Croft Thread

[Allyc85]

Saturday morning and the news is Tom Onslow-Cole will replace Alan Morrison in the Arena Focus for this round!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76110

[Chris2k6]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! great news to see tom back, even if it is just for one race :) hope it's nothing bad for Alan at the same time though

On a different note, does anyone know what the schedule is for tomorrows racing?
My TV cant pick up ITV4 :mad: But the gym has tv's built into the equipment, so the idea is to go down the gym for a bit of a workout everytime a btcc race is on, genious idea if you ask me lol
So if anyone has a schedule plan or knows where to find it that would be great cheers

[BTCC2]

Race 1- 12:01
Race 2- 14:35
Race 3- 17:15

[jonv]

Qualifying now.
Live timing: http://www.tsl-timing.com/toca/LiveTimingTOCA.html

[jonv]

Turkington on Pole

[VkmSpouge]

Good to see Tom Onslow-Cole back (he really deserves a full-time drive) but I hope Alan Morrison is back in the Ford for the next race.

Qualifying Times
1 Colin Turkington 86.006
2 Jason Plato 0.196
3 Stephen Jelley 0.366
4 Adam Jones 0.381
5 Mat Jackson 0.394
6 Harry Vaulkhard 0.401
7 Andrew Jordan 0.585
8 Matt Neal 0.668
9 James Thompson 0.670
10 Rob Collard 0.727
11 Jonathan Adam 0.729
12 Dan Eaves 0.754
13 Fabrizio Giovanardi 0.763
14 James Nash 0.955
15 Paul o'Neill 0.963
16 Dave Pinkney 1.606
17 Tom Chilton 1.775
18 Tom Onslow-Cole 2.027
19 John George 2.196
20 Martyn Bell 2.650
21 Martin Johnson 2.876

RAC BMWs and the Racing Silverline Chevies are looking very good. Another good performance in qualifying by Harry Vaulkhard. Fabrizio Giovanardi doing quite badly in 13th. The top 15 very close together.

[mattie007]

Great to see Colin on pole! Go on my son!

[Chris2k6]

Race 1- 12:01
Race 2- 14:35
Race 3- 17:15

cheers for that!

[Allyc85]

Great job by Colin! Would love to see him take the title this year and hes going the right way about it at the moment :D

[Sarah]

Well done Colin.

[Alfa Fan]

I wish ITV would sort out the sound

[BDunnell]

Sound seemed OK to me.

Turkington looks like a very, very serious title contender, which is fantastic.

[AndySpeed]

Nasty looking incident with Vaulkhard there - he seems to get much more ragged when he starts to slip back in races. Given the possible damage to the car after the field excursion perhaps he should have been more cautious for the rest of the race.

[VkmSpouge]

Tom Chilton really had nowhere to go, shame really he would have scored a point otherwise.

I am confused by the result though, the red flag was flown which means the results should revert to the positions from the last lap, so surely that means Harry Vaulkhard finished in the points?

A 1-2 for Team RAC. Turkington moving back into the championship lead and Stephen Jelley taking his best ever result.

[Alfa Fan]

Sound seemed OK to me.

The mixing between the car audio and commentry kept changing, so sometimes cars much louder than commentry and then vice versa.

[BDunnell]

I am confused by the result though, the red flag was flown which means the results should revert to the positions from the last lap, so surely that means Harry Vaulkhard finished in the points?

The incident happened near the end of the lap, so the red flag would surely have been flown after everyone in front of the incident or, like Pinkney, who got through it, had crossed the line. The results would thus have been taken from that lap, rather than the one before when Vaulkhard was still in the points.

[Wasted Talent]

Tom Chilton really had nowhere to go, shame really he would have scored a point otherwise.

I am confused by the result though, the red flag was flown which means the results should revert to the positions from the last lap, so surely that means Harry Vaulkhard finished in the points?

