BTCC 2019 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I think I'll trust the official championship results over a spreadsheet thanks. And if you get full points for the win, then it's a win in my book.

Wikipedia isn't entirely accurate as anyone can edit it and therefore correct it but that's your look-out, not mine, it just means both Reid and Plato are credited as having won that Brands Hatch race and the BTCC website already credits the win to Reid regardless.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by Racer65

Can't see JP retiring while he's so close to the 100 win mark.

I'd expect Sutton to go off onto a bigger worldwide stage. He's a massive talent.

As much as I hoped he would, I don't think Plato's gonna make it to 100 wins, he's had his chance if you ask me.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Wikipedia isn't entirely accurate as anyone can edit it and therefore correct it but that's your look-out, not mine, it just means both Reid and Plato are credited as having won that Brands Hatch race and the BTCC website already credits the win to Reid regardless.

I'm not trusting Wikipedia - I'm trusting the championship points allocated for race wins in 2001. Which seems to be Plato's stance too.

If he does get 3 more wins, I'm sure he'd gladly accept an amateur spreadsheet as proof and reduce his tally!

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

As much as I hoped he would, I don't think Plato's gonna make it to 100 wins, he's had his chance if you ask me.

If he gets into a new FWD car in 2019, he still stands a good chance. The question is not whether he has the ability or desire - but more of whether he has the negotiation skills to put himself in the right car, with the right team mate.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I'm not trusting Wikipedia - I'm trusting the championship points allocated for race wins in 2001. Which seems to be Plato's stance too.

If he does get 3 more wins, I'm sure he'd gladly accept an amateur spreadsheet as proof and reduce his tally!

Well he can take that stance if he wants to but the official BTCC website credits the win to Reid and not him so as far as they're concerned, he needs 4 more wins and he ain't gonna get them now, he's had his chance. Besides, I actually bothered to do the research and I wouldn't bother trying to reason with Plato anyway, he's annoying enough to listen to on TV.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

If he gets into a new FWD car in 2019, he still stands a good chance. The question is not whether he has the ability or desire - but more of whether he has the negotiation skills to put himself in the right car, with the right team mate.

Well, he's managed to do that pretty much throughout his career apart from when he lost his Vauxhall seat and recently with the Subaru but the clock is ticking....

[pimmy]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I'm not trusting Wikipedia - I'm trusting the championship points allocated for race wins in 2001. Which seems to be Plato's stance too.

If he does get 3 more wins, I'm sure he'd gladly accept an amateur spreadsheet as proof and reduce his tally!

Plato has 96 wins, simple as that. It's about who crosses the line first, not how many points are scored. Reid won that race, no-one else. There have been a few occasions in the championship's history where people who were ineligible for points took the chequered flag. It doesn't mean that they didn't win!

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Wikipedia isn't entirely accurate as anyone can edit it and therefore correct it but that's your look-out, not mine, it just means both Reid and Plato are credited as having won that Brands Hatch race and the BTCC website already credits the win to Reid regardless.

dont worry about delving into the archives for more research, I'm sure crmalcom wont lose too much sleep over obscure results from 17 years ago.

If i were you I would start calling him out on it with your spreadsheet of evidence in an autograph session

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by pimmy

Plato has 96 wins, simple as that. It's about who crosses the line first, not how many points are scored. Reid won that race, no-one else. There have been a few occasions in the championship's history where people who were ineligible for points took the chequered flag. It doesn't mean that they didn't win!

Thank you pimmy.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

dont worry about delving into the archives for more research, I'm sure crmalcom wont lose too much sleep over obscure results from 17 years ago.

If i were you I would start calling him out on it in an autograph session

I'm not expecting anyone to lose any sleep on the matter, studying History and Statistics just happen to be hobbies of mine.

Besides, like I said before, I think Plato's annoying enough just listen to on TV!

[Alfisti]

If he put as much effort into trying to find a drive elsewhere for this season as he did trotting out reasons/ excuses he wouldn't be in that Subaru now... probably!

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by pimmy

Plato has 96 wins, simple as that. It's about who crosses the line first, not how many points are scored. Reid won that race, no-one else. There have been a few occasions in the championship's history where people who were ineligible for points took the chequered flag. It doesn't mean that they didn't win!

However... what about the other races in 2001 where the Production Class cars started later but did less laps? There are several occasions when the Production Class car was first to the chequered flag.

Eg race 1 at Silverstone. Simon Harrison took the flag with Plato back in third. Yet that counts as one of Plato's 96 wins.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

If he put as much effort into trying to find a drive elsewhere for this season as he did trotting out reasons/ excuses he wouldn't be in that Subaru now... probably!

