BTCC Oulton Park 2011

[Rob]

Late burst puts Neal fastest

After his early problems were cured, Matt Neal left it late to set the fastest time in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s second practice session at Oulton Park.

Neal only ventured on to the track later on after his Honda Racing Team spent the early part of the session fixing a steering problem on his Civic. He also later reported he’d had difficulty controlling his car’s turbo boost pressure.

But with a late run, championship leader Neal set the fastest third sector time to post the best lap of 1m27.917s – that’s despite his Honda carrying the maximum 45kgs of success ballast.

Alex MacDowall was another to put in a late burst of extra speed – fastest of all through sector two – to bump Silverline Chevolet team-mate Jason Plato from second. Another Chevrolet, that of GoMobileUK.com with tech-speed’s Paul O’Neill, fastest in sector one, was fourth followed by Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Vauxhall Vectra and Neal’s team-mate Gordon Shedden.

Neal later warned: “We honestly don’t know where we’ll end up in qualifying – it’s going to be a different kettle of fish as I suspect a few people haven’t shown their full hand yet.”

Robert Collard’s WSR BMW, Mat Jackson’s Airwaves Ford Focus, Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning SEAT and Tom Chilton’s Aon Focus completed the top ten as less than a second covered the 12 fastest runners. Significantly, as in session one, Fords ruled the roost when it came to the speed trap figures. Aon’s Andy Neate (121.4mph), Jackson and his Airwaves team-mate Liam Griffin was the order through the first along Lakeside, then Griffin (107.7mph), Neate and Jackson up Clay Hill before Jackson (112.6mph) headed Griffin and Neate across the start-finish line.

For full lap and sector times plus speed trap figures click on this link http:/www.tsl-timing.com/toca/2011/112203trg.pdf

Notably, there was further progress for the Rob Austin Racing Audi A4 as Austin himself hustled the car to within 2.6s of the best time. The Audi, the most recent car to be built to the BTCC’s new NGTC technical regulations, has undergone something of a minor transformation since Thruxton five weeks ago, shedding 90kgs in weight and switching to a Lehmann-tuned VW engine as used in Special Tuning’s SEATs and AmD Milltek Racing.com’s Golf.

Elsewhere, the session needed to be red-flagged with ten minutes to go after Jeff Smith’s Pirtek Vectra spun into the barriers at Druids and Lea Wood’s Central Group Racing Honda Integra had ground to a halt at Knickerbook with a sudden loss of power.

There were also woes for Dave Newsham whose STR SEAT spent much of the session in its pit garage, while Frank Wrathall was unable to post a meaningful time as his squad tried out power steering settings with its Toyota Avensis.

[Rob]

Hondas rule Oulton qualifying
Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal made it a Honda 1-2 in Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship qualifying at Oulton Park but the big shock was Andy Neate in third.

Scottish ace Shedden romped to his second pole in a row with a best time of 1m27.355s. The Honda Racing Team has now taken pole in all four qualifying sessions so far this season. Notably championship leader Neal’s time of 1m27.505s was achieved despite his Civic carrying the maximum 45kgs of success ballast.

Shedden from Dalgety Bay, Fife said: “I’m delighted. This place has been kind to me in the past and this puts me in the perfect position to go for more wins which I need if I’m to get back into the title scrap.”

However, the story of qualifying was Neate’s drive to the third fastest time in his Team Aon Ford Focus. The Aylesbury driver, who only returned to racing 12 months ago after two years spent recovering from a near fatal crash, set a best time of 1m27.778s for what is by far the best qualifying result of his BTCC career.

He commented: “Things haven’t gone my way in the first three events and I’ve been going home a bit of a miserable sod so this feels great. I even think a front row position was on because another car got in my way on what could have been a quicker lap but I’ll take third any day. I’m also sure we have enough performance to hold on to third in race trim, but living with the Hondas might be a bit too much to ask…”

Fourth was reigning champion Jason Plato in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze while Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra and Neate’s team-mate Tom Chilton completed the top six.

But several drivers missed out on a chance to improve their times as the session was stopped early following a rash of accidents at Denton's, caused by oil that had been dropped on the track by Liam Griffin's Airwaves Focus that had run over a kerb and torn off its sump. Ironically, it was his team-mate Jackson who came off worst as a result, his car sliding off the track at high speed and damaging its front end as he was on what would have been his final flying lap. Rob Austin's RAR Audi A4 similarly suffered.

