BTCC 2014 Season Finale: Did Someone Say Night Race?

It is strange to think that as I sit down to write this article , darkness has fallen on the 2014 British Touring Car Championship. The series traveled the length and breadth of the country and in almost poetic fashion, came right back to where it all began to write the closing chapter of the year. However, one slight change from the season opener was the added challenge of the Grand Prix circuit for the drivers to master. Going into the final race weekend, Colin Turkington led by a staggering 50 points over nearest rival Jason Plato. Success was almost certain, but when the only man who can stop you is Jason Plato, truly anything is possible. And just to further add a dash of mystery into the mix, being the final race of the year it had become championship tradition that the weather would be anything but cooperative across the weekend. The stage was set. The weather was preparing its madness. It was time to fire those engines up, one last time.

And so it came down to it. Turkington vs Plato. BMW vs MG. Image Credit: BTCC.net

It took only until the start of qualifying for the famous final race weather to start rearing its beautifully ugly head. Qualifying was a wash of rain and slippery conditions, which in the early stages saw returning ex-champion Alain Menu take firm control. Do remember it was in the rain on the GP circuit in 1995 when a certain Alain Menu took his Renault Laguna to victory while the other competitors slid left right and center. Not to mention, Menu was fighting for victory in the Jack Sears Trophy, which awarded points per overtake; his closest rival remained the ever plucky Dave Newsham in the Ford. However, towards the end of the session the track began to dry and Jason Plato timed his run perfectly to place his MG firmly on pole position, with the added bonus of his team mate Tordoff riding tail gunner in 2nd. Qualifying was however brought to an early conclusion following an incident involving Dave Newsham which saw him lose control at Sheene Curve ending up in a dangerous position. The late surge by Turkington was then brought to an end, and he would line up 4th on the grid for the first race.

Even though Turkington led by 50 points, it was still possible for Jason Plato to win the championship. He would need to win all 3 races; in race one Turkington would have to finish no higher than 4th, and then be outscored by a further 21 in the second race, followed by.. You know what, let’s just say that for Plato to win it would take nothing short of a heavenly miracle from the hypothetical gods themselves.

Jack Goff was one of the early casualties of race one. Image Credit: Adam Johnson (Team Bombersports)

The first race began pretty well for Plato, with him and Tordoff charging off into the lead which Plato took pretty quickly, keeping Turkington behind. What did not go so well however was the start of the race for the rest of the field; an incident between Giovanardi and Shedden started a chain reaction of collisions that rather quickly brought the safety car out. Worst hit was the Volkswagen of Jack Goff who became airborne in the mayhem, and Matt Neal who had to be airlifted to hospital for precautionary checks as a result. The race brought with it further incident and safety cars as one would expect from the final race of the year. The standout driver of the race however could be no one else other than Rob Collard who drove from 23rd to an eventual 6th following a breathtaking overtake of the Ford of Giovanardi. Considering what the Ford driver has been like in the past, I was impressed that he did not decide to shovel Collard off for daring to pass him! As the end of the race came around, Turkington finished 3rd which was enough to make him the 2014 BTCC Champion! The best Plato could ask for now was a tie on points that Turkington would still edge due to his higher number of 1st and 2nd place finishes across the year.

The second championship meant a lot to Colin, as echoed in his words following the race:

“I suppose the main feeling is relief. We were ready to do battle until race three so I really wasn’t expecting to clinch the title so early in the day. I actually thought I was a point short when I crossed the line so I didn’t want to celebrate until I was absolutely sure. To be able to celebrate with the team and my family is a really proud moment. Lewis [son] wasn’t old enough to remember the first one and part of the reason of getting back into the BTCC was to do it for him, so I’m delighted.”

