The _TCC Series Thread

roblo97 · Post by **roblo97** » 04 May 2014, 18:02

East Londoner wrote:So that's three massive crashes at Church corner today. Thank heavens Simon Belcher and Ollie Jackson are alright. Two cars probably written off.

Jackson's front end looked about as bad as what Aron Smith's did yesterday morning in practice. (Smith got on the grass where I was standing between turns 1 and 2, he then braked and that spun the car into the amrco). As for Belcher, having seen the replays with my dad, we think it could have been caused by a steering problem. I do think the people at Thuxton will erect an armco barrier and put more tyres at Church as a result of the crashes. with regards to the first lap, I think that nobody was at fault but I do remember me and my dad celebrating when Plato got hit.

Salamander wrote:
andrew wrote:Ahh, I wrote this before Jackson's interview, it's not so much Neal that drove into Collard, it was more Shedden

It doesn't excuse Collard from acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum and taking himself and Neal off. That was completely ridiculous.

Actually, me and my dad think it was a racing incedent even though Neal's car was a bit damaged as a result. And, like takagi_for_the_win said, there was also the tap from Neal on Collard's rear bumper 10ish seconds beforehand.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 04 May 2014, 18:17

roblomas52 wrote:
Salamander wrote:
andrew wrote:Ahh, I wrote this before Jackson's interview, it's not so much Neal that drove into Collard, it was more Shedden

It doesn't excuse Collard from acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum and taking himself and Neal off. That was completely ridiculous.

Actually, me and my dad think it was a racing incedent even though Neal's car was a bit damaged as a result. And, like takagi_for_the_win said, there was also the tap from Neal on Collard's rear bumper 10ish seconds beforehand.

Racing incident!? On what planet!? He drove straight into Neal! He made NO attempt to make that corner! And the tap from Neal to Collard was entirely Collard's fault - mirrors are a thing for a reason.

takagi_for_the_win · Post by **takagi_for_the_win** » 04 May 2014, 19:14

Salamander wrote:
roblomas52 wrote:
Salamander wrote:It doesn't excuse Collard from acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum and taking himself and Neal off. That was completely ridiculous.

Actually, me and my dad think it was a racing incedent even though Neal's car was a bit damaged as a result. And, like takagi_for_the_win said, there was also the tap from Neal on Collard's rear bumper 10ish seconds beforehand.

Racing incident!? On what planet!? He drove straight into Neal! He made NO attempt to make that corner! And the tap from Neal to Collard was entirely Collard's fault - mirrors are a thing for a reason.

I disagree with you on Neal's tap on Collard, from how I saw it it was a racing incident. However, Collard's act of revenge was clearly deliberate, he made no attempt to slow down and having seen the replay, he didn't even begin to turn until after he'd left the track completely.

Alextrax52 · Post by **Alextrax52** » 04 May 2014, 19:20

Sadly i haven't been able to watch any BTCC because i usually work on a Sunday and forget to record it. What's the season been like so far and how is the ITV coverage?

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 04 May 2014, 19:36

Freeze-O-Kimi wrote:Sadly i haven't been able to watch any BTCC because i usually work on a Sunday and forget to record it. What's the season been like so far and how is the ITV coverage?

2014 has been a clear step up in the quality of racing from last year. And last year, the racing was pretty damn good anyway...

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 04 May 2014, 19:48

Well sheds has been done for overtaking under yellows. Goff has complained about GIO and Jackson. Unsurprisingly Collard and Neal are being investigated

takagi_for_the_win · Post by **takagi_for_the_win** » 04 May 2014, 20:06

I'm surprised Jackson hasn't been done or overtaking Goff; both Gio and Goff had slowed right down for the safety car and Jackson went straight past Goff at racing speed. To be quite honest, I'm surprised Motorbase didn't tell Jackson to let Goff back through under the safety car.

Post by **Londoner** » 04 May 2014, 20:11

takagi_for_the_win wrote:I'm surprised Jackson hasn't been done or overtaking Goff; both Gio and Goff had slowed right down for the safety car and Jackson went straight past Goff at racing speed. To be quite honest, I'm surprised Motorbase didn't tell Jackson to let Goff back through under the safety car.

Jackson's completely in the clear.

Worrying enough, it appears Simon Belcher and Ollie Jackson suffered the same failure

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 05 May 2014, 10:49

East Londoner wrote:Worrying enough, it appears Simon Belcher and Ollie Jackson suffered the same failure

If I read it right, the article simply described them as "front-left failures." But was that front-left suspensions or front-left tyres?

