[BTCC] Races 16, 17 & 18 - Snetterton, Norfolk - 2nd August 2009

[touringlegend]

Finally after what seems like an eternity off, the BTCC is back racing this weekend.


Entry List (Unofficial) for Snetterton

#	Driver	Team	Car	Graphic
1	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing	Vauxhall Vectra
2	Mat Jackson	Racing Silverline	Chevrolet Lacetti
3	Jason Plato	Racing Silverline	Chevrolet Lacetti
4	Colin Turkington	Team RAC	BMW 320i
5	Matt Neal	VX Racing	Vauxhall Vectra
9	Adam Jones	Cartridge World Carbon Zero	SEAT Leon
10	Tom Chilton	Team Aon	Ford Focus
11	Rob Collard	Airwaves BMW	BMW 320i
12	Jonathan Adam	Airwaves BMW	BMW 320i
17	Harry Vaulkhard	Bamboo Engineering	Chevrolet Lacetti
23	James Nash	RML	Chevrolet Lacetti
29	Paul O'Neill	Sunshine.co.uk/Techspeed	Honda Integra
35	James Thompson	Team Dynamics	Honda Civic
44	Stephen Jelley	Team RAC	BMW 320i
50	John George	TH Motorsport with JAG	Honda Integra
52	Gordon Shedden	Cartridge World Carbon Zero	SEAT Leon
55	Dave Pinkney	Team Dynamics	Honda Civic
63	Martin Johnson	Boulevard Team Racing	Vauxhall Astra
77	Andrew Jordan	VX Racing	Vauxhall Vectra

No Shows - As far as I know

#	Driver	Team	Car	Graphic
15	Martyn Bell	Sunshine.co.uk/Techspeed	Honda Integra
27	Liam McMillan	Maxtreme	SEAT Toledo
20	Alan Morrison	Team Aon	Ford Focus

Car graphics courtesy of AndyBlackmoreDesign | SpotterGuides.com


BTCC Timetable:

Time	Session	Day
09.55 - 10.35	Free Practice	Sat
12.20 - 13.00	Free Practice	Sat
15.55 - 16.25	Qualifying	Sat
11.10	Round 16	Sun
14.25	Round 17	Sun
17.05	Round 18	Sun

Predictions Competition: Enter Here


# - Gordon Shedden replaces Dan Eaves for the rest of the season from this weekend onwards.
# - Martyn Bell won't be racing this weekend due to a knee injury he has picked up whilst on holiday.
# - Team AON are running only one Ford Focus ST, for Tom Chilton this weekend

[crmalcolm]

McMillan has reported that he won't be at Snett (according to facebook status) and will probably miss remainder of season. Shame if it's true.

[PDS]

Liam won't be at Snetterton. And they were not expecting to go to Knockhill anyway. Hopefully they will be back after that.

[touringlegend]

Thanks for the info guys, wasn't sure on McMillan so stuck him on the list but have edited it now.

[Icebaby]

If McMillan can't make his home race the team must be in real trouble and doubtful for the rest of the year, one car for sale and the issue of the engines may have been the calm before the storm. Great shame as the car looked good.

Bell is a no show, I do wonder about these storys of injurys and "Personal commitments" that there is more to it as it seems too common place in the BTCC.

[andy_b]

BTCC spotter guide updated for this weekend..... http://www.spotterguides.com/content/view/22/45/

[PDS]

Good to see the updated liveries for the Silverline cars.

Unfortunately the Bamboo graphic doesn't do it justice. I had a sneak peak at the car.. it looks stunning!

[andy_b]

I'm not allowed to show the Bamboo car yet Peter. Need to wait until the official launch on Sat

[PDS]

Didn't realise you knew about it Andy.. I should have known better.

[werner]

I saw a picture at Touringcartimes, and it definitely looks good!

[Hazard]

Plato fastest in practice from Thommo - looks like quite a few cars didn't run though?

[touringlegend]

Originally Posted by btcc.net

Nineteen runners are contesting this weekend’s action – ‘regulars’ missing are O’Neill’s team-mate Martyn Bell, Liam McMillan and team Aon’s second Ford Focus ST, the team being represented solely by Tom Chilton here.

So Alan Morrison is missing again. Would it be any surprise his 'sudden' dissapearance at Croft wasn't sudden at all.

I agree with Icebaby, I fear a lot of these injuries are just made up as convenient way of getting around the truth.

