2009: Your thoughts

[Pug205]

As we enter the last few weeks of 2009, thought it might be a good time to look back at how everyone saw it from a Biante Forum view of course

Instead of making two threads I thought I would just combine both.

MotorSport Highlights
- Webber's GP wins
- The Brabham/Peugeot Le Man success
- ONE HD
- Courtney race wins and DJR's consistent performance
- Bathurst: the build up and race week
- Biante Collectors Night at Bathurst
- Townsville (street circuit done right and for the right reason)

Motorsport Lowlights
- F1 titles over by June
- 888 going to Holden (Cannot be good for the series long term)
- Bathurst: the result
- KERS and Sprint Tyres (from the point of view as gimicks and not implemented well)
- No more Oran Park and lack of NSW rounds in general
- F1 cheating scandal
- Teams folding worldwide (Subaru, Toyota, BMW, Tasman, etc)

DieCast Hightlights
- Biante RX-7 and Brock VL, and FG Supercar
- Biante's new look, marketing, and presence at racetracks
- CC 1976 Winner
- Lower build numbers again


DieCast Lowlights
- The issues currently at CC (QC and lack of communication)
- No EB Falcons
- Silly mistakes in details from both companies that could have been avoided.
- Red Dust and 60th Aniv releases turning nasty between collectors.

How about everyone else, how will you look back on 2009?

[fatty]

Highlight-Model wise the best year to date in a long time.
Lowlight-Ending of a long relationship between myself and my former model retailer.

[Holdennumber1]

Well, Bathurst this year was definately a highlight, not a lowlight. Best one I've been too since 05.:)
The only lowlight for me in motorsport was who won the V8 championship but thats probably most Holden fans.
As for diecasts, the highlight for me was Biante in general. They have been producing awesome diecasts and evey Biante model I got this year was awesome.
And the worst has been CC's lack of care and responses to collectors and their continuous decline of quality in their V8 1:18 models. They are definately going downhill and if they don't do anything, I can see the end for them as a diecast manufacturer.
Cheers,:)
Thomas

[bills]

highlights form e are bathurst and webber's win. Too bad he couldnt continue his form. Bathurst was probably one of this years best race or the best one.

[AussieRyan]

This year's highlight for me in motorsport was definitely Bathurst.

Holden clean sweeping was just awesome.:D

Oh, and HRT winning the team championship, and Davo winning the Barry Sheene "Best, and Fairest" award.:)

For models the release of the 05 VL SS Group A. One of my favourite touring cars ever.

[El Cheapo]

My Highlights of the year would be:

-Bathurst. One of the best races in Bathurst history. Simple as that.
-The Ambroses, Powers and Webbers all having great seasons overseas.
-The NZ Motorsport series finally getting the same-day coverage it deserves.
-Biantes 09 releases and their level of professionalism in general. Can't wait another second for the number 10 VL to arrive.
-Mark Skaifes return to the series. Was quite a thing, watching someone supposedly down and out, kicking the backsides of more fancies drivers.
-Townsville.

My lowlights of the year would be:

-Channel 7's coverage of the V8 Supercars. Hmmmm dismal.
-Classic Carlectables' lack of commnication, accuracy, quality control, their price hike and their release of some fairly dismal models plus remakes.
-T8 moving to Holden. Not good for the sport having all the big players on one side of the fence. Hopefully DJR, FPR and SBR can step up next year.
-Dixon not securing the IRL title.

[njf015]

Highlights - Bathurst/Philip Island win by HRT (even thought T8 had PI sewn up)
Working at the Sydney 500 and going to the concert on Saturday night.
No A1GP at Surfers meant the Bowdens collection could be shown off ;)

Lowlight - Sprint tyre to 'variable' (ie Lowndes doing a butt load of laps whereas other cars stumble after 20 odd at Barbagello)
Oran Park closing
No A1GP at Surfers
I'm a Holden fan but am worried about the saturation of Holdens in next years championship

[david5]

Highlights for me, going to the Bathurst 12 Hour, Speed on Tweed & Biante function at Bathurst & meeting the odd forum lurker or two.