There was also a spectacular crash into the barriers for Plato’s young team-mate Alex MacDowall who commented: “The car just got away from me on a kerb and the only response I got from my mechanic when I asked him what the damage was like was ‘expensive’. A shame as up to that point I was on for third on the grid…”

[Greig]

Go Flash :-)

[Julie B]

Qualifying

P/ No/ CL/ Driver/ Car/ Time/ Laps/ Gap/ M.P.H./
1 52 Gordon Shedden Honda Civic 1m27.355s 5 -- 91.73mph
2 2 Matt Neal Honda Civic 1m27.505s 6 +0.150s 91.57mph
3 44 I Andy Neate Global Ford Focus 1m27.778s 11 +0.423s 91.29mph
4 1 Jason Plato Chevrolet Cruze 1m27.782s 10 +0.427s 91.28mph
5 77 I Andrew Jordan Vauxhall Vectra 1m27.914s 12 +0.559s 91.15mph
6 5 I Tom Chilton Global Ford Focus 1m28.044s 9 +0.689s 91.01mph
7 20 Alex MacDowall Chevrolet Cruze 1m28.091s 11 +0.736s 90.96mph
8 29 I Paul O'Neill Chevrolet Cruze 1m28.278s 13 +0.923s 90.77mph
9 14 I James Nash Vauxhall Vectra 1m28.319s 11 +0.964s 90.73mph
10 7 I Mat Jackson Ford Focus ST 1m28.445s 13 +1.090s 90.60mph
11 55 I Jeff Smith Vauxhall Vectra 1m28.508s 12 +1.153s 90.54mph
12 22 I Tom Boardman SEAT Leon 1m28.529s 13 +1.174s 90.51mph
13 34 I Tony Gilham Vauxhall Vectra 1m28.584s 13 +1.229s 90.46mph
14 8 I Robert Collard BMW 320si E90 1m28.617s 14 +1.262s 90.42mph
15 66 I Liam Griffin Ford Focus ST 1m28.735s 13 +1.380s 90.30mph
16 17 I David Newsham SEAT Leon 1m28.768s 14 +1.413s 90.27mph
17 28 I John George Chevrolet Cruze 1m29.190s 13 +1.835s 89.84mph
18 11 I Frank Wrathall Toyota Avensis 1m29.252s 9 +1.897s 89.78mph
19 18 I Nick Foster BMW 320si E90 1m29.398s 14 +2.043s 89.63mph
20 99 I Tom Onslow-Cole VW Golf MK5 1m29.753s 11 +2.398s 89.28mph
21 43 I Lea Wood Honda Integra 1m29.794s 13 +2.439s 89.24mph
22 13 I Rob Austin Audi A4 1m29.901s 14 +2.546s 89.13mph
23 78 I Chris James Chevrolet Lacetti 1m31.014s 12 +3.659s 88.04mph
24 50 I Tony Hughes Toyota Avensis 1m31.605s 14 +4.250s 87.47mph

[Tifosi]

Matt Neal is trying to challenge Plato in the moaning stakes :lol

[Julie B]

RACE 1 - RESULTS

Gordon Shedden has won a manic first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Oulton Park that was decided by tyre choice on a damp but drying track.

Shedden, on a mix of slicks at the front and treaded wet weather tyres at the rear, lost his pole position advantage at the start to Honda team-mate Matt Neal (wets all round).

But he was quickly back ahead as his slicks started to give him superior grip and from there ran out an easy winner from Jason Plato who was followed in third by Silverline Chevrolet team-mate Alex MacDowall (both were on wets all-round).

Shedden said: "I just didn't think from the warm-up lap I could make a full set of wets last the distance given the conditions so gambled on slicks at the front and it worked. Six laps from the end I knew it had been the right way to go because the wets on the rear were shot."

Plato added: "It was touch and go on what tyres we went with and when the car came down on the jacks I was thinking we might live to regret going wets all round. But fair play to Gordon... he made the right call and drove a great race."

MacDowall commented: "I made a great start and was up from seventh to fifth early on but by the time I got a clear track to Jason he was too far ahead so I just wound it back and nursed the tyres which was the wise thing to do."

James Nash, gambling the same as Shedden, took fourth in his 888 Racing with Collins Contractors Vauxhall Vectra. From 14th and 19th on the grid WSR BMW team-mates Robert Collard and Nick Foster took an amazing fifth and sixth while from even further back, in 21st, series returnee Lea Wood was seventh in his tiny Central Group Racing team’s Honda Integra, the oldest car on the grid. Indeed, this was the first ever points finishes for Wood and he was in tears afterwards.

