BTCC Rounds 19-21 Croft

[Pickles]

There we go, fill your boots 👍

[porsche962fan]

Constable probably won't do much better than Jade, nevermind Rob Austin

Predict after this meeting it will be a 3 horse race at most Sutton, Turks and Cammish with Butcher and Tingram falling aside

another point , Turkington AFAIK always outqualified Sutton this season so likely this to continue

[Millvi]

It won’t be a warm day up at Croft. Will this mean a little of the normal RWD advantage up there is lost?

[Craner Curves]

Will the drivers be able to perform without the usual knowledgeable Croft crowd?

[AnnoyedMoose]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Constable probably won't do much better than Jade, nevermind Rob Austin

It will be interesting to see as Croft is far more of a drivers track than Silverstone and he has zero FWD racing experience.

I'm curious to see what happens on social media if he pulls out decent results.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Will the drivers be able to perform without the usual knowledgeable Croft crowd?

I imagine they're losing sleep over the thought.

[Spanner monkey]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Constable probably won't do much better than Jade, nevermind Rob Austin

Predict after this meeting it will be a 3 horse race at most Sutton, Turks and Cammish with Butcher and Tingram falling aside

another point , Turkington AFAIK always outqualified Sutton this season so likely this to continue

FFS!

Didn't take long for the PMR's past stand in drivers to be dragged in to the thread...

[Spanner monkey]

Will we manage to see some great racing like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn_TxafH-eU

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by Spanner monkey

FFS!

Didn't take long for the PMR's past stand in drivers to be dragged in to the thread...

PMR may beat HARD and GA Motorsport records for most driver chnages per car

now cue for somebody to check the stats

[Alfisti]

That PMR are offering drivers an opportunity to try their hand (in exchange for $$$) is good. Maybe Jade Edwards and/ or young Mr Constable will have their appetites wetted and desire to seek a full time ride. Ditto Rob Austin. I can tell you Mike Bushell hopes to return to the series full time next year.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

another point , Turkington AFAIK always outqualified Sutton this season

Your memory fails you then.....

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

PMR may beat HARD and GA Motorsport records for most driver chnages per car

Why - what are their records?

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Why - what are their records?

GA Motorsport in 2003 and HARD along the years

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

GA Motorsport in 2003 and HARD along the years

So what is the record?

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

So what is the record?

research yourself, since you are so good at digging

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

PMR may beat HARD and GA Motorsport records for most driver chnages per car

I realise you are trying to be funny but the intension was always for PMR to run multiple different drivers over the course year, so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that they have had a lot of driver changes.

http://www.btcc.net/2020/07/07/pmr-h...pause-on-btcc/
"The team will look to field at least one car as an independent entry at rounds throughout the year, as part of its plan to showcase and develop both young motorsport talent as well as giving surprise guest outings to some well-known touring car stars who aren’t able to commit to a full season due to various other commitments."

[tux]

Weren't they told that they had to run the car or they lose their licence/get fined?

[Petoli]

GA Motorsport in 2003 only had 1 driver change per car

Car 1 Astra V2001-001 was driven by Gavin Pyper then by Carl Brezze
Car 2 Astra V2001-003 by Gareth Howell then Paul Wallace

2004 the most drivers they had in one car would have been 4

Car 1 Astra V2001-001

Paul Wallace
Kelvin Burt
Stefan Hodgetts

Car 2 Astra V2001-003
Charlie Butler -Henderson
Gavin Smith

Gavin Pyper also drove for GA in 2004 but not sure what chassis he drove

The Most drivers team hard have had in one car is 5 back in 2013
Insignia WPMS NGTC 004
James Cole
Robb Holland
Paul O Niel
Tom Barley
Howard Fuller

The most drivers Hard have had in the same CC is 3

Stats are from touringcaregister

According the the same site VW CC RML 131 001/13 has had the most drivers across its entire life 11 since it was built in 2013

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by tux

Weren't they told that they had to run the car or they lose their licence/get fined?

No.

[coppice]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Will the drivers be able to perform without the usual knowledgeable Croft crowd?

That'd be the gazebo toting mob who leave litter everywhere , and aren't seen again (thankfully ) for another year ?

[crmalcolm]

So - Croft is the topic of the thread?

First appearing on the BTCC (then BSCC) calendar in 1968, Class winners that day were:
A-Gordon Spice, B-John Fitzpatrick, C-Frank Gardner, D-Roy Pierpoint.

Croft’s history saw a period of time when there was no tarmac surface, and Rallycross was the main category raced at the venue. 1997 saw a major revamp though, and BTCC returned that year with Alain Menu dominating proceedings. Matt Neal also took an Independent win that day and will be hoping for similar success this weekend.
There is a widely held view that the circuit favours RWD cars. This in part due to the Hairpin and tight changes of direction. The first time that constructor NGTC cars raced there though, Honda took a 1st and 3rd, sandwiching the BMW of Collard. The other two races that day also went to FWD machinery.

2013 saw Turkington take two wins and a second, seeming to underline the view that the circuit favours RWD. A feat he almost matched in 2014. 2015 saw a BMW 1-2-3 in the first race, and RWD cars take all three wins. RWD success continued through the rest of the NGTC era, with FWD cars only seemingly getting results in the 3rd race reverse grid. This was the case when the series visited most recently in 2019, with Jordan taking two wins in his BMW, before the Focus of Chilton managed a R3 win.


At just over 2.1 miles in length, Croft is one of the longer circuits on the BTCC calendar, with a technical nature and tight corners, particularly the final hairpin that sees cars sometimes 3 or 4 abreast coming onto the start/finish straight. Following the recent resurfacing, Jordan set a new Qualifying lap record in 2019 of 1m21.734s, with Turkington setting a race lap record of 1m22.063s at the same meeting.



Croft is usually the host of a BTCC even in June, so this season will be somewhat different with the event in October. Will the lower temperature bring the circuit back towards the FWD cars?
Saturday is forecast to be 14deg with a 60% chance of rain.

Sunday 11deg and Cloudy.

[S griffin]

Both Butcher and Tingram need a very strong weekend if they are to keep their title hopes alive. They must pick whatever they can find, especially on a track that favours RWD

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Croft is usually the host of a BTCC even in June, so this season will be somewhat different with the event in October. Will the lower temperature bring the circuit back towards the FWD cars?

I think people in this forum are seriously overestimating the effect of cold weather on RWD cars.

It's going to be negligible - the ballast will make far more difference than the track temperature.

[Sodemo]

Personally, i'd like to see a wet-dry race, where the race starts wet then the track gradually dries, then you get the ones that take a punt on slicks to try and catch up with X laps to go. I love those kind of races.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Personally, i'd like to see a wet-dry race, where the race starts wet then the track gradually dries, then you get the ones that take a punt on slicks to try and catch up with X laps to go. I love those kind of races.

So do I, although it’s a shame you can’t mix slicks and wets anymore IMHO. That added another variable into the mix in those conditions. Same in the 90s when they had the intermediate tyre