Supertaxis 2007

[djr81]

A few thoughts come to mind.

1. As much as I dislike Cochrane & the way he goes about things it is not his job to look after other categories. His job is to do the best he can for the V8 cricus. So aping Bernie is probably not a bad way to start.

2. As for teams not being able to afford to run - well it has been ever thus. Team Kiwi were pretty much broke last year & needed to pass the hat around before even making this years grid. BJR has always run on next to no money. DJR have been wobbly since the whole Wespoint debacle, but look to be on the mend. Holden have always preferentially tipped money into the factory team to the expense of all others. Hell I remember in the pre V8 Supercar years when HRT couldn't afford to do all the ATCC rounds, ahhh, happy days.

3. I for one would like to see more diversity in the support categories, but really what was wrong with the Eastern Creek supports?

4. Half the reason the cars are relatively affordable is that they aren't much like the road cars anymore. Project Blueprint & the way teams are forced to make the cars are two of the best things about the category. Please don't wish production car dodginess (read cheating as inevitably happens when manufacturers get involved) on anyone.

Edited June 18, 2007 by djr81

[Duncan]

Yeah, dead true on point 4 it is very hard to stop the cheats

And I agree on point 1, but he has just been too over the top....just a few % of what taxis run on could run other categories for years.

I know a team in the NSW champs that spends more in a round than I spend in a year....

[Beer Baron]

I want Super GT. end discussion. someone come with me later this year when I go back to watch another round of the Japan Super GT. awesome cars. awesome technology. good racing. love it.

and since this is a talk about season 07. congratulations to skaife for beating the record for most round wins ever. in my eyes he's earned it.

[benm]

I've watched a few of the SuperGT 2006 races of late and to be honest it's the same as the v8sc series just different cars.

[Duncan]

yeah well done to Skaife, a record is a record. But to be fair there were a lot less rounds a year when Brock was racing - his dominance over a period of time was pretty amazing.

[djr81]

yeah well done to Skaife, a record is a record. But to be fair there were a lot less rounds a year when Brock was racing - his dominance over a period of time was pretty amazing.

Not sure I agree. Now Skaife gets to include his Sandown & Bathurst Enduro results (Or some of them anyway, the ones with Freddo don't count). That other Brock bloke won 9 of each. So should the tally be 56 to 40 (Or thereabouts?)

Secondly Brocks ATCC record is nowhere near as good as his Bathurst/Sandown record. He didn't ever dominate the ATCC to the same extent he did the enduros.

[gtr660hp]

I've watched a few of the SuperGT 2006 races of late and to be honest it's the same as the v8sc series just different cars.

I went to a Super Gt round last year at Fuji and it was a boring weekend when it came to racing...the car however have some great technology in them. In fareness it was a 500km race but there wasnt any better racing than the V8's here.

I like how there were peeps here screaming about 888 being cheats with the rear brakes and how unfare it all is....well what about Kelly with smoking poring from his car and nit receiving a black flag...anyone else would have been done for that...and then a ford team were done for half a rear bar dislodging...cmon Shenkins we can all see whats going on......

[Necx0]

I must admit I lost faith in Lowndes. I have always been one of his biggest fans. But after seeing the documentary about how Brock's death shook him up, I felt he may have lost the "edge", and his start to the year seemed to confirm my suspicions with Whincup coming out on top.

I can't say how pleased I am that I was wrong. He was just going through a rough patch and seems like he is back on form for the moment, certainly still as fast and lairy as he always has been. What a driver and what a bloke.

What a great weekend, Skaife wins Race 1....Lowndes Races 2 and 3. Couldn't ask for more!! Great racing too

[benm]

Looks like the nudge Todd Kelly gave Skaife in the first corner of race 2 cost them a pair of podiums.

[88silhouette]

Looks like the nudge Todd Kelly gave Skaife in the first corner of race 2 cost them a pair of podiums.

yeah shame aint it

[Beer Baron]

yeah TKelly move in race two was f**ked. being that agressive with his senior teamate should have earnt him a nice backhander in the pits. although having loaded parents probably spares him any such punishment and means he carrys on with no respect for anyone.

[BAMR33]

yeah well done to Skaife, a record is a record. But to be fair there were a lot less rounds a year when Brock was racing - his dominance over a period of time was pretty amazing.

I think scaife's record is much more impressive (though I'm not a scaife fan at all). The racing these day's is a lot more controlled and the restrictions imposed makes it nearly an even playing field for all. To stand out these days it largely comes down to the skill of the driver. All you needed to win back in Brock's day was a name for yourself and sponsorship from a major cigarette company.

