Knockhill 2011

[Mark]

Looks like a nice day there for a change!

[Dave B]

It's better weather than here in Kent, and it's not often you can say that!

[Sarah]

Well done to Tom - about time !!

Another impressive performance from Frank too

[Allyc85]

Great racing, really felt sorry for Rob Austin though!

[Captain VXR]

Good to see some different support races

[Allyc85]

Agreed, would love to see the Minis instead of the Porches which can be very processional!

WTCC on in a bit, I see Huff has now lost the points lead :(

[Captain VXR]

Come on wrathall!! :d

[Mark]

Oh dear Plato not a happy man.

[Alfa Fan]

No brain Boardman again. He's just dumb, I'm sorry. He ****ed up at Thruxton and has done so again. Quick, but absolutely no race craft at all, none whatsoever. He'll get excluded even if he wins this.

[Dave B]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Tom Boardman fan, but seriously WTF is he doing in race 3? :s

[Alfa Fan]

The evidence over his 10 year career is that he isn't an intelligent racing driver, in the extreme. He seemingly doesn't understand how to keep himself out of trouble. It's not bad luck which has meant his pace =/= results, not at all.

[Dave B]

Oh dear Plato not a happy man.

He's got every right to be furious. Boardman tapped him going into the braking zone then nerfed him sideways as he turned. Fortunately Jason seemed perfectly ok, but his championship chances just took one heck of a battering.

[Alfa Fan]

Ok, Boardman wins this and then gets excluded.

[Alfa Fan]

Actually, Boardman and Collard fighting? Wrathall win then!

[Mark]

His antics at the restart were rather questionable at best.

[Alfa Fan]

So Boardman will join Nash in celebrating a win that's later lost?

[Mark]

Blimey Boardman is looking old!

[Dave B]

For years I've been wanting Tom to win a race, but not like this. I'll be amazed if he's allowed to keep this victory.

[smokeysco]

Plato getting some of his own medicine, and I do wish he would stop whinging and get on with his job.

[Mark]

To be fair he was very restrained after the race n

[Allyc85]

Boardman should really be chucked out after punting JP twice! All he had to do was take his time and he had an easy pass on one of the straights!

Have to say though drive of the day was frank Wrathall who drove fast and clean to take some top results, well dont to him and the team for all their hard work!

[RMLCruzeing82]

Plato getting some of his own medicine, and I do wish he would stop whinging and get on with his job.

i dont want to get in to this argument about the turbos again because to be pretty frank, im getting sick of hearing about it but how can Plato do is job if the turbos are just pulling away like hes parked.

[RMLCruzeing82]

bourdman shouldn't be allowed to keep that win. carbon copy of Aiellos move from 99'. It was uncalled for.

[smokeysco]

i dont want to get in to this argument about the turbos again because to be pretty frank, im getting sick of hearing about it but how can Plato do is job if the turbos are just pulling away like hes parked.

This should have been no surprise, turbo cars were running in last years Touring Cars, the time to sort out the turbo non turbo problem ( and there is the problem) was in the the period between last years and this years BTCC.

So as I said drivers should just get on with their job.

[Allyc85]

I think TOCA should just take a hit, admit that its not working and make it all turbos next year. If RML leave then thats the way its got to be as this cant go on and the arguments are getting as boring as n/a cars not being able to over take.

[Sarah]

I really wanted Tom B to win but not like that. Could really see what JP has been going on about in that race and I thought he gave a very controlled interview after.

[speedy king]

Boardman ended another drivers race un-doubtably....A black flag should have been used to end Boardman's race....I don't see how these moves are let go?

[martinbalmer]

It was clear from his pace that Boardman was very likely to get passed Plato at some point during the race so, personally, I think it tarnishes the win that he didn't make a clean pass. Boardman had the straightline speed available.

From what I saw it looked entirely Boardman's fault today so, if that is the case, he should expect some form of punishment.

As for changing the race result, well, I have no idea. The trouble is you could say that the race result remained unchanged after Plato and Neal had a coming together at Snetterton and, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought they found Plato at fault for that and served up points and a fine.

[speedy king]

Due to the nature of the incident at Snetterton taking place at the first corner it is much harder to proportion instant blame when you could say Neal (could) have come back across infront of Plato after leaving the track.... Plus Neal did keep going all being at the back...

Whereas point blank contact in the braking zone then going through the corner on the rear of the car with no other traffic as a distration or factor + warm tyres and generally ideal racing environment resulting in immediate race end for plato and an impact, I believe in such incident's the BTCC needs to follow other sports and impliment the black flag and allow for a real race to take place rather than, Is he the winner or isn't he, results.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

If Boardman victory stands then it has been a great weekend for the Garstang racers. Two podiums for Wrathall and a win for Boardman.