What with all the rain, Turkington still decided to add some champagne to the shower to celebrate his championship. Image Credit: BTCC.net

As soon as the dust (and clouds) had settled after race one, it was time for race two to get underway. And just to rub Plato’s face in it what with losing the championship to a RWD car and all, Turkington got a start to rival that of the Big Bang and rocketed off the line into the lead. It was clear however that Plato was having absolutely none of it; he was not going to be beaten by a RWD car yet again. There was only one solution, and of course that was to pull of a clearly impossible move into Paddock up the inside, spinning Turkington and shooting the newly crowned double champion off into the gravel. Strangely enough, for those that were watching at the track this was met with rapturous applause and laughter (the move was so typically Plato it bordered on cliche), yet the online response was one of anger, rage and voracious aggression towards Plato. Understandably so, the move characterised one of the central issues with the modern BTCC; unnecessary collisions to get your way.

Hunter Abbott eventually made it to the grid for race 2, in an unconventional car mind you… Image Credit: Adam Johnson (Team Bombersports)

The second race of the day was somewhat of a historic occasion, for it was the first time a Mercedes ever won a race outright in the history of the championship. That’s right, after storming into the hearts of the masses and putting in stellar performances across the year, Adam Morgan finally got his maiden BTCC win. After a sensational overtake of Jason Plato, Morgan had a convincing lead, until the pressure got to him and he ran wide and Plato slipped back through. However, following the early incident with Turkington, Plato was given a 20 second time penalty as well as being relegated to the back of the grid for race three after receiving his third ‘strike’ as it were.

‘I grow tired of your success Turkington, out of my way’. Image Credit: BTCC.net

Adam Morgan made history by recording the first ever BTCC win for a Mercedes. Image Credit: Adam Johnson (Team Bombersports)

As race day soldiered on, I began to think that the legend of the final race wash out may have finally come to an end, for the weather remained dry. Alas, fate it seemed could not be undone; the raindrops began to fall just minutes before the start of the final race. By the time the race was due to start, the once dry track was transformed into a speedboat raceway. If it was F1 it would be called too dangerous and be called off; but this is true motorsport with true machines. Nothing was going to stop the BTCC.  Following the Plato penalty and the reverse grid, it was Jack Clarke who found himself on pole for the final race of the year. And what a race to choose to do it. This was not going to be easy. As the Kentish countryside plunged into darkness, the headlights flicked on and the engines roared for the final time of 2014.

Race 3 became the first unofficial night race in over 10 years! Image Credit: BTCC.net

Jack Clarke lost out to the RWD powered Nick Foster off the line, until masterfully taking back the lead at Graham Hill Bend. A rookie no more is this one. Sadly, it was only a matter of time before Clarke lost out to the hard charging Honda of Gordon Shedden who was trying to salvage a good result from what was a poor weekend for Honda. Shedden comfortably took the final win of the year, followed by the fully graduated Clarke in the Crabbies Ford.

Like tin top terrors tearing through the stormy darkness, the field proved what masterful driving really was. There was slipping, there was sliding, but the rain was conquered. Well, apart maybe from Martin Depper, who had a spin causing yet another safety car period. With Shedden powering ahead at the front, all eyes turned to Jason Plato who had started not only at the back of the grid but in the pit lane. He may not have won the title, but that did not stop him providing what was possibly one of the greatest drives of the year. Starting from the pit lane, he powered through all the way to 7th by the end of the race. That is the mark of a true series great.

The BTCC field put on an excellent power boat display for the final race. Image Credit: Adam Johnson (Team Bombersports)

The chequered flag waved. And in a moment the whole year was done. Due to a shocking weekend from Alain Menu, Dave Newsham performed a last minute steal of the Jack Sears Trophy honours, ending his year on a high. Colin Turkington was the drivers’ champion. MG the constructors champion. But let us not forget those who did not enjoy such sweet success in 2014, like the Proton team of Ollie Jackson and Dan Welch, who struggled with engine development throughout the year and failed to make any real progress. Dan Welch has however confirmed he will be back for 2015, hoping for greater success than 2014. Other standout drives have come from newboy Tom Ingram who has solidly impressed across the year. No one can of course forget ultimate fan favourite Rob Austin who suffered a collision filled end to his 2014 season, but he and Sherman will return to race another day.

