Yep, just seen and came back to correct myself

http://www.btcccrazy.co.uk/2010/03/23/trip...un-two-vectras/

Interesting, last I heard they had sold one Vectra to Pinkey, another to Jordan and were left with one car and one shell, they obviously found some cash to build another car.
Wonder what happened to the Insignia shell that they started..

well said

Sadly, i think Plato could run away with the title this season, however i'll be happy to be proven wrong.

Disappointing that Turkington can't defend his title, but great to see Boardman and Kane back.

Who are favourites for those awesoem looking vectra's?

Im a big Matt Jackson fan, howcome he didnt stick with RML? Or did they not want him? I would have put him down a strong title contender at RML this season, but not so sure now he's back in a BMW.

Let's hope Turkington can find his way there.

Mat loved his ex WTCC BMW when he first joined the series, so I'mm guessing he wanted to get back to RWD.

Meanwhile, we have 24 great factory works cars in the magic TC 2000....

In English:
http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=4531

Hey FIA, we want a new touring series ranking RIGHT NOW!!!

regards

Giovanardi takes an 888 seat for 1 race only for now: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82622

That's great but your obsession with promoting that series has no relevance to this thread.

I believe that Turkingtons main backers were Turkington holdings and Lafarge Cement who both have been tightrning the purse string in the recent recession therefore unfortunatley do not have the money spare to allow Colin to play racing drivers this year, however lets hope that he can find a budget somewhere, like has been said before it is a shame that there is no Champion to defend his crown but at least Gio is back so 3 ex champions and the likes Jackson, Kane, Chilton etc all battling up and down the grid, Thruxton Sunday and bring it on!!!

A reminder for those who can receive ITV Channel 4, BTCC showing for a full 7 hours. 11am through 6pm.

What magnificent motor vehicles!

Three cheers for touring car racing!

I'd assume that Plato will run away with it, the class of WTCC-spec preparation. Although they still have ballast to fend off right? And with only two cars instead of three to control the race with, both of the Chevys could easily end up roughed up by BMWs...

Hmmm... The Pirtek Vectra did not turn out very Ambrose-like after all.

What's with the dark mettallic blue instead of the flat Pirtek light blue!??

Qualifying:

1 52 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic 1m24.061s 10 -- 100.89mph
2 888 I Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall Vectra 1m24.317s 10 +0.256s 100.59mph
3 4 Matt Neal Honda Civic 1m24.614s 6 +0.553s 100.23mph
4 77 I Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 1m24.833s 14 +0.772s 99.97mph
5 2 Jason Plato Chevrolet Cruze 1m24.868s 10 +0.807s 99.93mph
6 23 I Tom Chilton Ford Focus ST 1m25.017s 9 +0.956s 99.76mph
7 5 I Mat Jackson BMW 320si E90 1m25.289s 8 +1.228s 99.44mph
8 21 I Tom Onslow-Cole Ford Focus ST 1m25.504s 13 +1.443s 99.19mph
9 88 I Philip Glew Vauxhall Vectra 1m25.563s 13 +1.502s 99.12mph
10 29 I Paul O'Neill Honda Integra 1m25.832s 6 +1.771s 98.81mph
11 11 I Steven Kane BMW 320si E90 1m25.867s 14 +1.806s 98.77mph
12 6 I Robert Collard BMW 320si E90 1m25.894s 12 +1.833s 98.74mph
13 55 I David Pinkney Vauxhall Vectra 1m26.362s 13 +2.301s 98.20mph
14 22 I Tom Boardman SEAT Leon 1m26.369s 7 +2.308s 98.20mph
15 20 Alex MacDowall Chevrolet Cruze 1m26.967s 9 +2.906s 97.52mph
16 27 I Martin Johnson Vauxhall Astra Coupe 1m27.292s 17 +3.231s 97.16mph
17 44 I Andy Neate BMW 320si E90 1m28.270s 11 +4.209s 96.08mph
18 99 I Shaun Hollamby VW Golf MK5 1m28.309s 10 +4.248s 96.04mph
19 98 I Matt Hamilton Honda Civic Type R 1m29.045s 14 +4.984s 95.25mph
20 28 I John George Honda Integra 1m29.336s 4 +5.275s 94.94mph

Hooof.. Here's today's schedule:

09:45 - Pitlane walkabout - (35 Mins)
10:45 - Ginetta G50 Cup - Race 2 (16 Laps)
11:20 - BTCC - Pitlane opens
11:30 - BTCC - Race 1 (16 Laps)
12:10 - Porsche Carrera Cup GB - Race 1 (21 Laps)
12:50 - Renault Clio Cup - Race 2 (12 Laps)
13:30 - Ginetta Junior Championship - Race 2 (9 Laps)
14:00 - BTCC - Pitlane opens
14:10 - BTCC - Race 2 (16 Laps)
14:45 - Lunch Break / BTCC Drivers' Parade - (20 Mins)
15:05 - Formula Renault UK - Race 2 (16 Laps)
15:45 - Ginetta G50 Cup - Race 3 (16 Laps)
16:25 - Porsche Carrera Cup GB - Race 2 (21 Laps)
17:05 - BTCC - Pitlane opens
17:15 - BTCC - Race 3 (16 Laps)

Race 1 was great. I only watch the actual BTCC, races, the other events don't really mean that much to me.

Giovanardi looks menacing in that beaute of a Vauxhall. Shame for the Aon boys, though, and 'Flash' Gordon.

A fair bit of controversy regarding the new Dunlop tyres, which has yet to be fully clarified. Can't wait for Race 2!

Far too many blown tyres for my liking. Hopefully it is just getting used to set ups as Tim Harvey suggested.


As for the supports you missed out, great Ginetta (as usual) and Clio races today.

i know Thruxton always has problems with tyres and punctures, but there were quite a few too many in that first race and it turned into a race to look after tyres instead of attacking

but that Black Vectra looks beautiful, just beautiful and i can say the same for alot of the cars on the grid, got to be up there with the best looking season ever

I love Paul O'Neil

Usual stuff between Jason and Matt, pure stubborn racing from both was always going to end in contact.

Yeah that battle was always not going to end well. Great Gio again!

What a surprise! Plato and Neal hitting each other. Hope Giovanardi gets a deal for the rest of the season. He looks great in the Vectra. Well done Paul O'Neil. Great bloke.

I'm still stunned by Plato and Neal getting on post race...

Honesty and good sportsmanship is not what I expect from my racing drivers

Something was in Plato's tea.

*sigh* New season same old Matt Neal.

Yeah, such a shame for Collard.

Indeed, but in the post race interview he said it obviously wasn't his fault... What annoys me about Neal (and his dad) is the fact that if ever they're wronged they act all high and mighty, and when they're in the wrong... they still act high and mighty *ends rant*

However that said, there were three good races (besides all the support races), and they provided more excitement and spectacle than I had from F1 today.
Have to hope that Gio is in for the season.

Does anyone know why the third BMw team were not there?? forster racing or something like that. They were on the entry list and i cant find anything about them. I was expecting more pace from the Chevy's as well. for a car thats the equal of the WTCC spec seats and beemers is wasnt too hot against a bunch of vectras and a 6 year old integra.

The Forster cars had faulty engines which they sent back to Germany for repair/replacement, so I read somewhere.

My problem with him entirely. Look at what Jason did after the first race, admitted it was his fault, apologised and everything was fine. Matt Neal, of course, despite being completely in the wrong and having ruined Rob Collard's race was of course the wronged party.

Was a good days racing, will post some pics once I've sorted them out.

Something the TV totally missed was Hollamby in the Golf racing John George, both miles off the pace at the back, Hollamby would get a run on him into the 2nd corner of the complex, often alongside George but had to brake to make the corner. Crowd gave a huge cheer every time.

O'Neill drove a blinder, met him (again) quickly on Saturday after qualifying, which hadn't gone to well, but he was still smiling and upbeat.
George had a sticking throttle in qualifying and they changed the airbox on O'Neils car after it was thought to have a crack in it, I won't even tell you what they cost!

Neal was being a plonker as usual.
Great to see Gio back at his best, even if he did look frozen in the pits on Saturday.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82783

I truly like the sound of where BTCC is heading...could another golden age of touring cars once again if they get this right....shame Alan Gow is not running the WRC!

Yep its good stuff.

Hope Gio does the rest of the year.

Missing Rockingham but going to Brands for the GP circuit meeting in May.

From Thruxton:

Gio


O'Neill


Hollamby

Looking good, I've only recently got into BTCC but if it's going to get even better then great news.

Great pics Crafty, thanks for sharing. Gio and Hollamby on two wheels!

