Love em or hate em?

[KPC]

Okay, I think the Menu thread has strayed and the debate will soon deteriorate into rasberry blowing, so I'll continue the theme here and hopefully a little more light-heartedly. It's also that time of the year where ****** all will happen for a long time and the discussion will wane, so without getting too nasty, bit of fun and all that.....

Who do you love, who do you, erm, not love so much... and why?

My all-time baddies are Sytner and Warwick, my heroes Cleland and Thommo. Why? Another day, must dash..... but I'm sure certain posters are surprised not to see Reid and Bennett on the B list:p

[V6.]

Likes

Paul "Nice guy (cept to allam)" Radisich
Alain "It wasnt my fault" Menu
John "Im offf in the glaavel" Clealand
Gabreilli "Its" Tarquini
Derrick "Bad in a good way" Warrick
Patrick "Not saying it was his fault but he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time" Watts
Jo "Oversteer" Winklehock

Dislikes

Phil "Bashem off" Bennet
James "Never Happy" Kaye
Roberto "I go where i want" Ravaglia
John "the endorsinator" Bintcliffe
Kelvin "Boring" Burt
Frank "Its too easy" Beila
Steve"Why am i here" Robertson?

[Les]

just read my signature...

and include to that Derek Warwick.


and the season hasn't finished yet - had a lovely day at the Rock watching a mate hopefully win the Super Coupe championship whilst getting calls from Estoril from another mate.
There is plenty of racing still about.

[Claw]

Likes -

Radisich
Cleland
Harvey
Watts
Warwick
Sugden
Neal
Reid

Not to keen on -

Rydell
Menu
Burt
Tarquini

Strong dislikes -

Beila

[VkmSpouge]

Likes
Tim Harvey (1992 he drove the cool green BMW with a pink dragon on, hey I was 8!:D)
Matt Neal (He was an underdog for so long...)
John Cleland (hard racer)
Jo Winklehock
Will Hoy

Okay, I can't think of a good reason for the last two I just liked them.:)

Dislikes
Erm...I'' get back to you on that...:)

[Croft fan]

Likes:
Yvan Muler: its the flamboyant style.
Steve Soper: shame about the come back with Peogeot.
Smokey Jo: just for being smokey.
Nigel Mansell: do I need to say anything???
Colin Turkinton: I go weak at the knees when I see him. Good driver as well.

DisLikes:
Anthony Reid: God hes boring off track ( but not that bad on track)
Jason Plato: spit out that dummy.
James Thompson: always just acts thick when he has cause an accident - remember Oulton Park 99?

[KPC]

Originally posted by V6.
Likes

Paul "Nice guy (cept to allam)" Radisich
Alain "It wasnt my fault" Menu
John "Im offf in the glaavel" Clealand
Gabreilli "Its" Tarquini
Derrick "Bad in a good way" Warrick
Patrick "Not saying it was his fault but he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time" Watts
Jo "Oversteer" Winklehock

Dislikes

Phil "Bashem off" Bennet
James "Never Happy" Kaye
Roberto "I go where i want" Ravaglia
John "the endorsinator" Bintcliffe
Kelvin "Boring" Burt
Frank "Its too easy" Beila
Steve"Why am i here" Robertson?

;) You should be a shrink... spot on and thank you for making me laugh.

[KPC]

"The patented Derrek Warwick battering ram finds it's next victim..." Charlie Cox

"I don't expect to be behind backmarkers..." Derrek Warwick.
Learn to drive then. I was in F1, don't yer know Yeah, we know!!
Another successful career.

Frank Sytner. A law unto himself that man. The lengths he went to for a win, disgraceful. Only time I ever had a good word to say for Mike Smith was when he pinched Sytner's tyres. Ha ha ha.

John Cleland. Probably not the best bloke to work for if you listen to the way he spoke to his crew but yer can't help buit like the bloke. I always admired the fact that he remained loyal to Vauxhall, although owning a dealership probably had something to do with that, aka Sytner/BMW.

James Thompson. Got into the BTCC big time about the time Thommo turned up so we kinda grew up together. Nice bloke too, never seen him having a superstar bluey on in the pit walkabout, unlike some of his (and other) team mates. The autograph hunting fan may be a pain in the rear but we all have our ups and downs in our jobs. Fans are also bread and butter for the series. Also has a happy go lucky attitude.... none of this, "Weellllll, I am happy coz I was back of the grid because of engine problems and had a squillion kilos of ballast but I said, third would be good. To win with a squillion kilos of ballast is good for me..."