If I was to pick my two standout teams from 2014, honours would have to go to United Autosports and Team BMR. United Autosports were consistently improving throughout the year and by next year may well be a force to be reckoned with. Team BMR have the potential to win not only races but championships. With their intimidating line up of Jack Goff, Warren Scott, Aron Smith and the great Alain Menu they exploded from the blocks like a greyhound on steroids. For both these teams, 2015 will most definitely see greater successes.

And so with that, the 2014 British Touring Car Championship comes to an end. The series has risen from strength to strength across the year and is fast returning to its former glory days of the 90s. In addition to this, there is already exciting murmurs from across the paddock regarding the 2015 season. Will Jason Plato remain in the BTCC? Does the appeal by WSR regarding the severity of his penalty suggest a Plato move to WSR? Are we going to see the return of old manufacturers? Will new makes enter the series? Will there be a new champion to rise from the mayhem?

It now leaves only for me to say, congratulations to Colin Turkington and thank you for reading my 2014 BTCC season reviews. I hope you have enjoyed reading them. I have definitely enjoyed writing them. But do not despair, I will return soon with all the updates of the upcoming 2015 season.

Remember, keep driving people!

Continue the touring car talk on Twitter! Follow me @lewisglynn69!

Peace and Love!

Image Credit: Adam Johnson (Team Bombersports)

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Classic Cars: Holden Monaro.

There’s something about the shape of a classic two door car that attracts the eyes like little else; Jaguar found that with the E-Type, Ferrari with the GTO (and pretty much every one of their cars!) and Australia’s Holden did it with the Monaro.

July of 1968 saw the release of the first “two door pillarless coupe”, with the HK Kingswood losing two doors, gaining a redesigned roof and kickstarting a legend, with the release of the Monaro. There were three models; the base, the GTS and the GTS 327. The entry level model came with Holden’s trusty 161 cubic inch cylinder engines with the GTS offering the 3.0L or 186 c.i. with standard or 186S engines. Naturally enough, the GTS 327 came with the Chevrolet 327 V8, with 186kW or 250 brake horsepower. Engineers originally claimed the engine bay was too small to hold the American iron, fastracking development of an Australian designed and built V8, however a remeasuring found the Chev would slot in nicely. The HK Monaro also provided Holden with their first victory at the Bathurst 500 race, with Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland (piloting the car for just one of the one hundred and thirty race laps) backing up the pole position and fastest race lap. The HK was distinguishable by the narrow, American influenced tail lights and a short vertical/wide horizontal bar in the grille.

Barely a year later the facelifted HT Monaro arrived on the scene. The 327 was dropped in favour of the 5.7L 350 cubic inch and the HT saw the addition of a two speed Powerglide automatic. The hairy chested V8 had 300 ponies (224kW) in manual form and was slightly detuned for the auto. The HT also saw the introduction of Holden’s own 4.2L and 5.0L V8s plus, later in the HT’s life, the three speed Trimatic automatic. The grille was updated with the addition of a plastic, multi slatted design and increased in size tail lights, plus the addition of a round speedometer, replacing the strip style. Go faster stripes,available on the HK and located on the driver’s side, were relocated to running down the centre of the HT. Looking good but performing no real function were two air intakes on the bonnet. Rubber bushes in the suspension replaced the sintered bronze bushes found in the HK. 1969 also saw the formation of the fabled Holden Dealer Team; put together by racer and engineer (the late) Harry Firth, the team featured rally ace Colin Bond, McPhee and Mulholland, Tony Roberts and a young, almost untried driver named Peter Brock.

1970 launched a new decade and the HG Monaro. External changes were mild; the grille was separated into two part, taillights were modified slightly, some badging was added and chromework reduced. At the front of each fender was a bold “350” decal, to stamp its authority on the road. The non 350 powered GTS had a softer suspension, improving the ride and disc brakes at the front were added as well. The HG would also be the last of the smoother, rounded design before the release of the HQ.

