Platonic Love

 Plato hasn't been saying much this year.

This probably isn't too unusual.  However Jason Plato also hasn't said much.

This is unusual.

He is normally quite outspoken.  But then again, he's normally doing very well in the British Touring Car Championships.

And this year he isn't.

As I type this, we are currently two races into the Oulton Park Round and Plato has finished 12th and 11th.

He's been blaming the boost regulations.  But that doesn't explain how his team-mate Ash Sutton finished 3rd and 1st.

So Jason has also been blaming this:

He reckons his car has never been fully straightened out after looking like this after crashing at Brands Hatch earlier in the year.

 

There are four cars in that team and Plato is the senior driver - surely they could have put his number on one of the other cars.  Mind you, I don't envy Warren Scott, the team manager:

It can't be easy having to deal with Plato but I also feel a little sympathy for Jason too - as he pointed out today (now he's finally talking) - it is him who is the front-man for the team and it is him who is having the awkward conversations with the sponsors and money-men.  Although it is also him who flew in to Oulton Park today after attending Pippa Middleton's wedding.  So maybe his life isn't too bad at the moment after all.

 

However, the real star of the day at Oulton is this young man:

18-year-old Billy Monger.  Five weeks ago, he was involved in a horrific crash while taking part in a Formula 4 race at Donington Park.  He lost both his legs.  His maturity, is attitude, his cheerfulness are amazing.  He wants to race again.

 

I have no doubt he will.

High Flyer

The BTCC are clamping down on driving standards.

It says so here. 

If you're wondering why, then you probably didn't watch the races from Snetterton weekend before last.

Here's Hunter Abbot in Race 3:

His car got launched into the air from the starting grid, did a couple of sideways somersaults, got hit then flew into a TV camera gantry knocking it over.  I watched that live, including the cameraman jumping clear as his perch was toppled.

Fortunately, or miraculously, nobody was injured.

Obviously the race was stopped.  So was Race 2 after another mega-crash on the opening lap.

Here's the ITV News Report - make sure you watch the video.

The video goes on to say that it was a good day for the Silverline Subaru BMR Team - and it was - although their boss, Warren Scott received a verbal lashing from Motorbase driver Andrew Jordan via the TV cameras for his driving standards in Race 2 where the two clashed.  They were both given verbal warnings from the Stewards for the incident so it'll be interesting to hear what they have to say this coming weekend for the next rounds at Knockhill.

There will be a bit of a shadow over Knockhill (and I'm not talking about the Scottish weather) after the sad death last weekend of the first ever British Touring Car Champion, Jack Sears who won in the inaugural year of 1958 and again five years later.  He was 86 and actively involved in the sport right up until the end.
 

It's a while since I've mentioned the BTCC - which is unusual because it's a damn site more exciting than F1.

And when I say "exciting" - I usually mean for the right reasons - not the crashes.