[V6.]

Did you see thompson in the etcc though, he was holding up the championship contender with some aggressive blocking and he did the old john clealand "im going for first" symbol.

James T Quote
You only have to look at the back of the car to see ive had more hits than the spice girls.

Martin Haven Post aggressive blocking monouver
That was rubbish!

[KPC]

Didn't see it, but wasn't that what he was there for? Where was Gabby?

Thommo has had is moments like all others - remember Plato, Thommo and Leslie at Oulton in 99.... if you listen to the review they don't beep the pit crew man who says a word beginning with F. All good fun.

It's funny how will like some drivers who can do no wrong in our eyes, yet loathe others who would have to walk on water before we'd be impressed.

[The Stig]

V6, watched Thommo in the ETCC on British Eurosport, some great racing let down by the worst commentary/summarising I've ever heard. They may be tin tops that you can't see the drivers helmets, but they're all numbered differently and one or two are different colours.

[V6.]

Yea, i think cos we have been treated to the best in commentators in walker cox and whatever bens surname is, the others just dont cut it, i think haven has his good days though, he is a legend when compared to carlton kirby.
I think the actual race footage by eurosport is actually very good with the kind of in car shots we should be expecting from ITV.

I watched F1 in greece in german speaking and it was the pits.

[Reynard]

LIKES
Kelvin Burt
Derek Warwick

STRONGLY DISLIKES
Rickard Rydell (I really hate this guy...)
Frank Sytner
Alain Menu

I'm fairly indifferent to the other drivers - can't say whether I really like or dislike any of them. I've supported lots of BTCC drivers in my time and been irritated by others (yep, I really have been around for ages) but these five are the ones I've either absolutely loved or absolutely hated.

As for Kelvin... Let me put it this way - I trust the man with my life. And once you get to know him, boring he most definately is not!

[Claw]

Originally posted by Reynard

STRONGLY DISLIKES
Rickard Rydell (I really hate this guy...)


Don't you think he always acted as "Mr.Innocent"? That really got on my tits. Like the braking early into Druids, so he could shuffle up everyone behind him. That wasn't his driving stlye, he always did it on purpose.

[Alan]

Likes? Um - James Thompson, Jason Plato and Matt Neal, but alot of the current crop are ok. Alan Blencowe, Dan Eaves etc. all nice guys.

Going back a bit Robb Gravett and Lee Brookes were (are) good guys.

Can't say I particularly dislike anyone - but I temporarily lose interest in drivers who make blatantly silly statements after races. I guess that is all in the heat of the moment though and before they have seen the video!!!:)

[The Stig]

Likes

Jason Plato, James Thompson, Anthony Reid, David Leslie, Steve Soper, Paul O'Neill, Michael Bentwood.

Dislikes

Yvan Muller (intensely), John Cleland.

Not exactly indifferent to most drivers, but nobody past or current stands out as being particularly odious except the above two.

Yvan Muller should be sentenced to a lengthy, lengthy spell of community service and then be tagged.

[Claw]

Originally posted by The Stig

Dislikes

John Cleland.


Whats wrong with King Cleland? :D

[V6.]

I have only liked jason plato since the year of his championship season, he used to come out with some pretty outragous monouvers. Remember donington 98, david leslie slightly taps him on the staight side by side so jason get angry and blaitantly hits him of on purpose into turn one, then blaims david even though jason steered to the left into a right handed corner. Brands 97, knockhill 99 also.

[Stuart]

LIKES - so many, but these few stand out...
Andy Rouse - the best ever
Steve Soper - the fastest ever
Patrick Watts - always smiling and very entertaining.
Gabriele Tarquini - a very worthy champion in '94.
David Leslie - top bloke, and a real pro'
Kieth Odor - so underrated and sorely missed.
Simon Harrison - 'cos he took me out to play around Silverstone in a Nissan a few years back...:D
Mike O'Brien - for the simple reason that he raced a Holden Commodore...mmmmm... big banger V8...


DISLIKES
No one especially, although for someone I'd admired for so long, Roberto Ravaglia had such a disappointing attitude...

[The Stig]

Claw, I can't remember anyone moaning as much as Cleland.