1971 had the world watching their tv sets to see what was happening in Vietnam and the HQ Holden was released as well. A sleeker, more angular design, the HQ Monaro had a completely different profile yet had the family resemblance; a larger rear window and squarer rear quarter window seemed to ease the sporty look, with the design now seen as one of the best to come from an Australian design studio. There was a change of engine and name specification, with the GTS nomenclature being V8 only. There was the addition of the LS range,with engines from 173 c.i. in the entry level non LS, through to the 3.3L or 202 c.i. six and above for the LS. From the start until 1973 the HQ had no body striping, plus, with the HQ Statesman luxury vehicle also being fitted with the 350, there was a perception the range wasn’t as sporty as before. The three speed Turbo-Hydro automatic gearbox also was seen as a dulling of the range, at the time. Adding to the spice was the change to a smaller car for Holden’s main racing duties, the Torana. It wasn’t until 1973, with the release of the first four door Monaro GTS that body striping was added to the HQ range, possibly in an effort to clearly differentiate between the Kingswood and the Monaro. A final kick in the pants for the Monaro faithful was the deletion of the 350 decals, being replaced with a generic V8 bootlid badge. In 1974, the final year of the HQ, the manual version of the 350 was discontinued and the engine itself was shortly after deleted from the range, along with the slow selling auto.

The facelifted HJ continued the Monaro name, with leftover HQ two door bodyshells being fitted with the HJ’s squared off front end whilst the four door GTS became a model in its ownright, with the HQ GTS being an optioned up Kingswood. The GTS also came with either the 253 c.i. or 308 c.i. engines as the 350 c.i. and entry level coupe were discontinued, however the LS was continued with the 3.3L. Just 337 LS coupes were produced, making them one of Australia’s rarest production cars. The GTS coupe was discontinued with just over 600 examples produced. Of note though was the ability to option in bodywork in the form of front and rear spoilers.

Mid 1976 saw the release of the HX range, effectively a mild facelift and also effectively the end of the Monaro nameplate. Alongside the four door Monaro GTS sedan, there was the release of the specced up LE two door pillarless coupe, complete with glitzy gold wheels and leftover eight track cassette players, plus emission controls for the engine.

Late 1977 had the Holden GTS released, complete with four headlight grille, disc brakes all round, front and rear spoilers as standard, the introduction of Radial Tuned Suspension and the 4.2L as the standard powerplant, being shuffled aside in June of 1978 in favour of the 5.0L. At the same time, Holden had also released the Opel based Commodore, with the then mid sizer ending the run of the GTS in December of 1978. The HZ itself was phased out in 1980.

In the late 1990’s, Holden designers produced a concept car; based on the Commodore of the time and shown at the Sydney Motor Show in 1998, the media quickly christened the coupe concept as a Monaro and such was the public interest the car was put into production. Available as the CV6 with a supercharged 3.8L V6 or CV8, featuring Chevrolet’s 5.7L V8 and with six speed manual or optional four speed auto, the CV6 failed to ignite and was dropped soon after introduction. The car would also be sold as a Pontiac GTO, with styling changed at the front to suit the American market, plus the Monaro was updated front and rear in line with the introduction of the VZ Commodore. Public interest quickly waned, however, with export markets drying up and some questionable styling changes affecting public perception overseas, the final Monaro was sold in February of 2006. Various racing versions including a 427 c.i. powered car were raced whilst Holden Special Vehicles released their own under the name of Coupe, not Monaro, including a limited run all wheel driver version. With Holden discontinuing local manufacturing by 2017, it’s exceptionally unlikely that the Monaro name will ever be seen again on a Holden badged vehicle. http://credit-n.ru/kreditnye-karty-blog-single.html

Vale Sir Jack Brabham.

The words “household name” get thrown around loosely at times, however in the late 1950s through help me with my homework to the 1960s it was hard to not know of Jack Brabham. Knighted in 1979, Sir Jack Brabham passed away at home on the morning of May 19, at the Gold Coast in Queensland, aged 88.
Born in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville, April 2nd 1926, John Arthur “Jack” Brabham was exposed to the automotive field very early; at the age of 12 he’d learnt to drive the family car and trucks of the grocery business his father had. He studied metalwork and technical drawing, before moving into a duopoly of study (evening course in mechanical engineering) and daytime work at a garage. On the 19th of May, 1944, he enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force, becoming a flight mechanic, contrary to his wish to become a pilot however there was already a surplus amount of aircrew.