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 05 May 2014, 12:20

The way Belcher just speared straight off the track (I missed Jackson's crash) looked to me like a steering failure, so I guess suspension could also be likely.

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 05 May 2014, 15:18

Apologies for the double post, for those interested you can take a look at my photos from Thruxton yesterday on my Flickr page here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/crackers250/sets/72157644529590695/

A few of the best ones as this thread has been lacking images lately!

Aiden Moffat - Laser Tools Racing - Chevrolet Cruze by Crackers250, on Flickr

Rob Collard - eBay Motors - BMW 125i M Sport and Jason Plato - MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save - MG6 by Crackers250, on Flickr

Mat Jackson - Airwaves Racing - Ford Focus ST by Crackers250, on Flickr

Andrew Jordan - Pirtek Racing - Honda Civic by Crackers250, on Flickr

Gordon Shedden - Honda Yuasa Racing - Honda Civic Tourer by Crackers250, on Flickr

Jack Clarke - Crabbie's Racing - Ford Focus ST by Crackers250, on Flickr

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 05 May 2014, 16:26

Wow, AndreaModa. Those photos are much better than any I've taken at Brands Hatch (most of which tend to be taken from Paddock Hill grandstand, with catch fencing in the way for necessary reasons). I particularly like the first one of Moffat - I would be pleased to have captured a photo like that!

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 05 May 2014, 17:39

dr-baker wrote:Wow, AndreaModa. Those photos are much better than any I've taken at Brands Hatch (most of which tend to be taken from Paddock Hill grandstand, with catch fencing in the way for necessary reasons). I particularly like the first one of Moffat - I would be pleased to have captured a photo like that!

Thanks! The nice thing about Thruxton (and most of the smaller circuits) is that there isn't much catch fencing to get in the way of cameras. I'd struggle to match this sort of quality if I used a standard digital camera though. Compare the ones I took at Donington in 2012 with these to see the comparison! https://www.flickr.com/photos/crackers250/sets/72157633842835095/

That said, with or without catch fencing, the trick is to get as close to the action as possible and from experience I've found being in a grandstand is rubbish unless (a) it's pissing down or (b) you have a decent enough camera with a good zoom. Another tip is to vary the shots - different points on the circuit, different angles, zoom levels, etc. Even with a £40 base model digital camera from Argos, you can get some decent photos just by being clever with how and where you take them. And even with a decent camera like mine (Canon 1000D, with a Tamron AF 70-300mm lens in case anyone was wondering) I still took well over 1000 photos during the day, of which 48 I've uploaded to Flickr! The trick I find is to just keep snapping and the good ones will come.

The Moffat one was purely by chance - I had the camera on continual shooting mode so just followed the cars through the Complex and got a couple up on two wheels - Ollie Jackson and Giovanardi are others that are on the Flickr page.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 06 May 2014, 12:11

Thanks for the tips. When I am at a race track though, I don't want to just be watching the whole event purely through the camera lens - I do want to put it down and just watch the action. But when I go to a race track for the first time, I do like to move around a bit and work out where the best vantage points are. It's just that at Brands Hatch, it tends to be at the top of Paddock Hill grandstand where you see most of the track and therefore the action, it is just that it then is not as great for photos ironically.

Vepe · Post by **Vepe** » 11 May 2014, 15:03

The STCC begun this weekend at Knutstorp.

Only 13 cars, but the racing was still quite good.

Race 1 was won by Mattias Lindberg in a Kia Optima, Race 2 went to Fredrik Ekblom, who drove a Volvo S60.

The support classes are Carrera Cup, Clio Cup, Formula Renault 1.6 and (for me, the most interesting class) V8 Thundercars. And they have for this season even added Rallycross as a support.

All the races are shown live at http://www.svtplay.se/stcc
Here are the higlights of this event (in Swedish)

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 08 Jun 2014, 09:51

I just tried to watch the first WTCC race at Moscow. Emphasis on tried. These TC1 regulations are so abysmal it's a miracle if even a Citroen passes someone.

Now, compare this with the BTCC, which, under NGTC regulations, has been going from strength to strength...

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 08 Jun 2014, 12:45

Salamander wrote:I just tried to watch the first WTCC race at Moscow. Emphasis on tried. These TC1 regulations are so abysmal it's a miracle if even a Citroen passes someone.

