BTCC 2010 - Rounds 4, 5 & 6 at Rockingham

[PDS]

Well a lot seems to have gone on since Thruxton. Despite a recent skirmish here, most people seem to be looking forward to a return to The ROCK!

A bigger grid is in the offering this time round.

2 Jason Plato Ray Mallock Limited Chevrolet Cruze LT M
4 Matt Neal Team Dynamics Honda Civic M
5 Mat Jackson Motorbase Performance BMW 320SI I
6 Rob Collard West Surrey Racing BMW 320SI I
11 Steven Kane Motorbase Performance BMW 320SI I
14 James Nash Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra I
20 Alex McDowall Ray Mallock Limited Chevrolet Cruze LT M
21 Tom Onslow-Cole Arena International Ford Focus ST I
22 Tom Boardman Triple R Racing SEAT Leon I
23 Tom Chilton Arena International Ford Focus ST I
27 Martin Johnson Boulevard Team Racing Vauxhall Astra Coupe I
28 John George Techspeed Racing Honda Integra I
29 Paul O'Neill Techspeed Racing Honda Integra I
30 Martin Depper Forster Motorsport BMW 320SI I
37 Arthur Forster Forster Motorsport BMW 320SI I
44 Andy Neate West Surrey Racing BMW 320SI I
52 Gordon Shedden Team Dynamics Honda Civic M
55 David Pinkney Pinkney Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra I
77 Andy Jordan Jordan Sport Vauxhall Vectra I
88 Phil Glew Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra I
98 Matt Hamilton TH Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R I
99 Shaun Hollamby AmD Milltek Sport Volkswagen Golf I

[Alfa Fan]

22 cars is a solid grid. Only Lea Wood to join now (at next round) and we'll actually have every car registered out on track!

[PDS]

A very good chance of another entry at Brands to take the grid to 23...

But lets talk about The Rock!

[Robinho]

Depper might not make it back form the states in time due to the Volcano, although i would have though now airports are open again he should have no problem in getting back by Saturday - see touring car times

[Alfa Fan]

A very good chance of another entry at Brands to take the grid to 23...

But lets talk about The Rock!

Lea Wood will take the grid to 23...do you mean someone else as well?

[PDS]

Lea Wood will take the grid to 23...do you mean someone else as well?

Yep!

[Alfa Fan]

Yep!

To the first or the second part? :)

[PDS]

Second...

But that's for Brands, Not Rockingham!

[AndySpeed]

Now you've blown it Peter, I was hoping to keep my plans secret a little longer!... ;)

[MattL]

No Phil Glew this weekend:

http://www.btccpages.com/news/1/1786/Glew-to-miss-Rockingham-rounds/

[Alfa Fan]

Hmm odd. We are in need of some good news :(

[Allyc85]

:( Nightmare. Fingers crossed he can get something sorted as he had a very solid debut at Thruxton.

[Robinho]

no Glew, no Gio, no UNIQ (they appear to have f**ed up) so now we've lost a potential champion and a potential race winner, not very happy about that

[Alfa Fan]

I'd started a thread to discuss this but its disappeared.

This year was always going to be tough.

The general feeling is not helped by 888s withdrawl. 2 months ago we didn't expect to see them racing, but now to have had them run Giovanardi and Glew and then effectively disappear (just running Nash for a few rounds*), is in some ways more disappointing than if they hadn't entered at all.

*It's my understanding Nash has only got the budget to do the meetings up to Oulton Park/Croft

[Allyc85]

No Depper either, he will make his debut at Brands now.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83118

[Eurotech]

I have a feeling Lea Wood is going to do a CVR/Team48/Xero on us.... oh well we'll just have to wait and see....

[Alfa Fan]

Yes because he attended the media day and said he wouldn't be racing until Brands Hatch.

[Eurotech]

Btw, has anyone seen David Pinkney's improved livery? Looks much better than it did at Thruxton

[VkmSpouge]

Shame the volcano has delayed Martin Depper's debut.