An American colleague, Jonny Schonberg, persuaded him to watch a category of racing known as midgets. Popular at the time, it was enough to have Jack interested and he built a car and engine which Schonberg raced. After Schonberg’s wife stepped in, Brabham took over and won on just his third night of racing. He won the 1948 Australian Speedcar Championship, repeated the feat a year later and also added the South Australian Championship plus the 1950 and ’51 silverware. From here, Brabham became interested in road racing, buying and modifying cars from the Cooper Car Company. He raced in Australia and New Zealand until 1955, picking up the nickname Black Jack along the way. After competing in the 1955 New Zealand GP, Jack went to the UK to try his luck there. He drove an ailing car in the 1955 Grand Prix, retiring with a broken clutch. It was also around this time that the Brabham and Cooper name became intertwined, with Brabham working with the Cooper factory and racing their cars, including the Formula 2 category.

1959 saw the Cooper cars receive a power boost with the addition of 2.5L engines to the company’s team, with immediate results for Jack, winning the 1959 Monaco GP and the British GP after a tyre conservation drive saw him win ahead of rival and friend Stirling Moss. It came down to a close championship fight between Brabham, Moss and Ferrari’s Tony Brooks, with Brabham running out of fuel and pushing the car across the line for fourth. It was, though, still enough to get the required points. Brabham, being as competitive as always, though teh cars and he could do better; he asked his friend (another soon to be Aussie legend) Ron Tauranac, to come and work with him in the UK. Brabham and Tauranac worked side by side in upgrading and selling cars via Brabham’s car dealership but it was in racing that their future lay. With advice from Ron, Brabham took a Cooper car, helping to designthe Cooper T53 and took the car to five successive Grands Prix victories, including the Belgian Grand Prix, where Stirling Moss was injured retiring for two months to recuperate) and two others were killed.

Tauranac and Brabham formed Motor Racing Developments, racing a Cooper before moving to a team he created in 1962 and racing cars powered by the FIA’s choice, a 1.5L powerplant. There was no success that year and little at all before 1966 saw a change to 3.0L engines. The other teams had unwieldy and unreliable 12 cylinder engines; Jack persuaded Australian company to help develop a V8, based on the American Oldsmobile alloy block. It was a proven engine which would give better reliablity, allowing them the advantage and the other teams catchup as they struggled to make their engines reliable. This would end up creating a piece of history that still stands; with Ron Tauranac and Brabham building the BT-19 car, powered by the Repco 3.0L V8, Brabham won the French Grand Prix, becoming the first ever driver to win in a car of his own construction. He’d win four races straight, becoming the first and only driver to win a championship in a car bearing his name. Jack was 40 in 1966; stung by media questioning his ability, he’d uncharacteristically recated by appearing in a beard and hobbling to his car with a cane at the Dutch Grand Prix. To rub it in, Brabham won the race.

1968 was the beginning of the end for Brabham’s racing career; retirements in the first seven races, minor points in the German GP and then four more retirements. In 1969 Jack suffered injuries to a foot in atesting accident and told his wife he’d retire at season’s end, selling his share of the team to Tauranac. Having found no decent enough drivers to race in his team in 1970, Jack postponed retirement, winning in his first race. After some good finishes he did retire at the end of the season.

Jack stayed busy in retirement; running his cars at events such as the Goodwood Revival, saying racing kept him young. His first wife, Betty and he had three sons; David, Geoff and Gary.In 1994 Betty and Jack divorced, with Brabham remarrying in 1995, to Margaret. But by the mid 2000s, health issues started to creep in. He was almost completely deaf thanks to the years of racing without the protection today’s drivers take for granted, there was kidney dialysis and macular degeneration in the eyes. Brabham’s achievements though were being acknowledged, with a suburb in Perth being named Brabham and an extension to the Sydney Motorsport Park (formerly Eastern Creek Raceway) taking the full length to 4.5km and being called the Brabham Circuit and an automotive training facility was opened in Queensland in 2012, being named the Sir Jack Brabham Automotive Centre of Excellence. Sir Jack Brabham made his last public appearance just one day before his passing, with one of the cars he had built.

