1st review of the year - already !

[Super Tourer]

It seems like yesterday that we were eagerly anticipating the first race at Mondello, how time fly's.....

I thought we would get in early with a review of the season.


Best Race - For me it was Rockingham, cracking venue lots of side by side running on the banking, made for close action.

Drive of the year: So many moments to chose, but Muller's 1st race at the penultimate weekend at Donington with (self inflcited) minimal running, was a champions drive and tipped the scales in his favour again.

Most Improved Driver: Has to be Colin Turkington, showed great fortitude early in the season when mechanical gremlims were his bugbear. Probably the driver of the 2nd half of the season as well, showed great maturity in the face of his experienced team mates.

Best Newcomer: Luke Hines - took to tin tops like a duck to water.

Biggest Letdown: Either the Proton's or VLR's Peugeot 307's. Proton's struggled seemingly everywhere with the odd flash of an improvement here and there, also hampered (IMO) by being the only 2 car factory team. VLR showed once again how difficult it is to build and develop a car from scratch, even with their vast experience. The car looked beautiful and somehow 'right', but too many niggles kept it off the indie Astra pace.

Most deserved win. Turkington's first BTCC win, Muller finally bagging the title after years of trying and Rob Collard being a true independent and sealing a richly deserved title.

Biggest repair bill - Must go to Edenbridge ! How many times did those poor guys have to rebuild those cars - great effort to stay out there.

Best TV Interviewee. I thought Thommo handled himself with great class this year even in the face of adversity, always spoke and reacted to events well. Sign of a champion in and out of the car.

Feel free to add categories/comments!

[Craig]

If VLR had put all of their efforts in their BTCC car then they'd have had it sorted by now. Unfortunately though they diluted their efforts far too much by getting involved with a dozen other projects.

[ADnet]

yer rockingham was the best, close racing, banging panels, couldnt ask for better action really

[redshoes]

Partly agree with the Proton/VLR nomination although to be honest I wasn't expecting that much from Proton anyhow. Think I would nominate MG for their early season form. I thought they were going to be a real threat to Vauxhall this year but it took too long to adapt to the Dunlop tyres.

[Craig]

Same could be said of Honda and their early-season reliability and pitstop calamities. It could have been a classic year if they'd been on top of their game from the get go.

[ADnet]

well MG didn't have the luck beginning of the year, remeber thruxton... ouch! but if they'dd had some finishes at all instead of DNF's then they could be 3,4,5

[joey1]

best looking car - Jason Hughes.

[touringlegend]

Proton seemed to stand still from last year, hardly had any testing over the winter etc. That's what let them down big style. VLR on the other hand I would say were promising in teh first year of the 307. I wonder if they'll get a lot of development done over the winter ?

I reckon Paul O'Neill was the best TV interviewee. Always had something amusing to say.

[speedy king]

Proton seemed to go backwards!

[ATF]

Best Quote - JT at Oulton 2003:
"If Paul gets third in the championship, we'll need a canoe to get out of the circuit!"

[ADnet]

i think paul oneill has to be with stuff like "im along side reidy on the grid..... but he scares me!" "why" "he looks like a spitfire pilot whos gonna shoot me down!" "on that last lap i was doing about 20mph, i went off about 8 times!"

[Neil Adams]

"best looking car - jason hughes"
this has got to be a joke

looks more like a cut and shut to me.

how do the proper quotes from someone elses post?

[Dudley]

use [ and ] instead of ( )

while doing this

(quote)
I wish to quote this bit
(/quote)

i.e -

I want to quote this bit