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<-BTCC-> Media Thread
- Thread starter True-blue-8
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The third round of the BTCC was at Apricot Hill, an old GT track, a favourite of the drivers. The first 2 rounds of the season, Skeng and Ian were dominant. But true returned from his break to pose a challenge to them. The three men battled for pole position. For the first 5 minutes true held first, but was then beaten by skeng who took pole and ian in second. Rolo lined up behind in first.
Race 1
The start was perfect for the first three, the drivers had a good start and approached the first corner, with ian attempting a move around the outside but didn't work. However rolo had a bad start and fell down the order, it was to be a bad weekend for him. The drrivers approached the hairpin in single file, but skeng out-braked himself and lost grip on the outside of the dirty part of the track, ian took advantage and used his top end speed to take the lead up the hill. The megane was much slower through the first sector than the nissans, but managed to hold them back and use the Renault's top end speed to use on the straights. The drivers followed each other for a few laps, watching each other. On lap 6 at turn 7 true made a move up the inside of skeng and took second place. Meanwhile behind Street and MadBean battled for 4th. At the end of the lap skeng pit, trying to make the overtake in the pit window. True spent the next lap closing the gap to ian, and when they both pitted at the end of lap 7, they were bumper to bumper, the pit stop was crucial. The PAR mechanics dropped a wheel nut, losing valuable time. This allowed true to take him in the pit stop and they exited the pits, ian just in front of skeng but true had a small lead, however with cold tyres he locked up at the hairpin, and allowed skeng and ian to close. At the start of lap 9 ian caught true's slip and took the lead at the start of lap 9. At the hairpin true went to the inside to retake the lead, but a tap on the rear from skeng meant he lost 2 places recovering the car. On lap 10 ian ran wide on the exit of turn 7, this allowed skeng to draw level down the straight, he took the lead from ian by going around the outside at the hairpin. Due to the meganes speed, skeng would move to the inside on the home straight to defend the first turn apex, a decision that kept him in the lead and let him win the race.
Skeng was clearly happy after the race. 'The megane is just so fast, i had to keep defending down the straights, it was really close, but i needed those points.'
However Ian seemed a bit disappointed. ' The megane was faster, but the nissans done very well to try keep m 2 behind them. This track is difficult on the rear tyres, so being an FF it doesn't affect me as much'
There was mixed feelings from true. 'I'm happy to take another podium, but i struggled. The car was just so slow on the straight, even compared to skeng, i couldn't defend or attack very well.'
Street finished 4th and skeng took fastest lap, but the top 3 drivers fastest laps were only a 0.2 difference, showing how competitive the race was.
Race 2
Race 2 saw the reverse grid. At the begining true attempted to adjust his seat and his foot slipped off the brakes, giving him a jump penalty. glenn took the lead from samurai and lead at the first corner. At the start of the second lap, MadBean went up the inside of rabbit, making his racing debut for second place, he now had to chase down glenn. The last race podium finishers were all together, slowly working their way up to the front. At the end of lap 3 teue spun, however he did recover to finish 6th. On lap 4 MadBean went up the inside of glenn at turn 7, glenn went wide and dropped to third behind tenderly. glenn then retook second at the end of lap 5 and at the first turn of lap 6 he went up the inside of madbean and retook the lead. it then got worse for mad as he lost 2nd place to tenderly at turn 7. At turn 10 tenderly overtook glenn on the inside, as they braked for the hairpin madbean travelled too much speed into the corner and hit the back off glenn, who went forwards into tenderly and pushed him off track. ian took advantage of the chaos and took 4 places to lead. Skeng and madbean pitted right away. lap 7 ian pulled away from glenn. skeng made up alot of time in the pit stops and the rest of the race was not very eventfull.
'2 wins out of 2 is brilliant' skeng said, a huge smile on his face. There was a few careless mistakes but i kept my cool and just focused on the job'
ian accepted defeat with acceptance. 'skeng was on the button' he admitted, 'a crazy race but those points keep helping. even set a new PB with fastest lap of the race. Mind you, that has to be overtake of the season...'
although he was taken off, tenderly recovered to take 3rd, the first italian to do so since the veteran karsten. 'The move chicane was diappointing, for sure. I went from 1st th 5th in one corner and it wasn't my fault, but that's life. im chuffed'. Could skeng make it 3 out of 3?