Vale Sir Jack Brabham.

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BTCC 2014 Review: Unpredictable Weather and Titanic Battles at Donington Park

Following a volcanic return to form, the monumental BTCC machine thundered on to Donington Park. The first three rounds at Brands Hatch were filled with truly top class touring car action. Some of the biggest talking points included the surprising pace of the Honda Yuasa team, who were challenging for the top 3 places having claimed they would struggle. There was of course the stellar drive by reigning champion Andrew Jordan, taking two race wins, alongside Jason Plato who proved the MG was as competitive as ever. Further down the grid, Rob Austin had a legendary drive from the back of the grid, while also after a string of bad luck, returning legend Alain Menu charged from 16th to 5th in the final race of the day. On the other hand, Giovanardi and the rest of the Ford team lacked pace, while Marc ‘the man who beat Button’ Hynes failed to impress after a pre-season filled with hype and seemingly empty anticipation.

The championship moved on Donington…

• Were we going to see the Honda domination continue?
• Can Rob Austin finally shake off his bad luck and score some consistent results?
• Can ‘The Man Who Beat Button’ finally live up to his name?
• Will the Fords find pace and performance?
• And those pesky eBay BMWs, will they sneak the top spot again?

And its go go go for Donington Park! Image Credit: BTCC.net

Qualifying

It must be said that qualifying revealed similar results to that of Brands Hatch; the MG and Honda team were colelctively the fastest teams, followed closely by the ever improving Team BMR cars. I was however surprised by ‘The Man Who Beat Button’; Marc Hynes bagged himself a 10th place in front of the developing Ford of Giovanardi. The best Rob Austin could manage was a lowly 16th place, nearly a whole second off the pace.

It would seem the field was shaping up for the year. Was the result going to be as predictable?

Race Day

As race day rolled around, the drivers were greeted with one of the most exciting things about British motorsport; unpredictable weather conditions. The forecast predicted heavy rain to dampen proceedings, and in some ways this was an accurate statement. With the first race drawing closer, the track was indeed wet but it was showing signs of getting considerably more dry. Having planted his MG on pole position, Plato shot off into a lead that he was destined to keep throughout the race. Considering his worries regarding reliability after the first round at Brands Hatch, it would seem those demons have long since been vanquished. To describe the MG outfit as dominant in the first race would be an understatement.

This processional display was merely repeated in the second race of the day, although this time it was Sam Tordoff who took the first place honours. In both of the first two races it was very much a Honda, BMW and MG party as it usually is. But, considering this involves 8 different cars essentially, it still provides some close racing. The first two races most definitely proved that the Honda team has little to worry about regarding the performance of its new estate racer; the Civic Tourers were easily able to keep up with the leaders and challenge for the top places.

The reverse grid system usually makes for an interesting final race of the day. Sadly, the grid for the third race merely reversed the BMWs, MGs and Hondas, not really changing anything from the norm. But that most definitely did not mean that the race was in any way boring. The track had finally dried out as the cars took to the grid for the third race, and just like at Brands Hatch, Colin Turkington in his BMW shot off into a lead that many thought he would keep throughout. Alas, what actually happened was a race with one of THE most thrilling conclusions you could ever ask for. Gordon Shedden was on an absolute flyer having started 4th on the grid; he had got past his team mate Matt Neal and MG driver Jason Plato and as the race began to enter its final few moments he went all hell for leather.