Now, compare this with the BTCC, which, under NGTC regulations, has been going from strength to strength...

The only thing good about the races in Moscow was the fact that Ma Qing Hua won one of them.

Post by **Londoner** » 08 Jun 2014, 14:08

Well, Race 1 at Oulton Park wasn't brilliant by any stretch of the imagination, but Race 2 was much better. Rob Austin on the podium again! :mrgreen:

Let's hope he doesn't get penalised for that safety car incident.

Martin Depper must have a ton of wonga behind him, because he's been absolutely hopeless this season. Come back Jeff Smith, all is forgiven!

Alextrax52 · Post by **Alextrax52** » 08 Jun 2014, 14:29

East Londoner wrote:Well, Race 1 at Oulton Park wasn't brilliant by any stretch of the imagination, but Race 2 was much better. Rob Austin on the podium again! Let's hope he doesn't get penalised for that safety car incident.

Martin Depper must have a ton of wonga behind him, because he's been absolutely hopeless this season. Come back Jeff Smith, all is forgiven!

Race 1 was probably the dullest Touring Car Race I've seen in a while. Next to nothing really happened in it. Race 2 was better though. I miss the Island Hairpin.

I wouldn't mind seeing Jeff Smith back. At least he can match Jordan on Occasion

Pointrox · Post by **Pointrox** » 17 Jun 2014, 16:14

Well, well, would you look at that:
http://www.motorsport-total.com/wtcc/ne ... 61701.html

Apparently they want to bring WTCC to Nordschleife next year as a support race of the 24-hour event.
If my German erkenntnis serves me right, the race would be an astonishing two laps of the Green Hell.

To be honest, I find the idea very appealing. It was done before and looks spectacular.
I can imagine this round to have many guest teams and drivers, who - unlike those that compete in Macau - would be able to blend in with the regulars.
Also, it will be a support race to the event that amasses 200 thousand spectators, and that - along with regular WTCC ongoers - would probably beat the original record of attendance set in Hungaroring, I believe.

Of course there is an important safety factor, the whole legend of Nordschleife being the most deadly race course in existence. But lest we forget that any kind of racing is potentially dangerous, and Nordschleife is that kind of race track that doesn't forgive mistakes. This said - all the drivers should approach Nordschleife with respect of what this track is all about. Wide, long straights that suddenly turn into a twisted, narrow and very technical track. Not a thing some drivers can handle.
Just in case someone will try and say that this race should not happen. If they fear for driver's safety - make it the NC round for guest drivers or don't do it at all.

Man, I got worked up over a thing that most likely is just a rumor

Post by **Miguel98** » 17 Jun 2014, 17:42

A WTCC race in the Nordschleife?

As appealing and amazing as that sounds, even if it's next year, the gap from the Citröens to the other's would be so potentially big I could park a bunch of lorries there and there would still be space.

Obviously race 2 would be more exciting, but still... I would prefer the DTM to go the Nordschleife. That, or the BTCC somehow make a round there... Now, that would be the god of all races

roblo97 · Post by **roblo97** » 17 Jun 2014, 20:40

Miguel98 wrote:A WTCC race in the Nordschleife?

As appealing and amazing as that sounds, even if it's next year, the gap from the Citröens to the other's would be so potentially big I could park a bunch of lorries there and there would still be space.

Obviously race 2 would be more exciting, but still... I would prefer the DTM to go the Nordschleife. That, or the BTCC somehow make a round there... Now, that would be the god of all races

The last time DTM raced at the Nordschlife was in 1993 where in race 2, Ellen Lohr crashed her Mercedes and ended up in the marshals area.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 18 Jun 2014, 14:55

Miguel98 wrote:Obviously race 2 would be more exciting, but still... I would prefer the DTM to go the Nordschleife. That, or the BTCC somehow make a round there... Now, that would be the god of all races

I would love to see the DTM at the Nordschleife and the BTCC do the Manx TT during Manx TT fortnight... Their race would probably be only one lap long!

Post by **Miguel98** » 19 Jun 2014, 17:28

And it looks like it's actually confirmed that in 2015, the WTCC is going to Nordschleife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxu-Mam_F8

roblo97 · Post by **roblo97** » 19 Jun 2014, 17:58

Miguel98 wrote:And it looks like it's actually confirmed that in 2015, the WTCC is going to Nordschleife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxu-Mam_F8

One word review of this.
Awesome!