If any of them are true then I apologise to those concerned!

[touringlegend]

Vaulkhard's Lacetti is really eye catching. Is this the first Chevy that isn't blue?

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by PDS

Liam won't be at Snetterton. And they were not expecting to go to Knockhill anyway. Hopefully they will be back after that.

We couldn't possibly have Knockhill without the usual pull-outs because it's too far away could we?

[crmalcolm]

Interesting times in first two practice sessions.
GM engines appear quick - as expected, along with the BMW 3-box shape proving aerodynamic efficiency.
My intrigue lies with Thompson. He's putting the car well up on the timing sheets, but the speed traps are down on others. Hopefully he can do enough in corners tomorrow to not have it all undone on the straights.

[Hazard]

Grid For Race 1

1 - Jason Plato - Chevrolet Lacetti - 1:12.247


2 - Colin Turkington - BMW 320si - 1:12.348


3 - James Thompson - Honda Civic Type-S - 1:12.399


4 - Andrew Jordan - Vauxhall Vectra - 1:12.466


5 - Fabrizio Giovanardi - Vauxhall Vectra - 1:12.468


6 - Jonathan Adam - BMW 320si - 1:12.618


7 - Mat Jackson - Chevrolet Lacetti - 1:12.672


8 - Paul O'Neill - Honda Integra Type-R (BTCC) - 1:12.695


9 - Matt Neal - Vauxhall Vectra - 1:12.743 (was 1:12.399 but that time was deleted)


10 - Stephen Jelley - BMW 320si - 1:12.787


11 - Harry Vaulkhard - Chevrolet Lacetti - 1:12.830


12 - Adam Jones - SEAT Leon - 1:13.059


13 - Gordon Shedden - SEAT Leon - 1:13.149


14 - Rob Collard - BMW 320si - 1:13.250


15 - Dave Pinkney - Honda Civic Type-S - 1:13.319


16 - Tom Chilton - Ford Focus ST - 1:13.390


17 - John George - Honda Integra Type-R (BTCC) - 1:15.106


18 - Martin Johnson - Vauxhall Astra Coupe (BTCC) - 1:16.946


Car Graphics Courtesy of Andy Blackmore Design | Spotter Guides

[Sodemo]

The grid is thinning a bit.

Impressive pace from Thompson.

[Craner Curves]

Bit of a shocker for Collard. I expected more from him. Really good work from Thommo, that car won't be setting speed records down the straights, but he's managed to drag a good time from it. As I thought, the Leons are feeling the aerodynamic struggle with the two long straights.

I expect Turkington to lead into the first corner, but then the cynical side of me sees Plato doing something dodgy to get back past within that first lap where the Beemer's front tyres aren't quite up to temp.

[touringlegend]

That's been a good effort from Shedden considering it's his first time in the Leon.

The modified kerbs at Snetterton look like they could cause a bit of hassle for a few drivers tomorrow! Appear to be like the ones on the final chicane at Rockingham, quite high!

[Craner Curves]

That'll even things up for the BMWs a bit then, as they can't attack the kerbs with as much vigour as the other cars.

[Thorney]

Originally Posted by touringlegend

So Alan Morrison is missing again. Would it be any surprise his 'sudden' dissapearance at Croft wasn't sudden at all.

I agree with Icebaby, I fear a lot of these injuries are just made up as convenient way of getting around the truth.

If any of them are true then I apologise to those concerned!

Its a tough year for motorsport, its expensive and drivers budgets are either curtailed due to their own personal postion or that their own sponsors are finding it difficult to justify either to themselves or others. Depending on car its around £15,000-30,000 per weekend to run in BTCC so if you have a sponsor who cant commit to a full season or you're own personal money is limited drivers will cherry pick the rounds rounds they either want to dor suit their sponsor. Its tough out there.

[Hazard]

Matt Neal's 4th place setting time (or joint third if you look at it that way) - has been deleted as he was deemed to have cut the esses. He's now starting 9th between O'Neill & Jelley. Updated in the grid above.

[Sodemo]

Was that a "TV safety car"?

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Was that a "TV safety car"?

I assume Thompson had come to a standstill at the Esses. Safety car would have been scrambled to allow the marshals to move the car, but by the time it left the pits Thommo had found a gear and moved off.

[BertMk2]

How funny was it that Plato got punted so soon after taking Turkington out That's swift justice. Great to see O'Neill getting a podium too