Menu in 3rd Vecta for Thruxton? [Archive]

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Dave B

4th October 2007, 12:33

According to Autosport, Alain Menu is being considered for a 3rd VX at Thruxton - although it will depend on SEAT's plans.

Vauxhall are set to run a third Vectra for Alain Menu in the BTCC season finale at Thruxton, this week's Autosport reports.

The Swiss driver, who won two BTCC titles during his time in the series from 1991-2000, currently races for Chevrolet in the WTCC, but he is set to be loaned to General Motors sister marque Vauxhall to help Fabrizio Giovanardi's title bid.

Full story: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/62979

LiamM

4th October 2007, 13:17

Crash seems to have it confirmed

http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~10~id~155331.htm

And i think the picture says it all

VXRDartford

4th October 2007, 13:28

All confirmed

http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=742&PHPSESSID=9c836e6d297e363bca7a304ea978f60d

great news thats annoying as big menu fan but want plato to win title. Hopefully menu will win the races and plato will finish 2nd to win title

ATF

4th October 2007, 13:46

It's fantastic news...and a total surprise!! Hopefully he can help Gio win and then win a race for himself!!

BDunnell

4th October 2007, 13:47

I will be very interested to see how Menu goes on his first outing in the Vectra compared to Chilton who's been in it all season. I suspect we won't get to see a true reflection of Menu's pace relative to Giovanardi, as he'll be playing second fiddle, but given that this is Chilton's last opportunity to shine in the car this season (and possibly ever), the prospect of potentially being outpaced by someone coming in with no prior experience of it won't be very appealing, even though that someone is a multiple former champion.

VxR1

4th October 2007, 13:57

It is after qualifying that teams nominate their drivers for scoring team and manufacturer points, so there is all to play for in the qualifying session on saturday 13th.
Let battle commence and its sure to be a winner for the spectators.

peewhee

4th October 2007, 14:01

All we need now is the name of the third Seat driver!

tintin

4th October 2007, 14:11

Yvan Muller?

SEATFreak

4th October 2007, 16:14

.....In his TDI Leon? Like they did with Thommo's Leon at Silverstone.

I am in two minds now about this.

With ANOTHER worldclass talent at VXR I fear it may be even tougher now for SEAT to win the titles. I fear that it might as well be considered it for yet another year.

But I also feel that their may be a chance for the sceptics to consider this something of a last and somewhat desperate throw of the dice for VXR.

Great that the Vectra has performed strongly. But has it? As I state on btcc.net, under Fab he has gotten the best out of it, but for me Chilton on the other hand has been poor. Of the race winning pace and performance and often down the field in the mid-low points paying places.

Perhaps, and even though VX have gotten a good driver, SEAT are still in with a chance?

BDunnell

4th October 2007, 16:52

Captain VXR

4th October 2007, 17:44

F**k yeah :D :D :D

Dave B

4th October 2007, 19:23

S*d's law, just as I posted that thread I received the VX press release confirming it!

Excellent news :up:

VkmSpouge

4th October 2007, 19:42

I'm really pleased that Alain Menu is coming back into the championship for Thruxton. If (and that is a seriously BIG "if") he manages to win all three races he'll overtake Jason Plato for the second highest number of wins in BTCC history.

BTCC2

4th October 2007, 20:24

Menu would have destroyed todays BTCC field afew years back, it may take him a while to re adjust to racing in Britain, but when that happens watch out BTCC because when Alain Menu was in the zone (1997) he was immense.

Iain

4th October 2007, 20:50

Except when he was in the pack, then it was crash, bang, wallop, what a video......10 years after he prevented his then teammate from getting 2nd in the championship as well! And who was that former teammate? :p :

Still, good to see another big name appearing, hopefully the proposed 3rd SEAT will have a former BTCC champ driving as well. :)

BTCC2

5th October 2007, 00:08

I actually thought it was a good move on Plato by Menu at Silverstone, yes there was contact but there usually is.

Captain VXR

5th October 2007, 19:15

Sorry for swearing, was just really hyper d'oh

WSRfan82

6th October 2007, 02:09

wooow!!!!!! im in shock menu in the btcc @ thuxton cool im looking forward to that then..should be a piece of cake for menu...plato watch out mate menu's come to get ya hahahaha!!!!!!!!!

tisme

6th October 2007, 13:39

With Vauxhall supposed to be looking for a replacement for Chilton next year.. perhaps Menu will stay for 2008???????

Iain

6th October 2007, 14:28

Can't see that happening. Not with Chevrolet signing up for 2008 with RML for the WTCC again and he being their most successful driver.

SEATFreak

6th October 2007, 15:34

Can't see that happening. Not with Chevrolet signing up for 2008 with RML for the WTCC again and he being their most successful driver.

Yeah. Though he is quite down the standings he is clearly the strongest driver getting 4 of the teams 5 wins this season.

Do you think it will be much as they are next year with Huff and Larini joining Menu? Or do you think Huff's or Larini's days are numbered? I think Ray Mallock will keep them as they are. If it ain't broke....

At Anderstorp I would have said Larini. He didn't take kindly to Rydell taking the race 2 win. But normal service seem to have very much resumed with Larini very much part of the team.

ATF

6th October 2007, 20:24

Can't see that happening. Not with Chevrolet signing up for 2008 with RML for the WTCC again and he being their most successful driver.

In fact he has the most wins of anyone in WTCC - but as has been said, it has been either win or bust for him this year!

I would have Rydell, Menu and Huff...unlikely as it is!! Or maybe Rydell should go to VX?!

BDunnell

6th October 2007, 20:43

There has been talk of VX being interested in, amongst others, Adam Jones for 2008. This was reported in Autosport.

Captain VXR

6th October 2007, 21:40

that would be cool :up:

peewhee

6th October 2007, 22:48

that would be cool :up:

Don't you mean 'That would be Air Cool'!? :D

Can't see it happening though!

BTCC2

6th October 2007, 23:31

I said we hadn't seen the last of him in the BTCC when he left at the end of 00'. Although I didn't expect to have to wait 7 years.

Northern Monkey

6th October 2007, 23:43

There has been talk of VX being interested in, amongst others, Adam Jones for 2008. This was reported in Autosport.

Adam won't be at Vauxhall next season.

peewhee

7th October 2007, 00:15

Mind you, if Gio doesn't win the title this year.. What's the chance that he will stay for another year?

VkmSpouge

7th October 2007, 01:26

Mind you, if Gio doesn't win the title this year.. What's the chance that he will stay for another year?

That will depend on whether there are any works drives available in the WTCC for him.

SEATFreak

7th October 2007, 08:41

That will depend on whether there are any works drives available in the WTCC for him.

I don't think he would give up on VXR just like that.

I don't see him going back to the WTCC just because he didn't win the BTCC Drivers Championship.

Theirs a lot of positives for him and his team to take from this season. For example the car. I believe they haven't been that strong since 2004 because of it. The Vectra has been a massive success for them I think. I did not expect them to fight the team I support (notice how I managed to evade saying "my team" to save people from taking the words too literally? :p : ) as hard as they did this season. I wasn't aware at the start of the season their is a massive speed difference between a hatchback and a saloon because in that where the hatch being smaller doesn't have much downforce the saloon being bigger is much faster.

I am sure Fab will still be a VXR driver in 2008 when we will know the lineups.