Do you like the reverse grid?

[Amaroo Park]

Hello Allan

I belivue that I have still not been paid for letting you win the 77 bathurst god knows it was hard enough to drive that heap falcon around all day knowing that if I was in a Holden I would have kick your a..e. Anyway you finest monet at Bathurst was in 1986 when you sat in a real car I wont say drive because Moffat can not.


It would have been a lot better if Skaife hadgone back to Gibsons.

[RaceTime]

Skaife go back to Gibsons??? Surely you jest?

Gibson's isn't big enough for Skaife any more...

[Amaroo Park]

There is not enough room for Skaifes nose and Lowndes eyebrows

[MadMick]

G'day

hehe, was only talking about this on the way back from Canberra yesterday, you have to admit, they would make an awesome team, and would no doubt change the "Found On Rubbish Dump" to "First On Race Day", might even make me buy a Ford cap

[Amaroo Park]

have to agree with you there

[Crash Test]

Skaifes nose and Lowndes eyebrows

Correction, Skaife's arse, and Lowndes's eyebrow

[Amaroo Park]

Skaifes nose,arse there is really no difference

[Ray Bell]

Exactly! I think that was what I would have said if I was sufficiently coarse to use that kind of language.

A couple of other items merit my comment (I think..).

Word is that Colin wasn't owed anything for allowing Moff to win, but was owed plenty for simply driving for him.

Anyone having a go at Reed or Ashby is out of their tree. Two better competitors you will not find, and though they do some panel beating, it's not usually achieved with the steering wheel...

Regarding how far back Russell's spoiled kid's problems go, they were highlighted to me at Bathurst in 1983 (or was it 84?) when Frank Cecchele entered Gordon Mitchell and Allan McCarthy to run the Fiat Uno at Bathurst.

This thing was a jet, turbocharged little thing that would do 135mph down Conrod when it was right... but it just wouldn't run right!

Now, to put you in the picture, Gordon and Frank as a team had been winning everything in Perth for the preceding years, state titles fell by the number to them because of Frank's meticulous preparation and Gordon's more than competent driving.

So we had a pretty professional team with a car that wouldn't run right, and knowing this we would recognise that it was something that might be hard to find... the easy things were quickly checked...

Anyway, in the midst of this, the spoiled one wandered by, almost 18, I think, and said allowed about how these amateurs should just go home! "They don't belong here...!"

Of course, he'd paid plenty for the privelege of being there, hadn't he?

[MadMick]

G'day Ray

I see you obviously don't like Mark Skaife along with quite a few others in here and of course you have your reason and are more than entitled to your opinion.

What bugs me with all this is that you guys seem to be ignoring the fact that he IS actually the number one driver today and surely you are not trying to tell me that he was handed that position :confused:.

You can't honestly try and tell me that the guy is not a damn good driver ??.

AS for the Reed Ashby statement, I agree with you there, I know those guys and they are nice blokes, but lets not forget that they were the one's accusing Mark of causing that accident .

I have noticed that there are a lot of people knocking HRT, seems to me that there is a bit of tall poppy syndrome rearing its ugly head.
It is a totally different picture at ANY race track, where I would guess at least 85% of people are wearing HRT merchandise !.

Anyway , that was my 2 bob's worth

[RaceTime]

Originally posted by MadMick
What bugs me with all this is that you guys seem to be ignoring the fact that he IS actually the number one driver today and surely you are not trying to tell me that he was handed that position

No - he is the driver carrying the Number 1 on his car - that doesn't make him the number 1 driver today - last year, yes (and even then arguably).

[MadMick]

Originally posted by RaceTime

No - he is the driver carrying the Number 1 on his car - that doesn't make him the number 1 driver today - last year, yes (and even then arguably).

G'day Racey

hehe , so we finally find something to disagree on , who has the most points at the moment ?? , shouldnt be hard for YOU to find that one out .

And what makes you say arguably for last year ?, if he wasnt the number one driver , why is he carrying #1 on his car this year ?.

All I can say is that a lot of you guy are looking at personalities and not driver ability, sure Craig maybe and probably is a better and faster driver than Mark, but he is not consistent and Mark is getting more points, and Craig also made the choice to drive an inferiour car hehe

[mac]

G'day MadMick and Colin, and welcome.

Skaifey's starting to annoy me too. He's always whingeing. He wasn't born in England was he?

As for Lowndes, that smile and general enthusiasm is fantastic isn't it. He could be driving a Daewoo and everyone would love him. Did everyone see him in race 3 at Canberra? He had just been carving everyone up, before losing out on pit strategy. He then fell back to midfield, before charging back through the field somehow. Then the car died in the arse - just about ruining his championship hopes. He then gets out of the car and chats with the fans and starts signing autographs (with THAT smile all over his face). He really is a modern Peter Brock.

[MadMick]

Originally posted by mac
G'day MadMick and Colin, and welcome.

Skaifey's starting to annoy me too. He's always whingeing. He wasn't born in England was he?

G'day mac

Thanx for the welcome , glad to be here.

I must obviously be missing something ?, where and when does Skaife do all the whingeing you all talk about :confused:.

Whenever I see him and talk to him, he is always happy and smiling (granted in the same league as Craig), and I think you are right, he will be the next Brock, and yes I seen him after race 3 and was very impressed with his behaviour.

Finally again on the Skaife whinge issue, I could point out many Ford drivers who are never happy, spit the dummy, whinge, and I may do so IF they ever make it to the top

[Ray Bell]

I'm sure Brock's last year was a part of Craig's tutoring, and possibly more since, but he doesn't follow Peter in every regard.