The Fords looking good in free practice, 1st and 3rd in the first session. Matt Neal topping the times in the second practice just ahead of Jason Plato and Tom Chilton.

[VkmSpouge]

Qualifying Times:
1 Tom Chilton 1m23.363
2 Matt Neal 1m23.660
3 Alex MacDowall 1m23.782
4 Tom Onslow-Cole 1m23.798
5 Jason Plato 1m23.834
6 James Nash 1m24.245
7 Gordon Shedden 1m24.263
8 Andrew Jordan 1m24.404
9 Steven Kane 1m24.417
10 Paul o'Neill 1m24.503
11 Mat Jackson 1m24.544
12 Rob Collard 1m24.751
13 Dave Pinkney 1m24.928
14 Tom Boardman 1m25.207
15 Andy Neate 1m25.400
16 John George 1m25.570
17 Martin Johnson 1m26.156
18 Arthur Forster 1m27.059
19 Matt Hamilton No Time
20 Shaun Hollamby No Time

Tom Chilton taking a good pole position, first victory for the Fords on the cards?
Alex MacDowall out qualifying Jason Plato in only his second qualifying session.
James Nash doing well on his first run in a Vectra.
The BMWs are nowhere, not a single one of the five within a second of the pole.
Matt Hamilton lost all his times after his car failed to start or something.
Any news why Shaun Hollamby didn't take part in qualifying?

[Robinho]

Happy that Andy Neate seems to be getting closer to the other BMW's, think that he was just bedding himself back into racing at Thruxton, now he is learning the car and putting on some pace, hope to see him up with Collard at least in coming rounds. although the BMW's don't look quick in qually (same as at Thruxton) they did race much better, so hopefully they can move forward

[Eurotech]

I'm suprised by the lack of pace in the Beemers at Rockingham which is a circuit that is supposed to suit them...

Shame about Martin Depper being unable to race

I think Matt Hamilton's alternator packed up when he was on the weigh-bridge meaning that he lost his times...

[jonv]

Pics from today: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_veal/sets/72157623923585362/

[UltimateDanGTR]

Pinkney has blamed his dissapointing pace on the weight of the NGTC engine, interestingly.

[christophulus]

Wet tyres? Do they get their weather info from the F1 teams? :p

[VkmSpouge]

Race 1 Results:
1 Matt Neal
2 Gordon Shedden
3 Jason Plato
4 Tom Boardman
5 Steven Kane
6 Paul o'Neill
7 Andrew Jordan
8 Tom Onslow-Cole
9 Martin Johnson
10 Rob Collard
11 Tom Chilton
12 Alex MacDowall
13 Mat Jackson
14 Shaun Hollamby
15 Matt Hamilton
16 John George
17 Arthur Forster
18 Dave Pinkney
DNF James Nash
DNF Andy Neate

1-2 for the Hondas! Matt Neal just ran away with the race. Some nice fights down the field with Arena making a mistake of running both cars on the slick-wets tyre choice but Tom Onslow-Cole and Andrew Jordan then made the correct choice on staying out on those tyres instead of pitting.
Well done to Tom Boardman (first independent home too) and Martin Johnson for their best ever BTCC finishes.

[UltimateDanGTR]

some great racing as always in that race! I think at one point coming out of the dean hairpin there was a point where there was a 4-wide! very interesting and strategic racing with some proper side by side racing as well. It did quiten down a bit towards the end but i look foward to race 2.

[BDunnell]

Pinkney has blamed his dissapointing pace on the weight of the NGTC engine, interestingly.

He said that after Thruxton, too.

