnt it?

dude chatters is a good contributer to this forum, if you have a problem with him sort it out, chatters had a problem with me we sorted it and are not pouting the threads with attacks on people so could you do the same, or just simply put chatters or whoever else is annoying you on ignore.

[marcus]

the 3 standouts for me were.

Besnard , Ritter and Simonsen.

all 3 of them drove very well and deserve a shot(or another shot in the case of bessy and ritter) at the top flight

[NAC]

Originally Posted by mac

You could stick any one out of:
- Lyons
- Simonsen
- Owen (a better ride at least)
- D'Alberto
- A.Davison
- Thompson
- Ritter
- Halliday
- O.Kelly
- Youlden
- Macrow
- Besnard

in the main game and they certainly would not disgrace themselves.

Not so sure about Halliday mac, which is weird coming from me being very patriotic. I expected more from both Matt and Owen Kelly in that car, the best time they could muster was a 2:10.33 .Having said that they did bring it home and they were still on the lead lap, I just expected more.

Lyons and Simonsen were the ones who impressed me most out of the non main game drivers, give them both a seat.

The other driver that I would like to see get a better ride is Fabian Coulthard. I know he only managed a 2:11.14 but Astro is the oldest car in the field. I still say Morris should move over and put Coulthard in his VE. I would at least like to compare the lap time between them given the same equipment

Youlden also impressed again, head down bum up, no nonsense just get on with it.

[Notso Swift]

Thompson will get a gig because he is cashed up, them's the facts and it has nothing to do with deserving. At least 6 of these guys are better than half the existing field. Nothing new here.
About 3 years ago Macrow was the second fastest FPR driver behind Lowdnes and in front of Seton and (I think) Hossack, and he still can't get a drive. Line one up for this year but Gurr just threw the cash down, yet it is telling that Brighty had the choice of pairing with any other driver in the Britek squad and choses the part timer...

[Used Car]

Bathurst fast cars

1 888 Team Vodafone C.Lowndes/J.Whincup 2:08.4651 1
2 6 Ford Performance Racing S.Richards/M.Winterbottom 2:08.5580 10
3 17 Jim Beam Racing W.Davison/S.Johnson 2:08.6613 3
4 88 Team Vodafone R.Lyons/A.Simonsen 2:08.8859 5
5 4 Jeld-Wen Motorsport D.Besnard/J.Courtney 2:08.9730 2
6 51 Tasman Motorsport G.Murphy/J.Richards 2:09.0211 4
7 25 Fujitsu Racing J.Bright/A.Macrow 2:09.0704 DNF
8 1 Toll HSV Dealer Team R.Kelly/G.Tander 2:09.0774 DNF
9 2 Holden Racing Team T.Kelly/M.Skaife 2:09.0851 DNF
10 67 Team Sirromet Wines S.Ellery/P.Morris 2:09.2266 DNF
11 34 Valvoline Cummins Race Team C.McLean/G.Ritter 2:09.3960 9
12 16 Toll HSV Dealer Team C.Baird/P.Radisich 2:09.4872 DNF
13 33 Valvoline Cummins Race Team D.Canto/L.Holdsworth 2:09.5118 DNF
14 22 Holden Racing Team N.Pretty/G.Seton 2:09.5182 11
15 18 Jim Beam Racing A.Davison/A.Thompson 2:09.5355 8
16 9 Caltex Racing R.Ingall/L.Youlden 2:09.5751 DNF
17 20 Supercheap Auto Racing P.Dumbrell/P.Weel 2:09.5859 12
18 55 Autobarn Racing S.Owen/T.D'Alberto 2:09.6650 6
19 21 Team Kiwi Racing S.Gisbergen/J.McIntyre 2:09.7072 DNF
20 12 Team BOC A.Jones/S.Wills 2:09.8727 DNF
21 11 Jack Daniel's Racing M.Marshall/K.Scott 2:09.9455 DNF
22 7 Jack Daniel's Racing J.Perkins/S.Price 2:10.0172 DNF
23 111 Glenfords Racing J.Bowe/J.Webb 2:10.2282 14
24 5 Ford Performance Racing M.Halliday/O.Kelly 2:10.3303 13
25 8 WPS Racing J.Bargwanna/M.Wilson 2:10.3414 7
26 26 IRWIN Racing A.Gurr/W.Luff 2:10.6653 DNF
27 10 WPS Racing M.Caruso/G.Denyer 2:10.9138 15
28 3 Tasman Motorsport M.Noske/J.Verdnik 2:11.0347 DNF
29 39 Team Sirromet Wines F.Coulthard/C.Pither 2:11.1473 16
30 50 Supercheap Auto Racing C.McConville/D.Reynolds - DNF

