Catacleansed

This is devastating news and probably the only time I've done a serious post since the very start when I didn't know what this Blog was.

Here is a statement from the BTCC.

There is nothing on the Cataclean-Plato Racing website (at time of me writing this) - although there may be nobody there to update it.

A bit more digging brought up this story.

It looks like Plato Racing has gone out of business less than a year after it was formed.  It has lost a lot of cash but just started to have on-track success and the team will probably go on to thrive.  The administrators are saying as much - although they are basically salesmen here.

I hope Jason (and driver Dan Rowbottom who is also an investor) get something back out of this. They were basically talked into this venture and things were looking up for Plato after he hit rock bottom with two previous suicide attempts while he was there.

It's all a very sudden end considering the optimism back in April. 

I am a huge fan of his and there are massive numbers more out there - his loss to the BTCC will be significant - which is probably why they acknowledge,

Jason is unquestionably one of the BTCC’s greatest stars, and his exceptional record speaks for itself. He has long been – and will remain – a valued part of the BTCC family. Although his involvement with this particular venture appears to have reached its conclusion, we look forward to seeing Jason in the BTCC paddock in the future.

They seemed to have a decent amount of sponsorship and they were a manufacturer team - so how could Mercedes have let this happen?  According to Google AI, which seems to have watched a Kwik Fit video on YouTube,

A manufacturer team primarily benefits from larger financial budgets, direct corporate marketing backing, and enhanced logistical support compared to independent privateers.

The car looks very good:

I think Mercedes should have some spare cash they could splash - the fact they haven't means this story makes them look very bad.

I wonder if a lender has got nervous?

Whatever has happened, the team will be continuing under a different name and without Plato.

Maybe someone has seen a chance to cash in given that the team have finally found a winning formula?

Not sure how Rowbottom fits into this as he is supposed to be driving one of the cars.

I guess we'll find out more this coming weekend when the team show up at Donington Park.

Without Jason.

I wish him future success and good mental health.

Seize The Day

This driver's head isn't blurry due to high speed.

Despite driving a 186mph Ferrari Monza.

With no real windscreen. 

He is a very lucky policeman. 

And the car is one of many seized for antisocial driving/no insurance/no driving licence and/or several other naughty acts.

The BBC have the story here.

That particular car had been in the country for one day.

And was being driven on a provisional licence without insurance.

They estimate its value as £3.7million.

Unfortunately, the police don't get to keep the car - they just charge for its storage.

Unless it isn't claimed within 7 days.

Then they can dispose of it however they want.

According to that story, they also impounded a Rolls Royce, Mercs, BMWs and a Lambo or two. 

Bet they didn't impound any Luces.

Peaqy Blinders

According to the BBC, there's a bit of a hoo-ha going on in The Peak District.

Or is that the Peaq District?

No, that isn't one of those amusing stories about signage that has been spelled incorrectly.

Skoda have sponsored the Peak District National Park to change their signs FOR ONE WEEK.

I put that in capitals to stress the massive impact this will have on the area.

Not.

But some people have got quite upset about it. Including presumably Jessica Peach who has been taking photos of the protests for the BBC.

Including that one.

Did she wait until a Skoda was passing before taking it?

Pity that's a 2013 Skoda Fabia estate rather than a 2026 Skoda Peaq.  She'd probably still be there waiting today to catch one of them up there.

Given that we still have to pay for Brexit and the many years of austerity, I don't see anything wrong in this deal FOR ONE WEEK to top up the funds of the national parks.

Although I don't think it would have worked without the protesters.

I wouldn't have known about it if it wasn't for this item about them.

But I'm not going to buy a crossover SUV and I went to The Peak District last year which I enjoyed but want to do other places for the next breaks I have.

And what do we know about the Peaq?

As an electric crossover SUV it is, by definition, boring.  It certainly doesn't look any different to the rest.

Everything Electric Cars have reviewed it.

I'd not noticed it before but they do what Tory councillors always do in local newspapers and get theire photos taken pointing at whatever is annoying them.

Now, where have I seen someone else doing that lately?

Photo credit Jessica Peach.

Bad News for Elon (and Donald)

Not that the trillionaire with fascist tendencies will be that bothered.

Autoguide today are suggesting that the Cybertruck might be a flop.

Registration data shows that U.S. registrations hit a record quarterly low of just 3,519 units in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 45.1% drop compared to the same period in 2025.

Oops.

But what about elsewhere?

Tesla also officially sells the Cybertruck in Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

It's not even legally allowed on the roads in the UK.

I can't imagine the Canadians or Mexicans are buying many.

Back in January, Torque News also suggested that the Cybertruck might be a flop.

And they had this excellent picture which I'm happy to credit them with:

And, it looks like a lot of the American sales are internal corporate fleet purchases from other Elon Musk-led ventures such as SpaceX.

So how is that working out?

Meanwhile, Elon's former best friend isn't doing too well with his latest venture either.

About a fortnight ago, I reported on A White House promoted scheme to sell cheap fuel to Americans in certain States who had noticed that the Iran War was badly affecting their everyday costs.

Well, that went well.

1000 Not Out!

This is my 1000th Blog Post!

Number 1 was a bit serious - I hadn't got into my stride of  commenting on car news items at that point.

And I was right. 

That was November 2009 by the way - when the World was a better place but we didn't know it.

In fact, it wasn't until 2021 that the end of the World was announced.

By me.

And it was 2018 when I foresaw the end of Top Gear.  I may not have said it, but I definitely foresaw it.

Number 999, just last week, was an amusing electric Bentley story.

So, what have I got for today's Number 1000 story?

An amusing story about a Yorkshire cyclist who decided that a car had passed him too closely so sent footage of it to the Police.

That footage also showed the cyclist squeezing his bike through this gap:

(The car on the left is parked)

The BBC story is here together with the video. There is no news of the car driver that he reported.  But there is news that the cyclist ending up with over £1200 in fines for riding without due care and attention.

I have a vision of the police officer watching the footage then spotting this.

Poetic.