Model wise, getting two brilliant models from Malscar, being looked after by Laz for new releases & the odd chat.

Biante releasing some top rate models.

Sprint tyre. Webers wins.

Lowlights.

CCs QC & research errors & customer relations.

V8SC going to more street circuits & OP closing.

[SDK]

2009 Highlights
Stoner's effort at PI in the reverse colours put a smile on my face.
Going to inaugural Townsville & Sydney rounds
Adding a number of Bathurst podium cars to the collection
Enjoying the odd "blue" between members other than me on this site

2009 Lowlights
Continually paying off what I spend on model cars
1984 VK's still not being sold out, notwithstanding discounts
Continued re-release of cars already done by other manufacturer. Stop it.

[wayno]

Hilites;
Mark Webber winning two gp's and proving he has the talent the true believers thought he had.
HRT ending the drought at Bathurst with a stunning win.
David Brabham at LeMans and actually getting to SEE it on TV.

Lowlites;
Murphy/Skaife getting caught out at Bathurst after a stunning drive.
Ryan Briscoe shooting himself in the foot.
Casey Stoners woes in Moto GP.

[BB]

Highs for me:
HRT wins Bathurst,Webber scores 8 podiums including 2 wins,

Aussie's doing well on the US and world stage generally, (sprint cars, moto-X, motoGP, NASCARS, Indy. BMX it goes on does'nt it!

Not car related but sitting down with Andy Thomas few a few minutes chatting and getting a "couple" of things signed. Not something I'm going to forget in a hurry.

Picking up a few 1/18 F1 Minichamps and CMC's for the cabinet.

Not so highs:

Not having the money to be able to afford what I want!!!

F1 almost shooting itself in the head because it missed its foot.

Ford and Holden economic and political debacles.

Rule changes for the sake of rule changes. When it aint broke, don't fix it!

Duplication of models already made and silly squabbles over who's is better.

There are probbaly more I have not mentioned but that will do. I'll save some for others

[brchi17]

Highlights
Motorsport - Watching Mark Webber finally snare a Grand Prix Victory live on ONE HD !!!
Diecast - plugging more wholes in the 1/43 Bathurst winners collection

Lowlights
Motorsport - More street circuits joining the V8 circus / Kimi not having a drive in F1 for 2010
Diecast - effective cancellation of the 4-door XA Falcon GT's from Biante

[HRT-222]

Highlights:

HRT Get a 1-2 at Sandown
HRT Win Phillip Island
HRT Win Bathurst
HRT Win Team's Championship
Mark Webber Scores first win
Will Davison recieves the Barry Sheene Medal
Greg Murphy & Mark Skaife finsih 4th at Bathurst

Lowlights:

Not many dissapointing results for me this year besides Whincup winning the championship other than that im happy with how the year turned out

[Designer]

2009 Highlights:
Not changing the HRT livery for Bathurst so they could win one.
I take credit for that win ;)
Autobarn livery. Happy with that one on telli.
9 Holdens in the top 10 at Bathurst.
Stoner's winning one off white livery at PI for the comeback win. Wonderful
Mark Webber makes me watch F1 religiously again.
Channel 1, Marcos and understanding Nascar

2009 Lowlights:
Stoner getting crook.
F1 commentators obsession with Button and Hamilton.
Corser moving to BMW.
Bayliss struggling in V8 Supercar :(

[Chev_350]

F1 commentators obsession with Button and Hamilton.

As long as we get the BBC feed, I dont think that is going to change, much like how Rusty and Cam always like to talk about Australia's Mark Webber leading in an out of every ad break.

[UNDFTD]

Australia's Mark Webber
they seem to say this about 50 times during the F1 telecast..... i think we all know his from Australia:rolleyes:

[Designer]

As long as we get the BBC feed, I dont think that is going to change, much like how Rusty and Cam always like to talk about Australia's Mark Webber leading in an out of every ad break.

"It's JENNNNNNSON BUTTTTON !!!.
Jenson has moved from 14th to 13th !!!.....What an amazing comeback, incredible driving !! Button is really moving now....."

