Massive news for BTCC

[Hunnie79]

Thank the lord!

That was killing me!

Yes - I'm afriad that is all that was coming out that I know about anyway....


CARNAGE!!!!!!! He's been testing the car so all looking good just a shame for Nichols Mee Racing that they had to release him from his contract.

I am going to be absolutely glued - this will be something special!

 

[ZBOYD]

Some old pics I've dug out from the deepest darkest cubby hole on the SCN server.

Myself and m0rk were invited to spend the day in the SEAT hospitality area where all the Masters were camped out for the day.

Fantastic day mingling with touring car leg-ends.

Reidy posed with his car for us in the morning before the race.

Then I was able to muscle in and stand directly behind a certain Mr Alan Gow when they were doing the grid draw. Here is a few of them.

 

[ZBOYD]

Podium

Nice trophy too.

It would be nice to do it again sometime but really needs a manufacturer with deep pockets (a increasing rarity) to supply a load of cars...that they don't mind panel beating back into shape afterwards

It gave great coverage to the SEAT Leon R when they did this, it was a superb opportunity for SEAT and it was superb they were able to supply the Supercopas.

 

[IainW]

Some of those cars going round in club series now have a good history behind them. I remember that weekend well, I was genuinely awestruck when I saw the likes of Tarquini, Biela, Radisich and the rest in the 'SEAT Village'. Hadn't seen most of them race since I was a kid, so it doesn't really hit you back then how big a name these guys really were.

 

[ZBOYD]

Plato's car was the only one carrying extra sponsors, all the rest carried SEAT branding. I was chatting with Scott Dennis on the day and he was approached by Team Dynamics to see if they could put their sponsors on Matt Neal's car.

Scott said as dry as you like, yes they can but he'll have to give us 10 grand They didn't take him up on it

 

[Andywarr]

Some of those cars going round in club series now have a good history behind them. I remember that weekend well, I was genuinely awestruck when I saw the likes of Tarquini, Biela, Radisich and the rest in the 'SEAT Village'. Hadn't seen most of them race since I was a kid, so it doesn't really hit you back then how big a name these guys really were.

It just shows what the BTCC used to be... i mean look at those faces and names

Its a shame its gone down hill now

 

[IainW]

Plato's car was the only one carrying extra sponsors, all the rest carried SEAT branding. I was chatting with Scott Dennis on the day and he was approached by Team Dynamics to see if they could put their sponsors on Matt Neal's car.

Scott said as dry as you like, yes they can but he'll have to give us 10 grand They didn't take him up on it

Tim Harvey's had some sponsorship as well. Team Sprint - a catering company. Quite appropriate I thought....

 

[warren_cox]

Was a brilliant race, and I seem to remember Plato was doing a grand job until he got punted off / dropped it. Seem to remember it was down by the 'Blue Flame' bridge.

Nice to see Frank Biela, another BTCC legend; the A4 BTCC car is another reason I now own a '4 ring' car (rekindled my love post Group B rally car UR Quattro).

Can't see this kind of event happening again which is such a shame. Magical days for SEAT, such good cars back then, and such good sport too.

 

[warren_cox]

Don't know that many on the back row:

Back row (Left to right):

1. ??? ???
2. ??? ???
3. ??? ???
4. ??? ???
5. ??? ???
6. ??? ???
7. Matt Neal
8. Anthony Reid

Front row (Left to right):

1. Alain Menu
2. John Cleland
3. Jason Plato
4. ??? ???
5. ??? ???
6. Frank Biela
7. Gabrielle Tarquini

Can anyone fill in the gaps?

 

[IainW]

Back row (Left to right):

1. Paul Radisich
2. Kelvin Burt
3. Jeff Allam (first time I've seen him smile!)
4. Julian Bailey
5. Johnny Cecotto
6. Patrick Watts
7. Matt Neal
8. Anthony Reid


Front row (Left to right):

1. Alain Menu
2. John Cleland
3. Jason Plato
4. Robb Gravett
5. Frank Sytner
6. Frank Biela
7. Gabrielle Tarquini

 

[MarkE]

Good to hear Reidy is coming back, he will mix things up a bit.

Well, he'll certainly drive into anyone who gets in his way and then find a way to blame them later on. Reminiscent of Dynamics' move a few years ago when they brought in a 3rd driver late on to help protect Matt's championship lead.

Reid is the only touring car driver I dislike more than Matt Neal, but there's no doubt his presence is a good thing for the fans.

On the plus side, driving for Team RAC rather than a struggling MG X-Power, he won't now be contractually obliged to tell everyone how good the damned chassis is at every opportunity...

 

[IainW]

On the plus side, driving for Team RAC rather than a struggling MG X-Power, he won't now be contractually obliged to tell everyone how good the damned chassis is at every opportunity...

Used to be good with him and David Leslie at Nissan. He would go on about how "superb" the Primera's chassis was, while David used to get "Vodafone Nissan Racing" into every interview.

 

[RobDon]

Reid was one of the dirtiest drivers around back then, he was fined and excluded many times for taking people out etc. and Yvan Muller nearly came to blows with him in the pits once. But if Vauxhall are playing the team orders game then they become fair game to RAC to do likewise.

 

[warren_cox]

But if Vauxhall are playing the team orders game then they become fair game to RAC to do likewise.

There was a nice little Matt Neal intervention at Knockhill on the final hairpin of race 3.

Seeing he did the same at Snetterton when Plato was challenging Gio (and he wasn't even part of the team yet). Neal will stop at nothing, and Reid will be the Ying to his Yang!

 

[IainW]

Reid was one of the dirtiest drivers around back then, he was fined and excluded many times for taking people out etc. and Yvan Muller nearly came to blows with him in the pits once. But if Vauxhall are playing the team orders game then they become fair game to RAC to do likewise.

He also had Rickard Rydell grab him by the scruff of the neck at Brands Hatch in 1998. I saw the clip on Youtube the other day and I can't find it now. He nudged Rydell up the back into Druids, forced him wide and went past. The normally mild-mannered Rydell went up to his car in Parc Ferme, grabbed him by the neck and said "Do that again and I'll have you!!".

My only problem with this now is I'm getting all nostalgic for the old days and realising that now it's not so good. And that's from someone who's attended near enough every race since mid 2001......

 

[dave_ph]

finally another team with 3 cars to sort vauxhall out. Its been a pet hate of mine about the BTCC for a while letting vauxhall have 1 extra car out on the track. Its given them an unfair advantage for a very long time.

 

[IainW]

I think the argument for is that you can only nominate 2 cars to score manufacturers/constructors points. But then when it gets to this end of the season, it means there's an extra car to get in the way of the title contenders. The third car's never really been a full works car as such, it's always paid for by the driver and his sponsors. For example O'Neill in 2003, Hines 2004, Smith 2005 and 2006, then Onslow-Cole last year and Jordan this. It's more of a 888 entry, but with Vauxhall branding to make them all look the same.

Still think it's wrong that Gio has people helping him though, he's perfectly capable of doing his own thing and cleanly too.

 

[Hunnie79]

Rac

Just to be clear - BTCC are being very strick on conduct this weekend!

 

[alx_chung]

Just to be clear - BTCC are being very strick on conduct this weekend!

But will the boys behave though???? Prob not!
Alex