Usually, gaps between drivers are measured by fractions of seconds, but in the case of Shedden you could visibly see his power burst up behind Turkington on the last lap. As they exited coppice onto the final main straight, Shedden caught Turkington’s eBay shaped slipstream and, living up to his name, Flash went for it. He pulled out of the slipstream and attempted a monumental move around the outside of Shedden going into the chicane. Needless to say, it wasn’t as successful as Shedden had probably imagined it would be. The pair made contact and flew off into the infield at the chicane. Taking a more rally-based route, Shedden exited the corner in front to take the first ever win for an estate car, while an annoyed Turkington was left wondering where it all went wrong.

I was less on the edge of my seat and more on the floor shouting at my monitor. It is overtaking like that that makes me love the BTCC as much as I do. Turkington thought he had the race sewn up, to only succumb to the legendary drive of ‘Flash’ Gordon on the final corner of the final lap. The magnitude of excellence shown by that final corner flourish gave me flashbacks of one of the most famous finishes to any motor race; the final round of the 1992 BTCC season. 3 drivers, 1 title. Final 3 laps. I could explain it, or you could just watch this.

Shedden and Turkington conclude their last lap skirmish with a final corner coming together. Image Credit: BTCC.net

Controversy Over Race 3 Result

Following the epic conclusion to the race, Turkington and the eBay team launched an appeal against the victory of Gordon Shedden. They argued that because Shedden had cut the track, he had gained an unfair advantage and by the rules set forth by the championship, had to give the place back. This is especially relevant because 2014 is seeing the harsher enforcement of track limits; if a car takes more than 2 wheels off the track at any corner, they may be given a penalty, having been deemed to have gained an advantage. I just think it is circuit organizers trying to cut costs on track management, but maybe I am but a cynic. Who knows.

The appeal was over ruled, and I believe that this was the right decision. First of all, the notion that Shedden gained an advantage by cutting the track would be valid if it wasn’t for the fact that Turkington too had to go off track as a result of the corner collision. Some would say that Shedden’s move was harsh, but technically speaking Turkington did not have to shut the door. When you watch the replays, it is clear that the overtake came as a result of nothing more than a racing incident.

Finally, this is touring cars not Formula One. It has always been a sport full of rubbing, scraping and spins, usually because of the intense nature of the championship. Minus the Giovanardi era of the BTCC where the drivers resorted to bullying tactics to get the place, incidents have never really been intentional and just the result of raw motorsport. One of the reasons I love the BTCC is the absence of politics; F1 in recent years has been crippled with accusations, investigations and stewards inquiries, resulting in post race penalties. The BTCC is about the driver, the team and the car coming together in the ultimate theatre of competition, and nothing more. Politics has taken over the rest of our lives, so can we not just have one politics free haven in the BTCC?

The final race was a historic first victory for an Estate in the BTCC. Volvo would be proud. Image Credit: BTCC.net

Donington Drama Explained

The Cost of all that Carnage

As is often the case with those Touring Car terrors, Donington Park was not without incident. I would not want to be the accountant of United Autosport or Rotek Racing after seeing the state of James Cole’s and Robb Holland’s cars in race two. After a coming together with Audi’s Robb Holland, the pair went shooting off the soaking track at Redgate and Cole’s car was absolutely ruined. It says a great deal about the safety of these modern machines that he managed to climb out the car without injury. Neither could place the blame on each other; both were attempting to avoid a coming together involving Austin, Stockton and Clarke.

Speaking of Austin, the great and wonderful Rob had another weekend filled with bad luck. In the first race, he made a gamble to change onto intermediate tyres on the drying track, but after a lengthy pit stop and too little of an advantage all he could manage was a solitary point for fastest lap. Race two saw poor Austin spin thanks to a coming together by Stockton and Clarke, and then finally the third race he was rather rear ended by Tom Ingram which led him to retire. Speaking to Touring Car Times, Austin feels that once again he has lost out in a car that should be competitive; he remarked,

“There has been some moronic driving out there from some people which has affected both me and Hunter.“

It seems that some remnants of the Giovanardi era remain after all…

And then there was Alain Menu, who had mixed fortunes across the weekend. He qualified an amazing 6th, only to finish 13th in race one. In race two, after minor contact with another driver his car went onto the grass and shot down the hill and across the track; the wet grass provided little traction for the Swiss spinner. His out of control car shot into the path of the rest of the field, who all did a phenomenal job avoiding him. Of all these people, my admiration goes out to Chris Stockton who managed to avoid the flying Menu by mere inches without really lifting off. That takes the kind of balls that only a racing driver possesses. In the case of both of Menu and Stockton, I would imagine they were very much needing a change of underwear after that, and rightly so!