[F J Nedos]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

With so many non V8-regulars putting in brilliant performances at the weekend... it begs the question.... who would be a strong option for the main series...

There are a few names that spring to mind.....

David Besnard - Running to the SBR plan and still very quick, consistent... solid...
Allan Simonsen - A demon in the wet part of the race, 4th quickest lap!
Greg Ritter - Put the unfancied 2nd GRM car near the top of the timesheets in a number of sessions, quick, consistent...
Luke Youlden - Totally on the pace of his codriver.. and in the development series beat cars of much better specification
Marcus Marshall - Showed that the JDR Commodores are much quicker than their results have presented... was shattered after his crash...

Any more?

Take a moment to think this: will any win a championship given a good car/team? Or at the least, would they win a race(s)?

I think they are all good steerers who would at least put good consistent performances in. But where would you put some of them?

I can think of JDR, PWR, BOC, maybe even PCR. I really think JDR need at least 1 experienced driver in there. Cant help think Besnard would be good there.

[Pro Racer]

IMO,

the dudes deserving a second crack:
Ritter, deserves another go winning Sandown and 4th at Bathurst as a co-driver with Ambrose is not the easyest task and that was his only time in a competitive car and he didn't disgrace.

Bezzy, his first tilt with SBR well wasn't his best and deserves his stint at WPS with hacks back then and i think part of the binning it all the time was perhaps over driving the barge, but he has shown sincwe that he is worthy at both Sandown and Bathurst.

Bairdo, ditto Bezzy.

Marcus Marshall, was quick with PCR and put in some decent performances in a new team, and he was going good at Bathurst until the little crash at the cutting, but having a rich father and being branded SORF has over shadowed his talent.

Alex Davison, the Autobarn gig wasn't the best chance at it so there is an excuse with that one, but the last 2 years he has performed well at Bathurst with a top 10 in both outings, has shown in CC that he has the good time and time again.

Luke Youlden, not realy in the get another go category as he hasn't had a go but he ain't that young either, he has proven himself to be a good steerere in many categories including V8's but maybe it is the cash that he dosn't have behind him as he has proven himself time and time again.

the young talent that deserve a shot:
Adam Macrow, won the Fujitsu series, got a podium with Ellery, was going well with Bright, what more does he need to do win Bathurst??.

David Reynolds, well he has good talent, certainly would do well given the opertunity, he didn't get to strut his stuff at Sandown and Bathurst, but surely Toll hiring him (although he did get pushed aside it was for a much experienced driver) surely is an indication he has the goods, obviously he Holden seem to see him as a future prospect.

Micheal Caruso, obviously he has talent nad given the opertunity he will shine, he wouldn't have been given the best car in the Fujitsu series if he didn't have talent, surely he isn't far off putting preasure on for a seat.

Dale Wood, is starting to show what he can do in the Fujitsu series, another year or 2 and he will be knocking on the door.

[Rombles1]

Originally Posted by GROUPA

Ritter has been given an oppurtunity and failed along with Luff, Gurr and a number of others

Simonsen would be great as too Richard Lyons

If I remember correctly Whincup was a "failure" when given his first opportunity.... I don't think a ride in a dog should prevent another chance....