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[texasmr2]

Great shot and for some reason I have always loved the wagons aswell.

[EwanM]

Wait did Plato drive for Volvo? I thought that before his move to 'Ascar he only drove the Laguna and the Astra?

No, I don't think so. It helps when I actually type what I mean to say....sorry Serves me right for trying to work and type on a forum at the same time.

Don't worry, I wasn't sure myself actually, the old brain isn't quite as keyed up on the BTCC as it used to be

OT but on the subject of Volvo, they did turn up with the most ridiculous, yet awesome touring car in the 90's -



I mean, why an estate?!

That is why I asked, I couldn't recall Plato driving that heap of junk. Did you notice that Rydell was the ONLY man to tame the Volvo over their spell in the BTCC? Similar to Makinen in the WRC with the mitsubishi.

[scotty]

That is why I asked, I couldn't recall Plato driving that heap of junk. Did you notice that Rydell was the ONLY man to tame the Volvo over their spell in the BTCC? Similar to Makinen in the WRC with the mitsubishi.

Yup, good driver! Of course the guys weren't helped at that time by having to face the brilliant Alfa 155's....

Say, i didn't know Montiero was now driving in the WTCC, and since when did Lada have a team?! Not surprised to see them near the bottom of the championship tables...

[EwanM]

That is why I asked, I couldn't recall Plato driving that heap of junk. Did you notice that Rydell was the ONLY man to tame the Volvo over their spell in the BTCC? Similar to Makinen in the WRC with the mitsubishi.

Yup, good driver! Of course the guys weren't helped at that time by having to face the brilliant Alfa 155's....

Say, i didn't know Montiero was now driving in the WTCC, and since when did Lada have a team?! Not surprised to see them near the bottom of the championship tables...

Lada have been in there for quite a while. They aren't testing atm so they are using each weekend as basically a test session for their new car. James Thompson did an excellent job last weekend. Kept it outta the wall and all lol.

[EwanM]

New Lada given weight break

By Matt Beer Friday, July 10th 2009, 09:53 GMT

Lada PrioraThe new Lada Priora has received a weight break for the Brands Hatch World Touring Car Championship rounds.

Driver James Thompson had urged the organisers to reduce the compensation weight that the car carried, as the rules required it to run with the maximum 40kg initially as a new entrant to the series, leaving it a long way off the pace and struggling for straightline speed in the last meeting in Porto.

The FIA Bureau has now decided to take 20kg off the Priora for Brands.

The BMWs and SEATs will carry the maximum 40kgs in Britain due to their performances in recent rounds, with the Chevrolet Cruzes on 10kgs.

Lada introduced the Priora for Porto, with new recruit Thompson driving the new model while team-mates Kirill Ladygin and Jaap van Lagen remained in the older 110.

Double British Touring Car champion and former WTCC race winner Thompson started from the back of the field in Portugal, and took the new car to a best finish of 15th in the second race.

Woop!

[7UpJordan]

I would like to see an open invitation Touring Car even where WTCC and BTCC cars are allowed. Imagine the likes of Matt Neal, Plato, Turkington et al going up against Priaulx, Tarquini and alot of the old-school BTCC drivers from the 1990's.

[EwanM]

Well it is kinda hard to separate these two series but we'll keep it in here for now.

WTCC and F2 from Brand this weekend. Anybody going?

I'm sure a few will be watching?

Hopefully Seat won't walk this. Maybe Huff can do something in the Chevvy. Depends on the weather of course, any forecasts?

[7UpJordan]

Well it is kinda hard to separate these two series but we'll keep it in here for now.

WTCC and F2 from Brand this weekend. Anybody going?

I'm sure a few will be watching?

Hopefully Seat won't walk this. Maybe Huff can do something in the Chevvy. Depends on the weather of course, any forecasts?

*Looks out of the window*

I think that might be a clue.

[EwanM]

And........?

It's dry here...

[7UpJordan]

Whenever there's carnage, Farfus always seems to be involved somewhere in it.

[EwanM]

Awesome WTCC action today and Muller's incident in race one has really blown the title race open once again:

Menu continues Brands winning streak

By Steven English Sunday, July 19th 2009, 11:30 GMT
Alain Menu took a World Touring Car victory at Brands Hatch for the fourth consecutive year in today's first race.

The Swiss driver, who is an expert around the British track after winning two BTCC titles during a decade in the series, converted his pole position into his 11th career WTCC victory.

Menu's RML Chevrolet team-mate Rob Huff took the lead around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend as the pair worked to keep Andy Priaulx's BMW at bay. As part of a deal the pair had made before the race, Huff gave the lead back to Menu on the run to Hawthorn once things had settled down.

Once back in front, Menu had the pace to pull away from Huff so the battle for second raged between Huff, Priaulx and Gabriele Tarquini's SEAT. Priaulx's first attempt to pass Huff lost him momentum and he found himself out-dragged by Gabriele Tarquini into Surtees.

But Priaulx got Tarquini back at the same spot five laps later and resumed his pressure on Huff, who was struggling to match Menu's pace even when there was a lapse in the pressure from behind.

But Huff absorbed the threat from Priaulx and held on to make it a Chevrolet 1-2, while Tarquini and Rickard Rydell finished fourth and fifth for SEAT. Jorg Muller was sixth for BMW after passing Tiago Monteiro in the closing laps.

Augusto Farfus will start this afternoon's second race from pole position after a stunning comeback drive to eighth place. The Brazilian was turned around on the approach to Druids by championship leader Yvan Muller on the first lap.