Both Cole and Holland walked away from this high speed wreckage with nothing more than some bumps and bruises. Photo Credit: BTCC.net

Drives of the Day

After an inspired qualifying drive by ‘The Man Who Beat Button’, Mr Hynes was looking good to finally prove his pre-season hype and put in some stellar performances. In the first race he got himself a strong 11th place finish, which in a field of 31 cars is no easy feat. Perhaps I was wrong after all. As it turns out, his success was short lived. He finished the second race in 23rd, only to then not finish the third race at all. I am still seeing the mistakes usually associated with inexperienced drivers. But he will get there I’m sure. Eventually!

On the other hand, after a quiet first race weekend at Brands Hatch in the BTCC, Glynn Geddie in the United Autosport Avensis forced himself into the spotlight at Donington. Gaining significant finishes of 17th then a 13th, he is showing the growing potential of his new BTCC team. Similarly, Matt Jackson and even Giovanardi are starting to find pace in their Airwaves Fords. Jackson managed a 4th place in the final race of the day. Are we finally seeing the return of Ford to former glories?

Remember after Brands Hatch where Jason Plato said it was impossible to drive from the back of the grid to a top 10 finish? Well if anyone was going to prove him wrong it was going to be his former Williams Renault team mate Alain Menu. After his horrifying moment in race two, Menu drove up to a storming 9th by the end of the final race of the day. This man deserves a race win soon. If only he can sort out his first two race performances he will be on for a high championship finish this year. This is why Menu is the ultimate driver.

Finally, there was my favourite Squelch (Dan Welch), who finally returned to the championship after missing the first round at Brands Hatch. He is definitely showing promise with a 19th and two 21st finishes. His car is still very much in development so it shows exciting potential for the rest of the year. I would love nothing more than to see Squelch on the podium. He definitely deserves it!

After narrowly missing vehicular chaos with Menu, Chris Stockton drove like a true superstar and was fighting for high places. Image Credit: BTCC.net

Power to the Max: Chris has been Stocking up on Talent

Of all the drives over the weekend, I must say I was most impressed with Chris Stockton in his Chevrolet. At Brands Hatch, it is fair to say that I didn’t really have much of an opinion of him at all. He was just one of the drivers battling for position at the bottom end of the field. Well, needless to say he must want my attention because since the races at Donington, he fast became one of my drivers of the weekend. Looking at the results alone (24th, DNF and 19th) you would not have thought he was anything too impressive, but when you watch him in the races over the weekend you will see the transformation that has taken place.

The Power Maxxed Chevrolet and Stockton put in a truly inspired charge through the field, and throwing caution to the wind when it came to passing the out of control Menu. Stockton was sadly plagued by the fierce competition of the other drivers which did drop him back, but he pushed none the less. He is definitely climbing his way up the ranks, and at this rate he will be hitting top 10s in the next few race weekends.

Championship positions after Donington Park:

After his god-like drive through the field in the final race, Alain Menu now leads the Jack Sears trophy (which is worked out based on number of overtakes throughout the season) with 42 points, with the two Robs (Austin and Collard) tied on second with 34.

It may have only been two rounds but its needless to say that the 2014 BTCC championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in recent years. And with the BTCC menace moving onto Thruxton this weekend, who knows what will happen..

Donington was one of the best weekends of racing I have seen in a long time, in any series. It had everything from unpredictability, to champion drives to all or nothing moves for ultimate victory. What more could you ask for?

Both returning champions, Menu and Giovanardi have said of all tracks on the calendar they are most excited to return to Thruxton. Fast. Flat Out. Fearless.

Follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69 for live updates across the weekend!

Keep Driving People!

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