BTCC Brands Hatch Thread

Hazard · 4 Jun 2005, 10:08 (Ref:1319824)

Matt Neal fastest in practice 1, with Collard & Plato behind.

A 2005 record people...14 cars running (in practice at least). Both the Lexii have been able to move around a bit today - and the Fast-tec Astra is back.

luke · 4 Jun 2005, 11:10 (Ref:1319854)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazard

Matt Neal fastest in practice 1, with Collard & Plato behind.

A 2005 record people...14 cars running (in practice at least). Both the Lexii have been able to move around a bit today - and the Fast-tec Astra is back.

Great to see 14 cars again, it wan't nice seeing 10 or 11 cars at Thruxton, although that doesn't mean for no exciting racing.
And Thruxton turned out to be a great days racing.

This is going to be again exciting races, and I'm predicting 3 different manufacture winners in the 3 races.

BootsOntheSide · 4 Jun 2005, 12:48 (Ref:1319900)

Really we've got a top 10 entries which are simialr in stature to last year's, although it's a shame Reid and Thommo are gone, but a lack of teams to fill the grid, adn the lack of the Indy Cup. It's a shame, but as long as there's plenty of action at the front it isn't rally noticeable on TV, and the guys at the track are seeing plenty of much bigger fields in the support events anyway.

I'd love to see WSR take a win this weekend, but Neal, Eaves, Mulelr, Turkington and Plato are all obvious contenders - and the other guys might be able to use the ballast and reverse grid systems to create an opportunity.

**touringlegend** · 4 Jun 2005, 15:19 (Ref:1319984)

Qualifying Results: http://www.msttiming.com/singlesessi...nd=round03.gif

Neal takes pole, and Dan Eaves will line up alongside since Tom Chilton is relegated 6 places as a punishment for an incident at Thruxton.

Dissapointing qualifying session for SEAT, 8th(7th), 9th and 10th

SPARK Msport · 4 Jun 2005, 15:52 (Ref:1320002)

Noticed there was no second Lexus out during Qually, I take it only one will take to the grid tomorrow?

Alfa Fan · 4 Jun 2005, 16:53 (Ref:1320028)

No, both will race.

P.Cummins · 5 Jun 2005, 12:49 (Ref:1320473)

The seats didn't go too well in qualifying. I'd say Chilton, Collard and Team Dynamics will be the ones to beat today.

**touringlegend** · 5 Jun 2005, 13:16 (Ref:1320489)

A good race for Matt Neal this morning, taking a win followed by Turkington and Muller. The top 8 were very close indeed towards the end.

Bad race for Dan Eaves though, locking up at Paddock when he was following Muller very closely.

Results: http://www.msttiming.com/result.asp?...nd=round03.gif

speedy king · 5 Jun 2005, 13:58 (Ref:1320515)

Second race looked interesting on MST (Thats all i have!!) Looked like Turky, Pickford and maybe Chilton got in some incident? The safety car came out and Chilton was out of the race. Ah well, only an hour now until i see it on TV!

Hazard · 5 Jun 2005, 14:10 (Ref:1320519)

Think that's all we all had. Good race, everyone's driving banana's and it's not even race three!

Plato whining as usual, Collard driving well and then not. Muller frustrated. Bring on race three!

SPARK Msport · 5 Jun 2005, 14:13 (Ref:1320521)

Is Kaye on pole for race 3? As I thought if you finished 10th with a DNF the pole goes to the 9th finisher...am I correct?

BillyT · 5 Jun 2005, 14:20 (Ref:1320523)

He must of been doing well as he had the 2nd fastest lap of the race.

speedy king · 5 Jun 2005, 14:21 (Ref:1320524)

We have a Lexus on Pole, lets hope he makes the start!

Kaye will be 9th or 10th i think. I too thought he'd be on pole but i checked on MST and they say otherwise

speedy king · 5 Jun 2005, 14:22 (Ref:1320526)

Jeees i wish i had gone today. Sounds like the support races have been very good too

Hazard · 5 Jun 2005, 14:27 (Ref:1320529)

Indeed, only the top ten finishing cars are reversed...so we'll probably see a lot of Lexus' on pole in race three this year. When they finish that is.

Hazard · 5 Jun 2005, 16:27 (Ref:1320587)

14 cars looks alright as a grid size when they're all rolling...not so bad.

Great job by Muller, these Honda's are going to be trouble. Poor Smith, always gets punted off doesn't he?