Let's just hope that he remains accessible and friendly to those who come to see him. It seems he is doing a good job of that so far, and no doubt that was some of the tutoring as well.'

As for Mark, he comes from the Wyong area, Russell used to own (still does?) Wyong Tyre Service (I think it was called) and fed him all he needed till he got the break with Gibson. I agree that he should be with him now...

[Crash Test]

Tall poppy syndrone? I'd have to agree with that, I know I'd be more pleased with a result when an underdog wins- be it though out driving, having better strategy or what ever. Have a look at Sandown last year and Ellery Vs Skaife- that was fantastic stuff.

Also, have a look back to 98,99, and a fair bit of 2000, whenever Skaife was in front, Lowndes would be right on his tail. When the positions were reversed, Lowndes would more than likely clear off into the distance. Saying that, I believe Skaife is better over a one lap qualifying screamer.

[MadMick]

G'day Crash Test

So you agree Mark can drive ?? , and that we should be judging him on his driving skills and not his personality ?.

I hear what you are saying about Craig and I agree he is a faster driver and will no doubt carry the #1 on his car in the near future.

I realise a lot of you guys have been following the sport longer than I have and that some of you may know Mark on a personal level, so I wont argue the point anymore, I'll just wait till the end of the year and see who has the most points

[Crash Test]

There is little doubt that the man can drive, and he has the other two things that you need to win the championship: the best car and a truckload of luck (is that why HRT has a double-B??). Look at the two big pointscoring races this year- at Adelaide, that crash with Lowndes, should have severly damaged the car....how it didn't I will never know. Then at Canberra he comes last in one race with some fairly bad panel damage and still comes third overall.

Nobody in the world may like him, put I don't think AVESCO factor popularity into the pointscore.....or do that?

[MadMick]

Originally posted by Crash Test
There is little doubt that the man can drive, and he has the other two things that you need to win the championship: the best car and a truckload of luck (is that why HRT has a double-B??). Look at the two big pointscoring races this year- at Adelaide, that crash with Lowndes, should have severly damaged the car....how it didn't I will never know. Then at Canberra he comes last in one race with some fairly bad panel damage and still comes third overall.

Nobody in the world may like him, put I don't think AVESCO factor popularity into the pointscore.....or do that?

G'day Crash Test

Hey , I like him , so thats at least one fan here , and about 80,000 at the track on the weekend .

I have to agree that AVESCO couldnt give two hoots about popularity, but as long as the fans keep parting with their money I cant see them changing too much.

Why wasnt the car damaged more at Adelaide ?? , you have to ask that ? hehe , Its a HOLDEN

And at Canberra he just proved again that he is one hell of a driver and that HRT have really got their **** together and cna fix the cars in time for the next race.

[Crash Test]

I think Skaife was also very lucky because of the screwed up points system at Canberra....had it been any other race meeting during the year he wouldn't have came third overall...

[MadMick]

hehe , I see this forum is very heavily censored !!

Why they cant stick with one point system on every track is beyond me :confused:, even the commentators have trouble working out who is coming where !!

[Ray Bell]

All a part of the sham, the means of making out that one race is more important than another.

You can understand it with the enduros, but for Canberra? Crazy, like a lot of AVESCO ideas.

[RaceTime]

Sheesh - has everyone gone over board with the faces today or what?

Skaife - yes, he IS currently leading the points table but ONLY just. Take a look at his record and something isn't quite right for such a good driver.

5 wins and 3 pole positions to Brights sole win. Yet he is only 14 points ahead of Bright - with that number of wins he should be miles ahead. It suggests, to me at least, that Skaife goes for a win NOT consistency - Bright, on the other hand, goes for gathering points together.

[MadMick]

G'day Racey

Don't you like the little faces ?? <g> .

I thought the whole point of these V8SC races was to win ? , and I agree something must be terribly wrong with the points system when Mark has won 5 races and Jason only one, yet there is only 14 points between them !!.

I think you are right in saying Mark goes for the win, but you cant say he is not consistent, he has finished all but 6 laps out of all the races and there aint too many others that can claim that!.

[mac]

MadMick, I think I may have slightly misrepresented myself. I too think Skaife is a fantastic driver - he's the qualifying king. I think Lowndes is the better driver in races, but Mark's not too far behind.

He also seems to be a decent sort of fellow.

He just seems to annoy me a little sometimes. I don't know why, he just does.

I agree that all races should be worth the same amount of points. It works in CART. The 500 mile races are of the same value as all others. I also want to see Brighty do well. If he had the sort of money that the Brazilians do he could well be in CART right now (also the reason I like Ambrose).

[RaceTime]

Mick,
This is where you have to careful using wins as against finishes:

1 Mark Skaife Commodore VX
Canberra 5 3 24 1
Hidden Valley 1 14 3 1
Eastern Creek 10 2 1
Adelaide 2 4 9
Phillip Island 1 1 1

2 Jason Bright Commodore VX
Canberra 17 11 14 4
Hidden Valley 5 2 2
Eastern Creek 8 3 2
Adelaide 11 7 1
Phillip Island 2 2 4

Reading These, the first column on each is qualifying position in top 10/15 then race 1, 2 (and 3) positions.

Bright has only been out of the top 10 on 2 occasions; Skaife also twice BUT much further down the field. Bright 2nd on 4 occasions, one win a third, two fourths and a seventh; Skaife one second, 2 thirds, a fourth and a ninth.

Bright is closer to the pointy end consistently - and that is what counts. Unless Skaife manages to get reliability back he will again lose the Championship lead to Bright.