Grand Prix Rejects

CaptainGetz12 wrote:I will accept the role of the works BMW team while Takagi is gone. However, I'm a bit unsure on how the upgrading system works or what path BMW's upgrade path was on, so can you explain here or in email how the system works?

Voeckler Talent Troupe - Privateer Quotes Roundup

Antonio Delvecchio
"I am speechless. I knew going in the Alfa was a good package, but to win in my first ever ARST race...incredibile. I am so happy to be in the Final at my home race, and I get to race the other Alfa guys in the works cars! Luca [Pacchiarini] has a ton of experience, but I'll try to race him and see if I can finish highest in the Alfa camp!

Giovanni Roda
"My race was pretty much over by the first lap. Some idiot piledrivered into the rear of my car, and it was impossible to drive at full tilt after that. It's a shame because it would have been a very fast car otherwise, and maybe I could have tried to make my way up to the Top 4."

Marco Bizzarri
"Bad race. No comment."

Antonio Bizzarri
"L'Auto andava imprevedibili per tutta la gara. Non è stata una buona gara per noi, noi siamo naturalmente delusi. Cercheremo di nuovo di fare meglio la prossima stagione."

Voeckler Talent Troupe Round-up - ARST Treviso

Martin McGovern
"The objective from this point in the year was to make sure nobody else in the title fight ate into my championship lead, and the best way to ensure that is to start from pole and win! I'm sorry to the fans for creating such a boring race, but I honestly prefer this to being stuck in the pack all arms and elbows with everyone! Especially today...I think I counted at least 10 cars crabbing around the track a few laps down, all bent out of shape. Today's race looked like it might have been a car breaker from where I was sitting, so today was a really good day for a lights-to-flag win!

Pressure? Of course there is a little pressure, but at the same time also a little comfort. There are five races to go still, but a lot of the other title protagonists didn't score well today, and there's a reasonable gap in the championship now. The car has always been fast an reliable, so even if I have an off-day, usually the team is able to help me and save me a result. The team has certainly made my job easier this year, that's for sure!"

Adolfo Moretti
"I'm really disappointed...and angry. Melville didn't just ruin my race, he tried to injured me or kill me, I don't know. But he kept pushing my car round and round, which put us both in the barrier, then I could hear him keeping the throttle on full to t-bone me into the concrete wall. He is dangerous, maybe the stewards should take another look at the replays..."

Antonio Delvecchio
"I'm really disappointed at how my home event ended. The midfield was mess on the first lap, especially at the hairpin. Some guys ahead were a bit slow to react to the green flag, and I pranged someone a bit on the rolling start...I don't remember who now, I just know he was sleeping or something.

Then at the hairpin everything went to s**t. There was some big incident a few cars ahead, I slammed on the brakes as hard as I could to avoid the people in front, but it was a cascade...they slowed down so early I couldn't stop in time, I had to slow down so early I got hit from behind...it was just one of those things I suppose, but that incident broke the car pretty badly, and I had to pit. There was no option. Now we just have to look forward to the next races, and hopefully we can do well in the Privateer Cup and maybe make another few features races."

• First, the division of fields will no longer be designated as Championship and Privateer's Cup. Instead, Championship will be known as A-Class, and Privateer's Cup will be known as B-Class.
• Teams competing in A-Class will be obligated to field 2 cars, constructed by themselves.
• Teams competing full-time in B-Class will be allowed to field 1 or 2 cars.
• No manufacturer may supply more than 4 full-time and 4 part-time B-Class cars.
• Teams competing full-time in B-Class may be allowed to construct their own car, if given special dispensation from the ARST commission. Teams competing part-time in B-Class will be allowed to construct their own car with no inhibitions.
• Teams competing part-time in B-Class may not run more than half the schedule.
• Manufacturers keeping their current car will be entitled to an upgrade during the off-season. The details on how big the upgrade will be will be finalised later.
• All information pertaining to entries, car construction and car upgrading must be posted on the forum, using provided templates (I will provide a link to these whenever they are needed)
• The points system will be changed slightly, to the following layout:
  
  • 50-45-40-37-34-31-28-25-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2-1
  • Pole position: 5 points
  • Most positions gained: 5 points
  • Fastest lap: 5 points

La Gazzetta Dello Sport wrote:Delvecchio signs as works Alfa Romeo driver

Former RTSS driver Antonio Delvecchio, who made his touring car debut last weekend in Treviso in a privateer Alfa, has been signed to the marque's works team, displacing the disappointing Francesco Fagioli in their line-up.

Delvecchio had stepped into the privateer #92 following Alfa Romeo's decision to enter as a works team in ARST from the Round of Italy onwards, and immediately claimed victory on his debut, taking the spoils in the privateer race and gaining him admittance to the championship feature race, where he would race alongside the two works Alfas Unfortunately, a series of run-ins with other cars on the opening lap damaged his 155 significantly, forcing him to pit for repairs and dropping him well outside the Top 20.