Alfa Fan · 5 Jun 2005, 16:53 (Ref:1320604)

14 cars is acceptable, yes. Shame Jason Hughes hasn't appeared, hopefully we'll see the Kartworld car out later in the year.

Fiona Leggate, and the Griffin 307s should be joining at Oulton, so that will fill the grids out a bit, and then there's the GA Alfa Romeo coming soon.

Don't know if we're going to see a second WSR car this year now. Shame really, as I still don't rate Collard as being anything special.

Nice to see both Lexus finally runnings, they've now already exceeded what TMSR managed in 2001.

Next few rounds could be very intesting - I hope SEATs pace continues to improve though, they have been a bit disappointing I think.

luke · 5 Jun 2005, 18:49 (Ref:1320707)

Dan Eaves had a good recovery once again.

Glad Matt Neal won twice.

**touringlegend** · 5 Jun 2005, 19:20 (Ref:1320736)

Quote:

Originally Posted by luke

Dan Eaves had a good recovery once again.

Glad Matt Neal won twice.

Agreed about Dan, we're probably witnessing one of the great BTCC Champions here if you ask me...

luke · 5 Jun 2005, 19:24 (Ref:1320740)

Quote:

Originally Posted by touringlegend

Agreed about Dan, we're probably witnessing one of the great BTCC Champions here if you ask me...

His drives at Thruxton proved he's worthy of the driver he is, the results speak for themselfs.
He did something that I doubt will happen in a while, especially the 3rd race of the day from the back to win.
Hopefully he'll win the title, if he does he'll be a very worthy champion.

P.Cummins · 5 Jun 2005, 19:52 (Ref:1320762)

The racing was very good today. The Seat's didn't have a good run. I am disgusted by Pickford's move on Gavin Smith today. Ironically, it is a de ja vu for what Smith did last year in Mondello. Remember one of the Protons (I think) was half way around and Smith kept his foot to the floor, well thats what happened to him today. Turkington benefited from a lot of silly driver mistakes and I have to give a hand to Muller. Fantastic defensive driving in race 3. I was hoping that he would hold on because I have to admit that I am a bit annoyed over Dan Eaves. I think that move into the first corner in race 3 was a bit over the top. To me, it looked like there could be no way you could get down the inside of that Lexus. I think he has to calm down a bit! But Matt went well. Great driving in race 1. I had high hopes for Chilton but nothing seemed to be in his favour today. After dropping out on the penultimate lap in race 2, it was great to see Kaye finish a very credible 4th.
Finally, I have to give a hand to Collard. Fantastic driving and he was great off the line in race 3 until it went a bit wrong. I have high hopes for Collard but I wonder if the TD brigade can be stopped. I hope not!

**touringlegend** · 5 Jun 2005, 17:26 (Ref:1320631)

Who's going to stop the TD Hondas though! They are mega fast and seem such nimble small cars.

Pickford was involved in a few dodgy race 3 incidents though, first tapping Collard into a slide then just being crazy and driving through Smith till he was off the circuit! Won't be surprised to see some action from Clerk of the Course, keeping in mind Collard was punished for an earlier race incident.

Slightly worrying though that the Safety Car wasn't called when Luke Hines car was beached at Paddock, but it was for Collard's MG. The demands of live TV coverage, I wonder ?

cos · 5 Jun 2005, 17:27 (Ref:1320632)

Bit suspicious that the safety car wasn't deployed for Hines' car, yet it was when Collard's MG was in exactly the same place! Is this a case of TV scheduling taking priority over safety?

**edit - great minds think alike touringlegend!

rdjones · 5 Jun 2005, 21:57 (Ref:1320888)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cos

Bit suspicious that the safety car wasn't deployed for Hines' car, yet it was when Collard's MG was in exactly the same place! Is this a case of TV scheduling taking priority over safety?

**edit - great minds think alike touringlegend!

Just got back and that crossed my mind at the time. I was stood on Paddock Hill and I don't know if it was show on TV but one of the Lexus went of and was heading right for Hines car, somehow he missed it, how he didn't he hit I will never know.

wensleydale · 6 Jun 2005, 11:43 (Ref:1321253)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cos

Bit suspicious that the safety car wasn't deployed for Hines' car, yet it was when Collard's MG was in exactly the same place! Is this a case of TV scheduling taking priority over safety?

<conspiracy theory>I think the safety car in race 3 was planned as the Safety car parked up on circuit just before the pit-lane entrance after the warm up lap. It only parked there for the final race, and made no attempt to leave the circuit immediately after the start as you would expect</conspiracy theory>

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