Gavin Smith Is Back!!!

[BTCC2]

Great news, Gavin Smith will drive a GR Asia prepared SEAT Leon for the final 3 rounds of the BTCC season.

http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=678

[bt52b]

Another good S2000 entry. Probably a race or two to blow the cobwebs off. Even with the ballast penalty he should be able to get some decent results.

[VxR1]

Welcome back Gavin. Congratulations on your new born. Hope wife and little one are well. See you saturday. Best of luck for the races.

[SEATFreak]

This is a good time to enter Gavin. Intentional or not. I see no WTCC meeting clashes with a BTCC meeting from now untill the end. Though the Leon will be racing in one series one week and in the other the next twice.

The week after Gavin's first race at Brands Hatch on the weekend of Aug 18-19 GR will be taking Emmet's Leon to Oschersleben on the weekend of Aug 25-26. And after Monza on the weekend of 6-7 October GR will be taking Emmet's Leon back to the UK for Thruxton on the weekend of Oct 14-15.

[Brooklands78]

I'm sure that Mr Smith will cause a few upsets in the final rounds - good to see him back!

[VkmSpouge]

That's a pretty good entry. Nice to see Gavin Smith back. It will be an interesting comparison between Adam Jones in the old Toledo and Smith in the newer Leon.

[BTCC2]

That's a pretty good entry. Nice to see Gavin Smith back. It will be an interesting comparison between Adam Jones in the old Toledo and Smith in the newer Leon.


The pace should be around equal at Brands because Smith will have the weight and will need to blow away afew of the cobwebs.

[reidy_fan]

so daddy smith has allowed his wee boy into his wallet again LOL dont think smith will do anything as even in a top car he didnt do much. still will be funny to see Mat Jackson, Tom Onslow Cole, Matt Allison etc leave him for dead. at best smith is a support race driver at worst he should compete in unlimited banger racing as that is what he is good at LOL

[m0rk]

so daddy smith has allowed his wee boy into his wallet again

oooh, so cynical :D but probably not far from the mark.

[Allyc85]

Hell I didnt see this one coming lol. In a 2007 spec Leon as well!

[VkmSpouge]

so daddy smith has allowed his wee boy into his wallet again LOL dont think smith will do anything as even in a top car he didnt do much. still will be funny to see Mat Jackson, Tom Onslow Cole, Matt Allison etc leave him for dead. at best smith is a support race driver at worst he should compete in unlimited banger racing as that is what he is good at LOL

I think Smith is a decent driver in his own right. He certainly is not flawless, I agree he gets involved too often in incidents but he should pick up a reasonable haul of points in the Leon.

[peewhee]

but he should pick up a reasonable haul of points in the Leon.

Anyone should! Quality car you have there. Specially with Paul Ridgeway behind it!

Anyone that can't score points in a 2007 spec Leon... Shouldn't be in it!

[bt52b]

Is he a Plato fan :confused:

[SEATFreak]

Anyone should! Quality car you have there. Specially with Paul Ridgeway behind it!

Anyone that can't score points in a 2007 spec Leon... Shouldn't be in it!

Just because your in a 2007 spec Leon I don't feel you will suddenly begin to score points; irrespective of you level of talent.
I certainly feel more of the racing in the BTCC is to do with how the driver performs than in F1.

So if Gavin is the driver some members seem to rate him as he may not score points. Being in a Leon won't change that.

You also make the point that if anyone that can score points in a Leon should be in it. Another problem is Gavin hasn't probably raced a Leon before so we don't know if he can score in a Leon.

[tin-top fan]

Maybe paves the way for GR Asia entering Leons next year as well?

-Also isn't the reason that this drive has come up is because Emmet is no longer driving for GR Asia in the WTCC?

[SEATFreak]

Also isn't the reason that this drive has come up is because Emmet is no longer driving for GR Asia in the WTCC?

No. He will be with GR for Oschersleben.

I could not see anything on the WTCC website, on crash.net (Emmett himself even writes a column on July 5; 3 days before Porto) or autosort.com about Emmett not racing.

But then I did Yahoo! Search the GR Asia website and was able to find in clicking on "Emmet O'Brien" in "drivers" a link to his website and a news article does mention the reason why he wasn't at Sweden is a new sponsorshio deal could not be signed in time. But he does hope to get the deal signed before Oschersleben were he will driver a new Leon.

[Jona]

Although Gavin Smith seems to have developed this reputation as being a "panel basher" we must remember that he finished 8th in the championship last year only one place behind his team mate Tom Chilton who kept his seat for this year, in a car that wasnt really the best considering it was a works car.

[SEATFreak]

Although Gavin Smith seems to have developed this reputation as being a "panel basher" we must remember that he finished 8th in the championship last year only one place behind his team mate Tom Chilton who kept his seat for this year, in a car that wasnt really the best considering it was a works car.

What was his overall pace like? All I know is he achieved two seconds in the entire campaign last year.

[Captain VXR]

I cant wait to see this as the green Leon is feckin lush and hopefully Gavin can embarass the works Leons a couple of times. Finally a new entry this season too

[BTCC2]

His overall pace was quite good last season.

For example, if you take a look at the 4 Vauxhall drivers race finishes vs each other he fared quite well.

