Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship: Official 2015 Thread

[Scaniabebe]

So, who's looking forward to Thruxton this weekend? Probably one of my favorite circuits alongside Knockhill and Brands!

[Ryzza5]

I would be if I knew where I could watch it :(

[Eudemon]

So, who's looking forward to Thruxton this weekend? Probably one of my favorite circuits alongside Knockhill and Brands!

Yeah Thruxton is always a firm favourite of mine due to the speed and places to pass. Late breaking and being brace is the order of that circuit!

[Camel]

Oulton park this weekend!

 

You can catch it live on the ITV website if you're in the UK or using some internet wizardry anywhere in the world, possibly.

 

E: There is a big Tennis sized hole in the middle of the program. :evil: ITV have more channels than I can count to and they still have to ruin half a days worth of touring cars.

[Ryzza5]

I've found a new YT channel that has BTCC and many other disciplines

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or9E31Y4lkY

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Zh2DoysPo

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA_KVN0nZCg

[Eudemon]

So did you get to watch them then Ry? Was a good days racing at Croft and the level of racing and control shown by many drivers was a joy to watch. Shedden always seems to drive the nuts off his cars and how he doesn't park it when doing so is quite extraordinary.

[Ryzza5]

Yes some great maneuvers from Shedden, and I do like that Collard won't take any prisoners either, demanding his racing room even if it means risk of race-ending contact.

 

The tv director still annoys me though, I don't need to see a BMW cross the finish line X seconds ahead of everyone else when there's a big jostle for position going on at the final corner.

[Eudemon]

Collard has been on the receiving end of a few punts off so it's only right he's getting more stuck in. Him and Shedden should be great fun to watch and it was brilliant to see Priaulx racing hard and voicing his enjoyment.

[calster17]

Sadly I've had to neglect this season a bit too much for my liking, things popping up last minuet & such like on Sundays. :jealous:

Flatmates kept me up to date on things and likewise social media...

 

Knockhill is sooooo going to make up for this though! Doing the full Friday - Monday weekend this year, it will be messy, i will be "rather" drunk, much banter will be had and it'll be epic! :cool:

[Eudemon]

Umm doesn't the racing weekend finish on Sunday though? :think:

[calster17]

Yes, but Knockhill let you stay over the Sunday night for free. :)

 

Doesn't sound like much, but it'll be a huge hand for me. The tracks only 2 hours away, but early mornings to get there early for shows do catch up on you. Add hungover from the sat -sun and being awake from 5am to 7pm(Past 2 years experience) when you leave the track on sunday...it'll be a nice hand!

[Eudemon]

That was a fantastic Race 1 at Knockhill, brilliant racing and good clean yet aggressive racing from Collard and Austin. Top defending and hanging on by Shedden as usual and good racing up and down the pack. Jackson maybe should have been a bit gentler at the start and could have taken the win but I guess he felt the car was right underneath him and just wanted to go for it which worked to his detriment with the tyres falling off just about half-way into the race letting the BMW's close up.

[Eudemon]

Good day of racing at Knockhill today. Shame Morgan couldn't take another win and unfortunate for the wee lad Moffat though I have a feeling Priaulx may get penalised for his punt on him to take the final spot on the podium. Plato kept his sensible trousers on and bagged points and Shedden did well to race but not get caught up in any trouble.

 

That win for Neal has brought him back fighting within the championship and with three rounds to go it is going to be very interesting especially with strong tracks for the others in Rockingham and Brands Hatch.

[Camel]

Adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts adverts.

 

I only caught a handful of the races but what I saw was adverts, I mean good and thoroughly entertaining as the BTCC usually is. Why it's usually on at the same time as F1 is beyond me and quite irritating. :lol:

 

Should catch the highlights sometime this week or see if the entire day is put on ITV player.

[calster17]

Cracking weekend as always, even more so seeing it live at the Hill where we were greeted with blue skyes and sunshine! But Very windy...enough for sun burn.

 

The 3rd BTCC race was the best of the day for it being so close knit! Kept us on our toes, more so for my mate who's a big fan of Morgan! Plenty of small bump's and knocks as well to keep it a good un! :)

For this race, I was on the inside of the track, just down from the bridge, small group of 3...dunno if we'd have been seen on the TV. :lol:

 

The Ginetta junior race in the morning was a bit crazy as always, with all the normal contact you expect from them and plenty of "Oh's and ah's" from us in the crowd!(Was down by the hairpin for this, as well as the first BTCC race)

 

As always, our plan of staying back after the race's worked out, meaning we got to meet more of the drivers as well as get access to the cars up close in the pit's. Managed to get something a 100% garentee non one else will have. IN THE WORLD. ;)

 

Will post a few pictures later on. :)

[Eudemon]

Yeah those strong winds are murder for causing sun burn. :susp:

[Eudemon]

Priaulx has been penalised for his contact on Moffat and the places have been switched so the young Scot has his first podium!

[Eudemon]

Wasn't feeling that great over the last weekend but some BTCC action on Sunday helped to elevate my spirits. It's close with the top two in Shedden and Plato with Turkington closely behind. The Hondas do tend to go well at Brands and Shedden is a damn fine driver who does seem to be able to eek out more from the car he is in that most imo, though in saying this Plato is up there in being able to do this too. I felt a bit concerned listening to Plato talk about 'incidents' that could happen to 'Flash' and wonder if BMR will use Smith and Turkington to cause these for Shedden. I don't know if Turks would be up for this as he is generally all about a good clean fair race and will rub door handles but does not usually force his way pass others.

 

It's good too that the final round is only a fortnight away so not long to wait for the finale and even though Plato has been a much better racer and is certainly more worthy of being up near the top and contending for the Championship, I would really like and want to see Shedden or even Turkington take it, but not Plato. He's a character and a fine racer but his ways of racing is sometimes just too aggressive to appreciate.

[Camel]

I managed to catch a couple of the races with the Ginetta junior race being one of them. Some really good racing with 9 cars all within a couple of seconds racing for second place over about 10 laps.

 

Missed all of the BTCC races though so must remember to watch it on the ITV website.

[calster17]

2015 drivers champion: Gordon Shedden

2015 Manufactures champion: Honda Yuasa Racing.

 

[ATTACH]24218[/ATTACH]

 

And with that, sadly the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car championship is over.

Bring on 2016!

:cool:

[Eudemon]

What a final race. Seriously I was jitter-bugging about the room and my heart was pounding so hard. I'm not a Plato fan but I respected him more this year as he wasn't his usual smash-bash self and whoever won the 2015 Championship thoroughly deserved it.

 

Shedden though, man what a drive. I see some BTCC fans crying that some racers let him by but that was only a small number compared to the cars he overtook on his own. His brakes were a massive talking point for Tim Harvey, in fact he was extremely worried about them and it was easy to see how hard he was pushing and the zone he and his car were in. If you've been watching BTCC long enough you know Shedden is a man who seems to be able to eek out more than what you would imagine, essentially pushing past the limit and making the car do things that even other drivers in the same car cannot do. He is an amazing racing driver, yes he has been in the past Mr Grouch and tended to blame others at times but again like Plato I think he reduced that aspect of his personality and concentrated more on the races and finishing them, than making mountains out of mole hills.

 

Well done Flash, now a double BTCC Champion. :D