David Besnard?

[Crash Test]

Simply, do you think he has made the grade? Does he deserve another shot next year?

[DNQ]

Give him another chance, I say.

[marcus]

six months ago I would have said NO..but he has started to show some form of late and I think he should get the chance next year..remember it is his first year in the series and his team mate has been asstounding this year so it is a hard thing to be compared against..i think next year he will do alot better.
if not then he should hit the road.

[jetsetter]

It's a bit of an ask to only give the guy one full year. If you did that noone would ever get to reach their full potential.

[Crash Test]

SBR only gave Baird one year and two enduros before they gave him the flick...

I've never really been a fan of Besnard's, he's had one good run at OP, and second on the grid at QR, but appart from that, not much...One would expect that he has the same equipment as Ambrose, and he did have last year to get used to the cars...

[gomick]

another year - he'll do ok

[Airhead]

Originally posted by gomick
another year - he'll do ok

Way to go Waynefan. Give the guy a decent go to prove himself. I mean Brock hang round for ages before actually winning anything, right Ray?

[Buckshot]

You can't really compare Besnard to Baird though. All Baird did last year was whinge that he didn't know any of the tracks. At least Besnard has been positive through out and even had the courage to admit that it was his own fault he wasn't performing and that he had to pull his socks up around half way through the year.

[philneast]

A lot depends on who is available at the time and on sponsorship arrangements.

Ask Greg Murphy and Steven Richards about being dumped when they performed a lot better than Besnard has.


.

[Ray Singcar]

Besnard's performance was inhibited by a year long brake bias stuff on the Caltex car. In Ross's own words the car was near undrivable at brake sensitive circuits. Discovered after Calder and rectified for Oran Park has seen 2nd at Oran Park, front row at Q500 and probably front row with Skaife at Winton before changing track conditions at the end of qualifying. Ever the team man Besnard has graciously taken the rap for the first 1/2 year performance. Now tell me who else has gone around the outside of Skaife at Oran Park where Skaife was white hot on the day. No...Besnard is far from finished and I will take bets from anyone that he wil finish in front of his team mate more times than not in the remaining races this year.

[Crash Test]

Funny about the brake bias- remember back to 96? The new Pack Leader team wasn't going to go to the Bathurst sprint race after suffered some fairly severe brake dramas in the earlier races...

[Brock]

Brake Bias problems. Come on a outfit supposedly as professional as SBR should be on top of some thing like that. How come there are now brake bias problems with Ambrose's car? I think Besnard is a waste of space and if SBR is going to show the same consitance to Besnard as Longhurst then he should be given the boot. The only thing Besnard has done was be competive in the Konica series when he had the best car bar none.

[Morris 1100]

Brake Bias problems. so thats it, he's been driving around twisting his knob and nothing happens

[DAVID PATERSON]

I have to admit I was unimpressed by Besnard last year when everyone was going on about how good he was after running wheel to wheel with WW at the front of the Konica races. Hey, so what. He had the best car, prepared by the best team, Wayne was seriously underfunded and running right up there in an old clunker. You tell me who was more impressive.

[Airhead]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
I have to admit I was unimpressed by Besnard last year.... You tell me who was more impressive.

The Chiko girl in the black and short leather!

Impressed the hell out of me!

[Crash Test]

Fully agree David...

After a few of their run ins down the straight, he was really spooked, and was the only man braking hard for the kink. In the end, the only way that he was able to get past WW was by unloading him.... The fact that he was frightened after such an experience, probably wasn't the best pointer to his future success. The thing is, that not many people saw what happened that day...

[Brock]

Just though I would kick this along abit. Ambrose did a great job on the weekend getting pole and even with going out of the race he still impressed the hell out of me as he has done all year. But what of his SBR team mate? Besnard and the Caltex car were nowhere all weekend. What is going on? It couldn't be the car because obivously Ambrose is going very well in his. I tend to think that Besnard is out of his depth. I just wonder how long Ross and Jim will keep him in the team I mean look at what happend to Longhurst. WHat do you think????????

[jetsetter]

I've been defending Besnard all year but the guy must be running out of chances he appears to be going backwards & not forwards.

[Accee]

OK...so he hasnt been so great...but he has come close, and it is his first season. Anyway I think he is there for another year.

[Brock]

Accee yes it is his first season but he stacks up bloody awfully compaired to his team mate Marcus Ambrose. David Besnard you are the weakest link.............. Good Bye

[D.R.T.]

He deserves a nother year, however I'm not sure whether he'll get it. WW has done pretty good of late and really drives the wheels of his Commodore.

[Woody]

if Besnard wins at Indy ok he can stay

[philneast]

Well, today a high profile Ford driver parted company with his existing team.

Has won Bathurst driving a Ross and Jimmy stone prepared and run Falcon.

Would be complent a team with a very fast but inexperienced driver.

Don't you just love silly seasons. Don't like the current crop of rumours, start your own!

[mac]

Originally posted by jetsetter
It's a bit of an ask to only give the guy one full year. If you did that noone would ever get to reach their full potential.

Hmmm. Maybe this piece of logic should have been levelled at Frank Williams at the end of the '99 F1 season. He would have been wise to look in his own backyard rather than blaming Alex Zanardi for all of the problems at Williams.

That's my b*tch for the day.

Give Besnard another season. We forget that he nearly won Bathurst last year.

[redback]

I have heard from a reliable source that he has not been getting what he needs within the team. He asked for a particular setup for Bathurst but wasn't given it. When they finally did put what he wanted on the car he was much quicker. Maybe he was complaining about the brake problem and they weren't listening then either. If the team isn't working for you it can be hard to shine. I hope they can work it out but I believe he will be ok with Caltex for another year. Don't forget this guys past and don't write him off just yet.

What about the other drivers out there that don't stack up this year. What's Tander doing this year, and Bargs, what about Richards and Seton or Larry should we give all of them the flick?