[VkmSpouge]

Race 2 Result:
1 Jason Plato
2 Rob Collard
3 Steven Kane
4 Mat Jackson
5 Andrew Jordan
6 Tom Chilton
7 Tom Onslow-Cole
8 Paul o'Neill
9 Matt Neal
10 James Nash
11 Andy Neate
12 Alex MacDowall
13 Gordon Shedden
14 Matt Hamilton
15 Martin Johnson
16 Dave Pinkney
17 Arthur Forster
DNF Tom Boardman
DNF John George
DNF Shaun Hollamby

Jason Plato just raced off into the distance early but a good drive by Rob Collard saw him put pressure on the Chevy on the last lap. The BMWs really coming into their own during that race with Steven Kane and Mat Jackson completing the top four.
The Hondas suffered in the race but the Fords made some ground. I was impressed by Martin Johnson's pace during the race, his best lap was just a second off the fastest lap and he was doing a good job of keeping Alex MacDowall's works Chevy behind him.

[Eurotech]

So far this weekend I have once again been very impressed by Martin Johnson and his antique Astra.... Interestingly Pinkney's Turbo Vectra was no faster in a straight line than Johnson.... Now THAT's what you call equalized ;)

[BDunnell]

So far this weekend I have once again been very impressed by Martin Johnson and his antique Astra....

Me too. He looked to be fighting really hard in the second race. Great effort from one of the older drivers in the championship's oldest car.

[DazzlaF1]

Me too. He looked to be fighting really hard in the second race. Great effort from one of the older drivers in the championship's oldest car.

Seconded, Driver of the day so far for me.

[DazzlaF1]

O'Neill's at it again, brilliant move on TOC for 2nd

[Mp3 Astra]

Pinkney is AB-SO-LUTELY FURIOUS (Murray Walker, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sySTUEpCP8E#t=00m54s), saying he might not even turn up to Brands next week which I don't believe for a moment. Didn't see what happened to him but it must have been pretty bad for him to be this angry. Mat Jackson also pretty livid.

Great drive from Matt Neal, superb overtaking from Paul O'Neill. Good weekend all round.

[BDunnell]

O'Neill's move on Onslow-Cole was superb. He is driving brilliantly this year, and his racecraft does him credit, unlike Chilton. In fact, there were plenty of good drives in that third race — Neal of course, Kane and Plato all did notably well, in what was largely a clean fight despite Pinkney's remarks about the driving standards. And look who was 11th! Another fine run from Johnson.

[VkmSpouge]

Race 3 Result:
1 Matt Neal
2 Paul o'Neill
3 Steven Kane
4 Andrew Jordan
5 Jason Plato
6 Rob Collard
7 Tom Onslow-Cole
8 James Nash
9 Andy Neate
10 Tom Boardman
11 Martin Johnson
12 Matt Hamilton
13 Arthur Forster
14 Shaun Hollamby
15 John George
DNF Gordon Shedden
DNF Mat Jackson
DNF Alex MacDowall
DNF Tom Chilton
DNF Dave Pinkney

Matt Neal walks it again, very good weekend for him.
Paul o'Neill takes a fine second place after a good move to pass Tom Onslow-Cole.
Andy Neate taking his best ever BTCC finish, showing again some improvement in his pace.
Arthur Forster can be pleased by taking three race finishes this weekend.

[BDunnell]

Arthur Forster can be pleased by taking three race finishes this weekend.

He should also be pleased about turning out the best-looking BMW livery in the whole field. It's a very smart-looking car indeed.

[VkmSpouge]

I agree, the WSR and Motorbase BMWs look very bland compared to Forster.

[Eurotech]

Arthur Forster was actually running in 11th in race one at one point, shame he didn't manage to maintain it.... He still impressed though

[mattie007]

A very good chance of another entry at Brands to take the grid to 23...

But lets talk about The Rock!

A second SEAT by any chance? ;)

Brands should have a packed grid as Depper, Wood and A N Other driver will make it 23? 24 if Glew is back.

[mattie007]

Anyone else notice that Ben Edwards reffered to Neates BMW as the WSR MG?! :D

[Mp3 Astra]

I did, and I was trying to work out why the mistake was made. It's been a number of years since WSR ran an MG. But hey, everyone makes mistakes!