Gimme a break :)

[UNDFTD]

"It's JENNNNNNSON BUTTTTON !!!.
Jenson has moved from 14th to 13th !!!.....What an amazing comeback, incredible driving !! Button is really moving now....."

Gimme a break :)

LMAO...so true

[bills]

they seem to say this about 50 times during the F1 telecast..... i think we all know his from Australia:rolleyes:


hahaha this is so true!

[UNDFTD]

hahaha this is so true!

it drives me insane

[Kashmir]

it drives me insane

I just wait for the day they make a mistake and say "Japan's Mark Webber" or "France's Mark Webber" lmao:D

[rex555]

Up side
Bathurst was a great event, even if the teams I wanted to, didn't win.
Webber winning not 1 but 2 F1 GPs AND F1 actually being interesting enough to watch some of the time for a change.
Aussies doing well or at least competing well on the world stage

Down side
The stupidity of the V8SC management/track stewards and their inconsistancy.
The V8SC point system trying to stretch the final ranking out until the last round everytime(still)
Too many boring street circuits
The implosion of the WRC that will see a number of minor championships within the major championship next year
The (insert deleted expletive here) in the FIA being replaced by a clone

[bjsti7]

channel 7's coverage of V8 supercars is absolutely terrible they are a Joke,
I hope one day it goes back to 10, where it would be telecast live

[inter]

Highlight of the year are;


Webber F1 , great year
Brabham Le mans win
Last race of the BTCC between Giovanardi and turlington
Quality of most people on this forum, Like second friends
Will davidson year, a true gentleman
Valentino Rossi

Low light are

the difference in pace between Lowndes and whincup, all great sports people slowly loose the edge
888 to holden
Dumbrell to Ford
not doing stats on this forum any longer

[Captain Kangaroo]

This is a great thread guys, interesting to read others thoughts.

For what it's worth, here are six of each from the top of my head...

Highlights
Webber in Germany
Ambrose vs Busch at the Glen
Brabham at Le Mans
Ricciardo in F1 testing
Stoner at Phillip Island
& Rossi vs Lorenzo at Catalunya

Lowlights
Stoner’s illness
Briscoe’s title loss
Power’s crash
Ambrose vs Edwards at Montreal
Surfers Paradise event
& the V8 Supercar Sprint tyre

And yes, I am a bit parochial! :)

[SWRT]

Highlights :
Bathurst week build-up
Brabham Le Mans Win
Webber F1 break through
Briscoe/Power temporially making it an all Aussie line-up at Penske
Marcos Ambrose, Sprint Cup Year One, great job
Abu Dhabi circuit
Homebush, great weekend more me meeting Eric Bana, David & Sir Jack Brabham, catching up again with Marcos Ambrose and the biggest suprise, Norm Beechy !!!!

Lowlights :
Bathurst 1000 race
Will Power's Sonoma crash
Briscoe's "Rookie" Japan error
FIA's New "Puppet" leader - comparable to the NSW Government
Nissan dropping out as Safety car provider, that GT-R was a awesome machine
KERS in F1

[k1w1taxi]

Highlights
Attending Palmy Teams Champs
Pit Marshalling at Hamilton
IRL (most competitive title chase of the year)
Jeff Gordons resurgence
Mikko vs FLP in Finland
Someone other than McLaren and Ferrari at the front of F1
Hampton Downs opening

Biante RX7
Spark F1s
Spark Salonen 205T16
Biante 1:43 Richards/Brock Toranas

Low Lights
The last safety car at Bathurst
Brendan Hartleys year
The Renault Crash scandal
The lack of real competition in WRC, and Rotation
Street circuits
Politics in motorsport
The last yellow of the IRL season

Missing out on my Moffat RX7 due to miscommunication between my LHS and Biante :( :mad:
Not enough money
Too many region (read Japan) specific releases
The crap exchange rate when I did have money
The lack of money when the Kiwi gave the US 80c a nudge (and the Euro over 50)

Cheers
Lee