Championship leader Neal, his turbo-powered car struggling on wets all-round, slipped to an eventual eighth ahead of Andy Neate’s Team Aon Ford Focus that had pushed him throughout. Andrew Jordan recovered from a light opening lap spin into the barriers to cross the line in tenth in his damaged Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra.

Notably, Nash has now moved into second in the standings behind Neal. Shedden is up to third and down to fourth, having been second, is Mat Jackson who, after several stutters, was forced to retire his smoking Airwaves Ford Focus with an engine-related glitch. Plato is fifth and Jordan sixth with just 25 points now covering the leading sextet.

There was utter heartache for Tom Boardman – on slicks all-round and closing on the battle for sixth at some five seconds per lap in the late stages, he looked certain to at least pass Neal on the final lap. However, as he negotiated the hairpin his Special Tuning SEAT Leon was side-swiped by Jeff Smith’s Pirtek Vectra that had been put into a spin behind following contact with Neate’s Focus. The heavy collision resulted in instant retirement for both Boardman and Smith whose cars were badly damaged in the impact.

Paul O’Neill was also out of luck at his home track as any chance of a points finish was lost when he served an early pit lane drive-through penalty for starting his GoMobileUK.com with tech-speed Chevrolet out of position. He took 13th behind Tom Onslow-Cole who was 11th after starting 20th in his AmD Milltek Racing.com VW Golf and Dave Newsham, 12th on his debut for STR and setting the race’s fastest lap as his slick tyres gave him extra grip in the late stages.

888’s Tony Gilham was 14th after losing close to a minute with an off into the tyre barriers at the Old Hall bend and Airwaves’ Liam Griffin 15th following a similar moment at Lodge Corner. Tony Hughes was 16th in a battered Speedworks Toyota following contact with Chris James’s ES Racing Chevrolet that later stopped at the side of the track. Neate’s team-mate Tom Chilton was the last classified finisher in 17th, joining the race late as his mechanics fixed a brake-related problem with his Focus after pushing it away from what should have been sixth on the grid.

O’Neill’s team-mate John George and both the NGTC-spec Audi and Toyota of Rob Austin and Frank Wrathall were also retirements.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Gordon Shedden Honda 24m45.103s
2. Jason Plato Chevrolet + 3.660s
3. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 8.067s
4. James Nash Triple 8 Vauxhall + 11.506s
5. Rob Collard WSR BMW + 15.707s
6. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 28.186s
7. Lea Wood Central Honda + 28.630s
8. Matt Neal Honda + 31.379s
9. Andy Neate Arena Ford + 34.003s
10. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Vauxhall + 35.006s
11. Tom Onslow-Cole AmD Volkswagen + 43.358s
12. Dave Newsham Special Tuning SEAT + 47.211s
13. Paul O'Neill Tech-Speed Chevrolet + 48.794s
14. Tony Gilham Triple 8 Vauxhall + 1m12.950s
15. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford + 1m13.123s
16. Tony Hughes Speedworks Toyota + 1m38.635s
17. Tom Chilton Arena Ford + 1 lap

Retirements:

Jeff Smith Eurotech Vauxhall 14 laps
Tom Boardman Special Tuning SEAT 14 laps
Chris James ES Chevrolet 9 laps
John George Tech-Speed Chevrolet 6 laps
Rob Austin Austin Audi 5 laps
Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford 4 laps
Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota 4 laps

[Julie B]

What a fab race...have the Honda's been taking driving lessons of the Red Bulls ??? :clap

[Greig]

great whinge by Plato, poor Louise :-D

[Greig]

I hate Matt Neal

[Julie B]

great whinge by Plato, poor Louise :-D

No whinging, he's got a point :lol

[Tifosi]

I hate Matt Neal

not as much as I do :-D

Classic end to a race. Also, Plato did Lewis proud with that "victory whinge".

[Julie B]

RACE 2 - RESULTS

Jason Plato has won today’s second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Oulton Park after Honda team-mates Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden controversially took each other off the track at the very last corner while disputing the lead.

Shedden, his Civic carrying maximum success ballast, had led the race all the way. But a late safety car period – to retrieve John George’s stranded GoMobileUK.com/tech-speed Chevrolet – bunched up the field and allowed Neal, up to second from eighth, to make a bid for first place.

Entering the race’s final corner, Lodge, Neal moved to the inside of Shedden but their cars made contact and, on a damp track, both slithered straight on into a gravel trap. Shedden was able to keep going to finish sixth while Neal was left stuck in the gravel.

