[BTCC] Knockhill, 12th-13th August 2023 - Rounds 19, 20, 21

[SSmith]

Entry list for this weekend

https://www.barc.net/wp-content/uplo...D-10.08.23.pdf

BTCC - 27 cars

Huff is running as #79

MINI JCW - 21 cars

Largely the same grid as at Oulton Park two months ago. No James Griffith or Steven Lake. Return of Sam Smith to the championship after the accident at Donington.

British F4 - 19 cars

Largely the same field as Croft. No Sonny Smith. Addition of Griffin Peebles to the grid, racing for Phinsys by Argenti

Porsche Carrera Cup GB - 23 cars (8 Pro, 12 Pro-Am, 3 Am)

A few changes since we last saw PCCGB.

In PRO, Robert de Haan, Micah Stanley, and Richardson Racing are racing at Assen in Carrera Cup Benelux. Hugo Ellis has moved from JTR to Team Parker Racing. Gus Burton has returned to the championship at JTR in the NAPA-backed entry.
In PRO-AM, Oliver White returns to the championship with Redline Racing. He was classified as a Pro last year.

Legends - 30 cars

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by SSmith

Entry list for this weekend

https://www.barc.net/wp-content/uplo...D-10.08.23.pdf

The BARC list has a couple of errors regarding Mini Challenge. Ward is not racing at Knockhill whilst Smith tested but is not racing. Therefore there are 19 MINI JCW entries.

[Evantra]

Huff in red colours.

https://twitter.com/btcc/status/1690...T11pmdgnSSDQzA

[Adamcas87]

MINI JCW - 21 cars

Largely the same grid as at Oulton Park two months ago. No James Griffith or Steven Lake. Return of Sam Smith to the championship after the accident at Donington.

Good to see Sam Smith back, was a horrible accident at donington

[S griffin]

Weather looks good so far. Have to see what it’s like for qualifying. Really looking forward to seeing how Huffy goes

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Weather looks good so far. Have to see what it’s like for qualifying. Really looking forward to seeing how Huffy goes

Except that it is wet so far.

At the moment, neither Patterson nor Halstead have been out. Are they there?

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Except that it is wet so far.

At the moment, neither Patterson nor Halstead have been out. Are they there?

Both are, Patterson did one lap I think.

[SSmith]

FP1 results

https://www.tsl-timing.com/file/?f=T...3203fp1trg.pdf

Top 10:
Collard
Cook
Hill
Sutton
Turkington
Watson
Cammish
Butcher
Pearson
Lloyd

Others of note - Rowbottom (11th), Ingram (19th), Huff (21st - 1.557secs off, quite good all things considered)

Regarding Patterson, this from TouringCarTimes - Patterson "was unable to set a time, having only been permitted to run a single installation lap having taken part in a Legends event at the circuit ahead of the BTCC visit."

No time from Halstead. Haven't seen a reason for that one yet.

[thetool]

This "can't drive at a circuit in another category" thing is so daft. Whilst not quite the same, are TOCA not aware of the existence of simulators these days? Where a driver can spend hundreds of hours driving their BTCC car round the track? Nothing they can do to legislate against that.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by thetool

This "can't drive at a circuit in another category" thing is so daft. Whilst not quite the same, are TOCA not aware of the existence of simulators these days? Where a driver can spend hundreds of hours driving their BTCC car round the track? Nothing they can do to legislate against that.

You are missing "unless there is prior approval" from the quote and I suspect that might be the key point. As a driver I doubt much of what you learn from driving a Legend will transfer to a NGTC-spec car. If asked, I can't believe that TOCA would refuse such a request. The question is, did he ask first, and if not is the penalty really because of that?

[thetool]

Originally Posted by redshoes

You are missing "unless there is prior approval" from the quote and I suspect that might be the key point. As a driver I doubt much of what you learn from driving a Legend will transfer to a NGTC-spec car. If asked, I can't believe that TOCA would refuse such a request. The question is, did he ask first, and if not is the penalty really because of that?

Having the rule at all these days seems misguided when there is such close replication available where you can literally spend all day driving an exact replica of your BTCC car on an exact replica of the circuit if your wallet permits.

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by SSmith

No time from Halstead. Haven't seen a reason for that one yet.

Gearbox. The team is changing it and hoping to get the car out for a few laps at the end of FP2

[Evantra]

For those who keep tabs, Gamble and Chilton are both deducted five points for an engine change.

[Evantra]

So can we assume Rowbottom was talking about Halstead there

[porsche962fan]

looks like another boring race coming

Sutton winning race 1-2 and if we are lucky he retires in race 3

[pimmy]

Oh look, another boring comment.

Only on pole by 6 thousandths, anything could happen tomorrow.

[SSmith]

I found both qualifying sessions quite fun to watch. It was competitive throughout the majority of the field. As the track dried we got a few interesting names coming up into the top 10, and an element of jeopardy as the frontrunners all had to improve to get back ahead of them.

Irrespective of the weather tomorrow, it should hopefully be a good day of racing.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

looks like another boring race coming

Sutton winning race 1-2 and if we are lucky he retires in race 3

Luckily you don't have to spend so much time on Sunday watching this boring stuff then

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Luckily you don't have to spend so much time on Sunday watching this boring stuff then

oh noes, how anyone dares to criticize our beloved BTCC

[Adam43]

MOD

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

oh noes, how anyone dares to criticize our beloved BTCC

That’s perfectly fine. There is even a thread to discuss it!

Being repetitive and ruining threads isn’t. You’ve got in early this weekend. It’s boring and disruptive.

See the FAQ. https://tentenths.com/forum/faq.php?...ules_behaviour

Flooding the board with comments coming from a single point of view in pretty much every posting made.

There is lots of other good advice in the FAQ too.

That is very much the rule in this thread and other race threads.

/MOD

[mick bennett]

Well done Ash !!

[v8supes]

What can we say? Sutton is just a level above BTCC. No matter what is thrown at him, he excels.

Is it right that Team HARD cant afford new tyres for Huffs car? Im sure that was mentioned during the qualifying broadcast?

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

oh noes, how anyone dares to criticize our beloved BTCC

Well, I'm actually among those who have a serious eye roll when see comments like 'how dare you criticise a driver/team/championship, everyone works so hard and we live in a world where everyone is oversensitive and too easily offended.' But let's face it, saying race weekend after race weekend how boring everything is gives one, simple solution - stop watching altogether. There are nicer ways to spend time then watching boring racing.
Not saying everything is perfect in the BTCC - far, far from it actually but can't say that BTCC is extremely boring this year. Yeah, there's less punting and fewer gimmicky factors which make racing artificially 'eventful' but for me, a motorsport fan since I remember, exciting racing is not only about cars crashing and passing on every corner. That might be only me though.

[Adam43]

Cheers Matt. There is a thread here: https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=157247

We don’t need another race weekend thread to go into this. Other aspects of the race weekend are lost because of the same old same old.

[stuart thompson]

I suppose Sutton has to be thankful that the Focus isn’t RWD, otherwise TOCA could use the excuse that because the car uses a different concept ie RWD somehow it is faster ala when WSR built a car that threatened to dominate, I wonder what would have happened back then if the BMW was FWD.