Jason Plato, wrong or right

[steve_r]

Sheddon was off the racing line and on a defensive line, so he was bound to brake earlier in order to make the corner. It does not alter the facts, and does not give Plato an excuse for his actions.

[Mark-e21]

I do find it odd that he likes infer that there is something wrong with defensive driving. I thought it was a skill? I thought that being able to place a slower car, in order to stop a faster car passing, was all part of racing and race craft? I guess it becomes pointless though, if all one needs to do is nerf the defensive driver off line in order to pass.

[McArthur252]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRkxp...feature=relmfu

the last time Plato tried his chicane move...

[Adam43]

Neal brakes too early...

[garcon]

That's absolutely nothing like what happened Sunday!

Agree on Neal braking too early tho. Big wuss.

[Adam43]

[Hyde]

I have just returned from overseas and iPlayed the races to date.

Having raced against both Plato and Matt I am afraid that it's time to lift their licences away. Gratuitous violence has no part in sport and particularly Jason's case, he should be banned for a season.

Anyone who has sat through many many driver's briefings listening to the CoC telling you that this is a "none contact sport" just fumes at the nonsense of "just a racing incident" decisions. Jason please go to stock car racing, it's more your scene!

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by Hyde

I have just returned from overseas and iPlayed the races to date.

Having raced against both Plato and Matt I am afraid that it's time to lift their licences away. Gratuitous violence has no part in sport and particularly Jason's case, he should be banned for a season.

Anyone who has sat through many many driver's briefings listening to the CoC telling you that this is a "none contact sport" just fumes at the nonsense of "just a racing incident" decisions. Jason please go to stock car racing, it's more your scene!

But when do we hear Dr.Jekyll's point if view?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by nicanary

But when do we hear Dr.Jekyll's point if view?

Plato's already had more than enough to say about this...

[johngee]

Originally Posted by nicanary

But when do we hear Dr.Jekyll's point if view?

Whilst I also agree with Mr Hyde's post, I love your sense of humour - 10 - tenths at its finest.

[Peter Mallett]

He's here all week, get your CD at the door.

[alfa_155]

I must say that I find Plato's driving to show moments of pure genius and his race craft is often spectacular, but he then ruins it when his massive ego takes over and he resorts to underhand and down right dirty driving, and his holier than thou interviews make my toes curl!

I also find it disappointing that his championship wins have either been taken via a dodgy move (remember Muller at Silverstone?) or his team mates have had to give places to help him. As far as I know he has never had a a championship where he has driven his way to the title on his own...

Its also interesting that most of the BTCC champions move on to the European stage but when Plato had the opportunity he blotted his copy book and has never been back.

The bloke is a menace and needs a proper sanction to curb his behaviour, but as long as Gow and ITV add fuel to the fire I'm afraid it wont stop until he kills or seriously injures himself or another competitor, and if we see one more shot of his dad, mum or wife as he's just about to overtake someone I swear that I will track down the producer of the show and ram a cone up his ****!!

[davyboy]

He has won a lot of races, in fact more than anyone else, so he must be doing something right

[alfa_155]

Originally Posted by davyboy

He has won a lot of races, in fact more than anyone else, so he must be doing something right

One of the reasons he's won so many races in the BTCC is that he has never moved on to bigger and better things...If you stay in something for long enough eventually you will get the longest attendance bonuses.

Also a lot of the wins were gifted by better team mates somewhere along the line...or given through the non application of a penalty when a dodgy move had occurred...

[Clive Brown]

The next round is Thruxton, right? It would be poetic justice if someone tipped him on the inside rear corner as he went into Church, and sent him barrel-rolling into the countryside.

What goes around, comes around, and if you are content to live by the sword, you can hardly complain if you find that fellow competitors are sharpening their cutlery as well.

[garcon]

Maybe the other drivers should have a little competition to see if they can nerf him just right to hit that marshal post in the middle of nowhere on the inside of Church.

[juicy sushi]

I realise the BTCC lives on the excitement and mayhem, but when other series with the same mentality see drivers behaving the same way, they generally come down harder than Plato has recevied. Even NASCAR takes a harder line onpenalities for deliberately causing accidents, if not in terms of stopping them outright.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by garcon

Maybe the other drivers should have a little competition to see if they can nerf him just right to hit that marshal post in the middle of nowhere on the inside of Church.

Er... No thanks. It might be "in the middle of nowhere" but there will be people there on Sunday. By proposing such a move (even in jest) you're undermining your own joke.

Contact is unnecessary. Deliberate contact more so. Planned deliberate contact... well, you know. "Have at them, boys" didn't work very well did it?

Yep. Sense of humour failure here.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by davyboy

He has won a lot of races, in fact more than anyone else, so he must be doing something right

But now there are at least three BTCC races at every meeting it's no wonder he's won m ore than (say) Andy Rouse.
(It's like comparing chalk & cheese - totally incomparable...)

[VIVA GT]

I've just read a Bejing Motor Show report on the AR Online website (a very interesting website dedicated to the historical & current British Motor Industry) where they describe a new series of 'Special Edition' cars:

The BTCC editions, designed to capitalise on the marque’s current Touring Car Championship Programme, feature bold graphics with contrasting stripes and large MG logos. A more aggressive front bumper and side skirts also suitably beef-up the exterior styling. RedLine is an additional package, which introduces red interior features (including seatbelts!) and stripes.

A more aggressive front bumper? How appropriate?

[garcon]

Greem, fair comments, and it certainly shouldn't be suggested in any seriousness. Funnily enough the only real reason I mention that marshal post is because I once saw a certain Mr Haynes achieve the remarkable feat of hitting it when he went off in a Porsche Classic race!

[nicanary]

Marshals posts always make me think of Bruce McLaren - sorry for the downer......

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by nicanary

Marshals posts always make me think of Bruce McLaren - sorry for the downer......

It's not a downer... it's a serious point. Despite the evidential malice towards Plato, Neal etc... in regards to their interpretation of 'push to pass', you will not see them deliberately stuff somebody off at a place like Church. The consequences of an off there don't bear thinking about... and Plato and Neal are very aware of this.

[wheelsportaddict]

Originally Posted by juicy sushi

I realise the BTCC lives on the excitement and mayhem, but when other series with the same mentality see drivers behaving the same way, they generally come down harder than Plato has recevied. Even NASCAR takes a harder line onpenalities for deliberately causing accidents, if not in terms of stopping them outright.

I'm not sure you can compare BTCC and NASCAR. NASCAR races happen at a much higher speed on a nominally more confined space and therefore so do any accidents, therefore the chances of injury are nominally higher.

Maybe that is why NASCAR officials are tougher on drivers that cause an incident.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by wheelsportaddict

I'm not sure you can compare BTCC and NASCAR. NASCAR races happen at a much higher speed on a nominally more confined space and therefore so do any accidents, therefore the chances of injury are nominally higher.

Maybe that is why NASCAR officials are tougher on drivers that cause an incident.

I think this post is attempting to apportion a certain level of danger to different types of racing. I find that difficult to assimilate because racing at whatever location is dangerous.

Either something causes damage (or injury) or it doesn't. We can't say that the driver of a car doing 35 mph in a 30 mph limit is safe just because he doesn't have an accident no more than we can say a driver doing 30 mph is safe for the same reason. The fact is, one is braking the rules (law) and one isn't.

In the case of the BTCC in general the drivers are breaking the rules by deliberately making contact with other cars, whether it be defensive or offensive.