[kevin ritson]

Favourites over the years:

Radisich - it's criminal that he was lost to the BTCC, considering that he jumped straight in the Mondeo and outdrove Andy Rouse

Cleland - everyone needs a highly-charged walking contoversy in their race series

Neal - Underdog for so many years, how can you not support the man? Also, as a fellow member of the six-foot-plus club, it's nice to see successful racing drivers that aren't jockey-sized

Hoy - Much-missed, a top bloke and a winner!

Thommo - always entertaining to watch, who can forget that slide at Thruxton?

And the list of shame...

Muller - one of the most enjoyable things recently has been seeing Muller losing out to his team mates, purely because of the way Triple Eight seemed to cater to his every whim, as if he was their only championship challenger (losing Cleland and Plato, letting him win at Thruxton in 2000)

Tarquini - maybe this is subjective but the man loves soccer more than racing - so why not kick balls for a living?. Besides, he only won in '94 'cos the car was bending the rule-book and once everyone had wings, the racing went out of the window! And if you don't believe me, look at how the racing was much more frantic in the early-90s

O'Neill - really, I've got nothing against the guy (apart from his sister, but that's not his fault). But he's like one of those snooker/tennis players who get to the final and say "well, I'm just happy to soak up the atmosphere". NO!! Go out and win, it's what you're doing this for!! And he's not the people's champion, 'cos most of the people don't have access to a family member's fortune to buy a race seat! At least with Neal, it was the injustice of not having a proper works drive. I'd be happy with Paul racing in a club series but is the quality of the competition really at such a standard that the guy races for the top team?

[kestrel]

Likes ...

Racin' Jason Plato.
Gabrielli "I had a good lap" Tarquini.
Johnny 'Tell it how it is' Cleland.
Alan "To be honest" !?* Menu.

Indifferent to ...

Paul 'Cry Baby' O'Neill
Kelvin 'boring' Bert
Phil "I didn't make a mistake, I had the line" Bennet.
David 'Nissan Vodaphone' Leslie.

INTENSELY DISLIKE ...

'SLY' "I didn't do it - I made ze mistake" Yvan 'THE LIAR' Muller,

'Two-Faced' - Stab you in the back' Derrek "There there Yvan, here's another dummy" Warrick.

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[Nikh_mg]

Likes:

Paul "not another blown Ford engine" Radisich
Gabrielli "Rolly Pollie at Knockhill thanks Tim" Tarquini
Steve "Bennet Hater extrodinare" Soper
James "It wasnt my fault, honest" Thompson
Anthony "Thwack!!!" Reid - ya gotta love his driving style
Derick "...and now introducing the new Vauxhall Battering ram..." Warrick
Alain "damn quick" Menu
Colin " What is is with my MG engines" Turkington
Keith "keep on goin'" O'Dor....RIP
Phil "what do you mean there was a car there?" Bennet
Paul "FANTASTIC!!!!" O'Neill
1993(?)-2002Matt " Cant fit in that space!!!" Neal
Strongly Dislikes:

Yvan "i dont know what i did, my hair was in my eyes" Muller
Ricard "ya wanna fight Anthony?" Rydell
John "Boring" Bintcliffe
Smokin' Jo "i go by my rules" Winkelhock
2003 Matt Neal

[Mocko]

LIKES

John Cleland*: Local hero; fuelled my support for Vauxhall
Anthony Reid: OOMPH!...there it is. Yeah he's a great driver.
Alain Menu: A good enough champion for me.
Steve Soper: Arrogance went into overdrive in Silverstone '92 however he's damned quick and I loved his fast style.
Matt Neal: Donington '99 showed that he is a class driver especially with that move on Thompson.
Will Hoy: A great character.

BORDERLINE

Rickard Rydell: Not chuffed with arrogance of '98 but there's not a lot to say I dislike him.
Yvan Muller: Relegated to borderline after the disagreements at Brands.

DISLIKES

Simoni: Disgraceful driving during 94.
Hmmm.... that's about it.

[Cleland Fan]

Originally posted by The Stig
Claw, I can't remember anyone moaning as much as Cleland.

Alain Moanu for one ;)

[Reynard]

Originally posted by Cleland Fan
Alain Moanu for one ;)

Hahahahahaha :) And Frank Sytner for another. Man, that guy used to get on my nerves...

