[BTCC] BTCC 2018 - Knockhill - Rounds 22, 23, 24

[Evantra]

Ride height issues apparently caused by hitting the standing water. BMR appealing.

Given a 1-2 disqualification here, huge airborne crash in F1 and MotoGP being cancelled, it's not been a good day for motorsport!

[porsche962fan]

updated points standings, a podium for Turks in race 3 and you can see how it can pan out


Turks 261
Tingram 226
Sutton 210
Cook 195
Jordan 195

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Ride height issues apparently caused by hitting the standing water. BMR appealing.

horseshit , if this appeal succeeds anyone can claim standing water when they fail ride height in a wet race

[Racer65]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I know that the Knockhill race weekend generally has less events because the Renault Clios can't afford the additional cost of a service station sausage roll, but ITVs coverage of this weekend has been truly awful. They're just filling the entire thing with ads instead. Porsches end, so we go to ads. Come back, tell us cars were excluded then an awkward silence as they go straight back to ads.

I know that between them all that Tim Harvey, Louise Goodman and Steve Ryder struggle to muster a single personality, but this is bad even for them.

Not noticing anymore breaks than normal to be honest. I think it's just that people get used to ads being at regular intervals where with this coverage they come in batches where they fit.

You could always put it on delayed recording and skip the ads with the built up buffer but don't forget what is paying for 6 hours of motorsport coverage on a terrestrial free channel.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Racer65

Not noticing anymore breaks than normal to be honest. I think it's just that people get used to ads being at regular intervals where with this coverage they come in batches where they fit.

You could always put it on delayed recording and skip the ads with the built up buffer but don't forget what is paying for 6 hours of motorsport coverage on a terrestrial free channel.

This is the way I tend to watch motorsport on commercial TV. It also has the added bonus of being able fast forward through the boring bits of a Grand Prix (if I have a big enough buffer!)

[Akrapovic]

We all know why there are ads. But when you have less races, it'd be nice to get highlights of the races from the morning. We had an extended lunch and less races today and we got awkward silences and additional breaks. Normally, the breaks are well balanced and barely noticable - I just find it jarring to have the American style of returning from ads simply to announce another break.

For Race 3 I imagine Sutton will make up more spots than Ingram. Could do well in damage limitation.

[btccbloke]

it would be ok if every ad break didn't have the same 5 adverts!

... tho granted those 5 companies have obviously been the only ones to pay the premium for these slots

[porsche962fan]

Jordan firmly denies that he will be rear gunner

[porsche962fan]

Sutton with full ballast goes so easy pass the other cars...


Congrats Chilton



seems Turks decided to settle for 2nd

[Londoner]

Great to see Chilton winning once again.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Londoner

Great to see Chilton winning once again.

Yep, love to see his passion. Almost tripped over the 1st place board too!

Turkington had luck on his side this weekend... Really like the guy but can't help but feel a little bit disappointed...

Roll on Silverstone, hopefully Ingram can close the gap right down for a Brands showdown.

[tux]

Haha I enjoyed when Sutton said the sill was damaged which is why they failed ride height but we clearly saw the roller unable to fit under the front splitter.

There are so many questions I have about BRM.

1. If the car is so good why did Plato have a best finish of 19th today?

2. If Sutton is this driving god then what happened in the first half of the season?

3. How does the car perform so well with weight and or in wet conditions? 2 wins today 1 with full ballast (1 DQ) and carving through the field again with decent ballast.

4. What is going on with Plato? like him or not you can’t honestly say he’s as bad a driver as the results the last 18 months have been for him. I don’t buy into the rumours that were around that he wasn’t getting equal equipment or had fallen out with the team. Going from previous years Plato would be more than vocal if he was being unfairly treated and wouldn’t stick around if the team were “screwing” him. However I’m not sure you can put it down to increased competition on the grid or losing some of his ability due to age. The one striking thing for me is how little we ever hear him mentioned or interviewed by ITV these days. I’m not suggesting there’s anything dodgy going on but it’s baffling and fascinating in equal measure.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by tux

Haha I enjoyed when Sutton said the sill was damaged which is why they failed ride height but we clearly saw the roller unable to fit under the front splitter.