The incident allowed the disbelieving Plato to drive past the pair of them in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze to win after one of the most extraordinary and outrageous finishes to a BTCC race.

There was further drama behind, also at the last corner, as Robert Collard’s WSR BMW bullied its way past James Nash’s 888 Racing with Collins Contractors Vauxhall Vectra to grab second place on the sprint to the line – the pair separated by just 0.091s at the flag.

Neal said: “At the time going for it seemed the right thing to do but in hindsight it was a dumb move on my part.

“I am mortified for the team and have actually told Gordon if he wants to take me round the back of the truck and take a swipe at me he’s welcome – I deserve it.”

Shedden added: "It is what it is. There's no point jumping up and down and doing cartwheels about it. At least I got over the line in sixth which puts me fourth on the grid for race three with no ballast in my car. If anything it's put even more fire in my belly to win."

As a result, Neal now leads Nash by just a single point at the top of the standings entering this afternoon’s third race. Plato’s win added to his second place in race one has catapulted him up to third – he is only three points behind Neal having arrived at Oulton some 27 adrift.

Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Vectra just got the measure of Alex MacDowall’s Silverline Chevrolet to finish the race in fourth Shedden, having got out of the gravel trap, crossed the line in sixth.

On home ground, Widnes’s Paul O’Neill fought through from 13th to finish seventh in his GoMobileUK.com with tech-speed Chevrolet Cruze while Collard’s team-mate Nick Foster took his second points finish of the day in eighth. The two Ford Focus of Airwaves’ Mat Jackson and Team Aon’s Tom Chilton completed the top ten having started 23rd and 17th after problems in race one.

Having taken his first-ever points in race one, Lea Wood was this time just outside the top ten, finishing 11th in his Central Group Racing Honda Integra. Rob Austin (Audi A4) and Frank Wrathall and Tony Hughes (Dynojet and Speedworks Toyotas) were 13th, 14th and 15th – the best results yet for cars built to the BTCC’s latest Next Generation Touring Car regulations.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Jason Plato Chevrolet 31m12.569s
2. Rob Collard WSR BMW + 2.317s
3. James Nash Triple 8 Vauxhall + 2.408s
4. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Vauxhall + 6.576s
5. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 6.864s
6. Gordon Shedden Honda + 7.647s
7. Paul O'Neill Tech-Speed Chevrolet + 7.653s
8. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 8.042s
9. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford + 9.481s
10. Tom Chilton Arena Ford + 9.859s
11. Lea Wood Central Honda + 11.051s
12. Rob Austin Austin Audi + 18.737s
13. Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota + 19.290s
14. Tony Hughes Speedworks Toyota + 21.490s
15. Andy Neate Arena Ford + 25.756s
16. Tom Onslow-Cole AmD Volkswagen + 32.071s
17. Dave Newsham Special Tuning SEAT + 1 lap
18. Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford + 1 lap

Retirements:

Matt Neal Honda 17 laps
Chris James ES Chevrolet 15 laps
Tom Boardman Special Tuning SEAT 15 laps
John George Tech-Speed Chevrolet 11 laps
Tony Gilham Triple 8 Vauxhall 4 laps
Jeff Smith Eurotech Vauxhall 0 laps

[Julie B]

AmD Milltek, Onslow-Cole Split

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team has confirmed that with immediate effect it has parted company on amicable terms with driver Tom Onslow-Cole.

The New Malden racer informed team principal Shaun Hollamby of his decision to leave after today's second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Oulton Park.

But said team principal Shaun Hollamby: “We have enjoyed working with Tom during his short time as part of the AmD Milltek Racing.com team and wish him all the best for his future career. We were told of Tom’s decision 15 minutes before the final race today at Oulton Park and that he would no longer be driving for us.

“AmD Milltek Racing.com is staffed by a strong and talented group of people who will continue working hard to build on the progress we have made this season. As a team, we remain focused on moving the Volkswagen Golf up the BTCC grid and will evaluate replacement drivers to allow us to continue with the progress made so far through the remainder of the season.

“We would like to thank Milltek and Tesco Momentum 99 for all of their support during our exciting campaign so far and look forward to further success on track.”

[Julie B]

RACE 3 - RESULTS
Mat Jackson won the reversed-grid British Touring Car race at Oulton Park this afternoon.

The Motorbase Ford Focus driver started the event from pole and overcame the fast-starting Nick Foster (WSR BMW) on the opening lap.

Race one winner Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic) soon followed Jackson through. He stayed around a second behind, but could not challenge and eventually fell back to settle for second.

