Touring Cars 2004
Discussion
Saw it on Sunday's TV.
Pretty close racing and quite a few offs.
Bizarre reverse grid ordering rule meant that Plato and some other bloke both slowed before the finish line in the second race, trying to finish behind each other to get better grid slots in the next race!
Good stuff but I still think the idea of a Honda Civic being a Touring Car is something of a joke.
It should be Vectra vs Mondeo vs 3 Series vs C Class vs 406
Pretty close racing and quite a few offs.
Bizarre reverse grid ordering rule meant that Plato and some other bloke both slowed before the finish line in the second race, trying to finish behind each other to get better grid slots in the next race!
Good stuff but I still think the idea of a Honda Civic being a Touring Car is something of a joke.
It should be Vectra vs Mondeo vs 3 Series vs C Class vs 406
Yawn. Boring, slow, quiet 'racing' cars that have all sorts of addons bolted on to them to make them look good. The rear wings are flat so don't actually produce any downforce. Hate them. They look like a Lax Power wet dream. Give me Aussie V8's, DTM or even old Super Tourers any day. Or better yet, go back to group A rules. Now that was good
Here is some pictures from my mate Tap, 'Possibly The Finest Motorsport Photographer in the World' 
...need some images Ted?,....Tap is yer man....
BTCC Photographic Coverage
...need some images Ted?,....Tap is yer man.... BTCC Photographic Coverage
Unfortunately I didn't get to see the races as DangerMouse and myself were in the Speed Sunday studio audience in Teddington which meant as the races were taking place we were driving away from the studio.
If anyone watched it we were tucked away in the left hand corner of the studio bedecked in our PH fleece and rugby tops respectively. Shameless publicity. Sad, aren't I?
p.s. Zanardi is nuts/brave for coming back but is he going to find a winning edge? Finishing 10th is very respectable all things considered but it sounded very much like he's a distance from challenging the front runners.
If anyone watched it we were tucked away in the left hand corner of the studio bedecked in our PH fleece and rugby tops respectively. Shameless publicity. Sad, aren't I?
p.s. Zanardi is nuts/brave for coming back but is he going to find a winning edge? Finishing 10th is very respectable all things considered but it sounded very much like he's a distance from challenging the front runners.
Saw the racing, but one thing bothered me.
Why did Anthony Reid setp onto the top step of the podium when the French National anthem was being played for Yvan Muller. You could see Yvan had the look of "What ze....fook are you doing ere?" Muller also seemed a bit embarrased by it.
And if he should do that again I shall say, "Oi Reid, you did not win the race and you are not of the French persuasion, kindly step down from the top step before you get a right slapping."
Why did Anthony Reid setp onto the top step of the podium when the French National anthem was being played for Yvan Muller. You could see Yvan had the look of "What ze....fook are you doing ere?" Muller also seemed a bit embarrased by it.
And if he should do that again I shall say, "Oi Reid, you did not win the race and you are not of the French persuasion, kindly step down from the top step before you get a right slapping."
I think the new grid system is a bit strange though
It's sort of pointless really, cars slowing down on race one which I don't think is very good racing and then the "pole sitter" who did absolutely nothing to deserve the pole being overtaken by Muller, Reid, etc. in the first lap or two
Just isn't right
It's sort of pointless really, cars slowing down on race one which I don't think is very good racing and then the "pole sitter" who did absolutely nothing to deserve the pole being overtaken by Muller, Reid, etc. in the first lap or two
Just isn't right
This is the sort of thing that they have to resist in F1. It is all very well saying that we have to improve the spectacle - but at the end of the day, it's a bloody race!
Have rules to curb performace, and even limit budgets, but rewarding coming last (by reduced ballast or a pole position. What a joke!
Have rules to curb performace, and even limit budgets, but rewarding coming last (by reduced ballast or a pole position. What a joke!
The reverse grid works well - I should know, we were using it in AutoItalia for years. It has been scrapped this year because the marshalls hate setting it up (so why is it different from any other grid?).
In our series there was enough of a performance differential between the first and the last guys that inside 5 minutes the fastest guys were back up front.
One thing I have to agree on though is that the "reverse" element was to get the different classes we supported into competitive positions. The actual order within in class was a conventional grid. There is absolutely no point in doing this for BTCC as they dont have the seperate classes. It *is* so pointless for them.
In our series there was enough of a performance differential between the first and the last guys that inside 5 minutes the fastest guys were back up front.
One thing I have to agree on though is that the "reverse" element was to get the different classes we supported into competitive positions. The actual order within in class was a conventional grid. There is absolutely no point in doing this for BTCC as they dont have the seperate classes. It *is* so pointless for them.
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