A 1-2 for Team RAC. Turkington moving back into the championship lead and Stephen Jelley taking his best ever result.

Thought Chilton had plenty of room to miss Vaulkhard - on either side......

Boring race, much like Oulton

WT

[VkmSpouge]

The incident happened near the end of the lap, so the red flag would surely have been flown after everyone in front of the incident or, like Pinkney, who got through it, had crossed the line. The results would thus have been taken from that lap, rather than the one before when Vaulkhard was still in the points.

I've just looked at the results on TSL and they are showing the results at the end of lap 13 when Vaulkhard was still in the points. He and Chilton have also been given a different classification to those cars who had retired before the red flag. Very odd indeed.

http://www.tsl-timing.com/?loc=major&season=2009&series=BTCC&event=races&source=toca2006&eventid=92403&table=92403rc1trg&tabletype=gif

[Northern Monkey]

Quite simple - as the cause of the red flag, they aren't included in the results

[MG2004]

Dave Pinkney finished ahead of James Thomson - how did that happen?

What happened to Tom Onslow-Cole? Didn't see him at all, did he start?

[Alfa Fan]

Matt Jackson will take no further part this weekend.

[Alfa Fan]

Collard back to his best.

[Chris2k6]

Dave Pinkney finished ahead of James Thomson - how did that happen?

What happened to Tom Onslow-Cole? Didn't see him at all, did he start?

From what i heard, TOC was suffering from engine problems all day while James had a battered car in race 1 and was suffering from suspension trouble

[BDunnell]

A rather disappointing day's racing, all told, but what a great move by Giovanardi on Thompson in that third race. Really brilliant. Plato's push on Neal wasn't quite as impressive.

[WSRfan82]

I thought it was pretty good days racing from all the championships. Ginetta Junior's fantastic racing.

Gutted for Thompson but was a good move from Giovanardi and thought Plato's move on Neal was pretty funny.... that's what you get for braking early even if it was raining.

and what about the man of the weekend Turkington...get in there :P

[71minus2]

A rather disappointing day's racing, all told, but what a great move by Giovanardi on Thompson in that third race. Really brilliant. Plato's push on Neal wasn't quite as impressive.

I disagree with point 1. I enjoyed the racing today, granted it wasn't the highlight of the season but it was far from being dull.

I totally agree with your comment re the Plato overtake. Typical JP really, if you cant get by legally just punt them off. He's an arse.

[BDunnell]

Ginetta Junior's fantastic racing.

This is true. The battle for the lead today was tremendous fun to watch.

[BDunnell]

I totally agree with your comment re the Plato overtake. Typical JP really, if you cant get by legally just punt them off. He's an arse.

Wouldn't go that far. He was very patient behind Collard in race two.

[WSRfan82]

neal would of done the same thing if it had been the other way around

this is typical, neal makes a move like that its ok but if plato does it and hes an ass.

[Sarah]

I was really nervous watching those laps in the rain what a move by Fabrizio though.

[WSRfan82]

yeah i was nervus but was a good race

btw i hope pinkny is ok

[Mark]

Is it me or is Race 3 much later in the day than it used to be? I remember leaving touring car meetings at about 4.30ish but now they seem to be going on until 6pm. Presumably for the TV audiences benefit?

[mattie007]

I enjoyed the racing. Some good moves and the usual argy bargy!

[Martin-MC]

Is it me or is Race 3 much later in the day than it used to be? I remember leaving touring car meetings at about 4.30ish but now they seem to be going on until 6pm. Presumably for the TV audiences benefit?


No its not you, same feeling here, last years after croft we made a pub for some grub half way home. This year we had to make do with McCrap at a service area LOL.

Crofts third race was a joke, how many competative laps? cant of been much more than 6/7. Did at least 5 behind safety whilst Pinkneys car was rescued. Why oh why wasnt a rescue vehicle stationed at Tower for such eventualitys. As a paying speccy I want to see at least 80% of the race run properly not behind a safety car. Sod the TV audiance they havent paid to get in so the race should be stopped and restarted properly.