That was the calatyst for a pile-up as Felix Porteiro was launched airborne and landed in the side of Muller's SEAT. Guest racer Norbert Michelisz was clouted as cars scattered and his broken suspension pitched him into the side of Muller's car, putting both out of the race.

The field bunched behind the safety car while the track was cleared with Farfus down in 24th place. But in the remaining 12 laps he stormed through the field to take eighth place away from Nicola Larini at the start of the final lap as the Italian's Chevrolet faltered.

Stefano D'Aste won the independent class, pouncing on long-time leader Tom Coronel for ninth overall just after Farfus made his way past the Dutchman's SEAT.

Pos Driver Car Time/Gap
1. Alain Menu Chevrolet 28m25.945s
2. Rob Huff Chevrolet +1.051
3. Andy Priaulx BMW +1.240
4. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT +2.024
5. Rickard Rydell SEAT +2.420
6. Jorg Muller BMW +5.815
7. Tiago Monteiro SEAT +6.300
8. Augusto Farfus BMW +8.307
9. Stefano D'Aste BMW +9.225
10. Tom Coronel SEAT +10.884
11. Tom Boardman SEAT +11.737
12. Alex Zanardi BMW +12.415
13. Jordi Gene SEAT +13.331
14. Felix Porteiro BMW +13.675
15. Robert Dahlgren Volvo +14.087
16. Sergio Hernandez BMW +17.753
17. Philip Geipel BMW +22.188
18. James Thompson Lada +25.447
19. Kirill Ladygin Lada +37.466
20. Kristian Poulsen BMW +41.831
21. Vito Postiglione BMW +42.677
22. Nicola Larini Chevrolet +1 lap

Retirements

Franz Engstler BMW 11 laps
Tommy Rustad Volvo 6 laps
Jaap van Lagen Lada 5 laps
Yvan Muller SEAT 0 laps
Norbert Michelisz SEAT 0 laps


Fastest lap, Menu 1m34.362s

Race 2 result will be posted shortly.

[EwanM]

Farfus strolls to victory in race two

By Steven English Sunday, July 19th 2009, 14:16 GMT

Augusto Farfus strolled to his third World Touring Car victory of the season - and the 12th of his career - in today's second race at Brands Hatch.

The Brazilian made a good start from his pole position and was guaranteed a trouble-free run to victory when his Schnitzer Motorsport BMW team-mate Jorg Muller slotted into second place behind him at Paddock Hill Bend on the first lap.

The pair cruised away at the front and Farfus scored his second race two win from pole in succession, having had to charge back to eighth following incidents at the start of the first race on both occasions.

Tiago Monteiro was third early on, but he was holding up SEAT team-mate Rickard Rydell who was coming under increasing pressure from Andy Priaulx's BMW. Monteiro eventually let Rydell through and in the same manouvre, Priaulx lost momentum and was passed by Gabriele Tarquini.

Priaulx took advantage of the next piece of SEAT shuffling and followed Tarquini down the inside at Surtees when Monteiro ran wide exiting Graham Hill Bend and let his team-mate through.

The Briton then spent several laps harassing Tarquini, but was unable to find a way through as the Italian slowed in the middle of corners and relied on the torque of his turbo diesel to carry him away down the straights.

Tarquini moved up to third on the last lap of the race when Rydell slowed, peeled aside and slotted back in in front of Priaulx.

Further back, Yvan Muller had to repeat the charge through the pack of his title rival Farfus from the first race, after starting from the back as a result of his retirement in race one. The Frenchman was up to 19th by the end of the first lap and picked off car after car and eventually made his way into the points.

He was running eighth on the final lap until Monteiro moved aside to give him an extra point for seventh.

Pos Driver Car Time/Gap
1. Augusto Farfus BMW 28m09.979s
2. Jorg Muller BMW +2.061
3. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT +7.030
4. Rickard Rydell SEAT +7.398
5. Andy Priaulx BMW +7.749
6. Rob Huff Chevrolet +8.427
7. Yvan Muller SEAT +16.651
8. Tiago Monteiro SEAT +17.444
9. Sergio Hernandez BMW +18.191
10. Tom Boardman SEAT +19.523
11. Tom Coronel SEAT +19.969
12. Alex Zanardi BMW +20.183
13. Stefano D'Aste BMW +21.589
14. Robert Dahlgren Volvo +22.255
15. Felix Porteiro BMW +22.923
16. Jordi Gene SEAT +23.053
17. Nicola Larini Chevrolet +23.594
18. Alain Menu Chevrolet +24.021
19. Franz Engstler BMW +28.723
20. Philip Geipel BMW +29.318
21. Jaap van Lagen Lada +35.320
22. James Thompson Lada +36.187
23. Vito Postiglione BMW +36.735
24. Kirill Ladygin Lada +4 laps

Retirements

Norbert Michelisz SEAT 6 laps
Tommy Rustad Volvo 4 laps
Kristian Poulsen BMW 3 laps


Fastest lap, Jorg Muller 1m34.488s

[Selcouth_Feline]

Whenever there's carnage, Farfus always seems to be involved somewhere in it.

Exactly what I thought
Bit of a mixed bag for Volvo, but encouraging I think! Wish they didn't choose such a minging paint colour though

[EwanM]

When will Alain Menu get the break that he deserves in the WTCC?
Can the man not go through one weekend without drama?

So Muller, Tarquini and Farfus - who will win?

Discuss

I think Muller will, however I kind of want Tarquini... Farfus can only win due to BMW's team tactics, he crashes otherwise.

[Selcouth_Feline]

Anyone watch the WTCC last weekend? Less touring cars, more demolition derby!

Larini's move on van Lagen's Lada was well out of order. I know the stewards punished him, but that doesn't really help Lada