There are so many questions I have about BRM.

1. If the car is so good why did Plato have a best finish of 19th today?

2. If Sutton is this driving god then what happened in the first half of the season?

3. How does the car perform so well with weight and or in wet conditions?

4. What is going on with Plato? like him or not you can’t honestly say he’s as bad a driver as the results the last 18 months have been for him. I don’t buy into the rumours that were around that he wasn’t getting equal equipment or had fallen out with the team. Going from previous years Plato would be more than vocal if he was being unfairly treated and wouldn’t stick around if the team were “screwing” him. However I’m not sure you can put it down to increased competition on the grid or losing some of his ability due to age. The one striking thing for me is how little we ever hear him mentioned or interviewed by ITV these days. I’m not suggesting there’s anything dodgy going on but it’s baffling and fascinating in equal measure.

I suspect 3 and 4 are linked. The Subaru is quite softly setup even in the dry. It has visibly more pitch and roll than any other car. It clearly likes being setup like that, and Sutton seems to have mastered it. Plato meanwhile is struggling, but that could be the fact that it doesn't suit him. A softly setup RWD car is completely different to any other BTCC car he's driven. It could be that, combined with that natrual drop off with speed someone has as their career winds down.

And yeah, we watched the roller fail on a couple of points on the side of the Subaru. I don't buy that excuse.

[tux]

I imagine you’re right tbh Akrapovic, it’s just confusing to see. As for Sutton maybe we are just seeing a very very good driver in a car that excels in the wet. As mentioned by yourself and previous posters, the car is visibly softly sprung, has a low COG and I’d imagine the longer wheelbase helps in the wet too.

Either way I’m hoping Ingram can find a way to claim the title, I think it would be nice to see another first time champion driving for a smaller team.

[mattcanary]

Originally Posted by tux

Haha I enjoyed when Sutton said the sill was damaged which is why they failed ride height but we clearly saw the roller unable to fit under the front splitter.

There are so many questions I have about BRM.

1. If the car is so good why did Plato have a best finish of 19th today?

2. If Sutton is this driving god then what happened in the first half of the season?

3. How does the car perform so well with weight and or in wet conditions? 2 wins today 1 with full ballast (1 DQ) and carving through the field again with decent ballast.

4. What is going on with Plato? like him or not you can’t honestly say he’s as bad a driver as the results the last 18 months have been for him. I don’t buy into the rumours that were around that he wasn’t getting equal equipment or had fallen out with the team. Going from previous years Plato would be more than vocal if he was being unfairly treated and wouldn’t stick around if the team were “screwing” him. However I’m not sure you can put it down to increased competition on the grid or losing some of his ability due to age. The one striking thing for me is how little we ever hear him mentioned or interviewed by ITV these days. I’m not suggesting there’s anything dodgy going on but it’s baffling and fascinating in equal measure.

Jason Plato has had one or two good [performances this season - particularly the first race at Croft and the last race at Rockingham. Qualifying effort was good at Croft and Rockingham too. But the good performances have been few and far between.

I think that if things goes against him, his head goes down really quickly nowadays and the motivation isn;t really there now to rise above the machinery. He does seem to sometimes give up - as when voluntarily retiring at Thruxton when he was struggling in one of the races, and starting from the pitlane when he is in a fast-starting car.

He really was nowhere today and against hat may have been down to the conditions. It required really high levels of motivation to perform well today.

Matt Neal also had a really poor weekend. He has been really in and out this season. Has been several very good performances, but at other times he has just looked slow in races.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by mattcanary

I think that if things goes against him, his head goes down really quickly nowadays and the motivation isn;t really there now to rise above the machinery. He does seem to sometimes give up - as when voluntarily retiring at Thruxton when he was struggling in one of the races, and starting from the pitlane when he is in a fast-starting car.