Once ahead of Foster, Eurotech Racing's Andrew Jordan looked secure in third until he was caught by the flying Matt Neal. His Civic had started 18th, but carved through the field - passing old rival Jason Plato among many others – to challenge Jordan for third in the closing stages.

With less than three laps to go, Neal dived down the inside of Jordan into the Knickerbrook chicane. Both outbraked themselves, Neal going across the grass and Jordan down the escape road. Jordan emerged ahead and held on to complete the podium.

A long way behind, a fine multi-car battle for fifth was eventually won by the Special Tuning Racing SEAT Leon of Tom Boardman, just ahead of Arena Ford Focus duo Andy Neate and Tom Chilton.

Boardman's new team-mate Dave Newsham also pipped Foster in the closing stages to secure ninth.

Behind final points-scorer Jeff Smith came Plato's Chevrolet Cruze. He had been battling the WSR BMWs of Foster and Rob Collard for fifth when an overtaking move at Lodge resulted in the two cars going off. Collard also spun, eventually coming home 14th.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Mat Jackson Motorbase Ford 26m21.782s
2. Gordon Shedden Honda + 4.388s
3. Andrew Jordan Eurotech Vauxhall + 6.489s
4. Matt Neal Honda + 6.933s
5. Tom Boardman Special Tuning SEAT + 27.307s
6. Andy Neate Arena Ford + 27.508s
7. Tom Chilton Arena Ford + 28.276s
8. Dave Newsham Special Tuning SEAT + 29.172s
9. Nick Foster WSR BMW + 30.256s
10. Jeff Smith Eurotech Vauxhall + 34.334s
11. Jason Plato Chevrolet + 35.787s
12. Tony Gilham Triple 8 Vauxhall + 37.036s
13. James Nash Triple 8 Vauxhall + 42.575s
14. Rob Collard WSR BMW + 43.886s
15. Lea Wood Central Honda + 46.972s
16. Rob Austin Austin Audi + 1m00.045s
17. Tony Hughes Speedworks Toyota + 1m09.560s
18. Alex MacDowall Chevrolet + 2 laps

Retirements:

John George Tech-Speed Chevrolet 15 laps
Liam Griffin Motorbase Ford 12 laps
Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota 4 laps
Paul O'Neill Tech-Speed Chevrolet 0 laps

[Greig]

AmD Milltek, Onslow-Cole Split

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team has confirmed that with immediate effect it has parted company on amicable terms with driver Tom Onslow-Cole.

The New Malden racer informed team principal Shaun Hollamby of his decision to leave after today's second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Oulton Park.

But said team principal Shaun Hollamby: “We have enjoyed working with Tom during his short time as part of the AmD Milltek Racing.com team and wish him all the best for his future career. We were told of Tom’s decision 15 minutes before the final race today at Oulton Park and that he would no longer be driving for us.

“AmD Milltek Racing.com is staffed by a strong and talented group of people who will continue working hard to build on the progress we have made this season. As a team, we remain focused on moving the Volkswagen Golf up the BTCC grid and will evaluate replacement drivers to allow us to continue with the progress made so far through the remainder of the season.

“We would like to thank Milltek and Tesco Momentum 99 for all of their support during our exciting campaign so far and look forward to further success on track.”

Bizarre

[Rob]

great whinge by Plato, poor Louise :-D

:lol man up plato, if you cannt beat them, then switch too a turbo engine :-??

[Rob]

AmD Milltek, Onslow-Cole Split

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team has confirmed that with immediate effect it has parted company on amicable terms with driver Tom Onslow-Cole.

The New Malden racer informed team principal Shaun Hollamby of his decision to leave after today's second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Oulton Park.

But said team principal Shaun Hollamby: “We have enjoyed working with Tom during his short time as part of the AmD Milltek Racing.com team and wish him all the best for his future career. We were told of Tom’s decision 15 minutes before the final race today at Oulton Park and that he would no longer be driving for us.

“AmD Milltek Racing.com is staffed by a strong and talented group of people who will continue working hard to build on the progress we have made this season. As a team, we remain focused on moving the Volkswagen Golf up the BTCC grid and will evaluate replacement drivers to allow us to continue with the progress made so far through the remainder of the season.

“We would like to thank Milltek and Tesco Momentum 99 for all of their support during our exciting campaign so far and look forward to further success on track.”

wow totally out of the blue :-E

very odd.

[Tifosi]

Mystery Solved (http://www.thescuderia.net/forums/showthread.php/28061-BTCC-2011-news.?p=671779#post671779)

[Rob]

thanks Stu :thumb