Croft Predictions

[MGmad]

To something that is at a safe distance to me. Away from the intricate specialist knowledge most seem to have in abundance.

Croft predictions. For the meeting as a whole I think Honda will do quite well as their confidence will be high with Neal being the faster Honda. Also with confidence will be MG with Reid being the better MG. But if Yvan can take any one of the top 4 places in both races I think he will be able to beat that big rush and possibly take a double win.

I see for race 1:
1. Muller.
2. Neal
3. Reid

I see for race 2:
1. Muller
2. Thompson
3. Neal

I maybe completely wrong in my asumption but that is what I think.

[Les]

Well Matt and Alan are low/no ballast so that helps their cause a lot so I have fingers crossed for them.

[MGmad]

I completely agree with you.

Honda, from their ballast going into Croft, must have done really well in race 2 Rockingham. As well as you can get when you have such strong competition from VX. I am guessing from what you say Matt must have finished 4th, which means 9kgs, and having no ballast means Alan must have finished 5th. Add to that their dominance of Race 1 where Matt actually won, and Alan finshed second, and you have a pretty strong car. I too have fingers crossed for them.

But ultimately of course MG will soundly thrash them!!!!

[Les]

neither of the Hondas finished the second Rockingham race :( so they must be light(er).

[Reidy'sHemlet]

Looking at what MGmad said I can't see anything really about Honda getting a podium place at race 2 at Rockingham, Les.

Judging from what you said about Matt and Alan having low/no ballast he simply may have implied that to get low/no ballst Matt may have got 4th which gives him 9kgs (a pretty low weight), and Alan may have got 5th which gives him no weight.
He may have also implied that Honda at Rockingham may have run a strong car when you add their dominance of race 1 to race 2.

I don't think he said Honda got a podium place in race 2.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. I think you are all coming a little hard on him judging by previous threads.

[Claire]

As Les says both Matt and Alan will be minus ballast as they didn't finish the 2nd race at Rockingham, mechincal woes for both of them. Will be good to see them giving the VX boys some hassle. The MG's will have ballast as they had a good 2nd race (apart from Colin T) so we will have to wait and see how much affect that has.

As for the production boys, hopefully Michael and the BMW will be back and the three way battle between him, Luke and Tom will resume, and don't forget Alan Blencowe, he has had 5 podium finishes out of the last 6 races and will be out for two more this weekend. :D

[thommo_fan]

I think Thompson will be back on form at croft, he needs to outscore muller for sure.
i think muller will struggle to get on the podium in the first race, but i think either neal or thommo will win race one.

for the second race i'd love to see paul o'neil win a race or failing that a MG

[lauz]

i hope that tommo gets a couple of decent results at croft and it would be good to see paul o'neill do well. but im sure that mr muller will be making an appearance on the podium. in the production class i hope tom boardman will get a couple of podium positions and i would like to see luke hines doin well again.

[Amanda]

I hope Jimmy T does well this weekend, he deserves some better luck!

[Jamie P-E]

I'll second that especially on home turf:D

[Les]

andanother one who could do with a bit of luck - Colin Turkington. Had a dismal handfull of laps at Rockingham.

[lauz]

colin turkington hasn't had the best of seasons. its a shame because he is a great driver but the car just doesn't seem to be reliable. i hope that his luck changes throughout the rest of the season!

[Claw]

None of these are really predictions.

[Toto]

Muller may find Croft tough in first qualifying and race one, simply because the lay-out means there's a lot of sudden switches in weight transfer, from left to right and vice-versa. Clervaux (first corner) round through to the chicane. Then the fast esses out the back where on the exit they start standing on the brakes for Sunny In. Then the fiddly complex at the end and a need for good acceleration out of the final hairpin onto the start-finish straight.

Thommo has got it all to do. Quite a bit lighter on ballast going into the event than Muller and knows that this weekend he has to make that pay. If not, then I'd say it's beginning to look very difficult for him to hold on to his title.

Croft owes Matt Neal big time, however. He retired from both races there last year (two of four straight retirements if you include Snetterton). Honda were also very strong, with Priaulx leading until being passed by Muller.

I'm going for Neal, Thommo and Hughes in the first race, with Muller fourth. Muller to hit back with victory in the second, with Thompson and Neal behind. Turkington to pick up a fifth then a fourth. I also see Collard coming out of this meeting back in the lead of the Independents Trophy, although VLR will take a win.

Then again, it could always throw it down and mess up everyone's predictions. It has been known at Croft ...

[Reidy'sHemlet]

I have no doubt that the competition will be fierce, but on what basis does Warren beat Yvan?

Yvan beats Warren in both first and seconds 4-0. In first places, Yvan winning both rouds of Thruxton and race's 2 of both Brands Hatch and Silverstone.
In second places, Yvan getting his seconds at the first two rounds at Mondello Park, race's 1 of Silverstone and of Brands Hatch.
Warren only beats Yvan in third places 2-1. Warren getting his at races 2 of Silverstone and Rockingham. Yvan only getting his one third at race 1 of Rockingham.

And as for Neal beatting Thommo?
Matt is beatten by 1 by James in both first and seconds. In first places Thommo's beating Matt 3-2. Matt's 2 first's coming at race's 1 of Brands Hatch and Rockingham. Thommo's 3 coming at the first two rounds at Mondello Park, and race 1 of Silverstone.
In second places James beats Matt 2-1. James getting his 2 at races 2 of Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Matt getting his only at round 1 of Thuxton.

So overall if you tot up the podium places over the season for Neal and Hughes against Muller and Thommo, Neal/Hughes have 5 podium places and Thompson/Muller have 14.

VX have better consistency in the podium's than any other team and driver.

[cav1995]

I think VX will be holding all the cards at croft. We've not seen Thommo's car set up quite as well as Yvans but I think it's going to be as follows,

Race 1.

O'Neill
Muller
Morrison

DNF
Neal
Reid
Hughes - Can't stand the man

Race 2.

Neal
Thommo
Muller

DNF
Morrison
Hughes - Can't stand the man


Of course it's all guess work so we'll just have to wait and see.

[Reidy'sHemlet]

I can't agree with you on the fact Thommo's car isn't set-up as well as Yvan's, as Yvan has only won 1 race more than James as Yvan has won 4 to James' 3, I actually find myself agreeing with you on that one. VX do hold the cards. But it won't be Yvan or James.

Their seems no consistency in the team with regard to circuits. You can't say that VX perform better at the bigger or smaller circuits as they dominated Mondello Park getting a consecutive 1-2, and yet they didn't get a 1-2 at race 1 of Rockingham. Honda got that. But my own beloved Croft is a strange circuit. The drivers may love it, but it isn't on the scale of profile as say Thruxton or Brands Hatch. But it challenges. And so although it will be VX that dominates Paul may well be in with a shout.

I think (race 1):
1. Muller
2. O'Neill
3. Neal

Race 2
1. Muller
2. Thompson
3. Reid

[Toto]

How analytical ...