He really was nowhere today and against hat may have been down to the conditions. It required really high levels of motivation to perform well today.

I think you're right with both these points. We've seen some onboard cameras with him after a race where he's started near the back and finished near the back, and he's thrown some right strops - forcing the window net down and chucking it about. He's clearly frustrated and angry, and since he can't get the car to work for him, he can't channel the anger into anything productive.

I also don't recall him being particularly great in the wet. He's not bad, obviously, but he's never been one that you say "wet race, watch out for Jason". So this weekend was probably the worst possible for him. We saw Sutton getting sideways over kerbs and power sliding about, but we also saw Jason sliding but rather than controlling it like Sutton, he'd have to straighten it up and lose all the speed down the straight. He just can't seem to get ontop of the car in the wet like Sutton can.

A combination of a career winding down, a strange car that he's unable to get to grips with, watching his teammate take titles, and building frustration is really hurting him.

[Matt K]

Drifting away a bit from Subaru thing, I'm so happy to see Chilton getting this win finally. Honestly I was sure that Turkington is going to make it but either his speed deteriorated or Chilton was able to find some more pace + Turks was not risking everything. But a great race indeed and great to see Chilton and Motorbase finally collecting that silverware.
A bit shame there were so many Safety Car intrusions but how could it have been in so tricky conditions?

[porsche962fan]

standings , 43 points cushion for Turks

Turks 269
Tingram 226
Sutton 218
Jordan 210
Cook 205
Chilton 204
Morgan 200

[Evantra]

Also interesting to note how Ingram and Sutton planned to work together for R3 - wonder if that's a relationship that will continue to work against Colin?

[GT6]

Well another 3 good races, looking forward to final round at brands as can't make silverstone this year

[Alfisti]

Well I personally think this is now Colins championship to lose if he drives sensibly within his and the cars abilities (lets face it, both driver and car are good). Spectacular is not needed, just solid steady driving.

Tingram although very good has been let down by his car several times now; Speedworks have not raised their game enough to deserve the championship IMO. The ride height today - ditto Sutton - left me gobsmacked. How come these cars failed that? The Subaru was way out, had they tinkered too much with the suspension and not thought to do the obvious check before going to grid? Just seems the sort of mistake an amateur racer/team would be more likely to make.

Very pleased for Chilton, equally disappointed for Jelley and at a loss as to why Colin wasn't excluded for that feckless rear ending. If Plato or Neal had done that there would have whinging left right and centre!

Another desperately poor Plato weekend. He really does not gel with that car, period. Let's hope he is off elsewhere or into retirement - watching him the past two seasons is pitiful, similar to Schumachers time at Mercedes.

Most impressed with Rory Butcher, no offence to AmD but I'd love to see him in one of the big teams.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Jordan firmly denies that he will be rear gunner

Naturally. Pirtek are not bank rolling their man to assist other branded vehicles, same stable or not.

Mr Jordan gets a few more shiny coins for his piggy bank too!

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

We all know why there are ads. But when you have less races, it'd be nice to get highlights of the races from the morning.

It bugs my why some of the Scottish race series aren't on the package any more for Knockhill; the classics and the Minis provided very fine entertainment IMO.

[porsche962fan]

anyone think Ricky Collard needs replaced ? WSR really need a solid rear gunner for Turks and Collard is not up to pace , unless under the table Jordan has to pledge aliegence to Turks

[mattcanary]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Drifting away a bit from Subaru thing, I'm so happy to see Chilton getting this win finally. Honestly I was sure that Turkington is going to make it but either his speed deteriorated or Chilton was able to find some more pace + Turks was not risking everything. But a great race indeed and great to see Chilton and Motorbase finally collecting that silverware.
A bit shame there were so many Safety Car intrusions but how could it have been in so tricky conditions?

Yeah, Tom Chi;ton also totally dominated his teammate this weekend. James Cole was nowhere.