[Freddie]

Likes

Warren "Way aye man" Hughes. Gentleman driver everyone likes to hit.
Anthony "No gap's too small" Reid. For keeping the polishers employed.
Colin "Leave the tyres! Just change the engine!" Turkington. For not realising he should still be learning and mixing it with the big boys.
Matt Neal for not giving up when the only luck he could get was bad.
Paul O'Neal in the early rounds when he still had the "Rabbit in the headlights" wonder how I got here look. (Went off him later when he started using his team mates tactics but not as subtly.)

I can't say I dislike any of the drivers apart from Muller and Thommo but that was only cos they were beating the MG's. Not always fairly at times. And their comments when things didn't go 100% their way. Probably cos they were expected to win and the pressure was getting to them.

[Mocko]

I marked Cleland for a reason: KPC - his dealership is a Volvo one so I don't see how that would have strengthened ties. It is curious though.

[Cleland Fan]

Originally posted by Reynard
Hahahahahaha :) And Frank Sytner for another. Man, that guy used to get on my nerves...

I'll never tire of laughing at the stupidity of this story


A millionaire car dealer in a Rutland village has been rebuffed in court after attempting to sue a nearby farmer for having sheep that were too muddy. "Mud was inevitable" said Judge Victor Hall as he threw out Frank Sytner's application to Leciester Crown Court for a restraining order against farmer Edward Baines and his untidy flock.
While Judge Hall counselled that people living in the countryside had to expect such things, Sytner's wife Elizabeth told thecourt of her own rustic ordeal; "I was in my garden and heard cows making a noise in the field. It was annoying, so I went to see what was happening." When told it was normal for cows to be heard in the countryside, Mrs Sytner replied "Yes, it's unfortunate, isn't it?".

Sytner was ordered to pay his own and Mr.Baines legal costs, estimated at £35,000.

[Cleland Fan]

Originally posted by Mocko
I marked Cleland for a reason: KPC - his dealership is a Volvo one so I don't see how that would have strengthened ties. It is curious though.

He and his father did use to run a Vauxhall dealership in Peebles at the time he started racing for Vauxhall/Opel in production saloons in the mid 80s, but by the mid 90s, the Clelands had started to sell Ford group cars instead, starting with a Mazda and a Volvo garage. Now it's Jaguar and Volvo.

[Reynard]

Originally posted by Cleland Fan
I'll never tire of laughing at the stupidity of this story

Indeedydoodly! :D

They actually had a bit on TV about it and I couldn't stop howling with laughter. What a prat... *sigh* He's the sort of guy who probably would sue Sainsbury's if there wasn't enough jam in his doughnuts...

What a cry-baby! ;)

[speedy king]

Originally posted by Claw
Don't you think he always acted as "Mr.Innocent"? That really got on my tits. Like the braking early into Druids, so he could shuffle up everyone behind him. That wasn't his driving stlye, he always did it on purpose.
so? He was clever? Big deal, there is nothign tint he Blue book saying that is an illegal thing to do

[Mocko]

What about attacking Reid, is Rydell exempt?




That incident still gets on my tits.

[Cleland Fan]

You do that again and I'll have you! ;)

[Toto]

Originally posted by speedy king
so? He was clever? Big deal, there is nothign tint he Blue book saying that is an illegal thing to do
Exactly. Early braking is perfectly OK. If you're not doing it to someone, then they'll be doing it to you. It's all part of defensive driving. Make sure you get set up fo the corner and then make sure you're ****** fast out of it so the next chap can't get a proper run on you into the next corner. It's been going on for decades in every form of the sport ...

[KPC]

Both Rydell and Muller got the knock coz they were championship contenders. They all seem to let nerves get the better of them when it's getting down to wire time. The Reid dive on Muller looked a tad Mission Impossible.

I have no sympathy with Muller though... after his coming together with Thommo at Druids last year, his attitude is hypocritical. So his brakes locked up coz he was on cold tyres. He overcooked it plain and simple. A so-called pro should never make a late break like that a couple of hundred yards after changing tyres.

At the end of the day all's fair in love and war.

As far as aggression off track goes I look at it like this. In my job I get alot of grief, as do most of us probably. But at work we are professional and deal with it in a professional manner. In these days, if we were to grab a punter of colleague like that we'd no doubt be fired.

[V6.]

dont forget when he did it to menu at brands, championship contener vs reid vs when very annoyed menu in the pits.