Btcc 2001

[BTCC2]

Just thought I'd post this as there's always lots of people asking questions about the 2001 season. And there aint much of it on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjJmIdyEd0o&feature=related

[Eurotech]

The 2001 season has always really been ignored for some reason-i dont know why...

[VkmSpouge]

The 2001 season has always really been ignored for some reason-i dont know why...

Probably through a combination of a small Touring Class grid and it being dominated by Vauxhall.

[SEATFreak]

Probably through a combination of a small Touring Class grid and it being dominated by Vauxhall.

Though I don't think I started showing an interest in the BTCC till about midway in that year I felt much the same.

I know I am in no strong position to talk about how good or bad the teams and/or drivers were as I just was not up on them enough, but what I can say is I agree that even though the Touring Class grid was small those few that did make up the Touring Class seemed to consistently fall short of Vauxhall Motorsport's pace and consistency. Vic Lee's Peugeot's seemed a pale shadow of his BMW's he used at the start of the Super Touring era in about 1991 which were really quite strong from what I read in my Touring Car book and even the other Vauxhall team Egg:Sport seemed to struggle to take enough race wins to pose a serious threat to Vauxhall Motorsport.

But what I do maybe say that is in support from the viewpoint of this follower is the old names seemed to be racing alongside the newer ones. More experienced drivers like James Kaye, Steve Soper and David Leslie were competing with emerging top drivers like James Thompson.

[BDunnell]

But what I do maybe say that is in support from the viewpoint of this follower is the old names seemed to be racing alongside the newer ones. More experienced drivers like James Kaye, Steve Soper and David Leslie were competing with emerging top drivers like James Thompson.

No they weren't — at least, not in 2001. James Kaye and David Leslie weren't competing in the Touring class in 2001.

[BTCC2]

2001 had all the ingredients of a great season. We had 4 works Vauxhalls with world class drivers driving them which should have given us at least a 3 way title fight but for some reason the Team Egg Sport cars failed to produce the goods.

We origionally had 3 works Peugeot drivers with the the experienced Steve Soper and the young up and coming Dan Eaves, not to mention Matt Neal who was given his first works drive. If they had started the season on the sort of pace that they ended it, it would have been a lot closer between Vauxhall and Peugeot.

And then we had the MGs who ironically were the only team to take a win away from Vauxhall the whole year. And especially with Anthony Reid at the wheel I think they could have put up a decent challenge if they had been there from the start.

The main problem with 2001 was the lack of depth, after the 3 manufacturers we had a Lexus which showed a bit of speed at various circuits, and then 2 Alfa Romeos which if were honest were awful!

[BDunnell]

I didn't think 2001 was too awful at all. The fight between Plato and Muller was intriguing, if too rough at times, and towards the end of the season, there was a decent grid of Touring class cars with the addition of MG, and the quality was better. The second Donington meeting produced two cracking races.

[SEATFreak]

No they weren't — at least, not in 2001. James Kaye and David Leslie weren't competing in the Touring class in 2001.

OK David wasn't competing in any of the classes, I reluctantly conceed defeat in that one as I have a history of getting David Leslie and Phil Bennett mixed up (Leslie was competing in something called the US Speedvision Challenge in a Mazda 626), but in my final paragraph I said:


old names seemed to be racing alongside the newer ones. More experienced drivers like James Kaye, Steve Soper and David Leslie were competing with emerging top drivers like James Thompson

No reference anywhere to class. That could have been said a context other than just class. And the context I had in mind was the entire roster; that is both classes included. So I am figuring perhaps they (experienced drivers like Kaye and Harvey; yes NOT David Leslie) were racing alongside young drivers like Gareth Howell and Paul O'Neil??

The class issue was mentioned in the seperate parapraph above. So I would be very interested to hear if possible how you took that comment to mean I had taken individual class in mind when their was no reference to it anywhere.

[BDunnell]

No reference anywhere to class. That could have been said a context other than just class. And the context I had in mind was the entire roster; that is both classes included. So I am figuring perhaps they (experienced drivers like Kaye and Harvey; yes NOT David Leslie) were racing alongside young drivers like Gareth Howell and Paul O'Neil??

The class issue was mentioned in the seperate parapraph above. So I would be very interested to hear if possible how you took that comment to mean I had taken individual class in mind when their was no reference to it anywhere.

Well, Thompson and Soper were hardly competing against Kaye, Howell and O'Neill in 2001, were they? The two classes were not competitors to one another.

But it's not really worth having a discussion about this.

[SEATFreak]

Well, Thompson and Soper were hardly competing against Kaye, Howell and O'Neill in 2001, were they? The two classes were not competitors to one another.

But it's not really worth having a discussion about this.

Not when your intention is to make mountains out of my molehills. Not when you see things in my posts that aren't there. Not when I am prepared for once to stand up for my views.

WITH Kaye, Howell and O'Neill. WITH Kaye, Howell and O'Neil on the same BTCC track. Nothing to do with competing against one another.

Before you once again twisted my view I merely pointed out what I loved about 2001. Something I wished I would love to have back. We have that today but to a lesser extent. I miss 2001. Not the rain at Croft tho. I said rain BDunnell. If you think I said fog your mistaken.

[Ur not a salmon]

He's not twisting anyone. He's as baffled as we all are about your posts. :confused:

Are you trying to say 2001 was more competitive than the present day? That's all I can decipher from your posts. If I'm wrong, then I haven't got a bloody clue. :confused:

[SEATFreak]

He's not twisting anyone. He's as baffled as we all are about your posts. :confused:

Are you trying to say 2001 was more competitive than the present day? That's all I can decipher from your posts. If I'm wrong, then I haven't got a bloody clue. :confused:

LMFAO!! :rotflmao:

[speedy king]

:yawn:

Good video that on youtube, yeh the season lacked grid size but the scraps up front were some of the best, between Plato and Muller. Forgot how dirty some of that was!!

[CroftPilgrim]

What a great clip! Muller matching Plato for speed down the start finish straight even with 2 wheels on the grass!

Shame we lost Muller to the WTCC....