[djr81]

I think scaife's record is much more impressive (though I'm not a scaife fan at all). The racing these day's is a lot more controlled and the restrictions imposed makes it nearly an even playing field for all. To stand out these days it largely comes down to the skill of the driver. All you needed to win back in Brock's day was a name for yourself and sponsorship from a major cigarette company.

Scaife's name is actually spelt with a k.

and the restrictions imposed makes it nearly an even playing field for all

Yep, like PI last year was "even' & Eastern Creek this year was "even".

To stand out these days it largely comes down to the skill of the driver.

Motor racing has almost always been about the car, not the driver. Why, for example, has Greg Murphy gone from kicking everyones arse to being an also ran? You can't tell me that the talentless hacks that are the Kelly clan are there because of talent.

All you needed to win back in Brock's day was a name for yourself and sponsorship from a major cigarette company.

Tell that to Allan Grice. What you needed was factory support & the best of the latest bits that came out of the factory - before everyone else had them. Ofcourse having a shitload of money didn't hurt.

What people tend to ignore is that Brocks ATCC record wasn't actually that brilliant. Atleast in contrast to his Sandown/Bathurst record. Check how many ATCC championships he won in the eighties - compared to Dick Johnson for example.

Lastly Australia once had an endurance championship which incorporated races other than Bathurst/Sandown. Shame that it is no more & no one bothers counting who won what.

[Muz]

Ok All,

Here's a real conversation starter. I'm sure you will all remember how Craig Lowndes was given a fine and loss of championship points for daring to open his mouth and criticise someone after the Surfers race last year. The points lost wound up costing him the championship last year (Rear -end Ric notwithstanding). Well I have just been in Darwin, where CL regained the form that has eleuded him recently but to get back on track, after the big dust up on Saturday the local paper has quoted AVESCO head honcho (or whatever it is called now) as saying that the drivers have all been instructed to speak their minds, be contreversial and there will be no penalties issued. The apparent backflip is in response to the blandness currently surrounding the fast taxi's.

Russel Ingall and Murph were the first to take advantage of the new ruling.

cheers

Muz

[djr81]

Ok All,

Here's a real conversation starter. I'm sure you will all remember how Craig Lowndes was given a fine and loss of championship points for daring to open his mouth and criticise someone after the Surfers race last year. The points lost wound up costing him the championship last year (Rear -end Ric notwithstanding). Well I have just been in Darwin, where CL regained the form that has eleuded him recently but to get back on track, after the big dust up on Saturday the local paper has quoted AVESCO head honcho (or whatever it is called now) as saying that the drivers have all been instructed to speak their minds, be contreversial and there will be no penalties issued. The apparent backflip is in response to the blandness currently surrounding the fast taxi's.

Russel Ingall and Murph were the first to take advantage of the new ruling.

cheers

Muz

Well they changed it because the drivers comments were just plain boring. I don't think the drivers can go the officials, however. Which to my mind put Stevie Johnson sailing a bit close to the wind after the dodgy penalty the gave him. That was the problem Lowndes had last year, as much as anything.

[Beer Baron]

what about murphy? he had a pretty nice go at the officials after the safety car picked him up rather than letting him go around and join the back of the queue still on the lead lap.

[djr81]

what about murphy? he had a pretty nice go at the officials after the safety car picked him up rather than letting him go around and join the back of the queue still on the lead lap.

Doesn't take much to get him fired up does it? Going from 45th to a lap down didn't really ruin his day.

Shame he hasn't got a competitive car as he was always pretty good value. Not least on the radio.

[benm]

I like the new freedom of speech approach, especially when you get someone like Ingall or Murphy whom aren't afraid to speak their mind on a good day.

It sucked that the pace car stuffed up Murphy's race especially with the technology available today (although maybe it's only common sense required not technology) however what happened if their was another pace car 5 laps later and it did pickup the correct lead car and he regained that lap, silly of him to pull out of the race.

[Roy]

Murphy must cry himselt to sleep every night. To see his hack ex-team mate Kelly who he handed it to for years win the championship and on target for a second. For gods sake, i will lose what little interest i have in the series if he gets back to back titles

[Neil]

Murphy must cry himselt to sleep every night. To see his hack ex-team mate Kelly who he handed it to for years win the championship and on target for a second. For gods sake, i will lose what little interest i have in the series if he gets back to back titles

Too true Roy and to think that I actually feel sorry for Murf,,,I must be getting old and soft.

Heaven forbid that little shit wins again can we stone him to death?.