The Bearded Oaf Returns!!

[Maisie]

This is from Autosport's website:

David Leslie to make BTCC return


Former Nissan star is set to race at Donington


David Leslie, runner up in last year's BTCC, is set to return to the series when the championship heads to Donington on July 30.

The former Nissan driver will join privateer team PRO Motorsport, taking over from Colin Blair who left after a disappointing year.

"There's a 90 per cent chance David will drive at Donington," PRO Motorsport team boss Derek Palmer told Autosport magazine this week.

Leslie will race the Primera ex-team mate Laurent Aiello drove last year. "I've driven it on a number of occasions," said Leslie, "and I know it well enough."

Although this is a one-off deal, both driver and team plan to extend their partnership if the Donington race goes well.



Well, now we know what happened to Lionel anyway - any thoughts on this latest development, people?

[Peter Mallett]

That should liven things up a bit.

[Super Tourer]

This should wipe the smile off Matt's face.

Do you think Colin Blair reads 10/10's and took the hint....

[Chris Y]

Oohh, goody.. Now we have someone we can shout 'OAF!' at with some feeling

[RIKB]

Whether you like Leslie or not (I do), he is known to be competitive in that car. At least pro Motorsport will go home knowing they've been racing, rather than thinking they have been out for a Sunday drive!

As for Colin, well it was right for him to take his chance and give the BTCC a go, but he and the team should have accepted much much earlier that it wasn't working....

[Les]

There might be one problem with Leslie's return.

Can he say Nissan without the Vodaphone infront.

[fatbloke]

hehe!!

I shouldn't worry too much - he's hardly likely to win a race, is he ? Then again, there are only 10 ST cars... and Will Hoy did remarkably well at the end of term Silverstone race in another 'amatuer' entered car)

[RIKB]

The measure will not be about winning but about who he beats. Remember that colin Blair never beat anyone!

Dynamics have an upgraded engine from Nissan, Its not clear whether ProMotorsports do, but I suspect not. One thing DL will prove though, is was it just the Driver that was off the pace or are the whole team?

Should bring a bit of extra interest to the next race.

[fatbloke]

Colin Blair beat Matt Neal every time he fell off - which was quite regularly! It's all a bit of a nonsense really - what with just 2 cars in the division, but i'd imagine that the team could be described as average at best - they're not of the class of Arena for example.

[Carrie]

The bad news is that none of the remaining rounds of the BTCC clash with the GTs.

Seriously, at least with Leslie in that car we should get some indication of what the car / team is capable of - as well as a real candidate for shouting oaf at when we're at the track

[fatbloke]

As you may have guessed, I don't like the bloke all that much, but let's hope he wipes the floor with Matt Neal - some of 'Matty's' fans are nutters and it'd be funny to see their guy lose...

[Carrie]

Now whatever gives you the idea that any of Matty's fans are anything other than completely sane. We've never met anyone who could have given you that idea

[fatbloke]

I can't remember actually meeting any Matty fans who were sane. There are two which I DO remember though - some drunken Welsh bloke, and some nutty bint who insisted on shouting down her mobile that she'd just snogged Matty - despite the fact that the peopl she was telling could probably have heard her at the other side of the circuit anyway. Dear me, all a bunch of nutters...

[RIKB]

Here is a snippet from the latest press release, from the horses mouth as it were.

Says Leslie: "It's fantastic to be back again. The team asked me to drive because I'm the one with the knowledge of the Primera and I think I'm the best person to get the most out of the car. I don't think I'll be in a position to win outright. This is an Independent team and it doesn't have the funds of the manufacturer teams. I'm realistic about it, I don't expect to be doing what I was doing last year, but I will be going out to have fun and hopefully mixing it in the pack."

The release also says he is driving for the rest of the year.

[WoodyTJ]

I hope he falls off on the first corner . . . .

You can now all shout "OAF" with meaning

[Danielsun]

Originally posted by WoodyTJ
I hope he falls off on the first corner . . . .

... and off with him at the first corner shall go Matt Neal!!

[Andy H]

Credit where credit is due, at Donington the bearded geezer proved Colin Blair had about as much driving talent as a baboon.

Pity his team wasted most of the season before it was proven the car wasn't half as bad as Lionel made it look.

[Danielsun]

Exactly. I don't know that I'd have been quite so -- um -- scathing of Blair's driving talent, but it did prove that David Leslie still has it in him and also that Team Dynamics do have the best and latest of everything that Nissan have to offer.

Face it, like him or not, you can't go out and say that Leslie is that much slower than Matt Neal. He's still not Will Hoy, though...