:up:

[NoahsGirl]

Had a fantastic day yesterday watching the BTCC at Knockhill - face is still sunburnt! As for Mr Boardman, as we watched his "re-start" unfold and the resulting carnage, I was convinced he would get into trouble because of it. He nearly overtook the safety car on the straight!

Then there was that awkward moment when everyone at the hairpin cheered when Shedden took the lead in race two, and I loudly swore as I'm not a fan! I got some strange looks!

[rsmith16]

Wasn't this always going to be an "awkward" track for the N/A cars? Would have thought (an happily be proved wrong) that the turbos were always going to be stronger here? Think they were all fairly close on times last time out at Snet? Or are we going to have the case where we have different turbo levels for each track?

Now ready to be shot down in flames...

[Allyc85]

I thought it would be obvious that the turbo cars would havea big advantage up the start finish straight tbh and it would be enough for them to stay ahead in the twistier bits.

Seems like Boardman has kept his win though!

[Eurotech]

I think Boardman's race restart style is just plain dim. He doesn't give himself a chance to get a lead on the pack while always causing problems. He did the same thing twice for F's sake

[Andrew Webster]

Yeh I agree that Knockhill would show the biggest differences in car type although Collard had no problem in race 3 and the speed traps only showed 1-2 mph difference between Honda, Chevvy and VX. I think Rockingham will be a lot closer!

[I am evil Homer]

Top speed wasn't the issue...it was the torque within a rev range that allowed Boardman to close up on Plato and clearly carry far more speed mid-turn. Can't say I was particularly impressed by his antics in Race 3

[Eurotech]

You have to commend Rob Collard though, he just gets on with the job and gives it 100% everytime.... plus I find his strangely childish voice quite funny :)

[Mark]

Wasn't that long ago that Knockhill was dropped from the BTCC calendar and everyone was saying the track was finished and a return to Scotland would require a brand new track in the central belt.

Great to see Knockhill still going strong, probably my favourite track.

[Alfa Fan]

That was one of many strange things that happened in Richard West's time in charge. To be fair to him though, he was the one who reinstated it as well.

[BDunnell]

You have to commend Rob Collard though, he just gets on with the job and gives it 100% everytime....

I couldn't agree more. His driving has really impressed me this year. Even when the car could barely get into the top dozen, as at Thruxton, he was on the limit yet behaving with good sense.

[BDunnell]

Yeh I agree that Knockhill would show the biggest differences in car type although Collard had no problem in race 3 and the speed traps only showed 1-2 mph difference between Honda, Chevvy and VX. I think Rockingham will be a lot closer!

Which completely misses the point. The nature of the acceleration of the turbo cars was the problem. Knockhill underlined to me more strongly than ever the fact that next year has to be all-turbo amongst the front-running teams, for there is no way TOCA can sort the situation out through technical means.

[Allyc85]

Wasn't that long ago that Knockhill was dropped from the BTCC calendar and everyone was saying the track was finished and a return to Scotland would require a brand new track in the central belt.

Great to see Knockhill still going strong, probably my favourite track.

And motorsport news is reporting that next year the track could be run in reverse as it has a license to run in both directions!

[BDunnell]

Top speed wasn't the issue...it was the torque within a rev range that allowed Boardman to close up on Plato and clearly carry far more speed mid-turn.

The other good example in race three was Jackson passing Foster. Foster's exit from the hairpin was fine, but Jackson was simply able to power past him along what is a fairly short straight, such that he could turn in to the first corner ahead. The BMW stood no chance at all.

[IceWizard]

Boardman ended another drivers race un-doubtably....A black flag should have been used to end Boardman's race....I don't see how these moves are let go?
I agree, it was a fairly faint tap but it still ended Plato's race. Surely at least a time penalty / drive through should have been given? I can't find any reference to it online so I assume that no action has been taken?

[m.lowe]

Its no different what Tom B did than what happens in F1 where the lead driver will make those behind bunch up then fire away
Its not his fault those behind where not alert enough then crash into each other. they where caught napping.
It wont happen again in BTCC thats for sure as everyone will be on their guard.
As for him nudging Jason Plato if he is catching him and slows hes bound to be nudged, plato has probably done it in the past sometime or another in his career.

I was glad to see the Audi and Toyota up there as it makes a change to watching the same cars at the front.
Knockhill was one of the better rounds in that the Fords didnt do aswell as they usually do and please read this as I want to see different cars do well and those that are at the front dont always have good races.

The BTCC has been spot on this year and I wonder if Mr Plato was offered another drive by a turbo team next year would he go for it because if he did then the moaning would hopefully stop
Hes a dam good driver but you get sick of hearing the yapping round after round