[tintin]

No its not you, same feeling here, last years after croft we made a pub for some grub half way home. This year we had to make do with McCrap at a service area LOL.

Crofts third race was a joke, how many competative laps? cant of been much more than 6/7. Did at least 5 behind safety whilst Pinkneys car was rescued. Why oh why wasnt a rescue vehicle stationed at Tower for such eventualitys. As a paying speccy I want to see at least 80% of the race run properly not behind a safety car. Sod the TV audiance they havent paid to get in so the race should be stopped and restarted properly.

If the race had been stopped, then it wouldn't have been restarted because there was still a Ginetta race to take place before the circuit's curfew came into force.

This was nothing to do with TV schedules, and all about trying to get all the races run before 6.30 to please the people who live near the circuit.

[Wasted Talent]

No its not you, same feeling here, last years after croft we made a pub for some grub half way home. This year we had to make do with McCrap at a service area LOL.

Crofts third race was a joke, how many competative laps? cant of been much more than 6/7. Did at least 5 behind safety whilst Pinkneys car was rescued. Why oh why wasnt a rescue vehicle stationed at Tower for such eventualitys. As a paying speccy I want to see at least 80% of the race run properly not behind a safety car. Sod the TV audiance they havent paid to get in so the race should be stopped and restarted properly.

Agree that there didn't seem to be much urgency to get Pinkney's car moved...

WT

[Mark]

This was nothing to do with TV schedules, and all about trying to get all the races run before 6.30 to please the people who live near the circuit.

So why not have the touring car races a bit closer together? Have race 3 at 4.30 and then most of the time everyone can be on their way by 5.

As it is I'm probably not likely to go to any touring car meetings again, as a 6pm finish (and probably 7pm before you get out of the circuit) is just too late.

[Chris2k6]

i usually leave after the last btcc race, sometimes stay for the last support race, depending on what series it is. But i dont mind the starting times, aslong as there is action i dont mind :D

[tintin]

So why not have the touring car races a bit closer together? Have race 3 at 4.30 and then most of the time everyone can be on their way by 5.

As it is I'm probably not likely to go to any touring car meetings again, as a 6pm finish (and probably 7pm before you get out of the circuit) is just too late.

They try to spread the BTCC races out as much as possible to allow the teams adequate time to repair any damage between races.

Having the third race at 5.15 with 20 cars starting is much better for everyone than having it at 4.30 with only 15 cars.

[Sarah]

I agree with Mark it's too late and has put me off going. It's OK if you are just going to your local race but to get caught up getting out of the car park and then a 3 hr journey home or whatever is too late. When I used to go a few years ago I don't remember the 3rd race taking place that late.

[BDunnell]

They try to spread the BTCC races out as much as possible to allow the teams adequate time to repair any damage between races.

Having the third race at 5.15 with 20 cars starting is much better for everyone than having it at 4.30 with only 15 cars.

Is it just me, or was it the case that there hardly ever used to be any non-starters even when the races were 10 minutes apart, yet now they are a regular feature? What this says about the amounts of damage being done to cars during races I have no idea.

Personally, though, I don't have a problem with daytime outside events finishing 'late'. Airshow flying displays regularly go on until about 18.00hrs and the public generally stays until the end.

[Martin-MC]

Is it just me, or was it the case that there hardly ever used to be any non-starters even when the races were 10 minutes apart, yet now they are a regular feature? What this says about the amounts of damage being done to cars during races I have no idea.

Personally, though, I don't have a problem with daytime outside events finishing 'late'. Airshow flying displays regularly go on until about 18.00hrs and the public generally stays until the end.

Living right next door to RAF Waddington id beg to differ that statement. Thousands leave before its finished.
As for the cars of today I reckon there more sensative/weaker than those of old.