What Happened to Colin Blair?

[Super Tourer]

What happened to Colin Blair this time?

Have they not fixed the car since his croft testing shunt, or have they dropped out of the series.

Under the TOCA rules for 2000, I thought that the start money for Independents, was only paid if you did all the races.

I don't know if there is a let off for accident damage, but this may have some bearing for the rest of the season.

[Les]

It's a pity he doesn't give the car to someone who can drive it!

[redshoes]

Talking to one of the TOCA guys on Friday night they were still expecting him up until late Thursday. Apparantly there was more damage at Croft than the team originally thought.

[Danielsun]

Originally posted by Les
It's a pity he doesn't give the car to someone who can drive it!

WILL HOY!!!

Well, look what happened in the Russell Spence Laguna after 'Big Willie' took over mid-season. Before, with Spence at the wheel, there were countless spins and crashes. Had Will Hoy been in the car from the start, Matt Neal may not have had it so easy...

I mean this Primera is supposedly Aiello's Championship-winning car. I know that Dynamics have far and away the biggest budget out there, but there's no way that their development of the car can be that much better than Blair's team.

[Les]

I know it's rotten to have a go at Blair but when you see everyone taking near enough the same line round the circuit and then Blair comes round - braking early, not going over the kerbs but with the speed on the straight then it is obvious a lot of the problems are to do with the driver.

What did he do before this year?

[RIKB]

He's done quite well in lesser Formulea tin top racing, trouble is that he came to racing quite late in life, and all his previous experience has been in high power rear wheel drive stuff! RS500 cosworth etc.

It seems that he cannot adapt to front wheel drive racecars, same problem as spence if I remember correctly.

[Danielsun]

Okay now, I've seen a Sierra referenc. Time to bore you all --- no, not this time. Seriously, if Blair could handle a 500+ BHP Cossie, then a 300HP Primera should not be all that much of a problem.

Okay they drive from different ends, but chucking a hugely powerful car around a track should be much more difficult than a bigger, less powerful one.

Agree or not?

[kmchow]

Danielsun wrote:

>kay they drive from different ends, but chucking a hugely >owerful car around a track should be much more difficult >an a bigger, less powerful one. Agree or not?
>
I totally disagree!! =) It could take some time for Blair or any other driver used to rough driving a heavy/powerful car and now has trouble or needs time to carefully/nicely driving a lighter/less powerful car?

Kinda like having to adjust to life with a spouse and kids versus when you were single? ;-)

[Danielsun]

Be quiet and listen to Dr Chow everyone!! The marriage counsellor is in the house...

Okay, it may take him time to adjust, but if he drove a Sierra previously he's had -- well, um -- ten years to adjust from that. Not likely that it would take that long. Could it be that the Nissan is a slightly more difficult car to drive than it was in the past?

Remember the last round at Silverstone last season: Matt Neal, who had been 'bonused' a 1999 car, did have a bit of trouble staying in a straight line, 'cos it wasn't like his old car. Viable or not?

[Super Tourer]

Call me a cynic. But if you've never driven a Super Tourer before, and your team has never run a touring car before, what's the point of buying a '99 championship winning car and putting it up against an identical car,prepared by a team with years of semi-works Nissan experience,driven by a championship winning driver, who has driven Nissans for several years.....

Are you setting youself up to look a **** - or what !!!!

Pro-motorsport and CB, have put a ridiculous amount of pressure on themselves and spent a lot of money - for what.

You can't tell me that tooling around at the back miles of the pace is fun for the driver, or makes good viewing for the team.

Les has outlined how the car looks out on the track, so I guess it looks even more scary from Colin's seat.

Being successful in a club series in Scotland is nothing like racing in the BTCC, with the best in the business. Even if Colin was quick in his Sierra, I reckon Rydell would be quicker - and that's the point.

To me it looks pointless.

[Danielsun]

You're right on a couple of counts there for sure. Pro Motorsport (isn't that just asking for trouble?) have put themselves in a difficult position by being the only challenger to the might of Matt Neal and the Team Dynamics Primera.

Being in the 1999 Championship-winning car should mean that he's doing better than he is. Of course, Colin Blair is no Laurent Aiello (he's nowhere near enough of an oaf!) on the track, but he and the car should be up at least challenging the rest of the Super Tourers. Not in the gap between them and Alan Morrison and James Kaye in Class B.

That's where your last point comes into it: Colin Blair is not a top line driver. By that, I mean that he doesn't get paid hundreds of thousands (or even millions) per season to go out and win races. He has had to 'buy' his own way into the BTCC with his team. No manufacturer support or big budgets here. If he stays in the series next year, he might find it easier perhaps in a different car - with less power and probably more driveability.

[Crash Test]

Talking to many of the drivers, the hardest thing to get used to is the front wheel drive....if your an ace drive, of course it is a sinch. Obviuosly if you are brought up on rear wheel drive, a rear wheel drive or 4wd would be much (bring back BMW and Audi!!!!) easier to handle. Another thing with under powered cars is that you have to really be careful, and drive them around the track trying to maintain momentum, which is easierin a big beast.

[kmchow]

Danielsun wrote:

>Okay, it may take him time to adjust, but if he drove a >Sierra previously he's had -- well, um -- ten years to >adjust from that. Not likely that it would take that long.
>
I just recall a good example--Gianna Morbidelli! Long time BMW ST racer, switched to FWD Volvo in '99? Struggled through entire season. In '00 ESTC, back in RWD BMW, won last two races. Again, it's not easy driving something you're not used to it.

Crash Test wrote:

>Another thing with under powered cars is that you have to >really be careful, and drive them around the track trying >to maintain momentum, which is easierin a big beast.
>
I think Crashtest said it best! Because FWD cars don't have a lot of torque, you have to keep your momentum up. Any slowdown will take a lot longer to recover!

[kmchow]

SuperTourer wrote:

>Call me a cynic. But if you've never driven a Super Tourer >before, and your team has never run a touring car before, >what's the point of buying a '99 championship winning car >and putting it up against an identical car,prepared by a >team with years of semi-works Nissan experience,driven by >a championship winning driver, who has driven Nissans for >several years.....
>
Derek Palmer, owner of Pro Motorsports, eluded to that answer in the June issue of Performance Car/Conversions. He has always wanted to race the most technologically advanced touring car in the top touring car series! This was his last chance to do it in Britain. Simple answer!

The same reason can kinda be used to explain why I have spent so much time and limited (LITTLE or no) money to turn my family's Volvo wagon into a ST inspired car!! It goes slow, but heck, I always get a rush simply looking at my car with all those nice sponsor stickers... =)

Lastly, at least Colin Blair can say he's driven a ST car!! How many of us can say we did that??? ;-)