Oh he's been especially annoying since he started driving that Subaru, qualified at the front at Croft and he still complained, he's such a whinger!

[pimmy]

Originally Posted by redshoes

However... what about the other races in 2001 where the Production Class cars started later but did less laps? There are several occasions when the Production Class car was first to the chequered flag.

Eg race 1 at Silverstone. Simon Harrison took the flag with Plato back in third. Yet that counts as one of Plato's 96 wins.

Yeah, that year was strange in terms of what the official stats are. I suppose the touring class winners are all counted because the production cars raced over a one lap shorter distance. I personally count all of the touring class winners AND the production winner if they happened to win overall in my records. And let's not forget that the two classes raced separately for their sprint races at the opening event that year. It's an odd situation unique to that season. But whichever way you slice it, Plato definitely didn't win that race at Brands!

As far as next year's concerned, Plato definitely has to change his environment, whether it means retirement or a change of team. It's just sad how such a successful driver has gone from being a constant threat to win to struggling to finish in the top 20.

[yellowbeard]

I'd be very much surprised if JP isn't already working his butt off behind the scenes to get himself a drive in one of the (non works) Honda's for next season. I can't see him giving up just yet unless he makes a poor showing in a good FWD car.

[porsche962fan]

you really fancy JP at Eurotech or BTC Norlin ?

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by pimmy

Yeah, that year was strange in terms of what the official stats are. I suppose the touring class winners are all counted because the production cars raced over a one lap shorter distance. I personally count all of the touring class winners AND the production winner if they happened to win overall in my records. And let's not forget that the two classes raced separately for their sprint races at the opening event that year. It's an odd situation unique to that season. But whichever way you slice it, Plato definitely didn't win that race at Brands!

As far as next year's concerned, Plato definitely has to change his environment, whether it means retirement or a change of team. It's just sad how such a successful driver has gone from being a constant threat to win to struggling to finish in the top 20.

Good point but the Production Class Winners are still not credited as overall race winners despite finishing ahead of the Touring Class runners but once again, thank you for understanding where I was coming from, pimmy.

Plato's stint at Subaru has been (almost) the BTCC's answer to Alonso's 2nd stint at McLaren.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

you really fancy JP at Eurotech or BTC Norlin ?

Hey, he nearly joined Gary Ayles' team once, anything's possible.

[Mike Harte]

I would have thought a seat in one of the Astras, or perhaps in a (Motorbase) Focus, would be more likely.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I would have thought a seat in one of the Astras, or perhaps in a (Motorbase) Focus, would be more likely.

It would be great to see him back in a Vauxhall but Cook and Proctor aren't doing too badly at the moment, they have 3 wins between them after all even if Proctor got it right in the wet at Brands and came off best in his contratemps with Moffat. The Motorbase Focus, well better to have 3 ace drivers, sorry James Cole.

[Londoner]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I would have thought a seat in one of the Astras, or perhaps in a (Motorbase) Focus, would be more likely.

Pretty sure Plato and Dave Bartrum have a lot of bad blood between them, mostly stemming from Knockhill 2012. That's when Plato got pushed off the track by Aron Smith and then spent the rest of the meeting publicly calling for Smith to lose his licence...

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by Londoner

Pretty sure Plato and Dave Bartrum have a lot of bad blood between them, mostly stemming from Knockhill 2012. That's when Plato got pushed off the track by Aron Smith and then spent the rest of the meeting publicly calling for Smith to lose his licence...

Bad blood, another factor that tends to work against Plato.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Londoner

Pretty sure Plato and Dave Bartrum have a lot of bad blood between them, mostly stemming from Knockhill 2012. That's when Plato got pushed off the track by Aron Smith and then spent the rest of the meeting publicly calling for Smith to lose his licence...

Possibly, but we don't actually know that. Also, when does the Shredded Wheat sponsorship finish: is it at the end of this season?


If so, Plato and his ability to bring money in to a team would be certain to smooth a few ruffled feathers!

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Possibly, but we don't actually know that. Also, when does the Shredded Wheat sponsorship finish: is it at the end of this season?


If so, Plato and his ability to bring money in to a team would be certain to smooth a few ruffled feathers!

True

[yellowbeard]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

you really fancy JP at Eurotech or BTC Norlin ?

Did you really see him going to BMR before it happened ? I know it came as a real surprise to me when it was announced, so I wouldn't rule anything out.