Race 1
The start was perfect for the first three, the drivers had a good start and approached the first corner, with ian attempting a move around the outside but didn't work. However rolo had a bad start and fell down the order, it was to be a bad weekend for him. The drrivers approached the hairpin in single file, but skeng out-braked himself and lost grip on the outside of the dirty part of the track, ian took advantage and used his top end speed to take the lead up the hill. The megane was much slower through the first sector than the nissans, but managed to hold them back and use the Renault's top end speed to use on the straights. The drivers followed each other for a few laps, watching each other. On lap 6 at turn 7 true made a move up the inside of skeng and took second place. Meanwhile behind Street and MadBean battled for 4th. At the end of the lap skeng pit, trying to make the overtake in the pit window. True spent the next lap closing the gap to ian, and when they both pitted at the end of lap 7, they were bumper to bumper, the pit stop was crucial. The PAR mechanics dropped a wheel nut, losing valuable time. This allowed true to take him in the pit stop and they exited the pits, ian just in front of skeng but true had a small lead, however with cold tyres he locked up at the hairpin, and allowed skeng and ian to close. At the start of lap 9 ian caught true's slip and took the lead at the start of lap 9. At the hairpin true went to the inside to retake the lead, but a tap on the rear from skeng meant he lost 2 places recovering the car. On lap 10 ian ran wide on the exit of turn 7, this allowed skeng to draw level down the straight, he took the lead from ian by going around the outside at the hairpin. Due to the meganes speed, skeng would move to the inside on the home straight to defend the first turn apex, a decision that kept him in the lead and let him win the race.
Skeng was clearly happy after the race. 'The megane is just so fast, i had to keep defending down the straights, it was really close, but i needed those points.'
However Ian seemed a bit disappointed. ' The megane was faster, but the nissans done very well to try keep m 2 behind them. This track is difficult on the rear tyres, so being an FF it doesn't affect me as much'
There was mixed feelings from true. 'I'm happy to take another podium, but i struggled. The car was just so slow on the straight, even compared to skeng, i couldn't defend or attack very well.'
Street finished 4th and skeng took fastest lap, but the top 3 drivers fastest laps were only a 0.2 difference, showing how competitive the race was.
Race 2
Race 2 saw the reverse grid. At the begining true attempted to adjust his seat and his foot slipped off the brakes, giving him a jump penalty. glenn took the lead from samurai and lead at the first corner. At the start of the second lap, MadBean went up the inside of rabbit, making his racing debut for second place, he now had to chase down glenn. The last race podium finishers were all together, slowly working their way up to the front. At the end of lap 3 teue spun, however he did recover to finish 6th. On lap 4 MadBean went up the inside of glenn at turn 7, glenn went wide and dropped to third behind tenderly. glenn then retook second at the end of lap 5 and at the first turn of lap 6 he went up the inside of madbean and retook the lead. it then got worse for mad as he lost 2nd place to tenderly at turn 7. At turn 10 tenderly overtook glenn on the inside, as they braked for the hairpin madbean travelled too much speed into the corner and hit the back off glenn, who went forwards into tenderly and pushed him off track. ian took advantage of the chaos and took 4 places to lead. Skeng and madbean pitted right away. lap 7 ian pulled away from glenn. skeng made up alot of time in the pit stops and the rest of the race was not very eventfull.
'2 wins out of 2 is brilliant' skeng said, a huge smile on his face. There was a few careless mistakes but i kept my cool and just focused on the job'
ian accepted defeat with acceptance. 'skeng was on the button' he admitted, 'a crazy race but those points keep helping. even set a new PB with fastest lap of the race. Mind you, that has to be overtake of the season...'
although he was taken off, tenderly recovered to take 3rd, the first italian to do so since the veteran karsten. 'The move chicane was diappointing, for sure. I went from 1st th 5th in one corner and it wasn't my fault, but that's life. im chuffed'. Could skeng make it 3 out of 3?