W12 · Post by **W12** » 19 Jun 2014, 18:29

roblomas52 wrote:
Miguel98 wrote:And it looks like it's actually confirmed that in 2015, the WTCC is going to Nordschleife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxu-Mam_F8

One word review of this.
Awesome!

This.

Post by **Londoner** » 29 Jun 2014, 11:56

Absolutely cracking first race at Croft, just the tonic BTCC needed after Oulton Park. The chaps were driving as if it was Race 3 out there.

Alextrax52 · Post by **Alextrax52** » 29 Jun 2014, 14:09

Plato being a prat, Why am I not surprised? :roll:

takagi_for_the_win · Post by **takagi_for_the_win** » 29 Jun 2014, 14:12

Plato, why must thou be such an arsehole?

watka · Post by **watka** » 29 Jun 2014, 23:53

W12 wrote:
roblomas52 wrote:
Miguel98 wrote:And it looks like it's actually confirmed that in 2015, the WTCC is going to Nordschleife.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxu-Mam_F8

One word review of this.
Awesome!
This.

How's qualifying going to work?

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 30 Jun 2014, 12:21

watka wrote:
How's qualifying going to work?

Good question. Sudschleife? Free practice times?

Post by **Miguel98** » 30 Jun 2014, 19:29

I guess either they make special rules for that race only, which is rather unlikelly, but not impossible.

roblo97 · Post by **roblo97** » 30 Jun 2014, 19:47

dr-baker wrote:
watka wrote:
How's qualifying going to work?

Good question. Sudschleife? Free practice times?

I was thinking about a Bridge to Gantry lap from the pit lane they use on the tourist days.

Post by **Londoner** » 29 Jul 2014, 13:28

Big news for Snetterton this weekend so far is that Team BMR have built two more VW Passats, to replace the Vauxhalls currently driven by Jack Goff and Warren Scott. It's great to see another privateer investing in the series, hopefully it'll work out for them.

My worry is, with two Vauxhall Insignias possibly up for sale, that a certain Chris James may buy them...

On another note, guess who's going to Snetterton on Sunday... :mrgreen:

Post by **Londoner** » 01 Aug 2014, 15:35

So because the privateer Chevys had got to within half a second a lap of the Citroens before the summer break, the FIA have ballasted them to buggery for the next few races. Er, what?

I honestly can't see WTCC lasting much longer. People must be tired of Citroen's antics and the constant handicapping of the privateer entries. If the bloke who won the championship in 2012 would rather go to Australia and race V8 Supercars next season if he could, you know the series is struggling

AxelP800 · Post by **AxelP800** » 01 Aug 2014, 16:37

East Londoner wrote:So because the privateer Chevys had got to within half a second a lap of the Citroens before the summer break, the FIA have ballasted them to buggery for the next few races. Er, what?

I honestly can't see WTCC lasting much longer. People must be tired of Citroen's antics and the constant handicapping of the privateer entries. If the bloke who won the championship in 2012 would rather go to Australia and race V8 Supercars next season if he could, you know the series is struggling

Though the Chevys given the ballast is quite......ridiculous, honestly I don't have any issue with Citroen

I already have idea what people will say to me :twisted:

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 01 Aug 2014, 16:54

East Londoner wrote:I honestly can't see WTCC lasting much longer. People must be tired of Citroen's antics and the constant handicapping of the privateer entries. If the bloke who won the championship in 2012 would rather go to Australia and race V8 Supercars next season if he could, you know the series is struggling

>race V8 Supercars

Be bullied by the lower midfield is what you mean.

I honestly don't see how any fan can possibly support Citroen apart from just being a shameless bandwagoner. As bad as the Schumi domination years were, at least the FIA didn't actively penalise cars that got too close to Ferrari.

Post by **Miguel98** » 03 Aug 2014, 18:57

*cries* Bloody Citröen's stole Lada's win today.

SimtekFan32 · Post by **SimtekFan32** » 03 Aug 2014, 19:14

Miguel98 wrote:*cries* Bloody Citröen's stole Lada's win today.

And the FIA does nothing. I hate to use these next three words but Balance of Performance.

Post by **Miguel98** » 03 Aug 2014, 19:21

SimtekFan32 wrote:
Miguel98 wrote:*cries* Bloody Citröen's stole Lada's win today.

And the FIA does nothing. I hate to use these next three words but Balance of Performance.

Don't worry. Now that the Lada is competitive, they'll put ballast in it.