Despite the bad result in the championship race, his privateer victory seems to have convinced Alfa bosses enough to promote him to a works drive in favour of Fagioli, who has failed to impress all-season long at ICE-3 Racing.

"After the feature race, [ICE-3 team prinicpal] Lennart König called me to the team motorhome, and I was a little worried after the messy race I'd had," Delvecchio explaiined. "I couldn't believe what I was hearing and seeing when it turned out he was offering me a contract for the works team then and there!"

"I'm really excited to be a works Alfa driver. They have a long history of employing the best drivers out there in touring cars...Brambilla, Tarquini, Larini, Nannini, Giovanardi, Thompson...it's an honour to be in that kind of company."

Despite suddenly being thrown in the deep end, Delvecchio is still confident he can deliver results for his new employers.

"For sure, jumping in mid-season is tough, but I already felt at home at Treviso. I mean ok, I was at home, but you see what I mean. I can't think of any other team I'd rather be driving for. Now it's just time for me to knuckle down, deliver some good results for the team, and hopefully I will be in a Rosso Corsa car again in 2018. This is an exciting new period in my career, and I hope it lasts for years to come."

USD: Stever must be Banned

After the ARST Privateer race in Belgium, Albert Hoist, Team Manager of Union Saver Developments, was irate after en incident in the first lap between USD driver Hayato Kazami and Sope Stever, which generated a small pileup at Les Combes. "That's two consecutive incidents, in consecutive races, in which that idiot has ruined USD-based drivers races, and although this time was Kazami's Chevy, it only proves that Sope Stever is a danger to anyone in the field. Because of that, USD is formally protesting to the ARST government body to exclude, or at lest, penalize Sope Stever."

Hayato Kazami wrote:
"I was already outbreaking Stever after the run in Kennel and the entrance at Les Combes when he just veered onto me, took me out of my line, which made me hit Medina-Marquez, and by effect, made Hiasakawa tangle with me and catapulted both onto the armco. I don't know if the guy knows how to look into his mirrors, but that was a clear chop. Fortunately, both Hisakawa-san and I are safe, but Stever's antics must be stopped."

TouringCarTimes wrote:Single-seater star Mineiro to sample tin-tops with Hunter Autosport

AutoReject 2.0 title protagonist and multiple race winner Mineiro has been announced as the new driver of the #99 Hunter Autosport Triumph 2000 in ARST for the final two events of the season, displacing Dutchman Thomas Westernberg.

Westernberg has had a very disappointing season for the British team, only scoring one-seventh of the points his team-mate Kazuki Hisakawa has been able to collect. With patience finally wearing thin, Hunter announced today that Brno would be the Dutchman's final appearance for them in ARST.

The replacement choice was something of a surprise. Mineiro, a precocious talent from Brazil, is rated very highly in single seater circles, but has far less experience in tin-top racing. Despite this, he did show promise in his first ever outing in a roofed car, finishing 2nd on his GTRWC debut at Interlagos, co-piloting a Corvette C5R with compatriot Pablo da Silva.

"I'm looking forward to this new challenge," Mineiro said. "The team has not had a great run this year and could do with a pick-me-up at the end of the year. Hopefully I can deliver some good results in my brief time here. Of course, I came here to try something new and to have fun, but also I have to do a professional job for the team. They're struggling in the championship this year and need more points on the board."

"The works team's cars are right in the mix for the overall championship, so this gives me a good feeling the package is capable of doing very well. It's just a case of extracting the maximum from what the team has. I think maybe a fresh perspective might help the team get some more speed from the car."

The final two races of the season in ARST occur after the end of the AR 2.0 season, allowing him to fulfil his ARST duties without any clashes.

Ataxia wrote:I think I've found something Komarek's actually good at! Fantastic stuff from him.

Rejectsport wrote:Oliver Looking for 2018 seat?

Peter Oliver is believed to be looking for a seat for the 2018 season. The Young Brit has impressed driving a Ford Fusion for American team Rick Miller Racing, In A car which is considered to be one of the weakest on the grid. The recent Czech Republic round was a high point for both driver and the team with Oliver finishing the Privateer race in 2nd place behind the Infiniti of Jiri Komárek, this earned a promotion to the Championship race in which Oliver climbed 11 places to finish just outside the top ten in 11th place.
Oliver will drive a Triumph 2000 for Hunter Autosport for the rest of the 2017 season after the teams arranged a driver swap with Kazuki Hisakawa taking over the Ford Fusion seat. Both Hunter and Rick Miller have yet to confirm their 2017 plans.
"I'M keeping my options open for 2018 while i would love to move uo to the Championship class full-time for 2018 , there are a lot of great drivers about and not that many seats, so if i have to stay where i am that fine too"