Great news about the new regs, looking good.

more pics on flickr here

O'Neill drove a blinder, met him (again) quickly on Saturday after qualifying, which hadn't gone to well, but he was still smiling and upbeat.
George had a sticking throttle in qualifying and they changed the airbox on O'Neils car after it was thought to have a crack in it, I won't even tell you what they cost!


O'Neil is brilliant

Oh dear if it was a costly job they will be after my mate for sponsorship again! last year he sponsored the 2 sunshine cars for the final meeting at Brands he got his company name on the bumpers and on the first lap Martyn Bell got hit and it took the bumper off

To add to the overall BTCC debate I loved it ten years ago but then when they started messing around with the extra races, extra weight for the winners, reverse grids etc I couldn't be bothered anymore and stopped watching it. However my mates started following the sunshine team for the past couple of years so I started to get into it again and think the racing is as good as ever and am hooked again.

I don't really understand the new cars for 2011 do all the teams have to buy thes standard cars/parts? or are these just a cheaper option for independants and you can still enter your own car for example honda, BMW etc

Get your mate to blag a few tickets from Techspeed and get to a race meet - they are at Brands on 2nd May and are using the GP circuit. If you go see the team say hello to Luke from the vxronline lot !
I'll be at there taking pics again.

Far as the new regs go its a mixture of both, they have to use the subframe etc.. but the engine they can either buy the spec engine from SRE or build their own - if they build their own it must be loosely based on an engine from the same manufacturer. The real fun will be in 2013 when the S2000 cars will no longer be eligible and they up the permitted power !
You can enter any car, provided its on sale in the UK and conforms to the regs

Never knew this! Should they be giving the BTCC chaps more power?

Its a fair question I can still remember Radio DJ Mike Smith in the cosworths during the late 80s.. Murray Walker said he always guaranteed action by the bucket load, which was true enough

Nothing wrong with more power!

And the only thing that's better than more power is... even more power.

*cough* Supertouring era *cough*

Wasnt Supertouring era regs set to 300hp, normally aspirated ? I associate supertouring era with rouse in the mondeo, cleland in the cavalier etc..

Just had a dig about and found this info for the RS500s in the late 80s..
Specs:

Engine:
1,994 cc 4-clyinder, 16 valve, DOHC, Garrett T03 turbocharger, up to 2.3 bar of boost pressure.
Power: at start of development in 1987 - 338kW (450 bhp)@7000 rpm. At finish of development in 1992 – 466kW (620 bhp)@7,000 rpm. This represents an increase during the six year development life of 128kW.
Torque: about 630Nm@6,000 rpm.

Transmission: from 1987 to 1991: Getrag 5-speed.
1992: Getrag 6-speed.

Driving Wheels: Rear.

Homologated Kerb Weight: 1987 – 1,035 kg
1988 to 1990 – 1,100 kg (increased due to changes governing turbo multiplication factor)
1991 to 1992 – 1,150 kg


620hp imagine the carnage Matt Neal could cause with that

Kill someone tbh.

my knowledge as far as the history of the regs in BTCC goes is pretty non-existent tbh!

Edit: Im off to wikipedia to get a crash course asap!

Youtube is where you need to go, anything from 1990-2000.

The RS500's were individually spectacular but the racing (particularly at the front) was often very ordinary. It'd be nice to have more powerful cars again but if the level of action decreases they're going to regret it

Agree that the RS500s were exciting to watch on their own (since they had not a lot of grip but a lot of power, so required a fair amount of driving finesse) but in my view the racing was often superb. It wasn't the pathetic demolition derby the BTCC seems to love to market itself as these days, the races between Soper and Rouse in 1988 at Brands and Donington in particular are still some of the best I've ever seen and beat anything the BTCC has served up in recent years. That's because they were capable of overtaking each other cleanly without just barging the other guy out of the way.

In my opinion the Super Touring days are vastly over-rated, although the early seasons were good, Alfa ruined it all in 94 with their homologation special. Once everyone ended up with wings and splitters, the quality of the racing (in the dry at least) deteriorated significantly.

My mates went to just about every race last year and got quite involved with the team and I went with them to Oulton & Croft not sure how involved they will be this year with Martyn not been there.

We also followed Costal racing in the clio cup as well as they come from same the town as us as I think they blagged tickets for WSR from them when it was at Silverstone.

Doubt I can make Oulton Park this year so will prob just be Croft unless Donnington sorts its self out then I might venture down the M6.