Chilton 10
Giovanardi 14
Smith 6
Kizilirmak 0

[peewhee]

I cant wait to see this as the green Leon is feckin lush and hopefully Gavin can embarass the works Leons a couple of times. Finally a new entry this season too

Just what Vauxhall need... Another Leon to seperate the works Leons.. :D

Let's face it Gavin won't be taking orders from North&South..

Allowing Gio to win the drivers title and Vauxhall the manufacturers crown. :cool:

[VkmSpouge]

Just what Vauxhall need... Another Leon to seperate the works Leons.. :D

Let's face it Gavin won't be taking orders from North&South..

Allowing Gio to win the drivers title and Vauxhall the manufacturers crown. :cool:

He's about as likely to separate the works Vauxhalls as the SEATs.

[tdb]

He's about as likely to separate the works Vauxhalls as the SEATs.

By separate, i assume you mean, between the A post and the B post! lol!

As someone said today, Gavin Smith in an 07 leon, crash, bang, wallop! what a picture!!

[PDS]

As someone said today, Gavin Smith in an 07 leon, crash, bang, wallop! what a picture!!

That's one I will be looking for!

[bt52b]

That's one I will be looking for!

Sounds like you picked a corner already ;)

[m0rk]

Let's face it Gavin won't be taking orders from North&South..

depends on if he really likes asking for daddy's chequebook each time he wants to play racing driver, or if he wants to impress / not p1ss off potential employers really.

no good ramming into half the field & then asking them for a drive in 2 months really - he'll have to show ability the old fashioned way.

So pay drive it is in 2008 :D

[SEATFreak]

Let's face it Gavin won't be taking orders from North&South..

Good thing it's GR Asia that will be preparing the car then! :laugh:

Just kidding!! ;) I know you really probably mean something along the lines he won't be asked by NorthernSouth to do anything.

[VXRDartford]

Good to see another leon on the grid but I thought northernsouth did not want any new leons on grid until 2008?

[BTCC2]

It's not up to them though is it.

They may not want to race against another Leon, but they're going to have to.

[VkmSpouge]

Good to see another leon on the grid but I thought northernsouth did not want any new leons on grid until 2008?

They may not want another Leon there but it isn't their decision since the car is in private hands and free to race in any championship using Super 2000 specs.

[SEATFreak]

They may not want another Leon there but it isn't their decision since the car is in private hands and free to race in any championship using Super 2000 specs.

As far as I am aware that is, NorthernSouth really aren't SEAT are they Vkm. They are only employed to run them. They don't build them or, again as far as I am aware, don't run the entire factory. Correct me if I am wrong but aren't the Leons built at the SEAT factory in Martorell (Not Albercete SEATFreak!) and are despatched to the various teams running Leons like GR Asia and SEAT-Sport Italia?

Like 888 with the Vectras. They aren't Vauxhall are they? They don't and can't run the entire factory and they simply run them? Aren't the Vectras built at the 888 factory near Silverstone and are taken to the 888 facility?

[Iain]

The 888 factory and facility is the same thing, in Greatworth near Banbury.

With GR already possessing a car, I think that's a different scenario to last winter when Team RAC wanted to buy Leons.

I don't think SSUK could be opposed to this though. It's another car to get in the way of the Vauxhalls. Sure the private SEATs can't score points unless nominated, but they can get in the way of the two Vectras and hinder their progress while the SSUK Leons get in front. The BMW teams used to do this years ago, whether they were works or private, they used to club together to beat Vauxhall.

[SEATFreak]

...but they can get in the way of the two Vectras and hinder their progress while the SSUK Leons get in front.

Do you see Gavin Smith running as fast and as competitive as the Vectras? And do you see Gavin qualifying on a par with the Vectras? Tom Chilton maybe, because I haven't been entirely impressed with TC, but not Giovanardi.

I think Gavin would have to be up at the front competing in order for him to slow up the Vectras legally. Remember, I am sure, as in F1, if a driver that is being lapped intentionally slows up the progress of a lead driver and refuses to make way, it is deemed illegal. I don't know however about any punishment but I am fairly sure it is deemed illegal.

[VkmSpouge]

I think Gavin Smith did reasonably well today, a solid and consistent job. He did well to hold off Plato for so long in the third race.

[Rusty]

Well said VKM Gavin had a great return to the series and apart from being caught up in race 1 crash well done Gavin and welcome back....

[peewhee]

Just what Vauxhall need... Another Leon to seperate the works Leons.. :D


Just as I predicted! Got in the way of the two works cars in race three...

[Jona]

Whilst everyone else crashed into each other Smith was probably the only car to finish all three races without a scratch on it!

So much for being a panel bashing driver!!

[Allyc85]

Did he get any punishment for overtaking stockton before the finish line?

[Winchester]

Yes, he got a drive through penalty. He had two in the race - one for jumping the start and another for passing Stockton before the line.
A rusty but fairly impressive day for Mr Smith.

[SEATFreak]

A rusty but fairly impressive day for Mr Smith.

Sentiments exactly. He was never not in with a shout of scoring points and am very impressed with not just the race-by-race points but the haul over the entire day. A total of 11 points. Two sevenths and one eigth.