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Anyone else watch the season opener at the weekend?

Lots of action with Plato winning the first 2 races before Honda got their arses in gear and recorded a 1-2 in race 3.

Poor Rob Austin totally taken out and car written off, may not have funds available to race again this season.

Fear not dear Grim, Austin will be back out at Donington, the car is a little battered and bruised but the shell and the cage are A1, no worries there. > Take a peek... < (https://twitter.com/RobertoAustini/status/319189392314998784/photo/1)

Cracking racing (apart from Plato winning, he's a cunt) the honda boys were unlucky in the first two races, glad to see them 1-2 in the 3rd race. Good to see Wrathall making moves forward, and the Passat CC of Onslow-Cole and the Insignias of Goff and Cole looked pretty trick, nice work from the Team HARD boys (fucking awful name)

I'm currently in negotiations with my better half to get the green light to go to Thruxton in a couple of months for the round there... a lot of bartering involved!  :wink:

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that.

BTCC isnt the same without Hamish Irvine

I'm going to Thruxton in a few weeks time.

I also think Matt Neal is a cunt, of larger proportions than Plato.

No way, Neal is no way near the scale of cunt that Plato is. Neal makes time for his fans and doesn't slander his detractors. Plato actively hangs them out to dry to his twitter followers and lets them do the dirty work. Utter utter cunt who thinks he's gods gift to racing (but got hammered when he stepped up to World Touring Car level) and treats the general fan with a level of disdain I've not seen anywhere else (but Chris James of Team ES Racing...)

Each to their own, but for me Neal is a cunt, can't stand the bloke.

Rob Austin is a Swindon lad isn't he? I think I know his mum Sue, who lives/used to live on Elgin Drive.

And does anyone else think Jack Goff is an unfortunate name?  I bet he has been called a wanker all his life!

Andy Jordan should have taken the cunt out properly in Race 1

I am also hoping to go to Thruxton.

I was impressed with Sam Tordoff in his first weekend. If they've got that MG working in the wet, then I can't really see past Plato for the championship (and yes, he is a bit of a cunt)

That MG won't be that dominant at every round. They were helped by some unfortunate circumstances to the Hondas, and the longer wheelbase made it a bit more stable in the cold temperatures.

Tordoff did impress me, but that MG was the pick of the field this weekend. Its engine runs one of the highest boost levels in the field, we'll see how it stacks up when its pegged back after Donington.

Have they changed the rules about boost equalisation? It was ridiculous last year, especially at Silverstone where the Honda's were so slow in a straight line.

Yes they have, last year the boost was changed for each different car type, so all 4 civics had the same boost as each other, both mgs had the same boost as each other and so on. That meant the slower drivers in those cars got shafted. This year, the boost equalisation is for individual drivers, this'll open the field up nicely. It does mean that the Honda will be still slower in a straight line as its one of the best chassis in the series.

Ah, that is better. Like you said, should keep it nice and close.

Yup!

Andy neate will be at Donington in his new sled as well, an NGTC Cruze hatchback. First pics ive seen it looks really striking, black, chrome and lime green! Sounds fucking horrific but it looks really good.

Spoke to Rob the other day, the car isnt as bad as first thought . Plato is a grade A cunt who pulls off stupid moves and then moans like fuck when it is done to him. I like the idea of having to run a set of soft tyres every meeting, a track like Thruxton will destroy them inside 10 laps or so, its really abrasive in some places.

Popped along to Thruxton this weekend just gone with two guys from work... one has said previously that he plays CoD against Matt Neal regularly, which I took with a pinch of salt until he got a phone call as we're in the queue to park from the man himself. We make our way into the paddock, roll up to the Honda garage, my friend catches Neal's eye and he comes over, shakes his hand and invites us in :D I was a very happy monkey! Spent about an hour and a bit talking with Neal and Shedden, had a look over the cars, toured through the truck, and just generally got in the mechanics way! Epic start to the day, but an epic fail that I didn't get a fanboy pic of me with Neal or Shedds. Stupid James.

Loved the racing too, fairly reserved for the Touring Car boys but cracking all the same! Plato is still a cunt, we ended up sat amongst a bunch of Honda fans which was good! A couple of Plato fans to goad... ;-)

That sounds amazing, you lucky shit  :)

I was planning to go but the play offs got in the way a bit!

Was at Thruxton watching the BTCC this weekend also and have to say it was brilliant fun.  Got a really good spot up on the hill, but neglected to consider the effects of being in 20 degree sun without sun cream all day.

I was so red come the Brentford game that when I chucked my Town top on, you could barely see where my neck ended and the shirt began.

That'll learn me!  :girlgiggle:

Not gonna lie, it was fucking ace :-D my mate got to sit in Neals Civic as well, the lucky bastard!

I was slapping on factor 50 (otherwise known as a burka in a bottle) but still managed to get a sunburnt receding hairline, whoops! We were sat on the very last bit of banking at the complex, got to see a fair chunk of action too. Watched the highlights on tuesday, some scary near-misses on the back straight as well... please for Onslow-Cole and team Hard, that Pissrat CC looks epic, glad its going well!

* SPOILER *





Thank fuck Plato didn't moan his way to the title. Very happy for Jordan, it was clear to see from his first couple of seasons he'd be a champion, I just didn't expect it this year! Glad the title still went to a Honda, and the factory Honda team get the manufacturers title. That'll do nicely!