BTCC Driving standards

[Andrew Kitson]

...or the Capris v Rovers on Silverstone GP circuit, 1980 I guess. 3 and 4 abreast into the chicane lap after lap, good clean racing.

[johnw]

I agree with Andrew and Dave Brand. Rubbin' isn't racing - it's just *******g rubbin' - there is nothing skilful about taking someone out - we can all do it.

The BTCC has become an overtly contact series, and prides it self on crash and bash. The comics perpetuate this with their "thrills and spills" and "heroes and villans" type of reporting.

The authorities (stewards?) condone (even encourage) these tactics, by taking no serious action against the perpetrators. If we all think that the driving standards are pathetic, the stewards of the BTCC must be using a different set of standards.

I imagine that there has been a tacit agreement to allow the stupidity we see in this series, as "it makes for good TV". (Not for me incidentally, as I stopped watching it after Brands last year, but I did get a copy of the Mondello race before responding to this thread.) Well so be it. The teams obviously believe that they are giving their sponsors and spectators what they want.

As a club racer, I would like "professional" series to be differentiated from "club" series, where avoidable accident damage can stop you racing for the season or even forever. I can't find the words non-contact in the Blue Book, so let's have them back in there to describe club sport, and explicitly designate such as the BTCC as a contact series, just as in short oval stock car racing.

In our (Kumho BMW) series, due to the inaction of the authorities, we had to introduce our own club rules to enable us to deal with poor driving standards. They are simple and easily understood. Best of all, they are enforced and have led to the exclusion of drivers incapable of racing without avoidable contact.

[Sodemo]

It was just as bad in the 80s and 90s, Frank Sytner, Steve Soper, Plato, Derek Warwick all made frequent questionable moves during there careers.

[johnw]

I disagree Monster. A few moves that I guess you must have seen on recordings, but in general, nothing like the current lunacy.

[Les]

the thing is - how do you stop it now?
Say this weekend and the same thing happens again and this time driver A is sanctioned, points on licence, and grid places lost. What's going to happen on the Monday? It will be full of ...
wasn't as bad as Driver B thumping A
last year he got away with it
rubbing is racing
Driver A or team saying they will walk away
team walks away

no win situation now - should have clamped down on it from the first touch of the season.

[Andrew Kitson]

Originally Posted by The Monster

It was just as bad in the 80s and 90s, Frank Sytner, Steve Soper, Plato, Derek Warwick all made frequent questionable moves during there careers.

Not as bad then but occasional instances of muppetry. Frank's driving in historics today has sometimes been questioned, although nothing like the modern BTCC bunch. In general back then they were 'mistakes'. Today they're not, it is blatant and at every meeting. Going for gaps that they just know are not and would never be there.

Mondello on TV made my mind up, hence I will not go to Snetterton despite being my local track and being a regular there for touring cars since the first one I remember with my father, 1965 ETCC.

[ascarracinguk]

agreed les, which is what they said they would do....but alas they ignored us marshals when we told them about driving standards...and look oh dear now halfords want to quit and everyones complaining about it lol.....i wasnt gonna say it but if they had listened to us at donington instead of worrying about tv ratings then they wouldnt be in this situation

[johnw]

Originally Posted by Les

the thing is - how do you stop it now?

I don't believe that those running the show (or adjudicating it) are interested in stopping it Les. If they are getting the publicity they want from it, why would they?
My desire is to differentiate it from club racing.

[ascarracinguk]

well theyll certainly get publicity when someone gets killed or seriously injured...thats for sure

[Dan Friel]

well theyll certainly get publicity when someone gets killed or seriously injured...

And there's a fair chance it won't be a driver. The current lack of action is incrediably short sighted.

And looking forward to clean racing at the historic meeting at Combe tomorrow!

[ascarracinguk]

yeh thats what im afraid of dan, im sorry but screw the drivers if they want to act like idiots...im more afraid of speccies or marshals gettin hurt..the drivers are in a nice safety cell, spiccies have a 3 wire fence

[Adam43]

I don't have anything to add to the discussion as everything I'd say has been said by others. However I must say I agree with Andrew at the start of the thread and many of the subsequent posts afterwards.

I also agree with the assertion that all this makes them look like muppets.

[Hip Priest]

I don't think that TOCA will strongly punish over-agressive driving, as it is one of the main reasons that the casual viewer tunes in.

As the lone racing fan in my office, i was rather surprised by the number of my colleagues who rolled in on the Monday after the Mondello massacre, saying things along the lines of "wow, i watched those touring cars on telly yesterday, it was great! There was loads of damage wasn't there?"

I feel that the BTCC has become what TV critics would term "car crash television", but in a very real sense.

[JohnD]

All,
Apologies to Andrew Kitson, who started this thread, for my starting a very similar one. Anyone concerned about this problem, please have a look at the other thread:
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...91#post1398791

Thanks,
John

[+ its a Chevy]

likewise, i posted elsewhere on the same http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...08#post1399408